Australia Island Family Vacation: Reef, Wildlife, and Sydney

Hit the highlights of Australia in style. A local lunch cruise in Sydney, an exclusive retreat on the Great Barrier Reef, and an expertly guided wildlife tour on Kangaroo Island will make your Australia Island Family Vacation one to remember!

This special Australia Island Family Vacation was planned for a family from Atlanta. This was their first time in Australia and they wanted to see all the highlights: Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, and iconic wildlife like koalas and kangaroos. We designed this vacation to give them all this and more.

They began their Australia Island Family Vacation in sunny Sydney. Here, they went on a tour of Sydney’s cultural highlights and scenic surroundings and their way into the city. And did a luxury cruise of Sydney Harbour for a progressive lunch.

After 3 nights in Sydney, the next stop on their Australia Island Vacation was Hamilton Island. Part of the Whitsundays near the most pristine part of the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island is one of the most spectacular and sought-after holiday destinations on the planet. Our clients were avid divers, so the Great Barrier Reef was a truly unforgettable highlight of their trip. They stayed at the luxurious Beach Club Hotel, where they were surrounded by pristine white beaches and a kaleidoscope of coral and marine life. They enjoyed exceptional diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, and took a day trip to the exclusive Whitehaven Beach.

Continuing their Australia Island Family Vacation, they flew to Adelaide, the cosmopolitan capital of South Australia. From here, they were able to explore one of Australia’s most unique destinations, Kangaroo Island. Beautiful landscapes and iconic Australian wildlife abound on this small island. They discovered stunning beaches and were able to see animals like kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and sea lions up close in their natural habitats.

And then continued to Port Lincoln.  While in Port Lincoln, they did a private marine life and seafood cruise.

For their final day, they were dropped off at their Adelaide hotel in the evening. The next morning, they said goodbye to beautiful Australia and caught their returning flight home.

Accommodation
  • 3 Nights Four Seasons Sydney
  • 4 Nights Hamilton Island
  • 3 Nights Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury
  • 1 Night Mollys Run
  • 2 Nights Port Lincoln Hotel
Touring
  • Sydney Arrival Private Tour
  • Sydney Long Lunch Cruise
  • Sail and Snorkel Whitehaven Beach Cruise
  • 2 Days Kangaroo Island Touring
  • Coffin Bay Oysters and Ocean Tour

Australia travel experts - Vanessa Massey


Vanessa, Product Manager and Luxury Travel Consultant
If you like a little adrenaline, a jet ski tour around Hamilton Island is a must. Gorgeous scenery and so much fun!

Suggested Itinerary

Sydney Vacation Package: Sydney and Gold Coast

Day 1
Welcome to Sydney! Blessed with a temperate climate, Sydney is Australia’s favorite city with the world’s most beautiful harbor. Discover Sydney’s colorful colonial past, miles of beautiful beaches, historic buildings and landmarks, award-winning restaurants, easygoing lifestyle, and vibrant culture.  On your way to the hotel from the airport, enjoy a leisurely tour of this beautiful city and suburbs.
Four Seasons Sydney

Day 2
Today you experince Sydney from the water.  Your long lunch experience will begin with a welcome from your crew as you board our luxury cruiser, Ocean Blue, and depart for a surreal day out on Sydney Harbour, Soft drinks, sparkling wine, beer, still wine, tea, and coffee will be available from the moment you step on board. As we cruise past the world-famous landmarks including the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House your crew will be on hand to tell you about the past and modern-day history of the harbour.
As a part of our lunch cruise in Sydney, you will see Woolloomoolloo Bay, the home of the Australian Navy’s Sydney Base Garden Island, then venture further down the harbour cruising past Double Bay and Point Piper which are the locations of the most expensive homes in Sydney.  You then cruise past Clarke and Shark Islands which are two national parks in the middle of the harbour, with Rose Bay on your right. Shortly after you will pass by Vaucluse for your entrée and make the first stop at the renowned Doyles on the Beach at Watsons Bay.  And continue on to several restaurants for a progressive lunch.
Four Seasons Sydney

Day 3 – 4
Explore Sydney at your leisure today. Visit beautiful beaches, go shopping at exclusive boutiques, or consider adding some additional touring. The beautiful Blue Mountains or nearby Hunter Valley wine region make perfect day trips. We can also arrange a seaplane ride over Sydney Harbour and lunch at an exclusive waterfront restaurant.
Four Seasons Sydney

