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Days
17
Price from
$3,580AUD
Map of Melbourne to Darwin Overland including Australia

Travel through Australia's amazing Great Ocean Road, through the Flinders Ranges and the famous Oodnadatta Track to the dusty Red Centre and tropical Top End

Embark on a Northern Territory adventure, from Melbourne to Darwin, taking in the region's biggest and best-known drawcards along the way. Drive the famous Oodnadatta Track, stroll around Wilpena Pound, witness Uluru during a stunning sunrise, wander through the majestic canyons of Kata Tjuta and admire the views from Kings Canyon. Head out croc spotting in the Mary River Wetlands and get a taste of the tropics in Kakadu National Park. A region of exceptional landscapes and intriguing cultural attractions, this tail-to-top adventure of the Territory is a trip that will leave you with a profound appreciation of Australia's raw and rugged natural beauty.

Start
Melbourne, Australia
Finish
Darwin, Australia
Destinations
Victoria, Great Ocean Road, South Australia, Outback, Northern Territory, Uluru, Kakadu
Style
Basix
Theme
Explorer
Code
PAOKC
Physical rating
Ages
Min 18
Group size
Min 1, Max 24

Why you'll love this trip

  • Get back to basics with this classic seventeen-day overland adventure. See the highlights and national parks of Australia's Great Ocean Road and Grampians, Flinders Ranges, Red Centre and Top End in rugged, authentic style

  • Spend a half day in Arnhem Land with a local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guide

  • Cruise the world famous Great Ocean Road

  • Enjoy the flexibility of a private vehicle, the local knowledge of a passionate guide and the magic of camping under the great southern sky

  • See some beautifully remote places in the Flinders ranges

  • Check out one of the strangest towns in Australia - built underground

  • Get up early and see the sun rise over Uluru

  • Learn about the ancient culture and traditions of the Limilngan-Wulna people as they invite you into their community with a traditional 'Welcome to Country'

  • he Mary River Wetlands feature a wealth of wildlife, including the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the southern hemisphere. Get up close to the snappy beasts on a billabong cruise

  • Discover the wonders of Kakadu National Park. Get adventurous on a 4WD tour to the spectacular Jim Jim Falls and see the ancient rock art of Ubirr as well as Katherine Gorge

Is this trip right for you?

  • This is a basic trip, covering the highlights of Australia's Great Ocean Road and Grampians, Flinders Ranges, Red Centre, and Top End.

  • You'll spend some nights of the trip sleeping in outback camping grounds. While conditions can be basic and facilities are minimal, this is all part of the adventure. You'll also need to pitch in with preparing meals and cleaning. This is part of the experience of travelling in a group.

  • This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves a lot of walking, allowing you to truly enjoy the surrounding nature. Some hikes are longer and more challenging than others. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothing.

  • This trip is BASIX and we use mixed gender multishare accommodation. This means, the minimum age for the trip is 18 years old because minors aren't able to sleep in mixed gender rooms.

  • Temperatures in the Top End be extreme. During the day the weather can be hot (and the Australian sun is strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures really drop, so ensure you have base layers and warm clothing.

  • The Top End & Kakadu portion of this trip has a strict luggage limit of 10kg. Excess luggage can not be carried however, it can be stored at Darwin accommodation.

Aboriginal rock art in the Northern Territory
Visitors to Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
Happy friends watching sunset over Uluru
Twelve Apostles close, Victoria, Australia
Frill neck lizard in the Northern Territory

Itinerary
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This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 Apr 2018 to 31 Mar 2019.
 View the 2019 itinerary

Departing Melbourne, hit the road west to Geelong and the famous surf town of Torquay. From there, begin the journey along one of Australia’s most beautiful and famous drives, the Great Ocean Road. Stop in at Kennett River for some koala spotting, then break for lunch in Apollo Bay. Continue on to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, spending the night in Warrnambool.

