DaY 1 -Perth > melbourne ifm / D

Relax and enjoy your home pick up by private car. Transfer to the airport to meet your fellow travellers and board your flight to Melbourne. On arrival, we are met by our fabulous Coach Driver, Graham and transferred to our hotel. Tonight we dine at Il Primo Posto which is only a short walk from the hotel.

Hotel: 2 nights at the Travelodge Southbank

DAY 2 - melbourne sightseeing/tramcar restaurant B / d

This morning we see the City sights including the Queen Victorian Markets, War Memorial, St Patrick’s Church, Captain Cooks Cottage and the magnificent spring gardens around Melbourne. In the afternoon you will have free time to explore the City and Southbank.

Tonight we will dine on the infamous 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, you will enjoy the fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines or make a selection from their fully stocked bar (inclusive) price. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period these trams reflect.

DAY 3 - melbourne - wangaratta B / D

We travel though some beautiful countryside today including the Dandenong’s. We stop in the main street of Sassafras for morning tea and the opportunity to visit ‘Tea Leaves’ which has the largest range of tea and tea wares in Melbourne. We join the Maroondah Highway to Mansfield then continue to Benalla to visit the Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop Memorial in the Botanical Gardens. We drive to Glenrowan to see the statue of Ned Kelly and visit the museum and gift shop (as seen on Getaway).

Motel: Gateway Motel, Wangaratta

DAY 4 - wangaratta > canberra B / d

Enjoy the countryside as we drive to historic Beechworth. Beechworth has been closely associated with Ned Kelly and his gang. In 1870 Ned, aged 16, stood trial on a minor charge and served 6 months in the Beechworth Gaol. We continue through the Snowy Mountains stopping in Tumut for lunch and continue to Cooma before arriving in Canberra. This is mountain country and its best.

Hotel: 4 nights a The Brassey Hotel

DAY 5, 6 & 7 - floriade > canberra sights B / d

The “Floriade” is Australia’s biggest flower festival, a spectacular celebration of spring, set in Canberra’s Commonwealth Park and Lake Burley Griffen. The breathtaking garden beds, made up of more than a million blooms, create giant pictures which reflect with the current year’s theme.

During these three days our main aim is to make sure you spend the appropriate amount of time viewing the "Floriade". We will also visit the marvellous English Miniature Tudor village, Cockington Green, Parliament House, tour of the embassies, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, and National Museum of Australia and also see the views from Mt Ainslie and the Telstra Tower.

On Sunday, it’s your day to choose. We will drop you off and pick you up from wherever you want to go, eg. The Train Museum, Old Parliament House, The Art Gallery and more. You also have the opportunity to go to the Sunday Markets. This is your day!

DAY 8 - canberra > wangaratta B / d

You will see some terrific highlights today as we visit Gundagai and see the Dog on the Tuckerbox. This is an Australian historical monument sculptured by a local stonemason Frank Rusconi and was unveiled by the then Prime Minister in 1932 as a tribute to the pioneers. The statue was inspired by a bullock driver’s poem. Another highlight is Rusconi’s Marble Masterpeice; it took 28 years to build and people from all over the world have come to see this masterpiece. We see the historic Prince Albert Bridge which is significant for aesthetic, historical, engineering and tourism reasons. The bridge is possibly the older iron truss bridge built in New South Wales.

Motel: Gateway Motel, Wangaratta

DAY 9 - wangaratta > ballarat B / d

This morning we travel via Shepparton to Bendigo and take a ride through the last 150 years on the vintage tram. See the historical architecture of Bendigo as your conductor recounts the golden past of a city founded on Australia’s richest goldfields. After, we stop for delicious pies and sandwiches from the bakery. We visit Bendigo Pottery and then travel through to beautiful Daylesford, known for its’ health retreats and spa’s. We make a special stop at the Convent, a place where art, food, culture, history and spirituality unite. After dinner you have the option to see the amazing light and sound show, ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’. (optonal show at additional cost).

Motel: The Bell Tower Inn, Ballarat

DAY 10 - ballarat > the grampians B / d

After a drive through the town of Ballarat admiring the historic buildings we enjoy morning tea at Lake Wendouree. We visit the Eureka Centre Museum, the site of one of the most significant
events in Australian history. Before heading off to Halls Gap, you have a few options. You can either visit the pioneer village of Sovereign Hill, which also entitles you entry into the Gold Museum or take a wander through the town. Stop to see the beautiful orchids in Ararat before we travel on to Halls Gap.

Motel: 2 nights at the Grampians Motel

DAY 11 - the grampians B / l / d

Halls Gap is a place to relax after all our touring. Kangaroo’s welcome us on arrival. The motel is nestled in a peaceful valley with views of the natural bushland and is central to the Grampians National Park. Today we will see fantastic views from high above Halls Gap and enjoy the springtime wildflowers. Enjoy delicious Halls Gap bakery cakes for morning tea at McKenzie Falls.

We visit the Lavender Patch and enjoy a talk on how to look after your lavender. Lunch today will be in the gardens at the motel. This afternoon spend time relaxing in this beautiful area.

DAY 12 - home to perth B / ifm

Leaving Halls Gap we travel via Hahndorf, a well preserved town with strong German origins situated in the picturesque Adelaide Hills. We stop to admire the tree lined streets and walk around the interesting shops. Hahndorf was first settled in 1839, when Prussian Lutheran families arrived. Bid farewell to your Coach Captain when you arrive at Adelaide Airport to take your flight home. On arrival iin Perth your driver will be waiting to take you home, concluding a fantastic springtime holiday.

TOUR PRICE

• Twin Share $3250.00
• Single Supplement $700.00

Includes:
• Home pick-up and return
• Kings Tour Manager
• Travel Insurance (age loading additional)
• Airfare and taxes to Melbourne and from Adelaide
• 11 nights accommodation with private facilities
• Meals, sightseeing and entry fees as per the itinerary
• Dinner on board the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
• Time at the beautiful Canberra Floriade
• Visit Parliament House and tour the Embassies