A South Pacific Odyssey: Australia, the Outback & New Zealand

The Healesville Sanctuary, a small wildlife refuge nestled in the lush landscapes of along the Watts Rivers, features animals only native to Australia. Our visit here will include a guided walking tours and perhaps opportunities to feed wildlife. A natural oasis located just an hour outside of Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges offer visitors a tranquil escape from the bustling city with its fern gullies, mountain ash forests, quaint artists’ villages, and unique gardens. While there, we’ll wander through fern-blanketed glades and lush woodlands with a local guide.

Next, we’ll ascend 2,077 feet above sea level to Dandenong’s Sky High Lookout for a sweeping view of the region below.

On this half-day tour, you can discover the best of Australia's wildlife all in one place, from alligators, cassowaries, and wombat to koalas, emus, kangaroos, wallabies, and more. You'll also enjoy a boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon to view crocodiles and other wildlife up close in a coastal wetland setting. There are numerous daily wildlife presentations, along with about 1.5 miles of timber boardwalks and pathways where you can explore on your own. Lunch is included at a beachfront restaurant in Palm Cove before returning to our hotel in Cairns. This optional tour also requires a minimum of six travelers. 

On this half-day optional excursion, we’ll explore the Dart River on jet-boats in Mount Aspiring National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We travel overland along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy, a frontier town at the base of the Southern Alps. Here we board a jet-boat for a journey across the lake with snowcapped mountain backdrops featured in The Lord of the Rings. On the return trip to Glenorchy, our driver will put our jet-boat through its paces, showing how it can make high-speed precision turns and 360-degree spins. Jet-boats were invented in New Zealand for shallow, braided rivers like the Dart, and this is a thrilling way to view some of the country’s finest alpine scenery. After returning to Glenorchy we ride back to Queenstown.

Venturing deep into the ancient New Zealand forest, we'll walk on swing bridges and cruise on ziplines as we learn about flora and fauna from a personal resident guide, and discover how this eco-focused company has endeavored to regenerate the forest in this region.