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17 Days The Land Down Under Adventure Tour Package
Melbourne has been voted the most liveable city in the world several times and it is here that we begin our 17-day tour to explore the best of what Australia has to offer. After a visit to James Cook's cottage, St Patrick's cathedral and a trip into through the stunning countryside in one of the finest wine-growing regions in Victoria, the Yarra Valley, we follow the Great Ocean Road for a superlative coastline drive. The magnificent country capital, Canberra, is our next destination and we have the chance to learn about Australian history, as well as tour the embassies whose facades reflect the architectural style of their native countries. From here, we hit all the major hotspots: dazzling Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns, the wholly unique Darwin and the famous Ayers Rock. Australia's natural attractions are next to none and this 17-day adventure will ensure you never look at the natural world the same again. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Melbourne Today we arrive in Melbourne, Victoria. Melbourne flourished in the 1850s when the city emerged as a result of the huge gold rush in the Victorian hills. Melbourne is culturally very diverse and has several times been named the world's "most liveable city." ATTENTION: This tour is based on a Qantas air pass that MUST be booked by Adventures Abroad in conjunction with Qantas international air tickets. If you intend to secure your own international air, or if you request a routing on an airline other than Qantas, a SURCHARGE (approx 500 USD) will apply. Overnight in Melbourne. Dinner if required. Day 2 Melbourne: City Tour & Yarra Valley Melbourne boasts broad and leafy streets, plenty of parks and gardens, and an air of distinction. It is the stateliest of all Australian cities. It is also a fairly recent creation, for it was only in 1835 that a Tasmanian farmer named John Batman arrived to establish a settlement here. He made a deal with local Aborigines, trading blankets, knives and tomahawks for 500,000 acres of land, and a township began to grow. A gold rush in the 1850s resulted in rapid expansion and, by 1861, Melbourne's population (then 125,000) had already overtaken Sydney's. Sydney moved ahead again in 1911 and has stayed ahead, but Melbourne has never been far behind. Today our tour includes a number of highlights, including Fitzroy Gardens, originally laid out in the shape of the Union Jack. The prime attraction is Cook's Cottage, the family home of James Cook, the English navigator who explored the southern hemisphere in three great voyages. It was purchased in 1933, shipped over from Yorkshire and presented as a gift to the state of Victoria for its 1934 centenary. We will also see the Old Melbourne Gaol, Shrine of Remembrance, St Kilda Road, Victoria Market, Melbourne University, Parliament House, Lake Albert, and pay a visit to St Patrick's Cathedral. During our time in the Melbourne area we will make an excursion into the Yarra Valley, one of the finest wine growing regions in Victoria and home to over 40 wineries. The Yarra Valley region has earned itself an enviable reputation based on fine produce, rolling hills, wines and stunning views. We will enjoy a wine tasting as part of our tour. NOTE: At the discretion of your Tour Leader, the order of our Melbourne are sightseeing may vary depending on such factors as weather, timing, and other logistical considerations. Overnight in Melbourne. Breakfast and dinner. Day 3 Melbourne: Great Ocean Road Today we drive along the Great Ocean Road. This is one of Australia's most splendid scenic drives, built between 1819 and 1932. The idea was to construct a world-class tourist road like the one on California's Pacific coast. The road became a memorial to those killed in World War I. The stretch of coast to Peterborough is often referred to as the 'Shipwreck Coast' due to the number of victims to the rough ocean. We make a stop at a famous viewpoint to see the dramatic rock formations called the Twelve Apostles. These formations, rising 65 m (213 feet) out of the ocean, are the remnants of a retreating coastline. Overnight in Melbourne. Breakfast and dinner. Day 4 Melbourne - Canberra: City Tour This morning we fly from Melbourne to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. On arrival we visit the National Capital Exhibition, which displays the development of Australia's capital city; followed, appropriately, by a guided tour of the distinctly designed Parliament House. We then enjoy a guided tour through the Australian National Botanic Gardens at the base of Black Mountain. We also drive through the embassy district, where many of the embassies reflect the architectural style of their native countries. Canberra is a uniquely Australian city which, right from its beginning, had had a very strong North American connection. The idea for a purpose-built capital came soon after the various Australian states agreed to form a federation in 1901. The creation of a new city was seen as a means of ending the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne, and a way of giving the fledgling nation its own identity. An international design competition was conducted and, in 1913, the competition was won by a young landscape architect from Chicago named Walter Burley Griffin, who submitted his design in conjunction with his wife Marion Mahoney Griffin. Since then, Canberra has grown to become