GREAT OCEAN ROAD & TASMANIA
FEBRUARY 9 - FEBRUARY 20 2026
WHERE: Great Ocean Road, Victoria and Tasmania
WHEN: DEPARTS Melbourne 9:00am Mon, 9th Feb – CONCLUDES Hobart 1:00pm Fri, 20th Feb, 2026
GROUP SIZE: MINIMUM 2 PARTICIPANTS, MAXIMUM 6
SUITABILITY: ALL LEVELS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS
NON PHOTOGRAPHERS & PARTNERS ARE WELCOME
ALL INCLUSIVE INVESTMENT: $9,175 Shared; $1,524 Single Supplement
Australia, the Great South Land affectionately referred to as the land Down Under, is renowned for its rugged goods looks and unique wildlife. On this 12 day photography adventure will be exploring the dramatic seascapes of the Great Ocean Road and the pristine wilderness areas of Tasmania. Spectacular ocean-carved shorelines, lush fern-filled forests, delicate waterfalls, panoramic coastal vistas, rugged hinterland mountain ranges and colourful boulder-strewn beaches are just some of the scenes we will be photographing. Along the journey we are likely to encounter iconic wildlife such as kangaroos and koalas, wombats and kookaburras.
In order to ensure there are ample opportunities for 1 to 1 tuition at each of our shooting locations, this workshop will be kept to a maximum size of 6 participants and will be hosted by Australian professional photographer Alan Barker.
We will commence our journey in Melbourne and spend 3 days exploring the Great Ocean Road before heading off on day 4 for our flight to Tasmania were we spend the rest our of time exploring the island state.
So you are well rested and ready to go for each day’s activities, accommodation is included at modern, comfortable and well-equipped lodgings; with meal choices being typical of fresh, local Australian cuisine and generally something available to suit most tastes.
This workshop is designed for all levels of photographer from beginner to advanced or professional, as there are numerous unique opportunities available for everyone on this trip. So whether you’re looking to master manual mode, learn how to improve your shooting technique, fine-tune your current skill set, or refine compositional techniques and the like, this trip will provide you a fantastic opportunity to do so. Of course, spouses or partners who are not photographers are always more than welcome and I'm sure they will enjoy the stunning landscapes and wildlife.
This photography workshop caters for all fitness levels, however a reasonable level of fitness is recommended to take advantage of all of the locations which we will encounter.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
ALAN BARKER
ITINERARY
Day One Melbourne
Arrive in Melbourne today and transfer to the hotel. The day is yours to refresh and relax from your travels. We meet in the evening for our group introduction dinner to discuss the adventure ahead.
Day Two Melbourne – Great Ocean Road
We will depart our hotel around 9:00am and we will travel by 4WDs to our accommodation for the next two nights at Port Campbell, on the Great Ocean Road. We will stop for lunch in the small town of Lorne and will make a number of additional photographic stops along the way, taking in some of the beautiful spots in The Otways National Park, spotting a Koala or two if we are lucky. We will arrive at Port Campbell in time for sunset light at the Twelve Apostles.
Day Three Great Ocean Road
We will rise pre-dawn and be in place for sunrise at one of the Great Ocean Road’s many iconic locations. Based at nearby Port Campbell we have many different options to choose from and will make our decision on where to photograph based on the prevailing weather. After breakfast and a short break we will spend the remainder of the day exploring other locations along the Great Ocean Road. I anticipate having an early dinner before heading back out for our sunset shoot.
Day Four Great Ocean Road – Launceston
Another early start will see us back out in the field in time for our last sunrise at the Twelve Apostles before we return for breakfast. After breakfast we will check out of our accommodation and return to Melbourne airport, before catching our one-hour flight to Launceston in Tasmania. On arrival in Launceston we will transfer to our accommodation for the evening.
