Day 1: Melbourne to Ballarat, 115 kms Collect your rental car and head west along the Western Highway to Ballarat. Be sure to visit Sovereign Hill a recreation of the gold rush days. Consider staying on for dinner to see their sound and light spectacular, ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’.

Overnight: Option 1: Best Western Yellow; Option 2: Ballarat Lodge

Day 2: Ballarat to Port Fairy, 350 kms From Ballarat continue northwest to Halls Gap in Grampians National Park, take time to stroll around the village and visit the Boroka and Reid’s Lookouts for panoramic views of this stunning mountain range. This area bounds in wildlife so you may be lucky and see kangaroos or koalas in their natural environment. Leave the national park heading south via Dunkeld and Penshurst to Port Fairy on the coast.

Day 3: Port Fairy to Apollo Bay, 200 kms No matter what the weather, today’s drive can only be described as spectacular. Starting with the Bay of Islands Coastal Park and continuing on to Port Campbell National Park, home of the famous 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. Well placed board walks and viewing platforms provide excellent vantage points of these much photographed icons. Complete the day with a drive through Otway National Park equally famous for its magnificent fern gullies and thick rainforests.

Overnight: Option 1: Best Western Yellow; Option 2: Captains At The Bay (B&B).

Day 4 Apollo Bay to Melbourne, 180 kms Plenty of time to take a stroll around pretty Apollo Bay before continuing northeast. Lorne, 1 hours drive along the coast is a popular holiday destination as is Anglesea, a further 40 mins towards Melbourne. Torquay is the home of the Bells Beach with its world famous surfing. Leave the coast and head inland to Geelong and back to Melbourne.

Includes: 4 days hire of a Hertz 1.6 litre, automatic with unlimited kms and basic insurance (excess applies), see page 14 for more details. 3 nights twin share accommodation as specified.