„Sydney is the city most hated by all the other cities: superb white beaches with fabulous surf, perfect weather and beautiful people, world-class restaurants and incredible hip bars, it seems that she has everything. And dam.., she knows it“ (Lonely Planet).
Sydney is Australias oldest, biggest (official 4,85 milion, estimated 5,25 milion inhabitants), most heterogene, important, expensive and – if we can trust the inhabitants of Sydney – most beautiful city. She is the real capital of the country. There are countless monuments, museums and attractions, too many for one day, therefore we give you a recommendation what to do and see:
On the top of the list is the world famous Opera House, the most iconic building of the country and – together with the Uluru (Ayers Rock) – an iconic symbol for Australia. Next to it you will see the Harbour Bridge, tenderly called „The Coathanger“ by Sydney residents. Built between 1926 and 1932, she is the biggest steel spanning-arch brigde in the world. Sydney Tower, the tallest building of the country, hosts the highest viewing platform of the southern hemisphere: the panorama 820 ft. above the city is breathtaking. Then you can visit Darling Harbour, The Rocks, the Botanical Garden, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Town Hall, the Museum of Sydney, the Australian Museum, the Sydney Aquarium, Kings Cross, the Olympiapark und so on and so on. And not to forget the beaches, especially Bondi Beach and Manly Beach, a paradise for surfers, sun lovers and philantropists. It is true, Sydney has everything, dam…!

Despite being Australia a fairly young state or continent, the Royal National Park is the second oldest national park in the world (only Yellowstone is older). Dramatic sandstone cliffs along the coast, lots of trees, rivers, waterfalls and even rain forest are the key features of the park. The flora has adapted to the many wild fires that are fairly common and some plants actually need the fire to blossom in the following years.

Even though we have seen many beautiful villages on the beach so far, it is always a pleasure to stop in Lakes Entrance. Its location on Australia's largest coastal waterway, the Gippsland Lakes, and the holiday atmosphere along the city's waterfront give Lakes Entrance that special touch.

Australia's second largest city (4,3 milion inhabitants) was founded in 1835 by the son of a former British prisoner. Due to its convenient location and climate and of course to the gold rush, the city grew permanently and attracted many people from all over the world. During the gold rush in the early 1850s, the population grew from 20,000 to 123,000. Nowadays the capital of Victoria is a melting pot of people and cultures from all over the world, which can be experienced in a fairly pleasant way. The beautiful historic government area, lots of shopping opportunities, many parks (including Albert Park, where the annual Australian Formula 1 GP takes place) and an incredible variety of restaurants and bars put life into the city and attract people from everywhere. Melbourne also hosted the 1956 Olympic Games and is still the site for the Australian Open tennis tournament. The public transportation system commenced operation as early as in the 19th century, and even though there are many parking areas for cars/motorcycles, the trams and busses are far more convenient to tour the city. Not to be missed are the City Circle Tram, the Eureka Skydeck 88, the Royal Botanical Garden and for those interested in sports the Australian Open and the Philippe Island Moto Grand Prix.
Some highlights that you shouldn't miss if you spend a day in Melbourne:
• City Circle Tram: Free ride to many of Melbourne's sights and attractions
• Eureka Skydeck 88: Highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere (1,000 ft.)
• Queen Victoria Market: Originally opened in 1878, lots of food, souvenirs, etc.
• Royal Botanic Gardens: Beautiful park with lakes and more than 50,000 plants

This paradise located on a peninsula is called Freycinet National Park, after the french sailor Louis Freycinet. Pink shining granite rocks, white beaches and turquoise blue see are competing in this constant play of colours. Worthless saying that it’s one of the most visited national parks in Australia. The secluded Wineglass Bay was voted as one of the world’s ten best beaches: and if we can get some fresh oysters in Swansea, probably we will consider it the most beautiful beach in the world, too. And maybe we will see some dolphines or humpback whales swimming by.

In 2010, the former prison was registered as a World Heritage Site and is one of the main tourist attractions in Tasmania, mostly because of the popular novel „For the Term of His Natural Life“ by Markus Clarke and a massacre in April 1996. The prison was built according to the "Panopticon-model", where one guard can control many convicts from just one point. Another interesting story was written by Billy Hunt, as he tried to escape dressed as a kangaroo.

The vibrant capital of Tasmania with its 220,000 inhabitants is situated at the foot of the 4,170 ft. high Mount Wellington. The second oldest city in Australia (Sydney is the oldest) was founded in 1803 as a penal colony from 300 convicts and some free settlers and soldiers sent to Tasmania. Today only a few remains of the constructions evoke those times.
An international airport, the most important port in Tasmania, universities, a big industry, all these elements make Hobart a growing business metropole and hence one of the most interesting cities in Australia. A restday is perfect to explore the city and surroundings. Today, Hobart is world known for the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. And Eroll Flynn claims to be born here.

A railway connected the small town of Strahan at the Macquarie Harbour with Zeehan and Queenstown. In the early days aproximately 2,000 people lived in the city at the second biggest harbour in Tasmania. As they closed the railway in the 60ies the city lost more and more of its importance. Even so this picturesque city will be a jewel on our tour through Tasmania.

150 miles of motorcycle heaven full of beautiful cliffs, mountains and beaches – this is definitely the highlight of the day! The Cape Otway lightstation with its 160 year old lighthouse is worth a visit. On the way to the lighthouse we even have the chance to see some Koala bears. Further along the road some famous landmarks are to be seen: Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch.

Despite being Australia a fairly young state or continent, the Royal National Park is the second oldest national park in the world (only Yellowstone is older). Dramatic sandstone cliffs along the coast, lots of trees, rivers, waterfalls and even rain forest are the key features of the park. The flora has adapted to the many wild fires that are fairly common and some plants actually need the fire to blossom in the following years.

Even though we have seen many beautiful villages on the beach so far, it is always a pleasure to stop in Lakes Entrance. Its location on Australia's largest coastal waterway, the Gippsland Lakes, and the holiday atmosphere along the city's waterfront give Lakes Entrance that special touch.

Australia's second largest city (4,3 milion inhabitants) was founded in 1835 by the son of a former British prisoner. Due to its convenient location and climate and of course to the gold rush, the city grew permanently and attracted many people from all over the world. During the gold rush in the early 1850s, the population grew from 20,000 to 123,000. Nowadays the capital of Victoria is a melting pot of people and cultures from all over the world, which can be experienced in a fairly pleasant way. The beautiful historic government area, lots of shopping opportunities, many parks (including Albert Park, where the annual Australian Formula 1 GP takes place) and an incredible variety of restaurants and bars put life into the city and attract people from everywhere. Melbourne also hosted the 1956 Olympic Games and is still the site for the Australian Open tennis tournament. The public transportation system commenced operation as early as in the 19th century, and even though there are many parking areas for cars/motorcycles, the trams and busses are far more convenient to tour the city. Not to be missed are the City Circle Tram, the Eureka Skydeck 88, the Royal Botanical Garden and for those interested in sports the Australian Open and the Philippe Island Moto Grand Prix.
Some highlights that you shouldn't miss if you spend a day in Melbourne:
• City Circle Tram: Free ride to many of Melbourne's sights and attractions
• Eureka Skydeck 88: Highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere (1,000 ft.)
• Queen Victoria Market: Originally opened in 1878, lots of food, souvenirs, etc.
• Royal Botanic Gardens: Beautiful park with lakes and more than 50,000 plants

This paradise located on a peninsula is called Freycinet National Park, after the french sailor Louis Freycinet. Pink shining granite rocks, white beaches and turquoise blue see are competing in this constant play of colours. Worthless saying that it’s one of the most visited national parks in Australia. The secluded Wineglass Bay was voted as one of the world’s ten best beaches: and if we can get some fresh oysters in Swansea, probably we will consider it the most beautiful beach in the world, too. And maybe we will see some dolphines or humpback whales swimming by.

In 2010, the former prison was registered as a World Heritage Site and is one of the main tourist attractions in Tasmania, mostly because of the popular novel „For the Term of His Natural Life“ by Markus Clarke and a massacre in April 1996. The prison was built according to the "Panopticon-model", where one guard can control many convicts from just one point. Another interesting story was written by Billy Hunt, as he tried to escape dressed as a kangaroo.

The vibrant capital of Tasmania with its 220,000 inhabitants is situated at the foot of the 4,170 ft. high Mount Wellington. The second oldest city in Australia (Sydney is the oldest) was founded in 1803 as a penal colony from 300 convicts and some free settlers and soldiers sent to Tasmania. Today only a few remains of the constructions evoke those times.
An international airport, the most important port in Tasmania, universities, a big industry, all these elements make Hobart a growing business metropole and hence one of the most interesting cities in Australia. A restday is perfect to explore the city and surroundings. Today, Hobart is world known for the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. And Eroll Flynn claims to be born here.

A railway connected the small town of Strahan at the Macquarie Harbour with Zeehan and Queenstown. In the early days aproximately 2,000 people lived in the city at the second biggest harbour in Tasmania. As they closed the railway in the 60ies the city lost more and more of its importance. Even so this picturesque city will be a jewel on our tour through Tasmania.

150 miles of motorcycle heaven full of beautiful cliffs, mountains and beaches – this is definitely the highlight of the day! The Cape Otway lightstation with its 160 year old lighthouse is worth a visit. On the way to the lighthouse we even have the chance to see some Koala bears. Further along the road some famous landmarks are to be seen: Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch.

The Great Alpine Road is not as famous as the Great Ocean Road, and we can’t really understand why. On a length of about 191 miles, this road connects Wangaratta with the South and would take us directly to Lakes Entrance at the coast. However, our plans for today are to stay in the mountains for a bit longer.

Even though European settlement in the Canberra area started in the early 19th century, the real development began in 1908. The Australian government could not decide if Sydney or Melbourne should become the capital of the new federation. Eventually a compromise was reached: Canberra was selected as the new capital, located between the two major cities. Thus Canberra started as a planned city and basically from scratch – when you look at it from high above, you can see the geometric layout and symbols. The main tourist attraction in Canberra is the Parliamentary Triangle with the dominant Parliament and Old Parliament House, all arranged around Lake Burley Griffin. The lake was named after the American architect, who had designed the layout of Canberra.

The mountains are not really high, just some 3,900 ft., but the whole landscape is breathtaking because of its wild and dramatic look. The sandstone tableland is rugged by many valleys, gorges, waterfalls and spectacular rock formations, one of those with the most famous name of Three Sisters. Seen from above, the extensive area with eucalyptus-trees and their silvery shining leaves looks like a huge blue carpet - the Blue Mountains. At Katoomba, the starting point of most of the activities in and around the Blue Mountains, the rocks fall down several houndreds of feets and open the view onto the silvery-blue eucalyptus forest. Pretty small villages like Leura and Blackheath invite us to rest and sip a freshly made coffee or have a tasty icecream.