A Family Discovery of Australia

Melbourne sits at the end of Port Phillip Bay, split by the winding Yarra River, with its suburbs reaching out around the shoreline. With handsome Victorian-era architecture, museums, galleries, theatres, green parks, and an innovative art and nightlife scene, this is undoubtedly Australia’s cultural heart. It’s also a city known for a collective obsession with coffee, the aromas of roasting beans fill the air, with hip cafes and delis at every turn, and love of sport, especially Australian rules football, cricket, horse racing and motorsport.

A trip to Phillip Island is a must for nature lovers and those seeking a unique Australian experience. The island is home to a collection of Australian native wildlife including the famous little penguins, fur seals and koalas. Visit a Koala sanctuary, chocolate factory, and the highlight of the trip, at sunset the little penguins - the smallest species of penguin - come out of the surf and return to Summerland Beach. They waddle up to their burrows, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of generations, meandering straight past eager visitors who wait in anticipation for the night’s performance.

Start your day with a fun, relaxing bike ride in the great outdoors. Get your bearings as you explore Melbourne’s vibrant streets, parks, shops, cafes, hidden laneways and multicultural neighbourhoods by bike. Experience real Melbourne hospitality on this leisurely ride with a local guide. It’s the perfect way to start any Melbourne visit.

After a bit of activity, join your guide for a delicious lunch. A fun, city dining hotspot awaits with its culinary delights. To round out the day, your guide will take you on a private driving tour where you will learn more about this sophisticated, yet approachable city.

The city of Sydney on the east coast of Australia is as idyllic is it appears from its instantly recognisable cityscape. It boasts a rich and intriguing history, famous beaches and iconic landmarks, with a diverse and friendly population, all spread around an elaborate shoreline of Port Jackson’s yacht-filled inlets, bays and rivers.

Pubs, markets, modern restaurants, theatres and galleries old and new add an exciting, sophisticated cultural air, while the fine weather and surrounding natural wonders of New South Wales make it a very outdoorsy place, and a great base from which to explore nearby beaches, mountains and national parks.

Take a ferry ride to Taronga Zoo - the most picturesque in the world. Here it’s access-all-areas with a zookeeper-led tour into the enclosures for close-up visits with the Aussie animals. Prepare the food, handle the animals and ask as many questions as you like.

Board your private cruiser for a two hour trip around the Harbour. Enjoy lunch on board as you cruise past the houses of the rich and famous or stop for a dip in a quiet bay. Hop off your boat and head to Bondi for a surfing lesson at Australia’s most famous beach. If surfing isn't mum and dad’s thing, you can leave the kids to ride the waves with an instructor while you go behind the scenes at Australia’s oldest Surf Lifesaving Club or do the famous Cliff Walk. Finish the day with ice cream and people-watching at this iconic Sydney beach.

Enjoy your days in the seaside town of Port Douglas. Known for its beach resorts, its perfectly located to explore both the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforests of Daintree National Park. The town itself has many boutique shops and restaurants and the is popular Four Mile Beach curves south around the bay.

Transfer to Marina Mirage Port Douglas and board your sailing catamaran vessel ready for a full-day cruise to the Low Isles. Relax on the white sandy beaches, snorkel over the coral gardens, enjoy a guided snorkelling tour or perhaps even swim with turtles in their natural habitat.

Travel into the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, one of the most diverse and ecologically unique areas on the planet. The endangered cassowary, a large flightless bird, is often seen in this area. Take a walk along Cape Tribulation Beach or on one of the scenic boardwalks and learn about the diversity of the rainforest.

Enjoy a lunch of local produce and later, visit the Daintree Ice Cream Company where tropical fruits are made into delicious ice creams. Jackfruit, back sapote, passion-fruit and wattleseed are just some of the flavours to savour. Continue on a wildlife-spotting cruise on the Daintree River and keep an eye out for the elusive saltwater crocodile, snakes, rainforest frogs, eagles, birdlife and flying fruit bats while learning more about about this amazing part of Australia.

Then it's on to Cooya Beach where you'll meet your Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat guide, either Linc or Brandon Walker. These brothers delight in showing visitors their traditional hunting areas within the mudflats, mangroves and beach habitats. They’ll teach you their hunting and gathering methods, including spearfishing and mud crabbing techniques.

Enjoy a two-hour personalized private tour of Port Douglas' Wildlife Habitat that lets you interact with Australian animals. Go behind the scenes of the Wildlife Care Centre to meet animals that have been hand-reared by the keepers, enjoy a private reptile presentation and of course the highlight tour is the chance to meet a koala.