Birding Victoria, Australia

The Australia and Tasmania Grand Tour

This is Part 2 of the Grand Tour

Part 1, November 1 - 8, 2027, 8-day tour in the Sydney, Australia area

**Part 2, November 9 - 18, 2027, 10-day road trip from Sydney to Melbourne

Part 3, November 18 - 24, 2027, 7-day tour to Tasmania

Part 4, November 24 - 29, 2027, 6-day road trip from Melbourne to Sydney

**You do not need to sign-up for all 4-parts. Each part is a separate tour, and you will be able to join or leave the tour in between each part.  If you sign-up for more than one part, there will be an "overlap day" as one tour ends and another starts on the same day.  Please call and contact us for specifics.

Sydney to Melbourne 10-day road trip

The fast route from Sydney to Melbourne is it an easy 9-hour drive (575 miles), but we will be taking the scenic route that follows the coast, which is about 750 miles.  We will take seven full days to travel this route with an average of 2 - 3 hours of driving time each day.  This will give us plenty of time for birding.  

• Travel Dates: November 9 - 18, 2027
• Group Size: 6 travelers, spots left = 6
• Trip Length: 10 days
• Rates:  $6,250 per person (based on double occupancy and an extra $1,050 for single occupancy.)
• Rates include:  Lodging, meals on days 2 - 9, daily birding tours, airport transfer to/from Sydney (SYD) and/or Melbourne (MEL), basic travel insurance.
• Not included: International airfare, snacks, alcohol, meals on days 1 and 10, and trip cancelation insurance.
• Adventure level:  Easy, please check the "Welcome" page for definition
• Reservations: To reserve a spot on the trip, a non-refundable 30% deposit is required, and the non-refundable balance is due six months prior to the trip.  

Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrival in Sydney
If you will be arriving at the Sydney Airport (SYD) for the start of the tour, there will be a shuttle transfer from the Sydney Airport (SYD) to the Brighton Hotel, where we will stay for 1-night. The Sydney Airport is a 15-minute drive from our lodging.  No activities for the day. Meals on your own.  If you were on Part 1 of the tour, on this day you will also be on your own.  Breakfast is included, but not lunch or dinner. 

Day 2: Greenwell Point
Birding: 45-minutes from our hotel is the heart of the beautiful Royal National Park and we will spend part of the morning birding here.  From the park, it is an additional 1.5 hours to our lodging location at Greenwell Point, where will be staying at the Anchor Bay Motel for one night. Birding stops along the way include Flagstaff Point, Lake Illawarra, Bass Point, Killalea Regional Park, and Shoalhaven Inlet.

Day 3: Ulladulla
Close to out hotel is Comerong Island Nature Reserve. We will take the early morning ferry to the island for excellent birding. From Comerong, it is only a 1-hour drive to our next lodging spot in Ulladulla at the Sandpiper Motel.  We will have plenty of time for birding the salt marshes, coastal areas, and forests along the way. 

Day 4: Bega
From Ulladulla, it is a 3-hour drive to the town of Bega.  Stops for the day include:  Biamanga National Park, Mimosa Rocks National Park, Bermaguee Nature Reserve, and Gulaga National Park.  Lodging for one night at the Bega Southtown Motor Inn. 

Day 5: Orbost
From Bega, it is a 3 hour drive to the town of Orbost, where we will stay for one night at the Orbost Motel. Close to Orbost there are several great eBird hot spots: Marlo, Cape Conran, Ewing Morass wildlife Reserve, and Lake Wat Wat. 

Day 6: Longford/Sale
From Orbost it is a 2-hour drive to the Longford/Sale area, which will give us plenty of time to visit all the excellent birding hot spots.  Stops include:  Sale Common Nature Reserve, Dowd Morass Wildlife Reserve, Clydebank Morass Wildlife Reserve, and many roadside stops along the way.  Lodging for 1-night:  Comfort Inn

Day 7: Foster
Our next destination is Wilsons Promontory National Park, the most southern tip of Australia.  It is a 2-hour drive to this park and we will spend most of the day here.  The park has a bird list of well over 200 birds:  eBird list  Our lodging will be for 1-night at the Wilsons Promontory Hotel, which is located about a 30 minute drive from the park entrance. 

Day 10:  Fly Home or stay for Part 3 
If you choose to stay for Part 3 of the tour (Tasmania), there will be a shuttle to next place of lodging in Geelong.  There are no scheduled activities for the day while we get re-organized in between tours.  Your hotel and breakfast will be included for the night, but not lunch and dinner. If you are not staying for Part 3, then there will be a shuttle to the airport for your flight home. 

Mike Barrow:  

Originally from the UK, Mike has called Australia home for the past 35 years, immersing himself in the country’s diverse ecosystems and developing an unparalleled understanding of its avian inhabitants. He is recognized as one of the leading birders in Sydney and surrounding regions.