Day Five Launceston - Cradle Mountain
We will have a leisurely start this morning and following breakfast we will make our way to visit one of Tasmania’s great cascade waterfalls. After this we head over to Cradle Mountain, where we check into our accommodation before venturing into the National Park, with our destination being Ronney Creek where we may encounter some friendly wildlife. As the park closes ‘officially’ to the public, we will head back to the Visitor’s centre and weather permitting we will re-enter and head to Dove Lake where we hope to great some great sunset light over the mountains. This is a wonderful time to be shooting as there will be few people around.
Day Six Cradle Mountain – Launceston
Today we will have a chance to perfect that sunrise composition at Cradle Mountain before we return to our accommodation and check out after breakfast. We will be returning to Launceston where we we have a little downtime before heading off to focus on wildlife for the afternoon. If lucky we may come across kangaroos - maybe even a joey, wallabies, pademelon, echidna and more.have a bit of a drive in front of us as we head over to the east coast, to the small town of St Helens where we will be based for two nights. Our plan is to arrive in time so we can head out to Picnic Rocks in the Bay of Fires for sunset.
Day Seven Launceston - St Helens
Today we venture down the east coast to the small town of St. Helen’s where we will be shooting at various locations in the area commonly known as ‘The Bay of Fires’. commencing with a sunrise shoot departing quite early to be in the right location. After breakfast we will venture into the hinterland to capture some stunning scenes and perfect our long exposure techniques.
Day Eight St Helens – Freycinet National Park
We commence with a sunrise shoot around the Bay of Fires today looking for a different perspective. We will then have a leisurely breakfast before our short drive south to the picturesque Freycinet National Park. Our destination for tonight’s sunset shoot, depending on the light will be the Hazards or the beautiful Honeymoon Bay; a personal favourite!
Day Nine Freycinet National Park
An early start this morning as we have a small hike in front of us to be in position to shoot the first light spilling into Sleepy Bay, a hidden gem inside Freycinet. After breakfast, and maybe a short rest, we will venture back into Freycinet to explore a number of other treasures it holds.
Day Ten Freycinet National Park - Hobart
The morning we will venture into Sleepy Bay. After breakfast and checkout we head towards our final destination of Hobart.
After we are settled in Hobart, we have some downtime where you are welcome to take a wander around Hobart, particularly the pier and docks area or you may simply want to catch you breath!
Day Eleven Hobart
Sadly we have come to the final day of our trip, but some may say ‘We’ve kept the best till last!’ A more leisurely start today which sees us heading to Mt Field National Park following breakfast.
We will spend the best part of the day exploring the beautiful rainforest environment of Mt Field that offers up a wealth of photographic opportunities including stunning waterfalls, ferns, moss covered cascades and more.
Day Twelve Hobart
After a relaxed breakfast, it’s time to head to the airport and travel home
Workshop Inclusions
• Photograph some Australia's most dramatic seascapes on the Great Ocean, along with some of the most picturesque sights Tasmania has to offer within a small group in a relaxed environment;
• Visit rugged coastlines, primeval forests, stunning coasts aglow in the Bay of Fires, gorgeous waterfalls, beautiful National Parks and some wonderful wildlife;
• Opportunity for astro photography, weather permitting;
• 1-to-1 tuition at each location, as desired;
• General advice/suggestions at each location;
• Opportunity for some post-processing sessions;
• 12 nights accommodation as we journey throughout the state;
• All meals during the workshop;
• All Tasmania Parks fees;
• Transportation in modern 4WDs;
What to Bring
• Digital camera capable of operating in manual mode;
• Lenses - suggested range 16-400;
• Tripod;
• Filters;
• Headlamp/torch;
• Suitable clothing – the weather in Tasmania, during February, varies depending on which part of the state you are in. At this time of year average daily temperature ranges being 12-25 C.
• Good, comfortable walking shoes/boots.You may wish to consider shoes for shoots on a beach;
• Possibly consider some form of ‘wet weather cover’ for your equipment. Your choice.
FITNESS LEVEL
• Moderate – during the workshop there will be some walking between the car park and locations. While most of the walking will be on level grade (Grade 1), there will be occasions where small inclines are involved (Grade 2).
