Pete's Ozzie Trip "Finally made it "

My wiki user name:limeyboy	Length of trip:12 days
Time of year: End of May 1st week in June	Type of travel: Independent

General itinerary:

• Perth 4 days / Caversham Wildlife Park/ Swan Valley River Cruise/ Swan Valley Wine Tasteing / Kings Park
• Fremantle 2 days / Rottnest Island / Fremantle Markets / Fremantle Prison
• Sydney 6 days Bridge Climb / Hunter Valley Wine Tour / Watson Bay - Gap Point - Dolyes Fish & Chips / Bondi Beach / Manley Beach / Nuetral Bay / Hyde Park / Centennial Park / Opera House & Botanical Gardens and Park / Sydney Tower dinner

Trip highlights: Sydney ferry to Watson Bay through the park to "Gap Point", The Sydney Bridge Climb, The Opera House. Sydney Botonical Gardens by the Opera House, Hyde Park, and Centennial Park. All the great photo opportunities riding the ferries in Sydney. The Perth Mint, Caversham Wildlife Park "Perth" Swan River Cruise "Perth" Rottnest Island bicycle riding "Perth/Fremantle. Sunset at Kings Park "Perth" Fremantle Prisom tour.
Hunter Valley Wine Tour Sydney. We had so much fun, with so much to see and do, and not enough time to get it all in.

We were especially highlighted with the rain storm that hit Sydney, nice weather in Perth/Fremantle, and the first few days in Sydney, then of course with the Bridge Climb, it rained in buckets!! but we were able to catch a break here and there for views and photos. With Australia suffering a 7 year drought, the rain was a welcome relief for Sydney but when we did our Hunter Valley Wine Tour, it did more than rain, it flash flooded, and we barely got out of the Hunter Valley before being Stranded. This was the worst storm in 30 years, our driver was overwhelmed at the amount of rain and could not get us our fast enough. We did get a couple of wineries in but not without knowing that we needed to be concerned and not spend too much time.

"Absolute must-sees" to pass along:

Just take the Sydney ferries and the red and blue bus explorers and you will get it all in Sydney. There are so many photo opportunities in Sydney. Don't forget to save time for a visit to Hyde Park and Centennial Park, definitely go to Botanic Gardens Park in Sydney, and especially a must see is Kings Park in Perth. Also, The Perth Mint was especially good. Gap Point at Watson Bay Sydney. Doyles Fish & Chips at Watson Bay, excellent! The Sydney Opera is just awesome to see. A cruise down the Swan River between Perth and Fremantle was very enjoyable, especially with the million dollar homes on either side of the river and all the beautiful sail boats. Bicycling around Rottnest Island was equally a nice get away with perfect scenery for photo's.

Home - Sydney Ferries

Scenes of Sydney Harbour, Sydney landmarks and the ferry fleet at work. ... Sydney Ferries has been a part of life on Sydney Harbour for more than 135 years ... www.sydneyferries.info/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages Tickets & Fares - www.sydneyferries.info/tickets/index.php Timetables - www.sydneyferries.info/timetables/index.php Darling Harbour - www.sydneyferries.info/timetables/darlingharbour.php Watsons Bay - www.sydneyferries.info/timetables/watsonsbay.php More results from www.sydneyferries.info »

Perth we enjoyed strolling aroud Perth, it is easy to get around, and the free bus system is really nice.

Visitor Services Perth

The i-City Volunteer Hosts help visitors discover the City of Perth. They staff the City of Perth Information Kiosk in the Murray Street Mall near Forrest Place and are on hand every day to answer questions about the city. Armed with all the latest information on events, activities, shopping and attractions in the City of Perth, the Hosts also supply free resources including handy Citymaps and self-guided tour brochures.

Kiosk operating hours
Monday to Thursday 9.30am-4.30pm
Friday 9.30am-8pm
Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm
Sunday 12pm-4.30pm
Note: Kiosk is closed public holidays

All tours depart from the City of Perth Information Kiosk (view map). Bookings are available for groups of 15 or more. Call the City of Perth City Visitor Services officer on 9461 3444 for booking enquiries.

Where to find us
City of Perth Information Kiosk
Murray Street Mall , Perth
(Southern end of Forrest Place)

Home: City of Perth

Welcome to the City of Perth, the local government authority for the capital of Western Australia. The City is experiencing record growth in terms of ... www.perth.wa.gov.au/ - Similar pages

Kings Park in Perth, what a beautiful park! You have to see it, and they have a very nice war memorial. The park sits up high and the views of the city of Perth and the Swan River are fantastic.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden - Perth - Western Australia

Picnic areas, walking tracks, cycleways, hectares of natural bushland and magnificent views of Perth and the Swan River from Mt Eliza combine to make Kings ... goaustralia.about.com/od/botanicgardens/a/kingspark.htm - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

Swan River Cruise. Loved it, the views, the boats, the million dollar homes.
The cruise we took had wine tasteing on board. They have wine, and you pour your own in little plastic cups. Not really wine tasteing!

