Great Ocean Road & Kangaroo Island Escape — Self-Launched
7 days · South Australia & Victoria, Australia
AAT Kings charges £2,295
No-markup version: ~£810 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 7-day version of AAT Kings' Melbourne-to-Adelaide coach tour: drive the Great Ocean Road yourself (Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge), swing inland for Budj Bim, Coonawarra and Naracoorte Caves, then cross to Kangaroo Island for Seal Bay, Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and Emu Ridge, finishing in Adelaide and Hahndorf. You swap the 20-50 person motorcoach and tour director for a small campervan or compact car hire plus local ferries, park passes and self-bookable guided experiences — same sights, roughly a third of the price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and assume a solo traveller sharing fuel and vehicle costs where possible.
Day-by-day
Melbourne to Warrnambool — driving the Great Ocean Road
Melbourne → Torquay → Apollo Bay → Warrnambool
Pick up your hire car or small campervan early in Melbourne (compare Jucy, Mighty, Travellers Autobarn or a standard Hertz/Budget compact — around £30-45/day including basic insurance). Drive the M1 to Torquay (~1h15) for a surf-shop coffee, then join the Great Ocean Road proper. Stop at Bells Beach, the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, and Lorne for lunch. Continue through Apollo Bay and the Otways rainforest to the Twelve Apostles in the late afternoon light, then Loch Ard Gorge a few minutes further on. Push into Warrnambool (another ~1h) for the night — keep an eye out for the sunset penguin viewing at Middle Island if you arrive early enough. Self-drive replaces the coach; the road is easy and signposted.
🚌Hire car from Melbourne; ~350 km, ~5h driving plus stops. Fuel ~£25. Note: Great Ocean Road is free to drive — no tolls.
🛏Budget motel or hostel private room in Warrnambool, e.g. Warrnambool Mid City Motel or Surfside Holiday Park cabin (£45-70)
- →Twelve Apostles lookout and Gibson Steps
- →Loch Ard Gorge
- →Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet
- →London Bridge (short detour)
- →Optional: Middle Island penguin viewing, Warrnambool
Budj Bim, Coonawarra and Naracoorte Caves
Warrnambool → Budj Bim → Mt Gambier → Naracoorte
Head inland north-west to Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (Lake Tae Rak / Lake Condah), Australia's oldest aquaculture system, engineered by the Gunditjmara people over thousands of years — now UNESCO-listed. Book a Gunditjmara-run cultural tour or the self-guided walk before you go (Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, ~£15-25; check opening days — many sites are Mon-Sat). Continue west across the border into South Australia, stopping at Mount Gambier's Blue Lake crater and the Cave Garden sinkhole. Detour through the Coonawarra wine region — several cellar doors offer free or ~£5 tastings (Brand's Laira, Wynns, Katnook) — then finish at Naracoorte for the Alexandra Cave ranger-guided tour (book via National Parks SA, ~£12-15, 45 mins, departs a few times daily).
🚌Self-drive, ~330 km / ~4.5h plus stops. Fuel ~£25. Park entry and cave tour booked online via National Parks SA.
🛏Naracoorte motel or caravan park cabin (£45-65)
- →Budj Bim / Lake Tae Rak cultural walk or guided tour
- →Blue Lake, Mount Gambier
- →Coonawarra cellar door wine tasting
- →Alexandra Cave guided tour, Naracoorte Caves National Park
Fleurieu Peninsula and the ferry to Kangaroo Island
Naracoorte → Victor Harbor → Cape Jervis → Kangaroo Island
Driver south-east along the Limestone Coast to the Fleurieu Peninsula. Stop at Victor Harbor to walk the causeway to Granite Island (free; the horse-drawn tram runs ~£6 if it's operating) and grab fish and chips on the foreshore. Continue to Cape Jervis and catch the Sealink ferry to Penneshaw — book online in advance, walk-on-passenger fares are around £35-45 one way, and a car adds roughly £60-70 return (if you'd rather not bring the car, there are guided day-tour shuttles on the island). Arrive on Kangaroo Island in the late afternoon; overnight in Penneshaw or Kingscote.
🚌Self-drive ~200 km (~2.5h) plus Sealink ferry. Ferry passenger ~£40, or car-inclusive return ~£65 per vehicle. Fuel ~£15.
