Canberra is Australia’s capital city, and this is where we head on our way out of Sydney. We’ll check out Parliament House and other highlights on a tour of the city. After lunch, we head to Cooma and then Jindabyne in the late afternoon, a town with a relaxed alpine village feel. There’s time for trout fishing in the lake or you could even go water skiing or wake boarding (all at own expense and seasonal). Tonight you’ll enjoy dinner and overnight accommodation at Lake Jindabyne (all included). Kick back and relax with a sauna, swim or a drink at the bar.

After breakfast, hike along an alpine track to view glacial ‘Blue Lake’ and the top of Mount Kosciuszko (Australia’s highest point). During winter, we’ve got time to play in the snow (optional toboggan hire or snow tube at own expense). After lunch, it’s a spectacular drive along Barry Way. Crossing state borders into Victoria, we take a break in the afternoon to fly down the ‘zip wire’ (optional activity at own expense) before arriving at our overnight stop at the coastal town of Lakes Entrance.

It’s a great chance for a walk before we drive to Wilsons Promontory National Park. We’ll finish today traveling to Melbourne through pastoral landscapes in South Gippsland.

Our trip continues as we leave Melbourne and head through Geelong towards the coast to Torquay, with a stop to shop at Quiksilver and Rip Curl before we continue to world famous Bells Beach. Our Great Ocean Road journey begins here as we wind our way along one of the most spectacular coastal roads in Australia. We stop to see some koalas before passing through the seaside town of Lorne on our way to Apollo Bay, where we’ll stop for lunch (own expense). Next we hit the cool temperate rainforest of the Otway National Park, spending some time at the magnificent Otway Fly, 25 metre high elevated tree top walk. We cap off the day watching the sun set over the Twelve Apostles. We’ll stay overnight in the coastal township of Princetown.

Climb down the Gibson Steps to the beach to get a different angle of the Twelve Apostles. Next we head on to check out Loch Ard Gorge and the western end of the Great Ocean Road including London Bridge, the Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands. You may spot a whale or two (seasonal) at Warrnambool, where we have a stop. From here we travel through country Victoria, arriving at the magnificent Grampians National Park to the challenge of a hike to the top of the Pinnacle. The day is topped off by a walk to The Balconies and Reeds Lookout, before we get to our overnight Grampians accommodation.

Get your legs working this morning with hikes at Hollow Mountain and the amazing MacKenzie Falls, where you’ll experience the breathtaking views stretching over the north of the Grampians. Leaving this magical place, we travel west, stopping for lunch at Horsham (own expense) before continuing through the agricultural region of Victoria and in to South Australia. Bordertown is home of the rare White Western Grey Kangaroos. Crossing the mighty Murray River, king of Australia’s rivers, we wind our way through the picture-pretty Adelaide Hills before arriving into Adelaide city.

A free day in Adelaide to relax

Leaving the city behind, we travel through the pretty Clare Valley to Alligator Gorge, set deep in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Discover some of the distinct flora and fauna as we stretch our legs on an interpretive walk through the ruggedly beautiful gorge (seasonal), before continuing on to Quorn. This afternoon, we’ll check out some interesting Aboriginal rock art at Yourambulla Caves. Get ready for tonight’s BBQ dinner at Parachilna – it doesn’t get any more Aussie than this!

If the weather’s good, we’ll take the scenic route through the stunning Parachilna Gorge on our way to Wilpena Pound, the jewel of the Flinders Ranges. Grab your hiking boots for a guided climb of Mount Ohlssen-Bagge: you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with sweeping views over the ranges, the desert and Lake Torrens. We reach Rawnsley Park, a sheep station set against the spectacular range of Wilpena Pound and spend the night here in bunkhouse accommodation.

It’s time to go underground! We’ll travel to Coober Pedy today in time for an opal mine tour and you might have the chance to go ‘noodling’ for opals if there’s time. Our bunkhouse for tonight is – you guessed it! – underground.

Driving through the rugged desert country, we reach Yulara in time for sunset at Uluru (Ayers Rock). The stars put on a show back at our permanent campsite at Yulara.

Wake up early to experience sunrise at Uluru – it’s worth the early start! Go for a walk around the base or climb to the top if you choose (although the traditional Anangu owners prefer if you don’t), before we take a guided interpretive walk at Mala. After visiting Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) we head to Kings Canyon, where we camp for the night.

There’s a lot to explore at Kings Canyon, including the Lost City, the lush and ancient Garden of Eden, and the sheer outcrops of the North and South Walls. After a bite to eat, we make our way through the harsh desert landscape to Alice Springs.