Experience Overview
See what life is like “Down Under” on this incredible journey through New Zealand and Australia. Experience Queenstown, the “Adventure Capital of the World.” Cruise Lake Wakatipu and enjoy a lakeside BBQ. Cruise Milford Sound and Sydney Harbour. Discover the wonders of Aboriginal culture. From the ethereal beauty of New Zealand's glacial fjords to the tropical splendor of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, enjoy the best of the South Pacific.
Highlights
- Come to know Australia’s ancient traditions at the Rainforestation Nature Park.
- Take a guided tour of the fascinating Sydney Opera House.
- Paddle the Avon River in a traditional Maori waka (canoe).
Trip Details
Product Code: 18157
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator: Collette (CA)
Supplier Code: 15535
Starts: Christchurch, New Zealand
Finishes: Sydney, Australia
Duration: 15 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating: Light
Includes
- Visit Area: Christchurch,Queenstown,Milford Sound,Cairns,Great Barrier Reef
- Admittance: Christchurch,Queenstown,Milford Sound,Cairns,Great Barrier Reef
- Meals included: 22
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5,989 ($399 /day)
Itinerary
Cross the International Dateline, skipping a day ahead, and begin your adventure of a lifetime.
Hotel Name: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Arrive in the historic city of Christchurch. Devastated by an earthquake in early 2011, see firsthand how the city known as “the Garden City” is recreating itself. Meet your fellow travelers during a welcome dinner and start your South Pacific journey off on the right foot.
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Millennium Hotel
Visit Area: Queenstown
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. The city is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu and has spectacular views of nearby mountains and the Southern Alps. The town was founded in the 1860s and is now known for commerce-based tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism, boasting over 200 adventure tourism activities to take part in.
Start your morning with a city tour of Christchurch. Then, pay a visit to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. A leader in the conservation of New Zealand species, Willowbank offers the chance to view New Zealand’s “Big 5” - the Kiwi, the Kea, the Tuatara, the Kaka, and the Takahe - up close and personal. Then, learn about the local Indigenous culture of the Maori with a paddle on the Avon River in a traditional waka (canoe).
Breakfast Included
Admittance: Lake Wakatipu Cruise & Sheepdog Demonstration
Depart Christchurch and make your way south to Queenstown. Known as the “Adventure Capital of the World,” Queenstown is nestled against a picturesque bay and snowcapped mountains. Arrive in Queenstown in the afternoon and have time to explore independently before dinner.
Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Admittance: Choice on Tour: Kiwi Birdlife Park or Skyline Gondola
Today, you may choose between two options. Kiwi Birdlife Park offers conservation programs for over 20 endangered native species, including breeding for release of some iconic native species such as the Kiwi, Whio, Pateke, Grand Skink and Orange Skink. The use of informative audio guides will let you take in the park at your leisure. Also included is New Zealand's first free flight conservation show and Kiwi feeding show. Your other choice is to relax and take in stunning views of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the Remarkable Mountains from the top of Bob's Peak. You will be carried 450 meters above Queenstown by gondola where you will then experience spectacular 220-degree panoramic views with breaktaking vistas of the region.
Kiwi Birdlife Park - NEO Day 6 on STD / Day 9 on ALT
Activity Level: 1
Skyline Gondola - NEO Day 6 on STD / Day 9 on ALT
Activity Level: 1
Cruise Lake Wakatipu surrounded by Queenstown’s stunning landscape aboard an iconic coal-fired steamship. Then, enjoy a "Kiwi" BBQ lunch lakeside followed by a sheepdog demonstration before sailing back. Later, it’s your choice! Go bird watching at the Kiwi Birdlife Park -OR- take a gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak for stunning panoramic views of the area. This evening is yours to enjoy charming Queenstown.
Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Visit Area: Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. The sound runs inland for over 490 feet from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 3,900 feet on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 4,977 feet, said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, at 4,272 feet, in the shape of a crouching lion. Milford Sound is acclaimed as New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination.
Enjoy the rugged grandeur of the Hollyford Valley as you travel through an ancient beech forest via the Homer Tunnel. Cruise the Milford Sound and see why this fjord is one of the most visited sights on the South Island. Following your cruise, you may choose to return to Queenstown via a short optional flight (weather permitting) for spectacular views of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Hotel Name: Bailey Crystalbrook Collection Hotel
Visit Area: Cairns
Cairns is a regional city in the far north of Queensland, Australia. The city was founded in 1876 and named after the then governor of Queensland. The region of Cairns ranks as the 4th most popular destination for international travelers in Australia. The city serves as a gateway point for those visiting the Great Barrier Reef. While being a gateway to Australia’s surrounding ocean, Cairns is also surrounded by rainforest, and also serves as a gateway to destinations like Daintree.