🛏Kangaroo Island hostel or budget cabin, e.g. Penneshaw or Kingscote backpackers (£35-55 dorm/private)
- →Granite Island causeway walk, Victor Harbor
- →Sealink ferry crossing, Cape Jervis to Penneshaw
- →Penneshaw beach and Pelican Lagoon lookout
Kangaroo Island — Seal Bay, Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch
Kangaroo Island (Seal Bay & Flinders Chase National Park)
An early start to beat the tour coaches. Book a Seal Bay Conservation Park guided beach walk online with National Parks SA (~£22-25) — rangers take you onto the sand among Australian sea lions. Drive west to Flinders Chase National Park (park entry pass ~£7 per person per day, buy online). Walk the boardwalks at Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, where long-nosed fur seals haul out below the arch. Look for koalas along the roads near Stokes Bay and Cape du Couedic. Finish with a tasting paddle at Kangaroo Island Brewery or a gin flight at KI Spirits (from ~£10). Sunset at Vivonne Bay if you have time.
🚌Self-drive ~200 km on the island. Fuel ~£18. Park passes and Seal Bay tour pre-booked online.
🛏Same Kangaroo Island hostel/cabin (£35-55)
- →Seal Bay guided sea lion walk
- →Remarkable Rocks
- →Admirals Arch fur seal colony
- →Flinders Chase National Park boardwalks
- →Kangaroo Island Brewery tasting
Emu Ridge, Cape Willoughby and ferry to Adelaide
Kangaroo Island → Penneshaw → Cape Jervis → Adelaide
Visit Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery for a self-guided tour of the working eucalyptus oil operation (small entry fee ~£6) and the resident kangaroos. Optionally push out to Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, South Australia's oldest operational lighthouse — take the ranger-guided climb (~£15) or just walk the clifftop tracks. There's also the Island Pure sheep dairy or Clifford's Honey Farm if wool/sheep station life is your thing. Catch an afternoon Sealink ferry back to Cape Jervis, then drive the ~2h along the coast road to Adelaide. Dump the car at the airport if you're flying out, or keep it for the Hahndorf day.
🚌Sealink ferry back (~£40) plus self-drive ~120 km to Adelaide (~£12 fuel).
🛏Adelaide hostel or budget hotel, e.g. Adelaide Central YHA or a city budget hotel (£45-70)
- →Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery self-guided tour
- →Cape Willoughby Lighthouse and clifftop walk
- →Optional: Clifford's Honey Farm or Island Pure sheep dairy
Adelaide and Hahndorf
Adelaide → Hahndorf → Adelaide
Spend the morning exploring Adelaide on foot: North Terrace museums (free), the Adelaide Botanic Garden (free), Rundle Mall and the Adelaide Central Market — grab breakfast or lunch there, it's the best food value in the city. In the afternoon take the public bus (~£2.50, 45 mins) or drive 30 minutes up into the Adelaide Hills to Hahndorf, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement — the main street is full of bakeries (Beerenberg farm shop, Hahndorf Inn for a schnitzel and a stein), artisan shops and cellar doors. Return to Adelaide for the evening.
🚌Adelaide Metro bus or self-drive to Hahndorf (~£3-5 return on public transport); local transport day pass ~£6.
🛏Adelaide hostel or budget hotel (£45-70)
- →Adelaide Central Market
- →North Terrace museums and Botanic Garden
- →Hahndorf German village walk and bakeries
- →Optional: Beerenberg strawberry farm
Adelaide — trip end
Adelaide
A slow morning: coffee at one of the East End cafés, a last wander through the Central Market, or a tram ride to Glenelg beach (free tram from the city centre) if your flight is later. Return any hire car and fly or take the coach/train onward. The Overland train runs Adelaide–Melbourne if you're looping back (~£45-70, book ahead).
🚌Flight or The Overland train onward; public transport to airport ~£3.
🛏N/A — depart
- →Glenelg beach tram ride (free)
- →Adelaide Central Market or East End cafés
Self-launched vs. AAT Kings
| This itinerary (self-launched) | AAT Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£810 | £2,295 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,485 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more AAT Kings-style trips? Check them out here.~£810
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Great Ocean Road & Kangaroo Island Escape — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £810 per person for 7 days in South Australia & Victoria, Australia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with AAT Kings?+
Yes — AAT Kings charges around £2,295 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £810 — a saving of roughly £1,485 (65%) per person.
How long is the South Australia & Victoria, Australia trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through South Australia & Victoria, Australia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, road-trip, wildlife trip through South Australia & Victoria, Australia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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