WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 3 nights Luxury Qualia Resort – Hamilton Island- Whitsundays
- 3 nights Luxury Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney
- 3 nights luxury accommodations in Queenstown
- 2 nights luxury Huka Lodge in Taupo
- 2 nights luxury Lodge at Kauri Cliffs in Bay of Islands
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Full support from your Travel Team agent before, during and after your trip
- Privately guided tours
- Helicopter flight over Milford Sound and Hamilton Island
Luxury Best of Australia & New Zealand
Be whisked off on a journey of discovery as you visit some of the most beautiful beaches, mountains and lakes of Australia and New Zealand.
Your trip will begin in the Whitsundays where you will spend three nights at the beautiful qualia lodge. Admire the Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach from above as you take to the skies on an incredible helicopter ride. The Whitsundays are famous for their sunsets and a cruise around Hamilton Island will let you soak up the magnificent colours as the sky burns red and orange.
The next part of your journey takes you to Sydney where you will spend three nights exploring what the city has to offer. Enjoy a cruise around the city’s iconic harbour, take in a show and a tour of the Opera House, and leave the hustle behind and head out into the majestic Blue Mountains.
Bid Australia farewell and set your sights on New Zealand as you fly to Queenstown. Milford Sound is one of the South Island’s most magical sights and you’ll get to appreciate it from the best angle – from the air. A helicopter flight takes you along the length of the sound, past sheer cliffs and gushing waterfalls, before landing on Mt Tutoko glacier in the heart of Fiordland National Park. You will also have the opportunity to discover some of the wonderful wines produced in the region, with a private tour through Central Otago.
Your next stop is Huka Lodge near Lake Taupo, the perfect place to unwind for a few days. Go trout fishing, hiking, white water rafting or explore the nearby Huka Falls while enjoying the fantastic service of the lodge itself. A short flight will bring you to the Bay of Islands, where you’ll spend your last three nights at Kauri Cliffs.
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VIEW ITINERARY
*This example itinerary can be modified to create the perfect vacation for you!
Private transfer from Hamilton Island Airport to Qualia
Days 1 – 4: Whitsundays
Accommodation in the Whitsundays
The waves of its crystal-clear blue waters wash onto silver beaches beneath the warm sun. It comes as no surprise that the Whitsundays are celebrated as some of the finest beach spots in the country. The chain of 74 islands in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland is home to luxury resorts and the underwater wonders of a marine paradise.
Airlie Beach, in particular, is a great starting point, a coastal town from where you can set off on your adventures, exploring the hidden secrets of the region and the allure of the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy great snorkeling spots or scuba diving sessions amongst the coral, interacting with curious fish and other marine creatures. Or simply relax on a stylish cruise, cocktail in hand and camera at the ready.
The Whitsundays is renowned as a yachting destination, also operating as a hub for kayaking, sailing, and powerboating. But it’s not all about the ocean. There are numerous rivers, creeks, and streams that run through brilliant trails and walking routes. Because of its high number of uninhabited national parks, there is always the chance to go on nature tours and journeys and spot wildlife such as enormous saltwater crocodiles.
Experience the best views of the Whitsundays with a helicopter trip over Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef, and various islands.
Join other qualia guests for a relaxing sunset cruise around the sheltered waters of Hamilton Island. The Whitsundays is famous for breathtaking sunsets. Take in the magnificent palette of colours as the sun sets into the horizon on this cruise of the local waters adjacent to Hamilton Island.
Whilst aboard qualia’s luxury charter cruiser Atomic you will enjoy a selection of mouth-watering canapes and beverages as you take in a spectacular sunset over the Whitsunday Islands. You will be transferred from qualia’s Long Pavilion to the Hamilton Island Marina where your Atomic charter awaits.
Flight
Flight from Hamilton Island to Sydney
Transfer
Private transfer to your hotel in Sydney
Private transfer to your hotel
Days 4 – 7: Sydney
Accommodation in Sydney
The city of Sydney on the east coast of Australia is as idyllic is it appears from its instantly recognizable cityscape. It boasts a rich and intriguing history, famous beaches and iconic landmarks, with a diverse and friendly population, all spread around an elaborate shoreline of Port Jackson’s yacht-filled inlets, bays, and rivers.
Pubs, markets, modern restaurants, theatres and galleries old and new add an exciting, sophisticated cultural air, while the fine weather and surrounding natural wonders of New South Wales make it a very outdoorsy place, and a great base from which to explore nearby beaches, mountains, and national parks.
Enjoy a morning of sailing through one of the most beautiful harbours in the world aboard the Iluka yacht. Your skipper will guide you through Sydney’s intriguing history, explaining all about the city’s waters, luxury homes, leafy parks, beaches, and iconic landmarks.
The Sydney Opera House was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jorn Utzon who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. The citation stated that ‘There is no doubt that the Sydney Opera House is his masterpiece. It is one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, an image of great beauty that has become known throughout the world – a symbol for not only a city but a whole country and continent.’
On your private tour, you’ll see inside the world’s most recognizable sails – a work of art that came into existence against impossible odds – to become one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. Working with new, rich audio-visual components, where images are projected onto the fabric of the building – the guide will take you on an emotional journey, engrossing you in a story to rival any opera plot with its dramatic twists and turns. Some 1,500 performances, from opera to circus, rock, and cabaret, are staged each year to audiences of around 1.5 million
After leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Sydney, stop at a wildlife park to meet some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife, arriving early to beat the crowds. Continue your journey into the Blue Mountains and walk through spectacular scenery. See the famous ‘three sisters’, take a stroll around Katoomba and visit our pick of the best remote lookouts before lunch.
