14 Days Best of Australia and New Zealand Tour Package
Duration: 14 Days/ 13 Nights
Priced From: $4,790 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Jan - Jun, Sep - Dec

This two-week Australia and New Zealand tour delivers dramatic landscapes, exotic wildlife, ancient traditions, and a touch of adventure. See the sights by historic tramcar, catamaran, helicopter, cruise boat, sky gondola, and jet boat. In Australia, The Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, a tropical rainforest hideaway, koalas, and an Aboriginal performance are highlights. Geysers, Milford Sound fiords, kiwis, and a Maori cultural performance are standouts on the New Zealand tour.

Itinerary

Day 1: Aussie arrival for this Australia / New Zealand tour
Australia and New Zealand tour begins at 1:30 PM, InterContinental Sydney. Welcome to Sydney, the start of your extraordinary 14-day Australia and New Zealand tour! A transfer is included from Sydney Airport to your hotel, Intercontinental Sydney, located right in the heart of the city. A sightseeing tour shows you the Rocks, the original European settlement that is considered the birthplace of Australia, as well as Sydney Harbour, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Enjoy a cocktail cruise around Sydney Harbour on a sailing catamaran, and dinner overlooking the lights of the waterfront.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: Intercontinental Sydney, Australia

Day 2: Wildlife sanctuary and the Opera House
In the 1920s, Koala Park Sanctuary was established to aid in the conservation of Australia's endangered koalas. A visit today includes an opportunity to cuddle, pet or have your photograph taken with these oh-so recognizable Australian celebrities! The sanctuary is also home to other Australia's indigenous wildlife including wallabies, kangaroos and native birds. A guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, an architectural masterpiece with a billowing sail roof design – is a highlight of Australia and New Zealand tour!The rest of the day is free to explore all that is wonderful Sydney.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia

Day 3: Rainforest hideaway resort
Fly to Cairns in Queensland, the gateway for reef and rainforest exploration. Witness Aboriginal daily life and traditional ceremonies at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, then head to Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa. This award-winning tropical hideaway resort, secluded on 80 acres of lush rainforest, borders Daintree Rainforest, which is the thought to be the oldest living rainforest on earth.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa, Mossman, Australia

Day 4: Spend an enriching day on the Great Barrier Reef
There is nowhere else on earth like the Great Barrier Reef, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its incredible – yet fragile – ecosystem. Travel by the high-tech catamaran Quicksilver accompanied by a marine biologist; you'll be amazed by the coral formations visible through clear waters. Get a reef tour aboard a semi-submersible vessel with enormous viewing windows, or snorkel and swim. Enjoy the fabulous resort for the remainder of the day!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa, Mossman, Australia

Day 5: From the tropics to Victorian airs
Fly from the tropical splendors of Queensland to Melbourne, capital city of the state of Victoria. The city's architecture is graceful and elegant, epitomizing the best of old-world Europe and modern Australia. Upon your arrival, spend the remainder of the day as you please. Your hotel is located right in the heart of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Australia

Day 6: Melbourne at large
A guided city sightseeing tour includes the Fitzroy Gardens, Parliament House, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the world’s most notable Gothic Revival churches. The remainder of the day until dinner is free to do what interests you most in Melbourne. Tonight you'll experience a touch of days gone by when you dine aboard the historic Colonial Tramcar, viewing the city through the soft glow of evening as you travel along the Melbourne's distinctive Victorian streets.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Australia

Day 7: Kiwi connection
Fly across the Tasman Sea to Auckland, where your New Zealand tour days begin in the country’s largest city. Located on a natural harbor, Auckland boasts a popular historic waterfront - and your hotel is close to the water. Tonight you'll dine a la carte.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 8: Access Auckland
At Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, ride the moving walkway in a clear tunnel through the reef fish tank and the shark tank. Check out the gallery of ornate Maori treasures in the Auckland War Memorial Museum (Te Papa Whakahiku), as well as Pacific cultural artifacts and other fascinating exhibits detailing the natural and cultural history of New Zealand. One of New Zealand tour highlights is certain to be the traditional Maori dance presentation at the museum. Rest of the day is free to explore Auckland as you please.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 9: Lots of sheep, cattle, and geysers on this New Zealand tour
Visit Longlands Farm, a working dairy farm and country gardens, to see what life on a New Zealand farm is like; you'll also have lunch. You'll get a hands-on look at sheep and cattle farming on a visit to the Agrodome en route to Rotorua. Visit the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, featuring bubbling mud pools, geysers, steam vents, and hot springs.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Duxton Hotel Okawa Bay, Rotorua, New Zealand

Day 10: Private charter flight to the dramatic scenery of the south
Exclusive! Your New Zealand tour continues with a private charter flight to the South Island and Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. Explore the spectacular village overlooking the South Island’s largest lake, set at the base of rugged mountains.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas, Te Anau, New Zealand

Day 11: Cruise Milford Sound
Cruise the stunning waters of Milford Sound, a top New Zealand tour destination; see sheer cliffs, glacier-carved inlets, magnificent waterfalls, and snow-capped peaks. Travel to Queenstown on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, renowned for friendly residents and adventure sports.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 12: Jet boat adventure and a New Zealand tour by helicopter
Shoot the Shotover River rapids on a thrilling jet boat, then board a helicopter for an aerial tour of Queenstown and The Remarkables mountain range. Land on Bobs Peak for breathtaking views before a gondola ride down to town. Get up close to the flightless, endangered kiwi, plus other endangered native birds, at the Kiwi and Birdlife Park, set on eight acres.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Crowne Plaza Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 13: Christchurch charms
Fly over a dramatic landscape to Christchurch, resembling old-world England due to the Edwardian architecture, parks, and landscaped riverbank. Share the most memorable experiences of your two week Australia and New Zealand tour at the farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Millennium Hotel Christchurch, New Zealand

Day 14: G’day, mate - New Zealand tour concludes
Australia and New Zealand 14-day tour ends in Christchurch. A transfer is included from Millennium Hotel Christchurch to Christchurch International Airport 2 1/2 hours before the departure of our selected flight(s). A transfer is included from the hotel to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast

12/09