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Custom Itinerary for Darrell, Lori, Chandler & Alden Whatley

Australia June 2005

Day 1 - Los Angeles / Lost In Space
Begin your journey Down under flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles collect your bags, then you may wish to take the airport terminal shuttle to the Tom Bradley Terminal, which is at the head of the horseshoe of LAX terminals. However, as you have plenty of time, and you will be sitting down for over 14 hours, you can also walk. Check in for your flight to Australia, which begins the moment you step aboard your Air New Zealand or Qantas plane. The Downunder style is apparent—easy going, casually efficient and very friendly. Both airlines are known for their  excellent food and inflight service, so sit back and enjoy the hospitality, meal and a movie. I would, however, recommend having dinner at the airport – there are a wide range of options upstairs, at the end of the ticket counters – then just relaxing on the plane.              *M

Day 2 - Lost In Space
Lose today due to the International Dateline, but regain it on your return journey.                *M

Day 3 - LIS / Sydney
You arrive in Sydney early this morning, pass through customs and immigration after which you are met and transferred to your hotel , the Shangri-la or Quay West Suites, located in the Rocks, the historical heart of Sydney. As well as a good range of interestings 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. Your room will be available as soon as you arrive, so you can and freshen up. As you need to stay awake all today, then sleep on Sydney's time tonight to best adjust to the new time zone, we've arranged an easy way to enjoy the first day - a yacht cruise on the harbor. You'll enjoy 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. Depending on the weather you may pass near the Entrance, where the harbor enters the Pacific, which can get interestingly rough at times. Return to your hotel for a well-deserved night's rest, but make sure you are not tempted to lie down before about 8pm. .                   *B

Day 4 - 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. Afterwards enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area - ask your guide for a recommendation.

There are a range of options for you to enjoy Sydney. One that may intrigue is to ferry across to Manly, and at the Aquarium try something that you can dine out on for years to come - try a scuba dive in the shark tank.  This afternoon you may wish to take a guided tour of the Opera House; tours leave on the half hour. If you are interesting in attending a show in one of the Opera House theatres after your tour, a calendar of events can be found here. Dinner is also available at the well-recommended restaurant, with its stunning view of the harbor.      B

Day 5 - Blue Mountains
You are picked up this morning for a full day out to the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney. Your route takes you much the same way as the early explorers who sought a way across the mountains to the fertile grazing land beyond. The views from the lookouts, including the Three Sisters, are quite spectacular. You can enjoy a short bushwalk, look for kangaroos, experience the tall Eucalyptus forest - and try some billy tea while there - enjoy some typically Australian food in an country pub, or homestead for lunch, and see early Australian non-urban architecture. Your guide will tell you much abut the history and geology and of the areas visited. You are returned to your hotel about 6pm.                         B,L

Day 6 - Sydney
This morning is free to explore a 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. Everything is within walking distance of your hotel. At lunchtime say farewell to Sydney; you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island. You'll arrive on the island at about 6pm, where you'll be met and taken to your accommodation for the next two nights, the 5-star Correa bed & breakfast.              B,D

Day 7 - Kangaroo Island
This morning you begin your exploration of this wonderful island. You are met upon arrival, and begin your day of exploration. You’ll first visit the redgum forest along the Cygnet River valley to seek out koalas sleeping in the forks of the trees, then travel through some of the best wool-producing areas on the island to a conservation park on the north coast. Here we walk through the habitat of Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies and the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo. For lunch enjoy a delicious seafood barbeque served with fine South Australian wines before heading to a colony of Australian Sealions. At Seal Bay Conservation Park a walk among Sealions on a beautiful sandy beach may reveal watching pups nursing or playing in the surf. Old bulls bear the scars of territorial disputes, as your guide explains when he tells us about their unique breeding biology. In the afternoon we visit Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park including D'Estrees Bay - where ospreys nest, and kangaroos come out late in the day to feed. After this you are dropped off at your accommodation. This evening take a shorter trip with your hosts to look for the tiny Fairy Penguins which return to their burrows each evening from foraging in the sea.
B,L,D

Day 8 - Kangaroo Island / Adelaide
Flinders Chase National Park is a 74,000 hectare (190,000 acre) wilderness which covers the entire west end of the Island. We’ll visit Rocky River Homestead - originally a small farm and now the Park headquarters. This area is home to kangaroos, wallabies, possums, goannas, echidnas, koalas, platypus and many birds including the rare Cape Barren Goose. At Cape du Couedic on the south-west tip is a New Zealand Furseal colony which is rapidly expanding. These animals can be observed at rest on the rocks or frolicking in the surf under Admirals Arch - a spectacular coastal grotto. On the headland above is Cape du Couedic Lighthouse which plays an important role in navigation. Further down the coast are the Remarkable Rocks, huge natural granite sculptures on the cliff top. Lunch today is a picnic in the bush before exploring more of the Island. Depending upon the day you might take a walk to a secluded cove, or watch for a platypus by a quiet pool. You return to the eastern end of the island via Vivonne Bay, one of the few protected bays on the south coast At the end of your exciting day you will be taken to the airport, for your 6.35pm Rex flight 4772 back to Adelaide, arriving at 7.05pm. From here you are transferred to your downtown hotel, the Hyatt Regency.                    B,L

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