Contrasts of Australia & New Zealand

18 days,

17 nights |

from $5895 per person*

TOUR CODE: QCANA

On this grand, wide-ranging journey, you’ll explore the two diverse and fascinating nations that lie on the shores of the Tasman Sea. Vastly different in size, and each offering unique landscapes and experiences, Australia and New Zealand share a well-earned reputation for warm hospitality and great cuisine. Discover kiwis and crocodiles, exciting cosmopolitan cities, the Great Barrier Reef and stunning Milford Sound.

  • Quality accommodation
  • Travel by luxury coach
  • Experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
  • Airport transfers (see flight information below)

Tour Highlights

  • Cruise Sydney’s glorious harbor and the Great Barrier Reef
  • Visit a local home and former stables for morning tea
  • Cruise the magnificent and world-famous Milford Sound
  • Plant a tree at a Queensland rainforest restoration project

Flight Information

Flights are not included in the tour price; please call our team for the current flight prices. Any flights referred to in the itinerary are an additional expense. Departure Dates From $5895 per person* departing: 14 May 2020 04 Jun 2020 02 Jul 2020 13 Aug 2020 03 Sep 2020 17 Sep 2020 From $6475 per person* departing 01 Oct 2020 15 Oct 2020 12 Nov 2020 19 Nov 2020 26 Nov 2020 03 Dec 2020 10 Dec 2020 17 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2020 07 Jan 2021 14 Jan 2021 21 Jan 2021 28 Jan 2021 04 Feb 2021 11 Feb 2021 From $6475 per person* departing: 25 Mar 2021 From $5895 per person* departing: 01 Apr 2021 15 Apr 2021 13 May 2021 03 Jun 2021 01 Jul 2021 12 Aug 2021 02 Sep 2021 16 Sep 2021 30 Sep 2021 From $6475 per person* departing: 14 Oct 2021 11 Nov 2021 18 Nov 2021 25 Nov 2021 02 Dec 2021 09 Dec 2021 16 Dec 2021 30 Dec 2021 06 Jan 2022 13 Jan 2022 20 Jan 2022 27 Jan 2022 03 Feb 2022 10 Feb 2022 17 Feb 2022 24 Feb 2022 03 Mar 2022 10 Mar 2022 17 Mar 2022 Please click here for full Booking Conditions.

All trips include 24-hour emergency travel assistance.

Book by:

March 1, 2022

Valid for travel between:

04/01/2020 – 03/17/2022

Additional dates, gateway cities and airlines may be available.

