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South Australia - Travel in winter?

Replies: 40 - Last Post: Mar 29, 2013 8:09 AM Last Post By: RayCCroc

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PhiMeow

PhiMeow avatar

Jan 4, 2012 8:27 PM
Posts:  2,947

30

OP et al, yes apologies for the confusing short hand for Melbourne Australia, MEL is correct, of course.

OP 4-5 hours driving is Ok if you have experience with long haul driving (not many Europeans do). Make sure to take a break every 2-2.5 hours. We don't want you to become part of our statistics for all the wrong reasons.

kojtl1000

kojtl1000 avatar

Jan 4, 2012 9:45 PM
Posts:  12

31

Thanks all for the concerns.
In Belgium we are indeed not used to the very long drives. However, we regularly drive up to the Champagne Region from Brussels ;-) in one day, covering 800 km's. And we also did about 1000 km in one day during our last trip along the West Coast of Australia. So I am not that afraid of driving lots of km's.

PoppyG

PoppyG avatar

Jan 5, 2012 2:56 AM
Posts:  7,781

32

I have one question - can you fly from Adelaide to Brussels? If you need to change planes somewhere else ie. Sydney or perhaps Perth - I would allow a day or two to explore that city before heading back.

Commissioner

Commissioner avatar

Jan 5, 2012 3:47 AM
Posts:  335

33

You'd always have to change somewhere to get to Brussels from Australia, but Adelaide isn't a total backwater; Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Cathay Pacfic and of course Qantas all have direct flights out of Adelaide to their respective hubs in SE Asia (and Qantas do fly direct to Singapore).

None of the Middle Eastern airlines fly there. Yet.

kojtl1000

kojtl1000 avatar

Jan 5, 2012 5:33 AM
Posts:  12

34

We probably have to fly back to Sydney to get to Singapore f.e. But there are also flights from Adelaide to Singapore f.e.
We still have to book our flights, so we have to watch and see.

RayCCroc

RayCCroc avatar

Jan 6, 2012 4:23 PM
Posts:  11,054

35

the most direct route is down through Colac. DON'T take that way. You need to go through Geelong
Not really - there is a road from Colac to Lorne, on which you can savour the delights of Birregurra and Deans Marsh

Commissioner

Commissioner avatar

Jan 6, 2012 5:42 PM
Posts:  335

36

Let me rephrase Ray. If you want to see the whole of the Great Ocean Road, you need to go through Geelong and not down via Colac.

RayCCroc

RayCCroc avatar

Jan 7, 2012 4:32 AM
Posts:  11,054

37

Yebbut the best bit's between Lorne and Apollo Bay. It's not gonna kill you to skip Torquay and Anglesea, despite what the bus drivers say. And then you get to see some Otway forest instead of Werribee mudflats, the Geelong "bypass" and boring Bellarine farmland.

PhiMeow

PhiMeow avatar

Jan 7, 2012 12:54 PM
Posts:  2,947

38

I enjoyed both drives as I like both beaches and bush (used to do a bit of 4WDing).

Commissioner

Commissioner avatar

Jan 7, 2012 2:51 PM
Posts:  335

39

Bells Beach, Anglesea, Split Point Lighthouse, the Great Ocean Road memorial arch would all be missed by going direct to Lorne. I think they're worth seeing, and given that the OP plans on driving to the end of the Great Ocean Road, it seems a shame not to do the whole length. Plus, its only an extra 30kms to go via Geelong, Torquay and the above mentioned places than going direct to Lorne.

RayCCroc

RayCCroc avatar

Jan 7, 2012 4:03 PM
Posts:  11,054

40

You can't beat the first view of the sea as you come over the Otway ridge.
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