AAT Kings: Highlights of Australia and New Zealand 25/26

Settle into your hotel on the banks of the Yarra River and meet your Travel Director for a Welcome Reception and dinner at the South Wharf riverside pub, The General Assembly restaurant. It's a great opportunity to get to know everyone in a unique setting.

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne (1 night)

Join your Travel Director for a city sights tour that includes a private walk through Melbourne's famous hidden laneways. You'll discover the city's eclectic little lanes, arcades, café society and fascinating street art. There's time afterwards to explore on your own. Or, consider an optional experience to Phillip Island to see the nightly ritual of the Penguin Parade. Or simply relax and watch the world go by.

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne (1 night)

If you're still getting your bearings in Melbourne, take your time to wander, exploring its boutiques, galleries, and eclectic suburbs. Or, perhaps exploring the city on foot with a History and Donuts Walking Tour is more your thing. However, if you're ready to explore beyond the city limits, consider embarking on a journey along the Great Ocean Road. This legendary stretch of coastline truly lives up to its reputation as one of the most breathtaking touring routes globally. As you wind your way along this scenic route, be prepared to encounter breathtaking views at every turn, making it an unforgettable journey that truly showcases the natural beauty of Australia.

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne (1 night)

Some parts of Australia are so remote that the only way kids can get an education is remotely via the School of the Air. Your next stop is the birthplace of the Alice Springs township, the historic Telegraph Station. Being this far flung also means there’s no light pollution from cars or skyscrapers. The result? Unrivalled stargazing (and a BBQ feast) with the Falzon family at their eco-oriented Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre.

Staying in:

• Mercure Alice Springs Resort (1 night)

Travel from Alice Springs to Uluru, experiencing the rugged desert landscapes while learning about the geological history of Australia. Stopping at the Mt. Conner lookout before arriving at Ayers Rock Resort. In the heart of Australia, Uluru has been home to the Anangu for millennia. You will discover their connection to the land when you arrive in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park at sunset to watch the shifting colours transform the desert. Not ready to go home yet? Discuss with your Travel Director the option to elevate your evening with the exclusive Uluru Barbecue Dinner (own expense).

Staying in:

• Desert Gardens (1 night)

The only reason to get out of bed before dawn? For a magical Uluru sunrise. It’s a spiritual place, with stories of the Anangu, caretakers of this remote arid landscape revealed while you tour the base a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This is the countryside that First Nations artists immortalize in their paintings – try your hand at creating one during an intro to Western Desert Art, another MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. The red desert follows you to Kata Tjuta, where nature humbles as you walk through the towering domes of this ancient rock formation. Cheers to the end of another amazing day.

Staying in:

• Desert Gardens (1 night)

So the other reason to get up early is to view artist Bruce Munro’s installation Field of Light at dawn – 50,000 glowing spindles of light blanketing the desert. Later, an Anangu artist will explain just what makes it so spiritual over an introduction to Western Desert art, introducing totems and symbols important to the region and represented in paintings and installations. Head to your next stop in tropical Cairns.

Staying in:

• Hilton Hotel Cairns (1 night)

Cruising with crocs, a scenic railway ride into World Heritage listed rainforest, a wander along the Cairns Esplanade? Take to the skies for a bird’s eye view with a balloon flight over the Atherton Tablelands, the hot air ballooning capital of the southern hemisphere. Or, dive into nature learning traditional hunting and gathering skills as you search for bush tucker of mud crabs, fish, and mussels in the Daintree Rainforest. Taste and share your catch before a guided interpretive walk through the ancient rainforest. Another option is to take a historic rail journey winding across bridges and through tunnels to Kuranda village, nestled in a tropical rainforest to explore its colourful and interesting arts and crafts. Return to the lowlands on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over and through the some of the oldest rainforest in the world. You can also choose to pair your trip to Kuranda with a visit to Hartley’s Crocodile for a wetlands cruise through the ecologically significant Melaleuca wetlands, the home of the saltwater crocodile. Today the choice is yours. Celebrate the end of an incredible day at dinner on Cairns’ waterfront at Salt House for regional seafood plucked straight from the ocean, highlighting fresh, local ingredients, and prepared on their custom-built Argentinian wood fired grill.

Staying in:

• Hilton Hotel Cairns (1 night)

The world’s largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef, never fails to dazzle. Set out on a catamaran to explore this natural wonder of over 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. Strap on a snorkel or visit an underwater observatory and semi-submersible craft to take in the menagerie without getting your hair wet. A tropical buffet lunch is served on board before returning to Cairns.

