Amazing Australia

Your itinerary

Days 1 - 2: UK/Perth

Meet your travelling companions in the executive lounge prior to your scheduled flight.

Day 3: Perth

We arrive in the beautiful city of Perth in the early hours of Day 3, for a four night stay. A welcome dinner is included.

Days 4 - 5: Perth

Experience has shown us that most people appreciate the opportunity to relax and rest after their flight, so we have allowed plenty of time for this and also to explore the delightful surroundings of Perth.

Perth is the ideal first stop for our Australian extravaganza! This beautiful city, with its neighbouring port of Fremantle, is one of the most envied locations in the world in which to live. The golden beaches, superb restaurants, lush green parks, stunning broad expanses of the Swan River and lovely warm climate give the visitor a fine introduction to the relaxed, contented lifestyle of modern day Australia.

A half day sightseeing tour is included during our stay and you can join our fascinating optional excursions including a cruise on the Swan River in Fremantle and a full day drive to the gigantic Wave Rock.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Ayers Rock

Morning transfer for our flight to Ayers Rock. During the afternoon we will visit the mysterious Olgas, a nearby range of 28 spectacular rock domes.

Ayers Rock, situated in the Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park, is one of the world’s most remarkable sights. This gigantic sandstone monolith is also a cherished Aboriginal shrine, and remains the property of the Anangu tribe of the Northern Territory. The rock is two miles long, 1,000ft high and six miles around the base. It changes colour dramatically with the light and is a quite wondrous sight at sunrise and sunset. We are at Ayers Rock for both these awe-inspiring moments, with sunset included today. Enjoy a ‘Sounds of Silence’ dinner this evening.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 7: Ayers Rock & Alice Springs

Up early to visit Ayers Rock for sunrise, and the chance for the more energetic to climb to the top! There will also be a tour of the base to see the caves and Aboriginal rock paintings. During the afternoon we will travel through the heart of Australia, stopping en route at a camel farm, where you may take a camel ride if you wish. We’ll arrive early evening in Alice Springs for a two night stay.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Alice Springs

Alice Springs is situated amid a vast area of natural springs and shimmering red desert. You can join an optional excursion into the spectacular MacDonnell mountain range to see the Standby Chasm.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 9: Alice Springs & Cairns

A half-day sightseeing tour is included, showing you the flying doctor base, the old telegraph station and the famous School of the Air (when open) to see the children being educated over the wireless. There will also be an opportunity to take a dawn balloon flight over the outback (weather permitting). Afternoon flight to Cairns, a lively seaside resort situated on the Great Barrier Reef, for a four-night stay.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Cairns

Today we include a trip by catamaran to the Outer Great Barrier Reef with lunch also included. The Great Barrier Reef is variously described as the world’s largest living thing, the eighth wonder of the world and the marine equivalent of Ayers Rock. It is a stupendous 1,400 mile wonderland of breathtakingly beautiful coral and colourful marine life, studded with unspoilt tropical islands. Our journey takes us right to the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Go snorkelling amidst the marine life and colourful corals, visit an underwater observatory, take a cruise in a semisubmersible submarine, or even just relax on the sundeck with a drink – the choice is yours!

Meals: Breakfast / lunch

Days 11 - 12: Cairns

Now that we are halfway through our tour it’s time to relax and soak up some sunshine! Cairns enjoys an idyllic location, sandwiched between the deep blue ocean and lush green tropical forests. There are plenty of excursion possibilities. The most popular is a ride on the Kuranda Railway which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys. The track burrows through 15 tunnels and traverses 40 bridges as it clings to the rock face along a narrow coastal strip.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 13: Sydney

We take an early morning flight to Sydney for a four night stay. On arrival, we will have an included city sightseeing tour. Sydney is Australia’s biggest and most exciting city. The centre is surprisingly compact and can be explored easily on foot. The world-famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House dominate the vast and picturesque harbour. We include a half day sightseeing tour, featuring Bondi Beach, Hyde Park, Darling Harbour and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Meals: Breakfast

Days 14 - 16: Sydney

You are free to enjoy the exciting atmosphere and sheer beauty of Australia’s premier city, or join our optional excursions including a drive to the Blue Mountains and Wildlife Park to see the koalas, possums, wombats and kangaroos, which you may well have already seen in the wild whilst in the outback. There are opportunities to enjoy a harbour cruise and the shopping is excellent.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 17: Canberra

We leave Sydney by coach for the drive to the beautifully landscaped capital city, Canberra for an overnight stay. Our included city sightseeing tour features the government buildings and the Prime Minister’s Lodge. En route to Canberra we will stop at a sheep station for a sheep shearing demonstration. BBQ lunch and entry to the Glenloch station is included.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch

Day 18: Melbourne

We drive to Melbourne for an included city sightseeing tour in the afternoon, and a three night stay. Colonial style buildings, beautiful parks, wealthy garden suburbs, wide boulevards and trams make Melbourne the most European of Australia’s cities. It has a sophisticated, more formal atmosphere yet is sports crazy! It is the home of Australian Rules Football, the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Melbourne Cup and the finest restaurants in Australia. On our included sightseeing tour we will see Captain Cook’s cottage and the old gaol where Ned Kelly was held prisoner.

Meals: Breakfast

Days 19 - 20: Melbourne

You are free to relax, or explore Melbourne further at your own pace. You can also browse through the shops, or join our optional afternoon visit to Philip Island for the remarkable Penguin Parade. On the final evening enjoy a five course farewell dinner in a colonial tramcar restaurant.

Meals: B (day 19). B/D (day 20)

Day 21: Melbourne/UK

Morning free before returning to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 22: UK

Arrive in the UK.