The Very Best of Australia 2012/2013

Australia Luxury Holiday - 26-day Escorted Tour

Culture and landscapes are dramatically interwoven on this epic and moving holiday through a powerful country, discovering indigenous legends, iconic landmarks and incredible natural surroundings.

Tour highlights
• Uncovering the different characters of Singapore, Perth, Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney
• Gazing at the colourful displays in Singapore’s National Orchid Garden
• Watching Ayers Rock light up and glow in the incredible sunset
• Spending a night on The Ghan, Australia’s legendary scenic train (optional)
• Roaming the landscape at Cleland Wildlife Park in search of kangaroos and wallabies
• Touring Sydney's famous Opera House
• Swimming or snorkelling in crystal waters amongst tropical fish and colourful coral at the Great Barrier Reef
• Cruising around Sydney Harbour to see the dramatic and iconic skyline first hand

Extend your Holiday
Decisions decisions. At the end of your Australia tour, three more options await. You can choose from two contrasting Australian experiences, with either a visit to the Blue Mountains National Park, staying in a wonderful resort and spa amidst lush greenery, or a trip to the sublime Hayman Island; a luxurious resort close to the Great Barrier Reef. Or, you might like to discover a completely different corner of the world, with a tour around the sights of lively and exotic Bangkok.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Depart Heathrow
Join your Tour Manager in the executive lounge before you board your flight.
Meals: In-flight.

Day 2 Arrive Singapore
You’ll transfer from the airport to your centrally located hotel, where you can settle in and relax. There’s time to venture into Singapore before joining your Tour Manager and fellow travellers for this evening’s welcome drinks.
Meals: In-flight.
Hotel: Swissôtel The Stamford.

Day 3 Singapore
This morning’s sightseeing tour takes in Singapore’s modern and historic districts. You’ll visit Thian Hock Keng, Singapore’s oldest Buddhist Taoist temple, see the famous Merlion statue and pass through Chinatown. You’ll also visit the wonderful National Orchid Garden, where the incredible displays of over 60,000 delicate plants include over 1,000 varieties and over 2,000 hybrids. This afternoon, you’re free to discover a host of entertainment options in this lively and diverse city.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Swissôtel The Stamford.

Day 4 Singapore to Perth
This morning you’ll fly to Perth where your Australian adventure begins. Spend the rest of the afternoon settling into your hotel, ready for the next day’s sightseeing.
Meals: In-flight.
Hotel: Parmelia Hilton.

Day 5 Perth
Today’s tour of Perth and Fremantle starts with a visit to Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, which has beautiful views over the Swan River. Your next stop is bustling Cottesloe Beach, loved for its glorious sands and clear coastline. You’ll then head to the district of Fremantle; a cultural and entertainment centre with colonial architecture and quaint streets, where you’ll find vibrant restaurants and a number of fine art galleries.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Parmelia Hilton.

Day 6 Perth
On today’s free day, you might like to take the ferry over to Rottnest Island to explore its beautiful bays and discover the unusual wildlife, including the quokka – a small marsupial that looks like a tiny kangaroo.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Parmelia Hilton.

Day 7 Perth to Ayers Rock
After your flight to Ayers Rock, your exploration of this rugged, 500 million year old landscape begins with a drive to Kata Tjuta, known as the Olgas, where the huge red domes rise out of the barren plain into vivid blue skies. On a guided walk through Walpa Gorge, you’ll learn about the region’s cultural significance and unique flora and fauna. Then you’ll watch the sun set over Ayers Rock, lighting the landscape with a shimmering glow.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sails in the Desert.

Day 8 Ayers Rock
After a guided base tour of Ayers Rock, you’ll stop by the Aboriginal Cultural Centre for an insight into aboriginal history and art. The afternoon is free to spend as you choose, before you venture out under the dark twinkling sky for dinner at the mesmerising Sound of Silence experience.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Hotel: Sails in the Desert.

Day 9 Ayers Rock to Alice Springs
Journeying through Australia’s amazing desert landscape, you’ll arrive at Alice Springs, the heart of the ‘Red Centre’, for a tour that includes the old Telegraph Station, the Flying Doctor base and the School of the Air, which currently educates 160 children living across an area of more than a million square kilometres.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs.

Day 10 Alice Springs
You have a free day to explore this fascinating frontier community. Discovered in 1871, ‘The Alice’ was originally no more than a welcome watering hole for pioneers stringing a telegraph wire from Darwin to Adelaide.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs.

Day 11 Alice Springs to Adelaide
Depending on the option you’ve booked, you’ll either take a lunchtime flight to Adelaide in South Australia, or board The Ghan for an epic, overnight journey on this legendary scenic train.
Meals: Breakfast, (Lunch, Dinner inc on The Ghan).
Hotel: Hilton Adelaide or on board The Ghan.

Day 12 Adelaide
If you fly from Alice Springs, you now have the whole day free to explore. A trip to Kangaroo Island, known by the locals as KI, is a rewarding way to spend the day, amongst the diverse landscape of soaring cliffs, dense forest and native wildlife. Or you might like to visit one of the fascinating and often moving museums, including the nostalgic Museum of Childhood. If you’re travelling on The Ghan, you’ll arrive in Adelaide at lunchtime.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Hilton Adelaide.

Day 13 Adelaide
On this morning’s tour, you’ll see Victoria Square in the heart of the city, the majestic Parliament House and the grand boulevard of King William Street. Travelling out of the city into the lush green belt, you’ll visit Cleland Wildlife Park, whose inhabitants include kangaroos, wallabies, emus and waterfowl.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Hilton Adelaide.

Day 14 Adelaide to Melbourne
Once your flight lands in Melbourne, you’re free to explore, and we recommend a stroll through the stunning central parklands, including the fine Royal Botanic Gardens.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sofitel Melbourne.

Day 15 Melbourne
This morning’s tour starts with a visit to Captain Cook’s Cottage in Fitzroy Gardens. You’ll see Westgate Bridge, an amazing feat of engineering high above the River Yarra, before your final stop is St Kilda, on the most picturesque point of the bay.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sofitel Melbourne.

Day 16 Melbourne
Today is a free day, and your Tour Manager will have plenty of ideas for you. You might like to wander Rose Street artists’ market, shop in the boutiques on Brunswick Street, browse the collections at the National Gallery of Victoria or take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sofitel Melbourne.

Day 17 Melbourne to Cairns
Arriving into Cairns this afternoon, the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Hilton Cairns.

Day 18 Cairns
Today you have a full free day and your Tour Manager can arrange various optional excursions for you. You might like to visit the picturesque market town of Kuranda known as the ‘Village in the Rainforest’, or embrace the exotic atmosphere of Rusty’s market; reminiscent of a colourful carnival. We’d recommend the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway; an invigorating journey that glides above the dense rainforest canopy offering dramatic views of the plantations and wildlife below.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Hilton Cairns.

Day 19 Cairns
On a thrilling catamaran ride, you’ll venture into the extraordinary environment of The Great Barrier Reef, where brilliant blue waters teem with tropical marine life and colourful coral. Marine naturalists are on hand to tell you all about this watery world.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Hotel: Hilton Cairns.

Day 20 Cairns
Take Cairns at your own pace today. If you’d like to explore further, your Tour Manager can organise a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, through dense tropical rain forest, steep ravines and past picturesque waterfalls into the sensational Barron Gorge.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Hilton Cairns.

Day 21 Cairns to Sydney
Today you’ll fly to Sydney and transfer to your harbour-side hotel. Then, you’re free to explore. If you’d like to upgrade to a Harbour Bridge View or Opera House View room, please ask when you make your booking.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott.

Day 22 Sydney
Where else could today’s tour start, but at the iconic Sydney Opera House? You’ll then have lunch on a harbour cruise which takes you past the Opera House to Double Bay and under the magnificent Harbour Bridge to Balmain and Darling Harbour. Your tour culminates with a trip to one of Sydney’s most popular coastal regions, the famous Bondi Beach, known for its terrific surf and stretches of golden sand.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott.

Day 23 Sydney
On your first free day in Sydney, you might like to contrast the previous day’s city tour with a trip to the majestic Blue Mountains to see Sylvia Falls, historic Hartley and the magnificent rocky outcrop known as Three Sisters at Echo Point.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott.

Day 24 Sydney
On your last free day, ask your Tour Manager for ideas of what to do or see, or simply wander the city and absorb the atmosphere before tonight’s farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott.

Day 25 Depart Sydney
Today you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight, via Bangkok.
Meals: Breakfast, In-flight.

Day 26 Arrive Heathrow
Your adventure may have come to an end, but the memories will last a lifetime.
Meals: In-flight

Any questions? Chat to your Personal Travel Advisor on 0161 491 7616