February 2025
New Zealand and Australia Tour
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Demand is high for our unique 18 day tour of Auckland, Rotorua with amazing Māori Hungi BBQ and Show, Waitomo Caves, Hamilton Temple, Agridome Sheep show, Kiwi Experience, Queenstown adventures on the south island including Milford Sound, Shotover or Dart River Safari's, Bob's Peak Feast and more.
Then fly to Sydney to see this unique city, a harbor cruise, opera house tour, Koala experience, Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach. Then to the outback for a sheep station enroute to Australia's capital, Canberra. Then fly to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef, Jungle train ride, skyrail and Aborigine culture show. Maximum of 30 guests -- only 8 places remain. Call Liz to to be included on our list to have first choice on this tour. 801.669.1777 Price expected to be in low $5,000 per person. |
Rough draft of our Itinerary
We will be traveling on this route this February and will
Feb 6 Thu Depart LAX and Lose Feb 7th!!!
Feb 8 Sat Arrive Auckland, Aquarium take Hop off Hop On bus
Feb 9 Sun Auckland -- Church and home dinners
Feb 10 Mon Hamilton, Waitomo Caves, Hongi Maori Show in Rotorua
Feb 11 Tue Kiwi Reserve & Sheep station with free time in Rotorua
Feb 12 Wed Hobbiton. Afternoon ACK to ZQT-- SHEEP STATION AND BOB'S PEAK
Feb 13 Thu FREE DAY: Many choices including Walter Peak Farm, Shotover or Dart River Jet boats
Feb 14 Fri Milford Sound/ Queenstown
Feb 15 Sat Fly to Sydney to airport AM. Opera House and Harbor Cruise
Feb 16 Sun Church Bondi Beach area, Koala Sanctuary and Blue Mountains
Feb 17 Mon Hop-On-Hop-Off and free day in Sydney
Feb 18 Tue Canberra and BBQ with Sheep station to Sydney
Feb 19 Wed Fly to Cairns: Aborigines' show
Feb 20 Thu Great Barrier Reef
Feb 21 Fri Cairns train and sky-rail
Feb 22 Sat Fly to Sydney. Free day in Sydney
Feb 23 Sun USA and GAIN A DAY RETURNING!!
Feb 8 Sat Arrive Auckland, Aquarium take Hop off Hop On bus
Feb 9 Sun Auckland -- Church and home dinners
Feb 10 Mon Hamilton, Waitomo Caves, Hongi Maori Show in Rotorua
Feb 11 Tue Kiwi Reserve & Sheep station with free time in Rotorua
Feb 12 Wed Hobbiton. Afternoon ACK to ZQT-- SHEEP STATION AND BOB'S PEAK
Feb 13 Thu FREE DAY: Many choices including Walter Peak Farm, Shotover or Dart River Jet boats
Feb 14 Fri Milford Sound/ Queenstown
Feb 15 Sat Fly to Sydney to airport AM. Opera House and Harbor Cruise
Feb 16 Sun Church Bondi Beach area, Koala Sanctuary and Blue Mountains
Feb 17 Mon Hop-On-Hop-Off and free day in Sydney
Feb 18 Tue Canberra and BBQ with Sheep station to Sydney
Feb 19 Wed Fly to Cairns: Aborigines' show
Feb 20 Thu Great Barrier Reef
Feb 21 Fri Cairns train and sky-rail
Feb 22 Sat Fly to Sydney. Free day in Sydney
Feb 23 Sun USA and GAIN A DAY RETURNING!!
Detailed Itinerary
(this is the intinerary suggested by our tour hosts and much of it will be adopted into our itinerary with some re-organizing for a better travel experience. For example, we choose to travel via Sidney rather than directly to Cairns with a 10 hour travel day. This cuts our travel time in half and
(this is the intinerary suggested by our tour hosts and much of it will be adopted into our itinerary with some re-organizing for a better travel experience. For example, we choose to travel via Sidney rather than directly to Cairns with a 10 hour travel day. This cuts our travel time in half and
Day 1 to 3 – Depart the USA to Auckland, New Zealand. Find out how to include your international airfare in the price!
Depart the west coast and land in Auckland to start your New Zealand adventure! You’ll have lost a day from crossing the International Date Line but you’ll get it back when you come home.
Once in Auckland we enjoy the great collection of undersea life “down under” at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium and then a Hop On Bus Tour of Auckland. See what YOU want to see with a professional guide pointing the way.
Depart the west coast and land in Auckland to start your New Zealand adventure! You’ll have lost a day from crossing the International Date Line but you’ll get it back when you come home.
Once in Auckland we enjoy the great collection of undersea life “down under” at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium and then a Hop On Bus Tour of Auckland. See what YOU want to see with a professional guide pointing the way.
Day 4 & 5 – Hamilton, Waitomo and Rotorua. We head through the lush green volcanic mountains, forests and pasture lands to Hamilton where we stop at the LDS Temple.
Then we head to the Waitomo Caves to experience by boat the glowworms as we go deep into the caves and see glowing phosphorous ceilings.
Next we go a short distance to the ancient Māori lands of Rotorua to enjoy a traditional Māori show and hungi (huge BBQ). Spend your time exploring the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua as well as ancestral Maori lands.
