Sydney - Melbourne - Tasmania Vacation Package

The Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park is one of seven national parks that make up the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.This wonderland of sandstone outcrops, deep ravines and hazy blue eucalypt forests boasts luxury retreats and stunning views. 

Today, your guide will take you off the beaten track to visit remote lookout locations and discuss the history, flora and fauna of this magnificent region. 

At 7.00- 7.30AM depart from your hotel by coach and travel directly to the Blue Mountains with your first stop of the day at Calmsley Hill, a working farm that is also a home for Kangaroo, Emu, Wombat and Koala. Enjoy morning tea with time afterwards to wander at leisure and enjoy the wildlife that lives here. 

From Calmsley Hill continue to the Blue Mountains and visit an outlook points for stunning views of the Jamison Valley. 

Continuing on, arrive at Eaglehawk Lookout, a remote lookout point away from the crowds for views of the famous 'Three Sisters' rock formations.

The "character" of the Three Sisters changes throughout the day and throughout the seasons as the sunlight brings out the magnificent colours. Here your guide will discuss the legends behind this famous rock formation and time available for you to take some great photos.  

Your coach then makes its way around the mountain valleys towards the village of Blackheath and your lunch venue the Hydro Majestic. 

The afternoon is spent visiting a selection of dramatic lookout points. Once you see the view from Govetts Leap you’ll know why it’s one of the most famous views in Australia, with a magnificent waterfall that drops nearly 600 ft to the base of the cliff. If you’re not mesmerised by the dancing waves of water spray it produces, you’ll be transfixed by the sweeping views down the valley to the Grose Wilderness. 

Next stop is the delightful Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens our last stop, where we enjoy the sweeping views of Sydney in the distance before travelling down the Bells Line of Road to arrive back at your hotel approximately 4.30 - 5.00pm.

The 'Three Sisters', Blue Mountains.

Govetts Leap, Blue Mountains.

Meeting a kangaroo with a sweet tooth.

Eating Out in Sydney

Downtown cafes and restaurants in places like 'The Rocks' and 'Darling Harbor" have some great eateries. But for a better opportunity to mix with the locals and to enjoy food the way they do, don't confine yourself to downtown. Take an Uber out to Ashfield (20-minutes) for some of the best Chinese you’ll ever enjoy, and at bargain prices. Or even closer is Leichhardt, the Italian area where you get the best Italian food in Australia, some would claim the world. Or maybe Portuguese food at the suburb of Petershem. Whatever your taste, Sydney prides itself as the food capital of Australia and out of town places like Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville offer a more alternative side to Sydney great food scene.

Indigo Cafe in the stylish Sydney suburb of Double Bay.

If your serious about your food, you'll enjoy this article from local publication Insider Guides Australia.

" Australia is a multicultural nation, and nowhere is this more evident than in our food culture. Sydney is home to a large number of nationalities, which, luckily for us, show off their national talents through the delicious form of food.

Deciding where to eat out in Sydney can be tough, with almost every international taste catered for. You should have no trouble finding a travel favourite or food from back home. The city tends to have different cuisines cluster together in areas. As a brief outline, Haymarket is the city’s Chinatown, while the nearby Liverpool St in the CBD houses the Spanish Quarter. A little further out of the city, the suburb of Leichhardt will provide an array of Italian restaurants, while Lakemba serves up great Lebanese.

There are also plenty of options to suit the student budget. Chinatown and local pubs are often a good bet, offering cheap lunch deals and dinner specials. Serving both food and alcohol, pubs are the great location to bridge the gap between eating out and staying out, and Sydney is known for its vast amount of pubs – there are usually over 10 to each suburb! For those wanting to party, there are plenty of popular nightclubs, bars and dancing spots to be found in the nightlife districts of Oxford St in Darlinghurst and Kings Cross.

But nightlife in Sydney is not just about drinking, contrary to what some local students might say. The increase in late night eateries and dessert bars around Sydney and the outer suburbs means you can now head out after 10 pm and find a quiet place to unwind.

CBD

FOOD

Avoid the constant temptation of fast food in the CBD by heading to Chinatown for some of the best food that this city has to offer! Don’t expect just Chinese cuisine either; this is the area for Malaysian, Japanese, Taiwanese and more. The best dumpling houses can be found tucked away in arcades.

