Embark on the ultimate road trip in Victoria, Australia
Experience the best of Victoria, Australia’s Road-Trip State, with Audley’s tailor-made trips and by arriving in Melbourne with Singapore Airlines from London Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester
Wide open space, epic scenery and abundant wildlife, Australia has all the right ingredients for a road trip to remember. Some of its most ravishing routes lie right on Melbourne’s doorstep – in just an hour or so you can be cruising along surf-lashed coastal roads, traversing rugged peaks or weaving around vine-clad valleys. With your passions guiding the way, Audley specialists will help you create a trip to Victoria that takes you beyond the obvious.
Arrive in Melbourne, the gateway to Victoria, with Singapore Airlines
With heritage buildings and thriving café and creative scenes, Melbourne is a beautiful and buzzy city. And Singapore Airlines is the carrier to get you there with its peerless service and excellent connections from the UK.
Enjoy a choice of four daily flights from London Heathrow, weekly flights from London Gatwick or five weekly flights from Manchester Airport to Singapore. Connect at Changi Airport (arguably the world’s best place to transit with next-level facilities that include an indoor waterfall and butterfly garden), for one of Singapore Airlines five daily non-stop flights to Melbourne. If you have the time, it’s well-worth making the most of the complimentary stop over in Singapore. Expect unparalleled levels of comfort and impeccable customer service on board, whether you’re in Economy Class, Premium Economy, Business Class or Suites/First Class.
You’ll be ready to hit the ground running after such a relaxing journey. Melbourne has lots of choice when it comes to stylish hotels and Audley will find the best one to suit you. Will it be the elegant Next Hotel or sleek urban retreat QT Melbourne? Before you sleep, see the city at play on Audley’s Melbourne After Dark tour. Led by a local-in-the-know, you’ll dine on bustling Lygon Street and bar-hop around Brunswick Street before getting a bird’s eye view from Eureka Skydeck 88. But its the history parts of this tour that really shine. From St Patrick’s Cathedral to the world heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne’s many historical buildings look all the more spectacular lit up against the night sky. The evening will end on a high note too with rooftop cocktails and live jazz. City sights seen, start planning your next leg. Melbourne is well-placed for exploring Victoria’s abundant natural wonders with so many amazing road trips within easy reach.
Road Trip 1: The Classic Great Ocean Road and Grampians loop
One of the world’s most scenic coastal drives starts around an hour’s drive south-west of Melbourne. Wind your way along the coast from Torquay to Port Fairy for eye-popping scenery that ranges from great sweeps of sand, sculptured cliffs, limestone stacks and sea arches to ancient forests teeming with wildlife and trickling with waterfalls. Add in surfy towns home to fantastic places to eat and stay – such as Captain’s at the Bay, a gorgeous beachside guesthouse in Apollo Bay – and this road trip has it all. Better still you can walk parts of it.
“Audley can tailor-make your trip to take in all or part of the Great Ocean Walk, a 104km trail that really immerses you in the coastline’s drama.”
Apollo Bay (Shutterstock)
You’ll feel enveloped in nature at Anchors Port Campbell, situated near the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park. Be sure to stop at Gibson Steps Lookout for an unbeatable vantage point of the famed rock formations before completing the ocean drive and heading north to Halls Gap. Gateway to the Grampians National Park, this hiking (and cycling) hub has a range of trails threading through its emerald-green forests, sandstone mountains and lakes and is a great place to spot native flora and fauna.
For the ultimate outlook across the park’s forest-covered ridge lines, strike a route up the Pinnacle. The Grampians, or Gariwerd (the traditional name for the ranges), is also the best place to see indigenous rock art in southern Australia – it’s home to over 80 per cent of Victoria’s significant sites including ancient rock shelters like Gulgurn Manja in the north. Before looping back to Melbourne, spend the night at charming guesthouse Meringa Springs, known for its excellent food and Wartook Valley views. Soak them in from the infinity pool before exploring the rambling grounds – keeping watch for mobs of ’roos at dusk.
Road Trip 2: The Luxury Road Trip in Central Areas Around Melbourne
As you’ll have discovered on your Singapore Airlines flight, Australia has some delicious wines with those from the Yarra Valley served onboard. Happily, Victoria’s oldest wine-growing area is within easy striking distance of Melbourne and well worth exploring. Set in the shadow of the Dandenong Ranges, this bucolic landscape is peppered with over 80 cellar doors. Work your way around some of them, learning about the different vines, cool-climate wines and drinking in views. Be sure to linger for lunch, many have award-winning restaurants with vineyard views.
Finest wines are served onboard Singapore Airlines
Vineyard in Yarra Valley Melbourne Australia (Shutterstock)
In the Dandenong Ranges, you can take a ride on Australia’s oldest steam train, the open-sided Puffing Billy, enjoy easy-going walks through lush fern gullies and towering mountain ash trees and potter about villages where shops and cafés champion local produce from cheeses to cherries.
Puffing Billy (Shutterstock)
Next, drive south to the Mornington Peninsula, home to golden sands, boho beach towns, fruit farms and destination dining. Take your time to explore its bush-fringed back roads, stopping to sniff, swirl and sip the region’s renowned pinot noir at cellar doors and graze on seasonal produce. A popular getaway for Melburnians, this pretty peninsula has some of the state’s best fine dining. Jackalope is home to two Hatted restaurants (Australia’s Michelin equivalent) – try them both by booking into the hip hideaway for a couple of nights.
Combine epicurean experiences with immersion in nature by joining Audley’s Phillip Island tour. This little island boasts some big-hitting sights from its surf-lashed coastline to its extraordinary native wildlife. The tour will take you to towering cliffs and little bays, significant habitats for seabirds and seals.
“One of its most dramatic clifftop walks is the Nobbies, a wild headland on the south-western tip with exhilarating views of the Bass Strait and Seal Rocks, home to the country’s largest Australian fur seal colony – 20,000 and counting.”
Australian Fur Seals on the rocks at Seal Rocks, Phillip Island, Australia (Shutterstock)
Visit a protected wild koala colony (looking out for wallabies as you walk around the bushland) and watch the island’s famous teeny fairy penguins march back to their burrows at sunset.
The fresh seafood is another drawcard with ample opportunities for sampling it in the main town of Cowes – your tour will end with dinner here, where you’ll no doubt find local fish, prawns, oysters, scallops and abalone on the menu.
Road Trip 3: Wilsons Promontory National Park and Gippsland
Looking for a dose of nature after the urban wonders of Melbourne? Strike a route east out of the city into the Gippsland region, home to spectacular but lesser known coastal wilderness. Wilsons Promontory National Park, AKA the Prom, sprawls across the southernmost tip of mainland Australia with granite peaks, gold-sand beaches and eucalypt forests that beckon for endless outdoor adventures.
Must-sees of this epic national park are Squeaky Beach (so-called because of the noise its quartz sand makes underfoot), the soaring views from the top of Mount Oberon and its vast and shifting inland sand dunes known as the Big Drift.
Red Rocks of Squeaky Beach, Victoria (Shutterstock)
Take your pick from the tangle of bushland trails – keeping watch for the wombats, wallabies and emus that abound here – or follow coastal paths that skirt past sandy shores, slipping in for a swim or snorkel (Norman Beach is one of the best snorkel sites) when the mood strikes. This part of the coastline has one of Australia’s richest marine ecosystems.
“Boat trips will take you to see seals, dolphins, seabirds and (sometimes) whales as well as Skull Rock, a spooky granite monolith straight from the pages of a swashbuckling storybook.”
Skull Rock (Shutterstock)
Divers will find ample underwater wonders from colourful fish and soft coral gardens to caves filled with giant sponges.
There’s no shortage of places to stay. For style and seclusion, Bear Gully Cottage delights. Ogle views of Waratah Bay while you sip a local pinot and prepare dinner in your own two-bedroom coastal cottage. If you’d rather not self-cater, Audley recommends The Bear Gully Coastal Cottages, all overlooking Waratah Bay, provide peaceful deckings from which you can soak up the views.
The Prom holds deep cultural significance to the Koorie people of Victoria, the first inhabitants of these sandy shores, granite peaks and ancient forests. Follow the coast road east to discover more about the region’s traditional custodians –shell middens, canoe trees and meeting places remain thousands of years on.
Koala Peacefully Sleeping While Hugging a Tree, Raymond Island (Shutterstock)
Why Audley Travel?
Audley are the true experts in Australia, with dedicated specialists who can help with any questions you may have, from when to go to helping you decide on specific experiences. With your passions guiding the way, Audley specialists will help you create a trip to Victoria that takes you beyond the obvious.
The Great Ocean Road (Shutterstock)
Why Singapore Airlines?
With multiple daily connections from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester to Singapore, and five daily non-stop services from there to Melbourne on Singapore Airlines’ ultra-modern fleet, getting to Victoria has never been easier or more enjoyable.
Named the World’s Best Airline Cabin Staff by Skytrax 2024
Singapore Airlines’ in-flight service is next level and the comfort a cut above thanks to wider seats with more legroom in Economy Class and a huge choice of in-flight entertainment, plus unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi.
The food is another big reason to fly with Singapore Airlines.
This year the airline has a guest chef partnership with Monica Galetti
Thanks to the partnership with Monica Galetti, Business Class and Suites/First Class passengers flying from the UK can enjoy her curated, seasonal menus. Those flying in premium cabins can pre-order gourmet meals using the Book the Cook offering. And, if you’re looking to explore more of Oz, Singapore Airlines’ partnership with Virgin Australia means you can seamlessly connect to airports all around the country, fly into one gateway and out of another.
Singapore Airlines Business Class
Enjoy the ultimate freedom of an immersive road trip in Victoria with Audley and Singapore Airlines: