Melbourne Family

On arrival into Melbourne you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Later this afternoon you will be collected from the hotel for your half-day city tour of Melbourne. Melbourne is home to lush parkland, beautiful waterways and charming urban suburbs. Renowned for its restaurants, shopping and fashion, Melbourne’s appeal is universal. Your day may include: Bourke Street Mall and tree-lined Collins Street – the ultimate shopping strip and business center; premier examples of Melbourne architectural splendor, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, Princess and Regent Theatres, Melbourne Town Hall and the Royal Exhibition Buildings; the spectacular Royal Botanic Gardens where you can enjoy a Devonshire Tea by the lake; the picturesque Fitzroy Gardens; Captain Cook’s Cottage; and Melbourne’s world-renowned sporting arenas. The rest of the day you are free to continue exploring or just relax!

Depart Melbourne this morning for the Serendip Open Range Sanctuary, where you will immediately be among wild kangaroos and native birds. Your entrance may be heralded by the screeching of Cockatoos or the chattering of Honeyeaters. After a short walk to meet the kangaroos, begin your special Safari Drive around the Sanctuary to see emus and huge wild mobs of kangaroos. You can stop often to enjoy the antics of the animals, and disembark for short walks to the lake (home to large populations of water birds) and through the gum trees. You’ll also visit a protected population of wallabies and get close to some strange Australian birds. Your picnic lunch is served in an open-air setting at the Sanctuary, and includes fruit and cakes, coffee and delicious Australian Billy tea. Your guide will explain the history and recipe for the traditional tea of the Swagmen. Leaving Serendip, travel just a little further west to the bushland of Brisbane Ranges National Park. The park is home to a large and healthy population of wild Koalas, which are researched and monitored to ensure the best possible sightings. Take a very easy walk through the gum trees, searching for koalas, wallabies, kangaroos and birds in their natural setting. Your guide will point out plants and features of interest, explain some of the history of the area and, where possible, introduce you to known, named koalas that are part of their research project.

You will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.