10 day Melbourne to Alice Springs Overland

About this tour: Hit the road past scenic coastlines and rugged Outback landscapes.
Travel from Melbourne on a 10-day overland odyssey covering Australia’s mighty south. Weave your way along the acclaimed Great Ocean Road past the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge, take a scenic hike to the Pinnacles in the Grampians National Park, marvel at the orange-rock spires of Warren Gorge and the unusual underground mining town of Coober Pedy, and wind up deep in the Outback. Discover the cultural harmony and raw beauty of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, and get an insight into the deeply significant First Nations history in the Red Centre and beyond. This classic road trip is all the best bits of southern Australia, with all the hassle taken care of, so you can focus on admiring the wide brown land in front of you.

Valid: 1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021

Trip Code:
• POMAS: Orginal

Price:
• AUD $2225 per person: POMAS-B: Basix Twin sharing
• AUD $505 per person Original Additional Services - Single supplement (private room/solo tent)
• All prices are in Australian Dollars (includes 10% GST) based on per person




• Tour easy to fill in quote form • Email us with request • Telephone us • All Tour Links
Days: 10
Start: Melbourne, Australia
Finish: Alice Springs, Australia

Depart: Sunday (Check with us on other dates)
Destinations: Victoria, Great Ocean Road, South Australia, Outback, Northern Territory, Uluru, Kakadu
Style: Original
Theme: Explorer
Included activities • 12 Apostles & London Bridge • Koala spotting - Great Ocean Road • Melba Gully Walk - Otway Ranges • Swim at Lorne (Summer months) • Loch Ard Gorge • Brambuk Culture Centre • Mackenzie Falls - Grampians • Pinnacles Walk - Grampians • Reeds Lookout (The Balconies) & Boroka Lookout • Wilpena Pound • Anna Creek Station • Coober Pedy Mine tour • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage • Dingo Fence • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance • Uluru Base Walk • Uluru Cultural Centre • Kata Tjuta Maruku Arts cultural experience • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Physical Rating: 3 out of 5
Transport: All Terrain vehicle, Private vehicle
Group size: Min 1, Max 24
Meals: 8 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities) (2 night), Camping (with shared facilities) (1 night), Dormitory (2 nights), Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (3 nights), Underground Multishare (1 night)
Age: 18 years



Trip Itinerary:

Day 1: The Great Ocean Road
• Let’s get road tripping! Departing Melbourne, hit the road west to Geelong and the chilled-out surf town of Torquay. From there, begin the journey along one of Australia’s most beautiful and famous drives – the Great Ocean Road. This coast road at points is the only barrier between the lush forests of Victoria’s southwest and the cliffs down to the Bass Strait. Along the way, experience a guided walk through an ancient and rare temperate rainforest in the Otways, checking out the enormous trees that are native to the area. Stop for some koala spotting in Kennett River, then break for lunch in seaside Apollo Bay. In the afternoon, continue on to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge – these rocky landscapes braving the southern oceans are a sight to behold. Continue on your drive for another hour or so, spending the night in Warrnambool.

Note: Total driving time today is about six and a half hours (approximately 450kms) Total walking time will be about two hours (approximately 2kms)
Accommodation Motel (1 night)
Included Activities • 12 Apostles & London Bridge • Koala spotting - Great Ocean Road • Melba Gully Walk - Otway Ranges • Swim at Lorne (Summer months) • Loch Ard Gorge
Meals Included Lunch





Day 2: The Grampians
• Begin the day checking out more of the Great Ocean Road's natural wonder on the Warrnambool foreshore, then take a drive into the Grampians National Park – an area full of rugged rock landscapes, scenic lookouts and rich in First Nations culture. During the day, you’ll visit the Brambuk Aboriginal Culture Centre to learn about an important period of this ancient culture known as the Dreaming, then hike up to the Pinnacles for impressive views across the Grampians. Keep an eye out for any native flora or wildlife that may pass you by as you walk. Tonight, head to Halls Gap for the evening, enjoying a traditional Aussie-style barbecue with your small group.

Note: Total driving time today is about six hours (approximately 400kms) Total walking time will be about four hours (approximately 5kms)
Accommodation Motel (1 night)
Included Activities • Brambuk Culture Centre • Mackenzie Falls - Grampians • Pinnacles Walk - Grampians
Meals Included Breakfast Dinner






Day 3: The Grampians to Adelaide
• HThis morning, hike to the base of MacKenzie Falls – the highest and arguably most impressive waterfalls in the Grampians – and check out other sites such as The Balconies and Reeds Lookout. Leaving the Grampians, pass through the town of Horsham and the enchanting Loch Lel – also known as the Pink Lake – before crossing the mighty Murray River and making your last leg of the journey into Adelaide. Most of the afternoon is taken up by the drive, but you’ll arrive in Adelaide around 7.30 pm, in time for late dinner with the group, if you’d like.

Note: Total driving time today is about seven and a half hours (approximately 550kms) Estimated time of arrival into Adelaide is 7.30pm. Total walking time will be about two and a half hours (approximately 3.5kms)
Accommodation Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities Reeds Lookout (The Balconies) & Boroka Lookout
Meals Included Breakfast

Special Information
This is a combination trip, made up of two of our most popular trips. Some travellers will be leaving today and others heading on to Alice Springs and Darwin in the morning where the makeup of your group and guide will change.




