Mar 1 - Mar 16, 2025
Starting at
7,849
Australia
Walking Australia: From Tasmania to the Great Ocean Road
Program No. 20755RJ
Walk through the beautiful and unique landscape of Australia, joining local experts to discover national parks, pristine coastlines, myriad wildlife and colonial history.
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We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Mar 1 - Mar 16, 2025
Starting at
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
16 days
15 nights
32 meals
13B 9L 10D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Mole Creek Karst & Cradle Mountain National Parks
Cradle Mtn National Park
5
Walking in Cradle Mountain National Park
Cradle Mtn National Park
9
Return Cruise to Maria Island, Wilderness Walk, Penguins
Freycinet National Park
10
Walk in Freycinet National Park, Freycinet Marine Farm
Freycinet National Park
11
Fly to Melbourne, Coach to the Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
12
Cape Otway Walk, History, Native Fauna
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
13
Great Ocean Walk, Native Fauna
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
14
Melba Gully, The 12 Apostles, Coach to Port Campbell
Great Ocean Road (Port Campbell)
16
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
The rainforests, coastlines and islands of Australia are home to some of the country’s most valuable treasures — and there’s no better way to experience them than on foot! Join local experts for a walking exploration of some of Australia’s most notable national parks and iconic coastal paths. Walk in the footsteps of Indigenous peoples, learn about early penal colonies and explore the natural habitats of animals such as the koala and platypus.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking and standing up to six hours per day; some stairs. Elevations of 3,500 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Experience Tasmania’s pristine wilderness during walks through Mole Creek Karst, Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Parks.
- Marvel at Victoria’s coastline as you explore the Great Ocean Walk in the Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.
- Get a firsthand look at Australia’s native creatures, including wallabies, wombats, koalas and hopefully even the elusive platypus.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Sylvia van der Peet
Sylvia van der Peet — born in a coal-mining village in Lancashire, England — came to Australia as a teenager. She has had roles as varied as assistant to a horse dentist, volunteer zoo guide, quoll keeper, wool shop owner, and in the IT industry before deciding there was more to life than computing. She spent 13+ years as a Park Ranger and accredited General Firefighter. Sylvia is now semi-retired and a member of the local Country Fire Authority. She and her husband are Hooded Plover monitors.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Sylvia van der Peet
View biography
Sylvia van der Peet — born in a coal-mining village in Lancashire, England — came to Australia as a teenager. She has had roles as varied as assistant to a horse dentist, volunteer zoo guide, quoll keeper, wool shop owner, and in the IT industry before deciding there was more to life than computing. She spent 13+ years as a Park Ranger and accredited General Firefighter. Sylvia is now semi-retired and a member of the local Country Fire Authority. She and her husband are Hooded Plover monitors.
Jane Marsden
View biography
Since commencing her career as a registered nurse in 1975, Jane Marsden progressed through to lecturing in nursing at university. Between 1986 and 1999 Jane was an instructional designer and established JAM Training and Development Services — a consulting and contracting business for fields including strategic HR and IT. Jane’s recent roles have ranged from e-learning, technical competency frameworks and diversity and inclusion to teaching ethics to school children and tai chi to seniors.
Suggested Reading List
(19 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Walking Australia: From Tasmania to the Great Ocean Road
Program Number: 20755
Dark Emu : Aboriginal Australia and the birth of agriculture
History has portrayed Australia's First Peoples, the Aboriginals, as hunter-gatherers who lived on an empty, uncultivated land. History is wrong. Using compelling evidence from the records and diaries of early Australian explorers and colonists, Bruce Pascoe reveals that Aboriginal systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required - for the benefit of us all. Dark Emu, a bestseller in Australia, won both the Book of the Year Award and the Indigenous Writer's Prize in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.
Chasing Kangaroo
An ode to the kangaroo in all their splendid diversity and oddity. Revisiting his early love of kangaroo fossils, Flannery weaves engaging tales of his adventures on the trails of marsupials past and present with his travels and encounters with eccentric scientists and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Turning, New Stories
These 17 overlapping stories, steeped in everyday life on western Australia, follow the fates of a handful of characters in a small coastal town outside Perth. Winton, short-listed twice so far for the Booker Prize, has published a string of memorable novels, children's books and stories, all richly set in the working class milieu of the sparsely populated coastal desert.
