The Great Southern Touring Route

Marvellous Melbourne is home to a myriad of amazing attractions. Sitting on the broad expanse of Port Phillip Bay, this lively and cosmopolitan city combines a fanatical love for the creative arts and good living with state-wide sports addiction to make a city like no other. Food, art, music, wine and football- whatever a visitor's interests, Melbourne always has something fresh and exciting to offer.

Located just 30 minutes from Melbourne CBD, Wyndham is home to the World Class Werribee Park Tourism Precinct. This unique precinct offers visitors diverse experiences at attractions that include Werribee Park Mansion, Werribee Open Range Zoo, the Victoria State Rose Garden, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, Werribee Park Reception Centre, Chirnside Polo Field, K Road Cliffs, Werribee River Regional Park, Shadowfax Vineyard and Winery, Werribee Park Golf Club and the new Mansion Hotel and Spa at Werribee Park. Other great travel spots in Wyndham include the RAAF Museum in Point Cook, the Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club, the historic Point Cook Homestead and the Point Cook Coastal Park and Marine Sanctuary.

Exciting attractions, fabulous restaurants and bars, landscaped gardens, wide walking paths, regular events and beautiful Corio Bay combine to make Waterfront Geelong a 'must do' destination. If its adventure you seek, there is plenty of that too. You can explore the waterfront by helicopter, cruise, seaplane, jet boat or even motorcycle.

Torquay is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road and birthplace of the global surf industry, home to the international Rip Curl and Quiksilver brands. Surf World Museum is a 'must do' attraction and recounts how Torquay became the spiritual and commercial home of surfing in Australia.

Bells Beach is a long, generous, well known surf break in Victoria. It has a lot of history and a lot of character. There isn't much "beach" at Bells, it is mainly a beautiful rocky cliff, with rolling farmland to the north, and the nearby Torquay, home to Rip Curl and Quiksilver. There is a car park at the top of the cliff where you can usually spot local surfers out in the water.

Over the years Bells Beach has proved to indeed be a rallying point for the hottest surfers in the nation and eventually the world, turning full-pro in 1973 with the help of a jeans company, Amco, and a growing local surf shop and wetsuit business, Rip Curl. Easter at Bells has seen everything from wins by Mark Richards, Michael Peterson, Nat Young, Tom Curren, Tom Carroll, Kelly Slater and Sunny Garcia.

Point Addis is a highlight not to be missed! From a well positioned boardwalk on top of the cliffs, there are fantastic views of the rugged coastline along the start of the Great Ocean Road. The area is well known for great surfing and with 360 degree views it's a must see.

Beach, bush and kangaroos all help shape Anglesea as a favorite holiday spot. Located 10 minutes west of Torquay on the Great Ocean Road, Anglesea is the perfect area for a natural adventure.

Set between the sparkling waters of Loutit Bay and beautiful forests of the Otway Ranges, Lorne has a special charm. Add mild weather, the cafe culture and fascinating shops, and it's no wonder Lorne is one of the region's most popular holiday destination.

A breathtaking waterfall located at the top of Lorne in the Otways Forrest. Erskine Falls is a great place to unwind and relax in the cooler air and it really gives you a taste of the Otways and what you will be seeing down the road.

Kennet River is a small town just outside of Lorne. The main attraction here are wild Koala's and other wildlife found on Grey River Road, a "must see" for anyone travelling along the Great Ocean Road. It is also a well known sufring destination and a gateway point to some of the Otway Forrest bush walks.

Apollo Bay is a vibrant resort town with excellent accommodation and restaurants. Other attractions include a golf course right on the beach and a Fisherman's Co-op from which fresh seafood, including crayfish, can be purchased off the boat.

A string of disastrous shipwrecks along the Victorian coast near Cape Otway catapulted the colonial government into action in the 1840s. The result was a lighthouse - opened in 1848 - on the point of the cape. It guided ships bound for Port Phillip through the narrow entrance to Bass Strait. Today, visitors can climb the lighthouse for spectacular coastal views.

Only 14 km from the Great Ocean Road, this extensive complex includes the oldest surviving officially built lighthouse on the Australian mainland. Due to concern over shipwrecks on the Bass Strait coast and King Island, pressure was exerted on the government to build a lighthouse at Cape Otway. Completed in 1848 and constructed of sandstone, it was only the second lighthouse constructed on mainland Australia. In 1859, one of the earliest telegraph stations in Australia was added to the facility, soon connecting Tasmania to the mainland through Cape Otway and Melbourne.

