I really enjoyed reading your trip report - it's always interesting to get another perspective on your country from overseas visitors.<BR>As retired Aussies, our winter holiday this year was a ten week drive from Melbourne to Darwin, visiting many of the places you went to, so your report brought back some great memories.

Dee and John, thanks for your words of encouragement, I’m glad you are getting something of value out of my report. Continuing from where I left off, the cruise is pretty good, and the gorge is spectacular. You see some wild life in terms of crocs, birds etc, and the guides are very knowledgeable and informative. At the end of the first gorge, you get out of the boat and walk for about 600 metres over rocks seeing some rock art along the way, to get to the second gorge. You know what this means – lots of water and loads of sunscreen, and the trusty hat. At the second gorge you board another boat for the cruise onward, and then on the way back, you do the switch all over again, before returning to the visitor centre and boarding the bus back. In retrospect, this was one day I felt could have gone better, but the tone was set by the delay in the morning. I should think that I would have liked to canoe the gorge more as compared to the cruise, but I’m pleased to have seen it all the same. Edith Falls remained a regret, but we addressed it to no end in Kakadu. <BR><BR>On the way back, you make two stops. The first is in the town of Katherine to see Katherine Museum, just a small building with some old artefacts from the early days in Katherine. The much more interesting thing is in a barn adjacent to the building housing the museum. It houses the plane used by the very first Flying Doctor as he went about administering to the people in the remote outback. Sure is a good photo op. You stop again at the Adelaide River Inn for an early dinner, again pay as you go. We decided to wait till we got to Darwin, thinking we’ed make a meal of it in one of the restaurants close by to where we were staying. By the time we returned to Darwin it was past 9.00 p.m., a very long day. We had then to pack for our three day camping trip in Kakadu which was to start early the next day, and dinner was relegated to take out from McDonalds. <BR><BR>The next morning we were up and out early ready for our pick up for our Kakadu trip. After much reading up, etc, we had decided that it would be good to spend atleast 3 days in Kakadu, and that we would be doing this with Billy Can Tours. They are thought to be more “upmarket” than some of the other tour companies, I’m not quite sure what that means, we took it to be that we would probably have smaller groups, more one on one interaction, and a comfortable and interesting time. They have a website, and we had opted for the tour mentioned on their website as BC6, which was quite extensive, covering Bowali Visitor Center, Jabiru, Cooinda and the Yellow Water Cruise, Jim Jim and Twin Falls, Barramundie Gorge, Ubirr and Nourlangie rock art sites, etc. Seemed to us like the perfect itinerary.<BR>

We were picked up promptly at 7.00 a.m. by Russell, our guide, who was wonderful company all through. Very kind, attentive and a wonderful sense of humour, and completely at ease with himself and everything else. We could not have asked for a better guide. Besides us, there were two other people on the trip, an English couple living in Zurich, and they were great sports too. So the five of us set off in a 4WD with a trailer hitched behind with all our gear.<BR><BR>Whilst driving through Darwin, Russell filled us in on the town’s history, especially with regards to the role it played during the second world war, as well as the havoc wrecked on it by Cyclone Tracy. We passed by the cooling tower, where the winds from the cyclone had embedded a refrigerator, which was lifted from one of the houses down the street. We stopped enroute at a vegetable and fruit store to pick up groceries for our trip. Next stop was a loo break, but we were able to pick up an absolute life saver, fly nets. Cannot emphasise how useful these are, the buggers up north are really persistent and have this absurd fixation of wanting to snuggle in some orifice or the other, this is the only way to go. You can buy hats with fly nets, or just the fly nets if you already have hats, and you need proper bush hats which provide shade all around, and not just a brim in the front like a cap. This is also where I’ll recommend the insect repellent we used, its called Bushman, and we were constantly being asked to share it, both on the Daintree trip, as well as throughout our Kakadu trip, by people who were using Riid and other stuff and finding they were still being bitten. We did not get any insects on us at all. Also, flies, mosquitoes etc are attracted to the colour blue (thank you Discovery Channel), so oust that color from your wardrobe when you prepare yourself sartorially for a trip anywhere near a forest of any kind. The fly nets are about $ 7.00. <BR><BR>After that we reached the border of the Kakadu National Park where we bought our park passes, included in the tour price, and drove into Kakadu. The first place we visited was Jabiru. We drive around the hotel there, which is built in the shape of a crocodile, you can only see it properly from the air though. We had a short stop here, and while our friends on the tour checked out the few shops, me and my husband made a visit to the medical centre to see if we could find someone who would take a look at the rash that was persisting on my husband’s arms. We spoke to an assistant doctor who said that she was pretty sure it was an allergic reaction, either to the sun, or to something that he would have brushed up against, and prescribed a very strong anti histamine, which was to prove handy for him at least that night, sleeping like a baby while we tossed and turned in our tents. The reason I’m harping on this is to let on to the fact that even though we took all the precautions, sunscreen, full sleeved shirts etc, something did get to him, so be careful out there. Cannot take it lightly at all. <BR>

