Philip Island King Island Flinders Island

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1 Presents A Three Island Tour Philip Island King Island Flinders Island Departing Mon 7 th Sat 19 th NOVEMBER 2016 All-inclusive price is $ pp & $720.00ss Join us for an unforgettable tour to some of Australia s most intriguing islands, we ve all heard about these islands and wondered what they would be like and how do you get there! We ll see some great scenery and enjoy some of the best fresh produce you only dream about. Day 1: (D): HOME PORT TO BALLARAT: NOVEMBER 2016 Welcome to our 13 day Three Island Tour. Sit back and relax aboard our luxury coach as we head for Victoria. We will stop enroute to stretch our legs and to purchase lunch. Arriving in Ballarat for our overnight accommodation we check in and freshen up for dinner. (Lunch own expense, dinner in the hotel) Comfort Inn Main Lead Motor Inn, Ballarat (subject to availability) DAY 2: (BD): BALLARAT TO PHILLIP ISLAND: November 2016 Following breakfast we depart Ballarat and travel the Western Freeway via Melbourne to Cranbourne for a lunch break (own expense). Joining the Bass Highway we arrive

2 onto Phillip Island midafternoon. Upon arrival we visit Pannys Amazing World of Chocolate followed by the Vietnam Veterans Museum, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting memorabilia from Australia's longest war. The Museum currently has 5000 plus artefacts, memorabilia and photographic material displayed either under glass or in walk-through areas allowing the visitor to fully appreciate what it was actually like to be "in country" and absorb the era that was Vietnam. The outdoor area contains exhibits as large as a Centurion tank, a Wessex Helicopter, a 105mm Howitzer gun and several Land rovers. A recent arrival is an AH-1F Hueycobra complete with a 20mm Gatling gun, TOW launchers and rocket pods. Our accommodation for the next two nights is in Cowes the principal township of the island, originally known as Mussel Rocks. We ll check in and settle in for dinner. (Breakfast and dinner in motel, lunch at own cost) Comfort Resort Kaloha, Phillip Island (subject to availability) Day 3(BLD): PHILLIP ISLAND: November 2016 We are ready to explore our first Island! Our first visit for the day is to the Nobbies Centre where we have the chance to explore and discover the secrets of the incredible southern marine environment including seals, sharks and dolphins via interactive displays and cameras. This area offers spectacular coastal scenery as well as viewing of the offshore seal colony at Seal Rocks. It is a truly amazing natural experience! Phillip Island is famous for being home to the World Superbike Championship held in April and the Australian Motor Cycle Grand Prix held in October each year. We take a tour of the Grand Prix Circuit including a guided tour of the museum - the history of the race, the cars and a short walk to the viewing platform a perfect spot to visualize the bikes zooming past! We continue through to Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm. On arrival we enjoy a Bush Tea Tour where we can pick our own fresh bush tea including native mint, lemon bottlebrush and Cape Barren tea enjoying them later in the Farmhouse café. Our lunch will be served here with time to explore the Rainbow Trout pools and the many trails around the property. This afternoon we visit the Koala Conservation Centre where we can stroll through the eucalypt woodland and come face to face with koalas in their natural habitat, along the elevated tree-top boardwalk. This ecotourism attraction has also been essential for saving the island s koala population and plays host to a special breeding program. We now head back to the motel to freshen up for dinner in the motel before making our way, on the coach, to the Phillip Island Nature Park for the Penguin Parade. Every day at dusk the fairy penguins come ashore after fishing for whitebait for their young. To see them come out of the surf in small groups and waddle up the beach is a unique spectacle. We have

3 time here at leisure to enjoy the experience before returning to our motel. (Breakfast & dinner in the motel, Lunch at Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm) Comfort Resort Kaloha, Phillip Island (subject to availability) Day 4: (BD): KING ISLAND: November 2016 We have an early start to the day to reach the Melbourne Airport ahead of our flight down into Bass Straight for our second Island visit King Island. Located approximately 80 km northeast of Tasmania and about 90 km southeast of Cape Otway on the Victorian coast, King Island, with a population of over 2 500, is one of Australia's undiscovered island retreats. Windswept, rainy (it has an annual rainfall of over 1000 mm), rugged and attractive it boasts over 145 km of untouched coastline, an estimated 57 offshore wrecks (a legacy of the dangers of trying to cross and pass through Bass Strait in inclement weather) and a wide and unusual variety of seabirds and wildlife. This is not a tiny island. It is some 58 km long and 21 km wide and has a total area of ha. Before the arrival of Europeans the island was richly forested but today it has been cleared for farming and the huge trees have been replaced by low lying scrub and ti-trees. In recent times King Island has gained an extraordinary reputation for its dairy products. King Island butters, cheeses and creams (particularly clotted cream) have found their way into fashionable suburban delicatessens on the mainland and have become a by-word for dairy quality. Melbourne to King Island - Regional Express Airlines (REX) a 50 minute flight (Flights to be confirmed). On arrival at Currie Airport we are met by our local touring company and transferred into the town and our accommodation at Boomerang By the Sea. After checking in there will be some time to take a walk into Currie to browse the shops or visit the famous King Island Bakery for tea, coffee and home made pies and pastries (own expense). The main points of interest in Currie are Currie Harbour, the Kelp Works, the Boathouse, District School, Hospital and Health Centre. Tonight we have the opportunity to enjoy a Penguin Tour (optional) to see the Fairy Penguins come up the beach to their Rookeries. No flood lights or concrete paths here - just a delightful experience to watch these creatures in their natural habitat! (Breakfast and Dinner in the motel, Lunch own arrangements & cost) Boomerang By the Sea Motel, Currie, King Island (subject to availability) Day 5 (BLD): KING ISLAND: November 2016 Breakfast: This morning we head out to the Northern Reaches of the Island on the Wickham Tour. We see Reekara, South Yellow Rock, the Wreck of the Shannon which is the tallest lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere. There have been a total of 57 wrecks along the coast and at one stage as many as 5 light houses were built to protect

