Family Fun

Get underway with two days in Sydney. Sydney and its beaches are a magnet for families who like to get active in the great outdoors, but without sacrificing the comfort and convenience of all that a cosmopolitan city has to offer.

From Sydney you will venture south to Australia’s only island state, Tasmania. Tasmania is a land of dramatic coastlines, rugged mountains, tall forests and sparkling highland lakes. Join Craig and Janine Williams who provide luxury Tasmanian wilderness, wildlife and gourmet bush tucker encounters for visitors seeking an authentic Tasmanian experience.

A trip to Eyre Peninsula focuses around the incredible rich marine life of Southern Australia. Swim with sea lions, dolphins and the mighty Southern Blue Fin tuna.

A brief sojourn in Adelaide is followed by a journey up north to Bullo River Station. Fish for Barramundi, cruise the numerous waterways to catch a sight of the salt water crocodiles or take a scenic flight in the helicopter to the waterholes.

From the station you will head back up to Darwin for a night to explore this tropical city at your leisure before continuing on to Port Douglas, in North Queensland.

Peppers Balé Resort in Port Douglas offers absolute privacy. The Balinese pavilion-style architecture blends indoor and outdoor areas effortlessly for the ultimate in tropical luxury. Exploring the coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and the mysteries of the Daintree Rainforest will be a memorable finish to your great Australian family fun adventure.

Travel Period:
This Itinerary can be taken all year round, however we strongly recommend May to October when the weather is perfect in the Northern region of Australia.
Please note: Bullo River Station is closed from1st November to 1st March

Destinations :
Starts Sydney-
2 nights Park Hyatt Sydney
3 nights Peppers Seaport Hotel, Tasmania
3 nights private beach house, Coffin Bay, Eyre Peninsula
1 night Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, Adelaide
3 nights Bullo River Station, Northern territory
1 night Mantra on the Esplanade, Darwin
3 nights Peppers Balé Resort, Tropical North Queensland

Designed for :
Families

Inclusions :
2 Nights Park Hyatt Sydney, Sydney Airport transfers, Sydney full day private tour, 3 Nights Peppers Seaport Hotel including selected meals & beverages and 2 full days private touring, 3nights Private Beach House in Coffin Bay including all meals & selected beverages,2 full days private touring, Tuna swim( shared basis), return scheduled flights between Adelaide & port Lincoln, return private transfers between Adelaide airport and city accommodation, 1 Night Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, 3 Nights Bullo River Station including all meals & selected beverages, 1 hour of Helicopter Hire, private return air charters between Darwin & Bullo River Station, 1 Night Mantra on the Esplanade, Darwin airport transfers,3 nights Peppers Bale Resort, return private transfers between Cairns airport and Port Douglas accommodation, 1 full day Outer Reef Cruise and Snorkeling Tour (share tour), 1 full day Private Safari in Daintree Rainforest.

Retail Cost :
Prices start from;
$13982.00 per person based on 2 Adults/2 children travelling together (double or twin share accommodation)
Based on low season rates (terms and conditions apply)

For a full detailed Itinerary please email our Travel Designers – info@outbackencounter.com

 

Day 1 – Day 3 Park Hyatt Sydney, for 2 nights
• Met on arrival at Sydney Airport for private transfer to Park Hyatt
• 2 nights Park Hyatt Sydney –1 x Opera Room & 1 x Opera Deluxe Room
• 1 full day of private touring

The Park Hyatt Sydney has an outstanding reputation as one of the best hotels in Sydney, and is uniquely positioned on the very edge of Sydney Harbour, with spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge above and the Opera House. The boutique hotel is renowned for having the largest hotel rooms in Sydney with luxury amenities and private balconies taking in unobstructed views of the harbour.

Families can explore The Rocks interesting buildings, shops, bars, restaurants and weekend markets easily on foot.

Your private family day of touring begins at North Head, one of Sydney's best kept secrets, to take in the magnificent view of the Harbour, then on to Manly, where you are able to participate in your own private surf lesson on this iconic beach. Learn the basics on the sand as you gain experience and confidence of how to safely get up onto your first wave. Then it's off into the ocean, where you'll be amazed at how easy, safe and enjoyable it can be to learn to surf.

After taking in some sights after your surfing lesson you will board a ferry and travel across Pittwater to arrive at the Basin National Park. Containing secluded beaches, picnic areas and local wildlife, this will be the perfect location to enjoy a seafood BBQ lunch.

After lunch you may wish to try your hand at a game of beach cricket, grab a fishing rod and see what luck you have with the fish, or simply take a relaxing swim in the sea.

 

Day 3 – Day 6 Pepperbush Adventures, Tasmania, for 3 nights
• Private transfer Park Hyatt to Sydney Airport
• Flight: Sydney to Launceston (not included in cost)
• Met at Launceston Airport by your private guide for transfer to Accommodation
• 3 nights Peppers Seaport Hotel – 2 x Riverview Suites
• 2 full days private touring

You will be met on arrival into Launceston Airport in the mid afternoon for a transfer and brief visit to Joseph Chromy Vineyard en route to your accommodation. Dinner this evening will be in the local Silt Restaurant.