Our next stop was the Bowali Visitor Centre. Its really nicely done, and gives a good idea of the vast biodiversity of the ecosystem that comprises the 10000 km of Kakadu National Park. They have excellent exhibits, a caf&eacute; and a very nice shop, where we found a lovely bark painting that now hangs in my living room. Onward to lunch which was by the riverside, at a picnic spot, very picturesque, but we had to make a short job of it as the place was swarming with spiders !! So while the rest of us ate pretty much standing up, swatting ever so often, probably at imaginary creepy crawlies most of the time, Russell calmly sat down and made a meal of his lunch. We sure were getting inducted into the bush way of life in a hurry. <BR><BR>The afternoon took us to Ubirr, to see some spectacular rock art. First off, there is a bit of walking and climbing around here, not all of it even. Even though the distance is not a lot, the heat is unbearable, and the flies complete a wonderful picture of woe. The site is spectacular however, and when you think about how the aboriginals are the only culture that survives today that can actually make a connection with the customs, beliefs and way of life to a community that existed over 45000 years ago, it is an amazing thing truly. Bill Bryson in “Down Under” makes a very telling statement that the aboriginals seem like an invisible people, and that is so true, because you see them on the streets of Darwin and elsewhere, but they do not really seem to be part of the Australia that we see, but in fact in a strange way, removed from the environment around them, a poignant fact that you confront again and again. <BR><BR>There is a point in Ubirr where you have to climb upto. This is as Russell stated a holy place, the famous point in the film Crocodile Dundee where Paul Hogan points to a vast vista of bushland to his lady love. You get to see the same thing, and its such a popular spot that people have been known to propose and even exchange wedding vows here ! The climb down and walk back in the blistering heat is a real will power tester, and I think the only thing that kept me from collapsing on the ground in a very unladylike faint was the prospect of the ice cold water awaiting me in the igloo perched on the trailer. <BR><BR>We headed forward in blessedly aircon cooled air to Cooinda, the site of our stay, which is also cheek by jowl with the Yellow water Billabong. Now, the guidebooks say that a Yellow water cruise is a must, and the best one is the early morning one at 6.00 a.m. with the birds rising and the dawn light. I asked Russell why we could not do that and he explained the logic to me. The morning cruise apparently is spectacular in the wet, due to the morning mist and dew. In the dry, its better to do the cruise in the evening as there is also a better chance to see the crocs who start surfacing to catch the last rays of the sun. Lesson learnt here is always trust what the local is doing, there are some people who want the tour to be conducted exactly like mentioned in the brochures or promotional material. You have to learn to defer to the guide’s judgement as they are best equipped to decide how to go about things so as to give you the very best experience a place can. So a flexible attitude is a good thing. <BR>

Great report...I hope its not finished yet!!!!!

