Australia & New Zealand

1st & 2nd Day (February 23 & 24) Flight
Your friendly driver graciously picks you up this morning and whisks you off to the airport for your flight to Los Angeles where we will connect with Quantas for a pleasurable flight to the land down under! Your R & J Tour Director will be there to assist you during these first two days of travel. Sit back and relax, you are embarking on a trip of a lifetime! We’ll give up a calendar day as we cross the International Date Line during our flight.

Included Meals:Inflight

3rdDay (February 25) Sydney

This morning arrive in Sydney where we will be welcomed by that great Australian hospitality! Sightsee Sydney, the splendid capital of New South Wales. Explore the Rocks, built by convicts for Australia’s first settlers. Travel through Kings Cross, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Watson’s Bay, and the Gap. Visit some of the beautiful Southern beaches of Sydney, including Bondi Beach. Return to the city via trendy Paddington with its beautifully restored lace front Victorian terrace houses. Lunch today will be aboard the Ocean Spirit Yacht. Cruise around one of the most splendid harbors in the world, with sweeping views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. R & J Tours has chosen a beautiful hotel perfectly located within walking distance to Sydney Harbor and The Rocks, a delightful area with charming shops and cafes. This evening choose from the many outstanding restaurants surrounding your hotel and harbour.

Included Meals: Snacks on Cruise

Hotel: The Sheraton Sydney (D)

4thDay (February 26) Sydney
Enjoy breakfast at your leisure this morning and take some time to explore the area at your own pace. Your hotel is a perfect location to start as you are just steps from botanical gardens, Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park, The Rocks, Darling Harbor, and the Chinese Gardens. This afternoon we’ll have an interesting tour of the famous Sydney Opera House. Dinner this evening is at the famous Bennelong Restaurant. This evening attend a performance at the world famous Sydney Opera House.
Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

5thDay (February 27) Sydney to Melbourne
After breakfast, fly south to the Victorian capital of Melbourne. This gracious city with 19th century architecture offers delightful sightseeing on our city tour. We’ll visit Cooks Cottage and much more! Take some time to explore the Sunday Markets before we check into the hotel. This evening will be a moving experience, literally! Your elegant dinner is served aboard the unique Colonial Tramcar Restaurant which moves around the city. Enjoy the sights of Melbourne as you dine in grand style! Your hotel is in the heart of Melbourne.
Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hotel Sofitel (S)

6thDay (February 28) Melbourne
Choose your own time to eat breakfast this morning and enjoy some leisure time in this delightful city. Today we have many options.
Option I: This afternoon journey into the Blue Dandenong Mountain Ranges to Phillip Island, home of the Koala Reserve. At dusk we’ll gather at the beach. Under special lighting, watch the penguins emerge from the water and parade to their burrows in the sand to feed their young ones! ($86)
Option II: Yarra Valley Wineries & Puffing Billy ($)

Included Meals:Breakfast

7thDay (Mar 1) Melbourne to Alice Springs
Experience a dramatic change of scenery this morning as we fly into Australia’s Outback. Arrive in Alice Springs, located in the Red Centre of Australia. Visit the Royal Flying Doctor Quarters and School Of The Air which brings medical and education services to the people living throughout the vast outback. Travel out to Cattle Drovers Camp set in the outback where you will experience a true bushman’s barbeque dinner under the Outback stars! Enjoy the great food while you listen to ancient Aboriginal legends and learn about the Southern Hemisphere Constellations. Truly among the highlights of this trip!
Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: The Plaza (S)

8thDay (Mar 2) Alice Springs to Ayers Rock
Take a camel to breakfast this morning. Enjoy a camel ride into the outback where our breakfast awaits us. Travel to famous Ayers Rock, considered a holy place among the Australian Aborigines. See the mysterious rock domes called the Olgas towering in the distance. At sunset, the tradition is to sip champagne as the horizon and landscape pass through an incredible spectrum of colors at Ayers Rock. You will be graciously served cocktails and nibblies.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Sunset Reception

Hotel: Desert Sails (D)

9thDay (Mar 3) Ayers Rock to Cairns
Awake early and sip warm coffee as the sun rises on Ayers Rock. We’ll watch the sunrise as it strikes the rock and turns bright orange! Return to the hotel for breakfast. The contrast today will be great as we fly from the arid desert of the outback to the lush tropical wilderness of Northern Queensland. Arrive in Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. We’ll settle into our lovely hotel set on the waterfront of this tropical city. We have chosen bay-view rooms for your enjoyment. Cairns is a shoppers paradise, with its many shops and locals selling their wares.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Radisson Plaza at the Pier Cairns (S)