Aboriginal Art
This well illustrated survey of Aboriginal art, ancient and modern, focuses on the spiritual and geographic sources of art and ritual traditions in Australia. It covers the range of art from all parts of the continent, including a chapter on the Wandjina rock art of the Kimberley region. The concise text is augmented by 187 well produced black-and-white and color illustrations.
Bradt Australian Wildlife
A guide not just to kangaroo and koala, this compact, illustrated survey, featuring 250 color photographs, takes in habitats, parks and conservation, marsupials, birds and bats.
Van Diemen's Women : A History of Transportation to Tasmania
On September 2, 1845, the convict ship Tasmania left Kingstown Harbour for Van Diemen’s Land, with 138 female convicts and their 35 children. On December 3, the ship arrived into Hobart. While the book looks at the lives of all the women, it focuses on two women in particular; Eliza Davis, who was transported from Wicklow Gaol, where she was for life for infanticide, having had her sentence commuted from death; and Margaret Butler, sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing potatoes in Carlow. What emerges is a picture of the reality of transportation, together with the legacy left by these women in Tasmania, and asks the question about whether this Draconian punishment was, for some, a life-saving measure.
True History of the Kelly Gang
A powerful, daring novel, steeped in the colonial history of late 19th-century Australia. Outlaw, folk hero, thief and patriot, the Irish immigrant Ned Kelly and his clan figure large in the Australian mindset. Carey's Booker Prize-winning novel (his second after "Oscar & Lucinda") takes the form of a series of rough, captivating letters by the barely literate gang leader to his young daughter. Kelly was hanged in Melbourne in 1880, where his mother was also imprisoned.
My Place
In 1982 Sally Morgan travelled to her grandmother's birthplace, Corunna Downs Station in Western Australia. She wants to trace the experiences of her childhood andolescence in Perth in the 1950's. Through memories and images, hints and echoes begin to emerge and another story unfolds - the mystery of her aboriginal identity. Gradually her whole family is drawn in to the saga and her great-uncle, her mother and finally her grandmother tell their stories in turn. My Place is a work of great humour, humanity and courage.
The Tears of Strangers
A family memoir charting the political and social changes of Aboriginal Australians over the past 40 years.
The Ship That Never Was: The Greatest Escape Story Of Australian Colonial History
The entertaining and rollicking story of what is surely the greatest escape in Australian colonial history. James Porter, whose memoirs were the inspiration for Marcus Clarke's "For the Term of his Natural Life", is an original Australian larrikin whose ingenuity, gift of the gab and refusal to buckle under authority make him an irresistible anti-hero who deserves a place in history.
Position Doubtful
Since the publication of her prize-winning memoir Craft for a Dry Lake, in 2000, writer and artist Kim Mahood has been returning to the Tanami desert country in far north-western Australia where, as a child, she lived with her family on a remote cattle station. The land is timeless, but much has changed- the station has been handed back to its traditional owners; the mining companies have arrived; and Aboriginal art has flourished. Comedy and tragedy, familiarity and uncertainty are Mahood's constant companions as she immerses herself in the life of a small community and in groundbreaking mapping projects. What emerges in Position Doubtful is a revelation of the significance of the land to its people - and of the burden of history.
Songlines
Rory Stewart provides the introduction to this 25th anniversary edition of Bruce Chatwin's celebrated travelogue, which is as much about its gifted author - and the meaning of travel - as about the Aboriginal people and their ways of life. Chatwin transforms a journey through the Outback into an exhilarating, semi-fictional meditation on our place in the world.
Cotter: A Novel
A strong story of banishment, displacement, and crucial first contact, Cotter tells of a moving friendship between two very different men, ultimately powerless against the forces of history.
In A Sunburned Country
Bill Bryson revels in Australia's eccentric characters, dangerous flora and fauna, and other oddities. As has become his custom, he effortlessly imparts much fact-filled history in this wildly funny book. Included at the end is a short bibliography. This book is published as "Down Under" in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia
In this important book, Griffiths investigates a twin revolution - the reassertion of Aboriginal identity in the second half of the twentieth century, and the simultaneous uncovering of the traces of ancient Australia by pioneering archaeologists. Deep Time Dreaming is about a slow shift in national consciousness. It explores what it means to live in a place of great antiquity, with its complex questions of ownership and identity. It brings to life the deep time dreaming that has changed the way many Australians relate to their continent and its enduring, dynamic human history.
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
A handbook and field guide to Australia's birds with 2,000 vivid color illustrations, each accompanied by a brief description and revised range map. This more compact seventh edition features 16 new or revised color plates, new maps and condensed information.
A Commonwealth of Thieves, The Improbable Birth of Australia
With drama and flair, novelist Keneally illuminates the birth of New South Wales in 1788, richly evoking the social conditions in London, the miserable sea voyage and the desperate conditions of the new colony. His tale revolves around Arthur Phillip, the ambitious (and bland) captain in the Royal Navy who would become the first governor of New South Wales. You may be familiar with Keneally as the author of the acclaimed work (made into an equally-renowned film) "Schindler's List".
Death of a River Guide
Trapped within a waterfall on the wild Franklin River, Tasmanian river guide, Aljaz Cosini, lies drowning. As the tourists he has been guiding down the river seek to save him, Aljaz is beset by visions horrible and fabulous. As the rapids rise, Aljaz relives not just his own life but also his country's dreaming. The author won the Man Booker Prize in 2014.
A Fortunate Life
The is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. The autobiography of Albert Barnett (Bert) Facey - farmer, labourer, jackaroo, WWI veteran - lived from 1894 to 1982, predominantly in Western Australia's frontier territory. Facey's story, published at the age of 87, brings to life his experiences as a child labourer, itinerant rural worker, soldier and Depression-era farmer. Despite the trials faced, he always considered he led "a fortunate life". It is considered a classic of Australian literature. It is one of Australia's favourite books.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
16 days
15 nights
What's Included
32 meals (
13B, 9L, 10D
)
1 expert-led lecture
26 expert-led field trips
1 flight during the program
An experienced Group Leader
13 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
In Transit to Program, Crossing International Dateline
Location:
In Flight
Day
3
Arrive Launceston, Orientation, Riverside Walk
Location:
Launceston
Meals:
D
Stay:
Sebel Launceston
Activity Note
As water is drinkable throughout Australia, at the welcome meeting you will be given a Road Scholar water bottle to use throughout your program. This is yours to keep. This afternoon we will walk up to 2 miles on flat, paved surfaces.
Afternoon:
If you have booked your flights to Australia through Road Scholar, upon your arrival at Launceston airport today, you will be met by our team and transferred in to Launceston. Check-in to our accommodation commences at 2:00 p.m. After time to settle in, we will have a short walk to explore the centre of historic Launceston along the Tamar River. Orientation & Welcome Meeting. The Group Leader and Site Coordinator will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. The format of meals will vary based on each venue, with some meals being buffets, others plated and served, and some ordered in advance. Beverages typically include coffee, tea and water, with other beverages available for purchase depending on location. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After the orientation, our Group Leader will introduce us to Australia and Tasmania.
Dinner:
At our hotel, we will have plated meals. We will have "welcome to Australia" wine with dinner tonight.
Evening:
After our long flights, we have an early evening at leisure. Prepare for hotel check-out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
4
Mole Creek Karst & Cradle Mountain National Parks
Location:
Cradle Mtn National Park
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Cradle Mountain Hotel
Activity Note
The drive from Launceston to Cradle Mountain is about 85 miles (140 kilometres), approximately 2.5 hours. Walking approximately 3 miles, maintained tracks, generally undulating terrain with some moderately steep sections.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
This morning we leave Launceston and head into Mole Creek Karst National Park. A walk here with our Group Leader and Site Coordinator will offer our first taste of the pristine Tasmanian landscape. We carry on to our accommodation in Cradle Mountain National Park.
Lunch:
At the hotel, we will have a sandwich lunch.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we begin our exploration of Cradle Mountain National Park with several short walks in the general vicinity of our accommodation. We can explore the Enchanted Walk, Pencil Pines Falls Walk and the Rainforest Walk.
Dinner:
At the hotel, we will have plated meals.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Walking in Cradle Mountain National Park
Location:
Cradle Mtn National Park
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Cradle Mountain Hotel
Activity Note
Walking at least 5 miles today; maintained paths, predominantly flat surfaces.
Breakfast:
At hotel.
