Australia

Off the Beaten Path in Australia

A family swaps a second Gold Coast for two nights in Port Stephens, sandboarding the dunes most Australia itineraries never mention.

12 Nights / 13 DaysDuration
4Cities

Sandboarding Between Sydney and the Reef

Port Stephens sits two hours north of Sydney and almost never makes it onto an Australia itinerary , most routes fly straight from Melbourne or Cairns into Sydney and never touch the coast in between. This one stops there deliberately, trading a fourth city everyone visits for two nights somewhere most first-time travellers have never heard of.

This is one of the Australia itineraries we've planned for a family before , twelve nights, thirteen days across Cairns, Melbourne, Port Stephens and Sydney, built for two adults and one child (5 years) travelling together. It's shared here to show what an off-the-beaten-path route through Australia could look like. A version built around your own family's size, pace, and dates would look a little different , and that's the point.

Why This Trip

Why Detour to Port Stephens

Why Detour to Port Stephens

Cairns and Melbourne cover the essentials most families expect , a Great Barrier Reef snorkel cruise with scuba diving, the Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Railway, a self-drive day on the Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island's penguins.

Port Stephens is the detour that sets this route apart , a short flight from Melbourne into Newcastle, then two hours of sandboarding on dunes most visitors never see, before the drive down the coast road into Sydney rather than another flight.

Travenza tip: build Port Stephens in as a two-night stop, not a day trip from Sydney , the sandboarding alone takes half a day, and the drive down the coast afterward is worth the extra night on its own.

Holiday Overview

Cities Covered
Cairns (+ Great Barrier Reef & Kuranda), Melbourne (+ Great Ocean Road & Phillip Island), Port Stephens & Nelson Bay (+ sandboarding), Sydney (+ Blue Mountains & Sydney Harbour cruise)
Starting Price
₹8,07,675

total for the family's land package (visa, insurance, tours and transfers included), plus international airfare from ₹74,955 per adult, based on 2 adults and 1 child (5 years) travelling together

Best Time to Travel
Late March to early April (mild autumn weather along the whole coast)
Experiences Covered
Great Barrier Reef snorkel cruise with scuba diving, Kuranda Skyrail & Scenic Railway, Cairns Aquarium, small-group Melbourne city tour, self-drive Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Port Stephens sandboarding, Sydney Harbour cruise, Blue Mountains tour

Tap a pin to preview each stop

Trace Your Path

An itinerary designed
for every moment.

Cairns Day 1–3

A Great Barrier Reef snorkel cruise with scuba diving, and the Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Scenic Railway.

Melbourne Day 4–6

A small-group city tour past Federation Square, the MCG and St Kilda Beach, and a self-drive day on the Great Ocean Road.

Port Stephens & Nelson Bay Day 7–8

Two hours of sandboarding and sand surfing down the dunes, suitable for every skill level.

Sydney Day 9–13

Bondi Beach, the Gap Lookout and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a Blue Mountains day trip and a Sydney Harbour cruise.

Day By Day

Australia Trip Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Cairns Arrival

    A private transfer to Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Cairns, for a three-night stay.

  2. Day 2

    Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise

    A full-day cruise to the reef, with an introductory or certified scuba dive included alongside the snorkeling.

  3. Day 3

    Kuranda Skyrail & Scenic Rail

    The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway goes up to Kuranda village, then the historic Scenic Railway back down through hand-carved tunnels.

  4. Day 4

    Cairns to Melbourne

    A flight to Melbourne and a private transfer to Novotel Melbourne Central, with the evening free.

  5. Day 5

    Melbourne City Tour

    A small-group city tour past Federation Square, the MCG, and St Kilda Beach, finishing at Eureka Tower.

  6. Day 6

    Great Ocean Road, Self Drive

    A self-drive day along the Great Ocean Road, with the flexibility to stop at the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Bells Beach on the family's own schedule.

  7. Day 7

    Melbourne to Port Stephens

    A flight to Newcastle Williamtown and a private transfer to The Landmark Resort Nelson Bay, for a two-night stay.

  8. Day 8

    Port Stephens Sandboarding

    Two hours of sandboarding and sand surfing down the dunes, suitable for every skill level.

  9. Day 9

    Port Stephens to Sydney

    A private transfer down the coast road to Novotel Sydney Darling Square, with the evening free.

  10. Day 10

    Sydney City Tour

    A tour past Bondi Beach, the Gap Lookout, and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, with a stop at the Sydney Fish Market.

  11. Day 11

    Blue Mountains Day Trip

    A full day to a wildlife park and Echo Point's Three Sisters, with Scenic World's cableway and railway included.

  12. Day 12

    Sydney Harbour Cruise

    A relaxed day at leisure, closing with the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and a Parramatta River cruise back into Darling Harbour.

  13. Day 13

    Departure

    A private transfer to the airport for the flight home.

What's Included

Experiences Included.

Where You'll Stay

Hotel Stays.

Hotel stays in Cairns, Melbourne, Port Stephens and Sydney, mostly with breakfast.

Cairns: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Cairns. Melbourne: Novotel Melbourne Central. Port Stephens: The Landmark Resort Nelson Bay, a one-bedroom apartment. Sydney: Novotel Sydney Darling Square, for the final three nights.

The Fine Print, Handled

What Travenza Holidays
Will Arrange.

Itinerary planning, hotel reservations, a self-drive rental car for the Great Ocean Road, private transfers, internal flights, Australia visa and travel insurance.

Customised by family size, hotel preference, budget, travel dates, and pace , including whether Port Stephens fits as a two-night stop or a longer stay.

Ready When You Are

Plan Your Off the Beaten Path Holiday to Australia

The reef by scuba, the Great Ocean Road by self-drive, sand dunes at Port Stephens most Australia trips never reach , this route trades one more capital city for a coastline in between that's worth the detour.

This is one of the itineraries we've built for a family travelling together before, shared here to show what the trip could look like. A version built for your own family , size, pace, and dates , would look a little different.

Estimated from ₹8,07,675 per adult · All inclusive

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