Build extra-special Aussie memories
AFTER decades of hard work, we all deserve at least one big trip — and they don’t come much bigger and more spectacular than a tour of the epic scenery and surf-washed shores of Australia and New Zealand.
These incredible countries, often voted best destinations in the world, lay on a show of stupendous sights and thrills at every turn.
There’s nowhere else like them on Earth — lands where you can view kangaroos, koalas or kiwis in the wild, watch the sunrise in the Outback or witness indigenous traditions stretching back to the dawn of time.
The most workable way to see them is on an escorted tour that visits the must-see places and more.
This is antipodean travel made easy — as an experienced tour manager and specialist local guides will be on hand to take friendly care of you as a like-minded group moves around by plane and air-conditioned coach at a steady, manageable pace, sampling Australasia’s superb, fresh, locally sourced food all the way.
Touring can be a great way to beat the falling pound, as itineraries are designed and prices set in advance.
With excursions and many meals included, you’ll need to spend very little extra on the ground.
What’s more, some operators are offering outstanding savings at the moment, including free stopovers.
These are well worth considering — as they break the flight into easier chunks, while allowing for a world of contrasting discoveries in destinations such as Dubai or Singapore. Reach beyond imagination ON THE best escorted tours, extraspecial memory builders are included in almost every destination. Imagine enjoying dinner at the extraordinary Field of Light installation at Uluru (Ayers Rock), until March 31.
Or how about taking to the air for a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef, a seaplane flight over Sydney Harbour, or a hot air balloon ride from Cairns?
No need just to imagine — as you could soon be doing all this and much more, included in the price of an escorted tour. Amazing adventures FROM a meal on a beautifully restored tramcar in Melbourne, to snorkelling over coral with an instructor, riding in a mini-submarine, or watching the magical penguin parade at Phillip Island, there are plenty more memorable experiences in store in Australia that are guaranteed to make you feel totally alive. At Uluru in the Red Centre, on top of seeing the vast, twinkling Field of Light, there’s the chance to ride on the back of a Harley-Davidson motorbike or watch the sunrise over the sacred rock, before walking around its base.
Cut off from the buzz of modern Australia, the Outback is everything you imagined it to be: vast, wild and untamed. In nearby Alice Springs, visit the School of the Air that teaches Outback children, explore a kangaroo sanctuary founded by BBC2’s Kangaroo Dundee star Chris Barnes, and learn about the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which inspired its own TV series.
There’s even a way to combine passions for wildlife and good wine.
On the way to Margaret River, near Perth, there are glass-bottom boat tours to spot sea lions, bottlenose dolphins and penguins, all rounded off by a vineyard tour and superb dining in a region that produces world-class wines. And the grand finale comes in Sydney, where you can sail under the Harbour Bridge on an America’s Cup yacht and tour the Opera House, before a farewell dinner with views over both — and a toast to a series of amazing adventures in unforgettable Australia.