MELBOURNE TO COLAC

Welcome to our short break to celebrate the New Year. With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew. We’ll make our way down the Mornington Peninsula to board the Searoad Ferry across “the Heads” to Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula. Be charmed by the historic seaside village of Queenscliff with its elegant Victorian-era buildings, art galleries and shops as we head to our first stop, Queenscliff Maritime Museum. Featuring the last Queenscliff lifeboat, we uncover the maritime history of Queenscliff, Southern Port Phillip and the Bass Strait interface as our guide leads the way. After lunch, we leave Queenscliff and continue to Alvie. Closeby are the Red Rock Lookouts. Volcanic cones, craters and crater lakes are the main features of Red Rock. From the lookouts there is a panorama across what is perhaps the third largest volcanic plain in the world. Our destination this afternoon is Colac. With a population of over 10,000 people, Colac is situated on the southern shores of Lake Colac and is the main centre of a prosperous closely settled agricultural district. In our motel, we can unpack just the once as this is our home for the next three nights.

OVERNIGHT:  Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC

THE GOURMET TRAIL

Today is a day for tempting the tastebuds as we follow the 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail! We make our way to Cooriemungle to visit Apostle Whey Cheese, a genuine ‘paddock to plate’ operation. We’ll have an interesting chat and a chance to taste their wares! It’s then a short trip to our next stop: GORGE Chocolates, producers of handmade chocolates using a special type of Belgian chocolate. At Princeton, we pick up the Great Ocean Road where it rejoins the coast and runs the full length of the Port Campbell National Park. We pass the Twelve Apostles - huge pillars looming out of the surf, carved over time by the fury of the ocean; Loch Ard Gorge, where in 1878 the iron hulled clipper Loch Ard was driven out onto rocks offshore. Of the 50 or so on board only two were to survive, being swept into the narrow gorge now named after their ill-fated vessel. After lunch in Port Campbell we’re now off to Timboon to the Timboon Fine Icecream, a lovely way to finish!

OVERNIGHT:  Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC

OTWAY NATIONAL PARK

Leaving slightly earlier this morning, we travel through the Otway National Park to Cape Otway. Steeped in history and surrounded by beauty, the Cape Otway Lighthouse is an unforgettable experience. In 1848 the lighthouse became the beacon of hope on a dangerous coastline and is one of the oldest lighthouses in Australia. We will enjoy a morning tea here before winding our way up the slopes of the Otway Ranges. The Great Otway National Park leads us to the spectacular Otway Fly – a tree top walk, the longest and highest canopy walk of its kind in the world. There is a 300m flat walk from the car park to the Visitors Centre so wear some comfortable shoes. From the centre we undertake the Tree Top Walk (some buggy style transportation is available should we need it) with the resulting views of the Otways an experience well worth our effort! At the end of our up-lifting walk, we’ll our way back to Colac. We’ll enjoy a special dinner tonight to bring in the New Year.

OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC

HOMEWARD BOUND

Happy New Year!!  It’s been a lovely break, however now it’s time to make our way home, but not before we make the most of our last day together. First, we stop at the Botanic Gardens, dating back to the nineteenth century. Listed on the Australian Heritage register, the gardens contain significant a number of flora specimens. We’ll spend a little time here wandering the garden path before we depart Colac and head to Winchelsea to visit Hastings Ostrich Farm. Ostriches are majestic, flightless birds, weighing up to 180kg and laying eggs over 1.5kg. Our tour guide will answer any questions we may have about these fascinating birds. Winchelsea was first settled in 1837 and was named after one of the Cinque Ports in England. There are many historic buildings and an old bridge in the town. After lunch in Winchelsea, we then head for home, where our chauffeurs will be waiting to take us to our very door, a lovely end to our wonderful short New Year break!