Day 1-2
LOS ANGELES
Depart Los Angeles’ LAX airport this evening. You lose a day in transit to Australia as you pass over the International Date Line.
Day 3-5
SYDNEY / LUXURY HOTEL
Upon early morning arrival in Sydney on Day 3, you are met and transferred to a nearby luxury hotel. This hotel is situated in an area of Sydney with historic importance and natural beauty that exudes the vibrant energy of a dynamic international city. Accommodation is in spacious and brilliantly appointed rooms with every conceivable luxury. A perfect place for relaxing with a drink while you enjoy the spectacular views of the harbor.
Tour Sydney’s highlights and Northern Beaches. Touring is totally flexible so share your interests with your guide. Your tours could focus on the natural beauty of Sydney Harbor and the surrounding National Parks. Visit the wilderness of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and see rock carvings made by ancient Aborigines or go through the nearby Hunter Valley wine growing region.
Take a bird's eye tour in a sea plane to see the beautiful harbor and the coastline along Sydney’s northern beaches. You then turn inland and fly over the majestic Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Hawkesbury River. Your flight sets down on the tranquil waters of Cowan Creek. Upon your arrival you disembark at the wharf to enjoy the best in modern Australian cuisine.
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Day 6
KANGAROO ISLAND / COUNTRY INN
On day 6, you will be met and transferred to the airport in order to board your commercial flight to Adelaide. In Adelaide you board your charter flight to Kangaroo Island. Upon arrival to Kangaroo Island you are met by your guide for your tour of the island. Adventure into the Redgum Forest in the Cygnet River Valley and seek out koalas sleeping in forks of trees. Go through some of the islands best wool producing areas to Lahtami Conservation Park. Take a guided walk through the habitat of kangaroos, tammar wallabies and endangered glossy black cockatoos.
You stop along the way to lunch on a delicious seafood barbeque accompanied by fine Australian wines.
Visit Seal Bay Conservation Park and view Australian sea lions on a beautiful white sandy beach. Watch pups nursing and playing in the surf while old bulls roar at one another over territorial disputes. Visit Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park including D’Estrees Bay, where ospreys nest and kangaroos come out late in the day to feed. Your guide may take you to Stokes Bay, one of Kangaroo Island’s best kept secrets.
Tour the Flinders Chase National Park, home to kangaroos, wallabies, possums, goannas, echnidas, koalas, platypus and a variety of birds including the rare Cape Barren Geese. Visit Rocky River Homestead, originally a small farm and now Park Headquarters. At Cape du Couedic observe a New Zealand fur seal colony as they frolic in the surf under Admirals Arch. Stop at the Couedic Lighthouse where you can explore the area and search for wallabies hiding about the shrubs while your guide prepares a delicious picnic lunch. Venture out to the Remarkable Rocks, huge natural granite sculptures atop seaside cliffs. Your guide tailors any remaining sightseeing time after discussing with you your personal interests.
You stay at a small country inn offering old-fashioned hospitality with a casual yet sophisticated ambiance. The lodge is set on a hillside with breathtaking views across the sea to the distant mainland. Hosts prepare delicious, fresh home-cooked meals using as much local produce as possible.
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Day 8-9
KANGAROO ISLAND / ADELAIDE / AYERS ROCK / HOTEL
After breakfast the morning of Day 8, your hosts transfer you to the airport in order to board your charter flight for Adelaide. Once you arrive in Adelaide you board your commercial flight for Ayers Rock. Upon arrival in Ayers Rock you are met and transferred to an award-winning hotel.
This afternoon you join a coach tour to experience the mysterious rock domes of Kata Tjuta. The Olgas are a cluster of rounded massive rocks equally mysterious. “Kata Tjuta,” meaning many heads, is the Aboriginal name from the Olga Ranges. Many of the domes are as tall as Ayers Rock and rise commandingly above the desert landscape.
You also take a group tour around Ayers Rock and enjoy the beauty of sunrise on the Rock. Ayers Rock is the world’s biggest monolith – one huge rock, 9 k in circumference, which rises 348 m above the plain on which it stands. This rock was part of sacred rituals of Aboriginals. As the day progresses, the rock changes color – witness shades of fiery reds, mauves, blues, pinks and browns.
Short guided walks take you to areas of special interest at the base of Uluru where Aboriginal art is viewed and culture and creation-time stories explained. Visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre where the work of Aboriginal artists is displayed. A picnic breakfast is served before returning to the hotel.
One of the evenings, you leave the comfort of your hotel just before sunset and journey to a special site in the desert where the sounds of the didgeridoo welcome you. Didgeridoos, a hollowed eucalypt branch, were originally used by Aboriginals as a ceremonial musical instrument.
Relaxation envelops you as you watch a brilliant outback sunset over Kata Tjuta with Desert Oaks framing the view, the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo, the Milky Way and the ‘sounds of silence.’ As the sun dips behind the many domes of Kata Tjuta, enjoy a selection of fine Australian beverages and sample delicious outback canapés. The sun has set; the horizon is glowing richly and the BBQ sizzles as the desert silhouettes blend with the darkening sky. Dinner is a feast of Northern Territory delights – barramundi, kangaroo, emu, bush salads and classic Australian desserts.
