DAY 1 - 2 Depart for Cairns, Australia. Cross the International Date Line in flight.
DAY 3 Travel by motorcoach to the Shangri-La Hotel. With the guidance of a local expert, discover the highlights of the neighborhood surrounding your hotel. This evening, gather with fellow travelers for a welcome reception at the hotel. (R)
DAY 4 Optional Full-day Excursion: Explore the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from a glass-bottom boat or snorkel for a closer view. The reef, nearly 1,429 miles long, is home to 1,500 species of fish and 360 species of coral. (B,L)
DAY 5 Optional Excursion: Discover the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Kuranda Rain Forest. Board a train and travel through the dramatic landscape of the rain forest. Enjoy leisure time exploring Kuranda, a rainforest village. Then, journey to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in a gondola. (B,L)
DAY 6 Fly to Melbourne and check into the Sofitel Melbourne. (B)
DAY 7 Optional Excursion: Take a panoramic tour of beautiful Melbourne on your way to Coliban Park, a sheep ranch. Join owner Duncan Barber on a tour of the property. See a shearing demonstration and learn about Australia’s wool industry. After a three-course lunch, watch kangaroos in their natural environment.
Optional Excursion: Start the day at Healesville Sanctuary, home to Australia’s unique animals: the koala, kangaroo, wombat and platypus. Continue through Australian wine country. After lunch at the TarraWarra Estate, visit Domaine Chandon at Green Point, the Australian outpost of champagne producer Moët & Chandon. Learn how this winery employs the méthode traditionnelle to produce sparkling wines using Australian grapes. (B)
DAY 8 Optional Excursion: Explore charming seaside towns and see the beaches known as a surfer’s paradise because of their spectacular waves. Enjoy lunch and leisure time at Apollo Bay before continuing your drive through Port Campbell National Park. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Melbourne before returning to your hotel. (B)
DAY 9 Fly to Sydney and check into the InterContinental Sydney.
Optional Excursion: Observe many of Sydney’s landmarks including the New South Wales Parliament House, the Sydney Mint and Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, which offers impressive views of Sydney Harbour. See The Rocks, site of the first British settlement in Australia, now a trendy entertainment district. Next, tour the extraordinary Sydney Opera House. (B)
DAY 10 Optional Excursion: Explore Blue Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring eucalyptus forests, heathlands, rain forests, bogs and swamps. Learn about the variety of wildlife that call this diverse landscape home. (B)
DAY 11 Optional Excursion: Cruise Sydney Harbour for views of the famous Sydney Opera House as well as magnificent waterfront homes and parklands. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, gather for a festive farewell reception. (B)
DAY 12 Depart for the U.S. (B)
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