NIGHTLIFE

Don’t be put off by the bars lining George St. Instead, check out the alleyways and hidden entries of the CBD. Thanks to a small bar revival, with a little investigation you can find amazing bars tucked away in the CBD. Highlights include Grandma’s Bar, a replica of your grandmother’s lounge room tucked under a guitar store that serves cocktails in cute teacups, the Baxter Inn and GoodGod Small Club, a ‘danceteria’, with DJs every night of the week and cocktails named after Chevy Chase!

EAST SYDNEY

FOOD

Not only does Sydney’s east offer an array of enticing food options, but these are also some of the loveliest beachside spots to dine at. Bondi is your best bet for a wide variety of choices – if you’re after a fancy night out (with fantastic views) check out Bondi Icebergs. Closer to the city, Darlinghurst is a good place to for cool bars and nightclubs – check out the little bars on Stanley St then head up to Oxford St for a night of dancing.

NIGHTLIFE

After eating delicious food and gazing out to sea, a drink is in order. Again, Bondi Icebergs is an excellent choice for a classy cocktail and B-grade celebrity spotting. For a more unusual tipple, check out Rum Diaries (which is just as it sounds, a rum bar) or for live music, make a visit to Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel, which features great beers on tap and a gig or DJ every night!

NORTH SYDNEY

FOOD

The north of Sydney is lucky enough to have a food option that stays open 24 hours and has good food! Maisy’s Café on Military Road in Neutral Bay is the perfect option for late-night dining. If you’re keeping more regular hours, check out the North Sydney Hotel for some of the best pub food that side of the bridge.

NIGHTLIFE

North Sydney’s nightlife, long ago a bit of a dead zone, has recently taken off with venues like Hugo’s Manly, Newport Arms Hotel and the Rag and Famish stepping up their game to offer bars and nightspots to rival Sydney’s inner city.

INNER WEST 

FOOD

If you’re in the mood for Thai, Newtown’s King St will answer your prayers. Almost every second store is home to a Thai restaurant. The tricky part is finding your favourite!. If Thai won’t hit the spot check out the more unusual cuisines on offer – Na Zdrowie on Glebe Point Road offers amazing Polish food (and a vodka list longer than any you’ll ever have seen!)

NIGHTLIFE

The inner west’s nightlife is dominated by pubs. Newtown’s Courthouse, Enmore’s Sly Fox and Glebe’s AB Hotel are consistently popular and serve good cold beer for reasonable prices. If you’re after something a bit fancier, check out one of the many new small bars – from Corridor in Newtown, to Enmore’s Midnight Special and Glebe’s The Little Guy.

WESTERN SYDNEY

FOOD

Parramatta is home to an exciting mix of cuisines, boasting over 180 restaurants cafés and bars. Go to Church St for modern outdoor dining, George St for beer gardens and cool cafés and Harris Park for some of the best Indian restaurants in Australia.

NIGHTLIFE

There are plenty of great pubs in the area such as the Albion Hotel and the Roxy Hotel. The latter was developed into a massive entertainment complex, and it receives world class acts on a regular basis. The Parramatta Leagues Club is also an interesting place to check out. It houses various restaurants and bars as well as the Parramatta Eels NRL (Rugby League) club.

Places like Bondi Beach and Manly Beach are internationally known icons of the Sydney beach scene and well worth a visit. But if you have a day to spare, nothing compares to Sydney's Northern Beaches. It takes over an hour to get there and it's not all highway; the locals don't want a highway because they say it will ruin their special corner of the world. When you get there you'll see why!

So make an early start, cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge and head north to beaches with names like Avalon, Balgowlah, Bilgola, Dee Why, Mona Vale, Narrabeen, Whale Beach and the northernmost of them all, Palm Beach. 

Two things to be aware of. It gets very busy on weekends during the Australian summer and these are all serious surf beaches, so if the surf is up, only competent and confident swimmers should be in the water. Plus surfers of course, because this is where some of Australia's best big-wave surf is found. 

It's a great day out. There's excellent cafes and walking trails to enjoy and the sheer beauty of the region is breathtaking.

Our favorite - Whale Beach.

The surfs up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

See inside the world’s most recognisable sails on The Essential Tour at the Sydney Opera House. Experience this miracle of architecture and engineering. A work of art that came into existence against impossible odds, to become one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. 

