After having visited many countries, I was determined to find the perfect destination to combine nature, lifestyle and leisure. After narrowing down the choices, I decided to visit Australia rather than Europe. My husband and my two teenage children were equally excited to see the amazing continent.

While searching for an Australia land and air package, I came across this website on Google. The process of booking a package was easy and intuitive. I received multiple quotes and calls from different travel agents through the website. I selected the best Wanderbird Holidays package and was quickly sorted.

Thanks to their excellent service and prompt communication, booking through them was easy. Unlike other offline agencies such as Thomas Cook and Cox & Kings where I would have to follow their plans and follow their itinerary, they customized our trip and provided a great user experience

Day 1 – Hello Australia

We arrived in Sydney around 9:15 pm and were transferred to our hotel at 11 pm. We were tired but happy to finally reach our destination. So we settled in and called it an end.

Day 2: Sydney to The Magical Blue Mountains Trip

The’Blue Mountains Trip was completed on our second day. It took us nearly 1.5 hours to get there from Sydney. We also visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park and Blue Mountains Trip, which was originally scheduled for another day.

Although the wildlife park was an amazing experience, its highlight was the Skyway. The Skyway was the highlight of the wildlife park.

Another great thing about this trip was that it could be repeated as many times as we desired.

Day 3: Sydney – The Sydney Tour

The Sydney city tour began at 7:45 am and ended at the harbour at 11 AM. We could do anything from there.

Highlights of the day were two: the first was the “Sydney Overview and Origin” where we were informed about the city’s origins and the effort required to build it. It was fascinating to listen for two hours to the stories of our guide, a government official.

The Opera House Tour was the second highlight. Although it wasn’t operational due to Christmas, we refused to give up as we still had tickets. Our ticket was part of the new audio-visual tour program, which was an experiment for tourists. This group program was meant for 10-12 people. However, we were the only ones there. It showed us the difficulty and challenges involved in building the Opera House, and it also gave some interesting facts about the area.

Day 4 – Sydney to Cairns

We flew to Cairns early in the morning, arriving there at 3:30 pm. We stayed in a small town, and we took a stroll around the area in the evening.

Day 5: The Great Barrier Reef

On day 5, we visited the Great Barrier Reef and were picked up at our hotel (Novotel Cairns) by the drivers. It was an incredible experience. We could see the reef through the glass boat (glass flooring). Also, we could see the marine life and fishes around us in an underwater semi-submarine.

By 1:30 PM, we were free and the rest of the day was ours to enjoy. We visited the Green Island in Great Barrier Reef, which was also a destination for water and adventure activities such as parasailing, snorkeling, and so on. My kids snorkeled and reached the reef. After snorkeling, we were back at the hotel.

Day 6: Kuranda Village

This day, we visited the Kuranda village. We were a few thousand feet higher than Cairns. The most impressive part of this village was the Skyrail. After each stop along the 5.5km stretch, we would take a short rainforest walk that reminded me of the Brazilian Forests I had always wanted to see. We could do what we wanted in the village later on so we bought some Australian souvenirs.

The train ride back was also scenic and enjoyable. We were informed about the wonders of railways, and the painstaking work that went into their construction during the 18th century.

Day 7: Gold Coast

After checking out of the Novotel Cairns, we flew to Brisbane. We traveled 1.5 hours from Brisbane to Gold Coast and settled in our hotel, ‘Mantra by The Beach’. It was a great destination with many shops and hotels right by the sea.

We had booked the and’Sea World’ theme parks in Gold Coast. However, later I realized that we should have also done the Dream World’.

Day 8 – Sea World Tour

Sea World Tour was a wonderful experience that lasted a full day. My family and I loved the rides at Sea World. The park was smaller than the “Disneyland in Florida” and featured some great roller coasters and dolphins. We also got to choose from activities such as snorkeling and other fun things.

It was at this time that I realized that we should have booked Dreamland. It had some of Australia’s best coasters . I think my children would have loved it more and the entire experience would have been better.

Day 9 – Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast was an amazing wildlife experience. The kangaroos, koalas, and kangaroos were ours to enjoy and all of us loved their company. Personally, I felt that the Kangaroos would be more impressive if they were seen in their natural habitat.

Since it was January 1, most adventure tours within the sanctuary, such as Treetop Challenge, were closed. They were closed. We did however witness the bird show which, to my delight, turned out to be an unforgettable experience.

There was a caretaker who had trained the exotic birds in obedience to her commands. It was amazing to see the amount of control she had over the birds. They were also trained to fly high above our heads, which was another delight.

This was my ideal way to care for birds and entertain others.

We were able to do what we wanted after the trip was over at 2 PM.

Day 10: Hot Air Balloon Ride

After the organizers had finished deciding which direction to take us, we were taken by the organizers to our hotel. We could see the incredible landscapes and grasslands of Australia as 16-18 people were in one balloon.

We were also taken to O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyard on the way back. The vineyard was surrounded on all sides by hills and was a stunning estate.

We also watched an interesting movie from a hot-air balloon later on our journey. We had plenty of time to do what we wanted back at the hotel until 3:40 pm, so my daughter and me indulged in some shopping.

Day 11: Back to basics

After checking out of our hotel, we were transferred back to the airport to catch our return flight to India.

We found the perfect balance between adventure, fun and leisure in Australia. It turned out to be more than we expected. Its beauty, natural charm, organization, and organization were all things I enjoyed. Everything ran smoothly and there were no hassles.

If we had the chance, this trip would be a repeat of ours. Maybe with more time in Sydney or at Dream World.

High points – The Blue Mount Trip, including the Featherdale Wildlife Park and Sydney tour, Great Barrier Reef, Sea World Parks, Kuranda Village, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Hot Air Balloon Ride.

Low points – We were not served food on our flight from Bangkok to Australia because we hadn’t been asked about it at the time of booking.

Tips For Future Travelers –

• When booking your flight tickets, be sure to indicate the type of food you are consuming.
• Sydney should take three days, not two, and Taronga Zoo should also be included.
• Dream World is a must-see on the Gold Coast.
• For domestic bags, the limit is 23 Kgs for airlines (within Australia). Carry light.
• During your Great Barrier Reef trip, be sure to follow the time-table.