Adelaide To Mount Gambier Road Trip Highlights

From historic haunted towns to coastal attractions, get the most out of your road trip from Adelaide to Mount Gambier with this glovebox guide.

South Australia is a haven for good wine, fine produce, and boasts a stunning landscape from serene beaches to tranquil wilderness and greenery.

One of South Australia’s biggest attractions is its second-biggest city, Mount Gambier. While Adelaide gives off European vibes with its breathtaking churches and architecture, Mount Gambier is a must-visit for those looking to get out of the city and step into a land full of natural wonders and attractions.

Located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, Mount Gambier is famous for its cobalt Blue Lake, volcanic landscape, and is an up-and-coming wine and foodie region.

The drive itself from Adelaide to Mount Gambier is 435 kilometres or just under five hours. Whether you’re stopping along the way for some scenic breaks or want to break up your driving by extending the trip for a few days, we’ve compiled the ultimate glovebox guide to help you along your travels.

The skyline in Adelaide — Leave the city lights behind and head to the Limestone Coast. (Image: Michael Waterhouse Photography)

Hahndorf

Just a 30-minute drive from Adelaide lays the historic town of Hahndorf, a charming village that proudly asserts its German culture. It’ll feel as though you’re stepping into a European town, with quaint shops filled with local produce, historic pubs, and a quiet but friendly atmosphere.

guests outside Beerenberg Family Farm — Head to Beerenberg Family Farm for fresh jams.

Make sure to check out the Beerenberg Family Farm , where you can go strawberry picking and pick up fresh jams, chutneys, and gourmet relishes in the family-run store. For lunch and the authentic German experience, Hahndorf Inn will have you covered – it’s hard to go past their famous Schwienshaxe, otherwise known as their 1-1.2kg crispy pork knuckle, served with traditional potato salad and sauerkraut.

The exterior of Hanhdorf Inn — Arrive with an appetite and order the Schwienshaxe at the Hahndorf Inn. (Image: Michael Waterhouse Photography)

Monarto Safari Park

A 30-minute detour from Hahndorf will lead you to the Monarto Safari Park , a perfect stop if you’re planning to take a couple of days to do the Adelaide to Mount Gambier jaunt, as you’ll definitely want to spend a few hours exploring this animal sanctuary. The park is home to a number of different wildlife and endangered species and gives visitors a chance to explore the habitats in which these animals reside. The park’s mission is to replicate a life for the species within it that is as close to being out in the wild as possible. There are many different animal experiences to undertake at the park, including hand-feeding the majestic giraffes.

Montaro Safari Park giraffes — Get an up-close encounter with giraffes at Monarto Safari Park. (Image: Zoos SA/ Geoff Brooks)

Old Tailem Town

Stop for a stretch of the legs and a refuel at Old Tailem Town, one of Australia’s largest pioneer villages, with settlers dating back to 1860. The town is also rumoured to be incredibly haunted so if you’re brave enough to stay the night, you can book a ghost tour .

From Old Tailem Town, you can go one of two ways to continue your journey to Mount Gambier – the coastal route or the inland route.

We’ve picked some attractions from each route to help you make up your mind.

Inland Route: Naracoorte

Step back hundreds of thousands of years in time with a visit to the Naracoorte Caves National Park . The fossils found in the area is exactly why it’s listed as a World Heritage site, with the caves containing skeletons of Australian megafauna dating back 500,000 years. For those feeling adventurous, an Adventure Caving tour will be an experience of a lifetime, as you discover the rich history of the caves, take in some fascinating fossils, and crawl and squeeze your way through parts with an expert guide.

For those just wanting to take in the sights without getting too dirty, the Naracoorte Heritage Trail will allow you to delve deeper into the town’s history, and in the warmer months, a dip in Naracoorte’s Swimming Lake will cool you right down so pack a picnic and enjoy the sun!

Naracoorte Mount Gambier — Naracoorte Caves National Park preserves Australia’s most complete fossil record. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Inland Route: Coonawarra

Wine lovers, this one is for you! Coonawarra is a small area but is renowned when it comes to winemaking and produces world-class wines. Known for its unique red soil, the area is famed for its cabernet sauvignon and is home to more than 30 wineries.

Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations is one of South Australia’s best regional wine-based events. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

If you want to make the most of the experience, it’s worth staying the night at the charming Royal Oak Penola so you can indulge in all the fine wines on offer. Wynns , Patrick of Coonawarra and Zema Estate are three of the highlights for sampling the region’s sips.

If you’re looking to treat yourself, dinner at the fine-dining restaurant Pipers of Penola will be a mouth-watering experience, and make sure to stop by local favourite Windara Bakery the next morning before you hit the road again.

Coastal Route: Kingston

Australia loves Big Things – from the Big Merino to the Big Prawn – and stopping at Kingston you’ll get to grab a happy snap with the Big Lobster. Conveniently located near a takeaway shop, you can stop for lunch, get a pic with Larry the Lobster, and take a stroll to check out the Cape Jaffa lighthouse before hitting the road again.

The Big Lobster in Kingston SA — Aussies love a Big Thing and The Big Lobster is no exception. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

Coastal Route: Robe

A popular South Aussie beach destination, Robe is one of the oldest towns in SA and is fast becoming a popular foodie destination too, known for its delectable seafood (and particularly famous for its crayfish).

Family in Robe at Obelisk Lighthouse — Stretch your legs on a walk to Obelisk Lighthouse in Robe. (Image: Jayme Chapman)

Pay a visit to Robe Town Brewery for a craft beer or if you’re in need of a caffeine hit, Mahalia Coffee will have you covered. It’s worth staying a night, particularly in warmer months, as travellers will adore the 14-kilometre stretch of the pristine, sandy-white Long Beach before cooling off in the turquoise water.

Long Beach in Robe South Australia — Enjoy the aquamarine water and white sand. (Image: Mark Fitzpatrick)

Mount Gambier

Once you arrive in Mount Gambier, you’ll want to settle in for a few days. From cute cafes to historic country pubs and emerging wineries, plus the limestone caves, sinkholes, and famous Blue Lake, there’s something for every traveller.

Make sure to also check out the awe-inspiring activities you can do when visiting Mount Gambier.

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.

Driving from Adelaide to Mount Gambier: the glovebox guide