Grand Tour of Australia with New Zealand add-on

Day 1: UK/Perth via Singapore
Today you’ll depart on your scheduled flight to Perth.

Days 2 – 3: Perth
You will arrive in Perth in the early hours of day 3. You’ll stay here for four nights. A half-day sightseeing tour is included during your stay. Optional excursions include a cruise on the Swan River in Fremantle.

Days 4 – 5: Perth
Relax after your flight then explore at your leisure. Perth features golden beaches, superb restaurants, lush parks and a lovely warm climate.

Day 6: Darwin
Today, you’ll fly to Darwin – the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory and gateway to some of the fantastic natural landscapes and unique flora and fauna Australia has to offer. Enjoy an included city tour before checking in at your hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 7: Kakadu National Park
You’ll stay overnight in this stunning national park – and today, you’ll see waterbirds and crocodiles in their natural habitat as you cruise on the famous Yellow Waters Lagoon. You’ll take a ‘Jumping Crocodile Cruise’ on the Adelaide River, to witness giant crocodiles leaping from the water.

Day 8: Katherine
You’ll drive to Katherine and Nitmiluk National Park via the stunning Nourlangie Rock, where you’ll stay tonight.

Day 9: Darwin
Start today with a cruise through the Katherine Gorge, carved through ancient sandstone by the Katherine River. Find out more about the ancient rocks and caves decorated with Aboriginal rock paintings, as well as the area’s unique wildlife.

You’ll return to Darwin for an overnight stay.

Day 10: Alice Springs
You’ll fly to Alice Springs this morning to begin your two-night stay in this Outback town. A half-day tour is included, showing you the Flying Doctor base, the old telegraph station and – depending on the time of your visit – the famous School of the Air, which uses the Flying Doctor service and internet broadcasts to connect schoolchildren in remote locations.

Day 11: Alice Springs
Alice Springs is situated in an area of natural springs and red desert. Today, you can join an optional excursion into the MacDonnell Mountain Range to see the stunning Standley Chasm.

Day 12: Ayers Rock
Today you can take a camel ride if you wish. Camels were introduced into the Outback in the 19th century to help with the construction of transport routes across the desert, and as you travel through the heart of Australia, we’ll be stopping at a camel farm.

Arriving at Ayers Rock, you can take an afternoon excursion to the mysterious Olgas – striking, domed rocks looming large above the desert. At sunset, you’ll visit Ayers Rock itself. Watching the colour of the rock change as the sun goes down is the perfect finish to your day.

Day 13: Cairns
Visiting Ayers Rock for sunrise is an unmissable experience. You can also tour the base of the rock and view Aboriginal rock paintings. This afternoon, you’ll fly to the tropical city of Cairns to begin your four-night stay.

Day 14: Cairns
Explore a whole new world today on our included trip by catamaran to the outer Great Barrier Reef. It is a 1,400-mile wonderland of breathtakingly beautiful coral and colourful marine life, studded with unspoilt tropical islands.

Marine life comes incredibly close to the boat, meaning you can experience the reef without getting wet if you wish from the comfort of a semi-submersible submarine or an underwater observatory. Alternatively, you can go snorkelling – all the equipment is provided as well as lots of guidance from the crew. Lunch is included on today’s tour.

Meals: Lunch

Days 15 – 16: Cairns
Relax and soak up the sun in Cairns, or take advantage of the wide range of excursions on offer – such as a ride on the Kuranda Railway. Regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys, it will take you through lush tropical vegetation and past spectacular waterfalls.

Day 17: Sydney
Our half-day tour of this beautiful harbour city takes in Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench by convicts in 1810, as a gift to Governor Macquarie’s wife, Elizabeth.

Day 18: Sydney
Our half-day tour of this beautiful harbour city takes in Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench by convicts in 1810, as a gift to Governor Macquarie’s wife, Elizabeth.

Days 19 – 20: Sydney
Explore Sydney at your leisure, joining our optional excursions if you wish. These include a harbour cruise, a tour of Sydney by night and a trip to the beautiful Blue Mountains.

Day 21: Canberra
Today you’ll drive to Canberra for an overnight stay. An included tour features the government buildings and the Prime Minister’s lodge. En route, you will stop at a sheep station for a sheep-shearing demonstration followed by a barbecue lunch.

Meals: Lunch

Day 22: Melbourne
After a morning visit to the Australian War Memorial Museum, you’ll depart for Melbourne for a three-night stay.

Your included city tour this afternoon will take in the Colonial-style buildings, wide boulevards and trams that give Melbourne a distinctly European feel. You will also see Captain Cook’s cottage and the old gaol where the notorious outlaw Ned Kelly was executed.

Days 23 – 24: Melbourne
There are many sightseeing and shopping possibilities in Melbourne and you are free to explore as you wish. You can also join our optional visit to Phillip Island, home to one of the largest colonies of little penguins in the world. Every sunset, these creatures emerge from the sea and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows in a delightful ‘penguin parade’.

Day 25: Warrnambool
Start your journey along one of the most spectacular coastal routes in the world, the Great Ocean Road, to see the Twelve Apostles, the Arch and many other fantastic rock formations. You will enter Port Campbell National Park, renowned for its ragged and spectacular coastal landscape, before continuing to Warrnambool for an overnight stay.

Day 26: Barossa Valley
This morning, you’ll depart for the drive to the Barossa Valley via Mount Gambier, with its stunning volcanic lakes and scenery. You’ll arrive at your hotel this evening for an overnight stay.

Day 27: Adelaide
Our included tour of the Barossa Valley, famous for its wines, features wine tasting at Wolf Blass winery followed by a visit to the famous Jacobs Creek visitor centre for wine-tasting and lunch. Then it’s on to Adelaide for a two-night stay, with an included afternoon tour of the city.

Day 28: Adelaide
Explore Adelaide at your own pace, perhaps taking in Adelaide Zoo or the distinctive architecture of Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest German community. There are plenty of shopping opportunities too, especially at Rundle Mall.

Day 29: Adelaide/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 30: Auckland
The hundreds of sailing boats in the harbour give Auckland the nickname ‘City of Sails’, and truly are a sight to behold. Join your Tour Manager after breakfast for a sightseeing tour of the city that will introduce you to all its most compelling sights, before spending the rest of the day exploring at your leisure, perhaps heading to Ponsonby Road to do a little shopping.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 31: Rotorua
After breakfast this morning, you will journey southwards through Ngaruawahia, home of the Tuheitia Paki Maori King, to Rotorua, the heart of New Zealand’s thermal springs region. It’s easy to see why the Maori revere this area, with its bubbling mud pools, spurting geysers and hot springs. There will be ample time to explore, as you spend the next two nights here.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 32: Rotorua
Following a leisurely breakfast in your hotel, we include a morning visit to Te Puia in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to view the extraordinary boiling mud pools and spouting geysers that have made this region so famous. This afternoon, there’s the option to join your Tour Manager on an excursion to the Agrodome to see a display of working sheep dogs and a visit to Rainbow Springs to view the rare Kiwi bird – New Zealand’s quirky-looking national symbol.

During the evening there will be an opportunity to visit a Maori Hangi and concert, offering an insight into the traditional way of life for the indigenous population of the islands.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 33: Wellington
A spectacular journey awaits today as you travel southwards through the Wairakei Valley and past the breathtaking Huka Falls to Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest freshwater lake. It’s then on to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, located in the south of North Island. Discover the highlights of the city on our included tour, before heading to your hotel for a two-night stay.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 34: Wellington
Today you can discover the city of Wellington at your own pace, with high points including Te Papa Museum, 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 is used by the locals every day to get to and from work and the university, located in Kelburn.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 35: Christchurch
Leave the North Island behind today as you sail through the Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island. Taking just three hours, this journey gives you plenty of photo opportunities as you cruise away from one land mass towards another. When you arrive in Picton, you’ll step aboard a coach for the southerly drive along the Kaikoura coast to the famous city of Christchurch, where you’ll stay overnight.

The beguiling South Island is 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.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 36: Omarama
Before you leave Christchurch this morning a tour will introduce you to not only its historic sites, but also show you how the city is being rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 2011.

Your journey then continues to the heart of the South Island, where you’ll see beautiful Lake Tekapo, before travelling across Burkes Pass and past Lake Pukaki to the Mount Cook region. At 12,000ft Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand and truly a sight to behold. The best way to experience it has to be from the air, so why not take the opportunity to join an optional scenic flight before continuing to Omarama for an overnight stop.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 37: Queenstown
Depart Omarama and travel to the historic township of Arrowtown. Wandering around the streets of this gold mining town is like stepping back in time, why not immerse yourself fully in the gold rush era by trying a little gold panning, or perhaps you’d prefer to keep things modern as you explore the charming boutiques of the centre. Leaving Arrowtown behind, it’s on to Queenstown, where you’ll stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 38: Queenstown
There are simply no words that can do justice to Milford Sound, which is quite simply one of the most beautiful landscapes in New Zealand, if not the world. Today you will have the option to venture into the picturesque Fiordland National Park, through the lush beech forests of the Eglinton Valley and the eroded glacial canyons of the Hollyford Valley, before arriving at Milford Sound itself. There’s no better way to explore Milford Sound than by water, and (weather permitting), that’s exactly what you’ll do, as you board a boat for a trip around the glacial waters.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 39: Fox Glacier
The drive along South Island’s west coast is both exciting and scenic – very little can compare to crossing the Haast River Bridge and Clark Bluff as you journey to Fox Glacier.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 40: Christchurch
Whilst you could return to Christchurch by coach, travelling through Arthur’s Pass National Park, you could also take the TranzAlpine train for a breathtaking journey through the magnificent, unspoilt landscape. Transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 41: Christchurch
Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to New Zealand and fly back to the UK via Auckland and Los Angeles.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 42: UK
Arrival in the UK.

Please note
To maximise your enjoyment of this holiday a certain amount of walking is essential.

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

4-star Travelodge Perth
4-star Mirambeena Resort in Darwin
3.5-star Gagudju Crocodile Inn at Kakadu National Park
3-star All Seasons Katherine Hotel
3.5-star Aurora Alice Springs
3.5-star Outback Pioneer Hotel Ayers Rock
3.5-star Cairns Queenslander Hotel
3.5-star Travelodge Wynyard in Sydney
3.5-star Mercure Canberra or similar in Canberra
3.5-star Best Western The Travel Inn in Melbourne
3.5-star Sebel or 3-star Country Comfort Warrnambool Hotel
4-star Novotel Barossa Valley Resort
4-star Grand Chifley Adelaide
In New Zealand you will stay in:

4-star Rendezvous Hotel in Auckland
3.5-star Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua in Rotorua
4-star West Plaza Hotel in Wellington
4-star Pavilions Hotel or the 3.5-star Elms Hotel in Christchurch
3-star Heritage Gateway Hotel in Omarama
3-star Goldridge Resort in Queenstown
4-star Scenic Circle Franz Joseph near the Franz Josef Glacier
Amenities at the hotels include restaurant and bar. All bedrooms have en suite facilities, TV, telephone and tea/coffee-making facilities.

All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Perth sightseeing tour (half day)
Darwin city tour
Cruise on Yellow Waters Lagoon in Kakadu National Park
Jumping Crocodile cruise in Kakadu National Park
Visit to Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park
Katherine Gorge cruise
Alice Springs sightseeing tour (half day)
Visit to camel farm
The Olgas visit
Ayers Rock caves visit
Great Barrier Reef catamaran trip
Sydney sightseeing tour (half day)
Sheep station visit
Canberra city tour
Australian War Memorial Museum
Melbourne sightseeing tour
Barossa Valley sightseeing tour
Jacobs Creek visitor centre visit with wine-tasting and lunch
Adelaide city tour
Auckland city tour
Waitomo Caves
Te Puia Thermal Reserve
Wellington city tour
Visit Mount Cook region
Arrowtown gold mining town visit
Christchurch city tour

Optional excursions

Cruise on the Swan River, Fremantle
MacDonnell Mountain Range and Standley Chasm
Sydney harbour cruise
Sydney by Night tour
Blue Mountains
Phillip Island’s ‘penguin parade’
Rainbow Springs
TranzAlpine Express
Milford Sound (full day)
Maori Hangi dinner and concert

Your holiday includes

27 nights’ accommodation on a room-only basis, plus 3 lunches
Scheduled flights, internal flights, overseas transfers & other transportation
12 nights’ accommodation with breakfast (New Zealand)
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager and Driver Guide (New Zealand)
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes