Family Trip in OZ

Look out for the friendly face at the airport welcoming you to Sydney. They’ll assist you with your luggage before transferring you to your hotel. With the remainder of your day is free to explore the heart of Sydney. Walk around the harbour to feel the atmosphere of the city. Sydney is undoubtedly located in one of the most beautiful bays on Earth. Admire its world-famous Opera and then cross its Harbour Bridge to enjoy a 180º panorama. Afterwards, stroll in the Rocks, Sydney's historic district. You will find there some of Australia's oldest monuments, that were built back in the 18th century by the first European settlers. An open-air market is organised in the lanes every Saturday and Sunday. At the end of the day, make your way to the Botanic Gardens. Covering an area of 30 ha, they are the green lung of Sydney!

What better opportunity to experience surfing than a visit to Australia? More than a sport, surfing here is a true state of mind. Australians surf when the sun shines as well as on rainy days ; on working days but especially on weekends ! So, gear up and face the ocean in complete safety. Learn the art of surfing and get an informative and fun surfing lesson with your expert instructor, who will show you the basics, including getting up on the board, reading the surf and catching wave, at world famous Bondi Beach, just a short hop from central Sydney. This 2-hour course is designed for beginners: you will not be more than five per instructor. Enjoy some free time in Sydney. A very famous walk, the Coastal Walk (5 kms), connects Bondi to Coogee. Bordering the coast, this trail is certainly the best way to discover Sydney's beaches. The coastal landscapes are magnificent, and you sometimes feel far from Sydney and the hustle and bustle of the city...

What should you do on your last day in Sydney? The suggestions are endless. Take the time to discover every nook and cranny of the harbor. Stretched over 20 km, it is the true heart of the city. Its islands, coves, and beaches form a haven of peace, away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. In the evening, you'll get to take part in an experience unlike any other. Have you ever had the chance to sleep in the midst of animals? To meet them at night? In very small groups? To be able to interact with those who take care of all these beautiful creatures? Tonight, you'll sleep in the heart of Taronga Zoo! You will not only sleep but also dive into the animal world. The zookeepers will take you as close as possible to the animals - don't forget your camera! Located just across from the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, you can also enjoy a breathtaking view of Sydney Bay.

This morning, you will follow the zookeepers through their morning routine. Before the zoo opens to the public, they must take care of the animals, feed them, nurse them if necessary and cuddle them! Afterward, it's time to head to the airport for your flight to Melbourne! Discover Melbourne at your own pace. Walk through the city's botanical gardens or visit the National Gallery of Victoria. Stroll around the Queen Victoria Market stands and sample Australian specialities. Explore the lanes and push the door of a café to regain your strength. Climb to the top of the Eureka Tower from where you will have a magnificent view of Melbourne... As you can see, Melbourne has a lot to offer. The best way to discover this avant-garde city is to use public transport, walk or rent a bike.

Start your tour with a nature expert guide for a personalised excursion to discover the wildlife only 45 minutes West of the city. Hikes in the heart of the bush including the Serendip sanctuary or the Brisbane Ranges National Park or You Yangs. The latter has great significance for the Wathaurong Aboriginal people. You will meet wild kangaroos, emus and koalas mainly. Thanks to your guide, you will also have the opportunity to see many parrots, wallabies, possums and lizards in their natural environment. You will also enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush during this day of discovery, in the heart of nature. By being on the tour, you contribute to the protection of the koalas, as part of the price of the excursion is donated to research. If you wish, you will also have the opportunity to help your guide list the animals encountered during the day, collect information on the environment, pick up some bad weeds or even collect the litter found. These actions are entirely optional. Only your presence is enough to help wildlife by supporting this nature protection program.

Pick up of your rental car in Melbourne City Centre. Your journey today will take you to one of Victoria's landmark sites: Phillip Island. This island is home to more than 32,000 penguins, 30,000 sea lions, as well as hundreds of bird species, koalas and wallabies. As you pass through Phillip Island, you will discover Australian wildlife in its natural environment. Every evening, a strange ritual takes place at dusk... The little penguins all go back to the beach together, after a day in the ocean! Their approach is a little clumsy, but everyone ends up returning to their shelter in the dunes. A magnificent spectacle of nature!

Today, you will make your way to the Mornington Peninsula, where the Melbournians like to spend their weekends. The landscapes are of a great diversity. This region is renowned for its Pinots noirs, but many other grape varieties enjoy its temperate climate. You will have the possibility to visit the vineyards (Main Ridge and Willow Creek for instance) and to have lunch in some of them. If you want to taste some Australian cheeses, do not miss the Red Hill cheese dairy. If you have time, go to the Cape Schanck Lightstation: guided tours are organised twice a day. From Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula, a ferry will take you to Queenscliff in about 45 minutes. Then you will only be a few kilometers away from the Great Ocean Road... DOLPHINS AND SEA LIONS SWIM CRUISE Swimming with wild dolphins and seals and snorkelling at one of the world-renowned diving and snorkelling site is an amazing and unforgettable experience. You will be supervised by a friendly and experienced crew. It will combine an informative, ecological and fun approach in a total respect of the aquatic guests of the bay. The experience is unique and rare, equipped with your snorkeling gear you can approach and swim with these exceptional animals.

