9D8N Contrasts Of Australia

Melbourne extends a friendly welcome! (Flights to arrive prior to 12pm). Lucky for you you’re staying in the heart of it all on the banks of the Yarra River. Check into your hotel and meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over dinner at a popular restaurant on the Yarra River’s South Wharf. It’s a delicious introduction to Melbourne’s cosmopolitan vibe.

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Get out and see the sights today on a guided walk with your Travel Director discovering the little lanes, arcades, and cafe society of stylish Melbourne. Gaze up at the beautiful Victorian façades lining grand boulevards. Now make a positive impact while you learn about Koorie peoples, cultures, and communities on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience tour and walk. You’ll love discovering the importance of Koorie peoples as part of a broader 21st century community. Afterwards, the day is yours to relax back at your hotel, go for a scenic stroll or do a little souvenir shopping. Or choose to venture outside of the city on an Optional Experience such as the viewing of the incredible Little Penguins on Phillip Island. On this rare wildlife viewing experience you’ll watch the tiny, adorable penguins make their daily trek from the sea to burrows on the beach.

Included / Optional Experiences:
a. The Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery
Make a positive impact while you learn about Koorie peoples, cultures, and communities at the Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery in Melbourne

b. Phillip Island – Penguins, Koalas & Wildlife – ADD: A$239 Per Person
If you’re curious about our native wildlife or just love animals, we’ve got you covered today! You’ll get up close to Australian animals, including koalas and kangaroos. On Phillip Island the main attraction awaits – the Little Penguins waddling up the sand to their dune burrow homes returning from their daily fishing excursion.

c. Eureka skydeck-ADD: A$36
Experience the awe-inspiring 360 degree floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria’s capital city at the Melbourne Skydeck, Eureka Tower. This viewing platform is the highest in the Southern Hemisphere!

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Go from city to tropics today as you fly north to sunny Cairns. At Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures you’ll team up with a Local Specialist for a private, wildlife-rich boat cruise. They will give you the inside scoop on the life and habits of the crocs you’ll see popping up from the murky waters or lazing on the bank. There will be time afterwards to help regenerate the rainforest particular to the Wangetti Valley in which Hartley’s is located. After a day in the wild, you’ll travel back to Cairns for a free evening to try some of the city’s famous seafood around the Cairns Marina. If you’re looking to browse among a lot of options, visit the Cairns Night Markets and have your pick of over 70 open-air stalls of local specialities

Note: If departing on an early flight from Melbourne, a boxed breakfast will be provided.

Optional Experiences:
a. Dinner And Harbour Cruise On Spirit Of Cairns – ADD:A$139
A Cairns Dinner Cruise is the perfect way to end a perfect day in paradise. Step aboard the luxury catamaran Spirit of Cairns for a 2.5 hour evening cruise through the calm water inlet and waterfront precinct of Cairns. Enjoy
fabulous dining and live music with the lights of Cairns City and mountain silhouettes as your backdrop.

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You’re on your own today. Well, not really, because your Travel Director is at your service to help arrange optional experiences. Perhaps enjoy a strong coffee in one of Melbourne’s atmospheric laneways. Adrenaline junkie? Linger in the city, gaining bird’s-eye views from the Melbourne Skydeck at the Eureka Tower, the Southern Hemisphere’s highest attraction, looming almost 300 metres above the ground. Or, perhaps exploring the city on foot with a History and Donuts Walking Tour is more your thing. Animal lover? Venture out on a Phillip Island little penguin tour to see hundreds of these cute creatures pad from the ocean along the sand back to snuggle in their burrows for the night (all own
expense). The choice is yours.

Optional Experiences:
a. Great Adventure Introductory Dive-ADD:A$198
For an underwater adventure to remember, experience an introductory dive! It’s fun and no experience is necessary to take a fully supervised introductory dive. Professional and experienced instructors will guide you
through every aspect of your dive, allowing you to have a relaxed, enjoyable experience. (Subject to medical assessment. Your Travel Director can direct you further.

b. Scenic Helicopter Flight on the Great Barrier Reef-ADD:A$199
Take to the sky on a 10-minute scenic flight. You will have the best seat to witness the iconic Great Barrier Reef
from above.

