Itinerary open to comments - Blue Mtns, Melbourne, GOR , Grampians, in March

Okay, I don't often do this since everyone has their own opinions, but here goes. We are spending time with friends before and after this 2.5 week itinerary. Please give thoughts on which locations we should stay more than one night (we're not crazy about 1 night stays but along the Ocean Road, I'm wondering if that's best, or should switch my 2 nights to Yuulong/Port Campbell area rrather than Lorne).

Hunter Valley with friends
Return on train, continue to Blue Mtns same day
3 nights Blue Mtns (with 1 late afternoon, one full day and extended morning - is it enough for a nice look at the area if we only stay 2 nts instead of 3?)
Return to Sydney, retrieve extra bags, overnight, on to Melbourne
2 nights Melbourne (free walking tour), Victoria market, etc.
Mid-day Train to Geelong
2 nights Geelong (maybe we only need 1 night?)
Pick up rental car, drive to Lorne via detour thru Queenscliff
2 nights Lorne (to include an inland circle drive on day)
1 night Yuulong (for Port Campbell Nat'l Park)
1 night Port Fairy
1 night Halls Gap (Grampians)
2 nights Ballarat (late arrival, spending day in Grampians)
Fly from Melbourne to Perth

Thanks for sharing your ideas,
Kahtrav

I suppose for locations like the Blue Mountains, it can depend on just what you want to do whether you spend two or three nights, like in your two days/nights you could cover most of the major lookouts, scenic cable car etc. but if you are pretty fit and active, there are some good walking trails throughout the area, out of the way valley locations for accommodation that could be more rewarding re wildlife and the http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/ , a place you might want to spend one of your nights at if that is of interest to you.

Melbourne is worth far more nights than Geelong and in fact I would only stop to get the vehicle or maybe not even get it there - I'd check if you can take your hire vehicle on the Sorrento to Queenscliff Ferry and then get one in Melbourne, there being some hire companies that have depots out in the south eastern suburbs ( so less hastles with traffic ) - http://www.rentabomb.com.au/?laststatus=pc&mrtype=pc&postback474=1 ( don't let the name fool you for they started off catering to cheap hires but nowadays and having been around a while have a full range including new vehicles ) and a location like Blackburn or Dandenong could suit you as follows:
. Day 1 hire( from Blackburn) - head for Healesville Sanctuary and lunch, an afternoon devonshire tea in The Dandenongs and then on to Phillip Island for Koalas, check into Accommodation and off to the Fairy Penguin Parade.
. Day2. head around on to the Mornington Peninsula ( wineries/walks - Point Nepean where you can near touch the ships as they go through the Rip ) Lunch or Dinner at the Iconic Portsea Hotel - out the back facing the bay and either stay at Portsea, Sorrento or get a ferry across to Queenscliff for dinner and accommodation there.
. Day3. You are off and onto the Great Ocean Road via Ocean Grove/Barwon Heads ( you've missed all the Geelong traffic area )
I'd stay just the one night at Lorne and keep the two for Yuulong as it will allow you to have a couple of evening/morning Apostles vistas - sunset and sunrise or alternately just the one there as planned and then on to Port Fairy - are you going to be there for https://www.portfairyfolkfestival.com/ - if so, great and better still if you have got accommodation and if not, you are missing a great gig.

Anyway, with one night at each of Lorne to Port Fairy, you might have a day up your sleeve for either an extra one in Melbourne or two at Halls Gap.
Have a look at http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/ for some great ideas close in and further out, http://www.studleyparkboathouse.com.au/boat-hire-make-your-special-day-one-to-be-remembered/ a great place for lunch and a row on the Yarra.

Have you also considered the possibility of rather than two days at Ballarat ( there is some interesting stuff there like Eureka Stockade /Blood on the Southern Cross show/even night there ), you keep heading west to Adelaide and catch your flight to Perth from there.

Thanks for your suggestions. I've thought of renting a car in Melbourne and taking the ferry - I'll look again. Initially I planned to drive from Melbourne to Adelaide, but the fee to drop the car there was really high. The Geelong to Melbourne airport drop off is only $50, which is okay for a two week rental. I might check again.

Thanks, Karen

Rent a Bomb do not have an Adelaide depot but have you just tried a search engine like drivenow or drivelater as they will look for the best deal between locations you nominate with major national renting companies and because they are fairly competitive, you may find that inbuilt costing for different hire/drop locations is not so bad, especially when it is capital cities.

If you find a good one that meets your requirements re ferry and drop off, then also go direct and ask the question whether there is any discount re an international flight as even in national flight airline magazines I often see 15% - 20% discounts mentioned if you show a boarding pass.

Here is my suggested 15-night itinerary:

Night 01 - Katoomba
Night 02 - Katoomba
Night 03 - Sydney
Night 04 - Melbourne
Night 05 - Melbourne
Night 06 - Melbourne
Night 07 - Lorne (after Bellarine Peninsula)
Night 08 - Apollo Bay
Night 09 - Port Campbell (after Triplet Falls, GOR)
Night 10 - Port Fairy
Night 11 - Grampians
Night 12 - Grampians
Night 13 - Ballarat
Night 14 - Ballarat
Night 15 - Melbourne

If you have a couple more nights, we could discuss where they could most usefully go. I live in Melbourne and have undertaken this type of itinerary a couple of times.