The Opera House guide will take you on an engrossing journey, in a story to rival any opera plot with its dramatic twists and turns. Like the fascinating story of the architect Jørn Utzon who designed the building. At one stage, because of massive cost overruns and the technical problems of building the roof, he was fired from the job, but years later, when the true genius of his design was fully appreciated, all was forgiven and he was made an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) and given the Keys to the City of Sydney.

You’ll also visit one of the major venues – where live performance are presented every day. Some 1,500 performances, in every genre you can imagine, are staged each year to audiences of around 1.5 million. You will be inspired! 

As well as the Opera House visit you might like to visit one of the world class museums found in the city. These include the Art Gallery of New South Wales (modern art), the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Nicholson Museum (antiquities). All are worth visiting, as is the Australian National Maritime Museum. History buffs will particularly enjoy the Hyde Park Barracks and their displays about the early settlers in Australia.

The Australia National Maritime Museum, Sydney

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.

The Sydney Opera House.

With boutique wineries around every bend, you'll soon be attuned to the charms of the Yarra Valley. Visit the curved Tarra Warra Museum of Modern Art, built to integrate into the landscape. Pick up some winery specials to enjoy with a gourmet picnic in the peaceful fern gullies and mountains at Badger Weir Park near Healesville. Venture into the Christmas Hills and Sugarloaf Reservoir. Go bushwalking along an 18-kilometre trail, bird watching, sightseeing, sailing and shoreline fishing. Have a picnic at Ironbark Ridge or Saddle Dam overlooking the reservoir. Australian country landscapes at their best.

The boutique wineries make for stunning scenery with lush vineyards stretching for miles.

Tarra Warra Museum of Modern Art has the stunning backdrop of the Great dividing mountain range, just one hour north-east of Melbourne.

The scenery outside of the Yarra Valley wine region is just as aesthetic as the art on display at the museum.

Badger Weir park reserve with its trails through stunning forest has a modern picnic area, perfect for a day trip.

The fern gullies are home to many native animals and birds, perfect for bird watching and if you're lucky a glimpse of the beautiful Lyrebird as pictured.

The beauty of the forest at Badger Weir park is worth exploring.

Nestled in the Christmas Hills, Sugarloaf is a tranquil setting for a picnic or stroll near the reservoir.

Or take in the amazing views of the reservoir and surrounding hills from the Sugarloaf lookout.

The Saddle Dam is the most accessible picnic area with the Sugarloaf reservoir.

Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary is a forested haven for Australian animals, most of which are found nowhere else in the world. You'll see koalas, kangaroo, platypus, Australia's wild dog the dingo, and emus. The daily Spirits of The Sky show features Australia's remarkable birdlife and at the Wildlife health Centre you'll see some of the 2,000 sick and injured animals that are treated here each year.

Map of the sanctuary.

Baby possum being hand raised shown by staff.

The Spirit of the Sky show allows for up close views of the birdlife.

Colorful native parrots displayed during the sky show.

After a visit to the colorful and iconic bathing sheds at Brighton Beach, continue on to Philip Island. Today's highlight will be the famous Penguin Parade as these delightful little animals make their way along Summerland Beach at the end of their day. Other highlights of this full day excursion will be the spectacular 'Conservation in Action' wildlife show, opportunities to hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies and to get up close to koalas.

Today you will experience some of the the best sights offered by one of the most famous stretch of road in Australia, The Great Ocean Road. This will include stunning beaches of the spectacular Surf Coast and views of the 12 Apostles. 

You will also the temperate rainforests of the Great Otway National Park, the rock formations at Port Campbell National Park and the Gibson Steps. At Loch Ard Gorge stories will be shared about the sometimes tragic history of the Shipwreck Coast.

The surf coast offers stunning views throughout the drive.

One of the many stunning beaches along the coast.

The breathtaking rain forest at the Great Otway National Park.

Twelve kilometres north of Hobart's city center, MONA, Museum of Old & New Art, occupies a saucepan-shaped peninsula jutting into the Derwent River. Arrayed across three underground levels, abutting a sheer rock face, the $75-million museum, ancient antiquities are showcased next to contemporary works: sexy, provocative, disturbing and deeply engaging. Don't miss it.

