Three Memorable Days
Epic adventurers await you in Australia. Cliché? Totally but in Australia we found three that were truly epic and will remain as family memories at future McFarland get togethers. Warning, they are all pricey but totally worth it. Backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House My son and his girlfriend did the extensive backstage tour taking 2.5 hours that included breakfast. My son is a production techie, so he loved seeing the lighting trusses and sound boards.
They even got to hear someone practicing the organ, which I understand is highly unusual. These tours are limited to 12 people and you’ll need to book ahead.
The rest of us opted for the “regular” tour that lasts about an hour. We still got to see the rooms and hear the fascinating history of the building.
Backstage Tour $165.00
“Regular” Tour $37
Sydney Bridge Climb
The Sydney Bridge Climb was epic for all of us. We elected to pay the higher amount and go at night. If I go again, it would be during sunset. The photos are amazing and our climb wasn’t too shabby too. They provide you jumpsuits and clothing to keep you warm and you’re latched on the side of the bridge at all times. Even the most squeamish person in our group who is afraid of heights accomplished the climb with only being terrified for a very short period of time. I was worried about all of the stairs having bad knees but most of the stairs were at a slight angle so not a problem at all. 
The view at the top is amazing and we could hear Lorde giving an outdoor concert at the Opera House during our climb. When we got to the top, she finished and we got to watch fireworks being launched over the top of the Opera House.
Be aware, they don’t allow cameras or even Go Pros. As you climb you understand why. If something were to drop, you could kill someone driving below. They will however sell you photos at the end. They are $50 for eight. Our group shared and received these and more on a flash drive when we were done.
Budget: $163 to $383 depending upon weekday and weekend and the time you’re climbing.
Food and Wine Tour
Thanksgiving day, we wanted to do something special so we booked a tour through Kangarific tours. Because they were are ready full and we had five people they accommodated us with a private family tour (tours are normally around 12 people) that included something for everyone and everyone enjoyed everything. Sam our guide was terrific. We were also very lucky in that the day was midweek so not as busy at our destinations.
Sam picked us up at our Airbnb around 8:00 am and our first stop was the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park.
An open air park with Australia native animals. We got to pet a koala, kangaroos, emus and chase the cute wallabies around trying to take a photo. The even had Tasmanian Devils and peacocks. Here we enjoyed tea and Tim Tans, shortbread cookies covered with chocolate.
Our next stop was the Hunter Valley Chocolate Factory. We would have bought more chocolate here if we thought we could get it home without it melting. We then headed out to Hunter Valley to our first winery that Sam had selected based on our taste,
Lambloch Estates owned by the Peterson Family. The area has a warm climate and grows Chardonnay, Pinot, Merlot and Shiraz grapes. Sam provided us with choices for lunch and we selected the Smelly Cheese Shop. Oohlala, delicious. So many choices and every single one was amazing.
After lunch we went to our last wine tasting at Mount View Estates.
Frankly I could have spent the rest of the day here. The scenery is beautiful and contributed to the lazy feeling we all had after lunch. Matt, our wine connoisseur, kept us happy and entertained while we conned him I to opening a bottle of champagne to taste and finishing with a fortified wine that we will enjoy again after Christmas dinner.
Our last stop of the day was the Hunter Beer Company where everyone picked out their favorite type of beer and we all shared tastes. On the long drive back, we all sleep, full and happy. Another fabulous non-traditional Thanksgiving holiday.
Budget: $159/person There is a Christmas special for $139.00
Begins at around 7:30 am and ends at approximately 6:00pm