Day 1. Los Angeles:
Board your evening flight to Auckland, New Zealand
Day 2. In Flight: Cross the international dateline.
Day 3. Arrive Auckland:
You will be met on arrival in Auckland and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon, enjoy a city tour and visit Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World. Join your fellow travelers at our Welcome Dinner. Stay: Auckland, Crowne Plaza Hotel. TPA. Dx1
Day 4. Rotorua, Maori Hangi Feast:
This morning you will journey to the Waitomo Caves for a tour of the limestone caverns and glow-worm grotto. Then continue to Rotorua, a region rich in Maori heritage. Tonight, take the short trip to Mitai Maori village, an authentic Maori village. Here you will enjoy a traditional Hangi feast of meat and vegetables cooked in the ground in a special earth oven. You will also be treated to a cultural performance of song and dance by the locals. Two Night Stay: Millennium Rotorua Bx1 Dx1
Day 5. Rotorua, Te Puia Thermal Reserve:
Visit the Agrodome to see the Sheep Show and gain an insight into this farming industry. Then head to Te Puia Thermal Reserve to see the power of geothermal energy first-hand. Watch as geysers erupt, mud pools bubble, steam hisses and warm water rains down. Here in the reserve there are more than 500 pools and 65 geysers, including Lady Knox Geyser. Many these are active and intermittently send explosions up to 30 metres into the air. After an extended stay here the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to explore further or relax at the hotel as you choose. A Country Homestay option is available tonight. Bx1 Dx1
Day 6. Rotorua, Fly to Christchurch:
Enjoy some more free time in Rotorua this morning before flying to Christchurch on the South Island. On arrival, enjoy time at leisure to explore your new surroundings. Perhaps go for a wander through one of the many parks, or walk the path along the Avon River and discover why Christchurch is known as the Garden City. Stay: Christchurch, Crowne Plaza Hotel Bx1 Dx1
Day 7. Southern Alps, Franz Josef:
This morning after breakfast, board the TranzAlpine train for one of the top rail journeys in the world. Cross the Canterbury Plains, climb up into the Main Divide, then traverse spectacular gorges, valleys and the Southern Alps. At the end of this memorable journey, disembark and continue down the rugged West Coast to Franz Josef. Stay: Franz Josef, Te Waonui Forest Retreat Bx1 Dx1
Day 8. Franz Josef, Queenstown, Dine Around Dinner:
Journey over Haast Pass and along the picturesque shores of lakes Wanaka and Hawea to Queenstown. Tonight, you can choose to cruise on the vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm. Watch the original steam engines in operation and learn about the history of the TSS Earnslaw. On arrival at the farm enjoy a special carvery dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead. Or select one of the other many restaurants available on our Dine Around Dinner. Two Night Stay: Queenstown, Crowne Plaza Hotel . Bx1 Dx1
Day 9. Milford Sound Cruise:
Considered one of the most scenic drives in the world, absorb the majesty of Fiordland National Park on the coach journey to Milford Sound. On arrival, enjoy a memorable cruise along the full length of sound, passing beneath cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and towering mountains. Return to Queenstown by coach, or perhaps take an optional scenic flight back (own expense). Bx1 Lx1
Day 10. Queenstown, Mt Cook:
Enjoy some free time this morning before travelling to World Heritage-listed Mt Cook National Park, home to Australasia’s highest mountain. Stay: Mt Cook National Park, The Hermitage, with guaranteed Mt Cook views Bx1 Dx1
Day 11. Fly to Sydney, Australia:
This morning, travel via Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, Burkes Pass and the Canterbury Plains before arriving in Christchurch in the afternoon. Board a flight to Sydney. On arrival, check in to your luxurious hotel, then tonight enjoy an evening at leisure to explore this cosmopolitan at your own pace.
Three Night Stay: Sydney, Shangri-La Hotel Bx1
Day 12. Sydney Sights, Sydney Harbour Cruise, Opera House Guided Tour:
This morning after breakfast, step inside the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House during a guided tour. Learn about this unique Australian landmark, which was designed by Denmark’s Jørn Utzon in 1957 and is considered a truly remarkable piece of architecture. Then board a luncheon cruise on Sydney Harbour, viewing the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House from a different perspective and dining on a delicious lunch. Later, discover Hyde Park and the famous Bondi Beach on a guided city tour. Bx1 Lx1
Day 13. Sydney at Leisure:
Enjoy this vibrant city at your own pace today. Perhaps go shopping, stop for lunch in one of the many cafés and restaurants available on the harbor, or relax in a park or on the beach. Alternatively, you could take an optional sightseeing tour to the Hunter Valley and discover some of Australia’s fine wines, or visit the Blue Mountains (own expense) and unwind surrounded by nature. Bx1
Day 14. Sydney, Fly to Cairns:
After breakfast this morning, fly to Cairns. On arrival, check in to your hotel before the rest of the day is at your leisure to explore this tropical city. You could head out to the shops and absorb the relaxed atmosphere in a café, indulge in a cocktail by the hotel pool or spend a blissful afternoon at the pristine sandy beach. Three Night Stay: Cairns, Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina Bx1 Dx1
Day 15. Great Barrier Reef Cruise:
After breakfast, take a guided cruise on a catamaran out to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. The world’s largest coral reef - it can be seen from space! - it is home to an abundance of marine life. Your cruise takes you to Moore Reef, where you can view the colorful coral and diverse range of fish and other sea creatures through the glass bottom of your boat. While out on the reef you also have the option to go for a snorkel or a swim, an experience you’ll never forget. Afterwards visit your boat’s underwater observatory before enjoying a tropical lunch of local specialties. Return to your hotel for the evening at leisure. Bx1 Lx1
Day 16. Skyrail, Kuranda, Wildlife, Cairns:
This morning take a guided tour of Cairns before a ride on the scenic Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over lush rain forest to Kuranda. On arrival in Kuranda, visit a wildlife park and learn about native Australian animals. Perhaps even have your photograph taken with a koala (own expense). After seeing a performance by the Pamagirri Aboriginal Dancers, take in the stunning landscapes as you travel aboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway back through the rain forest to Cairns. Bx1. TP
Day 17. Depart Cairns:
Today after breakfast your tour concludes as you board your return flight to Los Angeles. Bx1
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