Grand Australia and New Zealand Deluxe Escorted Tour

20 Days / 19 Nights from $6190 USD
International and Domestic Aifare is Not Included
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Duration: 20 days, 19 nights

Accommodations: Superior
Highlights: Melbourne, Alice Springs, Uluru/Ayers Rock, Daintree National Park, Great Barrier Reef cruise, Cairns, Sydney, Auckland, Rotorua, Mt Cook, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Queenstown, Christchurch

Description

Itinerary

Day 1: Melbourne by boat and historic tram
Tour begins: 1:45 PM, The Langham Hotel, Melbourne. A transfer is included from Melbourne Airport to The Langham Hotel, Melbourne. Take a sightseeing tour this afternoon that includes a cruise on the Yarra River; tonight, board a vintage tram-restaurant for a tour of city landmarks while enjoying a welcome dinner featuring regional cuisine.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Langham Hotel, Melbourne, Australia

Day 2: Melbourne's Victorian charms
You'll see a lot of Melbourne on a sightseeing tour of the city, including the High Victorian architecture of Parliament House, the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens and the ANZAC War Memorial - the Shrine of Remembrance. The rest of the day is free to explore as you please. Visit the museums, check out the trendy restaurants, or relax and read a book in the beautiful parks and gardens.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Langham Hotel, Melbourne, Australia

Day 3 All about Alice, a highlight of any Australia tour
Fly to Alice Springs in the heart of the Red Centre, where you'll be treated to an Aboriginal Dreamtime lunch after your arrival. Pick up some interesting information on Central Australian animals and plants at Alice Springs Desert Park, and learn how the Aborigines have managed the land for thousands of years. Attend a barbecue dinner under a starry sky, where you dine on bush tucker (indigenous Australian food) and are entertained by storytelling.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Alice Springs, Australia

Day 4: Outback adventure at Uluru
Start your day with an optional (additional $175 per person) hot air balloon adventure, where you'll drift peacefully over the red desert landscape to see wildlife stirring at dawn and vast cattle stations; a champagne breakfast awaits upon your arrival back on land. Fly to Uluru (Ayers Rock), a massive monolith sacred to the Aboriginal people. Witness the sunset spectacle when the Rock changes color from pink to deep red, intertwining with the red desert outback surrounding it. Champagne and canapés complete the experience!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Sails in the Desert, Ayers Rock, Australia

Day 5: Off to Queensland
Spend a free morning at Uluru where you'll have an opportunity to do some more exploring. Your Australia tour continues with a flight north from the red desert to the tropical rainforests of Queensland. Arrive in Cairns, where your hotel is centrally located - it's close to just about everything!
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hilton Cairns, Cairns, Australia

Day 6: Luxury, luxury, luxury - it's Hayman Island
Hop a short flight from Cairns to Hamilton Island, where you'll board a catamaran for your three-night stay on luxurious Hayman Island. The multi-award winning resort lies in a picture-postcard setting... tropical palm-fringed beaches surrounded by the sparkling crystalline waters of the Coral Sea, complete with formal European and manicured Oriental gardens. Indulge in stylishly elegant guest rooms and superb cuisine prepared by acclaimed chefs in the resort's outstanding restaurants. Spend the afternoon as you please, with a variety of activities available.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Day 7: On the Great Barrier Reef
Spend a full day exploring one of earth's most incredible "living" sites, the Great Barrier Reef, on an eco-cruise accompanied by a marine biologist. Marvel at the colors and beauty of the coral and fish while swimming, snorkeling, or riding on a glass bottom boat or a semi-submersible watercraft that features enormous viewing windows.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Day 8: Indulgence and Inspiration on Hayman
Today is your day to spend your way on Hayman Island. You can practice your golf strokes. Or play a game of tennis. Or play a round of croquet. Swim in the sea, scuba dive under the sea, or snorkel on the sea. Sunbathe on idyllic tropical shores. Take a lap in the pool - and make sure you allow plenty of time as the Hayman pool is 7 times Olympic size. If you're feeling adventurous, soar over the island by seaplane. Indulge the senses, restore the spirit, and discover nature's best-kept secrets at the extraordinary spa. Sail away on a cocktail cruise under the stars. It's your day, all day, your way.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Day 9: Fly to Sydney for three nights
Bid a reluctant farewell to this tropical paradise and return to the mainland to fly to Sydney, one of the most exciting cities in the world. Spend the next three nights at one of the top hotels in the city, close to the Botanical Gardens and Circular Quay. Upon arrival, the remainder of the day is yours to explore.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia

Day 10: Sightseeing, the zoo, and a cocktail cruise - a perfect day
Take a city sightseeing tour where you'll see many of the city's architectural gems and landmark sites. Next up - a change of pace with a visit to the Taronga Zoo, home to over 2,000 Australian, rare, or endangered animals living in their natural habitats. Finish the day with a cocktail cruise on Sydney Harbour for a totally different look at Sydney from the water, and dinner at a restaurant on the waterfront.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia

Day 11: Behind the scenes at the opera house
Visit the Sydney Opera House and go "behind the sails" of one of the world's most beloved architectural masterpieces. The rest of the day is free to explore and dine as you please - Sydney's got it all. From museums to shopping, Aboriginal art to dining, you'll find something that captures your interest and makes the day memorable.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia

Day 12: Farewell to the Australia tour, hello to New Zealand
Your grand Australia tour comes to an end as you bid a final farewell and board a flight across the Tasman Sea for your grand New Zealand tour! First stop is Auckland, the City of Sails, where your hotel is located in the heart of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Langham Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 13: Adventures in Auckland
A visit to Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World gives you a close-up look at what lies beneath the waters off New Zealand's coast. See extensive collections of Maori and Polynesian artifacts, as well as natural history exhibits at the Auckland War Memorial Museum - and witness age-old Maori song and dance at a presentation. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Auckland and dine as you please.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Langham Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 14: Sheep and farming and thermal geysers
While touring the heart of the North Island, have lunch at Longlands Farm, which is a combination working farm and country garden. Next up is a visit to the Agrodome, a great way to learn about one of New Zealand's most important industries, sheep farming. See bubbling mud pools and geysers at Whakarewarewa Thermal Village in Rotorua, as well as Maori crafts and village life exhibits.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Duxton Hotel Okawa Bay, Rotorua, New Zealand

Day 15: Tour Exclusive: Private Charter to Mount Cook
As a tour exclusive, enjoy the benefits of VIP travel when you fly on a private charter flight to the South Island's Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. You have an opportunity to take an optional dramatic helicopter flightseeing excursion, providing the weather cooperates, over the glacier-capped Southern Alps (additional cost of $195 per person). Another private charter flight in the afternoon brings you to beautiful Te Anau.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Te Anau Hotel & Villas, Te Anau, New Zealand

Day 16: Cruise Milford Sound, then on to Queenstown
A New Zealand / Australia tour is not complete without visiting Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cruise the lovely waters of Milford Sound, an inlet carved by glaciers with cascading waterfalls along sheer rock walls that rise thousands of feet from the water. Travel to Queenstown, New Zealand's alpine resort playground. It lies along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, beneath the sawtooth peaks of The Remarkables mountain range.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 17: Adventure awaits on the rapids
Ever dream of being a daredevil? Even if you're not all that adventurous, today's thrilling high-speed jet boat ride down a river carved through the narrow, rocky gorges and canyons of Shotover River Canyon will be a highlight of your New Zealand / Australia tour! Explore the sights of Queenstown on your own for the rest of the day.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 18: Cultural charms of Christchurch, including the museum
Another private charter flight brings you to the gracious city of Christchurch, where you'll think you've landed in England due to the appearance of the landscape and the architecture. Tour notable gardens and the historic part of the city, and visit the Canterbury Museum to see exhibits displaying New Zealand's natural and human heritage.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand

Day 19: Christchurch as you please
Spend the day any way you choose - from diverse museums to the Botanic Gardens, harbor cruises, train journeys, wildlife centers - Christchurch is a great city to explore. Share experiences at the farewell cocktail reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand

Day 20: So long to the lands down under
Tour ends: Christchurch. A transfer is included from Crowne Plaza Hotel Christchurch to Christchurch International Airport. Please allow 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Meals: Breakfast

2008 Departure Dates:
Jun. 8, 22
Sep. 14, 28
Oct. 5, 14, 28
Nov. 4
Dec. 2, 16, 21

2009 Departure Dates:
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25
Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
Mar. 8, 29
Apr. 19
May 10
Sep. 13
Oct. 4, 11, 25
Nov. 17
Dec. 22

Call a Travel Team Agent for more details or discuss booking this itinerary.

What's Included

• Yarra River Cruise
• BBQ under stars in Outback
• Sunset over Uluru/Ayers Rock
• Great Barrier Reef cruise
• Cocktail Cruise on Sydney Harbour
• Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World
• Rotorua
• Milford Sound Cruise
• Jet Boat Ride through Shotover River Canyon
  

Finest Dining

• 39 meals are included
  

Outstanding Places to Stay

• 1 night at Sails in the Desert, Ayers Rock, Australia
• 3 nights on Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia