Australia Tour - "Step into the land of Downunder" 

Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent and sixth largest country by total area,  Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent" and is sometimes considered the world's largest island. Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands), and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory. 

 

Day One: Arrive Melbourne

Welcome to Australia!  Upon arrival in Melbourne, clear immigration and customs. Proceed towards the exit gate of the airport and look for your driver who will transfer you to your hotel by private vehicle.      

Melbourne is a multicultural city with a vibrant artistic life and is regarded as one of the culinary, sporting and shopping capitals of Australia, with a wide selection of museums, art galleries, theatres and festivals.

Melbourne’s city centre is a thick mesh of straight lines; within lies a world brimming with energy, ideas and diversity.  Gothic banks and cathedrals give way to pockets of the most modern architecture.  Department stores and shopping centres coexist with a vibrant string of laneways give over to café culture and boutique shopping.  Melbourne’s trams are an icon, but also a very good way of getting around the city.

Normal check in time applies but the hotel will store your luggage until your room becomes available. Remainder of the day at leisure at your hotel.

OVERNIGHT:  Vibe Hotel - Meals: None   

 

Day Two: Melbourne

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning.

8:20am: Please meet your Oceania Tours & Safaris driver/guide at the front of the hotel for your city sights tour.                        

Inclusions:

•   Small group touring

•   Trained guide to talk and answer questions

•   Hotel pick up

Welcome to Melbourne, a city of contrasts, world famous sporting arenas and historic gardens. Be dazzled by the wondrous sights of Australia’s most vibrant city and learn about Melbourne’s fascinating history with your expert guide. Join a small group tour with Oceania to make the most of your stay as you zoom in and around the city, visiting such wonders as Federation Square, the MCG and our world-famous sports precinct, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Albert Park Lake (Formula 1) and over to St Kilda Beach. You can even take a stroll in the gardens and visit St Patrick’s Cathedral when permitted.

There will be a maximum of 12 people in your group, so you will have plenty of opportunities to ask your guide questions and get to know your fellow travellers.

11:30am: Your tour will conclude Eureka Tower.

12:00pm: Visit Melbourne Skydeck.

At Melbourne Skydeck, the southern hemisphere’s highest observation deck, the city comes to you when you take it all in from nearly 300 metres high. It’s an experience on another level!

1:30pm: Please meet your driver/guide at the front Eureka Tower for your tour to Phillip Island.

Inclusions:

•   Small group touring

•   Expert local guide for personalised interactions with passengers

•   Hotel pick up and drop off

•   Entry fee to Moonlit Sanctuary

•   Entry fee to Phillip Island Nature Park – Penguins Plus

•   Eco Certified

Let Oceania Tours whisk you away to discover Phillip Island’s unique nature experiences and dramatic landscapes. Your small group tour will help to further the protection and conservation of the local fauna and flora.

We drive south-east from Melbourne to reach Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park where you will meet endangered species, kangaroos, wallabies and koalas plus an array of colourful birds and reptiles. 

Our journey then leads onto Phillip Island, the home of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and our famous Little Penguins. Upon arrival on the island, depending on the time of year and your particular interests, we will visit Woolamai beach to see surfers riding the waves. From here, we go to the western corner of the island to enjoy magnificent views of Bass Strait and the Nobbies, which is home to the largest colony of fur seals in Australia.

During the daylight savings months, you will travel to the town of Cowes where you will have free time for dinner. In the winter months you can have something to eat at the Penguin Parade Visitor Center or wait for your early arrival back at your city hotel. Finally, a trip to Phillip Island is not complete without its black tie gala event: the Penguin Parade. You will head to the Visitor Centre to shop, have a coffee and meander along the boardwalk to the viewing platform where you will see the little penguins come ashore, decked out in their tuxedos as they hurry off to find their burrows. On this tour, you will be treated to viewing the penguins at the special Penguins Plus viewing platform close to the little penguins' favourite spot to exit the water.

Return to Melbourne approximately 10:30pm.

OVERNIGHT: Vibe Hotel - Meals: Breakfast 

 

Day Three: Melbourne 

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning.

8:00am: Please meet your Oceania Tours & Safaris driver/guide at the front of the hotel for your tour to the Great Ocean Road.

