OVERVIEW

Take a full-immersion trip back to Gold Rush days in a town that never left them, and tour a wildlife park where the fauna roams free. This adventurous day begins with a 90-minute drive to the town of Sovereign Hill, a true living museum where the shops, miners’ huts, cottages, hotels and other buildings all carefully replicate the style of the 1850s, when gold dust and nuggets were how you paid your bar bill. Informative displays document daily life in the era and the craft and jewelry shops offer similar goods to those sold during the Rush. Lunch will be served at a popular local eatery before moving on to historic Ballarat – it’s a larger city, full of showy architecture built with the considerable wealth hauled out of the ground after the first strike was discovered nearby in 1851. On a drive through the charming city center, your driver will point out Ballarat’s most notable highlights, including impressive botanical gardens planted along the shore on Lake Wendouree at the peak of the era. Later, on a visit to Ballarat Wildlife Park, you’ll encounter free-roaming kangaroos, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, wombats and other iconic Aussie animals.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach across scenic Victoria terrain to the area where the Gold Rush of the 1850s began.
• Step into a living time capsule in Sovereign Hill, a perfectly recreated gold mining town – right down to the stagecoaches and spittoons.
• Wander period streets, browse period shops, and enjoy lunch served with modern utensils at a popular restaurant.
• Enjoy a guided drive through the historic center of Ballarat, the actual town where the Rush began.
• Visit Ballarat Wildlife Park and stroll among kangaroos, koalas, wombats and other native Aussie fauna.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy two vastly different guided tours through Werribee Zoo – one featuring indigenous Australian animals, the other focused on animals that roam the African savannah. The zoo provides an open-range environment that emulates a variety of habitats that allow the animals to live freely as if they were in the wild. As you follow the trail through the outback, you may spot iconic Australian creatures such as kangaroos, koalas, Tammar wallabies and emus, flightless birds that can run up to 30 miles per hour. After a cup of tea and fresh-baked scones in the zoo’s historical bluestone shearing shed, you will board an open-sided safari train and ride through the savannah. Elands, nyalas waterbucks and other antelopes are plentiful, but you can also expect to see rarer animals that are extinct in the wild. They include scimitar-horned oryxes and stocky Przewalski’s horses, a naturally skittish equine species that humans have never tamed.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Learn how Werribee Zoo fights wildlife extinction through its captive breeding program.
• Observe indigenous Australian animals while following a trail through the outback area.
• Ride a safari train through a savannah where African animals roam freely.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Savor lunch and a tasting at an esteemed winery in Yarra Valley. While touring the Rochford Winery, you will learn a bit about its winemaking techniques and sample several wines that perfectly reflect the terroir. The selections may include a vegan Pinot Noir varietal and perhaps a Prosecco with hints of honeydew. An equally delightful two-course meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients will follow. While pausing at the Healesville Sanctuary, you will see many of the indigenous animals that live in the surrounding bush such as kangaroos, koalas and emus.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a wine tasting and lunch at the Rochford Winery in the beautiful Yarra Valley.
• Observe a collection of iconic Australian animals at the Healesville Sanctuary.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Browse museum exhibits that reveal how the lives of the local indigenous people changed dramatically after Europeans arrived and view downtown Melbourne from a unique perspective while cruising the Yarra River. As you meander through the Bunjilaka Cultural Center within the Melbourne Museum, you will gain an understanding of the Aboriginal people that first settled in what became the state of Victoria. You may hear moving stories of resilience handed down from generation to generation, see artifacts that chronicle the ancient history of the area and view portrayals of early encounters between whalers and the Aboriginal people. A virtual guide will add even more insight. Later, you will cruise the lower reaches of the Yarra River, which cuts through the heart of Melbourne. Sights along the way include the Royal Botanic Gardens, the city’s modern sports and entertainment district, and Herring Island, a former basalt quarry that was filled with silt dredged from the river.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Become immersed in Aboriginal life while browsing the Melbourne Museum.