10thDay (Mar 4) Cairns
After breakfast board the famous Kuranda Scenic Train for one of the most scenic train rides in the world! View spectacular lush rain forests as you rail around mountainous terrain with rushing waterfalls and rich cane fields. Pass through up to 15 tunnels and more than 40 bridges. Visit Kuranda, called “The Village in the Rain Forest” with the opportunity for an optional visit to the Butterfly Sanctuary or Wildlife Noctarium. Later embark on a great adventure, the world’s longest gondola cableway that gently guides us to sea level! You are gliding over the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest living rainforest in the world. Protected by World Heritage status, this ancient forest has been set aside for the enjoyment and education of all generations. Enjoy amazing views as we descend across the lush rainforest with the Coral Sea as a backdrop! This afternoon we will be entertained at the internationally renowned Tjapuki Aboriginal Cultural Park. This evening is at leisure to choose one of the many charming cafes or restaurants Cairns has to offer.

Included Meals:Breakfast

11thDay (Mar 5) Cairns to Dunk Island
After breakfast we depart for Mission Beach where will will board a boat and cruise to our outstanding resort on Dunk Island tucked away in the Great Barrier Reef. Nestled in a tropical paradise of magnificent tropical gardens and glistening ocean waters, you are among the few that will experience Australia’s most exciting resort. Enjoy dinner this evening at the resort as you take in the sunset.

Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Dunk Island Resort (D)

12thDay (Mar 6) Dunk Island
This morning after breakfast we board our cruise for a day on the Great Barrier Reef. Your cruise includes smorgasboard lunch, semi-submarine and glass bottom boat tours, viewing the reef, thousands of tropical fish, coral gardens and giant clams, plus the use of snorkel equipment for those who would like a closer look! Return to Dunk Island for a leisure late afternoon. There are many activities to choose from here at the resort including tennis, golf, scuba diving, beach tours, reef fishing trips, and guided resort tours. Dinner is served at the resort this evening.
Included Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

13. (Mar 7) Dunk Island – Auckland
We leave The Great Barrier Reef this morning and fly south. Haere Mai-”Welcome to New Zealand.” Arrive in Auckland, an attractive city set between two harbors of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Your hotel is perfectly located in the heart of Auckland’s lovely downtown.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Inflight Meals

Hotel: The Heritage (S)

14.(Mar 8) Auckland
After breakfast, tour the “City of Sail” with the Skytower-the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Capture stunning views from atop Mount Eden as Auckland and Rangitoto Island, a dormant volcano, towers in the distance. Visit Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, for a fish-eye view of the sea. A submerged clear tunnel puts you in contact with sharks, Moray eels, lobsters, and stingrays. Later board the Devon port Ferry across the Waitamata Harbour to Auckland’s North Shore. Devonport is Auckland’s oldest areas with many of the original shops and homesteads still existing. Take time to browse the shops and have dinner on your own at one of the many unique restaurants before return by ferry to the hotel.

Included Meals:Breakfast

15. (Mar 9) Auckland to Roturua
Tour through the beautiful countryside to the rugged hills south of Otorohanga, where you will visit the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. We’ll board flat-bottomed boats and quietly glide along this underground river through the caves until we come to glowing caves, alive with thousands of tiny glow worms hanging from the cave’s ceilings. Lunch is served at a local farm, where you are graciously served a delicious meal. Arrive in Rotorua, known for it’s Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers, and the great Pohutu Geyser. Before we check into our hotel we’ll visit the Agrodome and the Te Whakarewarewa Art and Crafts Centre. Tonight travel to the Te Tawa Ngahiri Pa, a Maori village and sacred meeting place set in the heart of a mature native forest. Here you are special guests at a Maori “Hangi” Polynesian feast with Maori entertainment. Enjoy reserved deluxe spa rooms at your lovely hotel this evening.
Included Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Hotel: Park Heritage Hotel (S)

16. (Mar 10) Roturua to Christchurch
Fly to New Zealand’s South Island to the charming town of Christchurch known as the “Garden City.” Your hotel is set in the heart of this charming city. This evening you will enjoy drinks and canapes on a tram ride to Annie’s restaurant for a delightful dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Grand Chancellor (F)

17. (Mar 11) Christchurch
A Te Puna Ora story teller joins us as we sightsee this charming city with its English look and gracious atmosphere. See Christchurch’s old stone buildings, the charming Avon River, and acres of green parklands. Enjoy tea at the Takahe Restaurant beautifully set in Port Hills. A leisure afternoon allows time for browsing the many shops and museums. Some may want to do some optional punting on the Avon River with open flat boats while enjoying the sights as your handsome guide gently floats you down the river. Choose from the many cafes and restaurants tonight.