Staying in:

• Hilton Hotel Cairns (1 night)

Touch down in Australia’s largest city and spend a day at leisure in the buzzing metropolis of Sydney. Take a stroll along the iconic harbour, visit one of the city’s many bars, pubs, or restaurants, or simply while away the day at the beach. You decide how best to enjoy this bustling city of delights.

Staying in:

• InterContinental Hotel Sydney (1 night)

Bring your stamina: today is one of innumerable highlights. Go on a tour of the Sydney Opera House, discovering its architectural and performance secrets. If these sails could talk. Then see the city from the water on a Sydney Harbour Highlight Lunch Cruise enjoying a menu focusing on local food and wine. See Circular Quay and Shark Island as well as magnificent waterfront homes, beaches, parklands, the Opera House's grand sails and the Harbour Bridge. One icon to another: The world’s most famous beach beckons this afternoon, with your chance to pad along the sand at Bondi with Sydney’s beautiful people.

Staying in:

• InterContinental Hotel Sydney (1 night)

Now you’ve found your bearings in Sydney, consider joining an Optional Experience to discover even more further afield. Take a day trip to the spectacular Blue Mountains, whose eucalypt haze you’ll see looming in the distance, for fresh mountain air and stunning natural scenery. Or why not linger around the harbour – perhaps it’s time to glimpse it from above on a Sydney BridgeClimb? This bird’s-eye view certainly puts things in perspective. Back at ground level, you’re in the heart of the Rocks, the city’s original colonial settlement and a place of cobbled alleys and private galleries. Finally, a Highlight Dinner back in the shadow of the Opera House at Midden restaurant. Because you’ll never tire of glimpsing this beauty.

Staying in:

• InterContinental Hotel Sydney (1 night)

All you have to do today is sit back and enjoy the view as you cross the Tasman to embark on your next adventure. Join your travelling companions for at The Grill, celebrating Aotearoa's culinary treasures. Expect the finest quality grassfed steaks, from 100% New Zealand owned and operated suppliers, and sustainable line-caught fish.

Staying in:

• Horizon by SkyCity Auckland (1 night)

If you didn’t get your city bearings yesterday, you will on an Auckland tour today. Have your camera poised as you reach Mission Bay, a dreamy waterside suburb where the blues patchwork to the horizon. Click! Then get snap happy once again at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, offering epic vistas over Auckland and its harbours. Click, click, click! Want some tips on how to spend your free afternoon in New Zealand’s largest city? How about going behind the scenes of the All Blacks, arguably the world’s most legendary rugby team?

Staying in:

• Horizon by SkyCity Auckland (1 night)

Get up close with NZ's national bird, the endangered kiwi, at a working nursery and hatchery. See how breeding programs help sustain the population. Then, immerse yourself in the Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, celebrating Māori history, traditions and future aspirations celebrated over forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) with chef choice aperitif, and a delicious three-course meal.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel Rotorua (1 night)

Leave Auckland behind and journey into the countryside for an exclusive family-style Be My Guest experience in the Red Barn on a working dairy farm. Over your farm to table morning tea prepared by the onsite chef, get a feel for country life as you're invited to roll up your sleeves and make your own butter - butter churners, tiny mason jars and all!. The feel-good vibes that endure will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense – there are ski fields, white-water river, and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel, Queenstown (1 night)

Bring your stamina and sense of adventure �� things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown’s gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil’s Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you’ve paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout and Cleddau Valley, you’ll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. You haven’t even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet… The best Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise sees you in the company of an eagle-eyed guide, who not only knows the immense geological history of the region, but can also point out sun-baking fur seals and playful dolphins.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel, Queenstown (1 night)

Take today’s Queenstown New Zealand tour at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a guided farm tour, including morning or afternoon tea,  in a dreamy alpine setting. Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight’s Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Café, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel, Queenstown (1 night)

Arrowtown, known for its charm, and Cromwell, for its stone fruit. Take a bite. Call in at the quaint, lakeside Church of the Good Shepherd welcomed by its friendly bronze sheepdog statue. As evening falls, you’re treated to a guided stargazing experience in the world-renowned UNESCO Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. See the famous Southern Cross, Magellanic Cloud, and Milky Way and getter a better look at these sparkling wonders with a powerful optical telescope.

Staying in:

• Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo (1 night)

Arrive into the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided visit. The city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.

Staying in:

• Distinction Christchurch Hotel (1 night)

Travel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, for a Be My Guest experience with the Bamford Family. Enjoy warm kiwi hospitality from Scotty and the team, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus Cattle. You will hear from Maria in the woolshed and view a sheep dog demonstration. Continue to local vineyard Waipara Springs Winery, where you will enjoy a platter style lunch among the vines.

Staying in:

• Distinction Christchurch Hotel (1 night)

How did three weeks disappear like that? Re-live all the memorable moments on your way home.