Melbourne to the Red Centre: Rainforests & Mountain Ranges (Self-Launched)
13 days · Australia
G Adventures charges £1,600
No-markup version: ~£1,392 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 13-day independent version of G Adventures' Melbourne-to-Alice Springs run: Great Ocean Road, the Grampians, Adelaide, then the Outback to Coober Pedy and Uluru. Rebuilt around hostels, swag camping, public transport and self-bookable day tours instead of a private group vehicle. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Melbourne — laneways and karaoke
Melbourne
Land in Melbourne and settle into a hostel in the CBD (Space Hotel on Russell St is the equivalent of the tour's base, ~£28-35/night for a 4-6 bed dorm). Free tram zone gets you around the centre. Spend the afternoon on the laneway coffee trail — Hosier Lane street art, Degraves St espresso, Queen Victoria Market if you want cheap picnic supplies. Evening: rooftop hangout then cheap beers and karaoke at a bar like Blue Moon Karaoke. Book tomorrow's Great Ocean Road day trip online tonight.
🚌SkyBus from Tullamarine to Southern Cross ~£12, or airport train; free CBD tram zone
🛏Hostel dorm, Melbourne CBD (4-6 bed), ~£30
- →Hosier Lane street art walk
- →Queen Victoria Market browse
- →Rooftop hostel social
- →Karaoke night
Great Ocean Road — 12 Apostles & Otway rainforest
Great Ocean Road / Port Campbell
Self-book a Great Ocean Road day tour with a small-group operator (~£65-90 on GetYourGuide/Klook) rather than a private vehicle. Early start along the surf coast through Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay, with an included rainforest walk in Great Otway National Park. The payoff is the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge late afternoon. If you prefer full independence, the V/Line train+bus to Apollo Bay and back works but eats the day — the day tour is genuinely better value. Overnight in Port Campbell or back in Melbourne depending on your booking.
🚌Small-group day tour minibus (~£75) or V/Line train+coach to Apollo Bay ~£15 each way
🛏Hostel dorm, Port Campbell or Melbourne, ~£28-35
- →Great Ocean Road scenic drive
- →Great Otway NP rainforest walk
- →12 Apostles & Loch Ard Gorge
- →Surf-coast towns of Lorne/Apollo Bay
Tower Hill wildlife & into the Grampians
Port Campbell — Halls Gap
Work your way north-west. Stop at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve near Warrnambool — a volcanic crater full of emus, koalas and kangaroos — then continue to Halls Gap in the Grampians. Public transport here is thin: the practical self-launched option is a V/Line coach to Ararat or Hamilton then a connecting coach/shuttle to Halls Gap (check PTV timetables, ~£20-30 total), or a one-way seat in a Great Ocean Road tour that includes a Grampians drop-off. Base in a Halls Gap hostel or caravan-park cabin.
🚌V/Line coach connections ~£25, or shared shuttle seat
🛏Hostel or caravan-park cabin, Halls Gap, ~£25-35
- →Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve walk
- →Kangaroo/emu spotting
- →Grampians arrival and sunset over the ranges
Grampians bushwalking — The Balconies & Mackenzie Falls
Halls Gap / Grampians National Park
Hike day in Grampians NP. Walk the Wonderland Range loop and out to the Balconies (Reed Lookout) for Victoria Valley views, detour to Mackenzie Falls, and look for the Indigenous rock art sites near Mount Zero/barengi country if you have a tour or a good map — the rock art is culturally significant and best visited with a licensed guide or after checking Parks Victoria guidance. Local shuttles and day tours leave from Halls Gap (~£45-65) since there is no public bus to the trailheads.
🚌Local trailhead shuttle or day tour ~£55
🛏Hostel or caravan-park cabin, Halls Gap, ~£30
- →Wonderland Range / The Balconies hike
- →Mackenzie Falls
- →Indigenous rock art (guided/Parks Victoria sites)
- →Scenic lookouts
Halls Gap to Adelaide — food and wine capital
Adelaide
Coach back to Ararat then the V/Line train to Adelaide via Melbourne (long) or the direct coach/train combination — realistically 6-8 hours, ~£35-55. On arrival check into an Adelaide CBD hostel. Spend the evening wandering laneways, the Central Market and Peel/Leigh St bars. Adelaide is the gateway to the Barossa and McLaren Vale, so if you have a spare day a self-booked wine tour runs ~£70-100.
🚌V/Line coach + train to Adelaide ~£45
🛏Hostel dorm, Adelaide CBD, ~£28-35
- →Adelaide Central Market
- →Laneway bar crawl
- →Optional Barossa/McLaren Vale wine tour
Adelaide free day — art, markets, coast
Adelaide
Use Adelaide as a buffer/reset day. Free Adelaide Botanic Garden, the free Art Gallery of South Australia, and the tram out to Glenelg beach (~£3). Stock up on food for the Outback legs — supermarket supplies are much cheaper than roadhouse food later. Confirm your booked Ghan/coach connection to Alice Springs or Port Augusta.