Inclusions:

•   Free Wi-Fi

•   Small group touring

•   Trained guide to talk and answer questions from our passengers

•   Hotel pick up and drop off

•   Access to exclusive forest walk to see koalas and kangaroos in the wild

•   National Park fee

•   Eco Certified

Our tour of the Great Ocean Road allows passengers the time to fully enjoy views of one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. They will walk through an authentic eucalyptus forest, listen to and see native birds, come into close contact with koalas and wallabies at the renowned Great Ocean Road Ecolodge, watch the ocean crashing on the rocks, stop for a coffee or a walk on the beach and finally be blown away by the ancient rock formations – the Twelve Apostles. Visitors won’t be taking home just photos, they’ll be taking memories.

Highlights:

Scenic drive South West of Melbourne past the City of Geelong (Victoria’s second largest city)

Spectacular views of the Southern Ocean known as the Surf Coast.

Stop for a coffee at Split Point Lighthouse a good photo opportunity!

Small groups allow for more regular photo stops along the way to make the most of the views. Apollo Bay has a variety of cafes and restaurants to stop at for lunch (not included)

See koalas and kangaroos close-up on the Eucalyptus Forest Walk at the renowned Great Ocean Road Ecolodge (exclusive offer by Oceania). Visit the spectacular Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge

7:00pm: Approximate time your tour will conclude at the hotel.

OVERNIGHT: Vibe Hotel - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

 

Day Four: Melbourne - Cairns                                                                                                                  flight (not included)

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning.

Transfer by private vehicle to the airport for your flight to Cairns.  Upon arrival in Cairns, transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation.

This modern, colourful city is the capital of the tropical north.  The cosmopolitan Esplanade traces the bay foreshore and blends the city life of cafes and shopping with the natural attractions of the Coral Sea.  With Cairns’ superb location – the Great Barrier Reef to the east, mountain rainforests of the Wet Tropics and plains of the Atherton Tableland to the west, and palm-fringed beaches to the north and south – it is a good base for many activities. 

The Pacific Hotel Cairns is a boutique style hotel, overlooking the world famous Marlin Marina, offering personalized

service befitting a bygone era when great service and friendly hospitality were the rule rather the exception. Warm, welcoming hospitality sums up the attention to detail, which makes the Pacific Hotel unique. The Pacific Hotel offers the best location in Cairns – downtown on the waterfront, close to the seaport, city shopping, parklands and the Reef Casino – and the famous Esplanade Precinct with art galleries, cinemas and other entertainment nearby.

2:00pm: This afternoon you will be collected for transfer to Skyrail.

Board the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway which will take you skimming over the pristine rainforest canopy. Enjoy the upgraded Diamond View Gondola (one way), featuring glass flooring for an even better Skyrail experience of the rainforest canopy. Guests travelling in Diamond View Gondolas will have a dedicated boarding queue. Maximum 5 passengers per gondola. Stop for short walks at Barron Falls and Red Peak which offer stunning views and time to explore the forest floor.  You will see sensational views of the Coral Sea, Green Island, Cairns City, lush tableland region and mountain ranges as Skyrail takes you to Kuranda.

Upon arrival in Kuranda enjoy time at leisure to explore this unique rainforest village.

Browse in the markets (market days are every day but strongest on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), shops and art galleries or visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary or Bird World (own expense). 

Return to Skryail’s Kuranda station and enjoy the journey down to Caravonica where you will then be transferred to your accommodation.

 

OVERNIGHT: Pacific Hotel Cairns - Meals: Breakfast

 

Day Five: Cairns

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant.

8:00am: This morning, walk across from the hotel to the Reef Fleet Terminal and check in for your Reef Magic Cruises Great Barrier Reef Cruise.

The Great Barrier Reef supports 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral and over 30 types of whales and dolphins. It is the only living structure visible from the moon, is a national treasure and one of the true wonders of the world.

Departing Cairns, your destination is Marine World – a purpose-built two storey platform 45 metres x 12 metres featuring Spacious Lower Deck with Ample Undercover Seating, Upper Sundeck with Sun Lounges, Underwater Observatory, Children’s Safety Swimming Enclosure, easy access to the water for snorkellers, Moon Pool for ease of access for divers and Fresh Water Showers.  Travelling time (to and from) Marine World is approximately one and a half hours each way.

We offer our guests 5 full hours at Marine World to experience unlimited snorkelling - all your snorkelling equipment and instruction is provided, Interactive Coral Viewing Vessel Tours and all the facilities of Marine World.  Enjoy the magic the reef has to offer by stepping aboard a glass bottom reef viewing vessel.  A sumptuous tropical smorgasbord lunch will be served, along with morning/afternoon tea. Return to Cairns approximately 5:00 pm.  Make your own way back to the hotel.

