I recently had the privilege to travel to Australia for a 10-day educational trip.

We embarked on Newmans Amazing Adventure in Sydney and then went on to the state of Victoria, where our tour company Newmans Vacations put together an array of adventures including Melbourne, Phillip Island, The Yarra Valley and the Great Ocean Road.

Melbourne is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. It is a lively and cosmopolitan city with a European flavor. The city center is full of shops and shopping malls selling anything from souvenirs to high-end merchandise. People fill the streets - locals and tourists alike.

One of the first things we did was join a city tour. It was an easy way to get familiar with the city and to see areas we might wish to visit more in depth.

One highlight of our trip was the excursion to Phillip Island to see the Penguin Parade.

This is Victoria's most popular wildlife exhibit and is located about 90 minutes from Melbourne. The little penguins return to their burrows after spending days at sea.

The penguins are a protected specie and cannot be photographed or touched. There are wooden platforms where the public can stand and watch the penguins go by.

While on Phillip Island we also visited the Koala Conservation Centre and watched koalas in their natural habitat sleeping in the trees.

Our trip continued to the Yarra Valley, the second most popular wine region in Australia.

We spend two nights at Chateau Yering, a historical house with a wonderful restaurant.

Our first day there we went ballooning. It was a new experience for me and I found it very relaxing. We saw a group of kangaroos hopping away during our flight. After our touch down our group helped pack the balloon away and we were treated to a wonderful full breakfast at the Chateau.

Our day continued with an afternoon of wine tasting at three different wineries. It was very interesting to learn that they do not use cork to cap their bottles.

The next highlight of our trip was the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is a most gorgeous scenic drive flanked on one side by the Great Southern Ocean and on the other by Eucalyptus forests. The group agreed The Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge are well worth the drive to behold.

Our trip ended in Sydney where we climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

They offer two different kinds of climb and you can do them at dawn, day, twilight or night. It was truly a treat.

Australians are a friendly group, very proud of their country and very serious about their sports.

There is something for everyone in Australia - great cosmopolitan cities, beautiful countryside, great beaches with smooth golden sand and waves that make Australia one of the top surfing destinations. And let's not forget the unique animals living here - kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, wombats and many more.