 TravelOnly Presents: Great Trains, Wineries and Cultures of Australia & New Zealand with optional Fiji extension Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures offers the best in educational travel worldwide. Our custom-crafted tours are created for adventurous travellers like you, who seek the thrill of discovery and learning, combined with flexibility and economical rates. And our local expert speakers really make the difference between simply seeing and truly understanding your destination. Take an adventure of a lifetime and spend 28 days travelling through Australia and New Zealand. Explore the vast and diverse natural wonders of land and water, from sacred Ayers Rock and the amazing underwater life of the Great Barrier Reef to the geothermal wonders of Rotorua and the magical fjords of Milford Sound. Local specialists enhance your understanding of the cultural history of the unique Aboriginal and Maori cultures as well as the unique natural history throughout your journey. Travel on the historic Ghan train, the Tranz-Alpine Express, and other fascinating rail journeys, and enjoy special wine tastings at well-known vineyards in both Australia and New Zealand. For more information, contact your Travelonly Associate
www.travelonly.com Day 1 & 2: Overnight Flight Lose a day en route as you cross the International Dateline. Day 3: Cairns, Australia Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Tonight, enjoy a special reception and dinner. (D) Day 4: Great Barrier Reef Board a high-speed catamaran for an exciting excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. From Green Island, stroll on the walking trail or travel on a glass bottom boat to see the underwater life up close. For a more adventurous encounter with the reef, optional snorkelling and outer reef tours are also available. (B, L) Day 5: Cairns A ride aboard the historic Kuranda Rail, constructed in 1882, offers a scenic rail journey to view the spectacular Atherton Tablelands. This afternoon take a crocodile cruise on Hartley's Lagoon in search of saltwater crocs in their natural habitat as well as the exotic bird life of Queensland. After the cruise, enjoy a delicious Aussie BBQ. (B, D) Day 6: Cairns - Ayers Rock Fly to the heart of the Outback, arriving at Ayers Rock. Tour the sandstone domes of the Olgas and the area around the base of "The Rock." Later, witness a stunning sunset as the colours of the Rock change dramatically. Day 7: Ayers Rock - Alice Springs Depart for Alice Springs, the largest community in Central Australia. Take a sightseeing tour of this frontier town, including the Old Telegraph Station and Anzac Hill. Tonight, experience unique dining and entertainment at a traditional dinner in the bush. (D) Day 8: Alice Springs - The Ghan Early this morning gain a different perspective of the majestic Australian Outback with an optional hot air balloon ride. Next, explore the Aboriginal culture through site visits and native cooking. Later, board the legendary Ghan for an overnight journey through ancient mountain ranges, over red-baked earth, and across oceans of sand hills. (B, D) Day 9: The Ghan - Barossa Valley Your train journey concludes in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, where you take a morning sightseeing tour. Travel to Barossa Valley and experience the Whispering Wall; listen as voices travel along a quarter-mile path powered by natural amplification. A wine tasting at one of the local wineries introduces the flavours of this region. Dinner at your hotel, in the serene Barossa Valley, overlooks the vineyards of well-known vintners such as Jacobs Creek. (B, D) Day 10: Barossa Valley Barossa Valley is Australia's richest and best-known wine-making region. The area was first settled by German immigrants more than a century ago and today produces some of the world's finest wines. Enjoy tours and tastings at two of the area's wineries. (B, D) Day 11: Barossa Valley - Coonawarra Travel through the southern Australian countryside, stopping at Naracoorte Caves National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn about the extensive fossil deposits of Southern Australia as you tour the fossil centre and view the 'megafauna' that once thrived in the area. Continue to Coonawarra, another rich wine-making region. (B, D) Day 12: Coonawarra - Melbourne Journey across the spectacular Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most scenic drives. Pass through Port Campbell and discover the "12 Apostles," a dramatic row of stone pillars rising from the ocean, and the "London Bridge," a magnificent stone arch formation. Marvel at Loch Ard Gorge before arriving in Melbourne in the early evening. (B) Day 13: Melbourne A tour of Melbourne features the Shrine of Remembrance and Parliament House, and a visit to Fitzroy Royal Botanical Gardens. Later, travel to Phillip Island, home of the world's largest colony of "Little Penguins." Experience the wonders of the Little Penguin Parade as hundreds of these lovable birds waddle out from the sea and cross the beach to their burrows in the dunes. Learn more about the life cycle of the penguin and their significance to the area at the Interpretation Centre. (B, D) Day 14: Melbourne - Sydney This morning, it's off to Sydney, Australia's cultural capital. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city followed by an afternoon at leisure. (B) Day 15: Sydney - Hunter Valley Visit Koala Park to see koalas in a natural habitat. Travelling to Hunter Valley, enjoy a private wine tasting at McGuigan Cellar. A vineyard tour by horse-drawn carriage concludes with a tasting of local cheeses and a special vintner's dinner. (B, D) Day 16: Sydney You will have time to explore the city of Sydney on your own this morning. This afternoon, a fascinating opal presentation at the National Opal Collection demonstrates how raw opals are processed, from the dark mine shafts to your favourite jewellery. Tonight, an evening dinner cruise of Sydney Harbour gives you the opportunity to see the city from a different perspective. Afterward, enjoy a performance at the Sydney Opera House. (B, D) Day 17: Sydney - Queenstown, New Zealand Today fly to New Zealand, arriving in the beautiful resort town of Queenstown. Dinner is at the Skyline Restaurant. (B, D) Day 18: Queenstown - Milford Sound Travel through beech forest into the rugged grandeur of the Hollyford Valley to world-famous Milford Sound. Enjoy a relaxing cruise in this dramatic fjord. Choose to return to Queenstown via a short optional flight (weather permitting) for spectacular views of the Southern Alps or return by coach. (B, L) Day 19: Queenstown Your day is at leisure to explore Queenstown on your own, take an optional jet boat ride on the Shotover River, or choose from a variety of other activities. (B) Day 20: Queenstown - Mt. Cook Travelling through the picturesque countryside, stop in the old gold boomtown of Arrowtown. In Mt. Cook National Park take a nature walk or enjoy an optional flightseeing tour (weather permitting). This evening's dinner includes the famous Hermitage Hotel wine buffet, featuring a sampling of local wines from some of the finest wineries in New Zealand. (B, D) Day 21: Mt. Cook - Christchurch Travel to the city of Christchurch, where a short sightseeing tour highlights magnificent gardens, the cathedral, and the downtown park district. During dinner on the Christchurch Tramway, a beautifully restored tramcar restaurant, pass some of the most interesting and historic city sights. (B, D) Day 22: Christchurch - Tranz-Alpine Express Journey through the Southern Alps aboard the Tranz-Alpine Express. This evening, enjoy a special dinner at a restored mansion that was once the homestead of Christchurch's first settlers. (B, D) Day 23: Christchurch Today is free to relax and unwind. You may choose an optional afternoon excursion to the International Antarctica Centre, the base for all U.S. expeditions to Antarctica. This evening you will be invited to dine with a New Zealand family. Enjoy this unforgettable experience as you learn about the customs of the "Kiwis" and enjoy a home cooked meal. (B, D) Day 24: Christchurch - Picton - Wellington Board the Tranz Coastal train for a scenic journey up the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. Relax in comfort as you are surrounded by the Kaikoura Mountain Range to the west and the rugged Pacific Coast to the east. Arrive in Picton and ferry through Marlborough Sound and across Cook Strait to the North Island. Arrive in Wellington, the harbour capital of New Zealand. (B) Day 25: Wellington Enjoy sightseeing in Wellington, including the Beehive, New Zealand's Parliament, historic St. Paul's Church, and the Government Building. (B, D) Day 26: Wellington - Rotorua This morning, tour the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, the national museum of New Zealand. Next, travel through the heart of the North Island today arriving in Rotorua, the centre of Maori heritage. Tonight, receive a traditional Maori welcome at a Hangi meal followed by songs, dances, and many other festivities. (B, D) Day 27: Rotorua This morning visit the historic Rotorua Museum and bath house to discover how the Europeans influenced the culture of Rotorua. Continue to Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to observe the steaming silica terraces and geysers. View craftsmen at work in a typical Maori village and attend a sheep shearing demonstration at the Agrodome. Enjoy some free time to explore Rotorua before gathering tonight for a festive farewell dinner. (B, D) Day 28: Rotorua - Auckland - Tour Concludes Experience the North Island's Waitomo Caves, which are lit by thousands of glow worms clinging to the cave walls. Drive to Auckland where your tour ends. (B) *Unless otherwise noted, this offer is land only, valid on new retail bookings only and not combinable with any offer. All special offers are only valid for a set period of time, which varies by offer. 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