Sydney Return

Having already taken in the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge, take a cultural journey around one of Sydney’s most iconic areas – The Rocks. The Rocks Dreaming Tour will give you a whole new perspective of Sydney and how this billion-year old harbour has shaped Indigenous culture. During the 90 minute walk you’ll find out what ‘Dreamtime’ means. Go ‘walkabout’ around the harbour and discover more about the culture of one of the most ancient humans on the planet.

The drive from Sydney to Canberra is picturesque, with a worthwhile detour taking you through the Southern Highlands featuring a number of small towns with historic interest. Sutton Forest will be the perfect pit-stop to stretch your legs and have a picnic lunch. Swing by Goulburn and send us a photo with the Big Merino Ram; before heading into Canberra.

If you have some time, you’ll want to spend an extra day or two exploring Canberra. Australia’s Capital City is home to many national treasures: New & Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, Questacon - the National Science and Technology Centre, the National Gallery of Australia, Lake Burley Griffin and so much more. 

You’ll quickly realise Australia’s obsession with oversized things continues when you reach Wodonga and check out the ‘World’s Largest Rolling Pin’ while you’re enjoying a pie at Henri’s Bakery. 

Heading towards Melbourne you’ll want to make a pit-stop in Glenrowan. The infamous Ned Kelly casts a(nother) giant shadow over the town. Glenrowan is most famous for being where bushranger Ned Kelly made his last stand and was eventually captured.

Melbourne is another place you’ll want to spend an extra few days if you have the time. Australia’s second largest city has been dubbed the most liveable city in the world for the past four years and it’s easy to see why. Grab a bike and join the locals for a jaunt around the city, go shopping, enjoy a coffee or visit an art gallery. Melbourne’s night life is second to none, with lots of cool lane-way bars and trendy food places you’ll have trouble picking where to go first! 

A relaxed drive from Melbourne to the Grampians will take you around three hours, however if you have a little more time to spare – it’s worth taking the longer touring route and also visiting the Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles. This touring route will bring you to the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, which sits inside the crater of a dormant volcano. Worn Gundidj guided tours teach you about Aboriginal culture and history and provides a truly unique eco-tourism experience on the Great Ocean Road. The Grampians National Park is internationally renowned for its walks, abundant wildlife, waterfalls, rugged rock formations and spectacular views. It is also a place rich in Dreaming stories, sacred sites, bush tucker, water and shelter. The Brambuk Cultural Centre brings to life the history and culture of the Aboriginal people of Western Victoria and allows visitors to experience and view the Dreamtime creation story of the area, learn about Australia's first peoples, and take part in a wide range of cultural activities.

Spend the morning exploring some of the great walks around the Grampians, before heading off for Hopetoun. 

Located on Lake Coorong, you’ll be able to spend the day relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. Nearby you’ll find one of Australia’s most fascinating national parks – Wyperfeld. The central feature of this huge park is a chain of lake beds connected by Outlet Creek, the northern extension of the Wimmera River.

Located on the renowned Murray River, Mildura receives 122 days of sunshine each year. Home to Australias only inland Surf Life Saving Club, you’ll be able to make the most of the sunshine and take a dip off Apex Beach. Darling River, Australia’s largest river, meets the Murray in Mildura, making it the perfect place to explore by water.

You’ll also have the opportunity to journey through the World Heritage listed Mungo National Park where remarkable archaeological finds point to human occupation of Aboriginal people dating back over 40,000 years. Harry Nanya Tours will pick you up in Mildura or Wentworth to enjoy a scenic tour through the Willandra Lakes region to the red sand plains of Mungo National Park.

Crossing over the border from Victoria to New South Wales, you’ll enjoy Australia’s outback. Look out for all kinds of wildlife throughout the journey. As they can be unpredictable, so it’s best to watch them from a safe distance.

Broken Hill is an isolated town, with an interesting mining history for you to discover. While you’re in town, Mutawintji Eco Tours operates small group tours to Mutawintji National Park and other areas of cultural and ecological significance. You will visit the Cultural Centre to learn about the creation of Mutawintji in the Dreamtime and listen to the audio-visual story of Kullawarra. Interpretive bush walks follow this to both the rock engravings and the hand stencils galleries, which serve as reminders of the many centuries of Aboriginal occupation of the area.

Once you’ve finished sitting on Broken Hill’s Giant Bench you’ll realise just how much Australia adores its oversized novelties, one can be found in almost every town. Make the most of your rest stops as you can expect a long day of outback driving before reaching Cobar.

It’ll become evident very quickly just how vast, yet beautiful and wild the Australian outback is and we guarantee you’ll fall in love with it. 

Once you get to Cobar, you can enjoy a can of beer under a giant can of beer! Be sure to check out Fort Bourke Lookout. The lookout gives spectacular views over a working gold mine! 

Enjoy sleeping under a star-drenched sky at one of Dubbo’s many holiday parks. The parks are friendly, affordable and brimming with extras. A favourite with families and free spirits alike, this is a great way to meet fellow travellers and enjoy some of the most scenic spots in the city.
Dubbo, also known as the city of smiles, blends both rural and urban to provide you with the best of both worlds. You’ll be surprised by all the fun-filled activities you and your family will be able to get up to.

There’s the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, the old Dubbo gaol, the Western Plains Cultural Centre and so much more. If you enjoy a bit more of a challenge you can even try out the new BMX track in the city’s skate park.

If you love country music you won’t want to miss Tamworth. The home of country music in Australia, Tamworth is host to the largest annual country music festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

Thousands of visitors cram into the streets of Tamworth each January to attend free outdoor concerts headlined by country music’s biggest names. The main street turned over to pedestrians to enjoy hundreds of buskers and market stallholders, and opportunities to get up close and personal with performers. The Golden Guitar Awards, are also held during this week when you might see stars strutting up the red carpet. 
Have your photo taken under the big golden guitar or check out the gallery of stars wax museum, Tamworth is the Hollywood of the west.

Country music not really your thing? There’s plenty more experiences for you to immerse yourself in while you’re visiting the region. 

Back to the ‘big smoke’. Newcastle is a coastal town and the second most populated city in Sydney. Only two hours from Sydney, there are 8 beaches close by for you to check out. Newcastle’s harbour is home to coal ships, freight ships, fishing boats, ferries, yachts, kayaks and private vessels, making for chaotic but exciting viewing.

When you’ve finished swimming with the dolphins and exploring Nelson Bay and Port Stephens learn about culture, bush tucker, dig for fresh water and see one of the many Aboriginal Midden sites on the beach, all whilst riding a 400cc quad bike…culture and adventure at its best! Sand Dune Adventures offers a quad bike riding experience like no other. Experience the magnificence of the Worimi Sand Dunes on Stockton Beach, riding from bush to beach with expert Indigenous guides. 

Heading back to Sydney you’ll drive past the famous Palm Beach, also known as Summer Bay! That’s right, where the one and only Home and Away is filmed. If you’re a fan you might want to stop and walk down the 2km long beach and take a few snaps of yourself in ‘Summer Bay’.

If you’re impressed by Sydney – don’t just hang around the city, it’s definitely worth doing a couple of day trips to places like the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley or Jenolan Caves.