Setting down in Cairns, Queensland, provides the perfect opportunity to begin our 24-day adventure through Australia and New Zealand on a high note; the opportunity to cruise and snorkel around the world-famous natural spectacle that is the Great Barrier Reef, before making headway toward Darwin, the northernmost capital city in Australia. We travel by road to Kakadu National Park, the largest terrestrial national park in the country, where we get an eyeful of UNESCO Heritage Sites, ancient Aboriginal rock galleries and sandstone sceneries, and we head into the famous 'Red Desert' area for a visit to Ayres Rock. We enjoy the 'Lost City' and 'Garden of Eden' in the King's Canyon area, then finish the Australia leg of the tour exploring Aboriginal history, traditions and lifestyle in Alice Springs. Crossing into New Zealand, we spend time exploring the largest city in the country, Auckland.
The biggest Polynesian city in the world and perhaps the most vibrant, bustling and multicultural city in New Zealand, Auckland offers no shortage of attraction, but be sure to leave some room on your camera because we head away from the urban centers and into Waitomo caves, wherein we find stalactites in limestone caverns that have been formed over thousands of years by the dripping of water. Our next stop is to take in the sights and sounds of the capital city, Wellington, including a short drive up Mt Victoria for a superlative view of the city, before we board a ferry which takes us to the South Island via the Cook Strait. We make our way from Nelson, stopping in the Marlborough region to find out why the region enjoys world acclaim for its wineries and explore the natural beauty of 'Westland', with marvelous vistas of ocean, mountains, glaciers and rainforests. We spend time in the picturesque Queensland, the 'Garden City' of Christchurch and visit UNESCO Heritage parks, take a gondola ride in the amid mountains and see Australasia's highest peak, Mount Cook.
Price Includes:
- Breakfast and dinner or lunch daily (hotels and local restaurants); lunch on overnight cruise.
- All land / sea transport, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary.
- Mt Cook scenic overflight.
- This tour is based on an air pass that MUST be booked by us in conjunction with your international air tickets. If you intend to secure your own international air a SURCHARGE (approx 500 USD) will apply (see 'Inclusions').
- Flights between Australia and New Zealand included for land & air customers.
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, restaurant staff, porters.
- Airport transfers for land / air customers arriving / departing on tour dates.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Excludes:
- Tour Leader gratuity, most lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), departure taxes, domestic and international air taxes (if applicable).
- Airport transfers for early / late arrivals / departures or Land Only customers.
- Australia-NZ flights for land only customers.
- Optional trip cancellation insurance.
- Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on optional meal costs, shopping, and locally paid departure taxes.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
|