one of Australia's most distinctive cities. Overnight in Canberra. Breakfast and dinner. Day 5 Canberra - Sydney: City Tour Early this morning we transfer to the train station for our day train from Canberra to Sydney, New South Wales, arriving at approximately 11:00 am. In the afternoon we will cruise Port Jackson, Sydney's harbour, much like Captain Cook once did many years ago. We pass the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, various sandy white beaches, and the exclusive homes that line Sydney's harbour on our way to the Pacific gateway. The Harbour Bridge spans one of the most narrow inlets of the harbour and is one of the largest arch bridges in the world. The bridge is affectionately known as "the Coathanger." Sydney is regarded as having one of the finest harbours in the world. The odd thing is that when the British explorer Captain James Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia in 1770 he missed it altogether. He saw the Sydney Heads, of course, but did not guess that a vast harbour lay behind them. So when a British fleet arrived to establish a colony in Australia in 1788 it went first to nearby Botany Bay. Within days, however, Sydney Harbour was discovered and the settlement moved there. Overnight in Sydney. Breakfast and dinner. Day 6 Sydney: City Tour This morning we will have a guided tour of the world renowned Sydney Opera House; its sail-like roof has become Sydney's most identifiable symbol. Designed in the 1950s by a young Danish architect, Joern Utzon, its billowing form meant to evoke sails. After our lunch break, we will become acquainted with the old "Rocks" area, Chinatown, Darling Harbour, Macquarie Street, Bondi Beach, Paddington, Oxford Street, Kings Cross, the Heads and entrance to Sydney Harbour. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight in Sydney. Breakfast and dinner. Day 7 Sydney - Cairns This morning is free to enjoy Sydney. This afternoon we fly to Cairns, Queensland. Queensland is huge--at about 1 745 000 sq km (667,000 square miles) the second largest state (Western Australia is the biggest) and more than twice the size of Texas. Taking the Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria into account, it has an enormous coastline over 7500 km (4,590 miles). Queensland started out as part of New South Wales, used as a penal colony starting in 1824. An influx of free settlers, many who entered illegally, changed its face from prison to agricultural centre. In 1842 it was officially opened to free settlement and, by 1859, the population was large enough to justify its status as a separate colony. The settlers made their way with sheep, cattle, wheat, an abundance of natural resources and cash crops--including bananas, which gave rise to the rather derisive name the rest of Australia sometimes uses for Queensland natives: "Banana benders". Overnight in Cairns. Breakfast and dinner. Day 8 Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Cruise Today we have a full day cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for 2600 kilometres (1,616 mi) and cover an area of approximately 344 400 sq km. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is sometimes referred to as the single largest organism in the world. In reality, it is made up of many millions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. Generally, the vessels offering reefs trips are large and comfortable with plenty of deck space and interior seating. A buffet lunch is served (included) and a wide range of beverages are available for purchase. Snorkeling equipment is available and included. Overnight in Cairns. Breakfast and lunch (dinner on your own). Day 9 Cairn: Leisure time - Darwin You may enjoy Cairns at your leisure. Some of the area beaches include Trinity, Palm Cove and Yorkey's. You may choose to visit Wild World with its crocodiles and tropical birds or perhaps a visit to picturesque Port Douglas or the Daintree Rainforest. We recommend a Kuranda train / rainforest gondola half-day combination excursion. Late this afternoon we transfer to the airport for our flight to Darwin (there may be a stop en route). At the "top end" of Australia is a city unlike any other. Darwin is Australia's most northern capital city and its isolation from the other states has encouraged the evolution of a unique lifestyle. It is both old style Australia and distinctly Asian in feel and the genuine multicultural mix is reflected in the food, open-air markets and a people of immense character and hospitality. Here you will find a living Aboriginal history and art heritage, the elusive 'Dundees' and their crocodiliac partners lurking in the farms and wildlife parks. The perennially warm, tropical climate has bred an energetic outdoor lifestyle and a friendly, easy-going attitude to match. Overnight in Darwin. Breakfast and dinner. Day 10 Darwin - Kakadu National Park Today we travel by road to Kakadu National Park along the Stuart and Arnhem Highways. We pass the Marrakai Plains, Mary and Wildman River areas into Kakadu National Park. We cross the South Alligator River and explore the World Heritage area of Ubirr Rock where we climb up though the ancient Aboriginal Rock Art Galleries to the lookout for the famous view over surrounding wetlands. (Subject to water levels and weather conditions). We also visit the Bowali Visitor Centre which contains a wealth of information about Kakadu. The name 'Kakadu' comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju, one of the languages spoken in the