• Understand the dramatic impact that early Europeans had on the Aboriginal people.
• • See some of Melbourne’s most iconic attractions while cruising the Yarra River.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Kayak along the Yarra River as it winds through downtown Melbourne and discover how the city protects its fragile environment and local birdlife. The river is considered the social heart of Melbourne because so many attractions and popular parks line its banks. As your guide will explain, the Yarra’s water quality and ecology have improved significantly since the 1970s, when the river contained high levels of industrial waste. As you paddle along at a comfortable pace, you will pass under the Princes Bridge—a landmark on the Victorian Heritage Register—and skirt by the Flinders Street Railway Station, both extraordinary examples of 19th-century architecture. Melbourne also values its greenspaces, including verdant Alexandra Gardens and lush Batman Park, which you will find on opposite sides of the Yarra. Oases such as these attract a vast array of birds, so be sure to look for parrots, grey fantails and white-plumed honeyeaters, which thrive even in dense urban habitats.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Paddle a kayak along the Yarra River as it meanders through downtown Melbourne .
• Hear how Melbourne has protected its environment despite increased urban sprawl .
• Look for birds that thrive in dense urban settings.
• Pass some of Melbourne’s iconic architecture, some of it dating to the 19th century.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore Melbourne with a local that will show you places off the beaten path that will leave you with a true understanding of the city. To reach downtown, you will ride the tram with plenty of Melbournites who will be engaged in conversation. You might just listen in or the guide may introduce you and see if the other commuters would like to offer their opinions of living in Melbourne. Then, depending on your interests, the guide will lead you to areas that most tourists never see. You might head to laneways adorned with stencil art and murals, peruse small boutiques with one-of-a-kind merchandise and pass through residential neighborhoods that are up-and-coming or immensely affluent. If you’re sports-minded, you may like to take the tram to a cricket grounds or where the locals play Aussie-rules football. The guide will also take you to a favorite café, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and discuss your impressions of Melbourne.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride the tram into Melbourne with a local guide and other Melbournites.
• See many of the hidden, out-of-the-way places that are characteristic of Melbourne.
• Choose an interest such as shopping or art and see the best places to enjoy them.
• Discuss your impressions of Melbourne over coffee with locals and your guide.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Explore some of the many landmarks Melbourne has accumulated, from its 1835 founding to the 21st century. Renowned as Australia’s ‘most livable city,’ Melbourne is a place of Old World charm and magnificent parks and gardens. It’s also a cosmopolitan, constantly-emerging hotbed of progressive cultural trends, artisan food, and passionate, world-class sporting events. There’s no way to see it all, though one stop on this tour comes close as you travel by lightning-fast elevator to the Eureka Skydeck 88. Clad in floor-to-ceiling windows atop one of the world’s tallest residential buildings, you can catch amazing 360-degree views of the entire city from here along with shimmering Port Phillip Bay and the Dandenong mountains in the distance. Less lofty but very moving, you’ll visit the city’s iconic Shrine of Remembrance, honoring those who served in wars and peacekeeping operations. Climb to the balcony if you like, or take a stroll toward the adjoining Royal Botanic Gardens. Additional sights seen include the modern Crown Casino complex and Convention Center along the Yarra River and several tony residential suburbs. Later, enjoy free time to explore the natural history collections of Melbourne Museum on your own, returning to the coach at a preset time.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See and visit highlights from Melbourne’s elegant past and vibrant present on this coach-driven tour.
• Zip to the top of the Eureka Tower in 40 seconds and gasp at the city-wide views from Skydeck 88.
• Stop at the iconic Shrine of Remembrance, a moving memorial to those who served in wars and peacekeeping operations.
