Sensational Sydney

Your Sensational Sydney adventure begins with a flight from your homeport to Sydney. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Novotel Sydney Darling Square.

Enjoy some time at leisure to explore Sydney & the beautiful Darling Harbour area. Your hotel is also within easy walking distance of the Chinese Gardens & Paddy’s Markets.

Tonight, join your fellow travellers for a special welcome dinner at our hotel.

❱ 6 nights: Novotel Sydney Darling Square

After breakfast, we depart Sydney’s city centre and travel north past Hornsby & Cowen to Brooklyn, a quaint village located at the entrance of the Hawkesbury River.

★ Here, we board the Last Riverboat Postman and cruise for 3 hours to deliver mail & other essential items to some of the isolated residents living along the pretty river.

The cruise stops at Dangar & Milson Islands, Kangaroo Point, Bar Point and Milsons Passage along the way. Surrounded by national parks, the Hawkesbury River features over 1,100km of foreshore with plenty of birdlife including kookaburras, whip birds & sea eagles. The river has been a food basket for Sydney since colonial times and was the primary produce market for the region for many years. Today, the river is still known for its quality apples, vegetables, stone fruits, oranges & honey, many of which are grown organically.

Morning tea is served onboard as well as grandma’s favourite Anzac biscuits! Later, a delicious Ploughmans Lunch is also served.

★ Enjoy a tour taking in many of Sydney’s highlights including a drive through the historic Rocks area, lively Chinatown, captivating Darling Harbour, Kings Cross & elegant Double Bay.

During our city tour, we also see the famous Sydney Opera House & the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. We also stop to take in the picturesque views from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – be sure to have your camera ready.

★ Tonight, we transfer to the fabulous Sydney Harbour to enjoy the smash-hit opera La Traviata, the story that inspired Moulin Rouge.

Experience the joy and heartache of the world’s most popular opera at Sydney’s best night out!

The show features a 3 ½ tonne chandelier that sparkles with 10,000 crystals. The biggest scenes feature 70 performers on stage and party boats in the harbour with fireworks lighting up the sky at every performance.

It’s easy to see why the Washington Post called La Traviata a truly ‘ravishing visual spectacle’!

Today has been set aside for you to enjoy some private time, sightseeing or shopping. You may wish to take the opportunity to take a ferry trip across the Harbour to Manly for a stroll along the boardwalk to the famous Manly beaches. Alternatively, you may prefer to visit the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum or shop in Sydney’s Darling Harbour or Pitt Street Mall.

★ Tonight, we transfer to the Lyric Theatre in Pyrmont to experience the queen of all queens, Dolly Parton’s new live-musical version of her hit 1980s comedy ‘9 to 5’.

Originally starting out as a film starring power trio Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin, ‘9 to 5’ went on to become a 5 season sitcom, led by Parton’s younger sister. But as they say, good things never die! ‘9 to 5’ was adapted for the stage in 2009 – you really can’t stop a fab story about female empowerment in the workplace.

The musical adaptation follows the same plot as the film. For anyone unfamiliar, we meet three workmates, Doralee, Violet and Judy, who are pushed too far by their sexist, egotistical boss. What follows is a whirlwind adventure, with our three stars plotting to kidnap their boss and get their revenge.

Ahead of its time when it first opened in cinemas back in December 1980, still today – nearly 40 years later – the message that underpins ‘9 to 5’ is still just as relevant and important.

When the smash musical was first reimagined for Broadway in 2009, Parton received a Grammy nod & Tony nomination for the original music she composed, so expect plenty of feel-good tunes to sing along to. It made its West End debut in London back in February 2019 and was originally only scheduled for a 16-week run, but due to its insane popularity, it has since been extended multiple times and is now on an open-ended run.

After breakfast, we begin our sightseeing in the pretty Blue Mountains, touring via Richmond & Kurrajong to Mount Tomah.

★ The Mount Tomah feature 28 hectares of magnificent colour in curated gardens filled with Protea, Cherry Blossom, Rhododendrons & Azaleas.

Enjoy morning tea here while taking in the views which extend across the canyon. Later, we arrive at the beautiful township of Leura, possibly the best known in the mountains. Experience the relaxed nature of this picturesque town with time to stroll the attractive main street that is filled with antique stores & boutiques. You may wish to make a purchase from the famous Leura Candy Store, a specialty store with all your favourite lollies.

★ A special highlight is our visit to Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum & Tearooms in Leura.

Learn all about the world’s largest private collection of teawares, including more than 5,500 teapots from all over the world spanning 5 centuries – a truly memorable experience! We will also be served a delightful light lunch which includes old fashioned bread and butter pudding and of course a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee.

★ We venture via Springwood, stopping to view one of the best known sights in the Blue Mountains, The Three Sisters!

Take in the views of this unusual rock formation before we tour back into Sydney.

★ Spend ANZAC Day in Sydney with a range of events throughout the day.

You may wish to attend one of the many Dawn Services held around the city, including the main service that is held at the Cenotaph at Martin Place, a 20 minute walk from your hotel. The dawn services offer quiet contemplation accompanied by the bugle call of the Last Post & the Ode of Remembrance.

★ Later, we experience the ANZAC Day parade through Sydney’s city centre.

ANZAC Day is an Australian national day of remembrance & commemoration – a solemn day to remember all Australians who have served & died in war and on operational service. The name ANZAC stands for the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps. Both Australia & New Zealand observe this day every year with the day marked by a public holiday. Both past & serving members of the military are honoured on this day by the Australian Government & all members of the public.

★ Later today, we sail around Sydney Harbour and hear about the fascinating stories behind the iconic harbour and the beautiful Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House.

During your cruise, you will see iconic landmarks including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Garden Island Naval Base, Taronga Zoo, Government House, palatial waterfront homes, Fort Denison and much more. Included during the cruise is a glass of sparkling wine and a selection tea/coffee, cakes, macaroons and cheese.

Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with your host at the hotel’s restaurant.

Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your holiday comes to an end this morning. You will be transferred to Sydney Airport in time for your flight home.