PER-ADL-MEL itinerary: comments please
 

Hello again. FF tickets booked for March, I now have to begin setting an itinerary with one specific date in mind and working around it (day 10). Here’s the first draft:
Day1: Arrive Perth
Days 2, 3, 4: Perth, maybe one day trip outside
Day 5,6: Adelaide
Days 7,8: Barossa Valley (with car)
Days 9, 10, 11: Kangaroo Island (MUST be on KI on Day 10 but doesn’t have to be middle day of stay)
Day 12: Fly to ADL, pick up car, drive to Coastal town
Days 13-15: Grampians
Days 16-18: Drive GOR
Days 19-21: Melbourne (maybe one day trip)
Day 22: depart early morning

I’d appreciate comments on this, especially logistical things I might not be aware of (for example does it make sense to change days 4-7 in order to fly to KI on day 9), and distribution of time among places. To put in context, this is our second trip to Australia and will likely be the last time that we will be able to drive around there ourselves - - we’ll be 70 and 75 at the time of this trip. We enjoy walking but can’t really hike much, especially on uneven surfaces (just returned from Yakushima and reached our limits there). Prefer not to drive more than 4 hours at a time, which is why we wouldn’t go straight to Grampians from Adelaide airport on Day 12. Two full days in Barossa and maybe one night in Coonawarra on day 12 are probably enough wine country for us, although we are open to different wine country options if it fits better with our itinerary and we can find really nice lodging.

Thanks in advance. Accommodation recommendations welcome, we like moderate to high end places - - outside of cities having an outdoor space is a must (I've seen some nice looking lodging options in wine country that don't seem to have patios or terraces).

Hi there neighbor. Your itinerary looks very similar to mine except you're going to Victoria and I'm headed for SE Queensland.

In the Barossa Valley, I booked at the Lanzarac Country Estate. We chose it for the size of its property and its location as we like to be able to walk to restaurants and shops. With Kangaroo Island, we booked through Wilderness Tours as we don't drive; we're staying at a small property called Mollys Run.

Like you, I'm looking at a day trip out of Perth - probably to Fremantle and / or Rottnest Island.

Out of Melbourne, you could try for Phillip Island - to see the smallest species of penguin in the world. They usually come ashore after sunset. There's plenty to do in the city though, so you won't be bored even if you don't venture far. I really enjoy wandering among its narrow alleyways; try to do some of that, sit down in a fun coffee shop, and just taking in the vibes. You could also head down to the Mornington Peninsula if you want something leisurely and just want to head out of town. There's also the Yarra Valley for wine but you'll have already come from the Barossa.

Are you in Perth on a weekend? If so, be aware that Perth CBD is very sleepy on weekends - which may or may not be a good thing depending on your interests. Many visitors opt to stay in Fremantle (I'm personally not a fan) - beach towns are also a possibility, as is South Perth, which is short hop from the CBD and Kings Park on public transport. What do you hope to see and do while in Perth?

Which bits are you flying within Australia? Not sure if you have allowed enough time in getting from one place to another. Even a short flight can take up most of the day. There's a fair bit to see in Melbourne without doing a day trip but you might like Healesville. The sanctuary there has all Australian wildlife, you can check koala feeding times etc on the website, and the town is small enough to wander around but has lots of places for lunch or coffee.

https://www.zoo.org.au/healesville

Kay

Doesn't the itinerary you posted have you flying to KI on Day 9? I'm unclear as to what your KI question is.

Thanks for the comments so far.
Mel, I will focus on Perth specifics and hope for more feedback.
Kay, will be flying Perth to Adelaide for sure. Today I was toying with the idea of flying Perth to Albany on day 3 and spending 2-3 days driving back to Perth. Any one have a reaction to that idea?

Patty, I don't have any questions about KI itself, I was just wondering if it makes sense to do Barossa immediately after flying from Perth instead of going to Adelaide..then sort of work my way south, maybe a night around Fleurieu Peninsula and then ferry to KI. I haven't seen too much written about Fleurieu Peninsula so I'm not sure it's worth giving up something else. Any thoughts about ferry vs flying, especially if we want to drive along the coastal road towards after KI?

As expected, struggling with the tradeoffs, especially when I don't have a great sense of the logistics at this point.

And for example, if I posed the question - - which wine area is so gorgeous that it should not be missed - - how would any of you respond? For me, it's as much about the scenery as it is about the wines because I love the wines for all the areas I might visit.

If you ferry, will you take the car over to KI? If so, check that your rental car company will allow you to do this and how will you return the car? We flew both ways and rented a car on KI so have no experience with the ferry.

Albany (and the entire SW of WA) is beautiful, although I prefer Denmark (which is a short drive from Albany). Loads to do down that way. I'd spend more than 2-3 days to drive back because there's a lot to see and you need time to see it! I have several trip reports posted here regarding the SW of WA.

Regarding SA, I found this site invaluable when planning our visits there. It focuses on each specific region.

Holiday Ideas For Things To Do In Adelaide & South Australia | SA Tourism

As for your question about wine regions in SA not to miss - for me it's the Adelaide Hills, with Barossa coming in second.