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Day 10
DAINTREE RAINFOREST / AWARD WINNING LODGE
On the morning of Day 10, after breakfast you are met and transferred to the airport in order to board your commercial flight to Cairns. Upon arrival in Cairns, Queensland you are met and transferred by vehicle to an award-winning lodge in the Daintree Rainforest (approximately one and one-half hours drive).
Daintree Rainforest National Park is among the oldest rainforests on earth. It is a living museum of one of the most complete and diverse biological records in existence. Relish in the sights, sounds and splendor of nature. Daintree is home to many rare and endemic flora and fauna, including tree-climbing kangaroos, carnivorous marsupials, white possums, yellow gliders, false vampires, forest dragons and burrowing frogs.
The Mossman River flows over granite boulders into clear pools below the lodge. In this aquatic environment, another habitat exists including a diverse variety of freshwater fish, turtles and crustaceans.
Your lodge is the Daintree’s ultimate resort set right on the Mossman River. Here you can experience the wonders of the oldest living rainforest in the world, enjoyed in a mood of elegance and ease. Accommodation is in freestanding “Rainforest Chalets” each with its own special vantage of the rainforest featuring private balconies. The lodge's restaurant, located on the property, is one of the Queensland’s premier dining experiences using the freshest local foods and fine Australian wines.
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Day 11
DAINTREE RAINFOREST / AWARD WINNING LODGE
Today you are met by your private driver to journey up to Daintree and Cape Tribulation in your four-wheel drive vehicle. Experience incredible coastal scenery - to your left you witness the spectacular Wet Tropics hinterland and stretching out to your right, the Great Barrier Reef.
You are met in Port Douglas by an experienced naturalist guide and taken to the Daintree River for an early morning River Cruise when the wildlife is most active. You discover a complex array of bird and animal life and it’s not uncommon to see fearsome Estuarine Crocodiles basking on the banks. In the Cape Tribulation National Park, you’ll find a myriad of bizarre and fascinating plants and animals on your guided walk through the rainforest. After a hearty BBQ lunch at a private site on the edge of Myall Creek, you go to a secluded part of Cape Tribulation for a stroll along deserted Myall Beach. After a scenic journey that allows you to relax and appreciate the beauty of this area, you are transferred back to your lodge.
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Day 12
BEDARRA ISLAND
On Day 12, you are met and transferred by private vehicle back to Cairns in order to board your commercial flight to Dunk Island. Upon arrival to Dunk Island you connect with your boat transfer to Bedarra Island.
Imagine a place where time is measured only by the pace of the sun - an island where a fortunate few can savor the finer things that life has to offer. That place is Bedarra, your private hideaway, an exclusive haven catering to those who desire a more civilized escape. With a tropical climate, a maximum of 32 guests and a no-children policy Bedarra is the perfect island destination (if you'd like to bring your children, ask EXPLORE, Inc. about an alternative island where children are welcome).
Your spacious two-level villa is crafted from native timbers and is nestled in native flora offering ocean views. You are only steps away from the beach in these spacious villas which feature separate living areas with private balconies. The island’s renowned chefs find ways to tempt you daily, including succulent local seafood and exotic tropical fruits for the discerning palate. If you opt to have a beachside luncheon, a picnic hamper brimming with gourmet delights is prepared for you.
While at Bedarra the emphasis is on peace and relaxation however a number of activities are available. Facilities include freshwater swimming pool, spa, catamaran sailing, sailboards, paddle skis, motorized dinghies, and fishing equipment coupled with the perfect atmosphere for leisure. Snorkeling and scuba diving trips, private fame fishing or yacht charters can be organized at an extra cost. Also, nearby Dunk Island has a variety of activities available to Bedarra guests including squash, croquet, a gymnasium and a 6-hole golf course. Activities at Dunk Island that incur additional costs are water skiing, parasailing, skydiving, horseback riding and jet ski trips.
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DAY 16
This morning you are transferred to the boat dock in order to water taxi to Dunk Island for your commercial flight to Cairns and then on to Sydney. After arriving in Sydney, you board your international flight toward arriving in Los Angeles on the same day (after going back over the International Date Line).
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Approximate Cost of Tour:
Please call EXPLORE, Inc. at 888-596-6377
Tour Includes:
All ground and air charter transportation upon landing in Australia, all accommodations, meals as indicated in itinerary; park fees in Kangaroo Island; and activities in itinerary.
Tour Excludes:
U.S. domestic and international airfare; internal Australian commercial flights – see flight details below; medical immunizations; airport departure tax; accident/baggage/medevac and cancellation insurance; passport fees; excursions deviating from the scheduled tour; excess baggage charges; medical expenses; airport departure fees and taxes; meals not included in itinerary; gratuities to guides and staff; telephone or fax charges; room service; and other items of a purely personal nature.
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