Your first day of touring begins by gliding across the treetops in a unique canopy tour. This fantastic adventure lasts 3 hours and is unlike any other Australian nature experience. You will glide along wires attached by harnesses with highly-trained guides and includes cable spans of between 15 and 371 metres, connected by tree platforms called ‘cloud stations’. This award winning adventure showcases the forest and its ecology in a new light and allows you to learn about the ancient and vibrant Tasmanian forests and wildlife.

After the adventures of the morning, the afternoon takes on a different pace allowing you to enjoy a private gourmet wilderness & wildlife tour. Stand amongst the forest giants at Tombstone Creek Forest Reserve and experience a gourmet campfire dinner under the stars with a glass of Tasmanian pinot while waiting for a captivating encounter with some of Tasmania’s unique and endearing wildlife species. Wildlife species you may encounter are eastern quoll, possums, wombats, wallaby, bettong, bandicoot and Tasmanian devil.

Depart Launceston on your second day of private touring and travel to Chudleigh to visit the Honey Farm and taste over 50 flavours of Tasmanian honey, prior to taking the short drive to Trowunna Wildlife Park for a private tour of the facility to personally cuddle a Koala, pat a Wombat, and hand feed Wallabies and Kangaroos. From Trowunna travel to the Tamar Valley for your lunch destination, the Strathlynn Restaurant, at the Ninth Island Vineyard, which offers one of the finest dining experiences on the Island. Chef Daniel Alp presents a menu based on seasonal produce. The excellent cuisine and wine is matched by a sensational view of the Tamar River. After lunch venture further up the Tamar River to Beauty Point to visit Platypus House, where you are able to watch and learn the secrets of the astonishing egg-laying mammals along with their spiny relatives, the Echidna.

 

Day 6 – Day 9 Australian Coastal Safaris, Eyre Peninsula for 3 nights
• Private transfer Peppers Seaport Hotel to Launceston Airport
• Flight: Launceston to Adelaide (not included in cost)
• Scheduled flight Adelaide to Port Lincoln Airport
• Met on arrival at Port Lincoln Airport by your private guide
• 3 nights Private beach House, Coffin Bay
• 2 full days private touring including Tuna swim (share basis)

Your private guide, David Doudle – a born and bred local, will begin your tour via the township of Port Lincoln, the seafood capital of Australia. You will board your boat for a short steam to a farmed tuna cape located in the glistening Boston Bay (3 times the size of Sydney Harbour). Be one of the elite who have swum with, fed and photographed these "blue rockets", the mighty Southern Blue Fin Tuna - a magnificent beginning to your coastal encounter.

From here continue onto one of the most stunning estuaries in Australia and home to some of the nation's finest oysters - Coffin Bay - your home for the duration. Settle into your private waterfront apartment as an array of the freshest and most succulent seafood is prepared for you, whilst watching the sun set behind the pristine waters of the bay.

Over the next few days you will have the opportunity to visit a commercial oyster lease and taste the delicious fare of fresh shucked oysters, straight from the ocean. The estuaries contain interlocking marine lagoons, peninsulas, limestone cliffs and sandy bays; a beach- comber’s paradise. Take the short drive north to Point Drummond where you can embark on a host of activities as you wish. If you are feeling active you may choose to sandboard on some towering sand dunes, snorkel amongst the safe and clear rock pools, or hit the waves and body surf in the clear waters of the Great Southern Ocean.

A full day with Alan and Trish Payne's Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experiences is a highlight of your time here. The headline act is swimming with the sea lions off Jones Island, just a very short steam aboard the boat, The Investigator.

Experience sea lions in their natural environment; fast, agile and playful, they thrive on the interaction of humans. There are only 2 places on earth where you are able to swim with wild sea lions; the Galapagos Islands and here. Further out in the bay you have the chance to swim with the resident dolphins. Powerful and lightening fast, these animals often come so close that you can hear their high pitch chatter.

 

Day 9 – Day 10 Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, Adelaide for 1 night
• Private transfer from accommodation to Port Lincoln Airport
• Scheduled flight Port Lincoln to Adelaide
• Met on arrival for private transfer from Adelaide Airport to Accommodation
• 1 night Majestic Roof Garden Hotel – 2 x Executive Deluxe Rooms
• No activities have been included during your stay in Adelaide

A brief layover in Adelaide gives you some time to explore the state's well stocked library, Museum, Art Gallery or the Migration Museum which are all around the corner on North Terrace and are the first stop on your cultural experience of South Australia. On the eastern end of North Terrace, you will find the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The magnificent Bicentennial Conservatory houses a tropical rainforest and is the largest glasshouse in the Southern Hemisphere.

Or you might like to visit the only Pandas in Australia, Wang Wang and Funi, at the Adelaide Zoo. Adelaide Zoo is owned and operated by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia and is the only major metropolitan Zoo in Australia to be owned and operated by a not for profit organisation.