Transfer
Private transfer to Sydney Airport
Flight
Flight from Sydney to Queenstown
TransferPrivate transfer to your hotel in Queenstown
Two nights in the Outback
Explore this vast wilderness filled with stories, myths, and legends. Golden sunsets illuminate rivers that course through great canyons, arrow-straight road vanishes into the heat haze on the horizon, with the immense landscape dotted with national parks and spiritual landmarks, none more recognizable than Uluru, a towering red monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory.
Days 7 – 10 Queenstown
Accommodation in Queenstown
Eichardt’s Private Hotel
From the towering alpine ranges that envelop Queenstown, to its laidback lakeside sister Wanaka and the incredible Milford Sound, this is easily one of the most spectacular regions of the country. Seek out one of the endless thrills on offer here from skiing, white water rafting, canyon swinging, jet boating, mountain biking and bungy jumping, or slow down to the cosmopolitan pace of life in Queenstown and cool Wanaka and you’ll discover its flourishing arts scene, excellent vineyards, fine dining and quiet lakeside shores where you can take in the incredible scenery. And, of course, Milford Sound with its spectacular 1692m-high Mitre Peak (Rahotu in Maori) is unmissable.
Explore Milford Sounds stunning fiord from the air. Fly the length of Milford Sound past sheer cliffs and gushing waterfalls, out to the Tasman Sea where we land on a wild West Coast beach. In Milford, enjoy a short nature walk and gain that iconic Mitre Peak photo. Enjoy an exhilarating flight past spectacular rivers, valleys and mountains with blue-green ice fall, and land upon Mt Tutoko glacier in the heart of Fiordland National Park.
A relaxed one-hour drive over Queenstown Hill will bring you to Bannockburn in historic Central Otago. The first stop is Amisfield Estates for a 90-minute private behind-the-scenes tour with the winemaker, who will personally take you through the vineyard and winery to show you how they craft their award-winning wines from how they grow and harvest the grapes through to bottling. Continue on through Bannockburn’s rugged landscape to the Cellar Door at Mt Difficulty, located on famed Felton Road, to sample some more wines.
Heading back to Queenstown, stop in at a new boutique tasting room, Wet Jacket Cellar Door, which is located in a beautifully converted 150-year-old former woolshed. After enjoying the full range of Wet Jacket wines, which are only available here and in a few of the top restaurants in the country, duck around the corner for a late lunch at the multi-award winning Amisfield Bistro where William and Kate dined during their tour of New Zealand. Finally drive through Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town, before returning to your hotel.
Transfer
Private transfer to Queenstown Airport
Flight
Flight from Queenstown to Rotorua
Transfer
Private transfer to your lodge in Taupo
Days 10 – 12 Taupo
Accommodation in Taupo
Sitting on the Waikato River, Huka Lodge is the perfect place to relax and enjoy your beautiful natural surroundings. Go trout fishing, hiking, white water rafting or explore the nearby Huka Falls. Of course, you can simply choose to unwind at the lodge itself and enjoy delicious food and drink and unwind in the pool.
Flights & transfers
Transfer
Private transfer to Taupo airport
Flight
Flight from Taupo to Bay of Islands
Transfer
Private transfer to your lodge
Days 12 – 15 Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
Accommodation in Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands encompasses 144 islands dotted between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula. Take to the sparkling waters and paddle through its turquoise inlets in a sea kayak, try your hand at deep-sea fishing, discover the underwater world on a diving excursion, or head into the maritime playground to swim with dolphins. Back on dry land, explore the many walking trails that wind their way through verdant forests and past secluded beaches, and set aside some time to relax in the quaint seaside towns.
The Kauri Cliffs Golf Course was designed and built by renowned American golf course designer David Harman. The par 72 Championship Course measures 7,119 yards or 6,510 metres and offers five sets of tees. Ranked #39 in the world by Golf Digest’s Top 100 golf courses in the world, it has 15 holes that view the Pacific Ocean, with six played alongside dramatic plunging cliffs. Other holes wind through the marsh, forest, and farmland – making this a unique golfing experience. The onsite golfing complex also includes a world-class practice range, putting and chipping greens, a golf shop, and locker rooms. We can book your tee times.
On this exclusive, private Bay of Islands sightseeing tour you will visit the historically important towns of Kerikeri, and Waitangi. On this private guided Bay of Islands tour your personal driver-guide, a local Kaumatua (Maori elder) with old family connections in the area, will recount first hand stories of the rich history of Maori and European engagement in this historical area.
The historic town of Russell is steeped in the early history of New Zealand – an early Maori settlement, European whaling port and where New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and the British Crown which established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognized Māori ownership of their lands, forests and other properties, and gave the Māori the rights of British subjects.
Transfer
Private transfer to Kerikeri airport
Flight
Flight from Bay of Islands to Auckland
Pricing & Departures
Choose your travel dates starting from $12999 pp
Additional departure cities are available, ask a Travel Team agent at 1-800-788-0829 for details. Add on additional cities and dates, ask your Travel Team Agent for more information.
Or, call 1.800.788.0829 to speak with one of our travel experts.
Notes:
- Internal flights and private transfers
- Airline taxes& fees (if internal airfare is included in the package)
- Prices based on availability & may be subject to change
- All airline taxes, fuel surcharges & fees are included
- Prices in US dollars unless otherwise noted
- We have limited space on this package and it is subject to availability and prior sale
- All package prices are per person based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted
- Prices reflect cash discount
- Due to constantly changing policies to baggage restrictions, please check with your airline directly for latest updates and restrictions
- Information, including prices, are subject to change without notice
- Restrictions and change and/or cancel penalties apply
- UBI-600-307-872-WA