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The Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s most epic journeys, a dramatic 240-kilometre union of limestone stacks (Twelve Apostles, we’re looking at you), untouched coastal coves and sleepy towns, like Lorne and Apollo Bay. It’s hard to know where to point your camera on a Great Ocean Road tour. We recommend having it poised to snap shots of the Loch Ard Gorge, the site of a famous shipwreck, and London Bridge rock formations. The latter sandstone arch once resembled its namesake bridge; even after its collapse, it’s still an impressive natural wonder. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Optional Experiences:
a. Kuranda,Sykrail And Scenic Railway-ADD:A$209
Your day begins with your transfer to Skyrail’s Smithfield Terminal and a journey on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Gliding silently over and through the World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforest, enjoy beautiful views along the way. Explore this ancient environment at Red Peak and Barron Falls Station, including the Rainforest Discovery Zone and The Edge Lookout. Arrive in Kuranda and enjoy some free time to discover the village, full of colourful and interesting arts and crafts. Then, board the famous Kuranda Scenic Railway. Your journey winds through hand-hewn tunnels, across bridges and around curves, all the time appreciating what an amazing engineering feat it is. Upon arrival at historic Freshwater Station, you will board your coach and return
to your accommodation.

b. Hot Air Cairns Classic Ballooning-ADD:A$495
Experience the fun & unique sensation of being in a Hot Air Balloon, flying gently high above the Atherton Tablelands, Australia. The balloon takes off from Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands. Enjoy the picturesque landscape at dawn, floating in your Hot Air Balloon, time to really breathe in the wide-open spaces! We have Australia’s largest fleet of Hot Air Balloons and a fun and highly trained crew to maximise the enjoyment of your balloon flight. It’s just like a balloon festival, every day!

c. Cape Tribulantion, Daintree &Mossman -ADD:A$293
Travel in air-conditioned comfort to Cape Tribulation through some of the oldest rainforest in the world. Enjoy morning tea at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, a driver-guided walk at Mossman Gorge, a cruise on the
Daintree River, a tropical lunch set amongst the rainforest, and a walk on famous Cape Tribulation Beach. Also included is delicious exotic fruit ice cream at the Daintree Ice Cream Company and a stop at Alexandra Lookout for spectacular views over the Daintree River and beyond to the Coral Sea.

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Take a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House and uncover the stories behind its iconic sails and world-renowned performers. Then head to Bondi for a behind-the-scenes visit to the Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, where a local guide
shares what it takes to patrol one of the world’s most famous beaches. Your Be My Guest experience is hosted at the Bondi RSL Club by a Surf Club member, with views of the beach and a chance to share stories over a meal infused
with local flavour. Later, cruise Sydney Harbour to take in the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the water, a fresh perspective on the city’s most iconic landmarks.

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The Fleurieu Peninsula is a natural adventure playground, all rolling hills, rugged clifftops and sandy beaches. Seaside Victor Harbor turns on the charms – take a horse drawn tram ride out to Granite Island (own expense) – before your ferry blasts its horn. All aboard for Kangaroo Island, home to native wildlife like sea lions, koalas and diverse bird species. Your destination is Kingscote.

Included Experiences:
a. Meet the Bronzed Aussies at Lunch on Bondi Beach
Rub shoulders with the bronzed, beautiful people of Bondi Beach, as you join a surf lifesaver who will take you through the Members Only facility of Australia’s oldest surf lifesaving club, followed by lunch with views over the
sparkling Pacific Ocean.

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Kick off your last day in Sydney by checking out its sights and sounds anyway you want on this free day. You mightmchoose to wander further afield on an optional experience to the Blue Mountains, for fresh mountain air and stunning scenery. Get your adrenaline racing with a thrilling climb up (and over) the Sydney Harbour Bridge. For something more down to earth, you could wander along the harbor foreshore through the Royal Botanic Garden. Then it’s time to celebrate your travels over dinner with your newfound friends and travel mates.

Optional Experiences:
a. Blue Mountains and Australian Wildlife –ADD:A$289
Explore the World Heritage-Listed Blue Mountains in style, starting with a visit to Sydney Zoo, Australia’s most advanced Zoo in the heart of Western Sydney, gateway to the Blue Mountains. See dingoes, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils and echidnas in a cage-free environment in the Australian Precinct. Explore the heart of the Blue Mountains surrounded by locals as you enjoy some free time discovering the unique mountain town of Leura with its quaint shops. Visit the famous Three Sisters rock formation up close from Echo Point. A highlight of the day is a stop at Scenic World where you can enjoy a ride on the Scenic Railway, Cableway and Skyway, a great way to see the steep valleys, canyons and get another perspective of the Three Sisters. Take a walk along the Rainforest boardwalk and immerse yourself in nature from the valley floor. Return to Sydney via
coach.

b. Bridge Climb Sydney – ADD:A$364
The Bridge Climb is a 3.5 hour guided journey to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It takes you along the outer arch of the Bridge on catwalks and ladders all the way to the summit, 134 metres above Sydney Harbour.
Climbing in groups of up to 14 people, you’ll be led by one of BridgeClimb’s professional Climb Leaders on an adventure on one of the world’s most recognisable Bridges. Various tours are available. FITNESS REQUIREMENTS / NEED TO KNOW: A general level of fitness is required. Guests aged 75 years of age or older require a Certificate of Fitness signed by a medical professional. To download the certificate template and
view all health and safety advice, please visit

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It’s been a glorious nine days of Australia sightseeing, but all good things must come to an end. Fill up on your last breakfast before bidding farewell to your travel mates and your transfer to the Sydney airport (flights anytime).

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