Koala & Kangaroos Experience, Waterfalls and Scenic Train Journey
Description
Meet koalas, kangaroos and discover pretty waterfalls as you journey through the bays, beaches and bushland of the Central Coast. Kick off the day at an award‑winning wildlife park where a ranger leads you to get up close to a fluffy koala for a quick pat. Wander among kangaroos as they bound past looking for a friendly feed and pat. Encounter dingoes, wallabies, echidnas, a Tasmanian devil, wombat, emus, parrots and a saltwater crocodile. Step into Australia’s only venom centre for a thrilling look at the snakes and spiders that call Australia home. Relax beside a hidden waterfall surrounded by red gums and banksias—an ideal place to feel worlds away. After lunch, explore blue lakes, beaches and sweeping headlands looking for giant pelicans. Wrap up the adventure with a scenic train ride back to Central Sydney through pretty forests and across the Hawkesbury River. Book a visit to a distillery for flavoured gin, and winery for fruit wine using the separate available option.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Completed in 1932 driving over the 'coathanger' is a must and connects Sydney with North Sydney and the stunning lower north shore. One of the world's most famous bridges.
Drive over the Moonee Moonee Bridge and the grand Hawkesbury River - the gateway to the Central Coast of NSW. This region is famous for its pearl oysters, Sydney Rock Oysters and Pacific Oysters.
Enjoy all the unique Australian animals at this renowned wildlife park. Spend time up close with cute, fluffy young koalas, hand feed kangaroos and see wallabies, tasmanian devils, wombats, dingoes, echidnas and platypus. Spend some free time to yourselves with a huge crocodile, Australian snakes and spiders, on a must visit experience.
Discover Australian native banksias, tea tree, mountain devils, spider flowers, scribbly gums and grass trees on a wonderful stroll through an Australian National Park. Relax by some waterfalls and look for the inquisitive Eastern Water Dragon, Lace Monitor and Eastern Whipbirds. Depending on time, complete a longer loop walk to another hidden waterfall.
Drive by a coastal lagoon brimming with hundreds of sailing boats, fishing boats and the quaint waterside towns of Point Clare, Tascott and Koolewong.
Seek out the Australian pelican - the largest pelican in the world, sweeping it's bill searching for fish. Get up close for some amazing pictures as local fisherman bring in their catch.
Gorgeous Ocean Beach overlooks the Central Coast's Broken Bay to Lion Island - a remote penguin colony. Time permitting take an optional stroll on the sand dipping your toes in the sparkling water.
The beautiful surf break of Umina and South Umina Beach can be viewed from both beachside and above as we ascend up Mount Ettalong.
Surround yourself around the peculiar Sydney Red Gum and its twisting branches on this short pleasant walk that overlooks Pearl Beach, one of the Central Coast's prettiest beaches. Keep an eye out for the laughing kookaburra and native brush turkey. Time permitting drive down to Pearl Beach for a quick walk looking for colourful seashells.
Return back to Sydney's Central Train Station on a scenic and relaxing public train ride from the Central Coast. Travel through the stunning Brisbane Water and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Parks via pretty waterways and over the iconic Hawkesbury River Bridge. A delightful return to Sydney avoiding the rush hour traffic.
Available as an Optional Stop: Visit an award-winning gin distillery for flavoured and botanically infused gins. Try some interesting styles and and meander through their herb gardens.
Available as an Optional Stop: Sample interesting and delicious fruit wine at a fruit winery on the Central Coast. Try blueberry, pear, strawberry, lemon and orange wine, amongst other seasonal fruits with a chance to stroll their gorgeous grounds.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up is available from Sydney hotels, airbnbs, Overseas Passenger Cruise terminal and White Bay Cruise Terminal within the inner-city metro area of Sydney as defined in the map. For busy streets without available parking spaces we will arrange pick up as close as possible. Will be fabulous to meet you all. Ben Barry Owner - Personalised Sydney Tours Discover. Immerse. Treasure.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(85)
Our tour took us to the Australia Reptile Park. Here we got to see and pet Koalas. Then out to feed the Kangaroos and view many colorful Birds. One special show was at the Venom Center to see the retraction of venom from three different poison snakes. Then move on to several nature walks and views. Just fantastic views, like Lion Island; Water Falls; and a blue Lake with Pelicans. Rounding out our tour with a Scenic Train Ride back to Sydney. Thank you Ben Barry.
So great to hear! Thank you for your positive words and feedback and glad that you had an interesting time. Hope to meet again some day! Regards, Ben
Excellent excursion that exceeded expectations! The guide, Ben, was timely, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The koala visit was amazing! Got to be up close and personal, and even got to feed him! Amazing pictures and memories from that experience! The waterfalls and walk through nature was excellent and the train ride back was very nice! Ben handled everything beautifully! Even had lunch!! Highly recommend this tour!!
