New Zealand—South Island Encompassed (ONSE)
Looking to tackle a bundle of different environments all in one go? New Zealand’s South Island has what you need and then some. Action is the common thread throughout this trip that incorporates hiking, kayaking, biking, glacier treks and even bungee jumping across a variety of landscapes, including rainforests, glaciers and some of the most gorgeous coastline you’ll ever see. This trip is exciting even when you’re not moving; accommodations include an authentic bush camp and a wilderness lodge deep in the rainforest itself. Unique? You bet.
Highlights: Explore the trails of Abel Tasman National Park by foot, hike the Franz Josef Glacier Valley, get an adrenaline rush in Queenstown, weave through the remote fiords of the Doubtful Sound by sea kayak, bike while stopping to taste local wine.
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Outback to the Top End - Adelaide to Darwin (OAAD)
You can’t get Down Under through a bus window. If you’re going to get off the tourist track, you’ll have to shake things up a bit—that’s why we’ve turned to trains, 4x4s, and buses for this itinerary. Starting in charming Adelaide, cut through the outback and explore the mysteries of Uluru. Follow your curiosity down the deserted tracks that make Australia so remote and spend 14 days discovering the natural beauty of one of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations.
Highlights: Bedding down at a traditional sheep station and outside under the outback sky, learning about dreamtime stories from the Aborigines, experiencing a night underground in Coober Pedy, catching the magnificent colours of Uluru, hiking the Red Centre, riding the route of Afghan cameleers on the Ghan Train, exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kakadu National Park
Outback to the Red Centre—Adelaide to Alice Springs (OAAR)
Forego the typical coach tour and get off the beaten track from Adelaide to Alice Springs and explore some of the most remote areas on Earth. From Adelaide, hit the Flinders Ranges and cut through the outback to the Red Centre. Here you’ll meet some of the locals, experience the mysteries of Uluru and gain insight into regional Aboriginal and European history. Geared towards budget-conscious travellers looking to hit the outback’s highlights, this itinerary features lots of inclusions at a great price.
Highlights: Bedding down at a traditional sheep station, Living life underground in the historic mining town of Coober Pedy, Learning about dreamtime stories from the Aborigines, Enjoying the sunset over Uluru, Experiencing the Red Centre with an Aboriginal guide, Sleeping in a 'swag' under the stars of the outback sky
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
East Coast Encompassed - Sydney to Cairns (OAEC)
Rugged landscapes, crashing surf and indigenous culture stretching back through time and beyond—Australia’s East Coast possesses a truly otherworldly allure. This trip offers you a comprehensive, authentic and wholly affordable experience in one of the country’s most popular regions. Raw thrills and refined pleasures abound out here. In the space of a few days, you’ll sample wines in the Hunter Valley, spend the night in a teepee, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, catch a few waves, spearfish with local Aborigines, shear a sheep and play a didgeridoo. When people back home ask what you did on your trip, just tell ‘em: “Everything.”
Highlights: Island hopping by yacht through the Whitsunday Islands, overnighting at a traditional sheep station and a beach teepee, learning to surf in Byron Bay, zipping over dunes in a 4x4 on a remote sand island, snorkelling the world's largest reef, spearing fish and savouring lunch with local Aborigines, sleeping in a 'swag' under the impressive southern night sky
East Coast Australia in Style (OAES)
This comfort-minded journey up Australia’s eastern shore delivers the wonders of the region to you in fine style. Using a diverse range of transport—trains, yachts, surfboards—and unique lodgings, you’ll visit remote islands, sample world class wines, wander through rainforests and even learn how to catch a few waves. Plus, we keep your group size intentionally small so it feels less like travelling with a herd and more like exploring with great new friends.
Highlights: Learning to surf in Byron Bay, Sailing and snorkelling remote islands and world class beaches, Learning about Aboriginal culture and history
- Trip Style:
- G-Plus
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Comfort
- Physical Grading:
- 2
Australia in Style (OAIS)
It's tough to cover all of Australia in a single trip, but believe us, we've tried. This three-week extravaganza incorporates all the absolute must-do bits of Australia into one legendary adventure. From the bustling cities dotting the coast to Australia’s wine country, from the outback and iconic Uluru to the beach, the Great Barrier Reef and even the legendary dreamtime itself, you’ll leave no stone unturned on this trip. We’ll connect the dots with internal flights and historic train journeys to keep you cozy and unstressed throughout.
Highlights: Learning to surf in Byron Bay, Snorkelling the world's most famous barrier reef, Experiencing the Red Centre and witnessing the majesty of Uluru at sunrise, Sampling iconic Australian wines, Marvelling at the Twelve Apostles while travelling on the Great Ocean Road
Kakadu Adventure (OAKA)
Get remote and head into the last frontiers of Australia—Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. Featuring lots of inclusions at a great price, this itinerary is geared towards budget-conscious travellers who want to make the most of their time in Kakadu. Take in the region’s ancient landscapes, spectacular waterfalls, pristine rock pools and magnificent gorges and meet some of the locals. Round out your experience with a guided exploration of the regions ancient art, gaining insight to Aboriginal culture.
