Sydney
Day 1 Departure from US
Day 2 Arrival Sydney
Day 3 Sydney
Day 4 Sydney
Following the flight we will stay three nights in the largest city of the country. You will have enough time to explore this colorful metropolis from our centrally located hotel. Sydney is the largest city on the continent with almost four million inhabitants. The symbol of the city and of Australia, the opera house at the bright blue water of the harbor, is one of the most remarkable structures in the world with its shining sail-like roofs and splendid location. From here you will have a magnificent view of the famous Harbor Bridge. The best and most exciting way by far to become familiar with this bridge is to climb it. Tied to a cable and dressed in a “bridge-outfit” camouflage in order not to distract the drivers below, those who dare may enjoy a breathtaking view of the harbor and the city. In Darling Harbor at the quiet water of the Cockle Bay you will find numerous restaurants, gardens, parks and cafes. Here you may end your day very nicely with a view of the Sydney Skyline in the sunset. From the 1000 Feet high Sydney Tower you will have a fantastic view of the cosmopolitan center of the city and when it is really clear you can even see the Blue Mountains. You may also wish to take a break from city life and visit the Toronga Zoo, the best place to meet the native animals and a large collection of exotic species.
Blue Mountains
Day 5 Sydney – Blue Mountains
Day 6 Blue Mountains – Abercrombie Caves – Canberra
From Sydney we will drive through a vast hilly landscape to Blue Mountains National Park. This region belongs to the Great Dividing Range and consists of gigantic sandstone plateaus with more than 600 different kinds of Eucalyptus trees. On warm days the Eucalyptus oils evaporate from the trees due to the heat that causes a fine mist above the region, hence the name of the national park. Your sturdy walking shoes will surely come in handy during the walking tours. Of course you may also enjoy the Blue Mountains from the nearby outlook point and pick up the scent of Eucalyptus from an attractive outdoor café.
From the Blue Mountains we will drive via Abercrombie Caves to the capital of Canberra.
Canberra, Beechworth
Day 7 Canberra – Beechworth
Day 8 Beechworth – Melbourne
Canberra is a “planned” city, rich with wide lanes, green parks and beautiful monumental buildings. The high-situated Parliament House is the most famous building. It will take us about four hours to drive to the old gold miner’s town of Beechworth in the beautiful Ovens Valley. In this small town, where many buildings have been conserved from the Gold Rush, you can imagine that you are back in the gold rush years and the still dominating gold fever may catch you. The mountainous surroundings of Beechworth are excellent for some nice hiking, for example to one of the nearby waterfalls. After lunch we will leave for the metropolis of Melbourne, where we will arrive at the end of the afternoon.
Melbourne
Day 9 Melbourne
Day 10 Melbourne – Warrnambool
Day 11 Warrnambool – Robe
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia with more than three million inhabitants, but most Aussies feel as though Melbourne is number one. You won’t be bored for a minute in Melbourne. Within walking distance from the hotel are numerous museums, restaurants and parks. A very unusual sight is the daily penguin parade on Philip Island, when many penguins come ashore and waddle to their nests on the beach.
After Melbourne we will follow the Great Ocean Road along the rugged coast that is battered day after day by the mighty waves of the ocean. Impressive rock formations have originated from the constant violence of the water, the most famous being the Twelve Apostles. On the way we will take a hike in the Tower Hill State Game Reserve. This protected region consists of an old densely overgrown crater where we are almost sure to see koalas. Emus and kangaroos are also prevalent here. We will spend the night along the Great Ocean Road in Warrnambool and Robe.
Adelaide
Day 12 Robe - Adelaide
Day 13 Adelaide
From Robe it will take about five hours to drive to Adelaide. This may be longer if we get delayed in the wine region of Barossa Valley. Usually the tour guide will suggest taking advantage of the opportunity to taste wine in one of many wine houses that are in this region. Adelaide has about one million inhabitants and is the capital of South Australia. Beach enthusiasts may take the historical tram from the center to the popular beach of Glenelg. Especially in the summer months the blue water of the Indian Ocean is very tempting.
Flinders Ranges, William Creek
Day 14 Adelaide – Flinders Ranges
Day 15 Flinders Ranges – William Creek
We will leave Adelaide and continue northwards over the Oodnadatta Track into the dry outback. After some hours of driving the mountains of the Flinders Ranges will appear suddenly on the horizon. We will set up our tents a stone’s throw away from Wilpena Pound, an enormous natural amphitheater in the middle of this mountainous region. There are several marked hiking tours of various categories of difficulty and you may determine which tour you wish to take. Late in the afternoon we will arrive at William Creek, the tiniest settlement of Australia. The only (and therefore most important) building in William Creek is the pub. Please, do pay attention not to pitch your tent too far away, because there are also small planes that land here to get fuel.