Swan Valley Wine Tasteing. Nice, but I would suggest not taking a combined bus tour with wine tasteing and something else., as we encoutered a large group that knew or cared nothing about wine tasteing. Ours included the Caversham Wildlife Park and Wine Tasteing. We visited a nice winery, don't remember the name except for the 120 year old vines, and due to the large tour, we were brought out in the courtyard, the wines were explained, then we were left to serve ourselves, with very small plastic cups. People inside paid a $2 tasteing fee and were given the glass and enjoyed the wine tasteing. Our tour had kids and adults that knew nothing about wine, so when we visited the next winery, I wish I could remember the name, we were given wine glasses, got a nice explanation of the wines, the wines were poured for us, and while everyone else left after the second pour and went back to the bus, we enjoyed the third and fourth pour with our wine guide by ourselves while everyone else sat patiently on the bus waiting on us to return. So, tour the wineries in small groups or on your own, it will be much more enjoyable!

Perth Swan Valley Wine Tasteing

The Swan Valley in Western Australia, only 20 minutes from the centre of Perth, is Western Australia's oldest wine growing region. The Swan Valley is where ... www.swanvalley.com.au/home.html - 32k - Cached - Similar pages

Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth. We really enjoyed this trip, we were up close with the Koala's, the Kangaroos, Wombat, tasmanian devil. One of our favorite places.

The Picturesque scenery at Rottnest Island"bicycle tour of the island on our own" via Fremantle or Perth by ferry. This was beautiful, we rented bikes on the Island for 3 hours, and rode at our leisure, we stopped for so many photo opportunities, it was great. You can take the ferry from Fremantle or Perth.

Home - Rottnest Island Authority

Rottnest Island, Western Australia's very own Island getaway featuring a casual atmosphere, picturesque scenery and some of the world's finest beaches and ... www.rottnestisland.com/ - 59k - Cached - Similar pages Accommodation - www.rottnestisland.com/en/Accommodation/default.htm Availability Checker & Online ... - www.rottnestisland.com/.../default.htm Getting to Rottnest - www.rottnestisland.com/.../default.htm Attractions - www.rottnestisland.com/en/Attractions/default.htm More results from www.rottnestisland.com »

Sydney
The drive to the Hunter Valley from Sydney and the Hunter Valley Wine tasteing. We toured 3 wineries in a hurry due to the 30 year storm that hit, and we did buy a bottle of wine at each of the wineries to take back with us. The wineries where kind enough to wrap our bottles up in containers that protected the bottles from breaking.

We went to Peterson's Family Winery, Ivanhoe WInery, and Iron Gate Winery.



At Peterson's Family Winery we bought a bottle of 2006 BOTYTIS SEMILLON.
It is syrupy, and a desert wine. Gina loved it.

Peterson Winery Hunter Valley MOUNT VIEW - HUNTER
Email: petersons.wines@bigpond.com.au
Phone: (02)49901704
Fax: (02)49911344
Mount View Rd. Mount View.

At Ivanhoe Winery we bought the 2005 Premium Reserve Shiraz, still haven't drank it, saving it for a special occasion, it tasted really good at the winery. At the top of the page you can see us posing for a photo with Stephen the owner, with the rain storm in the backgroud.

Ivanhoe Wines Hunter Valley
Marrowbone Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320, Ph +61 (0)2 4998 7325 Fax +61 (0)2 4998 7848 Email Ivanhoe email or visit Ivanhoe web site www.ivanhoewines.com.au/Stephen and Tracy Drayton


At Iron Gate Winery we bought a sweet Shiraz.

Iron Gate Winery Hunter Valley http://www.iron-gate-estate.com.au/ Hunter Valley Wines Pty Ltd. Oakey Creek Rd. Pokolbin NSW 2320 Phone: (02) 4998-6570 Fax: (02) 4998-6571 sales@iron-gate-estate.com.au

Hunter Valley Wine Country

Your complete guide to the attractions of the Vineyards area of the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. www.hunterweb.com.au/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

Sydney, the Rocks Walking Tour was very good! This is well worth your time! A must do, you will enjoy it. The tour is about 2 minutes walking distance from the Old Sidney Holiday Inn. The tour takes about an hour and was excellent!

