mast

Hi! <BR>we plan to visit Australia and intend to use Lorne and Goolwa as base to explore nearby intersting places. we are travelling with children and is very troublesome to change hotel very often. <BR>in lorne we plan to visit towns along the great ocean road, visit wineries, melbourne and phillips island. in goolwa we like to visit adelaide and kangeroo ialand. <BR>any other places to visit recommended? and are these two places ideal as base town? <BR>we would also like to know that how far is it from lorne to goolwa by car and which town to stay a night in between? <BR>lots of questions and thanks to everyone in advance. <BR> <BR>mast

marg

There isn't a great deal to see around Goolwa (it is a small town with a population of about 3000) - would you be better off staying in the major cities and taking day trips. For instance you could stay in Adelaide, go to the Barossa Valley for the wineries, and go to Goolwa for the day. Lorne is also very small but it is a lovely place for a holiday and the little towns along the Great Ocean Road are all nice - my favourite is Port Ferry - an old fishing port. Why not have a few days in Melbourne and do the wineries in the Yarra Valley. The Zoo in Melbourne is a great place for adults and children (you can go by tram from the city), or take a ferry to Williamstown and take the children to Scienceworks on the way. We have a new museum in Melbourne which only opened a few months ago. Phillip Island is about two hours drive east of Melbourne and Lorne about two hours drive west of Melbourne, so it wouldn't be practical to go there for the day from Lorne, particularly since the penguins don't come in until after dark. You may prefer to do that as a two-day trip and stay overnight on Phillip Island. Alternatively you could do a coach trip and at least you won't have to worry about driving on strange roads late at night. <BR>I've just had a look at my maps - it is about 900 km between Goolwa and Lorne - say two days drive. Mount Gambier is about halfway - nice town with lots of motels. <BR>Anyway, regardless of where you go, I hope you have a great holiday. <BR>Email me if I can help with your planning.

Peg

Hi mast, Goolwa is at the mouth of the Murray River and on the edge of the Coorong. The Coorong is a unique area curving along the south coast of South Australia, A national park,the Coorong is made up of a shallow lagoon and a complex of low lying salt and clay pans. <BR>This is one of the last natural bird sanctuaries in Australia. The coastal scenery is magnificent with unspoilt stretches of beach with rolling surf. I recommend going on a day cruise with Jack Murray, he is an expert on the area. Close by is Victor Harbor, where you can visit fairy penguins in a much more intimate fashion than going to Phillip Island. The area is surrounded with quaint historic little towns. Adelaide and it's attractions are only a little over an hour drive away. Maclaren Vale is close by and we just love the wines from that region. There is also a wildlife sanctuary in the area where we were able to go up very close to koalas when they were being fed. We live in Melbourne and when we drive over from Melbourne by the Great Ocean Road we stay at Warrnambool or Port Fairy and then further on find a B&B at one of the quaint little seaside townships. If you have access to timeshare then there is an excellent resort at Goolwa called Marine Cove. <BR>Peg. <BR>

mast

Many thanks to Marg and Peg. <BR>We live in Singapore and when we travel we always try to avoid buzy, hectic city stay. We much prefer small towns and villages and our daughter likes animals alot. That is why we seldom use city as a base but rather stay in a nice, charming town nearby. <BR>Yes, we choose Lorne and Goolwa because of the timeshare units, but they are so popular that we are not really sure there will be units available to us. If we have to book our own hotels, and still choose two to three places as base, which towns will you recommend? <BR>The distance is quite far from melbourne to adelaide, is driving safe in australia(back in our country we sometimes heard the news regarding foreigners having accidents in Australia)? or is it a better choice if we take a train or domestic flight? but we enjoy driving and certainly wish to drive from day 1 till last day of the trip. <BR>Once again, thanks to all of you and we really appreciate any infos and helps! <BR> <BR>cheers, <BR> <BR>mast

marg

You haven't mentioned when you want to come to Australia. If it is in school holidays, it would certainly be best to prebook your accommodation. At other times, you should be able to get in at Goolwa, Lorne or the coastal towns between without any trouble. <BR>If you are used to driving on the left hand side of the road, you shouldn't have problems driving here. The train doesn't go to Lorne and if you are depending on public transport, it will severely curtail the places you can go to. <BR>If you live in Singapore, I can understand your need for going to small towns for your holiday. Have you considered the possibility of having a farmstay holiday - your daughter might enjoy staying on a farm for a while.

