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Australia is a fantastic travel destination for those travelers that are looking to discover a country without the language barrier that you run into with other destinations so, it is easier to navigate your way though the country if you so choose to go that direction.
You have many options when touring this country but, make sure that you are able to allow at least 10 to 14 days to get a feel for what there is to experience and to allow enough time to travel from city to city. We were on the condensed version of the east/southeast coast of Australia. Our tour started in Melbourne which is a fantastic city known for its restaurants and shopping. We also used this as a starting point for many of our tours that we took.
Our first day we did a walking tour of the city to familiarize ourselves with the area. I would suggest staying in a centrally located city hotel (we stayed at the Crown Towers Hotel) because Melbourne is an easy walking city to get to most attractions. If you do need to go further distances the bus system is very easy to use as well. That same evening we had the opportunity to see even more of the city as we enjoyed our wonderful 3 course dinner on the Tramcar Restaurant which tours around the city of Melbourne on the rail system that is used for city transportation during the day.
While in Melbourne we also we able to tour the Yarra River Valley by hot air balloon. This is a unique tour where you have the ability to participate in setting up the balloon as well as disassembling the balloon after you experience the Valley on a one hour airborne tour.
The last tour that we did was a full day trip where we went to the Warrock Cattle Farm to see sheep, kangaroo and Australian birds. Next we went to the Koala Conservation Centre where we were able to view koalas in their natural habitat before visiting the famous Seal Rock (no seals that day) and the Nobbies with their breathtaking views of the coast. One of the highlights of this day was the evening ritual of the marching penguins as they make their way up the sand to their nesting places at the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. This is truly an amazing experience to see how the penguins emerge from the ocean. Some will stop along the way to congregate and others pick up their babies that have not matured enough to make their feathers waterproof hiding under the observation decks while their parents are out fishing. One suggestion that I would make, when you do this tour is to pay the extra $30 - $40 per person to do the VIP seating because you are off to the side of the beach and it is a smaller viewing area so you are able to get closer to the penguins.
Next we were off to Sydney. Our first full day here we took in the Sydney sights where we stopped at Milson’s Point for spectacular views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the famous city skyline. Next we were off to the northern beach town of Manly known for its quaint shops and fantastic surfing. We ended our tour with a Captain Cook Harbour Lunch Cruise. On this tour we cruised around Darling Harbour while enjoying a buffet lunch ending in Circular Quay.
Another one of our many experiences was the Blue Mountain Day Tour on a small group journey to the heart of the World Heritage Region. First we went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park before any other tourists to enjoy our exclusive Breakfast with the Koalas as well as meet all of the native Australian animals. After breakfast we continued through the northern section of the Blue Mountains National Park, stopping at a number of spots for short walks to enjoy the stunning views of these remote regions.
After a short stop for lunch we then continued on to Scenic World, home of the worlds steepest incline railway enjoying uninterrupted views of the Three Sisters and a walk through the rainforest, before heading down the southern section. Stopping at Euroka Clearing, we found some kangaroo in the wild while enjoying a glass of chilled champagne or orange juice (we mixed them).
Our final day in Sydney we went to the Sydney Wildlife World for a private breakfast with koalas and then on to see some of the native animals of Australia. That evening we were taken to Sydney Opera House for a special behind the scenes tour of this amazing Australian Icon and were able to sit in on a rehearsal for the Australian Girls Choir.
Sydney is a fantastic city that is easily navigated by foot but be prepared for a lot of walking. If you tire of the walking, there is a free bus #555 that circles the city about every 10 minutes that we found very convenient when we were running out of time from our many shopping trips.
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