One week roadtrip adventure from Sydney: Topdeck Australia review
An honest review of my experience with Topdeck Australia on the 1 week Sydney Discovery tour
On my second trip to Australia, I wanted to do more in depth exploring of the region around Sydney and rather than rent a car and travel alone for a week, I joined this five day Topdeck tour which visited some highlights of the region on a fairly relaxed schedule with other budget minded young adult travellers.
Some highlights of this tour were dolphin watching and camel riding around Port Stephens and Nelson Bay, wine tastings and vineyard visits in the Hunter Valley and experiencing the beautiful nature and landscape of the Blue Mountains.
I booked this tour in February of 2018 and I paid for it myself, so this is a completely independent review.
You can read a detailed day-by-day summary of all the experiences I had on this tour or jump straight to the end where I share what I liked, what could have been better, and my final recommendation for this 5 day ‘Sydney Discovery’ tour with Topdeck Australia.
Quick Overview of the Topdeck Australia Sydney Discovery Tour
Destinations: The tour visited several destinations near Sydney, with stops in the Nelson Bay/ Port Stephens area, the Hunter Valley wine region and the Blue Mountains.
Who was on the trip: There were only ten travellers plus the tour guide who also drove the bus. The majority of people were solo women travellers, plus one couple. There were several young professionals, a student, a travel agent and someone on a gap year in New Zealand. This was an age limited 18-40 tour and everyone was between 20-early thirties on this tour. There were surprisingly several Australians, along with some British people, Canadians and one European.
Who was the guide: This Topdeck Australia tour had one guide who also drove the bus, she was quite experienced and had guided several other Topdeck tours, I think in Europe. She was very positive, outgoing and friendly and did a good job of arranging everything for all the different activities.
How did we travel: The tour used a mini bus that could seat about sixteen people and would usually have a little luggage trailer attached, but because we weren’t a full size group, we just used the back two rows of seats for luggage. The bus was clean and seemed safe, there were no restrooms on board.
Where did we stay: We stayed in a budget hotel in Nelson Bay in double shares for people who paid regular price and triple share for people who booked on the Black Friday sale. The rooms were clean and we had a fridge. The tour also stayed at the Hunter Valley Resort which is out in the countryside and had a nice pool area. Finally we stayed in a YHA hostel in four share gender separate rooms in Katoomba.
Recommended Luggage: Some people had rolling suitcases and a few people had rolling duffel style luggage. I don’t think anyone had a backpack, we only had to move our luggage from the bus to the accommodations, and we never walked very far with it.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
There are two big hostels near King’s Cross station in Sydney and a lot of tours and travel activities depart from that area so I just stayed at the YHA hostel the night before the tour so I could be ready to go for the 8am departure. I had done a bigger coach bus tour with Topdeck on the North Island of New Zealand a few weeks before but this Sydney Discovery tour was a different style with a much smaller group on a minibus.
The tour guide was also the bus driver and after she introduced herself, she provided info about the tour over the bus speaker system and we started the short drive to the first stop at the Sydney Harbour Bridge to do a walking tour around that area.
Even though this was my fourth visit to Sydney, I had never been on or over the bridge and there are great views of the Sydney Opera House from there if you want to get good pictures. There was also a brief stop on the other side at the Broughton Street Lookout for more pictures and iced coffee and to use the restroom, since there wasn’t one on the bus.
Once we started the drive towards Nelson Bay, the guide explained that since we were a smaller group, we could be more flexible about when and where we stopped and she also said the small group format was a new tour style for Topdeck Australia so they were kind of experimenting with the itinerary to see what worked and what people liked.
Nelson Bay and Tomaree Head Summit Walk
There was another ocean lookout viewpoint stop near Manly Beach and then we had about an hour in a suburban shopping centre to pick up supplies and snacks for the trip.
I specifically went looking for special or unique ‘Australian’ foods to try and I picked up these pink candies called ‘musk sticks’ and limited edition M and Ms chocolates in ‘Lamingtons’ flavour, which is a traditional Australian dessert. (Musk sticks taste like soap if you are interested in trying them). I appreciated having this shopping stop to get supplies and have lunch on a budget, since I was still a student at this point and definitely watching my spending !