• Travel past convention and casino complexes, though leafy riverside suburbs and along shopping boulevards. Enjoy free time to exploring the Melbourne Museum’s collections independently.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Depart your ship and travel to Sherbrooke Forest, home to some of the world’s tallest hardwood species. Here you will enter entering a fantastic rainforest of spectacular Mountain Ash, stringybark, lush tree ferns. Keep a keen eye for unique Australian wildlife such as lyrebirds who like to come out especially after a rainy day. Visit Olinda or another of the area’s charming townships. These small villages are renowned for excellent craft shops. Enjoy free time to browse the shops for the work of local artists that may include jewelry, glassware, pottery, leather goods, woodcarvings and even candy shops to remind you of yesteryear. Before returning to your ship, enjoy a brief city orientation and travel through suburban Melbourne.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach into the unspoiled Dandenong region for a walk in Sherbrooke Forest.
• Marvel at sky-high hardwoods.
• Visit Olinda or another of the local mountain towns renowned for their excellent craft shops.
• Enjoy a panoramic orientation spin through Melbourne on the return.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

This excursion combines panoramic sightseeing, a historic garden walk, and sky-high Melbourne views from a 92-story skyscraper. The half-day begins with a drive to Fitzroy Gardens in the city center, its earliest plantings dating from 1860. Appreciate the showy Conservatory and an external visit of a charming two-story brick cottage hidden among the trees – the family home of famed explorer Captain James Cook, transplanted to this garden from Yorkshire. Rejoining your coach, settle in for a spin past landmark buildings including The Treasury, Parliament House, the Windsor Hotel, Princess Theatre and the marvelous Gothic lineup along Collins Street. A stop at the iconic Shrine of Remembrance, commemorating Australians who fought in wars and peacekeeping operations, allows time for photos and a climb up for balcony views if you’re feeling energetic. But the Melbourne views coming next will trump any others today as you visit Eureka Skydeck 88 atop one of the world’s tallest residential buildings. Lightning-fast elevators whisk you from the ground to the Skydeck in a mere 40 seconds, and from the floor-to-ceiling windows up here you’ll have thrilling 360-degree views of the entire city, Port Phillip Bay, and the mountains of the Dandenong Range.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a narrated highlights drive through Melbourne City, passing many of its landmark sights.
• Stop at the colonnaded Shrine of Remembrance, commemorating those who served in wars and peacekeeping operations.
• Take a guided walk-through Fitzroy Gardens, including the flower-filled Conservatory and an external visit of the Captain Cook’s Cottage. Zip to the top of the Eureka Tower in 40 seconds and gasp at the city-wide views from Skydeck 88.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Sit back and enjoy this panoramic orientation drive through Australia’s ‘most livable city.’ It’s vibrant, multi-cultural, sporting, fashionable, food-and-culture-loving and the capital of Victoria – and all that’s just for starters. You’ll visit the bayside suburb of St. Kilda, with its lovely beaches, Esplanade and hopping café scene. See the F1 Grand Prix circuit wrapping around Albert Park Lake, and stop for photos at the landmark Shrine of Remembrance War memorial, maybe strolling across to the Royal Botanic Gardens’ gift shop. Drive past the Rod Laver Tennis Center, where the Australian Open is played each January, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground made famous as the venue for the 1956 Olympic Games, now home to thundering Aussie Rules Football and stadium concert crowds. In the heart of the city’s historic and governmental quarter, see The Treasury, Parliament House, the Windsor Hotel, Princess Theatre and the impressive Gothic buildings that line Collins Street. And travel through the Carlton district, where the rococo Royal Exhibition Building stands alongside the ultramodern Melbourne Museum. Throughout the drive, your professional guide’s commentary will bring the city’s history and backstories to life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a panoramic introduction to Melbourne, seeing the top sights and learning about their history.
• See everything from the beachside Esplanade in St. Kilda to the ornate Princess Theater built in 1854.
• Pass sporting icons like the Rod Laver Tennis Center, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the lakeside Formula One race circuit in Albert Park.
• Visit the colonnaded Shrine of Remembrance, War memorial.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.