Hi Marie, not yet done as you can see, still a ways to go yet. I cannot say enough good things about the Yellow water cruise, it was simply marvellous. We saw a large number of birds - kingfishers, egrets, eagles, magpie geese taking off and flying in formation like an elite aviator force, jesus birds (so called as they give the appearance of walking on water), types of ducks, etc. And of course the star attraction, the crocs. We must have seen about 12-15 of them, most in the second hour of the two hour cruise, as they started surfacing. We were able to see some native behaviour patterns, their territorial nature as demonstrated by two males stealthily and languidly circling a female, and one doing a quick about turn after checking out the competition so to speak. We also caught one having an evening snack, made for great pictures of gnashing teeth, an almost perverse voyeurism prevailing in the crowd as we eagerly watched the endless cycle of survival of the fittest. The boat is comfortable, takes about 50-60 people and the guides really know their stuff and take great pains to spot anything exciting and take us into their world for a few moments. The cruise ends in a blaze of yellow and orange as the sun sets, and all you can think about is how the water around you is teeming with life, how you do not want to be anywhere near there in the dark, how Steve Irwin is certifiably insane, isn’t it obvious to everyone already… <BR><BR>Back to the Cooinda campgrounds and we confront our accommodations for the night. The tents are large and spacious and are more permanent structures than flimsy canvas with actual beds, like the kind you find in old hospitals, and sleeping bags. There are 5-6 tents erected together in groups. We took one and our friends took the one next to us, with a common wall. There is a main tent where the food, bbq, etc are kept, that has electricity as well, and it caters to the people living in the group of tents around it. There are showers and loos a 5 minute walk away, housed in a building, right next to the Cooinda Lodge, where the people who do not want to stay outdoors but in budget accommodations spend the night. Which means that we have access to a bar and caf&eacute; as well. A little 5 star camping treatment, but that was fine with us. After what we had encountered that day, between spiders and crocs, we were not feeling particularly adventurous enough for a proper camp out. <BR><BR>While we showered and changed, dinner was prepared for us as well as another group that had joined us. There was a trivia quiz organised at the bar, but we all decided to sack out around a campfire drinking chilled beer. The sky was clear, the flies seemed to have turned in for the night and the conversation was easy and friendly. We had a go at a didj that someone had got along. After enough pathetic sound effects ranging from asthmatic piffles to what seemed like mating calls from very large, ugly animals, we had dinner, and then went to the bar for some more drinks. At some point, we felt it was prudent to turn in, but no one wanted to take the initiative of returning to a dark tent where God knows what was lurking. Finally, we decided to brave it, and spent the better part of half hour checking for “bugs”. We did not find any, our neighbours found three huge spiders that were deemed not suitable bed mates, and we had to rouse Russell to evict them summarily. After enough bugspray to kill Saddam Hussein, we turned in, and tried to get sleep in temperatures which were touching the mid 30s. Husband of course was in a lovely drug induced sleep, the rest of us had to wait till we were exhausted enough to fall asleep anyways, all the while resisting attempts to switch on the flashlight to check on who’s climbed into bed in the last 5 minutes. And to think that we would have to do it all again the next night. <BR>

We were up early next morning all things considering, and after a shower and a good breakfast, started off on our trip to the Falls. Part of early morning ritual was to make up our lunch tuck, so each of us put together a couple of sandwiches and wrapped them up in foil, ready to eat at lunchtime. Sure saved us a lot of bother later on, not having to cart things around, and the flies were sorely disappointed I’ll bet. Russell told us how because of the drought, Jim Jim falls has completely dried up, and Twin Falls is missing a twin, just a single fall, and a mere shadow of its normal self at that. We decided to get to Twin Falls first.<BR><BR>After about 30 minutes driving on regular roads, you turn off onto a rough dirt track which can be done only with a 4WD. Strangely people do not seem to get this, within about 5 minutes of jolting on this road, we came across two stranded cars, which had been foolhardy to attempt this track. Unfortunately we were fully packed into our vehicle so we could not help them out by giving them a lift, but they really should have known better. Theis track goes on for about 12 km or so, so it is a pretty long way, and takes about a half hour of spine dislodging progress. Finally you reach a sort of clearing where you see other cars parked, and you know the ride is over and its time to move from 4WD to 2 feet.<BR><BR>We stripped off our outer wear and after liberal application of sunscreen set off. We carried our boogie boards, or are they called airboards with us. The whole idea about Twin Falls is that getting there is the whole experience. There is no road that takes you directly to the falls, what you have to do is paddle or swim for a total distance of about 600 metres or so to get to a whole lot of rocks which you then have to clamber over to get to the actual waterhole with the falls. There is normally an extra airboard that carries a round drum which is lined with a plastic bag in which we put our lunches, cameras, extra T-shirts, sunscreen etc. Cannot emphasize enough on the sunscreen as although you feel that you are cool in the water, you are most likely getting burnt, ideally apply a lot on the upper arms and shoulder area. Also it would be good to put in your shoes or sandals with good grip into the drum. We did not do this and we paid the price. What happens is that on your way in since it is early morning, everything is still pretty cool and the shadows are in all the right places. However, by the time you finish and set off to come back, the sun is out in full scale, shadows have disappeared, and the rocks and sand are sizzling hot. Not a great way to walk back, as you can barely stand still for fear of burning your feet, at the same time the going is pretty uneven so you can’t just run amok either. Best to carry your shoes along, a good grip is very important as the rocks are slippery due to sand and moss.<BR>

I will be in Australia for 2 weeks in Dec. Reading your trip report gave me a lot of useful information and ideas. About snorkling, do the tour company provide life jacket? As it will be very hot in the King's Canyon at that time, do you think it's better for me not to take the walk up the rim and spend the time on the cayon floor? Will I miss a lot?

