In 2005 I am planning to take a large group (close to 60 total) of high school students along with some parents on an EF (educational) tour of New Zealand and Sydney. We have 5 days in Sydney. Most of my travelers have never been to Oz before so the 5 days in Sydney will be perfect for them to see the city and take a day trip or two into the Blue Mountains.

However, I have maybe 20 kids who did this same trip with me last summer and while they'd love to go back in two years, they are interested in something beyond Sydney. I did some checking on airfares from Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef and that ain't gonna happen. Does anyone know if there are tour operators in Sydney that might be able to put together an overnight to the Reef or Outback for a reasonable rate? Whenever I travel in Europe, I run into tour companies that will sell you a mini-package of a night or two in another interesting location and often at a great discount.

Yes, I am aware how big Australia is and that the Great Barrier reef is hundreds of miles away, but even in the U.S. you can sometimes find travel bargains for a large group. I think the kids would be most interested in beach time, but we travel during our summer (Australia's winter) so Sydney beaches are a bit too chilly.

Hi Zeus,

For bang for buck your best place to take the kids is to Port Stephens they can still do the beach thing but there are literally heaps of things to do there like whale and dolphin watching cruises, ride Quad bikes on the sand dunes of Stockton beach, horse riding on the beach, and you can get one and two day trips from Sydney.

Cheers

Paul_S

TTT - Any other suggestions? Is there a tour company that offers a day trip into the Bush country? I checked the Australian National website but couldn't find a specific company.

Hi, Zeus!

This is an easy one. Take them to Canberra. You can do it in one, two, or more days. Then take them to the Snowy Mountains. Then, if they haven't been there already, take them to Jenolan Caves (best as a two-day, one-night trip). Finally, you will have a great day in Sydney doing the Spit Bridge-Manly walk. You will see plenty of posts on this site for all of these options if you do a search above. Good luck!

Why not check if any of the companies who do regular backpacker tours to the Blue Mts would tailor something especially for you (using one of their vehicles) that goes further - not, in that timeframe, to the "outback" but at least to rural NSW. The only name that springs to mind is Wonderbus, but there are loads - google perhaps? There are also outfits that do overnight horse treks in the Blue Mts. Or you could try and organise a farmstay.

Zeus ,
G-Day, It?s me mate, jj727 puff puff puff, phew, sorry mate puff puff wow !!!!!
I must be getting old, puff puff phew.
Mate I hope I got here in time.
I hope they didn?t put you on that wonder bus.
Listen to me Zeus, Listen to me
Hang on a sec.
Just got to get me breathe mate.

OK That?s a bit better.

Now Zeus re your inquiry on a couple of days out of Sydney.
Your lucky mate ,soooo lucky I got to see your request.
You see Zeus, Im a worker, I got to work long and hard so I don?t get in here that much.
Not like that bloke Neil from errrrr ummmmm can?t remember where he?s from.
Any how , that doesn?t matter now.
I'm here, that?s the main thing.
Cos Zeus, I?m gonna take ya ,, on the ride of your life. You and the kids.

Ahhhh now I feel better.
Hang on to you hat mate, here we gooooooooo.

Pick up at your Sydney hotel at 06.30 am on day one. All of ya in one bus.
No time for breaky, got to beat the traffic as we head west out past
ParraMcmatta.
Our first stop is Makkas, Yankee Kids love Makkas,
We fill up with Mcfatburgers and a bottle of McCoke each.
Some of the older kids can have two Mc Cokes.They are amune to it.
I look over and see one kid eating the McBox the Mcburger came in.
I sing out to him, HA , HA You !!! yes you,,, your eating the bloody Mcbox !!!!
He signals back it?s OK you can?t really tell the Mcdifference.
We sit and watch the Sydney locals abusing Mc Shit out of each other as they struggle to drive to work on streets which don?t even have Street bloody Mc Signs on em.
Once the kids have completely filled up with McFat we say good bye to the McManager and head back out to the Mcbus.

OK We are on board the bus. We are driving in the opposite direction to all the traffic as we head west. We are out of town. Yippe, we made it, we made out of the City and we are alive.

As we drive out we see cars completley stripped of wheels, bonnets, wind screen wipers, and tail lights. Yippe we are safe, the engine is purring , we are full of juice and OUT OF TOWN.

We see one car off the side of the road, sort of hanging off an over pass, a guy there (looks like the owner ) is desperately trying to hold onto the car to stop it from falling
down onto the road below.
Looks like he might have a bullett hole in his shoulder, some one is parked behind him screaming abuse because he is blocking the over pass, some
one else is on their knees trying to knock off his shoes. An other guy has his hand in his back pocket, could be going for the wallet, The kids are Hypo from all the Mcfat and are taking bets on will the car fall or wont it.

As you said Zeus, some kids have done this before so are now getting very bored and starting to write slogans on the windows of the bus, others have taken knives out of their
back packs and are ripping up the upholstery on the seats.
Others are just sitting in their
seats kinda Mcdazed.

OK Past Katoomba as fast as we can, most of em have seen it any way.
On the way past one of em sees a KFC shop and screams stopppppp.
We stop quickly and they all bail out and grab a box of Mc Chicken.
Some of em sneak in behind the bushes for a quick Mcslash ( pee )

Our next stop is Hampton, a small village on top of the cliffs looking back towards Katoomba. Hampton is about a one hour run from the KFC shop at Katoomba. The kids pile out again scrambling for a place behind the bushes so they can release all
that bloody McCoke from their bladders. Got to watch them here as they are still a little Hypo and one of em is likely to fall of the damm McCliff.

All safe, back in the bus and off to JENOLAN CAVES. Just down the road we pass the turn off to OBERON. We do not stop, got to make the caves tour, down the bloody great hill we go.
The views are majestic, cliffs either side of the Mcbus, one can see for miles either way. Great big red roos are appearing from behind the mulga , koala bears are hanging up side
down from the giant Eucalyptus trees, an echidna scuffles across the road, a badger sits up and wiggles his nostrils as we pass, a dingo runs for the cover of a huge willow tree on the banks of a small creek.
The kids all have their walkmans turned up full bore as they stare at the floor of the bus.

We drive through the huge entrance cave, it all opens up before us. Jenolan Caves.
We made it, the huge caves, the gorgeous river running beside the car park, the sounds of
the bush , ahhh this is what we came for, this is what Australia is about.
Smell that fresh air, yep , thats great suck it in. Now to relax.
We arrive at the caves at 10 oclock, not many people around here.
Wow this is so nice and quiet.

We gather our bags and walk towards the caves house, all of a sudden bells start to ring, red lights begin to flash, men in uniforms every where directing Hugh buses full of what
looks like people from the land of the rising Sun, Yep they all look like each other, are they all from one family ? Can;t be there?s too many of them,
must be an invasion of some sort,wait there , can?t be that either, they are all fast asleep, what is this.
Bugger Me !!!!!! Look out they all just woke up, all at the same time all at once, and look !!! while the drivers are parking the buses they are all taking pictures of the car park, hang on a sec,they all nodded off again.

Ha Kids !!!! Did ya all see that.
What a great cultural experience.

And we are not even half way Zeus.
Tomorrow we attack the outback.