Cruise Sydney Harbour
Cruise Sydney Harbour with a local skipper and understand the cities layout from the water.
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Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Showcasing two of Australia’s cities, Sydney and Melbourne, a stay on the World Heritage listed island of Lord Howe plus a private guided wildlife adventure along the Great Ocean Road.
Lord Howe Island is one of those special places, almost untouched by time and a stay here will surely be a highlight of this holiday. This is combined with two takes on city life; the glamour of Sydney combined with the bohemian feel of Melbourne, plus an incredible wildlife adventure along the Great Ocean Road, with the chance to canoe in search of platypus and aid in the preservation of resident koala populations.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
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Lord Howe Island
Stay on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island – experienced by few.
Iconic Australian residents
See koala, kangaroo and platypus in the wild.
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Private Great Ocean Road
Explore epic coastal scenery while aiding koala conservation efforts.
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Day 1
Arrive Sydney
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Day 2 - 3
Sydney
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Day 4
Sydney - Lord Howe Island
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Day 5 - 6
Lord Howe Island
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Day 7
Lord Howe Island - Sydney - Melbourne
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Day 8 - 9
Melbourne
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Day 10
Melbourne - Great Ocean Road
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Day 11
Great Ocean Road
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Day 12
Great Ocean Road to Melbourne
Day 1
Arrive Sydney
Arrive Sydney and transfer to your accommodation.
Day 2 - 3
Sydney
Spend two days exploring Sydney. Cruise Sydney Harbour with a local skipper and understand the cities layout from the water.
Day 4
Sydney - Lord Howe Island
Transfer to Sydney airport for your two hour flight east to Lord Howe Island. Transfer to your accommodation on arrival.
Day 5 - 6
Lord Howe Island
Spend two days exploring the island, above and below the water. With few motorised vehicles on the island, land explorations will be on foot or by bike.
Day 7
Lord Howe Island - Sydney - Melbourne
Fly to Melbourne via Sydney. On arrival transfer to your accommodation.
Day 8 - 9
Melbourne
Spend two days exploring the city of Melbourne.
Day 10
Melbourne - Great Ocean Road
Meet with your wildlife guide to embark on a three day journey along the Great Ocean Road. Travel west to the eucalypt forests of the Serendip and You Yangs National Parks to spot wild koalas and a host of birdlife. Meet with a koala researcher to learn about this iconic Australian marsupial and join conservation efforts, removing the invasive Boneseed weed.
Day 11
Great Ocean Road
At dawn take a magical canoe trip in search of platypus before continuing along with Great Ocean Road passing rainforest, beaches and dramatic cliffs. Journey through Port Campbell National Park, looking out for short-beaked echidnas in the rich coastal heathlands and taking time to enjoy the Twelve Apostles.
Day 12
Great Ocean Road to Melbourne
Travel to the remote western edge of the Great Ocean Road to see the glorious limestone coastal formations in the morning light. Heading inland to coastal forests and the Western Plains; a land of enormous sheep stations, lakes and dramatic skies, home to many raptors and water birds. Return to Melbourne for onward travel.
More details
Be One of Few
Fly two hours east of Sydney to Lord Howe Island, a World Heritage-listed archipelago located 700 kilometres off the coast between Sydney and Brisbane. This pristine island accepts a maximum of 400 visitors at any given time. Birdlife abounds and the island is surrounded by a reef-fringed lagoon plus the world’s southern-most coral reef.
Do as little or as much as you wish during your stay, with plenty of activities on offer such as swimming, bushwalking, fishing and snorkelling directly from the beach. Fishing or diving excursions at Balls Pyramid, the remains of a once giant volcano, complete a stay at this amazing island.
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Wildlife and Conservation
During a private three days trip along the Great Ocean Road, you will be introduced to the scenery and wildlife of this region, through the experience and knowledge of a wildlife expert. Gain privileged insight to some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife residents including kangaroo, koala, echidna and platypus. The koala in this area are studied by researchers and you will be given the chance to learn about their family groups and behaviours as well as get involved in conservation efforts, joining with tree planting and the removal of invasive weeds which threaten the koala’s habitat. Birdlife is also abundant, with kookaburra, cockatoo, emu and fairy wrens to name a few.
An Iconic Coastline
There are few more iconic coastlines than the Great Ocean Road. As well as the famous Twelve Apostles, craggy limestone spires which rise from the Southern Ocean, this trip takes in some of the less known scenery, and (as detailed above), the wildlife hidden within. Explore varied and beautiful landscapes from the eucalypt gum forests of the You Yangs to the forests and waterfalls of the Great Otway National Park, the volcanoes and lakes of the Western Plains and of course the the wild beaches and dramatic cliffs of this distinctive stretch of coast.
How does this holiday make a positive impact?
- Relevant SDGs