South Australia journey with Kangaroo Island

SYDNEY
Arrival in Sydney. Transfer to your hotel at your own expense.
Begin your Australian adventure in Sydney, where you can climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and visit the Opera House. Close to Sydney, explore the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage site, or the vineyards of the Hunter Valley.
Sydney is Australia’s most populous city, with an urban area of over 4.2 million people.
Sydney is a city brimming with activities but also a destination for nightlife — in short, a place you will never tire of exploring.

BLUE MOUNTAINS
Depart with your French-speaking guide for a full-day excursion to the Blue Mountains, located 100 km west of Sydney. The blue haze that gives the mountains their name comes from the evaporating oil of the eucalyptus trees that blanket the region.
For a long time, the Blue Mountains formed an impassable barrier that prevented European settlers from extending Sydney’s colonisation into the interior of the continent. Today, they are listed as a World Heritage site for their unique natural formations and their history, tied to Australia’s early explorers and Aboriginal peoples.
Stop along the way at Featherdale Wildlife Park, where you’ll discover an impressive variety of Australian animals, including several threatened species. You’ll have the chance to pet kangaroos and koalas and observe Tasmanian devils, wombats, dingoes, snakes, crocodiles…
Continue on to the village of Leura, where the “THREE SISTERS” rock formation comes into view, along with a magnificent eucalyptus forest.
Lunch is planned in the charming town of Leura.

MELBOURNE
Melbourne has a more European atmosphere than its rival Sydney, due to its cultural outlook and more pronounced Victorian architecture. Melbourne has managed to preserve the charm of earlier times, juxtaposing skyscrapers — some with exuberant architecture — alongside well-preserved period buildings. Melbourne’s lively laneways are also home to a multitude of boutiques, fine-dining restaurants and cafés that contribute to the city’s festive atmosphere; you never know what to expect when you leave Melbourne’s main streets to wander through a maze of small lanes. Even locals find surprises here.

In Melbourne, you can discover the famous Queen Victoria Market and the city’s icons such as Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Swanston Walk, Royal Arcade, and Block Arcade.

APOLLO BAY – THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Pick up your rental car in the city centre. Set off to discover the Great Ocean Road. Recognised as one of the most spectacular coastal roads in the world, the Great Ocean Road runs along the southwest coast of Victoria and stretches roughly 240 km from Allansford to Torquay.
Along the way, you’ll enjoy splendid views over the Bass Strait from Anglesea to Apollo Bay.
The rest of the route is no less spectacular, with sheer, vertiginous cliffs and rock formations rising out of a turbulent sea. You’ll discover these remarkable natural curiosities. The Great Ocean Road coastline is struck by a wave every 2 minutes, causing the coast to recede by roughly 2 cm per year. Erosion carves into the cliffs, leaving behind some of the most unusual formations.
Heavily travelled, this winding road follows the “Shipwreck Coast”, infamous for the roughly 80 vessels lost on its reefs. Today, however, it is best known for its panoramas of cliffs and ocean, and the many limestone formations sculpted by waves over millennia.
You’ll see the astonishing Twelve Apostles — limestone stacks rising dramatically along the Southern Ocean — then visit the Information Centre. Also discover Loch Ard Gorge.

PORT FAIRY – ROBE
Then drive to Tower Hill, a former volcanic crater turned garden of Eden. There you’ll see koalas roaming free, kangaroos, emus and numerous birds, as you walk along a boardwalk above the wetlands — a unique, little-known site well worth visiting.
Continue on to Mount Gambier, built directly on the site of an extinct volcano. The town is surrounded by lakes nestled in former craters, including the famous Blue Lake, whose colour mysteriously turns a brilliant blue each year between November and February.
Your destination for the evening, Robe, with its charming sheltered harbour, is a picturesque town perfectly suited to an overnight stop. Treat yourself to freshly caught seafood, go for a swim, or stroll along the seventeen kilometres of Long Beach, just north of town.

KANGAROO ISLAND
In the evening, at Cape Jervis, you’ll board the ferry to the island with your vehicle. Along the way, take in the magnificent landscapes of the Fleurieu Peninsula vineyards.
Kangaroo Island has managed to remain authentic and very welcoming. This excursion invites you to discover the island’s pristine landscapes and abundant wildlife, earning it the nickname “Australia’s Galapagos”. Walk among sea lions or get close to kangaroos…

We recommend discovering:
Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery: take the opportunity to learn how eucalyptus oil is traditionally produced.
Clifford’s Honey Farm: Kangaroo Island is renowned for its Ligurian bee hives. Learn more about the history of these unique bees and how honey is made.
Parndana Wildlife Park: spend time among wild animals such as kangaroos, koalas, parakeets and other typically Australian birds…
Seal Bay, home to a large colony of sea lions. Walk along the beach just a few metres from the sea lions resting after long days of hunting. Also discover the Little Sahara dunes.
Remarkable Rocks, the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and Admirals Arch, shaped by wind and sea spray.
Remarkable Rocks is a cluster of granite boulders, precariously balanced, perched high above the ocean. Walk through these strange, weathered formations, the result of thousands of years of erosion from the combined action of wind, rain and sea spray.
Cape du Couedic, built in 1906, before a short trail leads you to the Arch, home to a breeding ground for a colony of New Zealand fur seals. You’ll see them playing in the water and on the rocks beneath the arch.

ADELAIDE
In the afternoon, head to the port of Penneshaw to catch the ferry back to the mainland.
Arrival at Cape Jervis, then drive towards Adelaide, which you may choose to explore depending on how much time you have left: an elegant capital brimming with the culture of South Australia.

Summary:
– 3 nights in Sydney, 4* hotel
– 2 nights in Melbourne, 4* hotel
– 1 night in Apollo Bay, 4* hotel
– 1 night in Port Fairy, boutique hotel
– 1 night in Robe, charming B&B
– 2 nights on Kangaroo Island, 4* and 3* hotels
– 1 night in Adelaide, 4* hotel