Welcome to The Rocks Walking Tours

The Rocks Walking Tours is an exclusive visitor service, conducting regular daily tours of Sydney's heritage village, The Rocks. www.rockswalkingtours.com.au/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

About Rocks Walking Tours

THE ROCKS WALKING TOURS incorporating HISTORIC SYDNEY WALKING TOURS is a small but essential enterprise in Sydney's tourism market and is proudly, ... www.rockswalkingtours.com.au/about.html - 13k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from www.rockswalkingtours.com.au ]

Bridge Climb in Sydney/ the Height does not bother you / the views are so spectacular that you forget about the height, be prepared to use about 4 hours of your day for this as the time getting there, the tour, undressing, and getting the photo, plus returning to your destination, will fill a good part of your day.
We did the Bridge climb not the discovery climb. I found it very interesting to see all the famous people who have climbed the Bridge, they have their photo posted on the wall for all to see. We were able to join an earlier climb than our original climb when we showed up, probably because it was winter and raining.

Harbour Bridge Climb
www.bridgeclimb.com Sydney's unique climbing adventure Book a BridgeClimb ticket online!

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, BridgeClimb Sydney, Bridge tours

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, tour the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A unique Sydney adventure with spectacular views. Book now for yourself or a great gift idea ... www.bridgeclimb.com/default.htm - 4k - Cached - Similar pages What it costs to Climb - www.bridgeclimb.com/bookClimb/pricing.htm Choose the ticket you want, ... - www.bridgeclimb.com/bookClimb/default.htm Two routes each an ... - www.bridgeclimb.com/theClimb/default.htm Book The Bridge Climb - www.bridgeclimb.com/bookClimb/sydney_climb2.htm More results from www.bridgeclimb.com » Climbers can choose between two 3 ½ hour guided experiences - The Bridge Climb or The Discovery Climb, both available at Dawn, Day, Twilight or Night. Whichever Climb you choose you will have The Climb of Your Life! The Discovery Climb is inbetween the bridge, whereas the Bridge Climb is on top.

Watson Bay Ferry to GAP POINT in Sydney.
When you get off the ferry at Watson Bay, go to gap point. Spectacular views of the cliffs, nice walking trails once you climb up the steps to the top, definitely worth the time and effort to the top. Great photo opportunities. Just walk straight up through the small park, cross the street, and it is right there. The blue explorer bus also stops their. It is an easy hike and only takes about 10 minutes to the top.

Watsons Bay : Scenic Views : Holidays : Tourist Destinations ...

Beach front housing Watsons Bay Sydney Watsons Bay is located on the southern head of the entrance to Sydney Harbour. To the east is the Tasman Sea and to ... www.sydney.com.au/watsons-bay.htm - 19k - Cached - Similar pages

Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney by the Opera House.
This place is beautiful, the views of Sydney, the Opera House, the Park Land, flowers, trees, water fountains, it is a must visit and free, as is all the Parks we visited in Australia. Just walk around the Opera House and you are there. We loved it!

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Australia - sydney.com.au

The Royal Botanic Gardens, which are just a short walk around the water's edge from the Sydney Opera House, is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful ... www.sydney.com.au/rbg.htm - 20k - Cached - Similar pages Sydney Opera House Tour Centennial Park in Sydney Sydney Opera house and Tour We did not do this but everyone we spoke to who did, really liked it.

Sydney Opera House

Welcome to the Sydney Opera House. Welcome to the Sydney Opera House ... PresenterSydney Opera House in association with Melbourne International Arts ... www.sydneyoperahouse.com/ - 36k - Cached - Similar pages

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House. Links to current features Purchase tickets online now. www.sydneyoperahouse.com/sections/tickets/toursoh/index.aspx - 36k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from www.sydneyoperahouse.com ]

Hyde Park Sydney it is a beautiful park in the middle of downtown, loved it! They have a nice war memorial and museum. Definitely worth seeing.

Sydney's Hyde Park

Visitor information about one of Sydney's most popular living landmark, Hyde Park. www.discoversydney.com.au/parks/hydepark.html - 12k - Cached - Similar pages Centennial Park in Sydney, it is beautiful! It is huge an worth strolling around, we enjoyed it. Centennial Parklands in Sydney Features three of Australia's historic and picturesque parks, Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park. www.cp.nsw.gov.au/ - 5k - Cached - Similar pages Map - www.cp.nsw.gov.au/map Visitor Information - www.cp.nsw.gov.au/visitor_information What's On - www.cp.nsw.gov.au/whats_on Venues - www.cp.nsw.gov.au/venues More results from www.cp.nsw.gov.au »

Best wildlife encounters: The Wombat and feeding and petting the Kangaroos, getting up close to the Koalas, seeing a Tasmanian devil for the first time, and all the noisy birds at Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth. This was one of our favorites.

