Australia and New Zealand November 16-29, 2013 Land Package Price: TBA (based on double occupancy) Land Package Price Includes: Airfare from Hilo to Honolulu to Sydney/Melbourne to Christchurch to Rotorua/Auckland to Honolulu to Hilo Hotel Accommodations Ground transportation between airports and hotels, as well as to sites as indicated in itinerary Admission as indicated in itinerary Meals as indicated in itinerary Tour Escort from Hawaii
November 16, 2013 Day One Saturday Hilo / Honolulu / Sydney A morning flight will take us to Honolulu to meet our Hawaiian Air flight to Sydney, Australia. November 17, 2013 Day Two Sunday Sydney / Melbourne We will arrive in Sydney by mid-evening where we will pass through customs and immigration formalities before transferring to another flight to Melbourne. Upon arrival in Melbourne, we will go directly to our hotel. November 18, 2013 Day Three Monday Melbourne (B,D) We will start this morning with a visit to the 64 acre Fitzroy Gardens. There we will visit Captain Cook s Cottage and the Fitzroy Conservatory, which are centerpieces of the Fitzroy Gardens. The Como House is a large home from the colonial period and preserves its beautiful architecture and landscaping. We end the morning with a stop at an Opal Shop to see how the gems are mined. In the afternoon, we are off to Phillip Island to see the Little Penguin Parade this evening. Once we arrive we will have dinner until it becomes dark enough to see the Little Penguins return from a day of feeding at sea. They will scurry ashore and return to their shoreline burrows where they spend their nights. November 19, 2013 Day Four Tuesday Melbourne / Sydney (B,L,D) We return to Sydney this morning. As soon as we arrive, we are off to visit the Tobruk Sheep Station. Here we will see sheep shearing and sheep dogs working the flock. You will also have a chance to throw a boomerang and crack a whip. A barbecue lunch is prepared for us just as they would if they were working the sheep out on the range. November 20, 2013 Day Five Wednesday Sydney / Christchurch (B) Today is our tour of the city. We start with a visit to Paddy's Market for a bit of shopping before we head on over to Wildlife World to see some of Australia's unique animals and a chance to get up close to a Koala Bear. Next we have a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House and given a the history and architecture of the House. Still ahead is a visit to the Rocks with its winding streets and sandstone buildings and a chronological overview of Sydney in the 19th century. We go on to Mrs. Macquarie s Chair then travel through Sydney's trendy new district, Oxford Street and the elegant Paddington with its terrace houses that overlook the Pacific Ocean. An early evening flight will take us on to Christchurch, New Zealand. After our arrival and we must clear customs and immigration before going directly to our airport area hotel for the night.
November 21, 2013 Day Six Thursday Christchurch / Hokitika / Franz Josef(B,D) Before leaving Christchurch we will visit the International Antarctic Centre. The unique relationship between Christchurch and Antarctica was established a century ago when the great explorers like Scott and Shackleton used the city and the port of Lyttelton as their last stop before heading South. Here they recreate the atmosphere of Antarctica and provide visitors with an interactive, fun and exciting experience of the Great White South. Our next destination is Hokitika, a small town on the southwestern coast of South Island. Along the way, you will notice that the flora and fauna reminds you of much of what we have here in Hawaii in the volcano area. Here we will visit a Jade Factory, known as greenstone in New Zealand. November 22, 2013 Day Seven Friday Franz Josef / Queenstown (B, D) Our first stop will be to see the Franz Josef Glacier with the rainforest at its feet. We will then continue heading south. Along the way we will make a brief stop at Mrs. Jones Fruit Stand in Cromwell where fresh and dried fruit grown here are sold. Apples will be in season. Ahead is a stop at AJ Hacket Bungy Jump Centre at the Kawarau Bridge to see some brave souls jump. From here we will make a stop at Gibbston Valley Winery for their cave and winery tour. We will then ride a gondola up to the 2786 foot top of Bob s Peak. From here, Lake Wakatipu can be seen below and as far as the Cecil and Walter Peaks. November 23, 2013 Day Eight Saturday Milford Sound Excursion (B,L) Our destination today is Milford Sound and to get there we travel through the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys to the Homer Tunnel. The drive combines scenery of mountains, lakes, gorges, rainforests and waterfalls. We will be cruising Milford Sound where we see the cascading Bowen and Stirling Falls, sparkling Pembroke Glacier and Mitre Peak. At Seal Point, fur seals may be seen. A buffet lunch is provided during the cruise. November 24, 2013 Day Nine Sunday Queenstown Dunedin (B,D) It is time to move on for Dunedin. Part of our journey northeastward will be onboard the Taeiri Gorge Train. Along the way we are shown the spectacular and contrasting scenery of the Taieri Gorge. Dunedin is New Zealand s oldest city possessing a unique combination of cultural riches, fine architecture and world-famous wildlife reserves on the Otago Peninsula. In the city, we will stop for a visit at Cadbury World, a chocolate themed attraction and one of just three that Cadbury has around the world. From there, we will have a guided tour of Olveston House, a large historical home that preserves the wide variety of treasures the Theomin family collected over the years. A stop at the Otago Museum allows us to visit their Discover World Tropical Forest which brings you face to face with hundreds of beautiful, live exotic butterflies.
Tonight we will enjoy the traditional Scottish Haggis ceremony. It is a rousing ceremony of bagpipes, the haggis, whiskey from Dunedin s own distillery, Robbie Burn s famous address to the Haggis and the participation of the audience. November 25, 2013 Day Ten Monday Dunedin - Christchurch (B,D) As we leave heading northward along the east coast, we will stop to ponder about how the Moeraki Boulders came to be. Maori legend has it that the boulders were originally kai-hinaki(food baskets) that were washed ashore when a canoe was shipwrecked while searching for precious greenstones. At LakeTekapo, we will stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd and see the bronze Collie Sheep Dog statue. The statue honors the hard working animals who played a vital role in the residents' lives. Weather permitting, we may see Mount Cook, the highest peak within New Zealand s Southern Alps. At Christchurch, we will have a brief drive-thru tour of the city. November 26, 2013 Day Eleven Tuesday Christchurch / Rotorua (B,D) We leave on an early flight to North Island. Our midmorning arrival in Rotorua allows us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Maori culture. We will spend the day at Te Puia, the former Maori Arts and Craft Institute, in the geothermal valley of Te Whakarewarewa. In the valley we will see the multitude of geysers, mud pools and boiling spring waters. We will also visit Pikirangi, a Maori Village, which replicates a pre-european Maori Village. The last stop will be a visit to their Kiwi House, where we discover the nocturnal world of the New Zealand Kiwi bird in a specially lit enclosure. Tonight a Maori Hangi Dinner and Concert will bring our day to an entertaining end. November 27, 2013 Day Twelve Wednesday Rotorua Auckland (B,D) We continue our journey north through New Zealand's pine forests, cattle pastures, coal country, and vineyards. Our highlight today will be in Waitomo and its Glow Worm Grotto. We will have a guided tour of the limestone cave and a boat ride through the darkness where the numerous insects' glow reflect off the water deep underground. November 28, 2013 Day Thirteen Thursday Auckland / Honolulu / Hilo (B) On our last day we will take a tour of the city. Nicknamed for the yachts lining its cityscape, the "City of Sails" is New Zealand's largest urban area. This includes fantastic views of the beautiful Waitemata Harbor, a tour the downtown area and the America's Cup Village. You will visit Viaduct Harbour and Auckland's famous Queen Street before going on through the Auckland Domain. The Domain is the city's oldest and one of its largest parks, situated on a 62,000 year old volcano. At Parnell Village, New Zealand's oldest suburb, the historic buildings have been transformed into a trendy shopping area with many boutiques, antique, craft and specialty shops.
A late evening flight on Hawaiian Air will take us directly back to Honolulu. Because we recross the International Dateline once more, we will arrive on the morning of day we left Auckland. After immigration and customs formalities, we have just one last flight to get back to Hilo.