Highlights: Exploring remote areas of the Northern Territory, discovering secret watering holes and waterfalls, spotting crocs by boat, viewing sites where Crocodile Dundee was filmed.
Great Ocean Road West—Melbourne to Adelaide (OAMA)
This might be a quick trip along the Great Ocean Road—but you’ll never feel rushed. Geared towards budget-conscious travellers looking to hit the highlights of the south coast, this itinerary features lots of inclusions at a great price. What’s more, you’ll have lots of options to get active when you head inland to Grampians National Park. Forego the typical coach tour and experience Australia the way it was meant to be explored.
Highlights: Marvelling at the 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road, trekking and spotting wildlife in the region's national parks, spotting wildlife in remote saltwater lagoons.
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Australia South to North - Melbourne to Darwin (OAMD)
You can’t get Down Under through a bus window. If you’re going to get off the tourist track, you’ll have to shake things up a bit—that’s why we’ve turned to trains, 4x4s, buses and boats for this itinerary. From the cobblestones of charming Melbourne, cut through the outback and explore the mysteries of Uluru. Follow your curiosity down the deserted tracks that make Australia so remote and spend 18 days discovering the natural beauty of one of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations.
Highlights: Bedding down at a traditional sheep station and outside under the outback sky, learning about dreamtime stories from the Aborigines, experiencing a night underground in Coober Pedy, catching the magnificent colours of Uluru, hiking through gorgeous natural rock formations in the Red Centre, riding the route of Afghan cameleers on the Ghan Train, exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kakadu National Park
Melbourne to the Red Centre (OAMR)
If you really want to get Down Under and experience Australia’s highlights without feeling rushed, you’ll have to get off the big coaches. Explore Melbourne before hitting the Great Ocean Road and cutting through the outback to the Red Centre. Here you’ll experience the mysteries of Uluru and gain insight into Aboriginal culture. When it comes time to bed down, shake things up with a variety of unique accommodation—from safari tents to underground hostels and even a traditional sheep station.
Highlights: Marvelling at the 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road, bedding down at a traditional sheep station, learning about dreamtime stories from the Aborigines, catching the magnificent colours of Uluru at sunset, exploring the Red Centre with a local guide
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Northern Aboriginal Experience (OANA)
“Dreamtime,” the animist mythology central to indigenous Australian society, is a fascinating ideology that has helped shape the continent. This trip is just the ticket for curious travellers eager to learn more about Aboriginal history, culture and contemporary life straight from the people themselves. Up here in the north, you’ll study ancient traditions, learn how to spear-fish, wander the beaches and lush valleys along the Daintree River and embark on a life-affirming rainforest walk that will bring you closer to the land and the people who inhabit it than you ever thought possible. The dream is real, and it’s waiting for you to join it.
Highlights: Sleeping in a swag under the impressive southern night sky, spearing fish and cooking what you catch with Aboriginals, making your own Aboriginal artwork, learning about life in remote communities with a local host, exploring pristine coastal rainforests.
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 4
Outback to The Great Ocean Road in Style (OAOG)
The outback...in comfort? Oh, it's possible. This G-Plus trip offers travellers the chance to explore the exotic extremes of contemporary Australia, from its busy big cities like Melbourne to the natural beauty of the outback and its massive rock formations. Visit vineyards in Australia’s booming wine regions, learn about the historic mining industry that shaped the nation while fossicking for gemstones. Visit fabled Uluru and learn about Aboriginal history. All Australia. All amazing. All yours.
Highlights: Exploring the famous Red Centre and witnessing the majesty of Uluru, Fossicking for gems and exploring a mine, Tasting some of Australia's best wines, Experiencing the wilderness of Australia's national parks.
- Trip Style:
- G-Plus
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Comfort
- Physical Grading:
- 2
Red Centre Experience (OARC)
A great little add-on to a longer Australian adventure, this short-and-sweet journey to the famed Red Centre brings you close to the continent’s vast heart. Watch the sun rise over iconic Uluru, explore the curious domed rock formations of Kata Tjuta and gaze up in astonished awe at the 100-metre-high walls of majestic Kings Canyon while the locals share the secrets of indigenous Australian culture. If you’ve come all the way to Australia, it’d be a shame to go home without coming here first. Regret nothing.
Highlights: Enjoying the sunrise and sunset over iconic Uluru, exploring breathtaking Kings Canyon, hiking the impressive Valley of the Winds in Kata Tjuta, sleeping under the stars of the outback sky.
