A
travel agency for Australia, New 
Zealand
and the Pacific Islands
Tourism
Australia Premier Aussie Specialist.
Accredited
Tasmania Specialist
Your Australia & New Zealand tour continues...
Day 11 - Sydney
Discover Sydney
today, 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 10.30am 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. The
rest of the day 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. The Taronga
Zoo is a ferry ride across the harbour, and a lunch or dinner
cruise is a good way to truly appreciate this water-side city. During
today or tomorrow you may wish to take a guided
tour of the Opera
House; tours leave on the half hour from 9.30am until 4.45pm.
This can be followed by dinner and a show, or just a show, in one
of the Opera House theatres, depending on your tastes. A calendar
of events can be found here.
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.
B
Day 12 - Sydney
Continue to get to know Sydney. Lunch can be taken on a cruise on
the 
harbor,
with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, as well as the boats
and ferries of what is often called the most beautiful city harbor
in the world. 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 cheapest
way to do this is to simply buy a return ticket to one of the up-harbour
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. If this
morning The
Rocks Markets are on they are especially worth a visit, with extensive
stalls and goods ranging from “trash” to excellent arts
and crafts.
B
Day 13 - Sydney / Melbourne
Fly south to Melbourne today and taxi or take the shuttle bus to your
hotel. Melbourne is quite different to Sydney, w
ith
less rush and bustle, with a more sedate and less brash population
which considers itself to be more interested in the finer things of
life, rather than the more hedonistic. It has a lot of excellent Victorian
architecture, and the wonderful trams - some
Melbourne trams run in San Francisco - which also give it an old-time
air. The Botanic
Gardens are world-class, and close by. Also close by is the National
Gallery of Victoria, with probably the world’s best collection
of Australian art, and a notable collection of masterpiece works (a
part of which toured selected US galleries in 2003). The new Gallery
building has aroused considerable controversy for its unique design
and decoration. For the
history buff the Fitzroy
Gardens, at the top of Collins St, has Captain Cook’s Cottage,
his actual home that was packed up and shipped to Melbourne for re-erection.
It’s interesting to see just how small an English middle-class
home was back then. The Yarra River runs through the center of Melbourne,
and is a popular place to wander the banks, and watch the rowers.
Your hotel concierge will be happy to help you get to any of Melbourne’s
sights or areas.
Day 14 - Melbourne
This morning you are picked up at 9.30am by Roger or Janine of Echidna
Walkabout
for a full day outing to the hills and plains west of Melbourne
to see wild kangaroos and koalas, abundant birdlife and discover
a rich Aboriginal heritage. You’ll learn about native animals
and plants both in the open-range grasslands of Serendip Sanctuary
on the Western Plains and in the bush lands of Brisbane Ranges National
Park. Within easy reach from the centre of the city of Melbourne,
these environments provide the perfect introduction to Australia's
unique wildlife and
indigenous culture. You’ll see and walk amongst Grey Kangaroos
in large free ranging groups, and find emus, wallabies, koalas and
other unique Australian wildlife. A delicious bush lunch is provided.
The Brisbane Ranges are home to a large and healthy population of
wild
koalas and we rarely miss out on multiple sightings of these delightful
creatures. In additional to the wildlife of the region during your
journey your guide will share with you the great significance of
the Western Plains to Aboriginal people.
L
Day
15 - Melbourne
This
morning get up a little early and take a tram to the Queen
Victoria Market. This Melbourne institution is a true, daily
produce and wares market 
that
has been operating for over 120 years - it started in 1878 - at
this same location. Although it is at its busiest on the weekend,
it operates from 6am until 2pm today, and is of great interest.
This is not a tourist trap, like so many markets, but a place
that locals go - and come to - to buy goods. Just about every
language
can be heard - Melbourne is a most cosmopolitan city, and has
the largest Greek community outside Atherns - from both buyers
and sellers. Not only languages; there is usually a didgeridoo
player or two around. Spread over 20 acres, it is the largest
open air Market in the southern hemisphere. 
Almost one thousand traders sell everything from exotic Australian
fruit and vegetables and local and imported gourmet foods, meat,
fish and poultry to hardware, manchester, clothing and authentic
Australian artefacts
and souvenirs. After your visit to the market spend the remainder
of the day exploring this comfortable city, using the free City
Explorer tram route, and a little self-exploration. The Victorian
terrace houses of East Melbourne are quite beautiful, Lygon St
area of Carlton is always colorful, and taking a tram up St Kilda
road, with the home-bound commuters will both give 
you
vistas of the Shrine of Remembrance, gardens, and a range of dwellings
each side, and make you feel like a true local. One interesting
feature of downtown Melbourne are the arcades, small covered lanes
that run between the real streets, each lined with small shops,
and each having its own ambience.
One of the highlights of your journey is a trip down
to Phillip Island to see the Fairy 
Penguins
return to their beachside burrows each evening. The 
island
is about 1 1/2 hours south of Melbourne, and we have arranged
for a personal, small-group tour which gets you up close to these
endearing creatures. You will return to Melbourne late tonight.
your Australia
and New Zealand tour continues>>>
