Australia and New Zealand

Highlights:

• Three day excursion in Sydney, including a visit to the Koala Park Sanctuary and Sydney’s iconic Opera House
• Explore the “eighth wonder of the world”, Fjordland National Park and Milford Sound
• Guided tour of Ruakuri Caves, Auckland Harbour, America’s Cup Village, and the War Memorial Museum
• Spend an entire day boating, swimming and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef

Days 1&2: Depart U.S. for Cairns, Australia

Day 3: Arrive Cairns

This afternoon we arrive in Cairns, gateway to Australia’s Far North and the Great Barrier Reef. We transfer to our hotel where tonight we enjoy a briefing and welcome dinner.

Accommodations: Pullman Reef Hotel Casino
Meals: Dinner

Day 4: Cairns/Kuranda

After an orientation tour of Cairns we board an historic century-old railway for the thrilling 1½-hour journey through 15 tunnels and dense tropical rainforest, over 40 bridges, past spectacular waterfalls, and over steep ravines to the picturesque mountain village of Kuranda. After time to wander through Kuranda’s shops and markets showcasing Aboriginal handicrafts, we descend via the gondolas of Skyrail, at 4.7 miles the world’s longest gondola cableway. Gliding just feet above the rainforest canopy, we enjoy spectacular 360-degree views. We disembark at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park, which celebrates the culture of the rainforest people of Tropical North Queensland and ranks as Australia’s premier Aboriginal cultural attraction. Here we enjoy a performance that illustrates Aboriginal culture from its beginnings through to the future. There’s time for lunch on your own before returning to our hotel late this afternoon. Dinner tonight is on your own.

Accommodations: Pullman Reef Hotel Casino
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Great Barrier Reef

This morning we board a boat for a day-long excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. This collection of more than 2,800 coral reefs is a Natural World Heritage Area that runs along the coast of Queensland for more than 1,250 miles – making it the longest living reef in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is a true wonder of nature, with literally thousands of species of fish and coral, some at depths of just 10 to 15 feet below the surface. We sail to Michaelmas Cay, where we can swim, snorkel and view the reef from an air-conditioned, semi-submersible. The Cay is a protected seabird sanctuary playing host to over 20,000 migratory seabirds and one of the most important nesting sites in the Southern Hemisphere. While here, you can join in a guided bird tour. Lunch today is on your sail boat; dinner tonight is on your own.

Accommodations: Pullman Reef Hotel Casino
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Cairns/Alice Springs

We enjoy a morning flight to Alice Springs, capital of Australia’s Outback situated in the country’s exact center. Upon arrival we visit several highlights of “The Alice,“ including the ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) Hill Monument to soldiers who fought in both World Wars; the Royal Flying Doctors Service, which covers an area greater than the size of Western Europe; and School of the Air, which provides schooling to widely scattered Outback children. Tonight we enjoy a traditional “bush” dinner, relaxing around a campfire as an entertainer performs Aussie ballads and points out constellations of the southern sky.

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Alice Springs

This morning we embark on an Aboriginal “dreamtime” tour, where we learn about this ancient culture in a natural bush setting and meet Walpiri tribespeople in their camp. Then we explore the Outback, including Simpsons Gap, a prominent waterhole and Aboriginal spiritual site; and Standley Chasm, a natural gap in the sandstone slopes that rise 242 feet on either side. Here at the landmark honoring the first schoolteacher in Alice Springs, we enjoy a picnic lunch and see the sheer rock walls aglow in reflected sunlight.
We return to our hotel late this afternoon, where the remainder of the day and evening is at leisure. Dinner tonight is on your own.

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8: Alice Springs/Ayers Rock

We depart this morning by motorcoach for Ayers Rock, reaching our hotel early this afternoon. After time to relax and have lunch on our own, we set out for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is the traditional land of the Anangu Aboriginal peoples. The park also is home to the Olgas rock formations, where we take a walking tour, and Uluru (Ayers Rock). Late today we watch the sun set over this fabled sandstone monolith that rises to a height of 1,114 feet above the flat plain. We return to our hotel in time for dinner on your own.

Accommodations: Sails in the Desert
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9: Ayers Rock/Sydney, Australia

Very early this morning you have the opportunity to climb Uluru (if you wish) before we visit the museum at the base of the rock after breakfast. Mid-day we fly to Sydney, arriving late afternoon. We take a brief orientation walk of the Rocks Area surrounding our hotel, then are free for dinner on our own in this most cosmopolitan of cities.

Accommodations: Sir Stamford
Meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Sydney

Today we tour Sydney, capital of New South Wales and Australia’s oldest English-inhabited city. We see the lush Botanical Gardens, stop for great views from Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, then drive through Darling Harbour, the city’s commercial center. Then we head to the exclusive suburbs of Double, Rose, and Watson’s bays for more stunning views, this time of the Pacific Ocean. We continue on to famed Bondi Beach then return to Circular Quay where we board a catamaran for a sail around Sydney Harbour, enjoying a buffet lunch along with commentary about this magnificent natural waterway. After disembarking we return to our hotel mid-afternoon and have the opportunity to attend an opal demonstration if we wish. Dinner tonight is on your own and Sydney has a wonderful selection of restaurants featuring cuisine of all types, from seafood to sushi; Asian to Australian.