mast

Hi Marg! <BR>We plan to visit Australia end of the year---late november or early december. It might be still early now but the air tickets are really selling very hot here and you just have no chance to book one three months prior to school holidays. That's why we need to plan early---we couldn't get any ticket last year. <BR> <BR>our plan is to fly to Melbourne,stay for two nights, drive to Lorne(hopefully we can get a timeshare),use it as a base and stay for a week to explore interesting places nearby, drive to goolwa (again, hope to get a timeshare), stop a night in a town in between, stay at goolwa for a week and drive to adelaide, stay for two nights and fly home. <BR> <BR>My daughter will definately love a farm stay. in fact she love all animals but we are against the idea of keeping pets as we stay in an apartment and it is not 'fair' to the animal if there is no sufficient space for it to move about. but we stayed on a farm in NZ before and it seemed like we always have to find something to talk to the owner (though they were very friendly) and we tried very hard not to dirty the place----it was so clean!-- which made us rather tired. but we welcome the idea and will try again. do you have any recommendation? and how to make reservation? <BR> <BR>another concern is that we heard there is always a lot of flies in summer time, especially near the coastal. some told us that it is so bad that you can't have any food along the beach without the flies disturbing. Is OFF spray good enough to chase them away? <BR> <BR>thanks, <BR> <BR>mast

Peg

mast, I think your children would enjoy Bellbrae Country Club timeshare at Touquay, more than Lorne. It is closer to use as a base to visit Melbourne, Geelong and is more child friendly. You will need a car, but driving should be okay, just take your time and allow two nights to get to Goolwa if going via the Great Ocean Road. http://tug2.net/ is a good site to ask other timeshare owners questions about resorts and places to stay. <BR>If you would like to see some photos of Bellbrae here is the URL just copy and paste. <BR>http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...3732&a=1498781 <BR>Peg.

marg

Mast <BR>I've asked around and can't get any personal recommendations for farmstay holidays. <BR>www.visitvictoria.com.au has accommodation listings including farmstay holidays (four on the Great Ocean Road). Another website you may find useful is www.travelmate.com.au. <BR>Hope this information is useful to you.

mast

Hi Marg and Peg, <BR> <BR>Thanks for all the info, they are really helpful. <BR> <BR>mast

Kerry

Hi <BR>I'm a local. If you really want to stay in that neck of the woods I would stay in Victor Harbour. For a local beach with surf etc. ask the locals where "The Dump" is....its my favourite but keep it a secret.Adelaide is not a big city, so worth considering.

fiona

Hi, I live in Adelaide. Goolwa is a nice town, and you holiday sounds like a good one for a family. Goolwa and Kangaroo Island would be an amazing change after Singapore! The coast and the Coorong are spectacular. Goolwa is about 1 hours easy drive from Adelaide, or you can get into Adelaide on a train called the cockle train which my neice and nephew love! The only thing you should be aware of is that at the end of the school year, late November, early December, the high school kids who have finished exams invade Victor Harbor and Goolwa in large numbers. It is only for a week or so, but you might prefer to avoid it. Unfortunately, I cant tell you exact dates. <BR>Goolwa is south of Adelaide, but there is lots to see north as well - the wine regions, the Flinder's Ranges. And Kangaroo Island is a great choice. It is the cleanest place I have ever been - the air is so clear that people who are allergic to chemicals and stuff go and live there! <BR>Your kids will be able to get up close and personal with seals, kangaroos, penguins etc. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip. <BR> <BR>fiona.

mast

<BR>Hi Fiona, <BR> <BR>Thanks for the great info. <BR>I was told it is not worth visiting Kangaroo on a day trip basis, cause the island is toobig for a day to explore. If that is the case, how many days (minimun) must we stay in the island? Shall we opt for a tour package or vivit on our own? Is there any difficulty in finding accomodation in Kangaroo island? <BR> <BR>Thanks and regards, <BR> <BR>mast

Fiona

Re Kangaroo Island, yes, it is a big place, but one or two days would certainly give you the feel of the place. <BR>For good information, have a look at the 'holiday ideas' page on the SA Tourism website. It also has lots of information about the area around Goolwa. It is : <BR>http://www.southaustralia.com <BR> <BR>Best of luck. <BR> <BR>Fiona.