Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights
Priced From: $2,375 pp dbl. occ. 
Dates: Jan - Mar /09 

Day 1 Fly USA to Melbourne (Via Sydney)

Please note international air from the USA has not been included in the package price.

Day 2 You cross the International Date Line

The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the earth’s surface that approximately coincides with the 180th meridian (LONGITUDE), and separates the calendar date. Traveling east across the line takes the traveler back one day; traveling west, takes the traveler forward one day.

Day 3 Welcome to Melbourne, Australia

On arrival into Melbourne you will need to clear customs and make your way through the main arrivals hall where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation.

At first glance, Melbourne may resemble any other modern city with its skyline full of concrete & glass. However, if you look a little closer, you'll find the real Melbourne, a city of unique charm.  There are the clanging trams (street cars), swanky boutiques, friendly taxi drivers, Australian Rules Football, fickle weather and 'BYO's', by the hundred (restaurants to which you bring your own liquor or wine). Add to this, Melbourne's traditional virtues of tree lined boulevards, glorious parks, elegant buildings & imposing Victorian Banks & Churches, and of course the giant Melbourne Cricket Ground and you'll have some idea of the city.

Melbourne has become a polyglot society with a huge diversity of cultures, Italian, Greek, East European, Middle Eastern & Asian. This diversity is reflected in the food styles, the lifestyle, & even the language spoken in the street.

Day 4 Tour Savannah Walkabout full day tour

A one day cultural and nature tour where you may see and learn about native animals and plants both in the famous open-range grasslands of Serendip Sanctuary on the Western Plains and in the bushlands of Brisbane Ranges National Park.  We search for kangaroos, koalas, birdlife and discover a rich Aboriginal heritage.

Departing from your city hotel, we travel the short distance to the western plains of Victoria - one of the largest volcanic plains on earth.  Open grasslands stretch in all directions with the occasional extinct volcano or ancient mountain range rising steeply out of the plain.  Our first stop is Serendip Sanctuary, an open range reservation for rare and endangered indigenous wildlife of the Western Plains.  Run by the National Parks Service, Serendip plays a pivotal role in the conservation of some of Australia's rarest birds, including the Bustard, Brolga and Cape Barren Goose.  Seek out the large free-range mobs of our tallest kangaroo, the Eastern-grey and family groups of the world's second largest bird, the Emu.

We have a bush lunch before traveling to the Brisbane Ranges National Park, to walk a wide Savannah of grass, bush and wetlands searching for kangaroos and koalas.  The park has a large population of wild Koalas and we very rarely miss out on sighting a number of these delightful creatures, we also visit places of importance to the Aboriginal people of the region.

Day 5 At leisure, Melbourne

At your leisure to explore the very cosmopolitan city of Melbourne. The many attractions of the city vary from the spectacular parklands and gardens that surround the city, to the museums and festivals that are a continuing part of the city life. Excellent restaurants are on every corner and cater to every taste in the world.

Day 6 Fly Melbourne to Adelaide

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Adelaide. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.

The gracious capital of South Australia, Adelaide is the City of Churches, orderly streets, manicured parks and superb restaurants, where cultures from all over the world have contributed to a vibrant, energetic community.  Adelaide is today, an orderly, airy city ringed by beautiful parks and gardens and graced with elegant sandstone buildings and cottages. There are more restaurants per head of population than any other Australian city. From expensive bistros to the formal and exotic, most serve a range of outstanding local wines from the famous 'valleys' nearby. Home to over one million people, Adelaide is best explored on foot to properly experience the wealth of art galleries and museums, festivals, markets, cafe society and superb shopping.

Day 7 Tour - Kangaroo Island

Today you will take the brief flight to Kangaroo Island for a full day of touring.  Highlights will include a visit to Seal Bay, where you can walk with a Park Ranger amongst a colony of rare Australian Sea Lions resting on the beach after their long fishing expeditions.  Discover the Island's most renowned park, Flinders Chase National Park, a sanctuary for numerous native Australian animals including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and Cape Barren Geese. On the southern tip of Flinders Chase National Park are Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch, both providing great photographic opportunities.

Return to Kingscote for your return fight to Adelaide.  Today’s excursion includes round trip air, full day touring, National Park fees and lunch.

Day 8 Tour – Barossa Valley

Savor the Barossa Valley, a wonderful mix of German wine growers in a watered Australian Valley, with villages dotting the countryside!  Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle on a tour that provides the unique flavors of premium wineries, a sumptuous lunch and an insight into the rich history and current lifestyle of this world renowned region.   

Day 9 Fly Adelaide to Cairns

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairns.  Upon arrival you will be transferred to your accommodation.

Cairns is the gateway to Tropical Far North Queensland, a region of contrasts and surprises.  It is home to the Great Barrier Reef, palm-fringed isolated beaches, Kuranda and the Atherton Tablelands, World Heritage listed rainforests and the sun burnt outback. This dynamic area serves as a diverse hub for many attractions and activities of the Tropical North. Apart from the major tourism attractions of the Reef & Rainforest, there are many adventure sports such as white water rafting and bungy jumping, as well as other activities such as golf and trail riding.

Day 10 Tour Great Barrier Reef

This morning, transfer to the wharf for your full day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef.  You will have four hours at the reef site, to explore what makes the Great Barrier Reef one of the wonders of the world.  The day trip has been designed with the water enthusiast or novice alike - snorkel gear and instruction is provided for all guests, or stay dry and explore the stunning reef from the comfort of a semi-submersible vessel, just one meter underwater.   Introductory and certified dives are run in conjunction with snorkeling day trips at an additional cost, and guided snorkel trips with a marine biologist are also available for a nominal fee. A tempting hot and cold buffet lunch is included, as well as morning and afternoon tea on board.

Day 11 At leisure, Cairns

The major centre in Tropical North Queensland is Cairns, a popular gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The city is fringed by lush rainforests and, to the north and south, are miles of white sandy beaches and turquoise oceans teeming with marine life.

Day 12 Fly Cairns to Sydney

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Sydney.  Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your accommodation.

Sydney - Australia's premier city is the oldest settlement in Australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital in everything but name. Built on the shores of the stunning Port Jackson, you would have to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular setting for a city. It's a vital, self-regarding metropolis, exuding both a devil-may-care urbanity and a slavish obsession with global fads.  The Sydney area was the ancestral home of the Daruk tribe, whose territory extended from Botany Bay to Pittwater.

There are some 2000 Aboriginal rock engraving sites in the Sydney area, and many of Sydney's suburbs have Aboriginal names. The city of Sydney began life as a penal colony in 1788 and for the next 60 years received the unwanted, persecuted and criminal elements of British society. Despite its brutal beginnings, the city's mixture of pragmatic egalitarianism and plain indifference has transformed it into a thriving multicultural society. Sydney now attracts the majority of Australia's immigrants and the city's predominantly Anglo-Irish heritage has been revitalized by large influxes of Italian, Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Day 13 Tour Blue Mountains

On today’s Blue Mountains excursion, we stop at a Wildlife Park, where you have the opportunity to have your photo taken with a koala, and to see Australian animals and reptiles, such as crocodiles, kangaroos, goannas and possums.  At the Blue Mountains National Park, enjoy a stroll through the bush, a visit to historic Katoomba, and time an optional ride on the world's steepest railway, the Skyway Cable Car or the Sceniscender Cable Car (rides at own expense).

See scenic echo point, and learn about the 'blue haze' effect, giving the region its name.  There are excellent photo opportunities of the Three Sisters rock formation, and spectacular views of Jamison and Megalong valleys, with a return to the city via Sydney's Olympic Site.   Lunch is included today.

Day 14 At leisure, Sydney

At your leisure to explore Sydney. Most of the major attractions of the city are within easy walking distance of your accommodation - Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, Centrepoint Tower, Circular Quay, The Rocks etc.

Day 15 Fly Sydney to USA

You will be met and transferred to the airport for your departure flight.

• Travelodge Southbank
• Rydges Melbourne
• Langham Hotel

• Mercure Grosvenor Hotel
• Medina Grand Treasury
• Hyatt Regency

• Travelodge Sydney
• Holiday Inn Darling Harbour
• Sheraton on the Park

• Cairns Colonial Club
• Pacific International
• Sebel Reef House & Spa

3/09