Coober Pedy
Day 16 William Creek – Coober Pedy
On the way to Coober Pedy we will pass the “dingo fence,” a 5,965 Mile-long fence straight through the country to prevent the spread of the dingo, the Australian wild dog. North of the fence the dingo is a protected animal and south of it the farmers shoot them to protect their sheep. The emptiness and desolation of this vast region is fascinating. The name of Coober Pedy, which means “white man in a hole” in Aboriginal, originates from the many adventurers that came here to find the valuable opal. Due to the extreme climate (in summertime temperatures may rise to 113 degrees Fahrenheit) most daily life happens underground. Homes, stores, hotels, museums and a church are cut in the rocks. Needless to say we will follow the example of the local population and spend the night in a simple rock hotel. Sanitary facilities will be shared and it is possible that you will share a room with two or three fellow travelers.
Ayers Rock
Day 17 Coober Pedy – Kings Canyon
Day 18 Kings Canyon – Ayers Rock
Day 19 Ayers Rock
Day 20 Ayers Rock – Alice Springs, Train to Katherine
From Coober Pedy we drive for seven hours through beautiful landscapes to Kings Canyon, where we spend the night. The next morning we start early with a walk through the spectacular cliffs of Kings Canyon. Next we drive to Yulara Village, the campground located about 12 miles from Ayers Rock. This is a modern complex with, among other things, a nice campground with good facilities including a swimming pool, stores and places of entertainment. Uluru, or Ayers Rock, the largest monolith in the world, has become Australia’s symbol. The colossus draws many visitors for a good reason. Sunrise and sunset are favorites: that’s when you will see the rock change into a deep red color. We will have enough time for a walk around Uluru. About a half hour drive away are the Olgas, imposing rocks called Kata Tjuta by the Aborigines. The largest Olga reaches 1,791 Feet and is therefore even higher than Ayers Rock. You will experience the magnitude of the rock formations during a hike through the deep gorges in between the Olgas. With some luck a little rock wallaby may cross your path. The next day we will drive to Alice Springs in about four hours. From there we will travel by the most famous Australian train, the Ghan, in comfortable seats. We will reach Katherine in about sixteen hours.
Kakadu
Day 21 Katherine – Kakadu NP
Day 22 Kakadu - Darwin
Day 23 Darwin
From Katharine we will continue to Kakadu, one of the most beautiful national parks of the continent. The varied landscape includes parts of rainforest, swamp-like regions with mangrove woods, and sandstone plateaus where waterfalls plunge down. The best way to view the rich animal and plant life up-close is by an optional boat tour. Besides the versatile flora and fauna you can see Aboriginal rock paintings, some of which are thousands of years old. We will set up our tents near Cooinda by the Yellow Water Wetlands, famous for its beautiful sunsets.
Darwin
Day 24 Darwin, Flight to Cairns
The tropical city of Darwin, with about 75,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in the north of Australia. The history of this capital of the Northern Territory has some serious misfortunes. Japanese bombardments in the Second World War and a cyclone on Christmas Day of 1974 destroyed large parts of the city. The city was redesigned after this natural disaster and now looks very modern. From our centrally located hotel you may explore the city by foot. You really should take a walk to the harbor, where mangrove swamps surround the turquoise blue water. The place is swarming with fresh-water crocodiles as well as salt-water crocodiles; so do be aware of that if you decide to go swimming at one of the beaches.
A three-hour flight will take us from Darwin to Cairns.
Cairns
Day 25 Cairns, excursion Cape Tribulation
Day 26 Cairns
Day 27 Cairns
Day 28 Cairns – Arrive USA
Cairns, a modern city with 80,000 inhabitants, is the most important starting point for the northern islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Besides snorkeling and diving you may also go on nice excursions on land, such as a trip on the Kuranda railroad or a rafting trip. We will pay a visit to the beautiful Cape Tribulation National Park, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. A large part of the jungle is practically impenetrable. When you take a tour on the virgin Daintree River you will not only get a fascinating view of the rainforest and mangrove woods, but you will also be able to observe all kinds of animals, such as crocodiles, birds, bats, tree snakes, butterflies and frogs. From Cairns we will fly back to the United States.