What surprised me most: How curteous everyone was, and how safe Australia is. I never found one street or one person that I felt uncomfortable about walking down or passing by. Food was a bit expensive. People are not overweight, and I only saw 2 homeless people. I was shocked to see most restaurants let you bring in a bottle of wine and not have to pay a corkage fee. Also the free city bus system in Perth and Fremantle was a nice bonus, with plenty of stops. Hop on the Bus in Perth and Fremantle and just take a ride to see where it goes, it is a short stroll through town and you get a good feel of where to go and what bus to take. Fremantles bus is a short circle.

Advice I want to pass along: Sydney is an amazingly beautiful city. The huge parks in downtown, Hyde Park, Centennial Park, and "Botanic Gardens Park By the Opera House" take the big city feel away and relax you. So much to see and do. We didn't get everything in but we tried.

All the tour guides we had were extremely nice, and were very passionate about the history. They were very knowledgeable and loved their job. We enjoyed all our tours.


Get the Sydney Pass, it is well worth it, and it is the only way to explore Sydney. All the buses, trains, and ferries, unlimited. Also, you can use the pass as needed, for example, if you have a 3 day pass, you do not have to use all three days in a row. If you use it one day, but not the next, your second day is still good, so any 3 days you choose.
Make sure to ride everyone of the Ferries if you can, just a 10 to 15 minute ride to get to Manly Beach, Bondi Beach, Nuetral Bay, Watson Bay, and Darling Harbour.

The Red Explorer goes around the downtown area and has a recording that tells you where you are and what the area is known for, you can get off and catch the next bus which travels every 20 minutes, round trip if you did not get off is approximately 2 hours.

The Blue explorer is really great as it travels the outskirts of the city, Bondi beach, Manley beach, etc. the bus driver stops at the sights for 5 minutes so you can get out for photo opportunities, you can then choose to stay and catch the next blue explorer which comes every 20 minutes, there are also recordings to listen to. And if you miss the red or blue explorer buses, or just can't wait, just hop on the regular city buses, and there are plenty of them, your Sydney pass will get you on those as well.

Sydney Pass

An unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel pass for the Sydney or Bondi explorer busses and three harboursights cruises. Also covers other regular bus, ... www.sydneypass.info/ - 13k - Cached - Similar pages

The Swan River Cruise is nice, you get to see all the million dollar homes on either side of the river, all the beautiful sail boats, and there are plenty of them, and the views of Perth in the distance makes for a nice photo opportunity.

Tour Swan River Cruise Perth And Fremantle Western Australia ...

Tour Swan River Cruise Perth And Fremantle Scenic Cruise. Cruise between Perth and Fremantle with a chance to explore the attractions of each. www.discoverwest.com.au/tours/swan-river-cruise-perth-and-fremantle-tour-1432.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pages

Also Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth, where you can hold a Wombat, feed and pet the Kangaroos, and get close up to the Koala's. We saw a tasmanian devil up close, along with other animals and birds. We enjoyed being up close and personal with the animals, and our tour guide was great as well.

Caversham Wildlife Park Perth Western Australia - Kangaroos ...

Caversham Wildlife Park and Zoo situated in Perth Western Australia. We house the biggest private collection of Australian and introduced animals, ... www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages Opening Times - www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/openingtimes.html How to get there - www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/howto.html General Information - www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/generalinfo.html More results from www.cavershamwildlife.com.au »

The Perth Mint was a surprise and I really enjoyed the tour. They have a gold pour, where they actually melt gold and cool it to form a gold block. We had a commemorative coin made with the Perth Mint on one side and on the other the side it had Pete & Gina's Australian Vacation with the date. It came in a nice covered coin box. I also bought some commemorative coins at a good price. The mint is very interesting and well worth the visit. Don't miss it. I really enjoyed the museum.

The Perth Mint - Manufacturer and distributor of gold, silver and ...

The Perth Mint, Western Australia, manufactures and distributes platinum, silver and gold coins for collectors and customers worldwide. www.perthmint.com.au/

Fremantle, enjoying a meal on the Cappaccino Strip outside, and watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean at South Beach.

Fremantle - City of Fremantle - Home

The aim of Fremantle Focus is to provide you with an opportunity to explore our city of culture. Fremantle has long been known as Western Australia's other ... www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages

The Fremantle Markets were also a treat. We bought cheese, and t-shirts, and sampled the food.

Fremantle Markets :: What to see

Fremantle Markets is not just a collection of exciting shops and stalls and entertainment. With everything from fresh and interesting foods, to fantastic ... www.fremantlemarkets.com.au/whattosee.asp?offset=50 - 73k - Cached - Similar pages

The Fremantle Prison tour was quite interesting as well. We did 2 separate tours of 1.5 hours each over 2 days. They let you go in the cells, it was a very good tour. Excellent tour guides!

Fremantle Prison index page

Take our Virtual Tour for a sneak preview of our fascinating Fremantle Prison Tours; or search our Convict Database to rattle the skeletons in the family ... www.fremantleprison.com.au/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages

BEST HOTELS:
The Old Sydney Holiday Inn, 5 minutes from everything! Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Rocks Area, Ferries, Busses, Trains "Circular Quay", Botanic Gardens Park. Ten minutes to Hyde Park. The hotel has a fabulous breakfast which can be included in your stay, and the breakfast is buffet style cooked to order, excellent way to start your day. They also have a roof top pool and spa, whith spectacular sights of Sydney. This is a very classy hotel, close to everything, with excellent service and food.
00-61-2-9252-0524
Old Sydney Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn OLD SYDNEY in Sydney - MYTravelGuide - Reviews and research on all Sydney Hotels. Find helpful hotel reviews, compare hotel prices, ...
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Perth, the Sheraton Perth, centrally located downtown, 5 to 10 minutes walking to most places. 10 minutes from Murry Street "shops" and London Court "shops". Also about 10 minutes to the Perth Mint, and Swan River Cruises. Nice rooms, and the employees are very curteous as was the Holiday Inn. Close to the bus stop and the bus system is free.
00-61-8-9224-7777
Sheraton Perth

Sheraton Perth Hotels: Sheraton Perth Hotel - Hotel Rooms at ...

Enjoy the warm welcome of West Australian hospitality and panoramic views overlooking the Swan River and the city at Sheraton Perth Hotel. ... www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/perth - 46k - Cached - Similar pages

Esplanade Hotel "Fremantle"
We stayed at the Esplanade for 2 nights. The hotel is centrally located, and close to everything. You can walk to the Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Markets, the beach. There is a bus stop in front of the hotel, and the bus system is free. Our room had a balcony, we drank a bottle of wine which we had purchased from the Swan Valley on the balcony, and ate cheese that we had bought from the Fremantle Markets. The hotel is pricey, and the rooms are very old, but the location is great.
It was winter, but the weather was nice, when we checked out of the hotel I forgot to empty the drawers in my room, which had a lot of warm clothes, jackets, jeans, shirts, etc. 14 items to be exact. When we arrived in Sydney, it was a bit cold, and when I went to retrieve some warmer clothes, I realized that I had left everything behind in Fremantle, 4000 miles away. I contacted the Esplanade, and they shipped everything to me in Sydney overnight. There are not may places that will do that for you. That is why I love Australia, everywhere you go people are so nice. The staff at the Esplanade where terriffic.
00-61-8-9432-4000
Fremantle Esplanade Hotel

Esplanade Hotel Fremantle www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au 44-54 Marine Tce Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia +61 8 9432 4000 Get directions 26 reviews and more »

Esplanade Hotel Fremantle - Welcome

Information on four star international business and leisure hotel. www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au/ - 35k - Cached - Similar pages Rates - www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au/index.site.rates.7245.html Rooms & Suites - www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au/index.site.rooms.298.html Accommodation - www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au/index.site.accommodati... Packages - www.esplanadehotelfremantle.com.au/index.site.packages.3603.html

Favorite meals:
The Sydney Tower Restaurant Buffet.

Sydney Tower + OzTrek - Sydney - Reviews of Sydney Tower + OzTrek ...

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Old Sydney Holiday Inn Breakfast.
Australia_Sydney_Holiday_Inn_OLD_SYDNEY.html - 51k - Cached - Similar pages


In Perth the Dome Restaurants. and of course the pub food.


Doyles Fish & Chips on the Beach at Watson Bay( Excellent, but expensive) $32 for one plate, we split ours. Make sure to walk off the Pier to the left to the real Doyles. AND YES, it really was the best fish and chips we had ever eaten!

Doyles Restaurants Sydney, Watson's Bay, Circular Quay - Home

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Photos from my trip:
Move your curser over the photo's, it will tell you where the photo was taken.