Upon arrival in Nelson Bay, the big activity for the afternoon was the Tomaree Head Summit Walk and Lookout which is about a 1.5-2 hours return walk with quite a few stairs. Our original itinerary from Topdeck listed the hike on the second day of the tour, so a lot of people were trying to get suitable shoes or shorts and yoga pants out of their luggage since we weren’t expecting the hike on the first day, I found that a bit frustrating but not a huge issue. You can do the walk in sandals or flip flops, but proper shoes would probably be ideal. The view is beautiful with the contrast of the white sand beaches and green mountains, especially around sunset, and I liked that we had an active optional activity after being on the bus for several hours.
After we checked into the hotel back in town, we all got a bit dressed up and walked to a nearby restaurant at a resort, where we paid for our own meals and just got to know everyone a bit better. Most of us had a cider or wine in the bar afterwards, and we all went back to the hotel pretty early since we needed to be up at a reasonable hour the next morning for optional activities !
Dolphin Cruise
The Port Stephens and Nelson Bay area is known for dolphin watching, and the first optional activity of the day was a cruise to hopefully see some out in the ocean. There were a few other people on the boat with us, but it wasn’t busy and our group were the only ones who got into the boomnets in the water to see the dolphins up close. I’ve also done dolphin watching in Lovina with a Bali Wanderlands tour group, and I preferred the experience here on a larger boat.
Back on land, we went to the main beach in the little town of Nelson Bay, and there was free time for lunch and shopping. It really is a nice little holiday/resort area, lots of fun activities and shopping along the waterfront, and I picked up a dress to wear to the opera, as I had booked tickets at the Sydney Opera House for the next weekend.
Camel Riding
In the afternoon, there were options for camel riding, sand boarding and four wheeler/quad bike riding. Almost the whole group signed up for the camel experience, I rode a camel for the first time at a roadhouse in the Outback the previous year so I thought it would be fun to try again. It is a bit scary getting on them, but there was an employee leading us through the sand dune area, and it almost looks like being in the desert, except that you can occasionally see the ocean in the background.
My camel’s name was ‘Syd’ and he was also 26 years old like me so I thought that was funny. I believe the camel riding place was Oakfield Ranch in Anna Bay and I am always concerned about how animals are treated for tourism activities, but these camels seemed well cared for and the business seemed very professional.
Back in town, we had an included wine and cheese picnic overlooking the ocean with a local seafood tasting as well and it was nice just to be outside with the group, I think these kind of experiences are what makes tours worth it, to have fun with other travellers, rather than just being by yourself all the time.
Later that evening, there was an included Chinese food dinner provided at the hotel. The food was quite good in both cases, and they accommodated me as a vegetarian, but I found it strange to have the picnic and dinner on the same evening because it was a lot of food, I would have preferred those on separate days. Otherwise, the group just stayed around the hotel that evening, everything was fairly relaxed, as this itinerary was definitely not a big party tour.
Kurri Kurri, McGuigan Wines, and Hunter Distillery
After breakfast at the hotel, we packed up the minibus, which had been nicknamed ‘Rosie’ and we started the drive towards the Hunter Valley wine region for a full day of included activities, which according to the schedule were two wine tastings, a vodka tasting, plus chocolate and cheese tastings.
The was a mid morning rest stop for about 45 minutes in a small town called ‘Kurri Kurri’, which is about 30 minutes west of Newcastle. The town has some cute antique shops, over 60 art murals, and a giant 4.5 metre tall statue of a kookaburra bird in the town centre called ‘The Big Kookaburra’. I was actually able to find a pin for my collection at the local tourist info centre, it was staffed by volunteers and there was a little bakery there as well, overall Kurri Kurri was a really nice small town Australia experience.