Morning:
This morning we have a half-day walk with our Group Leader and Site Coordinator around the beautiful Dove Lake on the Dove Lake Circuit. The circuit is approximately 3.5 miles (5.7 kilometres). It is reasonably flat with a combination of boardwalk and gravel sections. There is one short, moderate hill.
Lunch:
At the hotel, we will have a sandwich lunch.
Afternoon:
This afternoon is free for you to relax and soak up the natural beauty of this stunning landscape. Your Group Leader and Site Coordinator will be able to assist those of you wishing to walk further. There is ample opportunity to embark on additional walks along the Cradle Valley and/or along King Billy Walk. You may also choose to walk to the historic Waldheim Chalet to learn something of the history of the area.
Dinner:
At the hotel, we will have plated meals.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check-out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
6
Coach to Strahan, Gordon River Nature & History Cruise
Location:
Strahan
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Strahan Village Hotel
Activity Note
The drive from Cradle Mountain to Strahan is about 85 miles (140 kilometres), approximately 2.5 hours. Getting on and off a cruise vessel. Walking approximately 1 mile on Sarah Island during our cruise. Walking approximately 2 miles this afternoon for those doing the Hogarth Falls Circuit when back in Strahan.
Breakfast:
This morning we depart early from Cradle Mountain with boxed breakfasts.
Morning:
We drive through to Strahan for our cruise on the Gordon River - a World Heritage-listed area of temperate rainforest and mountain crags. This area was the site of one of Australia's longest-running and most successful environmental protests and is thus seen largely as the birthplace of the country's environmental movement.
Lunch:
On the cruise vessel, we will have a lunch featuring Tasmanian produce.
Afternoon:
Our cruise continues with an exploration of Tasmania's notorious convict past as we visit the ruins of a former convict gaol on Sarah Island and discover the harsh conditions endured by those sentenced there. We return to the jetty in Strahan, a short walk from our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free for us to explore the delightful historic fishing village of Strahan at leisure. For those who wish, there is the possibility of an additional afternoon walk to a local waterfall. This walk takes in Strahan People's Park and the Hogarth Falls. The Hogarth Falls Walk is an easy walk along an almost-level track. It is approximately 0.8 miles (1.2 kilometres each way).
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
7
Lake St Clair National Park, Coach to Hobart
Location:
Hobart
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hadley's Orient Hotel
Activity Note
The drive from Strahan to Hobart is about 185 miles (300 kilometres), approximately 5 hours. Walking 3 miles, maintained tracks, undulating terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we drive through the wilderness bound for Lake St Clair National Park. Our Group Leader and Site Coordinator will lead us on a walk to Nelson Falls, located in a cool temperate rainforest within the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area. The walk to the delightful falls is easy with some steps to ascend and descend en route. We then have a 2.9 mile (4.7 kilometre) circuit walk at Lake St Clair. This walk uses creative interpretive panels to introduce the Larmairremener, the local Indigenous people of this region. It also introduces us to a wide variety of Tasmanian vegetation.
Lunch:
At a local café, we will have a plated lunch.
Afternoon:
We visit the Wall in the Wilderness – "an inspirational tale carved from the mountains and rivers of the Central Highlands of Tasmania" commemorating those who helped shape the past and present of Tasmania’s central highlands. The area is surrounded by wilderness and is full of mining heritage that highlights bygone days when Queenstown was a thriving gold and copper town. We carry on to our hotel in Hobart and check in upon arrival.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
8
Historic Battery Point Walk, Free Time
Location:
Hobart
Meals:
B
Stay:
Hadley's Orient Hotel
Activity Note
Walking up to 3 miles, urban surfaces.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We have an early morning walk around Hobart's historic Battery Point precinct with our Group Leader and Site Coordinator. After our walk, the remainder of the day is free for you to explore Tasmania's compact capital at leisure. Perhaps you will join in the fun of the Salamanca Markets in Hobart's historic quarter; perhaps you will head off and visit one of Hobart's newest attractions, the cutting-edge MONA (Museum of Old & New Art) and finish in the winery and brewery also located on-site; perhaps you will walk up Mount Wellington for its panoramic outlook. Your Group Leader and Site Coordinator will give you additional information on the various walks available to you. The day is yours to do as you see fit.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
9
Return Cruise to Maria Island, Wilderness Walk, Penguins
Location:
Freycinet National Park
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Beachfront Bicheno
Activity Note
The drive from Hobart to Triabunna is about 50 miles (85 kilometres), approximately 1.5 hours. The drive from Triabunna to Bicheno is about 60 miles (100 kilometres), approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes. Getting on and off ferry. Walking 5 - 7 miles, undulating terrain with the odd steep section.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we leave Hobart and travel on our motorcoach to Triabunna, where we board the ferry to Maria Island. We cruise across the Mercury Passage to stunning Maria Island - a formal penal colony known for its amazing scenery and abundant wildlife. Maria Island is home to Tasmanian kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and echidnas. The unique birdlife includes the endangered forty spotted pardalote, Cape Barren geese (the world’s second rarest breed), eagles and numerous seabird species. On the island, we will have a walking exploration of the old Darlington settlement.
