Overview
Experience the best sights of Australia, Fiji & New Zealand in this Grand tour. Encounter the cosmopolitan cities of Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Admire the coral and marine life of the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy one of Australia’s most scenic drives, the Great Ocean Road. Swim in turquoise lagoons of Fiji. Relax and totally unwind, Take part in a traditional kava ceremony is a privilege and is an ancient practice. Come and experience New Zealand’s most awesome scenery. Take in sights such as Waitomo Glow-worms, mud pools & geysers in Rotorua, Experience Maori customs and traditions. Discover the delights of the South Island including Milford Sound and Queenstown.
After breakfast. You head north through the Swan Valley to Caversham Wildlife Park where you stop to view and photograph koalas and hand feed kangaroos. After stopping at Caversham Wildlife Park, you travel to the lobster fishing town of Cervantes for lunch. You stop at the Lobster Shack for an informative talk about the lobster industry, followed by a self guided tour through the purpose built factory. Then it’s onwards to the mystical Pinnacles Desert for an easy paced walk through the fascinating landscape where you will be in awe at the sheer size and number of these spiers. Afterwards enjoy a thrilling experience of sand boarding and 4-wheel driving over the vast sand dunes of Lancelin.
We begin the day at the lovely Kings Park to experience a walk through the tree canopies. Then continue to Cottesloe Beach before arriving at Fremantle. Stay on the coach and return to Perth by road travelling past exclusive suburbs, the University of WA, Royal Perth Yacht Club, the Old Swan Brewery. Travel through the historic town of Guildford to the Swan Valley wine growing region. Stop at Sandalford Wines for some wine tasting. They offer extensive cellar and wine emporium gift store featuring wine accessories. Then visit the Margaret River Chocolate Factory to sample delicious chocolates. Afterwards feed kangaroos and touch a koala at Caversham Wildlife Park. Next stop is at Charlies Estate Wine & Nougat Boutique to enjoy an extensive wine tasting including cheese and biscuits. Return to Perth via the Burswood Resort & Casino.
Full day tour of Great Ocean road. See some of the most spectacular coastal scenery on Earth, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks and the Gibson’s Steps, site of a historic clifflines. Enjoy the views of the city and Port Phillip Bay as you cross the Westgate Bridge. You will pass through Geelong on the way to the Surf Coast and the world’s premier surfing spot of Bells Beach. Continuing along the Great Ocean Road. A stop will be made at Kennet River township to locate local koalas in their native habitat. Your tour then continues through the spectacular Otway Ranges, here you have the opportunity to walk through the cool temperate rainforest. Then it’s on to Port Campbell National Park and it’s iconic array of rock formations. You will be awestruck by the majestic monoliths of the Twelve Apostles before returning back to Melbourne.
Sit back and allow the experts to introduce Victoria’s most visited region. The Yarra Valley is irresistible, with its majestic hills and mountains of the Great Dividing Ranges. Recognised as one of the world’s great wine growing regions, you will experience fine local produce and breathtaking scenery during the tour. Your first visit will be the Yering Station Vineyards. Start the day by learning how to swirl, sniff and slurp and you’ll be ready to taste some wines. Then off to lunch at Ray’s Restaurant located in Balgownie Estate. Enjoy a high quality restaurant lunch with a glass of Balgownie Estate wine to compliment the meal. After lunch we continue to Yering Farm. The cellar door proudly showcases antique cooper tools used by pioneer wine makers over a century ago. Our last winery visit is the Domaine Chandon. This is the perfect way to finish the day with a guided tour through the winery that shows how the wine is made, followed by a relaxing glass of Australia’s best bubbly with tasty light platters and a view that will leave you in awe.
We travel to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Here, we enjoy a guided wildlife walk where we have the opportunity to meet and hand-feed many species of native Australian animals. Learn about iconic species such as kangaroos, koalas, emus & wallabies, as well as some of our lesser known favourites including quolls, owls, bandicoots & Tasmanian devils. A visit to Point Grant and The Nobbies gives us an opportunity to enjoy views over Westernport Bay and Bass Strait, including Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest population of fur seals. Where just after dark every night the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore after spending the day fishing out at sea.
After breakfast, take a scenic rail journey up to the rainforest village of Kuranda, where you can explore the stunning scenery, take a memorable journey on the skyrail. Visit the award winning Rainforestation Nature Park to experience the Dreamtime Walk and a performance of the Pamagirri Aboriginal Dancers in the rainforest amphitheatre and take a tour of the rainforest by amphibious army duck. Learn about the rainforest ecosystem from both land and water as your guide explains the vast array of flora and fauna. Then onto the Wildlife Park and observe Australian animals such as crocodiles, snakes & wombats, hand feed the friendly Kangaroos. Relax over a delicious barbecue lunch before you go back to Cairns on the Kuranda Scenic Rail.