The next day we love going to the Kiwi Experience where scientists protect the rare kiwi bird before going to the Agrodome see the sheep dogs work their magic before we watch a sheep-shearing contest.
Then we head to the Waitomo Caves to experience by boat the glowworms as we go deep into the caves and see glowing phosphorous ceilings.
Next we go a short distance to the ancient Māori lands of Rotorua to enjoy a traditional Māori show and hungi (huge BBQ). Spend your time exploring the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua as well as ancestral Maori lands.
The next day we love going to the Kiwi Experience where scientists protect the rare kiwi bird before going to the Agrodome see the sheep dogs work their magic before we watch a sheep-shearing contest.
Day 6, 7 & 8 – Queenstown and Milford Sound. We take an early morning flight to the South Island and magical Queenstown, site where Lord of the Rings was filmed.
We take a new gondola up the mountain to dine at the top of Bob's Peak at the Stratosphere Restaurant, with views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables Mountain Range.
The next day is a FREE day to choose one of many wonders to experience such as the gourmet Walter Peak Farm, or the exciting Shotover Jet Boat rapids blast, or (our favorite), the Dart River Jet Boat excursion up the Dart River into the magical mountain kingdom of Lord of the Rings country.
We all head to Fiordland National Park the next day, to explore the eighth wonder of the world, Milford Sound. We’ll have cruise tickets for an afternoon ride through this massive fjord or sound. If we're lucky it will rain so thousands of waterfalls will burst forth.
We take a new gondola up the mountain to dine at the top of Bob's Peak at the Stratosphere Restaurant, with views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables Mountain Range.
The next day is a FREE day to choose one of many wonders to experience such as the gourmet Walter Peak Farm, or the exciting Shotover Jet Boat rapids blast, or (our favorite), the Dart River Jet Boat excursion up the Dart River into the magical mountain kingdom of Lord of the Rings country.
We all head to Fiordland National Park the next day, to explore the eighth wonder of the world, Milford Sound. We’ll have cruise tickets for an afternoon ride through this massive fjord or sound. If we're lucky it will rain so thousands of waterfalls will burst forth.
Day 9 & 10 – Glacier and Rainforest West Coast. Sad to leave Queenstown but, weather permitting, it’s wonderful to drive through the mountains to the unusual West Side of the South Island -- glacier country – where you can walk on a glacier, take an optional helicopter ride up Fox Glacier and down Franz Josef Glacier with a short landing at the top snowfields. Or kayak at the local lagoon or walk in the rare “cold-water rainforest!”
We overnight at the town of Fox Glacier before heading up the coast, stopping at some jade jewelry makers and other local artifacts before heading east for a relaxing journey through Arthur's Pass to return to Christchurch. It’s a constant Alpine delight. We cap off the day at Christchurch and take the city tram that gives a great tour of this charming city on the Salisbury Plain.
We overnight at the town of Fox Glacier before heading up the coast, stopping at some jade jewelry makers and other local artifacts before heading east for a relaxing journey through Arthur's Pass to return to Christchurch. It’s a constant Alpine delight. We cap off the day at Christchurch and take the city tram that gives a great tour of this charming city on the Salisbury Plain.
Day 11, 12 & 13 – Cairns and Great Barrier Reef. We take a morning flight to Cairns, Australia. Cairns is one of Australia’s northern most cities in the tropics of Australia and home to the Great Barrier Reef. In the afternoon and evening, we enjoy an Aboriginal culture show and dinner.
The next day we spend most of the day at the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island, snorkeling or scuba diving if you prefer, and an all-around beautiful look at the picturesque coral reefs.
The final day in Cairns we jump on the jungle train and head into the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree. We take the Sky rail back. A very full and wonderful time in Cairns.
The next day we spend most of the day at the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island, snorkeling or scuba diving if you prefer, and an all-around beautiful look at the picturesque coral reefs.
The final day in Cairns we jump on the jungle train and head into the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree. We take the Sky rail back. A very full and wonderful time in Cairns.
Day 14 to 18 – Sydney and the Bush! We fly south to Sydney with the Australian East Coast below us – about as long as our US east coast. Today we enjoy a Sydney Harbour (that’s how they spell it) Cruise to take in views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Then a full tour of the majestic Sydney Opera House.
Enjoy a great FREE day to return to the Opera House or take a dinner harbour cruise or enjoy the botanical gardens and the old docks and prison quarters (much of the settling of Australia was from the Queen and King’s prisoners exiled here).
Today we head south to Australia's capital, Canberra. Before we arrive we're treated to a real "Aussie" sheep shearing and BBQ. Then we tour the capital before our ride back to Sydney.
Enjoy a great FREE day to return to the Opera House or take a dinner harbour cruise or enjoy the botanical gardens and the old docks and prison quarters (much of the settling of Australia was from the Queen and King’s prisoners exiled here).
Today we head south to Australia's capital, Canberra. Before we arrive we're treated to a real "Aussie" sheep shearing and BBQ. Then we tour the capital before our ride back to Sydney.
On our final day we have an excursion to the Blue Mountains and 3 Sisters with a stop at the Koala Sanctuary (not Koala Bears) to experience native wildlife.
Sadly, we must fly home after this spectacular time in Australia and New Zealand. You’ll gain a day going home.
Sadly, we must fly home after this spectacular time in Australia and New Zealand. You’ll gain a day going home.