Q. I am leaving New Zealand soon and have 10 days in Australia before heading home. I really want to see the Great Ocean Road, and do some wine tours from Adelaide.
Do you think I would have time to do both in this timescale?
Marie McNulty, via email
A. Ten days is plenty of time – in fact you could easily make it by car all the way to Adelaide with time to spare. However, travelling at a slower pace makes for a much more enjoyable trip, so try this relaxed itinerary on for size.
Factor in at least two days for the Great Ocean Road; linger longer if the weather is good. Be sure to check out a couple of Otway waterfalls and the Loch Ard Gorge (pictured) on the way. Continue along the coast to Mt Gambier; its Blue Lake turns an impossibly brilliant turquoise over summer.
Nearby is the Coonawarra, one of Australia’s greatest wine regions. A unique, intensively-vined stretch of red soil over porous limestone, it makes magnificently ripe cabernet sauvignons, with http://www.balnaves.com.au[Balnaves] knocking out an especially good one. Heading back to Melbourne, drop in to the beautiful Grampians for some hiking and visit the nearby Pyrenees wine region, which specializes in the great Aussie Shiraz. Try it out at HTTP://www.summerfieldwines.com[Summerfield Winery] in Moonambel .
– Trent Paton, TALK2US TEAM
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