Day 4: Adelaide - Flinders Ranges
• You’ll be picked up from the YHA Adelaide at 8.30 am and head to the culinary epicentre of Adelaide – the Central Market. Meander through the markets to collect some local produce to enjoy a little later in the day. Next, visit Australia’s Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Tandanya. The First Nations precinct provides a wonderful opportunity to experience both traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Leave South Australia’s capital behind and head north to the Clare Valley, home to some of the country’s best wines. Perhaps purchase a bottle (or two!) and pair it with your delicious lunch. After lunch, enjoy expansive views of the Flinders Ranges as you drive towards Wilpena Pound – a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains. Experience the sunset at Wilpena Pound before settling into your accommodation for the night.

Total driving time takes around five hours.
Accommodation Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities Wilpena Pound
Meals Included Lunch Dinner

Special Information
The total driving time today is approximately 6 hours. You’ll be picked up from the YHA Adelaide at 8.30 am, so please arrive at least ten minutes before.



Day 5: Quorn
•It’s an early (but worthwhile) start this morning as you enjoy a short and leisurely walk along one of the many tracks in Flinders National Park. Spanning a massive 450 km, you won’t be able cover it all, but your guide will choose the best trail for your group, depending on the time of year. Travel to the site of the Yourambulla Caves where you’ll have the opportunity to view some local First Nation rock art before stopping for lunch at Quorn. Spend the afternoon enjoying a couple of walks: Warren Gorge provides stunning ochre rock faces that complement the blue skies. Keep your eyes peeled for the very well camouflaged local rock wallabies. Tonight, you’ll stay in the quintessential South Australian town of Quorn.

Total driving time today is approximately 3.5 hours
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner


Day 6: Coober Pedy
• Leave Quorn in the rear-view mirror and head to Coober Pedy, the ‘Opal capital of the world’. Due to extremely hot temperatures in the area most of the town is constructed underground, with residents living in homes carved into the hillsides. Upon arrival take a guided tour of the town, an underground house and the opal mine (with opal cutting demonstration). The rest of the afternoon is free to explore. You may even like to try your hand at 'noodling' (fossicking) for opals. End the day with some rescued joeys at Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage. Tonight, stay in a multi-share underground bunkhouse in Coober Pedy.

Total driving time today is approximately 6 hours
Accommodation Underground Multishare (1 night)
Included Activities • Anna Creek Station • Coober Pedy Mine tour • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner



Day 7: Coober Pedy / Yulara
• We’ll be honest, there’s a fair bit of driving today. From Coober Pedy travel past the Dingo Fence and Breakaways Reserve, and into the Northern Territory. Be prepared to ‘hold-on’ as your guide hits the indictor on the vehicle for the first time, leaving the Stuart Highway and turning left onto the Lassetter Highway towards Uluru. Make sure you have your Ipod fully charged and your neck cushion handy!

Today driving time will be about 8 hours.
Accommodation Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities Dingo Fence
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner



Day 8: Yulara/Uluru (Ayers Rock)
• Rise early this morning and be rewarded with a glorious Uluru sunrise. While the day is still fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of this incredible sandstone formation, which is of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people. Walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru where you will be in the hands of an Anangu guide who will share the stories of this unique landscape. This exclusive experience will give you an insight to the meaning behind Anangu art and traditional culture. The on-site Cultural Centre also houses an extensive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and crafts for you to browse. Head back to camp for lunch.

There isn't much driving today, about an hour in total between destinations. You will walk approximately 5km.
Accommodation Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance • Uluru Base Walk • Uluru Cultural Centre • Kata Tjuta • Maruku Arts cultural experience
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Special Information
The Anangu people have dissuaded visitors from climbing Uluru for decades; as traditional owners of the land they feel a deep responsibility for everyone who travels to the area.
In 1998 we were among the first tour operators to stop climbing Uluru.
The Intrepid Group are proud to be involved with local communities in Uluru and to have an ongoing commitment to providing employment for the Anangu people. You show respect when you choose not to climb Uluru, but walk with Anangu throughout the area and share their stories instead



Day 9: Uluru/Kings Canyon
• Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures, Kata Tjuta, a group of domed red rocks rising spectacularly out of the desert. Like Uluru, they’re sacred to the Anangu people and are believed to be 500 million years old. Return to camp for lunch before travelling to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Spend the night in an exclusive campsite inside the park.

Driving time is about six hours today, and you will walk approximately 2km.
Accommodation Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner



Day 10: Kings Canyon/Alice Springs
• With its 300-metre high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia’s answer to an oasis. The highlight attractions here are the Garden of Eden, the Amphitheatre and the Lost City – all sites you’ll get to visit on the Rim Walk. Following lunch, it’s back on the road for the onward drive to Alice Springs, where this adventure concludes.

Driving time today is approximately 5 hours back to Alice Springs, and the Rim Walk is approximately 6km.
Accommodation Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included Breakfast Lunch

Special Information
For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you.
Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.

