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Great Ocean Road Marathon Details  - May 15 - May 23, 2007

 

May 15 Arrive Melbourne
You will be transferred to Melbourne Hotel
Remainder of day at leisure

May 16 Melbourne to Apollo Bay
Breakfast at Hotel
Pick up rental car in Melbourne and travel along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay
May 16-19  Overnight Apollo Bay with breakfast

May 17 Great Ocean Road Short Races 6.5 K and 14.5K

May 18  Great Ocean Road Marathon and Half- Marathon

May 19 Drive from Apollo Bay Hotel and explore Great Ocean Road
You will encounter much of Australia’s natural fauna and flora.
The area is a natural haven for wildlife. Frequently sighted animals and birds include koalas, eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, possums, blue-winged parrots, sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs and kookaburras. Many other species are seen on occasion and require more discreet observation. There are also a number of rare and threatened species surviving in the area The Centre often sees many of the rescued animals they have soft released, which is particularly rewarding.
You will visit the 12 Apostles and other sites and that night stay in a B&B in Warnambool.
 

May 20 Return to Melbourne and spent 3 nights in MelbourneMelbourne


May 21 -Melbourne, Penguins & Wildlife Tour (D)
Morning Free
1.00pm You will be collected from the hotel by Australian Wild Escapes.
This fascinating experience takes you southeast of the city
through the rich Gippsland coastal region.
Visit a boutique winery overlooking Westernport Bay hearing
colourful stories about explorers, sealers and whalers who settled
this region. Phillip Island is known as the wildlife island. Walk
amongst the treetops at the Koala Conservation Centre to see a
protected koala company. Walk with your guide in nature reserve
bushland and wetlands. The walk provides the opportunity to see wallabies and a range of bird
life in the wild. Penguins come ashore each evening at dusk
from their ocean feeding grounds. The large penguin colony enters the beach in groups and
“walk and talk” loudly as they work their way into the dunes where their burrow nests are situated.
Boardwalks enable the visitor to gain close contact with the penguins in the dune area. Enjoy a fish and chip dinner at the Jetty Restaurant in the township of Cowes at Phillip Island. Return to Melbourne
inland, arriving late evening.

May 22 Melbourne
Free Day
Evening: Colonial Tram Car Dinner
6:00 pm depart on the Tram Car Restaurant.
Dining in Melbourne can be a fabulous experience, especially aboard the fleet of historical trams that have become The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
These glossy, burgundy restaurants on wheels are the first travelling tramcar restaurants in the world and ensure a delightful innovative approach to dining.
As you cruise the scenic streets of Melbourne, diners can enjoy our fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines or make a selection from our fully stocked bar at a fully inclusive price. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period these trams reflect.
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant officially commenced operation in August 1983 and has since become a star attraction and tourist symbol for the city of Melbourne. Dining aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is not only a culinary delight, but also a trip into a little piece of Victoria's history
9:00 pm Tour finishes back at the departure point. Make own way back to hotel.

23 May SavannahWalkabout (B, L)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.

Depart Melbourne and travel just 45 minutes to the west to Serendip Open Range Sanctuary, where you will be immediately amongst wild kangaroos and native birds. Often our entrance is heralded by the screeching of Cockatoos or the chattering of Honeyeaters. After a short walk to meet the kangaroos, begin a special Safari Drive around the Sanctuary to see emus and huge wild mobs of kangaroos. There will be many stops to enjoy the antics of the animals, and disembark for short walks to the billabong (home to large populations of waterbirds) and through the gum trees.

Before lunch visit a protected population of wallabies and get close to some strange Australian birds. A picnic lunch is served in an open-air setting at the Sanctuary, and includes fruit and cakes, coffee and delicious Australian "Billy tea". Your guide will explain the history and recipe for the traditional tea of the Swagmen.

Leaving Serendip, travel just 20 minutes further west to the bushland of Brisbane Ranges National Park. The park is home to a large and healthy population of wild Koalas, which the operator researches and monitors to ensure the best possible sightings. Take a very easy walk through the gum trees, searching for koalas, wallabies, kangaroos and birds in their natural setting. Your guide will point out plants and features of interest, explain some of the history of the area and, where possible, introduce you to known, named koalas that are part of our research project.

The area you will walk through is of great significance to the local Aboriginal People of the Wathaurong Tribe. Freshwater lakes and billabongs nearby provided a rich food source for them, and some signs of their occupation still remain. Your guide will share their knowledge with you. Though you will not be meeting any Aboriginal People on this tour, the tour is acted with the knowledge, consent and support of the Wathaurong Community.

We return to Melbourne at about 18:00.



May 23 Transfer to Melbourne Airport



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