Australia & New Zealand: An Adventure Down Under (2012)

Melbourne • Adelaide • Alice Springs • Uluru • Great Barrier Reef • Cape Tribulation • Sydney • Auckland • Rotorua • Arrowtown • Franz Josef Glacier • Greymouth • Wellington
  • 30 days
  • from only:
  • $9195
  • $307 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Is this Adventure Right for You?
It's Included
Unique Accommodations
Extend Your Adventure
Tasmania: Australia's Natural Heritage
New Zealand's Bay of Islands
Optional Tours
Trip Leaders
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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CT

Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your adventure, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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CT

Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two adventures to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the OAT adventure that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your adventure
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your adventure with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of OAT adventures to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Chicago

23hrs

Boston

28hrs

Denver, Philadelphia, Tampa

24hrs

Dallas, Detroit

25hrs

Newark

26hrs

Minneapolis, New York (JFK), Washington, DC (Dulles)

27hrs

Los Angeles

16hrs

Orlando, Phoenix

29hrs

Seattle

22hrs

San Francisco

21hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Cairns, Australia. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the OAT family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on an OAT trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925 or click here.

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Post-Trip: New Zealand's Bay of Islands

3 nights from $1095
T212

Discover the exotic Bay of Islands: the historical crossroads of European and Maori cultures. Explore one of New Zealand’s most unique ecosystems in this subtropical archipelago of nearly 150 islands. Revel in the pristine natural environment and stunning coastal scenery as we cruise along crystal-clear turquoise waters, keeping watch for whales, dolphins, marlins, and penguins.

Single Supplement: FREE.

Please note: This extension only available on select departures. Ask your Adventure Specialist for details.

It's Included

  • Accommodations for 3 nights in the Bay of Islands
  • 5 meals—3 breakfasts and 2 dinners
  • 3 small group activities
  • Services of our own resident OAT Trip Leader
  • All transfers
Day 1
Arrive in Paihia

Your Trip Leader travels with you to Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island and transfers with you to the Bay of Islands. You arrive mid-afternoon and are free the rest of the day until late afternoon. You can relax from your trip and explore the subtropical environs. From our hotel you can take a short stroll to the beach, and a brief walk will take you to the town center of Paihia.

This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner at our hotel.
Day 2
Catamaran Cruise to Bay of Islands

After a leisurely breakfast, we walk from our hotel to the wharf. Today we explore the beauty of the Bay of Islands aboard a catamaran. Weather permitting, we make a passage through the naturally sculpted Hole in the Rock. We may spot local marine wildlife including dolphins, which inhabit these waters year-round, as well as seals, penguins, and even whales.

Our cruise will end at the peninsula town of Russell, New Zealand's first capital. Russell, a community with early ties to Europe, boasts many historic buildings such as Christ Church, which is the oldest church in New Zealand. We enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before our return trip on the ferry.
Day 3
Tour Waitangi Treaty House

After breakfast, we take a short ride to the Waitangi Treaty House and tour this historic site. The house was originally built as a simple four-room cottage in 1834 but has been restored and altered several times since then. It was here that representatives of the British Crown and many leading Maori chiefs of the North and South islands signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The Treaty is seen as the founding document that transformed the homeland the Maori called Aotearoa into the nation of New Zealand. The Treaty Grounds include period homes and a war canoe so large it is capable of carrying more than 80 warriors.

We return to the hotel in time for you to have lunch on your own. You have the afternoon free to continue exploring this delightful seaside area. You can choose to visit a museum, browse a bookstore, or just savor the quiet nature of a local walk. Outdoor activities include kayaking, snorkeling, golf, and swimming in the surf on one of the spectacular beaches. You can also follow one of the many enticing walking trails that lead you to views that will encourage you to linger.

Dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 4
Return to U.S.

After a breakfast, we transfer to Auckland for our flight home.