The museum rests on the end of the peninsula cutting a modern shape by the water.

The very impressive architecture of MONA, the Museum of Old & New.

The entrance to the museum with it's more traditional Aboriginal art.

The interior is an art form in itself with walkways connecting the three levels.

Inside one of the galleries where modern sculptures and art are displayed.

Sculptures outside are emphasized by the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mainland as a backdrop.

We visited here two years ago and like many others, we found it a curious mixture of disturbing, challenging, exciting and inspirational. We were determined to learn more about the museum founder and what we discovered was almost as fascinating as the museum itself. 

Just one example. The owner, David Walsh is a gambler. At one stage in the building of MONA there was a shortfall in funding. To attend to this problem, Mr Walsh flew to Melbourne for an evening of gambling and came away with enough cash to solve the cash-flow problem. Definitely a larger than life individual!

The owner David Walsh with his somewhat crazy story about how MONA came to into fruition.

This story by national news organization ABC goes some way to explaining its founder.

"MONA founder David Walsh says guilt over making millions of dollars as a professional gambler was one of the driving forces behind his decision to set up the internationally famous Hobart gallery.

Mr Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art is now a major tourist drawcard on the Hobart waterfront, drawing visitors from all over the world.

But the gambler-turned-art collector says he built the museum to stop himself feeling guilty for making money without making a mark.

And despite recently revealing plans to open a pokies-free casino for "high-rolling" tourists in Hobart, he says gambling is "mostly immoral".

"I think it's mostly immoral, from the point of view of the service provider," he said.

"I think poker machines are an abomination for the most part. I think one of the most insidious things I have ever seen is this connecting child-minding centres to clubs, which then make it hard to separate out the immorality from the community service."

Mr Walsh reveals his thoughts on gambling in his memoir, A Bone of Fact.

"Like the stockmarkets, when somebody wins, somebody loses," he says about gambling.

"Prior to building MONA, I hadn't done anything for the community to benefit from that I could be proud of."

Rather than business sense, the former professional gambler puts his fortune down to luck.

"The luckiest bit was being born in the first place, having the joy of wandering around aimlessly and getting rich, but I made all sorts of bad decisions," he said.

"I dropped out of uni and became a professional gambler.

"How many people who drop out of uni do OK?  Quite a few. How many who drop out to become professional gamblers do OK?  I don't know of too many." 

One of Mr Walsh's only full-time jobs was for the tax office, where he would often go straight from a night at the casino to work.

"It was probably the most fun I ever had. But I suspect I wasn't the greatest tax officer that was ever employed by them. That only lasted three or five months," he said.

"I remember betting $100.. at a hand of blackjack and I remember thinking it was $1 more than I earned in a week, so I think I was being paid $99 a week."

Years on, the art collector now has "a gallery of concrete philosophies", as he describes the museum.

"The response to MONA has been overwhelming, and I didn't expect it to be," he said.

The critical acclaim and popularity do not mean the museum runs at a profit, however.

"It costs something over $10 million a year to run and the income is something like $4 million," Mr Walsh said.

"This is the exact opposite of your standard business plan - I built something and now I'm trying to work out how to make it work, rather than working out how to make it work before it's built.

"There's a myth that I have some deep knowledge. I have some skills, and if you do something for 35 years, you get reasonably good at it, but even in my class at uni, there were people who were a lot more skilled than me and they're probably doing a lot more worthwhile things than me."

Mr Walsh says despite the way he makes his living now, he won't be called "an art wanker".

"There's a call and response for some of the academic art community that isn't about establishing a knowledge base," he said.

"It's about establishing the likelihood of securing tenure, it's about promotion in the system, and quite often it becomes a mechanism for concealing rather than revealing.

Salamanca Place consists of rows of sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses for the port of Hobart Town that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries, craft shops and offices. It was named after the victory in 1812 of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Salamanca in the Spanish province of Salamanca. 

Once the stomping ground for sailors, whalers and workmen, Salamanca Place in Hobart is now home to a vibrant cultural scene. Pop into warehouse art galleries, theatres, cafés and bars, and pick up boutique jewellery and one-off fashion pieces. Visit on a Saturday and mingle with locals and tourists at the bustling Salamanca Market, or pull up a seat in one of the stylish cafés – the perfect post from which to people-watch.