🚌Adelaide Metro tram/train day pass ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Adelaide CBD, ~£30
- →Art Gallery of South Australia (free)
- →Botanic Garden
- →Tram to Glenelg beach
- →Outback supply run
Adelaide to the Outback — Port Augusta or The Ghan
Port Augusta / Outback South Australia
Head north. Two self-launched options: (1) the iconic Ghan train Adelaide–Alice Springs (Great Southern Rail, ~£180-350 in a Red DayNighter seat depending on date — book early, it's the splurge of the trip), or (2) the cheaper Stateliner/Premier coach Adelaide–Port Augusta (~£25) then onward coach legs. Break the journey at Port Augusta and stay in a hostel or caravan-park cabin before the long haul north.
🚌Premier Stateliner coach Adelaide-Port Augusta ~£25 (or Ghan segment if going direct)
🛏Hostel/caravan-park cabin, Port Augusta, ~£25-35
- →Outback rail/coach journey
- →Port Augusta foreshore
- →Wadlata Outback Centre (optional)
Port Augusta to Coober Pedy — opal country
Coober Pedy
Long coach day north up the Stuart Highway through Woomera and the saltbush plains to Coober Pedy, the opal mining town where people live underground to escape the heat. Premier Stateliner/Greyhound run this route (~£55-80). Stay in a dugout hostel — literally underground, a fantastic budget experience (~£25-35). Evening: watch the sunset over the mullock heaps.
🚌Greyhound/Premier Stateliner coach ~£65
🛏Underground dugout hostel, Coober Pedy, ~£30
- →Stuart Highway outback drive
- →Underground town orientation
- →Sunset over the opal fields
Coober Pedy — mines, breakaways & the dog fence
Coober Pedy
Self-book a half-day town tour (~£40-55) covering an opal mine, the underground homes and churches, and the Moon Plain/Breakaways lookouts. Local tours also run to the Dingo Fence section. If you want to fossick for opals, some fields allow it with permits. Use the afternoon to cool off underground and rest before the final push to Alice.
🚌Local tour pickup (walkable town)
🛏Underground dugout hostel, Coober Pedy, ~£30
- →Opal mine tour
- →Underground church and homes
- →The Breakaways lookout
- →Dingo Fence viewpoint
Coober Pedy to Alice Springs
Alice Springs
Another big outback coach leg north to Alice Springs, arriving evening (~£65-90). Check into an Alice hostel. Alice is the base for Uluru trips — book your 2-3 day Red Centre tour tonight for the best prices. Grab dinner on Todd Mall.
🚌Greyhound/Premier Stateliner coach ~£75
🛏Hostel dorm, Alice Springs, ~£28-35
- →Outback coach journey
- →Todd Mall evening
- →Book Red Centre tour
Alice Springs — culture and the MacDonnell Ranges
Alice Springs
Morning at the Alice Springs Desert Park or the free Araluen Arts Centre for Central Desert Aboriginal art, and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station for outback history. Afternoon half-day tour into the West MacDonnell Ranges — Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge — ~£45-65 self-booked. Aboriginal cultural experiences run by Arrernte-owned operators are the most meaningful and worth seeking out directly.
🚌Local tour minibus ~£55; town shuttle/bike
🛏Hostel dorm, Alice Springs, ~£30
- →Alice Springs Desert Park
- →Araluen Arts Centre / Aboriginal art
- →West MacDonnell Ranges half-day tour
- →Telegraph Station
Red Centre tour — Uluru, Kata Tjuta and swag camping
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Join a 2-day/1-night or 3-day/2-night small-group Red Centre tour from Alice (~£250-350, the tour's own swag-camping nights matched almost exactly). Drive the 450km to Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP, walk the base of Uluru with an Anangu-guided cultural component where available (note: climbing Uluru is banned — walk the base instead), catch sunset at the viewing area, then sleep in a swag under the stars at a bush camp.
🚌Small-group tour vehicle (included)
🛏Swag bush camp (included in tour), ~£0 extra
- →Uluru base walk
- →Anangu cultural interpretation
- →Uluru sunset viewing
- →Swag camping under the stars
Kata Tjuta sunrise, then Alice Springs and out
Kata Tjuta / Alice Springs
Sunrise at Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and the Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge walk, plus the Uluru Cultural Centre, then return to Alice Springs by evening. From Alice, onward flights to Melbourne/Sydney/Darwin (Qantas/Virgin, ~£90-200 if booked early) or continue on the Ghan. Trip ends.
🚌Tour vehicle back to Alice; onward flight ~£120
🛏Hostel dorm, Alice Springs, ~£30 (or depart)
- →Kata Tjuta sunrise
- →Valley of the Winds walk
- →Uluru Cultural Centre
- →Return to Alice Springs
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,392 | £1,600 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £208 per person (13%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,392
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Melbourne to the Red Centre: Rainforests & Mountain Ranges (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,392 per person for 13 days in Australia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,600 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,392 — a saving of roughly £208 (13%) per person.
How long is the Australia trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 day-by-day stops through Australia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, backpacker, road-trip trip through Australia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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