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Custom Australia Itinerary for Dennis and Christina continues....

Day 22 - Friday, October 7: Melbourne / Hobart / Bruny Island
Fly this morning at 8.25am on Virgin Blue DJ364 to arrive at Hobart airport at 10.40am. Ruth, your guide, will be waiting to greet you. Travel down to Bruny Island, looking along the way, and spend the rest of the afternoon exploring and birding on Inala. After dinner go to the penguin and shearwater rookery. Your accommodation is the Nairana spa unit at Inala. (B,D)

Day 23 - Saturday, October 8: Bruny Island
All day exploring on Bruny, which is home to all of Tasmania’s endemic bird species. Tonight view nocturnal marsupials, and chance of seeing white/golden color morphs of Bennett's wallaby and Brushtail possum. (B,L,D)

Day 24 - Sunday, October 9: Bruny Island / Hobart / Freycinet Lodge
Around lunchtime you return to Hobart, where you collect your rental car for the drive down to Freycinet Lodge, an easy trip of about 1 ½ hours. Check in, and enjoy this scenically beautiful National Park. After you busy and very organized past week, the time at Freycinet has been left open for your own relaxation and arrangements. The friendly people at the Lodge will be happy to advise and make suggestions. (B)

Days 25 & 26 - Monday, October 10 & Tuesday, October 11: Freycinet Lodge
Continue your stay at Freycinet Lodge. (B)

Day 27 - Wednesday, October 12: Freycinet Lodge / Hobart / Sydney
Make your way back to Hobart today, return your rental car at the airport and take your 2pm Virgin Blue flight DJ367 to Melbourne, connecting with DJ839 to arrive in Sydney at 4.35pm. You will be met at the baggage carousel and transferred to your hotel, the historic Harbour Rocks, located in The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney, and right at Circular Quay. As well as a good range of interesting shops, some of Sydney's oldest and most colorful pubs, and best restaurants, are found within a ten minute stroll. Australia has developed its own cuisine, a far cry from the stodgy English-based fare of earlier years. Restaurants featuring a fusion of Asian, European and even native Australian food abound, often featuring the superbly fresh fish abundantly available from Australia's long coastline. This afternoon discover Sydney, a wonderfully cosmopolitan city. Just a short walk from your hotel (the desk can give you directions) is the office of The Rocks Walking Tours, from where you will start your 2.30pm easy 90-minute walking tour of this historic and vibrant area. Many of the buildings date from the very first years of the settlement, and are convict-built. You will get a good insight to the history of Sydney, and Australia. During today or Saturday you may wish to take a guided tour of the Opera House; tours leave on the half hour from 9.30am until 4.45pm. If you are interested in seeing a performance, a calendar of events can be found here.            (B)

Day 29 - Friday, October 14: Sydney
This morning you are picked up early for a day's birding in the Sydney area. As this is a private outing, your itinerary will depend on a number of factors, including what you've already seen so far on your journey. We've arranged for you to contact the guide on your arrival in Sydney, so you can talk over your target species. You will be out for about ten hours, and returned to your hotel.

Day 30 - Saturday, October 15: Sydney
Today, your last full day in Australia, is free to explore this vibrant and friendly city. In addition to great shops to buy the needed souvenirs and gifts, just a short walk is the Botanic Gardens and the Domain, which has good views of the harbour, an abundant bird life, and a colony of huge grey fruit-bats, whose wingspans are approximately three feet. The Australian Museum, with its impressive collection of Aboriginal artefacts and art, is also close by. This can be followed by dinner and a show, or just a show, in one of the Opera House theatres, depending on your tastes. Everything is within walking distance of your hotel, although the Museum is a little far and you may wish to take the bus or a train - Sydney is extremely well-serviced by buses and the underground. As today is Saturday, and The Rocks Markets are in full swing. Occupying several streets a a couple of minutes walk from your hotel, the markets have become a very popular place for Sydneysiders and visitors alike. Pretty much anything you could want to buy can be found here, from easy to eat food representing many nations to crafts, fine arts, used household itmes and even Aboriginal artifacts and crafts such as didgeridoos. The best way to really see Sydney Harbour is on a ferry. While there are tours that utilize the ferries, usually with lunch or morning tea, the most flexible and cheapest way to do this is to simply buy a return ticket to one of the up-harbor places such as Homebush (where the Olympics were held). You’ll see a map of all the places they go at Circular Quay. The ferries have a snack/meal bar, and you can just get an easy lunch or snack there, sit back, and enjoy the ride. The ferry to Manly goes in the other direction, and as it passes the Entrance, where the harbor enters the Pacific, can get interestingly rough at times. This ferry will pass the Opera House and various other landmarks, and is also a good run.          

Day 31 - Sunday, October 16: Sydney / Los Angeles
Taxi or shuttle to the airport for your 2.45pm flight to Los Angeles. Due to the International Dateline, you arrive in Los Angeles at 12.40pm today, in plenty of time for your flight to Phoenix.      *D,*B

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