 

OVERNIGHT: Pacific Hotel Cairns - Meals: Breakfast, lunch

 

Day Six: Cairns - Sydney                                                                                                                            flight (not included)

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant.

Transfer by private vehicle to the airport for your flight to Sydney.  Upon arrival in Sydney, transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation.

Radiating from the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour, Australia’s largest city stretches from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the foot of the Blue Mountains. Along with outstanding natural assets – stunning beaches, extensive parklands and the vast expanse of the harbour – Sydney boasts an impressive list of urban attractions, including world class shopping venues and a host of superb restaurants and nightclubs.  Its cityscape ranges from sandstone buildings of Georgian elegance to skyscrapers of futuristic design.

Zen is a state of mind, and you’ll find yours at Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour. This brand-new property offers guests a new side to Sydney, one that celebrates an eclectic blend of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and world-class sites in close proximity to the city’s famed Chinatown. Once you step foot outside the hotel, Sydney’s vibrant CBD will take you on a journey of fantastic flavours and unforgettable moments. Head down to nearby Darling Quarter for a contemporary vibe that mirrors Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour’s chic brick and wood aesthetic with a menu to match.

Discover Sydney by foot by exploring the hustle and bustles of the CBD, the turn of each street offering a new take on Australia’s largest city. Get some retail therapy at Pitt Street Mall, wander up to Circular Quay to take in the city’s best-known vista, sip a cocktail overlooking the harbour as the sun sets – whatever the mood, the choice is yours. Guests are also near world-class theatre, music and comedy at venues including the famed Capitol Theatre, as well as the events hosted by the International Convention Centre (ICC).

When you return to Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour after a busy day, you’ll be welcomed back into the serenity of its tucked-away location. Head to your room for some unlimited R&R, enjoying the Manhattan-inspired design that blends with Sydney’s casual cool. Surf the web with complimentary Wi-Fi, enjoy the modernity of the curved rainfall showers or simply laze an hour away on the embedded window day lounges. Make your way to the Above 319 to sip champagne under the stars, with one of Sydney’s finest rooftop restaurant and bars only an elevator ride away. The final touch of the vibrant rooftop is the heated pool, allowing guests to cool off during the summer months or stay warm in style when its cooler. For drinks and dining with a different view, head downstairs to the hotel’s casual dining option, The Sussex Store. Open early until late, it’s the ideal spot for everything from a quick coffee to a leisurely lunch. For those wanting to recharge in their own space, room service is available. Guests wanting to keep active can use the fully equipped onsite gym.

OVERNIGHT: Vibe Hotel Darlington Harbour - Meals: Breakfast

 

Day Seven: Sydney  

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant.

8:00am: Depart your hotel for an unforgettable Panoramic Sydney half day city sights tour. On tour you’ll visit the historic Rocks area and hear early convict history. Enjoy magnificent views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. See the shopping heart of the city, QVB, Centrepoint.

Visit Sydney’s trendy new district Oxford Street. Travel through elegant Paddington with its terrace houses before arriving at the Pacific Ocean. See the superb coast cliff walk around Tamarama and Bronte. Travel on to famous Bondi Beach. Visit the beachfront promenade, enjoy a coffee or cool drink (at own cost). See bronzed Aussie lifesavers and Sydney’s best panoramic view at Dover Heights.  Return to Sydney via Double Bay, Kings Cross and Mrs Macquarie’s Point for a final magical viewpoint over the harbour before returning to the city centre.

11:30am: Approximate time your tour will conclude at the hotel. 

Make your own way to Taronga Zoo.  You may like to take a taxi or alternatively, one of the best ways to get there is by catching one of the Sydney Ferries from Circular Quay.

How To Get to Taronga Zoo – Sydney Ferries:

• Ferries to the zoo depart from Wharf 4 at Circular Quay
• Ferries depart Circular Quay every 30 minutes, at quarter past and quarter to the hour (Mon – Sat).  Please check the ferry timetable for departure times on Sunday’s and public holidays.
• Travel time onboard the ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo will be approx 15 minutes.
• Allow 10 – 15 minutes to travel from the wharf to the tour departure point via the Sky Safaris Cable car (cable car available from 9:30am most days, alternatively the bus is available)
• Do not purchase a Zoo Pass at Circular Quay, purchase return ferry tickets only

To Join The Tour:

• When you arrive at the zoo please advise admissions staff that you have booked a Taronga’s Wild Australia Experience Tour.
• To join the tour, proceed to the Top Information Centre, located at the Top Entry Plaza. Advise the guides you are there for a Taronga’s Wild Australia Tour.
• Your Taronga Wild Australia Experience Tour will commence at 10.15am / 1pm sharp
• Please plan to arrive at the Top Information Centre 5 minutes prior to the tour commencement time
• You are welcome to enter the zoo anytime prior to the tour departure time

1:00pm: Your Wild Australia Experience tour commences.

