Australia and New Zealand Panorama

Settle into your hotel on the banks of the Yarra River and meet your Travel Director to walk to the South Wharf riverside for dinner at a popular restaurant in the area. It’s a great opportunity to get to know everyone in a unique setting.

Get out and see the sights today on a guided walk with your Travel Director discovering the little lanes, arcades, and café society of stylish Melbourne. Gaze up at the beautiful Victorian façades lining grand boulevards. Stroll past famous, edgy street art that shows a stylish contrast to federation buildings and churches as Melbourne’s coffee aroma wafts overhead. Discover more of Melbourne over a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience tour and walk at Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery. Make a positive impact while you learn about Koorie peoples, cultures and communities. There's time afterwards to explore the city on your own, enjoy an optional experience to Phillip Island to see the nightly ritual of the Penguin Parade. Or simply relax and watch the world go by.

Things start to heat up in Cairns, the heart of Tropical North Queensland. Jump aboard a cruise at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures to discover some of the wildlife that calls this part of the state home, koalas, wallabies and crocs among them. Now that you’ve appreciated the beauty of the area, you can put your passion into practice helping with a Rainforest Restoration project, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, to protect the natural wonder of the nearby Notophyll Vine Forest, an area older than the Amazon. By jumping in and helping the team plant trees, you’re supporting the protection of this rare type of dry rainforest from development and restoring it to an important wildlife corridor of native birds. Talk about a feel-good day. *If you are departing on an early flight from Melbourne, a boxed breakfast will be provided.

Did you know that the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is home to 1,500 species of fish, 215 different birds, 3,000 molluscs, six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, and 30 species of dolphins and whales are residents? Set sail on a high-speed catamaran for these tropical waters then explore this underwater wonderland up close donning your mask and fins for a snorkel (equipment provided). You’ll feel like a fish in an aquarium weaving through the rainbow of reefs and fish. Or, choose to stay dry in your semi-submersible, air-conditioned craft with an underwater observatory to have a different view of these tropical species. However you choose to explore, you’ll love learning the insights on the reef the colourful fish and plants that call it home from your local guide. On board you’ll be treated to a buffet lunch and afternoon tea and coffee to soak up the Aussie sun before you cruise back into Cairns.

Today is a free day to do as you choose. A great optional experience is the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. Be amazed as you travel over and through World Heritage rainforest, explore quaint Kuranda village and later board the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway for the return journey. If you’d prefer to spend the day relaxing by your hotel pool or sitting back at a local café you can do that too! In the evening meet up with your traveling companions for a dining experience at a restaurant on the Cairns waterfront.

Fly from Cairns to Sydney. The rest of the day is yours to do as you wish. You could walk to the Art Gallery of NSW or to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair for a panoramic views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Ask your Travel Director for evening dining suggestions.

Sydney is home to many famous landmarks, with the Sydney Opera House being one of the most notable. You will take a guided tour of this unique building to learn about its architecture and the renowned artists who have performed there. Next a visit to Bondi Beach and a special behind-the-scenes tour of Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. This members' only club has granted us special access. You'll be shown around the club and learn about the club's history and lifesaving operations. Following this, your Surf Life Saving guide will host a Be My Guest lunch at the Bondi RSL club with views across this famous beach and out to the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards, enjoy a Sydney Harbour cruise to view the Opera House from the water, along with sights like Circular Quay, Shark Island, impressive mansions, beaches, and parks. The cruise also takes you under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, offering a memorable experience.

You could spend weeks exploring Sydney. Months even. But you have today, so get set for a wild ride. Your agenda is completely up to you, but we have more than a few ideas. Perhaps book an optional experience for a bird’s-eye perspective of the city on a Sydney BridgeClimb? Or take a tour to the Blue Mountains to view the famous Three Sisters. This evening, celebrate Sydney at dinner with your travelling companions.

New Zealand's adventure capital, Queenstown, awaits. Explore the alpine village and stunning Lake Wakatipu, then enjoy walkable bars and restaurants. Ask your Travel Director for tips.

Get a taste of country life combined with good old fashioned southern hospitality as you meet a ‘Southerner’ local female farmer at Real Country. Have demonstrations of Horse communication and Working sheep dog mustering. Try your hand at a Stock whip cracking lesson, and feed and interact with the friendly farm animals. For every guest on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Then you'll think you've stepped back in time when you arrive in the former gold-mining village of Arrowtown, where history and beauty merge to create an unforgettable experience. Nestled in the scenic Southern Alps, you can explore quaint shops and restaurants, all while taking in the stunning views. Come dusk, cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw; the only thing more inspiring than the surrounding peaks of the Remarkables is the festive atmosphere welcoming you to Walter Peak High Country Farm, where a gourmet barbecue at the Colonel’s Homestead awaits.

You could spend a long time in and around Queenstown. But on your free day, we highly recommend an optional experience. Either venturing into the end-of-the-Earth wilderness that is Piopiotahi (Milford Sound), to cruise past sheer cliffs, white-capped peaks and waterfalls. Or blissing out on an obligatory wine tour of the Otago region. It’s a difficult decision.

After touching down in Auckland, you'll board your coach for the drive to Rotorua, the cultural capital, where you will immerse yourself in Māori history and culture.

Your visit to the National Kiwi Hatchery is guided by passionate conservationists and will give you fascinating insights into New Zealand's national bird on this rewarding MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Rotorua's landscapes are reminiscent of a sci-fi movie set where mud pops from bubbling geysers and steam rushes skywards. See it first-hand on your guided walk at the Maori Village of Ohinemutu, another MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Explore its geothermal landscapes, sacred sites, ancestral stories, St Faith’s Church, and rich cultural traditions with a local kaitiaki (guardian). This evening, embark on the Te Pō experience at Te Puia. Learn about Learn about Maori history and culture on this guided experience, including a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. Witness a pōwhiri (traditional welcome), waiata (song), mōteatea (traditional chant) poi and haka. Then view the Pohutu Geyser, one of New Zealand's geothermal wonderlands, followed by a buffet dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine.

Set your GPS for the Waitomo Caves. While cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. The next thing that glows on your horizon is Auckland. This evening, share the stories of your Australia and New Zealand Panorama tour at dinner with your Travel Director and companions at The Grill, celebrating Aotearoa's culinary treasures.

Two countries, multiple adventures, an abundance of new friends… Just how do you say goodbye to a journey like this?