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Best of Astralia and New Zealand
2008 Itinerary featuring 14 days from $4,590       Two Week  Value Season  
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This two-week Australia and New Zealand travel experience delivers dramatic landscapes, exotic wildlife, ancient traditions, and a touch of adventure. See the sights by historic tramcar, catamaran, helicopter, cruise boat, sky gondola, and jet boat. In Australia, The Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, a tropical rainforest hideaway, koalas, and an Aboriginal performance are highlights. Geysers, Milford Sound fiords, kiwis, and a Maori cultural performance are standouts on the New Zealand travel itinerary.
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2008 Itinerary


Day 1: Aussie arrival
Tour begins 1:30 PM, InterContinental Sydney. Welcome to Sydney, the start of your extraordinary 14-day Australia and New Zealand travel experience! A transfer is included from Sydney Airport to your historic hotel, InterContinental Sydney, located right in the heart of the city. See the soaring Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Rocks, the original European settlement that is considered the birthplace of Australia. Enjoy a cocktail cruise around Sydney Harbour on a private boat, and dinner overlooking the lights of the waterfront.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia

Day 2: Koalas and the Opera House
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House, an architectural masterpiece with a billowing sail roof design – and a highlight of Tauck’s Australia and New Zealand tour. Next up is a trip to the Taronga Zoo, where you'll see many of Australia's indigenous animals including koalas, wallabies, dingos, Tasmanian devils, and emus, as well as endangered or rare wildlife. The rest of the day is free to explore all that is wonderful Sydney.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: InterContinental Sydney, Australia
Wallabees
Day 3: Rainforest hideaway resort
Fly to Cairns in Queensland, the gateway for reef and rainforest exploration. Witness Aboriginal daily life and traditional ceremonies at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, then head to Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa. This award-winning tropical hideaway resort, secluded on 80 acres of lush rainforest, borders Daintree Rainforest, which is the thought to be the oldest living rainforest on earth.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging:
Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa, Mossman, Australia

Day 4: Spend an enriching day on the Great Barrier Reef
There is nowhere else on earth like the Great Barrier Reef, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its incredible – yet fragile – ecosystem. Travel by the high-tech catamaran Quicksilver accompanied by a marine biologist; you'll be amazed by the coral formations visible through clear waters. Get a reef tour aboard a semi-submersible vessel with enormous viewing windows, or snorkel and swim. Enjoy the fabulous resort for the remainder of the day!
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging:
Silky Oaks Lodge & Healing Waters Spa, Mossman, Australia

Day 5: Maneuvering around Melbourne

Fly from the tropical splendors of Queensland to Melbourne, capital city of the state of Victoria. The city's architecture is graceful and elegant, epitomizing the best of old-world Europe and modern Australia. Upon your arrival, spend the remainder of the day as you please.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Lodging:
The Langham Hotel, Melbourne, Australia

Day 6: Melbourne at large
City sightseeing includes the Fitzroy Gardens, Parliament House, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the world’s most notable Gothic Revival churches. The remainder of the day is free to do what interests you most in Melbourne, from sightseeing to dining.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Lodging:
The Langham Hotel, Melbourne, Australia

Day 7: Kiwi connection
Fly across the Tasman Sea to Auckland, where your New Zealand travel experience begins in the country’s largest city. Based on a natural harbor, it boasts a popular historic waterfront.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Lodging:
Langham Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 8: Access Auckland
At Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, ride the moving walkway in a clear tunnel through the reef fish tank and the shark tank. Check out the gallery of ornate Maori treasures in the Auckland War Memorial Museum, as well as Pacific cultural artifacts and other fascinating exhibits. One of the highlights of your museum visit is certain to be the traditional Maori dance presentation. Rest of the day is free to explore Auckland as you please.
Meals:
Breakfast
Lodging:
The Langham Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand

Day 9: Lots of sheep, cattle, and geysers
Visit a working dairy farm to see what life on a New Zealand farm is like, complete with lunch, and then get a hands-on look at sheep and cattle farming on a visit to the Agrodome. Visit the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, featuring bubbling mud pools, geysers, steam vents, and hot springs.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging:
Duxton Hotel Okawa Bay, Rotorua, New Zealand

Day 10: Private charter flight to the dramatic scenery of the south
Tauck Exclusive! Your New Zealand travel adventure continues with a flight to the South Island and Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. Explore the spectacular village overlooking the South Island’s largest lake, set at the base of rugged mountains.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Lodging:
Te Anau Hotel & Villas, Te Anau, New Zealand

Day 11: Cruise Milford Sound
Cruise the stunning waters of Milford Sound, a top New Zealand tour attraction. See sheer cliffs, glacier-carved inlets, waterfalls, and snow-capped peaks. Travel to Queenstown on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, renowned for friendly residents and adventure sports.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging:
Crowne Plaza Hotel Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 12: Jet boat and helicopter tour
Shoot the Shotover River rapids on a thrilling jet boat, then board a helicopter for an aerial tour of Queenstown and The Remarkables mountain range. Land on Bobs Peak for breathtaking views before a gondola ride down to town. Get up close to the flightless, endangered kiwi, plus other endangered native birds, at the Kiwi and Birdlife Park.
Meals:
Breakfast
Lodging:
Crowne Plaza Hotel Queenstown, New Zealand

Day 13: Christchurch charms
Fly over a dramatic landscape to Christchurch, resembling old-world England due to the Edwardian architecture, parks, and landscaped riverbank. Share the most memorable experiences of your two weeks at the farewell reception and dinner.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Lodging:
Millennium Hotel Christchurch, New Zealand

Day 14: G’day, mate

Tour ends: Christchurch. A transfer is included from Millennium Hotel Christchurch to Christchurch International Airport 2 1/2 hours before the departure of our selected flight(s). A transfer is included from the hotel to the airport.
Meals:
Breakfast

Extraordinary Australia and New Zealand travel experiences
combine to create an exciting two-week vacation!


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