Cecilia, I would not be going to Kings Canyon in December or anywhere in the centre of Australia as its just far too hot. Mind you January would be worse, but there is nothing worse than spending loads of money and being uncomfortable every minute of the day. Stay around the coastal areas as there is plenty to see and do in relative comfort.

Cecilia, firstly, not sure about the tour company providing life jackets for snorkelling, I did not see anyone using them, but you can email them and find out for sure. There does not seem to be any reason why it cannot be done though. As regards the rim walk at Kings Canyon, I tend to agree with the advice given, we found it very hot even when we were there, it was bearable only because of the breeze that we had that day. December would be a real scorcher, and the I remember the guide telling us that while most of us had no problems exhausting our 2 litre water bottles three fourth way into the walk, in the peak of summer you could be needing over 5 litres to survive the walk. It all depends on how fit you think you are and whether you regard this as a must do. Else, just relax and take it easy so you can enjoy the rest of the wonderful things Australia has to offer. I hope this answers your queries. <BR><BR>Getting back to Twin Falls, the paddling to get to the falls is a slow leisurely process and is completely enjoyable and a wonderful experience. At the start of the river stretch of course, one comes face to face with the crocodile warnings, saying as far as they know there aren’t any but they cannot guarantee that the odd one has not slipped into that section of the river. There is a huge net at the mouth of this stretch that is supposed to hold the crocs in, but it looked fairly fragile to me. Decided that I was not going to dunk my head and look around underwater, ignorance would be bliss and what I didn’t see would not hurt me, and that’s that. Apparently the thing to do if a croc attacks you in the water is to dive to the floor and remain motionless. Not very encouraging. If you happen to be chased by one on land, you can slow it down by running zigzag. All I can say is that this is all good to know, but I’m glad there was no opportunity to put theory into practice.<BR><BR>The good news is that non swimmers do not need to be left out of this excursion. My husband does not swim, but Russell had come prepared for this since we had informed Billy Can about this at the time of booking itself. There was a larger pool pad on which my husband lay face down and paddled away, along with a life jacket which he put on. Because of this, he was able to make the most of this enchanting experience, so if anyone does not know how to swim, no worries, you can still do this. <BR><BR>While paddling along, one is also forced to take it slow, because the water level is quite low as it was the dry season, and hence every once in a while you do bump into a rock, which can be quite painful. So you learn to feel around and take it slow. When you reach the far side of the stretch of water you clamber over some rocks and finally see the pool with the waterfall. The waterfall was a moderate trickle but looked inviting nevertheless, and the pool has a lovely sandy beach as well. We dumped our stuff under some sparse trees and spent the better part of the next couple of hours just lazing around. You can easily swim upto the waterfall, and with a little careful manoevering, owing to the slippery rocks just under, find that perfect spot where you can lean back and feel the falls cascading down over you. It is a wonderful feeling, I never wanted to come away, beats any spa treatment hands down. We had a biscuit snack and finally forced ourselves to make our way back with the airboards, following the same route that the came by to return, but almost singed our feet on the steaming rocks and sand. What a lovely experience this was. <BR>

Dimple Shah,<BR>Thanks for the report. I look forward to reading more:-)

Hi Dimple<BR>Please continue!!<BR>Marie

Hi Dimple,<BR>I have enjoyed reading your report and learning from your experiences. Is there anything else that you can add?<BR><BR>Favorites? Regrets? Things you would have done differently?

Just topping this as it's such a terrific report that it shouldn't be allowed to slip below no. 50. Strenght to your arm, Dimple Shah, and I hope you visit again!

