This 19 day journey combines New Zealand and Australia’s most spectacular sights including Rotorua, Milford Sound, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef, with exciting, cosmopolitan cities to create the perfect downunder experience.
New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland seduces visitors with its laid back pace, world class museums, galleries and gardens. Enjoy spectacular city views from your included visit to Mt Eden, as well as historic Parnell Village.
The North Island of New Zealand is a geology geek’s paradise. Believed to be over two million years old, the Waitomo Caves feature beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. You’ll have the chance to explore them on your way to Rotorua, where spouting geysers and boiling mudpools showcase geothermal New Zealand at its best. Cap off your sightseeing with a traditional Maori concert and Hangi (feast) for a taste of New Zealand’s indigenous culture.
A Mecca for skiers, Queenstown puts you in the heart of the South Island’s mountain landscape. Less active travelers can enjoy an optional scenic helicopter flight, jetboat trip or Gondola ride to take in the sights. An included day trip takes you to Milford Sound, a breathtaking, 16km long fjord carved by glaciers out to the Tasman Sea. Your onward journey to Christchurch includes a stop at majestic Mount Cook, known to the Maori people as ‘Cloud Piercer’.
Christchurch was devastated by four large earthquakes between September 2010 and December 2011. But while some areas and attractions remain closed for repairs, there is still plenty for the visitor to do and see in this charming city. The Air Force Museum will thrill military history buffs, while the Canterbury Museum provides a fascinating look at New Zealand history. Or take a tour of sites affected by the quakes for a glimpse of a resilient, rebuilding Christchurch.
Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne offers world class shopping, a thriving arts scene, beautiful urban parks and endless restaurant options, which combine to seduce culture vultures, foodies, and casual visitors alike. Catch a ride on its famous trams, or for a uniquely Melbourne experience, book a table at the Tramcar Restaurant. Your second day includes a city tour, plus an evening tour to Phillip Island to see the world renowned ‘Little Penguin Parade’.
Uluru or Ayers Rock is a site deeply shrouded in myth and legend. This is a sacred place to the Anangu, the local Aboriginal people and will be a highlight of your journey. Enjoy an an Uluru Base Tour, sunset over the rock and Kata Tjuta (or the Olgas) touring, before going on to Alice Springs to conclude your desert outback adventure.
Tropical Cairns offers a dazzling array of wildlife amid lush forest surrounds. You’ll visit the Great Barrier Reef for a close encounter with the world’s largest coral reef system. Then climb aboard an amphibious army duck for a trip into Kuranda’s scenic rainforest, where an authentic taste of Aboriginal culture, including a ‘Dreamtime’ walk and the chance to throw a boomerang await.
Diverse and historic Sydney greets visitors with its sparkling harbour, iconic Harbour Bridge, and the unforgettable Sydney Opera House. Your included ferry ticket allows you to enjoy all three, including entry to Taronga Zoo, where you can say ‘G’day’ to kangaroos, koalas and other natives as well as many international guests. Your guided tour of The Rocks area offers a fascinating insight into Australia’s convict past, while an afternoon tour takes you to famous Bondi Beach for a more modern slice of Sydney.