 This exclusive journey of Australian discovery features Taronga’s new Aussie outback discovery, “Backyard to Bush”, and is perfect for visitors who are interested in the environment and the world around them.  Designed to encourage interaction between visitors, Australian animals and the zoo family, the Backyard to Bush development at Taronga Zoo will enable a hands-on, behind the scenes experience by assisting our Zoo Keepers during the tour.

 Visitors will firstly receive an introduction to Australia’s unusual wildlife including excellent photo opportunities with koalas, kangaroos and echidnas.  The journey continues into an Australian suburban home and backyard, to experience a not-so familiar animal world, and then it’s through to the farmyard of rural Australia.  Next, venture into the wilderness of the Australian bushland where you will enter the underground world of the endangered Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat and discover some of the mysterious creatures that share the enormous wombat burrow.  Your keeper will explain the special adaptations of our unique Aussie animals, which enable them to live in harmony with the Australian environment.

 Highlights:

o   Small personalised group (max 8 guests) fully escorted by expert guides and keepers approx. 1 ½ hours

o   Feed koala’s in their enclosure

o   See the kangaroos and wallabies and have the opportunity to hand feed

o   Visit a real working ‘animal kitchen’ and see how all the food is prepared

o   Visit behind the scenes in the Australia’s Nightlife house and enjoy encounters with nocturnal creatures

o   Pat the farmyard animals in the Backyard to Bush

o   Meet some hand-raised native animals and reptiles

o   Includes a round trip on the Sky Safari cable car – discover why Taronga Zoo is known as “the zoo with the view”

o   Includes all day zoo access

o   Afternoon tea at Treetops café

o   Aussie friend souvenir

 At the conclusion of your tour enjoy some time exploring the zoo at your leisure before making your own way back to the city.​​​​

OVERNIGHT: Vibe Hotel Darlington Harbour - Meals: Breakfast

 

Day Eight: Sydney

Breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant.

7:30am: Please meet your driver/guide at the front of the hotel for your full day tour to the Blue Mountains.

Tour itinerary and highlights:

• Morning tea at Calmsley Hill City Farm
• Complete circle loop of the Blue Mountains
• Short walks to explore the remote regions with stunning views
• Lunch at Hydro Majestic

The Blue Mountains Deluxe Day is a journey into the heart of a unique World Heritage Region.

Our first stop of the day is at Calmsley Hill a working farm also home to Kangaroos, Emus, Wombats and Koalas. Enjoy morning tea and time to wander at leisure.

We will travel through picturesque villages, see spectacular views and waterfalls.  Enjoy a short walk to a lookout point and hear about the unique Australian forest species.

Our lunch venue at the Boiler House Café at Hydro Majestic Hotel offers magnificent valley views you can enjoy your choice of tastes from our special menu.

The afternoon is spent visiting a selection of scenic lookouts.  The view from Govett’s Leap is one of the most famous lookouts in Australia.  Here the magnificent waterfall drops a whopping 180m to the base of the cliff. The last stop is the delightful Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens where we stop briefly to enjoy the sweeping views and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or orange juice before travelling back to your hotel, arriving approximately 5pm

​​​​OVERNIGHT: Vibe Hotel Darlington Harbour - Meals: Breakfast, lunch 

 

Day Nine: Depart Sydney                                                                                                                                                           (Flight not included)

Breakfast at your Hotel and then transfer to the Sydney International Airport for your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast

 

Australia & Registration

 

     Your tour includes:      

     Excludes:          

• International and Domestic Airfares
• Meals other than those indicated by (B) Breakfast & (L) Lunch
• Items of a personal nature i.e. phone calls, liquor, and laundry
• Use of hotel rooms before/after normal check in/out times or pre-registration
• Costs of optional touring
• Any services not mentioned in the itinerary
• Hotel/Airport Porterage
• Personal travel insurance (baggage/medical/tour cancellations)
• Tips or gratuity
• Unforeseen expenses due to last minute airline rescheduling or delays (inclusive of baggage delay, missed departure and loss of passport)
• Medical or hospital expenses

 

**Times may vary according to traffic and weather

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