Sydney Opera House and Birding Tour

 The Australia and Tasmania Grand Tour

This is Part 1 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.

The Sydney Opera House and Birding Festival 

This will be an 8-day tour which starts and ends in Sydney, Australia.  We will stay at the Sydney Paradox Hotel for 7-nights.  This hotel has an excellent location for daytime activities. During the day we will go birding in and around the Sydney area, and travel to birding areas that are within a 1- 2 hour drive from Sydney.

There will be 5-days of Birding: One day at Sydney Parks and 4-days in areas outside of the city. We usually see about 150 different species.  

Sydney Opera House:  It is not possible to know the opera schedule too far in advance.  It might happened that the week we are there no operas are performed, but there are always 2 or 3 other types of  performances available, sometimes classical, or a musical, or even current artists to choose from.  We try to see at least one performance in the Joan Sutherland opera theatre and one performance in the concert hall.  Both venues have excellent acoustics and are beautifully designed.  

Evening Events:  These performances are not included in the price of the tour.  The specific performances will be posted as the opera releases dates.

• Travel Dates: November 1 - 8, 2027
• Group Size: 8 travelers, spots left = 8
• Trip Length: 8 days
• Rates:   Rate per person = $4,750 (based on double occupancy, an extra $1,050 for single)
• Rates include:  Lodging, breakfast, lunch and dinner on days 2 - 7, daily birding tours, airport transfer to/from Sydney, basic travel insurance.
• Not included: Airfare to the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), snacks, alcohol, evening events, lunch and dinner on days 1 and 8, 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 50% deposit is required, and the non-refundable balance is due six months prior to the trip.  

2027 Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrival at the Sydney Airport

• Shuttle transfer from the Sydney Airport (SYD) to the Sydney Paradox Hotel where we will stay for the next 7-nights.  The Sydney Airport is a 20-minute drive from our lodging.
• No activities for the day.  Meals on your own. 

Day 2:  Sydney

• Birding sites within Sydney:  Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounding parks.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 3: Sydney

• Birding the northern beaches: Dee Why Lagoon, Long Reef Headland, Warriewood Wetlands, Irrawong Reserve, and Chiltern Trail.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 4:  Sydney

• Birding the Blue Mountains, Lithgow Wastewater Plant, Wentworth Falls, and Woodford Dam. 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 5:  Sydney

• Birding the central coast: Ourimbah rest stop, Tuggerah Lake, Pioneer Dairy, and McPherson Swamp.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 6: Sydney

• Birding Royal National Park 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 7:  Sydney

• We will be taking the ferry to Manly and spending most of the day there and at locations in the Sydney Harbor. 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 

Day 8:  Fly home or stay for Part 2

• Shuttle to the airport for your flight home or if you have signed up for the Sydney to Melbourne road trip, we will be transferring to the Brighton Hotel close to the airport. 

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.