Australia’s Wild South East: Sydney to Melbourne

Day 1 Sydney, New South Wales

The oldest, largest and (some say) most beautiful city in Australia is memorable for far more than its famous landmarks. Created around one of the world's most dazzling harbours, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are the city's icons. Visitors love the first class restaurants, sparkling beaches, colonial precincts, fantastic shopping and relaxed outdoor lifestyle which results in an endless choice of things to do. Where else but Sydney could you catch a ferry to visit a zoo where the animals enjoy million-dollar harbour views?

Days 2-3 Huskisson & Hyams Beach (Jervis Bay)

Jervis Bay National Park offers much to the visitor. It is one of the true gems of the NSW south east region and its value to Australia has been recognised by its National Park status. It's breathtaking beauty, rich cultural and natural significance have long been recognised and appreciated by locals and by domestic and overseas visitors.

Jervis Bay is reputed to have the clearest waters and whitest sands in not only this country but also in the world. These beautiful blue waters are home to many dolphins and the opportunity to sight these graceful locals is one of the major features that make this area a magnet for lovers of nature. Whale sighting is also frequent in Jervis Bay and the choices of water sports here are wide. Many people come to dive, fish and explore these famous waters. None go home disappointed.

Day 4 Montague Island

One of Australia's best kept secrets, off the NSW coast near Narooma, this Nature Reserve is teeming with wildlife. Known as Baranguba by the local Aboriginal people the island is home to nearly 50 species of fauna. The Walbanga and Djiringanj people considered the island fertile hunting grounds. Sea-bird eggs, Mutton birds and penguins are all examples of the ripe pickings the indigenous people used as part of everyday life on the island. Today, the predator free environment has meant that the Little Penguin population is expanding, with currently over 1200 of the birds calling the island home. Mutton birds (or Shearwaters) are still abundant and bird watchers will be kept busy on the look out for other sea bird species that frequent the island. Australian Fur Seals also call the island home, and together with a few other seal species there can easily be over a thousand at a time on the island. Since 1881 Montague Island has been home to a lighthouse, and whilst it has been automated since the late 1990's it is today still an operational navigational light maintained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Orion with her fleet of Zodiacs is perfectly equipped for us to explore, land and enjoy nature's abundant beauty of Montague Island.

Day 5 Eden

Now a major commercial fishing centre, Eden's past was built on whaling and the Killer Whale Museum evidences the town's unique history by tracing the days when men and killer whales worked together to herd other gentle giants to shore. The history and traditions of the sea are still the lifeblood of Eden so take the chance to sample some of the fresh seafood being landed in the harbour. A short stroll around the township reveals galleries, craft shops and the historic Sea Horse Inn.

Day 6 Sealers Cove, Wilsons Promontory

In the heart of Wilsons Promontory National Park sits the long white sand beach of Sealers Cove. Accessible essentially only by foot, for those not fortunate enough to arrive from the sea that is, it takes the average person around 3 hours over a rough and sometimes narrow track to reach the beach, the very same beach our Zodiacs will land you on. The great Australian explorer George Bass "discovered" Sealers Cove, he sailed into the cove on his voyage of discovery from Sydney to Westernport Bay in 1798. Apparently the scenic beauty of the cove was secondary to what he saw as its commercial potential. "The aspect of the country is agreeable only at a distance," he wrote. Noting the thousands of fur seals in the vicinity, Bass added, "from the use it may be of to anyone coming here to seal . . . there is plenty of fresh water and wood enough at hand to boil down any quantity of blubber." It did not take long after Bass' visit before commercial sealing was established in the cove. History records the first sealers as "a motley group of vagabond freebooters" often living with kidnapped Aboriginal female companions and often joined by escaped convicts from Tasmania. Indeed sealing was a lucrative business. The oil fetched 40 shillings a ton and the skins up to 14 shillings each. According to the Sydney Gazette of July 1804, in 18 months, one ship alone had collected 28,282 skins and 266 gallons of oil from the 63 men working in the straits. By the 1840s, the great sea elephants had disappeared entirely from Bass Strait and Australian fur seals had dropped to about 100.

The Brataualung clan from the Gunai (Kurnai) community are the traditional owners of Wilsons Promontory, who know the country as 'Wamoon' or 'Yirik' . The remains of shell middens dating back thousands of years exist behind many beaches on "the Prom". More than 12,000 years ago, when the sea level was several metres higher than at present, 'The Prom' was a group of islands with only the mountain tips showing above water level. The sea levels have risen and dropped again since then to give us this fabulous natural paradise that exists today.

Day 7 Phillip Island

Nature's island right in Victoria's Westernport, a place of tranquil beauty and unique wildlife, Phillip Island has much to offer. Koalas, seals, penguins and sea-birds all call Philip Island home. A range of optional tours will be available to visit such places as the Koala Conservation Centre or take a local cruise boat to view massive seal colonies. Orion will stay at the island into the evening to allow us to view the nightly Penguin Parade, probably the single most famous attraction on the island, where dozens of Little Penguins also called Fairy Penguins parade across the sand every evening. In contrast to this natural beauty, Phillip Island is also home to one of Australia's great motor racing circuits, home to the Australian Motorbike Grand Prix as well as V-8 Supercars and World Super Bike circuits.

Together with nearby Churchill Island, George Bass and Matthew Flinders "discovered" Phillip Island in 1798, and within three years the first European settlement in Victoria was born on Churchill Island, growing wheat and corn and building several small cottages. Bass named the island Snapper Island, the name being changed to honour the colonial Governor Phillip in the early 1800's. Of course for 1000's of years before Bass and Flinders made landfall, the local Aborigines, the Bunurong people, had roamed through the area as they moved seasonally between the coast and islands and the inland regions of the nearby mainland.The area has been protected as a Nature Reserve since the mid-1990's.

As Orion edges closer to the Melbourne metropolis, what more could we ask for than to have such a historic and naturally special island at our doorstep waiting for us to explore.

Day 8 Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne is notable for its distinct blend of Victorian and contemporary architecture, expansive parks and gardens and multicultural society. It is recognised as Australia's 'cultural and sporting capital' and is home to some of the nation’s most significant cultural and sporting institutions. This will be Orion’s inaugural visit to this great city.