We then moved on to our first wine tasting before lunch at Mcguigan Wines, where a staff member guided our group through a private tasting of four or five wines, there was a Gewurztraminer I particularly enjoyed, but I didn’t want to buy too much throughout the day and didn’t get it, which I ended up regretting. If you truly enjoy something during the tasting, don’t worry too much and just buy a bottle !
In the middle of the Hunter Valley, there are some outdoor shopping centres, mostly with restaurants and specialty shops, and we had free time at one of these for about an hour and a half to buy lunch and do a tasting at the chocolate and cheese shops if we were interested. They weren’t really prearranged group tastings like the wine was, you just had to go into the shop and ask, which wasn’t quite what I was expecting since the itinerary made it sound more like an official activity, but it was still fun and I bought some chocolates to bring home. I think we were either at the Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village or the Polkobin Village Estate Shops, there are several similar options in the area.
After lunch was the vodka tasting, which I was really looking forward to since I feel like I’ve been to about a million breweries after travelling so much in Europe, but I had never seen how vodka is made ! We again had a private group tasting at the Hunter Distillery, which, according to their website, is the only certified organic distillery in the region, and they produce gin and schnapps in addition to vodka.
The actual tasting amounts were quite small so you could try several varieties, there was a whole rainbow wall of flavours to choose from, some more unusual like coffee, chili, chocolate, and my personal favorite, pink Turkish Delight vodka. I got a bottle to bring home and it was overall just a really enjoyable and more unusual experience than a typical wine tasting or brewery tour.
Hotel picture courtesy of Hunter Valley Resort
Hunter valley Resort
While we were driving through the region, we would often see kangaroos hopping around outside, and the bus even pulled over at one point when we spotted some kangaroos boxing in a field, so I definitely felt like I was having an authentic Australian experience !
The last wine tasting stop was also our accommodation for the evening, at Hermitage Road Cellars and Winery at the Hunter Valley Resort. It was such a beautiful setting out in the countryside among the vineyards, we again had triple share hotel rooms and there was a nice pool on site as well. I was actually here with a different Topdeck East Coast group the previous year, but it was nice to come back and stay overnight.
Our last private group wine tasting at Hermitage Road Cellars also included an informational video about wine making and we had a grape stomping competition out in the front yard. You actually take your shoes off and jump in wooden barrels to see which team can fill a whole wine bottle the quickest, obviously you don’t drink it after, its just for fun, definitely a memorable group experience and I believe the winning team got a bottle of actual wine to enjoy later.
For rest of the afternoon and evening, we were just relaxing by the pool and had an optional wood-fired pizza dinner at the restaurant on site with some more wine. Overall, this day really felt like we were on a fun holiday vacation, it didn’t feel like we spent too much time on the bus and I was impressed with the amount of inclusions for a budget level tour.
Drive to Katoomba and Three Sisters Lookout
This morning it was about a three hour drive to our last major stop in the town of Katoomba to see the famous Blue Mountains. The mid-morning rest stop was at a traditional pie shop, it is not as common in North America to eat savoury pies for lunch, but its quite popular in Australia and New Zealand.
Upon arrival, we went to the main Blue Mountains Visitor Information Centre at Echo Point, which has some short walks to the different lookouts, including one of the more famous views of the ‘Three Sisters’ rock formations, along with a souvenir and gift shop.
Later in the afternoon, we attended an included cultural presentation at the Waradah Aboriginal Centre in the town of Katoomba. I think it is important when visiting colonial history countries to make sure to learn about traditional inhabitants and their history and culture so that you get more than one perspective.
We did a guided boomerang painting workshop and there was a short talk about Aboriginal history. While this was just one afternoon on the whole tour, I was happy to see this visit included to make sure Aboriginal history was presented in a respectful way.
The accommodation for the evening was four person share rooms at the Blue Mountains YHA hostel. The rooms were very clean and not too small, and the common room area was large and welcoming and there was a nice terrace/patio area outside. There was free time just to look around town, some people went to photograph the street art and I went into a few antique stores looking for pins and then the group went out all together for our last dinner. We paid for meals ourselves again this evening and I just got another pizza and cider.