Included Meals:Breakfast, Tea

18. (Mar 12) Christchurch to Fairlie
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we journey across the Canterbury Plains to the farming valleys of Fairlie. R & J Tours has chosen your farm stay to be experienced in Fairlie, New Zealand. This is a true sheep farming area, and the farm stays and people are expecially wonderful here. We’ll meet our New Zealand host families for a home cooked meal and overnight stay. Ask your new friends about local politics, schools, shopping, and things that you are curious about. For many this personal experience is the highlight of the trip!
Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Farm Stay

19. (Mar 13) Fairlie to Te Anau
Enjoy a country breakfast with your new friends before rejoining the group. Explore magnificent Mount Cook National Park in the heart of New Zealand’s breathtaking Southern Alps. The park contains five of New Zealand’s largest glaciers and more than 140 peaks. A special lunch will be at the Hermitage Lodge with magnificent Mount Cook as a backdrop. We’ll take a scenic drive to your waterfront hotel on the shores of Lake Te Anau.

Included Meals:Breafkast, Lunch

Hotel: Te Anau HOtel & Villa’s (F)

20. (Mar 14) Te Anau to Queenstown
Today will be a day you will long remember as we embark on a spectacular journey to Milford Sound. We make our way through rugged countryside to Te Anau, the gateway to Fjordland National Park. We’ll enjoy morning tea here before we wind through Homer Tunnel and on to amazing Milford Sound which boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the world! This unique area is honored by belonging to the World Heritage Parks and today you’ll know why! Cruise on the quiet waters of the fjord along sheer rock cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and the occasional sight of a basking seal. See many contrasts with magnificent rushing waterfalls, rugged mountains, lush rain forests, and sparkling rivers. Later we’ll take a beautiful drive to Queenstown, a premier resort town. Our lodging is perfectly nestled in this wonderful resort village for two nights. Enjoy picturesque views of Lake Wakatipu nestled in The Remarkable Mountain Range. Enjoy! Some may want to join us for an optional pizza party at The Cow, an old restored milk creamery.

Included Meals:Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Grand Hotel Saint Moritz

21. (Mar 15) Queenstown
Experience Queenstown at leisure. Giving you a free day in this alpine resort is a must. There is something for everyone and we want you to be free to decide your pleasure. The driver and tour director will be taking anyone who would like visit Arrowtown, a charming western village close by. Visit the local winery here in Arrowtown. Other options include a boat excursion on the Shotover River. Ride through the narrow gorges as you shoot the rapids on the world’s most exciting boat ride. This evening we will take a breathtaking sunset gondola ride up Bob’s Peak for a farewell dinner celebration. This ride reveals spectacular views of Queenstown, the Remarkables and the whole area. Dinner will be served atop Bob’s Peak.
Included Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

22. (Mar 16) Queenstown to Auckland to Home
Enjoy breakfast and a leisurely morning before we board our flight for Auckland. This afternoon and evening are free to do any last minute shopping and choose from the many charming restaurants Auckland has to offer. As we pass over the International Dateline we gain our day back again. Return home the same day as we leave New Zealand.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Inflight Meals

Motorcoach Per Person Pricing Information

Double: $6,999
Single: $8,399

Passport Needed

No

Motorcoach Departure Date:
02/23/2005

Make a Reservation Online

Tour Highlights

YOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
Free Front Door Pick Up
All Airfare From Minneapolis!
Deluxe & Superior Hotels & Resorts
32 Outstanding Meals
Expert Australian & New Zealand Guides
Great Barrier Reef Dunk Island 2 Night Stay
Sydney Harbor Cruise
Attend a performance at the World Famous Sydney Opera House
Outback Bushman’s Cookout
Take a camel to breakfast
Ayers Rock Sunset & Sunrise Receptions
Scenic Train Journey & Arial Gondola Ride Through the Daintree Rainforest
2 Nights Queenstown, New Zealand’s Resort Oasis
Milford Sound Cruise & Lunch
New Zealand Farm Stay
Plus much more!

Dedicated to presenting the greatness of God through the beauty of His Creation.