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Vacation Inclusions
Shared arrival and departure airport transfers in Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and Cairns
Private arrival and departure airport transfers in Queenstown, Sydney and Melbourne
2 nights first-class accommodation in Auckland
2 nights first-class accommodation in Rotorua
3 nights first-class accommodation in Queenstown
1 night first-class accommodation in Christchurch
3 nights first-class accommodation in Sydney
1 night first-class accommodation in Alice Springs
1 night first-class acccommodation in Ayers Rock
3 nights first-class accommodaiton in Cairns
2 nights first-class accommodation in Melbourne
Small group full day Best of Both Worlds tour
Shared Auckland to Rotorua includng Waitomo Caves transfer
Shared half day Discover Rotorua tour
Shared Journey of Ages Cultural Experience
Shared full day Discover Milford Sound by Coach and Cruise tour
Shared Queenstown to Christchurch including Mt Cook transfer
Shared morning Sydney city tour including the Opera House
Shared hop on hop off explorer cruise pass in Sydney
Shared Alice Springs to Ayers Rock transfer including Kata Tjuta
Shared half day Uluru Sacred Sites and Sunset
Shared half day Uluru Sunrise excursion
Shared half day Field of Light
Shared full day Great Barrier Reef Cruise
Shared full day Kuranda Classic tour with Skyrail, Train and Rainforestation
Melbourne
Melbourne is a maze of hidden laneways, opulent bars, exclusive restaurants and off-the-beaten-track boutiques. Here you can soak up culture, hit the sporting grounds, taste the dynamic food and wine scene, dance til dawn or wander the parks and leafy boulevards. Visit Federation Square, the city's landmark cultural space, and enjoy a sunset beer on the St Kilda promenade. Shop till you drop on funky Brunswick Street or upmarket Chapel Street. Wander Southbank's cafes, bistros and bars and get a world tour of cuisines in Carlton, Richmond and Fitzroy. Take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens and cheer with a capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Five Must-Have Melbourne Experiences:
1. Shop till you drop
Bag a bargain at the Rose Street Artist's Market and browse the funky boutiques on Brunswick Street. Buy designer labels such as Akira Isogawa and Zimmerman on Chapel Street in Prahran or in the historic Melbourne General Post Office, which covers an entire city block. For everything from fashion to furnishings at fantastic value, visit Bridge Road in Richmond. Melbourne is a shopper's haven, offering eclectic boutiques, high-end fashion, funky homeware stores and European style piazzas in the city's arcades and hidden laneways.
2. Bar hop and dance till dawn
Sip a cocktail in a converted sea container in Chinatown, enjoy a sunset beer in a St Kilda pub or listen to cabaret in lush retro surroundings in jazz bars in the city. Linger over exquisite tapas and exotic wine in a Little Collins Street bar and mingle in a pink parlour with fake grass in Bourke Street. You can party from dusk in the bars of Brunswick Street. Or dance till dawn in bars in the city's lantern-lit laneways, secret apart from the spill of coloured light under heavy brass doors.
3. Get into the gourmet goodness
Let the aroma of good coffee waft over you in Melbourne's gothic European laneways. The city is famous for its coffee and old-world café culture but there's so much more to explore. Once you've downed a 'short black' or taken an afternoon aperitif, try tea in a nineteenth-century hotel or salivate over your silver spoon in acclaimed restaurants like Nobu, Botanical and Becco. Pick up fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood at the Queen Victoria Market on a Saturday, known for its bustling crowds and buskers. Try out the restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars in Southbank or Federation Square. Make your way around Melbourne's multicultural cosmos of cuisines: Carlton for Italian classics, Richmond for budget-friendly Vietnamese and Fitzroy for Spanish tapas.
4. Fill up on culture
See a performance by the Australian Ballet, which is based here in Australia's cultural capital. Or enjoy a dazzling musical at the Princess Theatre. Browse the Southern Hemisphere's best collection of international art at the National Gallery of Victoria. Or visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Federation Square, a landmark cultural 'space' for Melbournians. Challenge yourself with the creative collections in the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Southbank. To learn more about Melbourne's Aboriginal cultural heritage, see contemporary and dreamtime art or take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens.
5. Go sports mad
Cheer for an Australian Rules Football game with a capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground over winter. Go cricket mad in summer, when the city hosts the Ashes and one day internationals. Or join the huge crowds watching the Australian Tennis Open at Melbourne Park. Rev heads head to Melbourne in March for the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Albert Park. And whether you are a racing fan or just a casual punter, you won't want to miss the Melbourne Cup - the world's richest horse race on the first Tuesday in November.