Accommodations: Sir Stamford
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11: Sydney

This morning we visit Koala Park Sanctuary, where koalas roam free in the 10-acre grounds of rainforest, eucalyptus groves, and native gardens. In addition to koalas, other residents here include kangaroos, dingoes, wallaby, and a variety of native birds. From here we head out for a drive along Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a string of 18 stunning playgrounds surrounded by a national park. We stop in the fashionable beach-front suburb of Manly for some free time and lunch on our own before returning to Sydney. After returning to our hotel mid-afternoon the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Accommodations: Sir Stamford
Meals: Breakfast

Day 12: Sydney

On this morning’s excursion we explore Sydney’s iconic Opera House, the country’s premier performing arts venue and home to Opera Australia, Sydney Theater Company, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, among other groups. Then the remainder of the day is free for independent exploration. Perhaps you’ll visit the Taronga Zoo, accessible by boat from the Circular Quay; tour the Sydney Aquarium, considered one of the best in the world; or stroll along Macquarie Street, one of Sydney’s most elegant thoroughfares. Tonight we enjoy dinner together in the popular Rocks district at the Waterfront Restaurant, with excellent seafood and beautiful harbor views.

Accommodations: Sir Stamford
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13: Sydney/Melbourne

We fly this morning to Melbourne. Upon arrival, guests will have a half-day city tour including the city center, Shrine of Rememberance, Captain Cook’s Cottage and Alexander Gardens.

Accommodations: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14: Melbourne

Today you will enjoy a half day tour including a local tram ride and explore the Ian Potter Center and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Accommodations: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 15: Melbourne/Christchurch/Mount Cook National Park

Fly from Melbourne to Christchurch and continue to Mt. Cook National Park. Along the way we see typically beautiful New Zealand scenery, including sheep – and more sheep. We stop at a local farm to watch a sheep shearing demonstration. We reach Mt. Cook in the Southern Alps later this afternoon; the rest of the day is free to explore this breathtaking, pristine swath of nature on our own, hike, or take an optional scenic flight over the majestic Southern Alps (weather permitting and at additional cost). You may also choose to explore on one of several hiking trails; shop for locally made crafts; or simply relax and enjoy the stunning alpine scenery surrounding you. A World Heritage park, Aoraki (the original native Maori name for Mount Cook), boasts 750 species of flowering plants; 40 species of birds; and more than 158 named peaks, with 140 of them measuring more than 6,500 feet. Mount Cook itself is the highest, at 12,316 feet. In addition, glaciers comprise some 40 percent of Aoraki. We dine tonight at our hotel.

Accommodations: The Hermitage Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 16: Mount Cook/Queenstown

We depart this morning for Queenstown, stopping along the way in historic Arrowtown for lunch on our own, then at the famed Kawarau Bridge Bungee, the world’s first bungee operation open to the public. Mid-afternoon we reach Queenstown, New Zealand’s “adventure capital” blessed with a supremely scenic location nestled between the jagged Remarkables mountains and glacial Lake Wakatipu. Tonight we enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Accommodations: St. Moritz Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 17: Queenstown/Milford Sound

Today we embark on a full-day excursion through stunning alpine scenery to Fjordland National Park and Milford Sound, described by Rudyard Kipling as the “eighth wonder of the world.” It is, quite simply, glorious. Formed by giant glaciers that receded long ago, glassine Milford Sound boasts vertical cliffs that rise thousands of feet from the sea. Milford Sound is also massive: 10 miles long and 1½ miles wide at its broadest point. We admire this spectacle of nature by boat as we cruise past cascading waterfalls; dense forests; and such landmarks as Mitre Peak, which dominates the Sound at 5,560 feet high. Our day-long excursion includes a nature cruise through the breathtaking fjord surrounded by sheer rock faces. We enjoy lunch on board then later have the opportunity to return to Queenstown on an optional scenic flight (weather permitting and at additional cost). By motorcoach we return to Queenstown early this evening; dinner tonight is on your own.

Accommodations: St. Moritz Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 18: Queenstown

Today is free to enjoy Queenstown as you wish. From bungee jumping, river rafting, and kayaking to wineries, art galleries, and arts trails, activities abound. Your tour director will be happy to help you plan your time. Lunch and dinner today are on your own.

Accommodations: St. Moritz Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast

Day 19: Queenstown/Rotorua

We depart this morning for the flight to Rotorua, spiritual home of New Zealand’s native Maori people and also home to geysers, bubbling mud pools, and thermal hot springs. We reach Rotorua in time for lunch on our own then embark on a tour featuring the government gardens and the acclaimed Rotorua Museum of Art & History. Located in the historic Bath House, the museum showcases the region’s cultural and geological heritage. Dinner tonight is on your own; our hotel is centrally located and dining options are plentiful.

Accommodations: Royal Lakeside Novotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 20: Rotorua

This morning and early afternoon are free for independent exploration. You’ll find a host of activities available, from bathing in the thermal hot springs to river rafting. Late this afternoon we visit the Thermal Reserve and Maori Cultural Center for a hangi dinner and performance. Our meal is thermal steamed and cooked underground to create a delicious meal and a memorable experience.

Accommodations: Royal Lakeside Novotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 21: Rotorua/Auckland

On our way to Auckland this morning we stop at Ruakuri Caves where our guide will bring us up close to elaborate cave formations, underground rivers, and Maori legends. Our tour begins with a spiral descent from ground level via an incredible drum entrance and walkway. You then continue on a one mile guided tour underground. Mid-afternoon we arrive in the “City of Sails,” in a beautiful natural setting atop 48 volcanic hills. There, we enjoy a panoramic city tour featuring Auckland Harbour, the America’s Cup Village, and the renowned War Memorial Museum, showcasing the natural, cultural, and social history of New Zealand. Tonight we celebrate our journey at a farewell dinner.

Accommodations: Stamford Plaza
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 22: Depart for U.S.

After a morning at leisure, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Los Angeles, where we connect with our return flights home.

Meals: Breakfast