Kangaroo Island and the Limestone Coast

Day 1 | Avalon to Apollo Bay

Meet host and driver Bill at Avalon Airport before setting out along the Great Ocean Road. The journey west follows one of Australia’s most celebrated coastal routes, with sweeping views and a lunch stop in Anglesea. Continue to Apollo Bay, a relaxed seaside town long popular with surfers, bushwalkers and coastal travellers. After checking in at the Apollo Apartments or similar accommodation, gather for a welcome dinner at the Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Co-op and enjoy locally caught seafood beside the coast.

Included: lunch and dinner.

Day 2 | Great Otway National Park to Port Fairy

Explore Great Otway National Park, where rugged coastline gives way to tall forest, fern gullies and waterfalls. Visit the historic Cape Otway Lightstation, perched above Bass Strait, then travel inland for the elevated forest walk at Otway Fly Adventures. After lunch, continue west past the spectacular Twelve Apostles, stopping at coastal viewpoints for sightseeing and photographs. The day ends in Port Fairy, with accommodation at Clonmara Country House and Cottages, the Merrijig Hotel or similar, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3 | Port Fairy to Mount Gambier

Leave Port Fairy for Mount Gambier, pausing at Nelson for a cruise on the peaceful Glenelg River before crossing into South Australia. Visit Kilsby Sinkhole, renowned for remarkably clear water, and enjoy a gin tasting while watching divers below. Continue to Mount Gambier, a city shaped by ancient volcanic activity, and explore the landscaped Umpherston Sinkhole. Dinner and overnight accommodation are at the award-winning Barn Steakhouse, set among English-style gardens and well known as a regional dining destination.

Day 4 | Mount Gambier to Coonawarra

Begin with the easy, paved circuit around Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake, which is famous for its vivid seasonal colour. Several lookouts offer shorter alternatives for those who prefer not to complete the full walk. Lunch is at a local cafe or, in fine weather, beside Valley Lake. Afterwards, travel through Penola towards the Coonawarra wine region, stopping at Raidis Estate for a tasting before settling into Punters Vineyard Retreat. Enjoy panoramic vineyard views and a light evening meal at the accommodation.

Day 5 | Coonawarra Wine Region

Spend a full day discovering Coonawarra’s prized terra rossa soils and internationally recognised red wines. At Brand’s Laira, walk among some of the region’s oldest vines, explore the winery and barrel hall, and taste current and maturing wines. Continue to DiGiorgio Family Wines for a behind-the-scenes tour covering the soil, historic vines, winemaking process and barrel hall, followed by local produce and lunch. A boardwalk stroll at Bool Lagoon provides a nature break before returning to Punters Vineyard Retreat.

Day 6 | Naracoorte Caves to Robe

Visit the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves for a guided tour of Victoria Fossil Cave. Walk through decorated chambers while learning how the cave’s internationally significant fossil deposits accumulated, how they are excavated and what current research reveals. After lunch at Bellwether Wines, continue towards Robe, stopping at historic Yallum Park homestead if it is open. Settle into accommodation at the Caledonian Inn apartments in this attractive limestone fishing town, then dine at the Black Swan.

Day 7 | Robe to the Fleurieu Peninsula

Start with a coastal walk to Robe’s harbour, blowhole and obelisk before beginning the scenic journey to the Fleurieu Peninsula. Follow the coast, stopping where possible for views into Coorong National Park, then travel inland around Lake Alexandrina near the Murray River’s meeting with the Southern Ocean. Arrive later in the day at the award-winning Beach Huts at Middleton, a seaside base close to long sandy beaches and the restaurants of Port Elliot. Dinner is served at Blues Restaurant at the Huts.

Day 8 | Coorong, Murray Mouth and Langhorne Creek

Breakfast by the beach at Kuti Shack is followed by a morning cruise from Goolwa towards the Murray Mouth. Pass through the barrage lock, look for fur seals and follow the final kilometres of the Murray River through the Coorong to the Southern Ocean. After lunch at the wharf, visit Bremerton or Bleasdale in the Langhorne Creek wine region, with a winery tour where production schedules allow. Return to Middleton before dinner beside Horseshoe Bay at the Flying Fish Cafe.

Day 9 | Fleurieu Peninsula to Kangaroo Island

Enjoy breakfast at the Beach Huts and a short visit to Victor Harbor, with time for Granite Island if the schedule permits. The scenic drive then continues through the Fleurieu Peninsula to Cape Jervis for the SeaLink ferry crossing to Penneshaw. After lunch at a local cafe, travel across Kangaroo Island to beach-house accommodation at Emu Bay on the north coast, the base for the next four nights. Dinner is prepared at the accommodation and includes fresh oysters purchased along the way.

Day 10 | Seal Bay and Flinders Chase National Park

Discover Kangaroo Island’s wildlife and wild southern coast. At Seal Bay Conservation Park, observe endangered Australian sea lions resting and playing on the beach from a respectful distance. Continue west into Flinders Chase National Park to Admirals Arch, Cape du Couedic lighthouse and the colony of long-nosed fur seals. Visit the sculptural granite forms of Remarkable Rocks and see the landscape’s recovery following the summer bushfires. Lunch is at Vivonne Bay, with time for a distillery or winery stop before returning to Emu Bay.

Day 11 | North Coast and Fig Tree Dining

Take an easy morning at Emu Bay before travelling to Snellings Beach for an imaginative outdoor dining experience. The meal is staged beneath the spreading limbs of an old fig tree, beginning with a Kangaroo Island Spirits cocktail and canapes before guests enter the tree’s natural “living rooms” for a theatrical feast inspired by the island’s landscape and produce. Return to the beach house for a relaxed afternoon of reading, swimming, walking or simply enjoying the coast, followed by a light supper at the accommodation.

Day 12 | Dudley Peninsula and East Coast

Explore Kangaroo Island’s east coast and the Dudley Peninsula. Begin with a tour of remote Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, then continue to Dudley Wines for a light lunch and expansive views across Backstairs Passage towards the Fleurieu Peninsula. The afternoon’s scenic drive passes False Cape Wines and includes a visit to a honey farm, where the island’s famous Ligurian bee honey can be tasted. Return to the accommodation before a farewell dinner at Amadio’s in Kingscote, celebrating the final full day of the journey.

Day 13 | Kingscote and Tour End

After breakfast at the Emu Bay accommodation, pack for the short journey to Kingscote Airport. This final morning allows time to say farewell to the island landscape and fellow travellers before the tour concludes. A morning flight connects through Adelaide for onward travel home, completing a journey that has linked the Great Ocean Road, limestone coast, Coonawarra vineyards, Coorong waterways, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. Airport transfer and breakfast are included; onward flights are arranged separately by travellers.