Cairns is the sunny garden city where the Great Barrier Reef meets the Wet Tropics Rainforest, mountains and the gulf savannah not too far away. The city's water front boasts a world class marina and wharf used by visiting cruise liners, yachts and tour vessels. Cairns is situated in the Northern end of Tropical Queensland Australia. It's a modern city with a good location to explore some of Australia's vast array of flora and fauna. With a magnificent Casino, Cairns is alive with more activities than a visitor will ever have time for. The principal attraction is the over 60 national parks from the wet tropical rain forests and lush tablelands to the truly wild Cape York Peninsula and the Great Barrier Reef.
It is the world's largest monolith rising almost 1,000 feet above the desert floor with a circumference of almost 26,250 feet. It is considered one of the great wonders of the world and is located in Kata Tjuta National Park which is owned and run by local Aboriginals. Depending on the time of day and the atmospheric conditions the rock can dramatically change color, anything from blue to glowing red ! Many avid photographers set up for days and record the many changing colors of Uluru. Some believe that there is a light source emanating at various times of the year.
It's the heart of Australia, capital of the Outback and most romantic country town in the world. It's where people race camels and hold holiday regattas in dry river beds. The town is a self-contained business community catering for its population and the many thousands of annual visitors - who can experience Alice Springs Desert Park, Aboriginal culture, the world's largest classroom - the School of the Air - and is the perfect place to start touring the Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges, famous Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon. The superb desert climate allows for cycling and walking along an extensive network of tracks.
Sydney
Soak up Sydney’s gorgeous harbour, seductive outdoor lifestyle and great natural beauty. Kayak under the Sydney Harbour Bridge or wave at the Opera House as you ride a ferry across the harbour to Manly. Learn to surf at Bondi Beach or swim in the calm waters of Coogee. Lose yourself in the cobblestone cul-de-sacs of The Rocks or in the markets, boutiques, cafes and pubs of Paddington. As well as a world-famous harbour and more than 70 sparkling beaches, Sydney offers fabulous food, festivals and 24-7 fun.
Five Sydney Experiences Not to Miss:
1. Explore the historic Rocks
Discover Sydney’s colorful convict history in the harbourside quarter where it all began. Just five minutes from Circular Quay, you can hear stories of hangings and hauntings on a ghost tour, wander the weekend markets or climb the span of the Harbour Bridge. In amongst the maze of sandstone lanes and courtyards, you’ll find historic workman’s cottages and elegant terraces, art galleries, hotels with harbour views and Sydney’s oldest pubs. See people spill out of them onto a party on the cobblestone streets when The Rocks celebrates Australia Day on January 26th, Anzac Day on April 25th and New Years Eve.
2. Hit the world-famous harbour
Sail past the Opera House on a chartered yacht or paddle from Rose Bay in a kayak. Take a scenic cruise from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour, past waterfront mansions, national parks and Shark, Clark, Rodd and Goat islands. Tour historic Fort Denison or learn about the life of Sydney’s first inhabitants, the Gadigal people, on an Aboriginal cultural cruise. Watch the harbour glitter from the green parklands of the Royal Botanic Gardens, which curves around its edge. Or take in the view from a waterfront restaurant in Mosman, on the northern side of the bridge, or Watsons Bay at South Head. Walk from Rose Bay to Vaucluse or Cremorne Point to Mosman Bay, on just some of the 16 spectacular routes hugging the harbour foreshore.
3. Visit Manly on the ferry
Travel across Sydney Harbour on a ferry to Manly, which sits between beaches of ocean surf and tranquil inner harbour. Wander through native bushland on the scenic Manly to Spit Bridge walk, learn to scuba-dive at Cabbage Tree Bay or ride a bike to Fairy Bower. Picnic at Shelly Beach on the ocean and sail or kayak from Manly Wharf round the harbour. Hire a scooter and do a round trip of northern beaches such as Narrabeen and Palm Beach. Explore the shops, bars and cafes along the bustling pine tree-lined Corso and dine at world-class restaurants with water views.