The converted sandstone warehouses line the market square.

The art center hosts a variety of galleries, a theater and workshops.

Inside one of the galleries at Salamanca Place.

Queen Mary visited the bustling market and did a spot of shopping on her visit to Hobart.

The Salamanca market is well known for its variety of fine arts and crafts and is the perfect place to pick up some quality souvenirs.

It's also a popular after dark meeting place for both visitors and locals where many a yarn (story) is shared over a glass of wine or beer.

Step back in history as you explore one of Hobart’s oldest suburbs. From Salamanca Place, climb Kelly’s Steps and wander along Battery Point’s quaint and quiet streets, past Georgian cottages and grand colonial mansions, soaking up the village atmosphere. 

Discover more about local history at Narryna Heritage Museum or the Military Museum of Tasmania. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants along the route at which to enjoy a reviving coffee or meal. Looping back you may wish to explore Sullivan’s Cove, the protected anchorage for the local fishing fleet, yachts competing in the annual Sydney to Hobart race and Antarctic supply vessels.

The oldest suburb, Battery point, is now a mix of modern and traditional buildings making for a very interesting architectural walking tour.

Stop off at the Jackman & McRoss cafe a Hobart institution located in the historic Battery Point where bread, pastries and cakes are baked on the premises.

The historic Kelly steps leading to the Battery Point historic village center which connects the historic suburb to Salamanca Place.

Fusiliers Cottage built around 1840 by Angus McLeod of the Royal Scottish Fusiliers regiment is full of history.

Step back into the 19th century at Narryna Herritage Museum where Narryna House and Garden offer a delightful retreat from the modern world.

Wellington Park and the majestic summit of Kunanyi / Mt Wellington at it's center, contain a wealth of wilderness right on Hobart's doorstep. Only in Tasmania would you find so much wilderness and natural beauty so close to the city - 40,000 acres of it just a 20-minute drive away.

From the city side, majestic kunanyi / Mount Wellington is the star - dominating the scene, feeding the waterways that flow down to the harbour and supplying some of the freshest drinking water in the world. Beside Mt Wellington are the mountains of Sleeping Beauty, Collins Cap and Cathedral Rock.

The extraordinary scale of Mt Wellington/Kunyani as seen from the beach.

View of the city and harbor from the summit.

The diversity of plant and animal life reflects the many micro-climates that exist in the park's perimeter. A total of 500 native plant species live here, including many endemic Tasmanian plants. A diverse range of fauna also call the park home, including dozens of bird species and a long list of ground animals including potoroos, pademelons, bettongs, bandicoots, possums, platypus and echidna.

There are many ways to enjoy the beautiful natural features of the park, including walking tracks that lead into the park from the city and suburbs. Walks range from easy strolls to tough climbs through cool forests and past springs, cascades, waterfalls and the soaring dolerite columns of the Organ Pipes. The cliffs here are also perfect for rock climbing and abseiling.

One of numerous walking tracks through the lush forest where plant, animal and bird life can be seen.

There are hikes and climbs for all abilities, for the very daring abseiling the "Organ Pipes' rock formation is a must.

It's easy to see how this fascinating rock formation was given its name, the 'Organ Pipes'. 

The historic Pipeline Track is a well-known longer walk, as is the Wellington Range for horse riders and mountain bikers. Historic huts are dotted throughout the park for rest stops and picnics along the way.

The 13-mile drive to the summit passes through temperate rainforest to sub-alpine flora and glacial rock formations, and ends with panoramic views of Hobart, Bruny Island, the D'Entrecasteux Channel and into the South West Wilderness.

Refuel for the rest of the hike to the summit at the Springs with a coffee from the container cafe "Lost Freight'.

The pipeline track is the longer climb suitable for horse riding, mountain biking and serious hikers alike.

The summit features a landscape of sub-alpine flora and lichen-encrusted boulders and is regularly snow-capped during the colder months. Below the summit at the Springs, visitors will find picnic facilities, refreshments, and access to walking tracks and more beautiful scenery.

There are also plenty of easily accessible parks and reserves nearby, including Fern Tree Park and Waterworks Reserve.

View of the summit with the bay below.

The organ pipes provide an amazing backdrop for scenic photos.