3 weeks in Australia with senior citizen

Not sure what the deal is with car hire but that sounds like a great plan. Here is a suggested itinerary from one of the tourism sites: http://www.australia.com/en/itineraries/melbourne-adelaide-gor.html Be aware that the wind is pretty ferocious along that coast so not sure how that would go with your dad's Parkinsons? You can also do nice drives out of Adelaide on other days.

The Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road is would be a great trip and quite doable over 3 or 4 days. The link in # above covers the trip well.

Another option if you wanted an outback experience would be to hire a car and go to the Flinders Ranges and by the Flinders Ranges I mean the Northern part of the range beyond Port Augusta. It would be a comfortable 1 day drive each way with say 2 days looking around the ranges. Go to the Flinders Ranges via the famous Barossa Valley wine region. April would be a nice time of the year for this trip.

If it were me I'd fly to Sydney and spend most of the time there. Ferries on the harbour, days trips to the Blue Mountains, the beaches, buildings, zoo and parks. Sydney has some lovely sights, all easily reached, and would be the must do for me, if I'd never been to Australia.
Your other option is not bad. #-4 days for the Great Ocean Road - most of the sights are easily seen a short walk from the road and car parks. After the GOR the drive through South Australia could take you through the fantastic Coonawarra wineries, Bool Lagoon and Naracoorte Caves, and then the Adelaide Hills.

Not sure what the deal is with car hire but that sounds like a great plan. Here is a suggested itinerary from one of the tourism sites: http://www.australia.com/en/itineraries/melbourne-adelaide-gor.html Be aware that the wind is pretty ferocious along that coast so not sure how that would go with your dad's Parkinsons? You can also do nice drives out of Adelaide on other days.

Thanks a lot, that's a great link.
My dad lives in Scotland so is no stranger to wind :-)

The Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road is would be a great trip and quite doable over 3 or 4 days. The link in # above covers the trip well.

Another option if you wanted an outback experience would be to hire a car and go to the Flinders Ranges and by the Flinders Ranges I mean the Northern part of the range beyond Port Augusta. It would be a comfortable 1 day drive each way with say 2 days looking around the ranges. Go to the Flinders Ranges via the famous Barossa Valley wine region. April would be a nice time of the year for this trip.

Thanks, we would definitely visit Barossa Valley so that could be interesting.

If it were me I'd fly to Sydney and spend most of the time there. Ferries on the harbour, days trips to the Blue Mountains, the beaches, buildings, zoo and parks. Sydney has some lovely sights, all easily reached, and would be the must do for me, if I'd never been to Australia.
Your other option is not bad. #-4 days for the Great Ocean Road - most of the sights are easily seen a short walk from the road and car parks. After the GOR the drive through South Australia could take you through the fantastic Coonawarra wineries, Bool Lagoon and Naracoorte Caves, and then the Adelaide Hills.

If I spend most of the time around Sydney then I won't see much of my brother and his wife and kid, maybe we could fly out of Sydney and have a day or two there a the end.

beside spending time in adelaide and visiting the barossa valley, i would really consider kangaroo island, for me one of the most beautiful places in australia and very easy to visit from adelaide.

you can rent a car in adelaide, drive from there via the beautiful fleurieu peninsula to cape jervis (with several places worth stopping on the way), and then take the ferry to penneshaw. kangaroo island is great for animals (kangaroos, wombats, koalas, sea lions, pinguins etc.), for great landscapes (rocks, beaches, national parks) and is overall an amazing place in my opinion.

Rather than have a couple of days tacked on to Sydney at the end, have a stop over enroute in Singapore / Hong Kong / Tokyo from /to the UK to make the flight a lot more comfortable.

at his age and physical state. a bus ride up to the animal park in the hills, pretty certain he will quite enjoy. plus GLEN elg beach and the ride there . he might like. a visit to saint marys church near Victoria square. also , he might, find interesting. then again? theres the old senior citizen mecca . the CASINO but remove his cards etc.befor he enters. myself 75 now, was there when I was 68 enjoyed it . but then again at that time had, no medical issues.