4. Enjoy café culture and top shopping in Paddington
Meander through the Saturday markets, browse fashion boutiques on bustling Oxford Street or discover the antique shops and art galleries in upmarket Woollahra. Visit the 1840s Victoria Barracks Army base, open to the public once a week, and see restored Victorian terraces on wide, leafy streets. Ride or roller-blade in huge Centennial Park, then stop for coffee and lunch on Oxford St or in the mini-village of Five Ways. Catch a movie at an art-house cinema or leaf through a novel at midnight in one of the huge bookstores. Crawl between the lively, historic pubs. They hum even more after a game at the nearby stadium or a race day, when girls and guys arrive in their crumpled trackside finery.
5. Walk from Bondi to Coogee
Take in breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean as you walk the winding, sea-sculpted sandstone cliffs between Bondi and Coogee. Swim in the famous Bondi Icebergs rock pool or just watch the swimmers with a sunset cocktail from the restaurant above. See wild waves in Tamarama, nicknamed Glamarama for the beautiful people who lie on its golden sand. From mid-October to November, the stretch from here to Bondi is transformed into an outdoor gallery for the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition. You can surf, picnic on the grass or stop for a coffee at family-friendly Bronte. Or swim, snorkel or scuba dive in Clovelly and tranquil Gordon’s Bay. See the graves of poets Henry Lawson, Dorothea Mackellar and aviator Lawrence Hargrave in Waverley Cemetery, on the edge of the cliffs. Finish your tour in the scenic, backpacker haven of Coogee.
Queenstown hosts an outstanding collection of adrenaline inducing activities and spectacular scenery. From jumping from tall bridges or quiet fishing, this is New Zealand's number one adventure destination. Lake and river join towering mountain ranges to make Queenstown as popular in the winter as it is in the summer.
At the heart of the action are cafes, the entire spectrum of accommodation, boutique shopping, restaurants and the visitor services expected in a small town with a big reputation.
Christchurch was founded in 1850 by members of the Church of England, who wanted a little bit of heaven on earth. They succeeded, and today the city takes great pride in its spacious layout and distinctive English-style buildings in elegant grey stone. The River Avon winds through Christchurch, along parks and gardens that cover one-third of the city.
New Zealand's premier destination on the edge of beautiful Lake Rotorua offers visitors so much to see and do the trouble is deciding what to do. From a quiet stroll through the magnificent Redwood Forest to an adrenaline rafting plunge over one of the world's highest commercially rafted waterfalls or an entertaining view of life on the farm at one of our award winning farmshows - Rotorua has it all. Famous for awesome geological forces, Rotorua has hundreds of gentle plopping mud pools, powerful erupting geysers, and intriguing geothermal lakes. Maori Culture is another unique facet to Rotorua's popularity. For more action try hiking down Mt Ngongatah, fishing for trophy-sized trout on one of Rotorua's many lakes, tandem skydiving, horse trekking, or off-road driving. Or just sit back, watch the world go by and enjoy the fresh, clean, picturesque atmosphere from one of many sidewalk cafes and bars. To end the day, soak away ailments in one of many thermally heated natural mineral spas.
Auckland is regularly voted one of the best lifestyle cities in the world, with the cosmopolitan city centre complemented by great escapes within half an hour of downtown. Indulge in Auckland's shopping, nightlife and unrivalled cuisine and experience some of the many attractions and adventure activities on offer. There is never a shortage of things to do in the City of Sails. Sights to see include Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland Zoo, and Museum of Transport and Technology.
Standard Terms & Conditions apply when purchasing this trip. Special savings cannot be combined with any other offer. Airfare available for better packaging and pricing. Ask your travel advisor for details. All prices are per person and quoted in U.S. dollars. Single supplement applies. Blackout dates/seasonal supplements may apply. Accommodations, inclusions and itinerary subject to change depending upon specific departure date. From pricing is based on lowest marketed price for this tour, rates vary by date of departure; please inquire for details for your preferred travel dates. Inquire for a list of exclusions. Departures: Tuesday * This trip may also be taken in the reverse direction, commencing in Melbourne