Note: Total driving time today is about six and a half hours (approximately 450kms)
Total walking time will be about two hours (approximately 2kms)
Accommodation
  • Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • 12 Apostles & London Bridge
  • Koala spotting - Great Ocean Road
  • Melba Gully Walk - Otway Ranges
  • Swim at Lorne (Summer months)
  • Loch Ard Gorge
Meals Included
  • Lunch

Begin the day checking out more of the Great Ocean Road's wonders, then drive into the Grampians National Park – an area rich in Aboriginal culture and beautiful landscapes. We'll visit the Brambuk Aboriginal Culture Centre to learn about the period known as the Dreaming, then hike up to the Pinnacles for impressive views across the Grampians. Tonight we enjoy a traditional Aussie BBQ in Halls Gap.

Note: Total driving time today is about six hours (approximately 400kms)
Total walking time will be about four hours (approximately 5kms)
Accommodation
  • Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Brambuk Culture Centre
  • Mackenzie Falls - Grampians
  • Pinnacles Walk - Grampians
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Hike up to McKenzie Falls, the highest waterfalls in the Grampians, and check out other sights such as The Balconies and Reeds Lookout. Leaving the Grampians, pass through the town of Horsham before crossing the famed mighty Murray River and making the last leg of the journey into Adelaide.

Note: Total driving time today is about seven and a half hours (approximately 550kms) Estimated time of arrival into Adelaide is 7.30pm.
Total walking time will be about two and a half hours (approximately 3.5kms)
Accommodation
  • Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Reeds Lookout (The Balconies) & Boroka Lookout
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
This is a combination trip, made up of two of our most popular trips. Some travellers will be leaving today and others heading on to Alice Springs and Darwin in the morning where the makeup of your group and guide will change.

Barely 100 clicks north of Adelaide lies the Clare Valley, an undulating sprawl of vineyards, wine cellars and quaint bluestone cottages. Renowned for its production of world-class Rieslings, this is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions – and one of its prettiest too. On the drive through to Wilpena Pound you’ll be treated to some extraordinary views of the Flinders Ranges, which, stretching for over 430 km across South Australia, are the state’s biggest mountain range. Arriving at our campsite there’ll be time for hike before snuggling down in a swag.

Total driving time takes around five hours.
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Wilpena Pound
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
You’ll be picked up from the Adelaide Central YHA at 6.30 am, so please arrive at least ten minutes beforehand ready to set off

Leaving the flinders Ranges, we cruise north towards the tiny town of Lyndhurst, where the entrance sign proclaims ‘Welcome to Lyndhurst. Pop. 30 (most days)’. Hitting the famous Oodnadatta Track, we’ll make a stop by Lake Eyre (Australia’s largest salt lake), before arriving at our campsite in William Creek – base for the night.

Total driving time today is approximately 8 hours
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Covering an area of six million acres, Anna Creek Station is the world’s largest working cattle station. The estate was founded in 1899 by Sir Sidney Kidman, a distant relative of Nicole who set from home out on a one-eyed horse at age 13 to make his fortune. By mid afternoon we’ll have reached the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy. The weather here is so hot that life’s better lived underground. After taking a guided tour of this subterranean society, and checking into an underground bunkhouse, you’ll have the afternoon at leisure. Try your luck ‘noodling’ for opals, or finish the day at Josephine’s Kangaroo Orphanage to see what’s hopping about.

Total driving time today is approximately 6.5 hours
Accommodation
  • Underground Multishare (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Anna Creek Station
  • Coober Pedy Mine tour
  • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

We’ll be honest, there’s a fair bit of driving today. From Coober Pedy we travel across the Moon Plains, past the Dingo Fence, past Breakaways Reserve, and into Yulara. Make sure you have your Ipod fully charged and your neck cushion handy.

Today driving time will be about 8.5 hours.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Dingo Fence
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Rise early this morning and be rewarded with a glorious Uluru sunrise. While the day is still fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of Ulruru, which is of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people. We walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru where you wiill be in the hands of an Anangu guide who will share the stories of this unique landscape and explain the Art, the Culture and connection to Land. This exclusive experience will give you an exclusive insight to the meaning behind Anangu art and traditional culture. The on-site Cultural Centre also houses an extensive collection of arts and crafts of the First Peoples of Australia for you to browse. Head back to camp for lunch. In the afternoon, see the landscape from a different angle, perhaps from a helicopter flight over Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This is optional and come at an additional cost.

There isn't much driving today, about an hour in total between destinations. You will walk approximately 5km.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Base Walk
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Kata Tjuta
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
The Anangu people have dissuaded visitors from climbing Uluru for decades; as traditional owners of the land they feel a deep responsibility for everyone who travels to the area. In 1998 we were among the first tour operators to stop climbing Uluru.
The Intrepid Group are proud to be involved with local communities in Uluru and to have an ongoing commitment to providing employment for the Anangu people. You show respect when you choose not to climb Uluru, but walk with Anangu throughout the area and share their stories instead

Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures: Kata Tjuta. The Olgas, as they're also known, are a group of domed red rocks rising spectacularly out of the desert. Like Uluru, they’re sacred to the Anangu people and are believed to be 500 million years old. Return to camp for lunch before travelling to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Spend the night in an exclusive campsite inside the park.

Driving time is about six hours today, and you will walk approximately 2km.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

With its 300-metre high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia’s answer to an oasis. The highlight attractions here are the Garden of Eden, the Amphitheatre and the Lost City – all sites you’ll get to visit on the Rim Walk. Following lunch it’s back on the road for the onward drive to Alice Springs.

Driving time today is approximately 5 hours back to Alice Springs, and the Rim Walk is approximately 6km.
Accommodation
  • Hostel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.

Today, skip the 1,500km of driving which is about 24 hours by road, and fly from Alice Springs to Darwin with Qantas Airways. Qantas was Australia's first commercial airline, and stands for "Queensland and Northern Territory Ariel Services" and is now one of the worlds best International airlines.

We'll arrange your air tickets and issue them a couple of weeks prior to your departure. On arrival in Darwin, someone will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
Your Alice Springs transfer (operated by Alice Wanderer - green and yellow bus) will depart approx 2.5 hours prior to your scheduled flight time from your accommodation. Please be ready out the front for pick up.
In case of issues or to check departure time please call 1800 722 111 (free call) or +61 8 89522111

On arrival in Darwin, please look for the Darwin City airport shuttle (green bus) to transfer you to The Cavenagh -12 Cavenagh St, Darwin. In case of any issues please call. +61 8 8947 3979

Enjoy a free day in Darwin today. The capital of the Top End has plenty to do and see. Great a great coffee and breakfast in Smith Street Mall befroe diving into the excellent Museum and Art Gallery NT. MAGNT has some great exhibitions of both First Nations and colonial art and history. Finsih the day at the Darwin ski club,  maybe the best spot in Australia for a sunset drink. 
Accommodation
  • Hostel (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
Don't forget that today is unescorted, you will meet your new guide tomorrow morning.

We leave Darwin with a bright and early start, and head to the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. Firstly, we make our way to see the stunning rock art at Ubirr before climbing to the top of a lookout to see the sprawling Nardab Floodplain. Next stop, head to the border of Kakadu and Arnhem Land to experience a Guluyumbi cruise along the East Alligator River. Travelling with a Bininj guide, understand more about the cultural importance of the East Alligator River to the region’s traditional custodians. Once the cruise wraps up, jump in a vehicle and cross straight into Arnhem Land for an unforgettable afternoon of exploration at an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art complex known as Mawurndaddja. This complex has a spectacular series of galleries with rock art spanning from the present time to many thousands of years of age. Your guide will explain the importance of this art, the methods used to perform this expressionism and the anthropological system used to date the art as you are guided through the site. Spend the afternoon exploring this historic ancient site before heading back to Kakadu and settling into this evening’s campsite.

Note: Total driving time is about six hours (approximately 350kms) Total walking time is approximately one and a half hours (including stops for informative talks)
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Guluyambi Cultural Cruise
  • Mawurndaddja rock art and occupation complex
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
This morning’s departure is at 0650am. Please be ready with your bags packed for an early start.

After fuelling up with an early breakfast, it's on to Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu's most iconic natural attraction. It’s a challenging walk through monsoon forest and over boulders. Recharge with a cooling dip in the clear waters beneath the falls upon arrival, or simply soak up the spectacular scenery while relaxing on the beach. After lunch head to Anbangbang and discover ancient rock art. Originally Warramal clan land, who have now passed away, Anbangbang is now looked after by neighbouring Mirarr and Djok clans. Consider taking a scenic flight over Kakadu in the afternoon, or visit Bowli Cultural Centre.

Total driving time: about four hours (approximately 120 km)
Total walking time: about two and a half hours
Accommodation
  • Camping (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Jim Jim Falls Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

After breakfast, head to either Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) or Gunlom Falls and cool off with a dip in the plunge pools. Visit the historic gold-mining centre of Pine Creek and head further south after lunch. Journey for around three hours in a private vehicle to your campsite on the doorstep of Nitmiluk National Park. Once comfortable, have dinner with the group before relaxing in your tent for the night.

Note: Total driving time is about five and a half hours (approximately 340kms)
Total walking time is approximately one and a half hours
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Maguk (Barramundi Gorge)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Spend the morning at the magnificent Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park. Perhaps take a cruise along the gorge or rent a kayak and paddle downstream. These options are seasonal and at your own expense. In the afternoon, head off to Edith Falls where you can cool down with a refreshing swim in the huge rock pools. Continue on to the edge of Litchfield National Park. Settle down for the night in a snug camp and enjoy dinner with your group.

Note: Total driving time is about four and a half hours (approximately 350kms)
Total walking time is approximately three and a half hours
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Edith Falls
Optional Activities
  • Katherine Gorge Scenic Cruise - AUD94
  • Katherine Gorge Canoe from - AUD45
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Once you’ve had breakfast, head into Litchfield National Park. Filled with waterholes, creeks and waterfalls, it’s the perfect place to soak up the tranquillity of the tropics. Visit the gateway of Florence Falls, the popular Wangi Falls and the refreshing waters of the Buley Rockholes. Enjoy a picnic lunch, stroll through steamy rainforests and cool off with a dip in one of Litchfield's swimming holes. In the afternoon, take the two-hour drive back to Darwin where your trip ends. Enjoy an optional night out with the group if you decide to stay in Darwin for the night.

Note: Total driving time is about three and a half hours (approximately 250kms)
Total walking time is approximately one hour


Should any of the attractions of the standard itinerary not be open as a result of National Park decisions surrounding accessibility and safety, activities will be substituted. Please see 'climate and seasonal information'.

- Florence Falls
- Wangi Falls
- Bluey Rockholes
Included Activities
  • Buley Rockholes
  • Florence Falls
  • Litchfield National Park
  • Wangi Falls
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Meals

12 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 11 dinners

Transport

All Terrain vehicle, Private vehicle

Accommodation

Camping (with shared facilities) (9 nights), Dormitory (6 nights), Underground bunkhouse (1 night).

Included activities

  • 12 Apostles & London Bridge
  • Koala spotting - Great Ocean Road
  • Melba Gully Walk - Otway Ranges
  • Swim at Lorne (Summer months)
  • Loch Ard Gorge
  • Brambuk Culture Centre
  • Mackenzie Falls - Grampians
  • Pinnacles Walk - Grampians
  • Reeds Lookout (The Balconies) & Boroka Lookout
  • Wilpena Pound
  • Anna Creek Station
  • Coober Pedy Mine tour
  • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage
  • Dingo Fence
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Base Walk
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Kata Tjuta
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
  • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
  • Guluyambi Cultural Cruise
  • Mawurndaddja rock art and occupation complex
  • Jim Jim Falls Walk
  • Maguk (Barramundi Gorge)
  • Edith Falls
  • Buley Rockholes
  • Florence Falls
  • Litchfield National Park
  • Wangi Falls

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Important notes

1. This trip requires a sleeping bag
2. For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.
3.The Top End & Kakadu portion of this trip has a strict luggage limit of 10kg. Excess luggage can not be carried however, it can be stored at Darwin accommodation.
4. Tour commences in Melbourne on day 1 at 7am and finishes in Darwin day 17 at approx 6pm. Onward travel should be booked the following day

Essential trip information

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