Day 10 – Day 13 Bullo River Station, Northern Territory for 3 nights
• Private transfer from Majestic Roof Garden Hotel to Adelaide airport
• Private Charter flight from Darwin Airport to Bullo River Station
• Flight: Adelaide to Darwin (not included in cost)
• 3 nights’ Bullo River Station - 2 x Standard Rooms
• Inclusive of meals, wine and beer with meals, station activities and one hour of helicopter flying

As guests of Franz & Marlee Ranacher explore life on a truly remote outback station. Bullo River Station is a top end cattle station (ranch) from the classic mould - half a million acres of grassy plains with 8000 Brahman- cross cattle and many more wallabies, brown rivers where crocodiles lurk on the muddy banks, rugged hills inscribed with Aboriginal rock art, termite mounds, boab trees, stock horses and wild buffalo.

Guest accommodation is in a separate wing near the homestead, comprising 12 double rooms with en-suite bathrooms off one central corridor. The decor is simple - cool, tiled floors and indigenous art on the walls.

Dinners are informal and the menu relies heavily on the two exceptional products of the property, namely fresh barramundi and organic prime beef.

There are a multitude of activities to enjoy on the property including fishing for Barramundi, tours of Aboriginal art sites, cruise down the Gorge by boat, bushwalking, mustering cattle in season or bird and wildlife watching.

The best way to view Bullo River Station is from the air. Station Owner Franz Ranacher, a pilot and keen photographer, takes guests in the Station's helicopter over the massive Victoria River, the property's eastern border and the geographical edge of the Kimberley region. A one hour flight is included in your package and a highlight of a stay at Bullo River Station.

 

Day 13 – Day 14 Mantra on the Esplanade, Darwin, for 1 night
• Private charter flight Bullo River Station to Darwin Airport
• Private transfer from Darwin Airport to Mantra on the Esplanade
• 1 night Mantra on the Esplanade – 1 x 2 Bedroom Harbour View Apartment
• No activities have been included during your stay in Darwin.

Darwin is the capital city of Northern Territory and sits on a natural harbour twice the size of Sydney's. It is famous in Australia for its laid back lifestyle.

Situated on The Esplanade, Mantra on the Esplanade overlooks Darwin Harbour to the Arafura Sea.

Today you have the afternoon at leisure to explore Darwin.

If you are visiting Darwin in the dry season on either a Thursday or Sunday, be sure to visit the Mindil Beach markets.

The market boasts up to 60 food stalls featuring cuisine from Turkey, Greece, Sri Lanka, South America, North Africa, India and all over South East Asia. Enjoy a picnic dinner on the beach whilst experiencing a spectacular tropical sunset. Afterwards, take time to look around the stalls which include masseurs, tarot readers, leatherworkers, artists, tailors and jewellers. While browsing, listen to the free live street theatre, magicians and an array of local and international buskers.

If you are interested in Aboriginal Art perhaps stop by a few of the galleries in the city that stock indigenous art from over the Top End, like Maningrida Arts & Culture or Karen Brown Gallery. At the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory view the collections of Australian arts and Aboriginal art and craft.

 

Day 14 – Day 17 Peppers Balé Resort, Port Douglas for 3 nights
• Private transfer from Mantra on the Esplanade to Darwin Airport
• Flight: Darwin to Cairns (not included in cost)
• Private transfer from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas
• 3 nights Peppers Balé resort in 1 x 2 Bedroom Sanctuary
• 2 full days touring

The seaside township of Port Douglas is located a very scenic 45 minute drive north of Cairns and offers a great range of restaurants, activities and holiday shopping. For beachcombers, four mile beach is a great place for an early morning or evening stroll.

Incorporating Balinese influences, Peppers Balé Resort has been designed with the direction of the sun and prevailing breeze in mind. Each Balé Sanctuary is an intimate living space that offers absolute privacy where the Balinese pavilion-style architecture blends indoor and outdoor areas effortlessly for the ultimate in tropical relaxation.

No visit to Far North Queensland would be complete without a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. Your full day tour takes you to three spectacular sites on the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs. Coral thrives in this clear water, creating spectacular gardens and a huge variety of marine life. Snorkeling is the easiest way to enjoy the variety of fragile corals and fish life found in the shallow lagoons and your snorkeling advisor will teach you snorkeling techniques and deliver a well researched and informative talk on the biology and history of the reef.

A full day private safari to the west of Port Douglas begins walking through a private rainforest with a renowned local naturalist who has over 24 years guiding experience in the Wet Tropics. Normally shy marsupials and birds emerge from their natural habitat to greet you – an amazing experience! You will all continue on to the World Heritage listed Mount Lewis National Park for lunch served beside the convergence of two streams in World Heritage rainforest.

The afternoon is a total contrast in both eco-systems and wildlife as you travel further west into the dry eucalypt forest of the Australian Outback. The tour vehicle is a modern, comfortable 4 wheel drive Toyota Landcruiser, well suited for your escape off the beaten track into areas not visited by mainstream tourism.

A memorable finish to a family fun filled Australian adventure.

For a full detailed Itinerary please email our Travel Designers – info@outbackencounter.com