Leaving Lorne behind you, you will continue your discovery of the mythic Great Ocean Road! Take your time, today's journey is going to be short. There are several lookouts along the road before you arrive in Apollo Bay, a small, lovely townhome with beautiful beaches and quaint shops. Apollo Bay is also the gateway to Great Otway National Park, which protects a pretty pocket of temperate rainforest, populated by tree ferns and beautiful waterfalls. There is also the Cape Otway lighthouse, which looks out to the "end of the world". You'll then make your way to your accommodation for the next couple of nights - the award-winning and eco-certified, Great Ocean Ecolodge - an ideal place to stay in the heart of nature.

While staying at the Great Ocean Ecolodge, you will have the chance to take part in conservation activities. Indeed, the ecolodge takes care of injured animals, in order to save them and be able to reintroduce them in the wild. Assist ecologists with the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife! At the end of the day, around 4.30pm, you will be given the opportunity to take a start of a guided walk in the bush. With a passionate ecologist, you will observe kangaroos and koalas in their natural environment, as well as some less-known species. With a little luck, you could cross paths with an endangered species, the Tiger Quoll (the largest marsupial predator on the Australian continent)!

Enjoy your last moments in the pure nature of Great Otway National Park to explore the surroundings of the lodge, taking one of the many hiking trails. Feel free to ask the lodge staff for advice, there are many possibilities, whether you want to take a short walk or a longer hike. Otherwise, you can simply relax in the peaceful setting of the Great Ocean Ecolodge, enjoying its lounge, library or gardens. Discover today the most famous part of the Great Ocean Road with beautiful encounters on the agenda. The 12 Apostles, these limestone colossuses, stand proud along the cliffs. Also don't miss the Loch Ard Gorge and the London Bridge. Feel free to take a walk on one of the beautiful beaches. You can have lunch in Port Campbell and enjoy its pretty beach for a swim. It will then be time to join the Princess Highway which will take you to Melbourne.

This morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight to Adelaide where you’ll have a transfer to your hotel. Adelaide is South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital. Its ring of parkland on the River Torrens is home to renowned museums such as the Art Gallery of South Australia, displaying expansive collections including noted Indigenous art, and the South Australian Museum, devoted to natural history.

Depart Adelaide and enjoy a scenic coach trip through the Fleurieu Peninsula to Cape Jervis where you will board the SeaLink ferry for the 45-minute journey across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island. On arrival in Penneshaw meet your local Driver/Guide. First stop is Rob's Shearing & Sheep Dogs to enjoy a sheep shearing demonstration by a real Aussie character before heading to Pennington Bay, a spectacular beach and a great photo opportunity. Continue to Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, the only commercial eucalyptus distillery in South Australia, where lunch will be served. Then visit stunning Seal Bay where you will have the opportunity to get up close to a wild breeding colony of rare Australian Sea-lions. You can watch them from the beach and learn how they withstand the rigors of the Southern Ocean. Not far is Little Sahara. Explore the huge white sand dunes and enjoy beautiful panoramas before testing your skills at sand boarding. Arrive at Vivonne Bay Lodge in the afternoon, where you will have the opportunity to spend some free time kayaking on the Harriet River, swimming at Vivonne Bay Beach, take a self-guided walk through the property tracks, go trail bike riding or simply relax. Back at camp there are complementary activities to keep you occupied before and after your BBQ dinner. As darkness sets, see kangaroos, Tamar wallabies and possums, relax around the fire (except in summer months) or kick back on the deck with a glass of local wine before retiring to the comfort of your bed. You will spend the night in a private room* with shared sanitary facilities

After breakfast get up close to more wildlife at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary where you will look for koalas nestled up in the eucalyptus trees and see kangaroos grazing on the open fields. Continue onto Flinders Chase National Park where you will marvel at Remarkable Rocks; huge granite boulders sculptured by nature. Here, kangaroos and geese from Cape Barren relax quietly. The park is a sanctuary for many endangered species, some of which were imported from the continent in the 1920s, such as platypus and koalas. Enjoy the spectacular coast and seascapes as you head around to Admirals Arch at Cape Du Couedic where we watch the resident New Zealand fur seals frolic in the ocean or sunbake on the rocks. Enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre. Head to the beautiful and secluded ‘secret’ beach of Stokes Bay and take a walk at Ironstone Hill (time permitting) to find wallabies and admire the spectacular view back to the mainland. If time and weather permit, several stops may be made en route to Penneshaw, allowing time to purchase dinner (own expense) before the return journey to Adelaide.

All good things must come to an end but we hope you have enjoyed your time exploring the very best that Australia has to offer. The rich history, its natural beauty, and the people make the country what it is. At an arranged time you will be transferred from your hotel to Adelaide Airport for your international flight back home.