Australia

Day 1: UK/Perth
Today you will depart on your scheduled flight to Australia.

Days 2 – 3: Perth
You will arrive in the beautiful city of Perth in the early hours of day 3. You will stay here for four nights.

Days 4 – 5: Perth
Experience has shown us that our clients appreciate the opportunity to relax and rest after their flight, so we have allowed plenty of time for this.

You will also have the opportunity to explore the delightful surroundings of Perth, the ideal first stop for our Australian extravaganza. This wonderful city, with its neighbouring port of Fremantle, is one of the most envied locations in the world in which to live. The golden beaches, superb restaurants, lush green parks, stunning broad expanses of the Swan River and lovely warm climate give the visitor a fine introduction to the relaxed, contented lifestyle of modern-day Australia.

A half-day sightseeing tour is included during your stay. We also offer plenty of fascinating optional tours for you to join if you wish.

Day 6: Alice Springs
Late this morning you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Alice Springs. You will arrive in Alice Springs early this evening, where two nights’ accommodation has been arranged for you. Alice Springs is situated amid a vast area of natural springs and shimmering red desert.

Day 7: Alice Springs
Today we include a half-day sightseeing tour, showing you the famous flying doctor base, the old telegraph station and the School of the Air (subject to opening times) where children are educated over the wireless.

Day 8: Ayers Rock
You will travel through the heart of Australia, stopping en route at a camel farm, where you may take a camel ride if you wish. Ayers Rock, situated in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, is one of the world’s most remarkable sights. This gigantic sandstone monolith remains the property of the Anangu tribe of the Northern Territory. The rock is two miles long, 1,000ft high and measures six miles around the base. It changes colour dramatically with the light and is a wondrous sight at sunrise and sunset. You will be at Ayers Rock for both of these moments, with a sunset visit included today.

Day 9: Ayers Rock & Cairns
You have an early start today for your visit to Ayers Rock for sunrise. As well as this spectacular sight, you will also tour the base to see the caves. An excursion will be made to the mysterious Olgas, a nearby range of 28 spectacular rock domes.

Your journey continues with a flight to Cairns, a lively seaside resort situated on the Great Barrier Reef, where you will stay for four nights.

Day 10: Cairns
Join us on today’s included excursion, an exciting trip by catamaran to the outer Great Barrier Reef. Described as the world’s largest living thing, the eighth wonder of the world and the marine equivalent of Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef is a stupendous 1,400-mile wonderland of beautiful coral and colourful marine life, studded with unspoilt tropical islands.

You will journey right to the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, where you can don a snorkel, take to the water and marvel at the amazing world that stretches beneath you. Enjoy lunch on board, then you can visit an underwater observatory, take a cruise in a semi-submersible submarine, or just relax on the sundeck with a drink – the choice is yours.

Days 11 – 12: Cairns
Now that you are halfway through your tour you’ll probably appreciate some time to relax and soak up the glorious sunshine. Cairns enjoys an idyllic location, sandwiched between the deep blue ocean and lush green tropical forests. If you’re after adventure, there are plenty of optional excursions available here. The most popular is a ride on the Kuranda Railway, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys. The track burrows through 15 tunnels and traverses 40 bridges as it clings to the rockface along a narrow coastal strip.

Day 13: Sydney
You will leave Cairns early this morning and fly to Sydney, where you will stay for four nights. Sydney is Australia’s biggest city, although the centre is surprisingly compact and can be explored easily on foot. The world-famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House dominate the vast and picturesque harbour.

Days 14 – 16: Sydney
On the morning of day 14 we include a sightseeing tour which will introduce you to such highlights as Bondi Beach, Hyde Park, Darling Harbour and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – a rock cut into the shape of a bench which offers one of the best vantage points in the city.

Enjoy the rest of your time in Sydney at leisure soaking up the exciting atmosphere and sheer beauty of Australia’s premier city. You’ll find an excellent choice of optional excursions, including a drive to the Blue Mountains and the wildlife park where you will see koalas, possums, wombats and kangaroos. You can also enjoy a harbour cruise and tour Sydney by night.

Day 17: Canberra
You will leave Sydney by coach for the drive to the beautifully landscaped capital city, Canberra for an overnight stay. Your included city sightseeing tour features the parliament buildings and a glimpse of the Prime Minister’s lodge. We include a visit to the outstanding Australian War Memorial Museum. It houses a huge collection of relics, models and paintings and is a must for every visitor to Canberra. En route to Canberra you will stop at a sheep station for a sheep shearing demonstration, with lunch included.

Day 18: Melbourne
This morning we continue to Melbourne for a three-night stay. This afternoon we include a city sightseeing tour with highlights including Captain Cook’s cottage and the old gaol where the notorious outlaw Ned Kelly was executed. Sports fans will know Melbourne as the home of Australian Rules Football, the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Melbourne Cup. It is also home to some of the finest restaurants in Australia.

Days 19 – 20: Melbourne
See the sights of Melbourne at your own pace today. This afternoon you may choose to join our optional excursion to Phillip Island, where you can witness the remarkable penguin parade – a charming sight of hundreds of these creatures emerging from the sea and waddling across the beach to their sand dune burrows.

Day 21: Melbourne
Enjoy a free morning before you transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight to the UK.

Day 22: UK
You will arrive back in the UK today.

Please note:
This holiday includes walking in areas of rough ground, gradients and steps.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star Travelodge Perth in Perth
3.5-star Aurora Alice Springs in Alice Springs
3.5-star Outback Pioneer Hotel in Ayers Rock
3.5-star Queenslander Hotel in Cairns
3.5-star Travelodge Wynyard in Sydney
3.5-star Mercure in Canberra
3.5-star Best Western The Travel Inn in Melbourne
All hotels are centrally located and feature a restaurant, bar and swimming pool. Guest rooms have en suite facilities, air conditioning, TV, and tea/coffee-making facilities.
All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Perth tour (half day)
Alice Springs tour (half day)
Ayers Rock visit – sunset and sunrise
Olgas visit
Great Barrier Reef, including lunch (full day)
Sydney tour (half day)
Sheep station visit, including lunch
Canberra sightseeing tour including Australian War Museum visit (half day)
Melbourne tour (half day)

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights and internal flights
Transfers and other transportation
19 nights’ accommodation on a room-only basis, plus 2 lunches
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”