Grand Australia and New Zealand-March 17 - side trips? Penguins, Blue Mountains
Hi, wondering if there are any other people on here on this trip? After reading through the forum, we’re debating options for our time in Melbourne and Sydney. I’d love to get feedback from past travelers on whether squeezing in an evening tour of Phillip Island (penguins) would be a good idea.
Also, we’re debating skipping the Rocks morning tour and opting for a day trip to the Blue Mountains. Has anyone done that?
Counting the days…
Amy
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Comments
Do the Bridge Walk in Sydney! If you dare.
I was not impressed by my day trip to the Blue Mountains. We spent part of the day at an animal park, which did not interest me at all. So read through your options carefully and make sure that you are doing what appeals to you.
Consider a seaplane ride around the greater Sydney area with lunch at the Cottage Point Inn at the midpoint of the seaplane ride.
Amy, we took this trip in October. We too had wondered about the Blue Mountains, but after viewing multiple photos and videos, we decided it would not be a good use of our time. I think we are fortunate that in the USA we have amazing national parks, and we were just not sure that the effort to get out there would give us a different enough experience to justify the time. We did do the Rocks tour, which was enjoyable, and went to the Hyde Park Barracks, a UNESCO site. An excellent experience. We did not do the bridge climb but did walk along the bridge, for as long as we could stand the wind.
The Phillip Island penguins, however, are delightful. Our Oceania tour included the Moonlit Sanctuary which was rushed, and the animals not very lively. (You will see all the same animals later in the tour). It also included a quick stop at the Nobbies on the coast, which was a waste of time. If you can find a tour or transportation that just goes to the penguins, that would be better. Perhaps the hotel concierge in Melbourne can help. I usually write to them well in advance.
Perhaps because I am a little older, but I really felt like this tour was more exhausting than the prior 10 tours I had been on. Touring for 3 weeks is different than traveling for 3 weeks. You might want to keep that in mind and pace yourself.
We always consider how we might feel after a long long plane ride to the other side of the planet. If we really want to see extra things before the tour, then we go earlier than just the day before. The tour has changed since we went quite some time ago but we found plenty to do right there In Melbourne without the need for long bus rides elsewhere.
I understood when you go to see the penguins, you just watch them parading in/out of the sea at nightfall. I’ve seen penguins all over the world now and they are cute, but to go see them before a long tour for me it would not be worth it. I really like WAN’s point of view.
Here are some penguins we saw in South America a couple of weeks ago.
We were lucky enough to see the Blue Mountains with friends who live there. Spectacular scenery, more beautiful than many places we saw on the Tauck trip. The mountains really are blue due to the eucalyptus trees. They took us to places where a tour bus couldn’t go, paths that led to small overlooks. I wouldn’t suggest taking a large group tour, the area around there is nothing special and it’s a long drive from Sydney (~1.5 hours). But if you could find a private tour with someone who really knows the area, perhaps Tours by Locals, it’s worth the trip.
Yes, this tour is exhausting but also exhilarating. Fit in as much as you can, you may never go back. We went a couple of days early to adjust to the time change, then went back to Sydney at the end for a couple of days. We did the Great Ocean Road with Acadia Tours the day before the Tauck tour began, then the Penguins on Philip Island after the walking tour of Melbourne. Both were fantastic.
Best trip we ever took.