Today you'll say goodbye to your guide and some of your group who are not travelling north to Darwin tomorrow.

Why you'll love this trip
• Get back to basics with this classic sixteen-day overland adventure. See the highlights and national parks of Australia's Great Ocean Road and Grampians, Flinders Ranges, Red Centre and Top End in rugged, authentic style
• Spend a half day in Arnhem Land with a local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guide
• Cruise the world famous Great Ocean Road Enjoy the flexibility of a private vehicle, the local knowledge of a passionate guide and the magic of camping under the great southern sky See some beautifully remote places in the Flinders ranges
• Check out one of the strangest towns in Australia - built underground Get up early and see the sun rise over Uluru

Is this trip right for you?
• This is a basic trip, covering the highlights of Australia's Great Ocean Road and Grampians, Flinders Ranges, Red Centre.
• You'll spend some nights of the trip sleeping in outback camping grounds. While conditions can be basic and facilities are minimal, this is all part of the adventure.
• You'll also need to pitch in with preparing meals and cleaning. This is part of the experience of travelling in a group.
• This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves a lot of walking, allowing you to truly enjoy the surrounding nature.
• Some hikes are longer and more challenging than others. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothing.
• This trip is BASIX and we use mixed gender multishare accommodation.
• This means, the minimum age for the trip is 18 years old because minors aren't able to sleep in mixed gender rooms.
• Temperatures in the Top End be extreme. During the day the weather can be hot (and the Australian sun is strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water.
• In the evenings temperatures really drop, so ensure you have base layers and warm clothing.
• Temperatures in the red Centre be extreme. During the day the weather can be hot (and the Australian sun is strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures really drop, so ensure you have base layers and warm clothing.


Important trips notes for the following tours and safaris
Click here for trip notes on Tour Style | Staying | Meals | Fitness | Pickup | ETicket | Luggage | Access | Travel Insurance

Other important trips notes for the following tour and safari
While always clean, cheerful and well located, Basix lodgings are fairly no-frills and for those travelling on a budget. Original-style trips offer a higher standard of comfort to relax in after a big day’s adventuring.

What's Included in tour:
• Meals 8 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners
• All Terrain vehicle, Private vehicle
• Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night), Camping (with shared facilities) (1 night), Hotel (2 nights), Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (3 nights), Underground Multishare (1 night)
• Included activities • 12 Apostles & London Bridge • Koala spotting - Great Ocean Road • Melba Gully Walk - Otway Ranges • Swim at Lorne (Summer months) • Loch Ard Gorge • Brambuk Culture Centre • Mackenzie Falls - Grampians • Pinnacles Walk - Grampians • Reeds Lookout (The Balconies) & Boroka Lookout • Wilpena Pound • Anna Creek Station • Coober Pedy Mine tour • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage • Dingo Fence • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance • Uluru Base Walk • Uluru Cultural Centre • Kata Tjuta • Maruku Arts cultural experience • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees • Kings Canyon Rim Walk

What to bring on tour:
• Booked and paid E-Ticket, Sturdy walking shoes, hat and sunscreen, toiletries, warm clothing in winter, water bottle (2 litre capacity), torch, insect repellent/net, camera and batteries or charger.
• Power pack for charging without electricity

Tour Important Notes
1. Tour commences in Melbourne on day 1 at 7am and finishes in Alice Springs day 10 at approx 6pm
2.For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.
3. Onward travel to be booked the following day
4. This trip requires a sleeping bag

Basix Accommodation:
• This trip is BASIX and we use mixed gender multishare accommodation.
• Basix Accommodation Depending on the region you’re travelling in, Basix trips stay in either shared permanent tents at established campsites –some powered, some not – or in dorm-share accommodation. Sleeping bags are required on Basix trips – bring your own or purchase from us in advance – and some regions also feature the option of sleeping under the stars in a swag (a waterproof canvas bedroll, with a built in mattress).
• Camping (with shared facilities) (9 nights), Dormitory (6 nights), Underground bunkhouse (1 night).

Finish Times:
• Our trips generally finish early evening. We recommend booking one night post accommodation in your end city and planning onward travel for the following day. We cannot accept responsibility for missed onward travel if we are delayed for some reason on the last day of travel.

Fitness Level:
• 3 out of 5: Short participatory-level camping trips, walks that’ll get your heart rate up and extended periods in the elements.
Maximum Walks: Hikes up to 6-8kms per day. A reasonable level of fitness is required as there will be some walking to view places of interest. Suitable for soft adventures with a passion for bushwalking and exploring. Passengers must be fit and active.

We have over 500 real outback Australian experiences for you. Our safairs are tours but with much more emphasis on being eco friendly tours, unique adventures with lifetime memories and destination experiences to rivavl natures best. We have been booking tours for our passengers for over 22 years in the Australian travel and tourism industry and have become the leaders in booking agents in Australia. We have been Territorians since 1988 and locally based in Darwin. So if you want real genuine Australian tour advice from a local then contact us or get a outback safari tour quote from us. Or just ring us within Australia: Freecall 1800107371 or Overseas: +61 8 7999 7511 after 10am.

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