Australian Highlights

Day 1 - Welcome to Melbourne

On arrival at Melbourne Airport you’ll be transferred to your hotel. Early evening join your Travel Director for a welcome reception and dinner.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 - Melbourne

Melbourne is known for its cool cafés – we recommend grabbing a coffee to fuel you through a walking tour exploring the city’s most eye-popping laneways. This afternoon, you decide. Perhaps a nature-based sojourn to Phillip Island to see penguins waddle from the ocean to the sand? We wouldn’t blame you for lingering and taking a deep dive into Melbourne’s culinary offerings. Ask us for tips on the hottest spots to drink and dine.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 - Melbourne

Today is free for you to explore the delights of Melbourne. You may like to take a full day optional experience to the Great Ocean Road to discover the stunning coastline and the Twelve Apostles. Or maybe treat yourself to a theatre production or indulge in some world class fare at one of the city’s famous eateries.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 - Uluru (Ayers Rock)

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.

Hotel: Desert Gardens Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Uluru

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).

Hotel: Desert Gardens Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Cairns

Your last day at Uluru is off to another gorgeous start with an exclusive, private visit to the kaleidoscopic Field of Light art installation of artist Bruce Munro. Experience the darkness of night change to a rainbow-coloured dawn lit up from a field of changing colours with Uluru in the distance. You’ll feel like you’re walking through flowers in this totally unique Uluru sunrise experience, then as dawn continues to creep across the land, you’ll end the experience watching the desert awaken over Uluru from the top of a sand dune, coffee or tea in hand.

End your day heading to Cairns for a change of scenery and more beautiful sites.

Hotel: Hilton Hotel, Cairns
Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 - Cairns

Today is yours to explore Cairns independently, or join an optional balloon flight or excursion to the Daintree Rainforest and Karunda Scenic Railway.

It’s an early start for the balloon flight, rewarded by incredible views over the Atherton Tablelands, the hot air ballooning capital of the southern hemisphere. In the Daintree Rainforest you’ll dive into nature on a guided, interpretive walk learning traditional hunting and gathering skills as you search for bush tucker of mud crabs, fish, and mussels and feast on your catch. You could also see the rainforest on a historic rail journey winding across bridges and through tunnels to Kuranda village where you’ll explore its colourful and interesting arts and crafts. Enjoy a different view soaring through the trees on your return trip on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

If you are looking for a bit of wildlife on your adventure, you can pair your trip to Kuranda with a visit to Hartley’s Crocodile for a wetlands cruise through the ecologically significant Melaleuca wetlands, the home of the saltwater crocodile.

After another incredible day exploring, share your stories and photos of the day over an optional dinner at Ochre Restaurant enjoying local fare using native ingredients.

Hotel: Hilton Cairns
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 - Great Barrier Reef

Experience the beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Great Barrier Reef over a day of play on the water. The day begins as you board a high-speed catamaran and then it’s up to you how you’d like to explore this underwater wonderland: Don your mask and fins (equipment provided) for an immersive look at this kaleidoscope of fishes and reef. Or, stay dry and explore the world’s largest living reef system from the comfort of a semi-submersible craft.

However you adventure, the whole way you’re surrounded by beauty and insights on the local ecology and environment from your local guide. Be sure to just kick back, too. Your cruise includes an onboard tropical lunch and plenty of time to soak up the glorious Aussie sunshine. Sure to be a bucket list day, relive the highlights with your travel mates over dinner on the Cairns’ waterfront at Salt House. Here you’ll indulge in regional seafood highlighting fresh, local ingredients and prepared on their custom-built wood fired grill.

Hotel: Hilton Cairns
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9 - Sydney

It’s ‘farewell, Cairns’ and ‘hello, Sydney’ on the last leg of your Australia highlights tour.

Check into your Sydney hotel before discovering the delightful Sydney Harbour from the water on a Dinner Cruise. Not only will you cruise past the world-famous Opera House and under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, you will enjoying a menu focusing on local food and wine as you’re rewarded with these stellar views

Hotel: Intercontinental Sydney
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 10 - Sydney

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. One icon to another: The world’s most famous beach beckons this morning, with your chance to pad along the sand at Bondi with Sydney’s beautiful people. From Worked up an appetite? A local Surf Life Saver will take you into the members-only Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club. Learn about this historic club and gain an understanding of the important work that is done here saving lives on this famous beach. Next, a Be My Guest lunch with views overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 11 - Sydney

Today is yours to explore Sydney independently, or join an optional nature themed excursion to Sydney Zoo and the Blue Mountains. At Sydney Zoo you’ll enjoy a fascinating look at Australia’s native animals including wombats, Tasmanian devils, and of course, koalas before the eucalypt haze of the Blue Mountains looming in the distance, for fresh mountain air and breathtaking scenery. Here you’ll visit the famous Three Sisters rock formation, each over 900 metres high, to hear the Aboriginal legend and soak in the views.

Wherever you venture, there’s dining options aplenty from the waterfront Circular Quay to Chinatown’s famous yum cha to a rooftop bar for dazzling views of the harbour.

Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast

Day 12 - Sydney

Enjoy a free day at leisure to explore the city. However you chose to spend your day, you’ll end by gathering with your travel companions and Travel Director for a celebratory three-course Farwell Dinner at Portside Sydney Opera House to recap your favourite sites in Australia. Cheers to an epic adventure!

Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 13 - Farewell from Sydney

This morning after breakfast say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your memorable holiday throughout Australia comes to an end.

Meals: Breakfast