Hey everyone, I’m back and firstly must apologise for this hiatus in postings. Unfortunately, real life does intervenes when you are having fun, and I have had such a lot of work pressure that I have had to cut back on all things fun for a while. But I am determined to finish this report. So to the person writing as More and Marie – stay tuned, Amy, the only regret I have is not having enough time to do more ! Alan, from your lips to God’s ears – I would love to come back in an instant ! I owe you bigtime for our wonderful experience at the Lord Nelson Brewery, thanks a lot for that. So lets get on with it. <BR><BR>Once we returned to the carpark, we decided to get out of our wet clothes, which were almost dry but still feels better to change. There is a tower like structure at one end of the car park which has some sort of a communication centre on the groundfloor and a composting toilet on the top floor ! Very strange construction, but useful nevertheless. Once we made our way out of the 4WD section of the road to the regular road, we opened up lunch. We swung by Jim Jim falls, a short visit, more to see the surrounding cliffs, as the waterfalls were dried up, and then made tracks back to camp. <BR><BR>At camp after a round of drinks, showering and changing, we had an early dinner. Our campmates decided to shift to a friendlier tent, with fewer creepy crawlies than they had in the one next to ours, but the minute they moved into another tent, they found 2 more huge spiders so they decided not to shift after all. All this time, all you are thinking is about how some of the most poisonous spiders can be found in the Oz bush. <BR><BR>After dinner, we went back to the bar, where they were having a singsong, which was very enjoyable. There was an Australian farmer there who moonlights on the evenings as a singer and guitarist, and he kept us all well entertained with ballads and funny songs depicting the Australian way of life. He even made up songs on the spot on all kinds of subjects, including on one contribution by our guide Russell, the Ballad of the Executive Navel Fluff Extractors ! If anything, it was even more hot than the previous night, and no one was in a hurry to turn in, but after the third rousing rendition of Waltzing Matilda, we decided to get back to the tents. It was a tough night trying to get sleep with the oppressive heat, and the tent is fully closed up, which does not help. I got sleep only in the early hours of the morning when it cooled a bit, so I was nice and wide awake when a dingo came sniffing around the tent in the night. <BR>

WOW!!!<BR>Thanks for all the good info!!

A great read. A friend and I also went with the Billy Can Tours in Sept. Four Days, but a different schedule. Two days in the Kakadu,one in the Katherine Gorge and one in Litchfield.It was great camping at night, eating around the camp fire. Great company. The bus was able to hold 22, but there was only nine of us.It was cheaper to book at the last minute as we got a stand by rate.Such a beautiful place to see.

For our final day at Kakadu, the morning routine was pretty much the same, breakfast and making sandwiches for lunch, and we also had to clear out of camp. After the wonderful dips we had had the previous day, we decided to spend this day in a similar laid back fashion. Our first stop in the morning was at Barramundie Gorge, a wonderful little spot, with a lovely waterfall and watering hole. This is also where we saw a small fresh water crocodile, and I might add, got sunburnt for the first time in my life. While on the way to the gorge, we stopped at a desolate spot in the outback for the mandatory picture in a vast field of termite mounds. You’ll see these everywhere, and each mound takes about 5-6 years to build by the worker termites for the queen, who as in her human avatar, sits around and does nothing. Each mound is likely to have a population of about 1.5 to 2 million termites. As Russell kept telling us, you should not be deceived by the dry and somewhat staid nature of the landscape and topography around you, underneath the veneer that you see, there is an amazing amount of ecological activity going on, as it has for many thousands of years. <BR><BR>After soaking in the gorge to our satisfaction, we went on to another spot called Moline, which is a smaller spot, of more local knowledge rather than being marked on the guide books. It is truly a fantastic place, and we were ever so grateful to Russell for sharing his favourite spot with us. It’s a smaller waterhole with a nice sized waterfall, and there are a lot of shady trees unlike at the other holes, so the water is also much much colder and more refreshing, no one else but us, and the feel is like you are somewhere in the Amazon basin. After soaking ourselves thoroughly, we decided to eat lunch there itself, and that is one meal I will never forget, perched on a rock, half submerged in crystal clear cold water, chomping on a filling sandwich surrounded by trees and fish with the sound of a cascading waterfall in the background. This is the stuff dreams are made of. <BR><BR>Sadly, we had to leave soon after lunch to make our way back to Darwin and civilisation. We stopped at a sheep farm which also had a little store and restrooms and got out of our bathing gear and tried to combat the humid heat around us with icecream lollies. The drive back took us about 3 hours and we romped into Darwin at around 6.00 p.m. to the sounds of Abba on the CD player. We bid a fond farewell to Russell as well as our camp mates before getting our act together for the airport shuttle pickup, as we had to pick up our luggage from the hotel where we had deposited it for safekeeping, repack our camping stuff, and freshen up.<BR><BR>All in all, if someone were to ask me in retrospect about the camping idea, I am all for it. What strikes you while you are lying in bed waiting to fall asleep in a naturally alien environment is how soft you have become over the years. You don’t even consider things like luxury, comfort, etc when you have gone camping as kids, its all taken in stride, and all you care about is having a good time with your friends. Fear of course is an unknown commodity to young people. With adulthood, of course, you have come to know the concepts of risk, of safety, of comfort. This is a great way to reconnect to that uncomplicated, carefree and adventure loving spirit you once were as a child.<BR>