Day 5
Today, fly to Hamilton Island, an idyllic escape nestled among the Whitsunday Islands on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Surrounded by pristine white beaches and a kaleidoscope of coral and marine life, it’s your perfect base for exploring the Great Barrier Reef and world-famous Whitehaven Beach. During your stay, you’ll enjoy an impressive selection of dining, entertainment, water sports, sailing, cruising, and wildlife encounters.
Reef View Hotel

Day 6
Today, board your a spacious 20m sailing catamaran designed specifically for sailing adventures in the Whitsunday Islands. Your full day sailing cruise incorporates two separate destinations – Chalkies Beach on Haslewood Island for snorkelling and Whitehaven Beach for relaxing.
Reef View Hotel 

Australia Vacations - Great Barrier Reef Places to Stay - Reef View Hotel Whitsundays

Days 7-8
Spend your days on Hamilton Island at your leisure. Explore the vibrant Great Barrier Reef from below with snorkeling and scuba diving, and from above on a glamorous helicopter, plane, or hot air balloon ride. There’s also plenty of time for relaxation in the heated infinity pool, vast stretches of pristine beach, and indulgent spa.
Reef View Hotel 

Day 9-10
You’re off to explore South Australia! Fly to Adelaide, South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital. Nestled between the hills and the ocean, this elegant city is undergoing a rapid transformation with a lively small-bar scene, world-class festivals, and amazing eco-adventures. Soak up Adelaide’s colonial elegance in the spacious city squares, join the locals at the bustling Adelaide Central Markets, or take the short tram ride to Glenelg Beach.  You have a full day here to explore the city.
Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury 

Day 11
After a quick flight to Kangaroo Island, you pick up your tour on Kangaroo Island. Today, you will get a feel for Island Life – where things take time, drivers wave as they go by – or even stop for a chat. Have a cuppa with some home-made treats before taking a walk down a country track through tall Eucalyptus trees where koalas snooze overhead or wake briefly for a feed. Listen for the sounds of the bush – brightly coloured honeyeaters and brilliant parrots, cicadas or perhaps just the sound of silence.  Travel through the Island’s most productive country to the north coast. Walk through the bush with your guide – through strangely shaped trees learning what makes that noise, whose tracks are those, and who left THAT little pile there? Look for small wallabies almost extinct on the mainland, a kangaroo found only on Kangaroo Island and a variety of other birds, plants and animals. Break for lunch at a private bush camp and enjoy a delicious meal featuring King George whiting (local sea fish), fresh salads and fine South Australian wines. At Seal Bay Conservation Park take a private tour with your guide among Australian sea-lions on a beautiful sandy beach – an experience similar to that of the Galapagos. Watch pups nursing or playing in the surf, see old bulls bearing the scars of territorial disputes and learn about their unique breeding biology.
Overnight on Mollys Run Kangaroo Island

Day 12
Travel into Flinders Chase National Park and explore the massive shapes of Remarkable Rocks, a natural sculpture perched impossibly on top a granite dome plunging into the ocean. Break for an elegant picnic lunch in the bush, or if weather permits, on a spectacular clifftop. And then board your flight back to Adelaide for an overnight.
Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury 

Day 13
Today you travel to Port Lincoln. This beautiful township overlooks Boston Bay, and is surrounded by national parks and farming land. For the adventurous, go Shark Cage Diving or swim with Australian Sea Lions – the playful puppies of the sea. Not far from town, you can discover koalas in the wild, or visit a local fauna park to meet kangaroos, wombats and native birdlife. This is the “Seafood Capital of Australia” so dining out is always a treat – from traditional Aussie hotel fare, a night out at a specialist restaurant or take-away fish and chips. 
Port Lincoln Hotel

Day 14
You are off to venture into the spectacular Coffin Bay National Park and take the opportunity to go on a coastal walk and breathe in the fresh air, be on the lookout for kangaroos, emus, sea-life, reptiles and birdlife. End your day visiting the region of Big Swamp – a ‘listed Wetlands of Australian Significance’ site, enjoy a local drop or two relishing the peace and serenity of the region.
Port Lincoln Hotel

Day 15
It’s time to say goodbye to beautiful Australia today. After breakfast, make your way to the airport and begin your journey home.

About this vacation
Cost Per Person

Does not include the cost of airfare


Based on
15 day stay
2 travelers

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