We depart Cairns and cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef on a 25 metre high-performance catamaran, enjoying morning tea along the way. First stop is the beautiful Michaelmas Cay where most of our water activities take place, including snorkelling tour assisted by our very own Marine Naturalist for new or nervous snorkeler. All snorkelling equipment is provided and you also have the option of scuba diving (at own expense) in the crystal clear waters. After lunch depart to Breaking Patches (Paradise Reef Mooring) where you have time to snorkel, dive (at own expenses).
Enjoy a city tour and river cruise. Learn of the history and culture of this trendy and vibrant city.
Discover the World Heritage treasures of Blue Mountains National Park and the breathtaking natural wonders of the Jenolan Caves. Nestled on the western side of the Blue Mountains, this extensive network of limestone caves and above-ground arches are Australia’s most impressive. Pass by the Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush Bay. Climb the western mountain highway via the sleepy townships Blaxland, Wentworth, Lawson and Katoomba the quaint capital of the Blue Mountains National Park, a getaway destination for holiday-makers. Enjoy views over stunning eucalypt forests and age-old rock formations as you travel through the scenic Blue Mountains, learn ancient Aboriginal Dreamtime interpretations of the creation of the world. Enjoy a stop at Echo Point and see the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Enter the Grand Arch at Jenolan Caves, hiding place of sparkling limestone caverns. Take in the beauty of the region and see the mysterious Blue Lake. Join an informative and fully guided Cave tour through the Lucas Cave.
This tour is the ideal introduction to Sydney, it includes major highlights and a guided tour of Australia’s most iconic building , the Sydney Opera House. Your tour highlights all the city’s major landmarks – Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Sydney’s birthplace, Parliament House, Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral, Art Gallery of NSW and the Domain. You will travel through the exclusive Eastern suburbs of Double Bay and Vaucluse to The Gap for stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the Heads before arriving at the famous Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s favourite beaches. Finally you will return to the city via the historic and trendy suburb of Paddington to the Opera House where you will join a comprehensive guided tour of this famous building.
After breakfast, your tour starts with the opportunity to explore the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, famous for its collection of orchids and tropical plants. Then we visit the site of the largest Hindu Temple in the South Pacific. Last stop is the colourful sights and friendly faces at the Nadi Markets, where you are free to wander on your own. Following the markets you will be transferred back to your hotel.
After breakfast we take a half Day cruise to South Sea Island is perfect for those who don’t have a lot of time to spare, but still want a taste of the ‘real Fiji’. This fantastic cruise means you’ll get to explore one of Fiji’s cutest Mamanuca Islands and get into ‘island time’. As the island is only 30 minutes from Denarau, you’ll have time to do many of the activities on the island and meet the friendly Fijian’s ashore. Once you arrive on the island, you will find an abundance of activities, such as snorkelling, sailing, kayaking, semi-submersible vessel ride to explore the coral reefs or take a dip in the island swimming pool. Local villagers will entertain you with a ‘meke’ performance (except Sundays) while you enjoy a barbecue lunch.
After breakfast, this fun filled tour begins with a scenic half hour drive into the heart of the Sabeto Valley. Enjoy a light forest walk (approximately 25 minutes) through the ancient rainforest covered with jungle vines, lacy ferns and wild plants. Paradise is found in the form of a series of waterfalls and pools to enjoy a fresh water swim and cool off. Next stop is the famous Sabeto thermal springs & mud pools, an array of natural pools to soothe your bones and cleanse the skin, or so they say!
After breakfast we leave for City tour of Christ Church. The tour commences by covering the central city highlights including the botanical gardens, Museum and Art Centre, the Avon River, Bridge of Remembrance, the cities new pop up container mall and many other Christchurch inner city highlights. Then the tour travels to Mona Vale, an historic homestead and gardens, goes up to the Sign of the Takahe, an historic building providing spectacular view over the city, Canterbury Plains and the southern Alps, then continue to travel over the Port Hills to the Port of Lyttleton, through the harbour tunnel to the seaside suburb of Sumner and cave rock .In the evening encounter with a variety of birds and animals during a guided tour of the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, followed by an entertaining evening with the Ko Tane Maori cultural performance plus a buffet dinner. Willowbank is the home to Ko Tane – an authentic Maori cultural experience, that will leave you more knowledgeable, moved and laughing.
