Australia with New Zealand add-on

Day 1: 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 (your arrival night is your first nights stay). 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. Today you will also have the opportunity to take a dawn balloon flight over the outback (weather permitting).

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 the 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.

Meals: Lunch

Days 11 – 12: Cairns
Now that you are partway 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. On arrival, we include a sightseeing tour (from March 2013 the sightseeing tour will take place on Day 14 due to changes in flight schedules). 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. We include a half-day 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.

Days 14 – 16: Sydney
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 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.

Meals: Lunch

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/Auckland
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Auckland. The rest of the day is at leisure. You will stay here for two nights. The North Island was shaped originally by the fire of volcanoes. Today you’ll find a subtropical climate, thermal springs and geysers, rich farmland, glorious national parks, luxuriant forests and stunning lakes.

Day 22: Auckland
The beautiful city of Auckland is the largest in New Zealand, situated on North Island in the spectacular Hauraki Gulf. Here you’ll find a subtropical climate, thermal springs and geysers, rich farmland, glorious national parks, luxuriant forests, stunning lakes and more. Today we include a city tour then leave you to explore on your own and get used to the time difference.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 23: Paihia
New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is quite simply beautiful, and the journey northwards is equally special. Travelling up the Hibiscus Coast, you will visit the historic Treaty House of Waitangi, where in 1840 the Maori accepted British sovereignty over their traditional lands. Paihia is your base for the next three nights, the ideal spot from where to explore the Bay of Islands.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 24: Paihia
Today you are free to relax and explore Paihia’s three bays, or why not join your Tour Manager for what has been described as one of the finest scenic day tours in the world – a visit to Cape Reinga. On how many other day trips could you take a drive along Ninety Mile Beach, negotiate the Te Paki Quick Sand Stream, visit a lighthouse, send a postcard to the folks back home from New Zealand’s most northerly post box, and admire the spectacular view of the mighty blue Pacific meeting the deep green Tasman Sea? Surely a day to remember for the rest of your life.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 25: Paihia
Another day of relaxation in Paihia, or take the opportunity to cruise to Cape Brett, discovering more of the spectacular Bay of Islands. Be dazzled by glorious white sandy beaches and keep an eye out for the dolphins that play in the waters all around – truly a magical place.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 26: Rotorua
The warm, emerald green North Island was shaped originally by the fire of volcanoes, and evidence of this remains in the thermal springs surrounding Rotorua, which is your destination today. Your journey will take you south through Ngaruawahia, home of the late Maori Queen, before continuing to Rotorua, where you’ll stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 27: Rotorua
Boiling mud pools and spouting geysers add a touch of the dramatic to today’s visit to Te Puia in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. This area of natural hot springs is well-deserved of its reputation as a must-see sight. Another renowned natural highlight that has to be seen when in New Zealand is the rare kiwi bird, from where New Zealanders have earned their affectionate nickname. You’ll get the chance to see the kiwi for yourself if you join the optional excursion to Rainbow Springs, which also visits the Agrodome to see a display of working sheep dogs in action. This evening, there’s the opportunity to experience a traditional Maori concert and sample a Hangi, which is a meal cooked by steam underground, a method that has been used for centuries.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 28: Wellington
The spectacular Huka Falls offer a perfect photo opportunity in a day of photo opportunities as you travel southwards through the Wairakei Valley to Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand, and on to the capital, Wellington. Sat on the southern tip of North Island, you’ll discover the highlights of the city on a tour that will help you get your bearings, before checking in to your hotel for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 29: Wellington
If yesterday’s tour of Wellington whetted your appetite, then today’s tour will be a feast for your senses. Discover the city on foot, with high points including Te Papa Musuem, the waterfront, the beautiful botanical gardens and even a trip in the famous Wellington Cable Car. Opened in the early 20th century to link Wellington and the suburb of Kelburn, this funicular railway isn’t just a tourist destination, it’s used by the locals every day to get to and from work and the university, located in Kelburn.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 30: Christchurch
The three-hour crossing across the Cook Strait from North Island to South Island offers the chance to reflect on all you have seen on your holiday so far, and to anticipate all that is yet to come. On arrival in Picton, you’ll continue on your journey to Christchurch. The beguiling South Island offers a complete contrast to the North. It’s a land of mountains, glaciers and spectacular fjords. Its sparse population of just one million people shares the island with 40 million sheep. Here amongst the grandeur of the snow-capped peaks, still fjords and rugged coastline you’ll find a warm welcome. This evening enjoy a traditional Kiwi dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 31: Hokitika
From Christchurch you’ll board the TranzAlpine train for the spectacular journey into the Southern Alps. Surely a highlight of any visit to New Zealand, you’ll travel from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, the highest railway station on the South Island. Be sure not to forget your camera, as the majestic gorges and towering snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps are simply jaw-dropping – family and friends back home won’t believe all your stories without seeing the proof for themselves!

You will then continue on to Hokitika. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure at your beachfront hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 32: Fox Glacier
Your journey continues as you travel south today to the magnificent scenery and glaciers of the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier regions to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 33: Queenstown
The road through the Westland National Park has to be one of the most scenic ever built, crossing Clark Bluff and the Haast River Bridge. But don’t just take our word for it, experience it for yourself! Today’s journey ends in Queenstown, where you stay for two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 34: Queenstown
With its reputation as New Zealand’s capital of adventure, there is plenty of action to be had in Queenstown, from bungy jumping and rafting to skydiving, there’s no end to the thrills. With a day at leisure in Queenstown, you can have as much – or as little – adventure as you’d like. Perhaps take an exciting ride on a jet boat, or if that’s a little too thrilling, then a relaxing cruise on Lake Wakatipu or a gondola trip may be more your cup of tea – there really is something for everyone here.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 35: Te Anau
Today we include a highlight of your holiday – a full-day excursion to beautiful Milford Sound – one of the most beautiful locations in New Zealand. Weather permitting, a boat trip on the fjord has to be the best way to take in the majesty and beauty of Milford Sound. Overnight accommodation has been arranged.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 36: Dunedin
With their eerie light, the amazing Glow Worm Caves are a sight to behold, before departing on the journey to charming Dunedin, a city originally planned and settled by the Church of Scotland. Your drive will take you via Lumsden, Gore and Balclutha.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 37: Omarama
It’s time to start travelling northwards again, stopping to see the Moeraki beach boulders. These huge, spherical rocks dotting a stretch of beach near Moeraki are shrouded in myth and legend as to their creation, but one thing is for certain, they are a spectacular sight to behold. You will than follow the Waitiki River inland to Omarama for an overnight stay.

Day 38: Christchurch
This morning you’ll head towards the Mount Cook region, stopping at Lake Tekapo before heading over Burkes Pass and continuing on across the Canterbury plains. Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand at 12,000ft, and an optional scenic flight (weather dependent) will give you the chance to fully appreciate its enormity. Late afternoon arrival into Christchurch where you will stay overnight.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 39: Auckland/UK
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 40: UK
Arrival in the UK.

Please note
To maximise your enjoyment of this holiday a certain amount of walking is essential and 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 Australia are:

4-star Travelodge Perth
3-star All Seasons Katherine Hotel
3.5-star Aurora 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 feature a restaurant, bar and some hotels have a swimming pool. Guest rooms have en suite facilities, air conditioning, TV, and tea/coffee-making facilities.

In New Zealand you will stay in:

4-star Rendezvous Hotel or City Life Hotel in Auckland
4-star Pacific Resort or Scenic Hotel Paihia in Paihia
3.5-star Sudima Hotel in Rotorua
4-star West Plaza Hotel in Wellington
4-star Pavilions Hotel or the 3.5-star Elms Hotel in Christchurch
4-star Beachfront Hokitika in Hokitika
4-star Scenic Circle Franz Josef at Franz Josef Glacier
3-star Goldridge Hotel in Queenstown
3.5-star Village Inn in Te Anau
4-star Mercure Leisure Lodge or 3-star Kingsgate Hotel or Victoria Hotel in Dunedin
3-star Heritage Gateway Hotel in Omarama
All hotels have a restaurant and bar. All guest rooms have en suite facilities, TV and telephone.

All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Brisbane tour
Byron Bay (full day)
Catamaran trip to the outer Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef, including lunch (full day)
Perth tour (half day)
Sheep station visit, including lunch
Canberra sightseeing tour including Australian War Museum visit (half day)
Melbourne tour (half day)
Auckland city tour including Auckland Museum
Treaty House of Waitangi
Te Puia Thermal Reserve
Lake Taupo
Wellington city tour
Traditional Kiwi dinner
TranzAlpine train
Glow worm caves
Moeraki Beach Boulders

Optional excursions

Blue Mountains National Wildlife Park
Milford Sound (full day)
Cape Reinga (full day)
Cape Brett
Rainbow Springs
Maori Hangi dinner and concert
Pre-bookable excursion
Phillip Island’s ‘penguin parade’

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights and internal flights as described
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager and Driver Guide in New Zealand
Overseas transfers and other transportation
37 nights’ accommodation, please see itinerary for included meals
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
All state and local taxes
UK Airline Passenger Duty

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.”