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image map Day 1 Welcome to Melbourne Get to know your Travel Director and fellow travelers this evening at a Welcome Reception and dinner. Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne, 2 nights Included Meals: Dinner with wine Day 2 Melbourne Explore Melbourne on a city sights tour this morning, then discover its gracious arcades, eclectic laneways and vibrant street art on a private walking tour. The rest of the day is at leisure to immerse yourself in this stylish cityscape. Included Meals: Breakfast Day 3 Melbourne – Cairns Depart Melbourne by air this morning for Cairns, where you’ll join a local expert for a wildlife journey at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. Enjoy a cruise where you’re sure to encounter koalas, wallabies and crocodiles. Hotel: Hilton Cairns, 3 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 4 Great Barrier Reef Board a high-speed catamaran today and cruise out to the iconic Great Barrier Reef beneath the sparkling blue waters of the Coral Sea. You’ll have the opportunity to go snorkeling (equipment provided), or view the spectacular coral and tropical fish from the underwater observatory and semi-submersible craft. Enjoy a tropical buffet lunch on board before you return to Cairns. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 5 Cairns Free Time Today is free for you to pursue your own interests in this vibrant tropical city, or you may choose to visit Kuranda, the ‘village in the rainforest’. This evening, you’ll be treated to a special Be My Guest dinner at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Experience a personal Welcome to Country ceremony, hear stories of the Dreamtime, witness an entertaining high-impact performance by an indigenous dance group and enjoy dinner accompanied by the sounds of the didgeridoo. Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest dinner Day 6 Cairns – Sydney This morning you’ll fly to Sydney, where you’ll have time to relax or explore before boarding a Captain Cook Sunset Highlight Dinner Cruise. Glide past magnificent waterfront homes, the legendary Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Hotel: Hyatt Regency Darling Harbour, 3 nights Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner Day 7 Sydney Enjoy a tour of the Sydney Opera House then head to Bondi Beach for lunch at an Australian institution, the Returned Servicemen’s Club. Your host, a local surf lifesaver, will lead you on an exclusive tour through Australia’s oldest lifesaving club. Your afternoon is free for exploring or shopping, enjoying an optional excursion, or maybe just taking a stroll along the harbor front. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 8 Sydney Free Time Spend today as you please. You might take the short trip the majestic Blue Mountains just outside the city to see the famous Three Sisters rock formation and visit Featherdale Wildlife Park to get up close to some native fauna. This evening, join your Travel Director for dinner in a waterfront restaurant. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with wine Day 9 Sydney – Auckland Fly across the Tasman Sea this morning to the island nation of New Zealand. You’ll meet your Travel Director and traveling companions over dinner this evening at your hotel. Hotel: Stamford Plaza Auckland, 2 nights Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with wine Day 10 Auckland A morning city sightseeing tour and cruise on Waitemata Harbour is followed by free time when you can relax, or explore cosmopolitan Auckland. Included Meals: Breakfast Day 11 Auckland – Rotorua Today you’re invited to a Be My Guest lunch at the home of Lance and Bridgette O’Sullivan, New Zealand horse racing royalty. Enjoy a sumptuous country-style lunch at the Red Barn on their beautiful Waikato farm. This evening, enjoy a Maori Hangi Highlight Dinner and cultural performance at the Tamaki Family Marae. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest lunch, Highlight Dinner Day 12 Rotorua – Queenstown There’s free time for an optional experience. Perhaps visit Te Puia, where a Māori guide will introduce you to their gift from the gods – mud pools, thermal springs and New Zealand’s largest geyser, Pohutu. This afternoon, board your flight to Queenstown. Hotel: Millenium Queenstown, 3 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 13 Queenstown– Milford Sound Cruise Travel through Fiordland National Park to glorious Milford Sound. Cruise among sheer cliffs, massive waterfalls, glaciers and rainforest before you return to Queenstown in the late afternoon. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 14 Queenstown – Free Time Explore exciting Queenstown your way today Join your fellow travelers at The Boatshed, set in the historic New Zealand Railways Shipping Office, for a Highlight Dinner. Included Meals: Breakfast, Hosted Dinner Day 15 Queenstown – Franz Josef Visit the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown, then indulge in some delicious stone fruit in Cromwell. Drive over the epic Haast Pass, past thundering waterfalls and ice-blue lakes. Continue to the magnificent Franz Josef Glacier Hotel: Te Waonui Forest Retreat Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine Day 16 Franz Josef – Christchurch Journey to Hokitika, known for its beautiful greenstone (jade) to witness a master carver at work. At Arthur’s Pass board the TranzAlpine for one of the world’s most scenic train rides through the Southern Alps to Christchurch. Hotel: Distinction, Christchurch, 2 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 17 Christchurch Join Isabelle and Tim Weston, for a Be My Guest experience at their home, Britten Stables. Formerly horse stables, the couple restored the property and transformed it into the exquisite home it is today. Spend the last evening with your Travel Director at a Farewell Dinner. Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest, Farewell Dinner Day 18 Farewell from Christchurch Say goodbye when your vacation comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Included Meals: Breakfast

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*Terms & Conditions: Pricing is per person based on double occupancy. All prices are in US dollars and correct at time of posting for travel during specified travel dates. Single supplements, black-out dates and seasonal supplements may apply. Airfare is not included unless indicated. Prices may differ when you book your travel and are not guaranteed until full payment is received. Airline and hotels frequently change their prices as a result of fare increases and/or fuel surcharges. Prices may increase before full payment for those and other reasons. Package is not combinable with any other offer or discounted vacation package. After full payment, prices are guaranteed except only due to an increase in government-imposed taxes or fees. By paying your deposit, you affirmatively agree to the possibility of such increases. Package is strictly subject to availability, not retroactive and not combinable with any other special or vacation package offer. Minimum night stays or required room types may apply. All prices, itineraries and routings are subject to change without notice. Please call for our current prices. CST#2001136-20

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