We reached the airport and after a long and uneventful flight, arrived at Melbourne in the wee hours of the morning. The first thing that hits you straight away is the temperature difference. We went from 35 degrees in Darwin to 9 degrees in Melbourne in the span of 5 hours ! Also, this is the last flight in for the day, so the airport becomes deserted pretty quickly, and the airport shuttles, etc are all over for the day. So the only way into town is by taxi, which can take upto $ 45-50. <BR><BR>Whilst planning our trip, we had decided that it made prudent sense again to stay in the heart of town, and had booked online with the Victoria Hotel, for a deal that was $ 128.00 per day including breakfast. This again was a great choice of accommodation for the price and especially for the location, it is on Little Collins Road, right in the heart of town, and very convenient for shopping as you are in the heart of the shopping district, easy connectivity as bus and tube stops are a minute’s walk, Flinders Street Station is a 5 minute walk, lots of eating options, and if you are taking day trips, the pick up stop is a block away. Super super location and the rooms are decent sized too. Heartily recommended.<BR><BR>Day one in Melbourne was a day trip with the coach guys to the Yarra Valley, the Dandenongs and the Healesville Sanctuary. The first stop is for billy tea and cakes at a teashop in the Dandenongs. The stellar attraction here is being able to feed beautiful red green and blue parrots as well as pink galahs, who come and sit on your hand and eat out of your palm. Starved as we are for this kind on interaction given the lives that we lead, everyone on the bus was reduced to a bunch to 9 and 10 year olds, gaily making odd sounds to attract the birds and clicking pictures like crazy. After this memorable tea break, you continue to drive through the Dandenongs before you arrive at the train station for a ride on Puffing Billy, the little steam train locomotive that takes you for a picturesque ride through the range.<BR><BR>As you drive upto and through the Dandenongs, the first impression you get is one of an assault of green on the eyes, a surfeit of colour that has been missing from your vision for the last few days. Unlike the scenery that you have become used to over the days of red desert sands and spindly vegetation, Melbourne looks more like rural England, with lush green vegetation and foliage. And in this way, just when you think you have her completely figured out, Australia surprises you yet again. Moreover, the Dandenongs are home to the tall conifers, again requiring reorientation of what you have come to expect, and what you finally confront. <BR>

Puffing Billy may be a touristy thingamajig, but its loads of fun nevertheless, especially if you ride it the right way. You are not suppose to simply sit in the wagon cars on your seats, oh no. What is more fun is perching on the windowsill, balancing yourself by hooking your arms over the grill rods and letting your legs dangle outside against the train as it puffs through the scenic ranges. Great fun, but after the nearly half hour ride, you do get off with a sore butt which is very well earned though. <BR><BR>After rejoining the coach, you continue the drive through the ranges into the Yarra Valley for lunch at a vineyard. For those people who have visited France and Italy, maybe these vineyards may be more of the same, but for someone like me, they were fascinating. We stopped at a vineyard restaurant for lunch, and the only thing again is that you are part of a bus tour, and there are other bus tours also patronising the same place so you end up with a lot of people on one vineyard indeed. <BR><BR>Now, there is an option of having a full course lunch at the vineyard for which there is a set price, or you can order a la carte. The piece de resistance of the full course is the steak, which being of no use to me, we had decided to go a la carte at the time of booking itself. You can change your mind there as well, but be prepared to wait while they take care of those who have pre booked lunch and that can be a bit frustrating as we had a couple of people on our table who waited nearly 20 minutes before they were told they could help themselves to the set lunch buffet, after the other pre booked people had served themselves. The a la carte service is also slower with the pre booked guys getting all the attention. I would recommend getting lunch over with asap, and then roaming around the vineyard, wine tasting and buying etc, since remember this is a coach tour and you are likely to be herded back into the bus at a moment’s notice. The vineyard itself, Fergussons I think it was, is very pretty, makes for lovely pictures, and is a different feel altogether form the rest of the stuff seen this far.<BR><BR>After lunch, we continued our drive through the Yarra Valley. Now the trip provides for two options. The first option is that you can spend the rest of the afternoon visiting other wineries in the area for wine tasting and buying. The other option is to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Healesville Sanctuary. There seemed to be a few more takers for the latter. We decided on Healesville as well since our logic was we had already seen one winery, and would see wineries in other parts of the world too, but felt we could not pass up what was possibly going to be our last interaction with native Australian wildlife.<BR>