You travel through the fertile farmland of the Canterbury Plains to the shores of the stunning, glacier-fed Lake Tekapo, where you can view the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd and take in the sights of the spectacular Southern Alps. You then continue to the location of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook, situated in a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site. Rising to 3,754 metres high, Aoraki certainly lives up to its name, which in M ori can be translated as ‘cloud piercer’. Legend tells of a young boy named Aoraki who was stranded with his brothers when their canoe struck a reef. As it tilted, the brothers climbed to the high side, where they were frozen by the south wind and turned into stone. Aoraki and his brothers now form the Southern Alps. After lunch you’ll have time to explore the village and soak up the view. The tour continues south, past Lake Pukaki and through the tawny tussock of the Mackenzie Country. Your tour concludes in the evening upon reaching Queenstown.On arrival check in at hotel Hilton Queenstown.
Travel along the edge of Lake Wakatipu beneath the rugged Remarkables to Te Anau, the ‘Gateway to Fiordland’. Here we will enter the Fiordland National Park so prepare to be mesmerised by the rugged grandeur of this region. As we pass through the Egligton Valley you will see ancient alpine beech forest, stunning waterfalls, and the famous Mirror Lakes where we will make a photo stop. From here we will progress through the Upper Hollyford Valley past the stunning Christie Falls and enter the 1.2km Homer Tunnel. Prepare yourself for the breathtaking impact of the Cleddau Valley and the descent into Milford Sound. Here you will take an unforgettable Red Boat buffet lunch cruise from which you will see the wonders of Mitre Peak, rock walls scarred by glaciers that rise 1,200 meters vertically from the sea, and waterfalls from hanging valleys tumbling into the sound.
Experience New Zealand’s rich cultural heritage and the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua, plus a trip through the famous glowworm caves at Waitomo, on this full day sightseeing tour. On arrival in the small town of Waitomo, enjoy a guided tour through the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Explore underground caverns and see amazing stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations, all formed millions of years ago. Travel by boat beneath a canopy of twinkling lights in the Glowworm Grotto, a magical end to your tour. Tour an organic working farm in all-terrain vehicles at the Agrodome and experience sheep-shearing and a live sheep dog trial. Visit Te Puia, one of New Zealand’s foremost cultural venues, and experience a Maori cultural performance, in which ancient and modern stories are told through song and dance. See how master artists are passing on their traditional skills to future generations at Te Puia’s woodcarving and weaving schools. Next, venture into a landscape unlike any other with a guided tour of the bubbling mudpools and active geysers of the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. See the world-famous Pohutu geyser unleash vapour jets up to 30 metres high land.
Discover Auckland’s charms on a half-day tour of its scenic highlights. Travel through the city centre, along fascinating Karangahape Road and past fashionable Ponsonby, and over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Visit the Viaduct Harbour and Auckland’s famous Queen Street before continuing to the Auckland Domain, the citys oldest park. Continue to Parnell Village and explore the boutique shops and specialty stores of this historic suburb during a morning tea break (own expense). Then travel along the scenic waterfront route of Tamaki Drive enroute to Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park, above Mission Bay. This tranquil park offers a panoramic outlook over Auckland city and the Waitemata Harbour. Your city sights tour ends with a trip back along the waterfront to downtown Auckland. Then the afternoon is free for your own leisure and other activities. Overnight stay at hotel Crown Plaza – Auckland.
After breakfast, discover the beautiful and historic Bay of Islands region and enjoy a dolphin watching cruise on a full day return tour from Auckland. Travel through Northland’s spectacular scenery of rural countryside and sub-tropical bush en route to Paihia, where you’ll board the catamaran Dolphin Seeker for a cruise around the Bay of Islands. Dolphin Seeker is licensed for dolphin and whale viewing and has large outdoor viewing decks to help you see more of this stunning part of New Zealand. Keep an eye out for common and bottlenose dolphins, whales and other marine life, and have your camera ready as our experienced local crew get you up close to the action. Cruise out through the sheltered waters of the Bay to the Cape Brett Lighthouse and see the majestic Hole in the Rock on Motukokako Island. Admire the rock walls towering above you as the skipper navigates through the narrow space (conditions permitting), before heading back towards the inner islands of the Bay. Experience a guided tour of the historical Waitangi Treaty Grounds where in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Uncover the history that played a significant part in shaping our nation.