Hi Steve, It was wonderful meeting you both and sharing my insight and knowledge of the Central Coast of NSW. The koalas are such an adorable and friendly animal and it was great that you could interact so close. Thanks for your great words and really hope to catch up again one day. Hope to see you both back in Sydney. Many thanks, Ben
We had an amazing day with Ben. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. The wildlife park he took us to was very hands on and we throughly enjoyed posing and petting the koala. We also liked seeing the baby croc in all his glory. Additional highlights were a great lunch spot and touring a park with nearly life sized pelicans. Take the tour - you will not be disappointed.
Hi Steve and Jeanne, Many thanks for a fabulous day out encountering koalas, kangaroos and those man-sized wild pelicans! Wow they are huge! Was a pleasure meeting you both and hope everything is going well back home. Be great to see you both again and/ or meet some friends and family if they travel to Sydney. Best regards, Ben
Ben our guide was extremely flexible. He adjusted our tour to accommodate our flight coming in later. He was punctual friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We fit in everything without feeling rushed in our experience. Would recommend .
Hi Donna and Anthony, Thank you so much for your lovely words. Experiencing Sydney and our wildlife on a private tour on the very day you arrived from a long international flight is always exciting — a great way to hit the ground running. I hope you’re enjoying your cruise, and I look forward to the chance to meet you both again. Ben
This tour was amazing. Ben was exceptional from start to finish. He was with us the entire time and shared his deep knowledge of all that we saw. It was like having another member of our family but one that was a local. The tour itself was top notch as we were able to see everything the family was hoping for. I highly recommend Ben and this tour to everyone
Hi Eric, Lisa, Elizabeth, Blaine and co. I'm glad you enjoyed our two days together. Was a real delight sharing our koalas, kangaroos, waterfalls, canyons and mountain vistas with your beautiful family. Stay in touch and hope to see you all again on your next visit. Best wishes, Ben
our tour guide Ben was awesome. so informative. will definitely do this again Thank you Ben
Hi Anita and Elaine, Great to hear that you enjoyed my company and will return for another venture. Can't wait to see you both again and so happy we could fit this in before boarding your cruise ship in Sydney. Many thanks and see you both next time! Ben
Australia Reptile Park surprisingly gave the most amazing koala experience. Must do experience!!! Ben is a very kind experienced guide.
Hi Debbie and Christine, It was lovely to meet you both for a private tour from Sydney to the Central Coast. My private Sydney tours are all customised so glad that you thought it was the best koala experience. Being able to enter their enclosure with a wildlife ranger and pat and feed eucalyptus to the koalas is definitely a special experience. Hope to see you both again or meet any of your visiting family. Best regards, Ben Barry Owner - Personalised Sydney Tours
Ben was amazing! We were unfamiliar with where to meet and he offered to pick us up at our hotel door. He was the most knowledgeable guide and knew so much information that it helped us to learn so much about Australia in a very short amount of time. The koala/kangaroo part of the day was so much fun! We both loved petting the koalas and feeding the kangaroos. You don't get this kind of experience at zoos in the US! I would book again with Ben if we ever make it back to Sydney and I will recommend to anyone I know who is traveling there. Don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Hi Tammy and Greg, Glad you both loved the koala and kangaroo encounter and how it is sooo much different to experiences in the US. It's something not to be missed when travelling in Sydney and the Central Coast of NSW. Thanks again and be fabulous to meet some of your recommended friends. Hope to also see both of you again when looking for a private tour of Sydney. Best regards, Ben Barry Owner - Personalised Sydney Tours
I had the most wonderful day with Ben, truly a dreamy experience from start to finish. It was just me and my 10-year-old son on his first trip to Australia, and I had promised him koalas and kangaroos. Ben absolutely delivered, and then some. Everything was impeccably organized. Ben picked us up directly from our hotel and took us to a private animal experience where we got to meet koalas, kangaroos, and even reptiles up close, it felt incredibly exclusive and special. The day didn’t stop there. We enjoyed a beautiful hike to a waterfall, followed by a thoughtfully customized itinerary tailored to my son’s interests (including a chocolate factory stop, plus time with seagulls, pelicans, and a playground, unlike anything we have in Tokyo). We had a delightful lunch and ended the day with another scenic hike to a spectacular viewpoint. This tour was truly the highlight of our trip to Australia. There’s no way we could have created such a seamless, meaningful, and fun-filled day on our own. Thank you, Ben, for such a memorable experience, we’ll treasure our koala and kangaroo selfies forever.
Hi Vivian, I had so much fun hanging out with you and your son on our adventurous day out to the Central Coast of NSW. I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed our time together and all of the added little moments to make it special for you both. Hope to see you both again for another wonderful tour or too. Hope you're enjoying being back in Japan and keep in touch. Regards, Ben
Ben was fantastic! He was right on time, extremely knowledgeable, and made the entire experience seamless and enjoyable. Not only did he share great insights about Australia, but he also connected well with us by knowing a lot about America too. The koala and kangaroo experience, waterfall, and train ride were all incredible. This excursion was a highlight so far of our trip, and Ben made it even better. Highly recommend!
Hi Denise, Gil, Lisa and Jeff, Thanks for your great review. It was a pleasure meeting you all and taking you out for a fabulous day on the Central Coast of NSW. Hope yourselves and your friends and family are all back soon sometime. Best regards, Ben Barry