north of the park at the beginning of the twentieth century. Although languages such as Gagudju and Limilngan are no longer regularly spoken, descendants of these language groups are still living in Kakadu. Located at the northern fringe of the Northern Territory, Kakadu is the largest terrestrial national park in Australia. It comprises almost 8,000 square miles of spectacular wildlife habitat, which ranges from the high stone plateau to forest woodland, monsoon rainforest to open savanna-like flood plains dotted with billabongs, mangrove-fringed estuaries to coastal beaches of the Arafura Sea. At the heart of Kakadu is the South Alligator River, so named by a 19th century explorer who mistook the native crocodiles for alligators. Overnight in Kakadu. Breakfast and dinner. Day 11 Kakadu National Park Kakadu is also a cultural landscape. It was shaped by the spiritual ancestors of Aboriginal people during the Creation Time. These ancestors or 'first people' journeyed across the country creating landforms, plants, animals and Bininj/Mungguy (Aboriginal people). They brought with them laws to live by, as well as ceremony, language, and ecological knowledge. They taught the Bininj/ Mungguy how to live with the land and look after the land. After breakfast we visit Barramundi Gorge (Maguk) in the dry season, and perhaps Baroalba Springs (Gubara) when Maguk is inaccessible (if Baroalba is also inaccessible, we may switch to a boat-based excursion during the wet season). Both locations offer an opportunity to walk and explore swimming holes and spectacular sandstone country. Our programme today is deliberately free form in order to take advantage of prevailing conditions. Essentially our intention today is to experience the magical landscapes and learn about the unique natural and human history of this beautiful place. NOTE: On some departures of this tour, when tomorrow's flight to Darwin occurs in the morning, we may have to depart Kakadu later today and spend the night in Darwin. Overnight in Kakadu. Breakfast and dinner. Day 12 Kakadu - Darwin: City Tour Today we transfer back to Darwin. On arrival we enjoy a guided city tour, featuring the Chinese Temple, Botanical Gardens, Historic City Sights, East Point Military Precinct, Stokes Hill Wharf area and Mooring Basin, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Overnight in Darwin. Breakfast and dinner. Day 13 Darwin - Alice Springs Today we fly from Adelaide to Alice Springs. "The Alice," as locals affectionately call this town, lies at almost the exact geographical centre of Australia. Many Aboriginals work as stockmen on the vast stations in this area, and reminders of their rich heritage are everywhere. Wild camels roam throughout the region, and the dry red earth and deep blue sky create a surreal atmosphere. Neville Shute wrote a famous novel, A Town Like Alice, in 1950. That book and the movie based on it put Alice Springs on the international map for the first time, but it was many more years before it began attracting tourists in telegraph station here after his wife, Alice, and the town which later grew up nearby took the same name. Our day tour of Alice Springs includes the panoramic ANZAC Hill, the Old Telegraph Station, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service HQ. "The Alice" began in 1872 as an overland telegraph station linking the north and south. Today it combines the vigour of the frontier-like environment with the convenience of modern facilities. This evening we enjoy a typical outback meal at a local restaurant. Overnight in Alice Springs. Breakfast and dinner. Day 14 Alice Springs - Uluru (Ayers Rock) Today we travel over the Macdonnell Ranges and cross the vast desert we know as the "Red Centre" as we travel to Uluru, commonly named Ayers Rock, in the centre of the continent. Uluru is an incredibly impressive monolith 5 km (3 miles) in length and over 300 m (1,000 feet) high! Uluru is a remnant of ancient mountains which long ago weathered away, leaving the sandstone monolith standing alone in the desert. In 1989 scientists found evidence that Uluru, the Macdonnell Ranges, and a cluster of huge rock domes named Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) were part of a single plateau. Although British explorers trekked through the Red Centre as long ago as 1844, none of them visited Uluru until 1873, when it was named Ayers Rock after a colonial administrator of the day, Sir Henry Ayers. We visit Uluru for a short walk at the base before travelling to the sunset viewing area. Overnight near Ayers Rock. Breakfast and dinner. Day 15 Uluru (Ayers Rock) Early this morning we re-visit Uluru to view the sunrise and visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. We tour the caves at the base of Uluru and hear stories of the Aboriginal Dreamtime. This will also be your opportunity to climb Uluru. This afternoon we travel through the desert plains to Kata Tjuta (Olgas). The size and grandeur of these 36 massive domes of conglomerate red rock will amaze you. We walk through Walpa Gorge following the natural creek bed between two of the domes. Overnight near Ayers Rock. Breakfast and dinner. Day 16 Uluru - Sydney Today we fly from Ayers Rock to Sydney. Overnight in Sydney. Breakfast and dinner. Day 17 Departure Departure from Sydney. Breakfast. BON VOYAGE! Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Australia Adventure vacation specialist. Contact : Travelwizard.com Phone: 10/09 |
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