A free day offers an optional tour taking you through the majestic Queenstown countryside showcasing many of the locations where blockbuster movies have been filmed, or perhaps you’ll want to shop and people-watch in the village. Gather for a “farewell to New Zealand” dinner.
Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Visit Area: Great Barrier Reef
Experience one of the seven wonders of the natural world when you climb aboard a high speed catamaran and set off for the Great Barrier Reef. As the world’s largest living organism, you’ll find over 2,800 individual coral reef systems which are home to amazingly diverse marine life. From your base on Green Island, there are many ways to explore the Reef at your fingertips. A glass bottom boat ride takes you out to sea and allows you to almost feel as if you were swimming with the fish. Their bright colors look remarkable against the turquoise waters, and the boat reveals it all. Jump in the water to snorkel and really experience the Reef in an immersive way! Stroll along the walking trails, relax on the beaches, or just watch the fish and sea turtles swim past from the pier. It’s a truly good day at the Reef, mate.
Fly to Cairns, the tropical gateway to one of the world’s most spectacular natural attractions and a World Heritage site - the Great Barrier Reef. Established as a marine park in 1975, the reef is a haven for thousands of species of sea life, as well as turtles and birds.
Breakfast Included
Admittance: Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on Bennelong Port in Sydney Harbour, adjacent to Sydney’s Central Business District and the Royal Botanical Gardens. The facility opened on October 20th, 1973. The opera house comprises several performance venues which together make one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world hosting 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. More than 7 million people visit the opera house each year.
Come to know the history of Australia’s original inhabitants at the Rainforestation Nature Park where an Indigenous Pamagirri guide will show you through some of their oldest customs and traditions. Enjoy an "Aussie" BBQ lunch before visiting Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures to see crocodiles on a nature cruise. Head through rainforests on boardwalks to see animals such as birds, reptiles, and wallabies. Visit with a koala and chat with a wildlife naturalist to learn more about these furry creatures.
Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Hotel Name: Novotel Sydney Darling Square
Board a high-speed catamaran for an exciting excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. Explore the reef from your base on Green Island. Enjoy a glass-bottom boat ride, stroll the island’s walking trails, relax on the beach, snorkel or just watch the fish and sea turtles swim past from the pier. For a more adventurous encounter with the reef, an optional outer reef tour is also available.
Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included
The morning is yours. Enjoy your last few hours in Cairns by relaxing and taking in the tropical atmosphere and surrounding neighborhood. Then, fly to the bustling city of Sydney.
Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
See where English colonists first settled during a city tour of Sydney, featuring Kings Cross, the Harbour Bridge, Chinatown, the Rocks, Circular Quay, the Botanic Gardens, and the fashionable suburb of Darlinghurst. Take an expert-led tour of the Sydney Opera House, poised majestically on Sydney Harbour. Then, have the chance to join a special presentation at the National Opal Collection.
Breakfast Included
Embrace the exciting city of Sydney during a day of independent exploration. Tonight, say farewell to Australia while on a delightful dinner cruise of Sydney Harbour. Marvel at the scenic vistas of the harbor, showcasing Sydney’s magnificent skyline, the iconic Sydney Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge.
Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Your tour comes to a close today, leaving you with many pleasant memories of a wonderful adventure.
Breakfast Included
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Tour Operator
Collette (CA)
A Story of Hard Work and a Passion for Travel “Our first office was so tiny that if you took a step backwards, you fell down an open hole that was stairs to the basement. Now we are a worldwide company with offices in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.” – Alice I. Sullivan, Chairperson of the Collette Board.Collette is about family As his family grew, Dan’s children took on active roles in the company – in sales, tour development, marketing, tour guiding, and in its charitable arm. Working with a team of dedicated employees, they all stayed true to the original vision of expanding travel opportunities for everyone. That tradition continued as Dan’s eldest child, Dan Sullivan Jr., took the reins as President and CEO in 1990 and the company flourished. Collette_HQ_380x250_v2 The third generation of Sullivans entered the company in the early 2000s, and in 2018 Dan Sullivan Jr.’s daughter, Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, became President & Chief Customer Experience Officer. In 2023, after she successfully steered Collette through the global pandemic, Dan proudly turned the CEO role over to Jaclyn and transitioned to Executive Chairman of the Board. Mrs. Leibl-Cote is only the 4th CEO in the company’s history and its first female leader, making Collette one of the rare companies successfully transfer to the 3rd generation of leadership.
In Business Since 1990
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