Lunch:
On the island, we will have packed lunches brought over from the "mainland".
Afternoon:
This afternoon, depending on the conditions, we will, under the guidance of our Group Leader and Site Coordinator, walk to the Fossil Cliffs or Mount Bishop. This is a walk of around 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) across open ground with some moderate climbs. After exploring Maria Island's spectacular vistas, we take the ferry back to the mainland. We carry on via motorcoach to Bicheno, on the edge of the Freycinet National Park, and check in to our accommodation.
Dinner:
At the hotel, we will have a plated meal before departing for our evening penguin viewing.
Evening:
This evening we have an expert-led visit to the local penguin rookeries so we can get up close to these delightful little creatures.
Day
10
Walk in Freycinet National Park, Freycinet Marine Farm
Location:
Freycinet National Park
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Beachfront Bicheno
Activity Note
The drive from Bicheno to our stop in Freycinet National Park is about 28 miles (45 kilometres), approximately 40 minutes each way. Walking 5 miles, maintained paths, undulating terrain, steep in parts this morning. The walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout, according to Parks Tasmania, includes over 300 stairs - it involves a "steep uphill climb of 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometres) on rough bush steps".
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We take our motorcoach to Freycinet National Park this morning. Our Group Leader will guide us on a walk up to the lookout overlooking Wineglass Bay, one of Tasmania’s iconic destinations and most memorable vistas. The walk up to the lookout is a steep, uphill climb of 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometres) utilising rough bush steps. This is a steep, uphill walk on a rocky but well-constructed track within the Freycinet National Park.
Lunch:
As we take in the scenery at Freycinet Lodge, we have plated meals.
Afternoon:
Our Group Leader and Site Coordinator will lead us on a walk to Cape Tourville lighthouse this afternoon. The walk is on a wide track with even surfaces and gently-graded slopes. From here we can take in more spectacular scenery. We then have an expert-led visit to the Freycinet Marine Farm. Here we learn about the local aquaculture industry and have the opportunity to sample some of the fruits of the hard work and research that has gone into the local industry. We return via motorcoach in time for dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
11
Fly to Melbourne, Coach to the Great Ocean Road
Location:
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Comfort Inn The International
Activity Note
The drive from Bicheno to Hobart Airport is about 100 miles (160 kilometres), approximately 2.75 hours. The flight from Hobart to Melbourne is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Qantas typically uses Boeing 717 aircraft on this route. The drive from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport to Apollo Bay is about 125 miles (200 kilometres), approximately 3.5 hours.
Breakfast:
Boxed breakfast.
Morning:
We check out of our hotel before breakfast and board our motorcoach for the drive through to Hobart airport. From Hobart we fly to Melbourne and commence the Great Ocean Road section of our program.
Lunch:
We will pause en route for a lunch break. The cost of this lunch has been excluded from your program. Lunch is at own arrangements from your choice of the local cafes.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we travel to the Great Ocean Road via Torquay and Bell's Beach, famous for the world surfing titles held there each Easter. We will pause and stand under the Memorial Arch on the Great Ocean Road where we will learn from our Group Leader and Site Coordinator about the history of the Great Ocean Road - built mainly with picks and shovels by returned soldiers from WWI and dedicated to all those who died in battle. We will have a brief stop to [hopefully] view the koalas in the gum trees by the ocean at Kennett River. We will carry on to Apollo Bay and check in to our accommodation. We will have a short orientation walk in Apollo Bay on arrival.
Dinner:
At a local hotel, we have a plated dinner.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
12
Cape Otway Walk, History, Native Fauna
Location:
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Comfort Inn The International
Activity Note
Walking approximately 5 miles, defined tracks, undulating terrain with some steady uphill and downhill sections.
Breakfast:
At a local café, we will have a plated breakfast.
Morning:
This morning we begin our exploration of the Great Ocean Road with a walk around Maits Rest Rainforest Walk en route to Cape Otway. The Maits Rest walk is an easy to moderate walk of half a mile. Travelling on our motorcoach to the Cape we have another opportunity to hopefully view koalas in their natural habitat. At Cape Otway we have a guided tour of Australia's oldest mainland lighthouse. We will have a walk to the scenic lookout and the historic Signal Station. We walk along a section of the Great Ocean Walk to view the historic lightstation cemetery and enjoy spectacular views of the Southern Ocean.
Lunch:
We have a picnic lunch.
Afternoon:
After lunch we walk west along part of the Great Ocean Walk to Point Flinders. This is a medium to hard walk of approximately 3.1 miles (5 kilometres) with two moderate hill climb sections. The Great Ocean Walk generally has reasonably small changes in elevation with a maximum change of less than 1,000 feet (300 metres). While the actual change in elevation is relatively insignificant throughout the Great Ocean Walk, there are few truly flat sections with most parts requiring quite a bit of going up and down hill. We return to our accommodation on our motorcoach. Those who wish may like to add in an additional walk from Marengo to Apollo Bay - a beach walk of around 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometres).
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
13
Great Ocean Walk, Native Fauna
Location:
Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Comfort Inn The International
Activity Note
Walking approximately 5 miles, defined tracks, varied terrain with some steady uphill and downhill sections.
Breakfast:
At a local café, we will have a plated breakfast.
Morning:
This morning we have a expert-led visit to Wildlife Wonders, a wildlife sanctuary nestled alongside the Great Ocean Road and protected by a cat- and fox-proof fence. Wildlife Wonders is a social enterprise which uses its income to support "the critical research and conservation programs of the Conservation Ecology Centre, building knowledge, restoring habitats and supporting threatened species." As well as the easily-spotted koalas, we may also possibly glimpse other unique Australian residents such as bandicoots and potoroos. We will then commence a half-day Group Leader and Site Coordinator-led walk along the Great Ocean Walk during which we will enjoy spectacular coastal views in a pristine environment.
Lunch:
At Blanket Bay, we will have a packed lunch we have carried from Apollo Bay.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we continue our walk along the Great Ocean Walk, experiencing stunning coastal views from Blanket Bay to Point Flinders. This is a walk of approximately 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) with some steep sections around the Parker River. We return on our motorcoach along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay and have some time at leisure.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
14
Melba Gully, The 12 Apostles, Coach to Port Campbell
Location:
Great Ocean Road (Port Campbell)
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Great Ocean Road Studios
Activity Note
The drive from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell is about 60 miles (100 kilometres), approximately 1.5 hours. Walking approximately 8 miles, defined tracks, varied terrain.
Breakfast:
At a local café, we will have a plated breakfast.
Morning:
This morning we check out of our accommodation and board our motorcoach bound for Port Campbell. En route, we will make regular stops for walks with our Group Leader in the natural environment. We first have a walk in magnificent rainforest at Melba Gully in the Great Otway National Park. This is a short rainforest walk with steps and one steep section. We will have another field trip to the Castle Cove Lookout from where we gain spectacular views of the Southern Ocean and Shipwreck Coast.
Lunch:
We will have a packed lunch en route to Port Campbell.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we do the walk from Princetown to the Twelve Apostles. This is a moderately streuous walk of approximately 4.4 miles (7 kilometres) with sandy tracks (some soft sand), rubber matting and timber chain and plank sections up and down through the sand. Upon arriving in Port Campbell, we will explore the magnificent Port Campbell National Park with guided walks to Loch Ard Gorge and the historic Gibson Steps.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant, we will have plated meals.
Evening:
This evening we will board our motorcoach to have a sunset viewing of the 12 Apostles. We return to our accommodation to prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
15
Coach to Melbourne, Walking Exploration of City Centre
Location:
Melbourne
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Melbourne Marriott Hotel
Activity Note
The drive from Port Campbell to Melbourne is about 140 miles (225 kilometres), approximately 3.5 hours. Walking approximately 6 miles, defined tracks and flat city streets.
