Australian Highlights

Sydney
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Picture Australia: the Coral Sea’s turquoise, the intense rainforest green, powdery white sand, the Red Centre’s ochre soil. These are your palette on this Melbourne to Sydney tour, spanning glittering cities and the outback, World Heritage Sites – Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Great Barrier Reef – and exclusive experiences. Whether Melbourne’s cafes or a barbeque, food is a focus, because this is Australia; eating well is in our DNA.

Departure dates

From 23/06/2024 to 04/04/2025

What's included

Highlights.
Whether you’re exploring vibrant city streets (think, Melbourne’s art-filled alleys) or remote reaches of the Northern Territory under a blaze of stars, you’ll be wowed by local knowledge.
The Sydney Opera House is the stuff of postcards.
You get to go behind the scenes with an expert who not only reveals architectural highlights, but also performance secrets.
Some of Australia’s legendary wilderness areas – Uluru, Kakadu and Litchfield – are its most fragile.
Your National Parks fees preserve them for posterity.
The only living organism you can see from outer space, the Great Barrier Reef is among the world’s most important, and biodiverse, ecosystems.
Dive under the surface and see for yourself.
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• Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide • 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House • Centrally located premium hotels • Arrival and departure private airport transfers.
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Itinerary / more information

  • Day 1 Settle into your hotel on the banks of the Yarra River and meet your Travel Director for a welcome reception and dinner at the South Wharf riverside pub, The General Assembly Restaurant. It's a great opportunity to get to know everyone in a unique setting.
  • Day 2 Join your Travel Director for a city sights tour that includes a private walk through Melbourne's famous hidden laneways. You'll discover the city's eclectic little lanes, arcades, caf? society and fascinating street art. There's time afterwards to explore the city on your own, enjoy an optional experience or simply relax and watch the world go by.
  • Day 3 If you're still getting your Melbourne bearings, linger in town to explore boutiques, galleries, and eclectic suburbs. But if it's time to venture further afield, you might want to sign up to discover the Great Ocean Road, a stretch of coastline that deserves its reputation as one of the most scenic touring routes in the world.
  • Day 4 Some parts of Australia are so remote that the only way kids can get an education is remotely via the School of the Air. Your next stop is the birthplace of the Alice Springs township, the historic Telegraph Station. Being this far flung also means there's no light pollution from cars or skyscrapers. The result? Unrivalled stargazing (and a BBQ feast) with the Falzon family at their eco-oriented Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre.
  • Day 5 Spiritual, sacred and spectacular, the world's largest rock monolith will give you goosebumps. In Australia's Red Centre, Uluru has been home to the Anangu people for millennia. Their connection is palpable, as you'll discover when you arrive at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, at sunset watching the shifting colours transform the desert with every last ray (sparkling wine essential).
  • Day 6 If there's one thing worth getting out of bed early for, it's sunrise over Uluru. Incredibly, the Rock's base caves are home to First Nations art that dates back tens of thousands of years. What an honour to glimpse it. The ochres and silvery greens of the NT outback follow you to Kata Tjuta, where Walpa Gorge humbles with its soaring cliffs. Wander through the tallest domes before yet another sparkling sunset (and sparkling wine).
  • Day 7 Ok, so the other reason to get up early is to view artist Bruce Munro's installation Field of Light at dawn - 50,000 glowing spindles of light blanketing the desert. Clamber to the top of a sand dune to marvel in the morning unfolding over this very special part of the world. Later an Anangu artist will explain just what makes it so spiritual over an introduction to Western Desert art, introducing totems and symbols important to the region and represented in paintings and installations. Head to your next stop in tropical Cairns.
  • Day 8 If you're in the habit of getting up early now, you may wish to begin your day with an optional horizon-bending hot-air-balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands. Prefer to stay grounded? Sign up for a guided walk through the Daintree Rainforest, or surround yourself with nature riding the Scenic Railway to Kuranda returning on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway - perhaps with a side visit to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures for wetlands cruise? Tonight, celebrate the end of an incredible day at dinner on Cairns' waterfront at Salt House for regional seafood plucked straight from the ocean, highlighting fresh, local ingredients, and prepared on their custom-built Argentinian wood fired grill.
  • Day 9 The world's largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef, never fails to dazzle. Set out on a catamaran to explore this natural wonder of over 1,500 species of fish, 215 different birds, 3,000 molluscs, six of the world's seven marine turtle species, and 30 species of dolphins and whales are residents. Strap on a snorkel or visit an underwater observatory and semi-submersible craft to take in the menagerie without getting your hair wet. A tropical buffet lunch is served on board before returning to Cairns.
  • Day 10 Touch down in Australia's largest city, and spend time at leisure in the buzzing metropolis of Sydney. Take a stroll along the iconic harbour, visit one of the city's many bars, pubs, or restaurants, or simply while away the day at the beach. You decide how best to enjoy this bustling city of delights.
  • Day 11 Bring your stamina: today is one of innumerable highlights. Go behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House, discovering its architectural and performance secrets. If these sails could talk. Then see the city from the water on a Sydney Harbour Highlight Lunch Cruise enjoying a menu focusing on local food and wine. One icon to another: The world's most famous beach beckons this afternoon, with your chance to pad along the sand at Bondi with Sydney's beautiful people.
  • Day 12 The hardest decision you have to make today: explore more of Sydney, or head to the Blue Mountains, 11,400 square kilometres of World Heritage listed wilderness. Or why not linger around the harbour - perhaps it's time to glimpse it from above on a Sydney BridgeClimb? Back at ground level, you're in the heart of the Rocks, the city's original colonial settlement and a place of cobbled alleys and private galleries. This evening, farewell Sydney at Dinner at Midden restaurant at the Sydney Opera House.
  • Day 13 What an epic journey, with so many destinations explored in less than two weeks. Now you just have to sort through the photos...
  • Prices quoted valid for sale until 03 May 2024 unless otherwise stated or sold out prior.
  • Price is per person and subject to availability. Accommodation (if included) is based on twin share unless otherwise stated.
  • Airfare (including internal flights) is not included unless otherwise stated and, if included, is economy class unless otherwise stated.
  • Local payments, "trip kittys" or food funds may apply and may be payable direct to the supplier on arrival or to your travel agent prior to your departure. Where applicable, these payments are included in the total price quoted.
  • Gratuities are not included unless otherwise stated.
  • Additional conditions and travel restrictions may apply. Please enquire for further details.
  • Prices shown are fully inclusive of taxes, levies and government charges current at time of publication.
  • Additional levies, government charges and other applicable fees may apply and are beyond our control.
  • Seasonal surcharges and blackout dates may apply depending on date of travel.
  • Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge.
  • Prices shown are for payments made by cash in store or Bpay.
  • These prices are a guide to the best price. Prices are correct as at 28 April 2024 and are subject to change without notice, due to matters outside our control, such as adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, taxes and airfare increases. Please enquire for further details.

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