We successfully use www.carhire3000.com - now part of www.rentalcars.com - to rent cars overseas - they're good to deal with and competitively priced.

I should add too Karen that having grown up in and out of Melbourne including the Dandenongs, Mornington Peninsula as well as down Geelong way for a bit, the Mornington Peninsula is a far nicer area than a drive direct down to and through Geelong, the Dandenongs and eastern rural areas also quite picturesque so you will not be disappointed in including the eastern circuit and ferry crossing if you are able to do that.

Alternately, if you cannot do that and yet found you could fit in continuing west to Adelaide, you could still see Ballarat as it is an easy drive out from Melbourne and then head south from Ballarat for Geelong through reasonable countryside though in March at the end of a summer, a lot of countryside in the south may have more a brown than a green tinge to it, especially if there has been little rain; you being able to then bypass the Geelong city centre to pick up the route towards the GOR.

Mornington Peninsula is quite okay - could spend a night in Sorrento, and taking the ferry across to Queenscliff - definitely an option. You could include the Fairy Penguins, and have two nights about the area.

When are you planning this trip. Despite what the experts are telling you all these days in places along the great ocean road are great, but I would suggest some flexibility, it can be wet and windy and you don't want to be stuck trying to sight see, when you are getting near Melbourne I would check the weather and it may be better to head to the GOR and have Melbourne days at the end.

Despite what the experts are telling you all these days in places along the great ocean road are great, but I would suggest some flexibility

That sounds a bit pejorative ... which I think is unreasonable.

A trip along the Great Ocean Road is ALWAYS a gamble - it is an exposed wild coast directly facing the Southern Ocean and Antarctica - but less so between about November and April ... it's no big deal. There was no reason to have a go at me (and others).

It's in March jbi and sure with the disappointed?, wait 5 minutes and it'll change reputation and how that can apply with a southerly change even more so in southern coastal areas, that's often the gamble taken with any travel but March is usually still quite warm and any change can blow through quickly, lpk & co also being on an extended trip within a particular time frame and with that situation you try and go when you can and accept what comes.

lpkaren, March will be pretty good and if anything, if early in March it could still be quite hot even with our weather cycles achanging.

Thanks for all the suggestions and reminders re: weather - mid-March. We grew up in the Pacific northwest of the U.S. and know ocean driving and weather, albeit on the other side of the road. We've been to Melbourne previously and cycled a bit - along the shore to St. Kilda and back into the city. With a lot of time, we'd explore the whole area and have our bikes with us, but this time around, the focus is the GOR by car. I'll keep looking at options and keeping in mind being flexible (I don't much mind watching a stormy day on the sea, either). Thanks again.

You should have as reasonable a chance as anytime or even more so with the weather being OK in mid March, at worst a bit of a short lived cooler southerly blow and that can be a welcome reduction in the temperature if it has been hotter like up above 30C but more than likely around high twenties to thirty with a cooling effect by sea breezes that will be felt less inland.

Perhaps we could discuss the weather a lot less - it's a diversion because it can't be controlled, and only roughly predicted - and look at your itinerary, and particularly where you can best spend each night (and how many) between Melbourne and Halls Gap (The Grampians).

BTW both Apollo Bay and Halls Gap have excellent YHA hostels right in town ... can recommend both.

" (I don't much mind watching a stormy day on the sea, either). Thanks again. "
Your not minding could be well rewarded too for you can get some cracking seas, it a bit later in the year around Easter when the annual big surfing event is on at Bells's Beach back on the eastern end of the GOR but from Cape Otway to Port Fairy is not known as the Ship Wreck Coast for no reason - a south westerly facing coast and thus strong prevailing westerly weather drove many a sailing ship ( about 80 known ) in towards a rugged coastline - the prevailing weather also the reason for the cliff face and now off the face sculturing present.

http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Things-to-do/History-and-heritage/Maritime-history

You will not see too much these days even with diving but every so often a rumour surfaces about a boat somewhere along the coast that was carrying bullion or something else of worth that might get the metal detector brigades out looking for something in the more accessible sandy areas.

But yes, weather is something that gets lived with all year around on the southern coastline of Victoria as elsewhere and you could get lucky to see some good stormy seas and another reason stopping around the Yuulon/Princetown/Port Campbell
Depending on when/where you start from of a morning ( what the traffic is like if it happens to be a weekend and best if it is not ) and of course what you stop off to have a look at will determine just when you make Lorne and in also wanting to have a look inland about there, Lorne or Apollo Bay will make a good first stop though with daylight saving, it'll not be dark until about 8 pm. so you will have plenty of time.

One good thing if you are doing that stretch away from the weekend, in it also not being school holidays ( not until the end of March ), traveller accommodation at either motels or in holiday park cabins will be readily available so if you look up a few in the stretch of territory where you might be the next day, you could ring a couple the night before to see how they are placed and make a decision for each day accordingly without needing to be too fixed with where you have to be. .

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.