CRUISING DOWN UNDER - AUSTRALIA & NEW
ZEALAND BY LAND & SEA WESTBOUND ITINERARY:
2009 Eastbound Itinerary
Eastbound: Departs Sydney, Australia
Inquire for Westbound itinerary.
• Indicates day of cruising
Day 1: Tour Sydney Opera House & cruise Sydney Harbour
Tauck's Australia / New Zealand cruise begins on land at the
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. A transfer is included from Sydney
Airport to Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Get a tour and a look
behind the scenes of the famous Sydney Opera House, an
architectural masterpiece with a billowing sail roof design.
Then enjoy the welcome cocktail reception on a cruise in Sydney
Harbour, followed by a waterfront dinner facing the impressive
night skyline. Spend six nights in Sydney and Queensland before
the start of your Australia and New Zealand cruise.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 2: Explore sophisticated Sydney and visit Taronga Zoo
Sightseeing in this cosmopolitan city includes historic
districts, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and famed beaches. Then get
acquainted with some of the more than 2,000 endangered or rare
animals that reside at the award-winning Taronga Zoo. The rest
of the day is yours to spend as you please in Sydney.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 3: Discover Sydney at leisure
There's a lot to see and do within a short walk from your
hotel in the heart of Sydney; spend the day exploring on your
own.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 4: Fly to the Coral Sea
Fly to Cairns, and travel to Port Douglas at the edge of the
Coral Sea. Enjoy your beachfront, five-star hotel with pools and
saltwater lagoons for swimming for the next three nights prior
to your return to Sydney for the start of your 12-night
Australia and New Zealand cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas,
Australia
Day 5: Great Barrier Reef Cruise
Cruise to the Great Barrier Reef, the longest coral reef
system in the world. Learn about the fragile coral ecosystem
from a marine biologist, and observe it first-hand from a
glass-bottom boat. Swim or snorkel over the underwater coral
gardens.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas,
Australia
Day 6: Visit the Cairns Tropical Zoo
Kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and wombats are just a few of
the Australian and non-Australian animals you'll meet on a visit
to the Cairns Tropical Zoo this morning; spend the remainder of
the day as you please at your resort.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas,
Australia
• Day 7: Embark on cruise ship
Fly to Sydney, and board the Diamond Princess for the start
of your Australia and New Zealand cruise. Set sail headed south
for Melbourne. For dinner, select from a variety of cuisines,
from Asian-fusion to Italian and American Southwest.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 8: Australia / New Zealand cruise begins with coastal
Australia
During this full day of cruising, choose from numerous
on-board activities. Participate in the ScholarShip@Sea™
enrichment series, get pampered in the luxurious Lotus Spa®, or
simply enjoy the four swimming pools and the views.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 9: Magnificent Melbourne
Dock in Melbourne for a city tour, highlighted by the High
Victorian architecture of Parliament House; the Gothic Revival
architecture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral; and the varied
collections of the Melbourne Museum. A highlight today is lunch
aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant as it winds it's way
through the historic streets of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 10: Entertainment at sea
Enjoy on-board activities while continuing your Australia
and New Zealand cruise to the island state of Tasmania. Visit
the boutiques and art gallery, work out in the fitness center,
or relax in the library. For evening entertainment, take in a
Broadway musical, try your luck in the casino, see a first-run
film, relax in the piano bar, or go dancing in a nightclub with
an ocean view.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 11: Tasmania’s charm and infamy
Dock in Hobart, and travel the Tasman Peninsula to the Port
Arthur Historic Site, an infamous 19th-century penal colony.
Gain insight into the harsh convict life, and have lunch. Your
New Zealand cruise begins tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 12 & 13: New Zealand cruise across the Tasman Sea
While heading to New Zealand cruise the Tasman Sea. Spend
two days aboard ship with endless on-board activities to choose
from; learn new skills at a computer class, send messages home
in the Internet Café, attend an art auction, or go to a wine
tasting. Or you may want to test your knowledge in a quiz show,
take a yoga class or head to the sports deck.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner on both days
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 14: Fiordland National Park
Upon arrival in the waters of New Zealand cruise Fiordland
National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ice-age glaciers
carved fiords flanked by steep mountains, making the area
impenetrable except by water. There are snow-capped mountains,
rivers gushing from ice floes, and plunging waterfalls. View
Milford Sound, a highlight on any New Zealand cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 15: Dunedin & Queenstown
Arrive in Dunedin, known for its rich Scottish heritage.
Take a charter flight to Queenstown, set on the shores of Lake
Wakatipu at the base of the Remarkables mountain range; explore
the town, and return to the ship.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 16: Christchurch plus Mount Cook flight
Tour the quintessentially English city of Christchurch,
where sights include the Gothic Revival Christ Church Cathedral;
the Botanic Gardens; and the Bridge of Remembrance. Board a
private charter flight to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the
Southern Alps.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 17: Activities at sea
Heading towards the North Island of New Zealand cruise the
coast on a last full day at sea. Take the opportunity to indulge
yourself with a spa treatment, a spin of the roulette wheel, a
bidding number at the art auction, an interesting class, or a
decadent dessert you’ve been denying yourself!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 18: Geysers and sheep
Your New Zealand cruise docks in Tauranga; take the Tauck
private shore excursion to Rotorua. See geysers, mineral
springs, and bubbling mud pools on a walking tour through
Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. Enjoy lunch at Longlands Farm, a
working dairy farm, and visit the Agrodome, a working sheep and
cattle farm.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
Day 19: Vineyards and wineries
Tauck's Australia and New Zealand cruise concludes when you
disembark from the Diamond Princess in Auckland - and land
sightseeing continues! Take a ferry to Waiheke Island, hosting
vineyards, olive groves, pristine beaches, and art studios. Tour
boutique wineries, taste award-winning wines, and view artistic
renderings of the picturesque landscape.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand
Day 20: Auckland agenda
Explore Auckland, highlighted by a visit to the Auckland War
Memorial Museum. Peruse collections of Pacific island artifacts,
extinct wildlife, and interpretive history exhibits; attend a
Maori music and dance performance. Share travel stories of your
New Zealand cruise at the farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand
Day 21: Homeward bound
Squeeze in a few additional Auckland sights prior to your
departure. Tour ends: Auckland, New Zealand. A transfer is
included from The Langham, Auckland to Auckland Airport. Allow a
minimum of 2 ˝ hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
Book your departure on this transformational Australia and New
Zealand cruise and land tour today.
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