New itinerary-Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth: suggestions needed
 

We have had a rethink and decided to park GOR for another trip. So we are now planning to spend 7 nights Melbourne with car, 3 nights Adelaide no car, 5 nights Perth with car. This is my partner’s first trip to Australia whilst I have been several times over the years. Due to his respiratory problems we avoid hikes, steep hills or lots of steps. Wine is not his thing so not planning to visit any wineries. Plan to see some wildlife and possibly some train/ engineering experiences.

Melbourne: Most of the time will be spent visiting family and attending a wedding, but we do want to do some day or half-day trips, possibly to visit William Ricketts Sanctuary, Healesville and Puffing Billy. We definitely want to go to Phillip Island. Should we self-drive or take an organised trip? I’m tempted by taking a tour so comments/ advice please.

Adelaide: New territory for me, so we have a blank piece of paper. We will be staying in a central hotel. We are looking at an organised day trip to Adelaide Hills and Hahndorf, but would appreciate any suggestions about other things to do or see. We will have about 2.5 days in Adelaide.

Perth: 1-2 days will be spent seeing friends south of Perth. The rest of the time will be in and around Perth. Planning to stay in central Perth. Will visit King’s Park and spend a day in Fremantle. Looking at a River Cruise or possibly visit Rottnest Island. Any views or comments?

Finally , I notice that Bar tours are advertised in Melbourne and Perth. Are they any good?

I lived in Perth for seven years and never did understand the draw of Rottnest Island - I visited once just out of curiosity, but still didn't get it. There are much better options in Perth IMO. The boat ride out there can be very rough, the island is quite exposed, and the most interesting thing about it IME is the quokkas. It's sort of a party island for schoolies and leavers

Kings Park - absolutely don't miss
A day in the Swan Valley is fun even if wine isn't your interest - lots of good places to eat, a chocolate factory, a wildlife sanctuary (Caversham), plenty to see and do
Cottesloe Beach, Scarborough Beach, etc
And of course Fremantle - I suggest you take a boat there and then take a train back. A good way to spend a nice day.

You might get a few ideas from a post I wrote while living there - it's dated, but things don't change very quickly in WA:)

https://www.fodors.com/community/aus...cinity-773321/

We also took a few trips to SA, and I have a few very detailed trip reports posted here, but we had a car, so I won't bother giving you those.

I think you'll find that trying to cover three states in 15 nights is going to be a challenge. There really is so much to see and do in these areas, you'll have to make some tough choices.

I'll leave Mebourne for those who know it better than I do.

Thanks for the feedback. I was more tempted by a Swan River cruise, so Rottnest is probably off the list. We planned to drive to Fremantle, visit the markets and have a wander around. I stayed there for a couple of nights previously and really enjoyed it. Exploring the Swan Valley seems like a good option.

I understand your comments about 3 locations in 15 nights, which is why we dropped GOR this trip. Visiting friends and family is the main priority this time and I wanted to add in something new for me, hence Adelaide. Personally I like doing 3 locations. It can give you a good insight and identity if you want to return in the future.

Uktravelover, I live in the beautiful Fleurieu region of South Australia surrounded by many wineries which I understand are not your thing 😉

I wonder if you have looked at visiting the Victor Harbor/Port Elliott/ Goolwa region. These are beautiful sea side towns and as you mention the ‘train experience’ I wonder if you have seen the ‘Cockle Train’ which runs between Victor Harbor and Goolwa, it runs right along the coast and is a lovely experience.

Near Victor Harbor (VH) there is also a wildlife park worth visiting if you haven’t done that yet as well as the horse drawn tram from VH over to Granite Island where you ‘may’ see penguins.
At Goolwa you can also do a Coorong Cruise but you will probably have to prioritise what can you fit in a day 😊

I am not familiar with private tours to this area but I’m sure there must be options if you are interested 😊

Many other places I would suggest are too far away to fit into your time frame but a stroll along Adelaide’s North Terrace will showcase some lovely sandstone architecture and the Art Gallery and Museum are worth visiting.
You could also catch the tram to the seaside suburb of Glenelg where there are many dining and shopping experiences and a great jetty (pier) to watch the sunset.

Enjoy your brief visit to SA!

Edit: just realised you’ve been and done this trip!