Breakfast:
We will have breakfast at our accommodation.
Morning:
This morning we walk two miles as we explore the spectacular Bay of Islands Coastal Park before travelling to Melbourne. We will visit the London Bridge lookout, Martyr's Cove, the wreck of the Falls of Halladale and the Bay of Islands lookout.
Lunch:
We will pause in one of the little towns en route to Melbourne for a lunch break. The cost of this meal has been excluded from your program. Lunch is at your own arrangements from your choice of the local cafes.
Afternoon:
Upon our arrival in Melbourne, we will check into our central-city accommodation. This afternoon our Group Leader and Site Coordinator will take us on walk of central Melbourne introducing us to Melbourne's historic buildings, its parklands, the Yarra River and its sporting and relaxation precincts. We will walk through some of Melbourne's famously funky laneways as we wend our way back to our hotel.
Dinner:
At our hotel, we will have plated meals. We will have "farewell to Australia" wine with dinner tonight.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and departure in the morning.
Day
16
Program Concludes
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check out is by 10.00 a.m. For those participants who have booked their long-haul flights through Road Scholar, please see your program’s travel details regarding transfers. If you are an independent traveller (POP status) who has booked your own flights to and from Australia, you are responsible for making your own way to the airport at the conclusion of the program.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Our program concludes with breakfast. After breakfast, we check out of our hotel. Those participants who have booked their flights through Road Scholar will be transferred to Melbourne airport. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
32 Meals
13 Breakfasts
9 Lunches
10 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Oct 04, 2025 - Oct 19, 2025
- Mar 01, 2025 - Mar 16, 2025 (Launceston to Melbourne)
- Oct 04, 2025 - Oct 19, 2025 (Launceston to Melbourne)
- Nov 01, 2025 - Nov 16, 2025 (Launceston to Melbourne)
Participant Reviews
Based on 7 Reviews
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I really appreciated our leaders love of country and their ability to impart their knowledge and enthusiasm to participants.
— Review left October 21, 2024
I had already submitted my review and then I found my notes and comments"
1. As I mentioned in my prior review, you need to tell in detail what we are doing each day at dinner
2. Do a quick review in the morning so everyone can pick up the sheet or knows that they need to go back to their room for whisperer, fly net, dry towels, etc.
3. We don't need the sweets every day with the lunch. The sandwich that we got for 3 days in a roll was great. I would rather skip the sweet and have another night of wine.
4. The food at the Bicheno location was horrible - I would rather have skipped eatting there and had as buy your own meal and a lower price.
5. Last night at Marriott for dinner was a disaster - choose a less expensive hotel and rent a room for dinner like we had Hadley, It was so loud we couldn't hear each other talk and rushed through the meal and took desert up to our rooms to eat. I would have much preferred to have the last night and the Mash session over dinner with two glasses of wine. Hilary did a great job at the Mash session of telling us everything we did - I would have appreciated having this as our final handout.
— Review left November 26, 2023
This program is not the red rocks, desert and Great Barrier Reef that you may think of when you think of Australia. There are lush, green forests, beautiful seascapes, and wonderful animals, on a variety of hikes. Tasmania is a really special place, and this is a great chance to experience it.
— Review left November 20, 2023
This program is listed as spirited and was such. The days are packed with hiking but also other activities not as strenuous. I don't think I lost weight because most of the meals were too delicious!
— Review left February 28, 2023
I thought it was a good trip.
— Review left November 27, 2022
Superb experience! Majestic vistas! Incredible animals up close! Awesome hikes! Good accommodations. Excellent guides. Except for one day, we hit a sweet spot with the weather. Definitely a bucket list trip!
— Review left November 3, 2022
Excellent hiking experience in diverse areas of Tasmania and Australia. The guides and leaders were very knowledgeable about the plants, animals and environment. An impromptu visit to an alpaca farm and cheese making farm were a big hit. The Great Ocean trail went through bush land and beautiful ocean viewing areas. The highlight of seeing the penguins and the 12 Apostles was amazing. Highly recommend this trip to all RS hikers.
— Review left October 23, 2022