4 the shipping. On the way home we stop at the famous King Island Dairy Fromagerie where we will have time to sample and purchase the fabulous award winning product. (Breakfast & dinner in the motel, Lunch included on tour) Boomerang By the Sea Motel, Currie, King Island (subject to availability) Day 6 (BLD): KING ISLAND: November 2016 Breakfast: This morning we take the Scenic South Tour which takes in the electricity generating wind farm, Ettrick River, the Calcified Forest and the rugged cliffs off Seal Rocks. The views of the rugged south coast are dramatic. Lunch today will be a BBQ of succulent King Island Steak accompanied by garden fresh salads. This afternoon we enjoy the Grassy Township tour and visit the seaside village of Naracoopa before returning to Currie. (Breakfast & dinner in the motel, BBQ lunch on tour) Boomerang By the Sea Motel, Currie, King Island (subject to availability) Day 7 (BD): KING ISLAND TO MELBOURNE: November 2016 Breakfast: A short tour of Currie this morning including the Kelp Works and the museum housed in the old lighthouse keeper s residence before lunch (own expense) and then the transfer to the airport to connect with our Rex Service to Melbourne (Flights to be confirmed). On arrival back at Tullamarine we rejoin our Coach and make our way to Caroline Springs for our overnight accommodation. (Breakfast and dinner in the motel, Lunch own arrangements and cost) Mercure Caroline Springs (subject to availability) Day 8 (BD): MELBOURNE TO FLINDERS ISLAND November 2016 After breakfast this morning we are ready for our third Island Experience! This time our flight departs from Melbourne s Essendon Airport. We may have to split onto two flights this morning for the 65 minute flight to Flinders Island. The first departure is at 11.30am and the second at 12.30pm. On arrival at Whitemark Flinders Island our local touring coach and resident guide will be waiting. We head south to the fishing port of Lady Barron. We take in fantastic views of the island s south of Flinders and the beautiful Franklin Sound from Vinegar Hill Lookout. We visit Yellow Beach before arriving at our accommodation, the Furneaux Tavern situated on the shores of Adelaide Bay. (Breakfast and dinner in the motel, Lunch own arrangements and cost) Day 9 (BLD): FLINDERS ISLAND November 2016

5 Today we travel the east coast, passing some of the Soldier Settlement Farms and onto Cameron s Inlet, a haven for the many native birds and animals. We view the magnificent beach that stretches along the east coast of the island. From here we travel north to the Tobias Lookout for fantastic views to Babel Island and north to the Sister s Islands. We then travel to the Patriarchs where we learn of one man s fight to save the Cape Barren Geese. We return to Lady Barren via Trouser s Point Beach at the foot of Mount Strezlecki then along the Wallanippi Road back to our accommodation for time to wander around the water front before dinner. (Breakfast and dinner in the motel, Light lunch supplied) Day 10 (BLD): FLINDERS ISLAND November 2016 Port Davies on the west coast of the Island is on our itinerary this morning. We will divide into two groups. The first group will enjoy a morning away on a charter boat, fishing and exploring the waters around Prime Seal Island and Marshall Bay. Weather permitting; we will be able catch some fish to BBQ for lunch on return to shore (Island style). Our host for the day is the island fisherman Mike Nichols. The second group will visit historic Wybalena Chapel and Cemetery and learn of the sad history of the Aboriginal community who were transported here in the 1800 s. We visit the island museum which houses a written information, photos and artifacts of the past settlement of this beautiful island. After lunch we reverse the groups. (Breakfast and dinner in the motel, Light lunch included) Day 11 (BLD): FLINDERS ISLAND November 2016 Today we travel to the northern part of the island stopping at Sawyers Bay to take in the magnificent views and then onto Mount Tanner for even more views of the west coast. We visit Killiecrankie the home of the famous Killiecrankie Diamonds before continuing north to The North East River for views over the Sisters Islands and along the beaches south to Babel Island. We return to Lady Barron stopping at the only vineyard on the island to sample their product. (Breakfast and dinner in the motel, Light lunch included) Day 12 (BD): FLINDERS ISLAND TO MELBOURNE/NARACOORTE November 2016 Our touring complete we are ready to begin the return flight to Melbourne. Once again we may have to split into two groups for the short flight back to Melbourne the first departure will be at 9.00am and the second at 9.30am. We meet up with our coach and head to Creswick for our overnight stay, stopping along the way for convenience stops and lunch. (Breakfast in the motel, Lunch own arrangements and cost)

6 Novotel Forest Resort (subject to availability) Day 13 (B): CRESWICK TO HOME November 2016 Sadly our touring has come to an end. We check out of our accommodation and express for home stopping along the way for convenience stops and to purchase lunch. We arrive home with many wonderful memories of our 13 day 3 Island holiday. (Breakfast in motel) All itineraries are subject to change due to occasional restrictions in opening times/days of some attractions, e.g. churches, wineries etc. We cannot be held responsible for any changes due to closures, inclement weather etc.