Back at the YHA hostel, we played a game called ‘Heads Up’ off someone’s phone and charades in the common area for a while, and again I think this is a good example of the fun social aspect of being with the tour group. I really felt that we all got along well, everyone was friendly and positive and had a good attitude for group travel. It felt like being on a little road trip with some friends which was a nice change after having been in Melbourne by myself as a solo traveller before the tour. We were in bed pretty early again this evening, since it was the middle of the week and Katoomba is not exactly a big party destination.
Scenic World in the Blue Mountains
After breakfast at the hostel, there was a short bus ride to the optional visit of ‘Scenic World’ which features multiple attractions in the Blue Mountains area. We got group discount tickets and all got on the Scenic Railway car together. According to the website, this is the world’s steepest train, which goes through a tunnel and at the bottom of the hill there is a walking trail through the forest of the Jamison Valley, which is called the Scenic Walkway and goes for between 10-30 minutes depending on the trail you choose.
The weather wasn’t great, but once it cleared up, we also took the Scenic Skyway cable car across the Blue Mountains World Heritage Landscape to see Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, Mt Solitary and Jamison Valley. There is also a cultural centre and a good gift shop, so we spent the entire morning at Scenic World and I felt that it was worth it to get several perspectives of the landscape and learn more about the nature here.
After lunch in town again, we also stopped by Katoomba Falls as a group to walk around and take some pictures of the multi-level waterfall, it is apparently one of the most photographed natural attractions in Australia !
On the drive back into the city, the guide was letting everyone make karaoke or song requests on the bus speaker system so we had a lot of fun singing and sharing photos as we drove into Sydney on a Friday evening.
The tour did end upon arrival back at the YHA Central at 5pm, and most of the Australians already had plans to go straight home, but most of the international girls and I walked down to the Sydney Opera House to get some sunset pictures and have dinner, so that was a nice way to end our one week adventure around Sydney and New South Wales!
Final Recommendation for the Topdeck Australia Sydney Discovery Tour
What I Liked:
I really enjoyed this regional, small group tour with Topdeck. It was very quick and easy to load the bus in the morning and we weren’t stuck waiting around for a long time at rest stops the way you can be with a larger group. I liked that we were never on the bus for too long, since we only had to go short distances in the area around Sydney.
I thought there was a good range of cultural, social and nature activities, from the hiking and dolphin watching to the cultural presentation and wine tasting, I felt like I experienced several highlights of the region while still having time to relax. We got group discounts on several of the optional activities like the camel riding and Scenic World and there was never any pressure to do an activity you weren’t interested in.
I was also impressed with the amount of inclusions for a budget tour, especially on the full day of excursions around the Hunter Valley wine region. The bus seemed perfectly safe and was comfortable, the tour guide was positive and friendly and generally knowledgeable about the places we visited.
What could have been better:
We were told that this small group style tour was new at the time for Topdeck and they were experimenting a bit with the itinerary, so some activities which were scheduled for a particular day on the original itinerary ended up happening on different days. This wasn’t a big deal but a few times we were unprepared like not having athletic shoes and clothing ready for the hike at Nelson Bay.
I would have liked a longer stop at one of the bigger beaches on the way out of Sydney rather than just a stop at a lookout since that seems like a very Australian experience to go to one of the famous beaches around the city. As well, I think the two included meals should have been on separate days since it was a lot of food to have an appetizer picnic and then dinner right after, when we had to purchase our meals all other nights.
We did have to pay for some optionals in cash which I found frustrating since I use a travel credit card for all my purchases to track my budgeting and other major tour companies I have travelled with allow optionals to be paid for on card, however this may have been updated since I was on the tour in 2018.
Final Recommendation:
Overall, I thought this short tour of some highlights of the region around Sydney was good value for the amount of activities we did and the standard of accommodation was suitable for a budget tour. I really enjoyed the social aspect of having a small group to travel with and it felt more like being on a little roadtrip with some friends rather than a more formal tour group. I felt that Topdeck provided the service they advertised and the smaller group size was a nice change from some of the large coach bus tours I have done previously that they run in other countries.
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