Australia and New Zealand

DAYS 1 - 3: LOS ANGELES (FOR THOSE WHO OPT TO TAKE THE GROUP FLIGHT)

As the group flight takes off, the trip officially begins! Lose a day as you fly over the international date line.

DAY 3: BRISBANE

We start our trip in Brisbane, where we pack in the action right from the start.  You’ll tour the wharf, picnic by the river, and familiarize yourself with the country’s wildlife at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo.  

DAYS 3 – 6: THE OUTBACK

We then head into the famed Outback for more adventure.  Ride horses through the gorgeous landscape, go rappelling, and learn to break the sound barrier by cracking an Aussie whip.  Then take a guided walk to Sunset Hill and watch the sun go down over a thousand acres of pristine wilderness before playing games around the campfire and marveling at the stars of the Southern Hemisphere.  We’ll take a 4x4 tour of a working cattle ranch, where you’ll get to ride a mechanical bull and see wild kangaroos bounding across the terrain!  Then learn some of the most important rituals in Australian culture, as you get lessons in bushdancing – a traditional Australian country dance – and learn to throw a boomerang.

DAYS 6 – 10: CAIRNS

Leaving the Outback, we spend a full day in Kuranda, where we enjoy a traditional Aussie BBQ lunch, take a tour of the rainforest, and get to know some very photogenic koalas.  Those who are interested can also check out the kangaroos, a butterfly sanctuary, or the creepy Poison and Venom Museum.  From the depths of the rainforest, we head to the sea, on our tour of the Great Barrier Reef.  Here you can snorkel or scuba dive and cruise through this natural wonder on a glass-bottomed boat.  

DAYS 10 – 14: SYDNEY

Next, we explore the urban excitement of Sydney, with its splendid harbor and fabulous restaurants.  You can visit the Botanical Gardens, take in a show at the famed Sydney Opera House, and check out a movie on the world’s largest IMAX screen.  Enjoy the city’s fantastic shopping, and dine with an Australian family at a gorgeous mansion overlooking the water as you say good-bye to this undeniably unique place.

DAYS 14 – 17: QUEENSTOWN, NZ

Although New Zealand is only a short flight away from its island neighbor, nothing can prepare you for the changes in store.  You’ll discover immediately upon your arrival in Queenstown the vast differences between these two countries and their respective cultures.  Here, you’ll cruise through the spellbinding Milford Sound, where you’ll take in dramatic vistas composed of high mountains and rugged fjords, spot penguins and seals on the rocky shores, and watch dolphins playing in the waters around the boat. We’ll come to understand the cultural practices that link New Zealand’s past with its present, as we attend a traditional Haka and learn about the culture of the Maori. We’ll race on the waves in the world’s fastest jet boat, and spend our last few days checking out some favorite local eateries and getting in some last-minute shopping before embarking on our flight home!