First whale oil, then kerosene, was used to keep the light burning. Later changes included diesel generators, electricity, radio and global positioning satellites. In 1994, the introduction of satellite navigation systems caused the 'old light' to be turned off and replaced with a small solar powered beacon.

At the beginning of 1997, the Lightstation was leased to a local company, to operate for tours and accommodation for visitors.

The Otway Fly Treetop Adventures offers mutiple activities but the two core activities are The Otway Fly Treetop Walk and The Otway Fly Zip Line Tour.

The Otway Fly Treetop Walk is a 1 hour rainforest walk experience that is approx 2km in total and features a 600mt long and 30mt high steel structured treetop canopy walkway that takes you right into the treetops. It's the longest and tallest walkway of its type in the world! Included in this walk is the kids Prehistoric Path, where there is a dinosaur around every corner!

The Otway Fly Zip Line Tour is a 3.5 hour experience and includes 2.5 hours of Zip Line activity (including training and simulation), 8 cloud stations, 6 flights and 2 suspension bridges and 1 hour for the Treetop Walk. This Zip Line Tour is the only Zip Line Tour for Victoria!

The mighty Twelve Apostles are world-recognised icons of the Great Ocean Road. These giant rock stacks soar from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean and are a central feature of the spectacular Port Campbell National Park that extends from Princetown to Peterborough. The dramatic and imposing limestone cliffs that are the backdrop to the Apostles tower up to 70 metres, while the tallest of the rock stacks is around 45 metres high.

Port Campbell is the closest town to the 12 Apostles, making it a very popular overnight choice. It's a funky, modern, lively seaside village, home to restaurants, cafés, shops and galleries and a fantastic surf beach.

Warrnambool is known as Victoria's Southern Right Whale nursery. Between June and September, female Southern Right Whales return to the waters of Logans Beach near Warrnambool to calve. The whales often swim within 100 metres of the shore and can be viewed from specially constructed platforms in the sand dunes or from the beach.

A major regional city, Warrnambool is the perfect place to enjoy the seaside. You can walk or go cycling along the promenade or take in the ocean views from a café. Warrnambool is also famous as a whale nursery with Southern Right Whales coming to Logans Beach each winter to give birth to their calves.

Tower Hill State Game Reserve sits inside an extinct volcano and is a beautiful sanctuary for wildlife with koalas, emus, kangaroos and many species of waterbirds roaming freely. The reserve is located 15 kilometres west of Warrnambool, next to the historic township of Koroit on the Princes Highway.

Uncover history in every corner of this charming fishing village at the end of the Great Ocean Road. Wide streets are lined by nineteenth century cottages, Norfolk pines, old stone churches and inns. Many fine examples of 1800s architecture remain intact, and more than 50 buildings are heritage listed.

The Grampians rise up majestically from the plains of the Western District. Waterfalls, wildflowers and an abundance of native animals are just some of the reasons to take the time to explore the national and state parks. The Grampians also has the largest collection of Aboriginal rock art in South Eastern Australia.

It is no surprise that the Grampians region, famous for its mountainous and rugged scenery, also has a number of spectacular scenic lookouts. Chataqua Peak or the more challenging Boronia Peak walks, both overlooking Halls Gap offer unbeatable views of the Grampians National Park.

Surrounded by fantastic scenary, Ararat is an attractive town with many cafes, resteraunts and old buildings. It is the only Chinese founded town in Australia, which can be explored at the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre (see video). Still bearing the legacy of the gold rush, there is plenty to see and do in Ararat.

Ballarat is the gateway to the Goldfields region. This grand old city�s colonial architecture stretches out along broad, tree-lined streets and reflects the riches taken from the ground after the discovery of gold in the 19th Century. The uprising at the Eureka Stockade is regarded as a pivotal moment in the development of Australian democracy.

Experience the hustle and bustle of life on the Ballarat goldfields in the 1850s at Sovereign Hill, one of Victoria's most popular tourist attractions. Pan for real gold, buy boiled sweets, ride in horse-drawn carriages, or travel underground on a tour of the Red Hill Mine.

Marvellous Melbourne is home to a myriad of amazing attractions. Sitting on the broad expanse of Port Phillip Bay, this lively and cosmopolitan city combines a fanatical love for the creative arts and good living with state-wide sports addiction to make a city like no other. Food, art, music, wine and football- whatever a visitor's interests, Melbourne always has something fresh and exciting to offer.