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Camping
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Up Top Down Under—Alice Springs to Darwin (OARD)
Skip the long bus drive and ride the rails through the scenic outback before heading into the remote Kakadu region for three days. Geared towards budget-conscious travellers who want to make the most of their time, this itinerary includes the highlights of the Red Centre and Top End. Here you’ll meet some of the locals, experience the mysteries of Uluru and gain insight into regional Aboriginal and European history.
Highlights: Riding the route of Afghan cameleers on the Ghan Train, gaining insight to Aboriginal art and culture, spotting crocs by boat in Kakadu National Park, discovering secret swimming holes and waterfalls in Litchfield National Park
The Rock, Rail and Kakadu (OARK)
For rugged natural splendour, the Australian outback is where it’s at. This journey into the remote regions of northern and central Australia brings you face-to-face with the land and the intriguing characters and wildlife that call it home. Majestic Uluru, sprawling Kings Canyon and the out-there landscapes of Kakadu National Park await your hiking boots, while the crocodiles and the mysteries of Indigenous Australian culture—as told by the locals themselves—are primed to fascinate. Adventure doesn’t get much more adventurous than this.
Highlights: Witnessing the majesty of Uluru at sunset and sunrise, hiking the Red Centre, stargazing at the impressive southern sky, riding the route of Afghan cameleers on The Ghan Train, learning about Aboriginal dreamtime stories, travelling to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kakadu National Park
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Sydney to Brisbane Experience (OASB)
Think Australia’s out of your league since you’re short on time and cash? Nope! This quick and economical Sydney-to-Brisbane jaunt squeezes tons of excitement into a short time frame at a price that fits any budget. Fish with the locals, learn to surf and sip Australia’s viticultural bounty on the coast, then move inland to the outback to try your hand at gem mining and sheep shearing before overnighting in a teepee at a hippie commune. It’s Oz in a flash for a fraction of the cost.
Highlights: Tasting wine in the Hunter Valley, staying overnight at a sheep station and learning techniques from the locals, fossicking for gemstones, learning to surf in famous Byron Bay
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Most of the Coast—Sydney to Cairns (OASC)
The route up Australia’s East Coast has earned its rep as one of the seemingly endless supply of must-do experiences in the country. The classic Sydney-to-Cairns route introduces you to both sides of modern Australia—the bright lights of the big city and the raw beauty of the outback. You’ll get to try your hand at dozens of atypical activities—everything from sheep-shearing and wine-tasting to yachting and snorkelling. And when you travel in small groups like we do, you really get out there into the wild to meet the locals and experience the land like they do. That amazing new frontier you’ve been looking for? Here it is.
Highlights: Tasting wine in the Hunter Valley, Sleeping under the stars and at a sheep station, Learning to surf in famous Byron Bay, Island-hopping through the Whitsundays, Cooling off in remote swimming holes, Snorkelling the world's largest reef.
New Zealand—The Bay of Islands (ONBI)
Nature lovers who leave the North Island without stopping in at the Bay of Islands will kick themselves all the way back home (and that’s a looooong flight). This 4-day trip to this outdoorsman’s paradise features ample time hiking the nature trails and makes the most of all that water with plenty of opportunities for swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing. Not enough? A night aboard a houseboat should do the trick. We take care of all the fuss. All you have to do is have the time of your life.
Highlights: Walking amongst giant kauri trees, spending the night anchored in a secluded bay, fishing like the locals, savouring a traditional barbecue in Paihia town
- Trip Style:
- Yolo
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 3
New Zealand in Style (ONIS)
An all-encompassing yet comfortable journey through New Zealand that delivers the highlights of the region with stye to spare. Utilizing a diverse range of transport—trains, gondolas, boats—you’ll explore artsy beach towns, learn about local myths, legends and traditional cuisine from the Maori and revel in the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand. Handpicked accommodations and upgraded transportation are standard fare on this decidedly non-standard adventure. This trip offers everything you could possibly want... and then some.
Highlights: Learning about Maori myths and traditions, Trekking an active volcano for spectacular views, Experiencing the geothermal area of Rotorua, Gliding along the TranzAlpine railway, Taking in the views of Queenstown from a gondola, Cruising through the Doubtful Sound searching for wildlife.
- Trip Style:
- G-Plus
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Comfort
- Physical Grading:
- 2
New Zealand - North Island Encompassed (ONNE)
New Zealand’s North Island thoroughly engages the body and the spirit, often at the same time. This 10-day trip promises loads of both. Up here, you’ll learn Maori culture (and try your hand at bone-carving) straight from the source while bunking in villages in the bush and pick up some sustainable living tips on a conservation farm. Elsewhere, you’ll sea kayak in a secluded harbour, get a surfing lesson from an expert and camp out in a retro-style caravan. There’s much more, but we’ve gotta leave some surprises, right?
Highlights: Snorkelling in the beautiful Bay of Islands, surfing world famous waves, kayaking remote coves to discover hidden beaches, learning about the Maori culture in a village homestay, conquering New Zealand's top-rated 1-day trek, dancing the night away in Wellington.
