Tailormade tour Australian Explorer Tour Australia

Arrive in Sydney. You a met upon arrival and transferred to your accommodation by private chauffeur.

Enjoy a day of leisure as you explore this iconic city. Soak up the sun in Circular Quay or the historic Rocks district and revel in the stunning vistas over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Take a leisurely stroll through the wonderful botanic gardens, Darling Harbour or to the wonderfully fashionable shopping districts of Queen Victoria Building, the Strand Arcade or Pitt Street.

With the world’s largest harbour on your doorstep, today you could explore the stunning scenery of wider Sydney. Choose from a range of optional excursions, perhaps taking a ferry to the beautiful community of Manly. Built on a narrow peninsula that ends at the dramatic cliffs of North Head, Manly is the jewel of the North Shore. It boasts a harbour and ocean beaches, fantastic snorkelling and surfing, and a refreshingly laid-back ambience. On your way back to central Sydney, marvel at the stunning skyline, sparkling in the last of the afternoon sunshine, and the hues of gold twinkling on Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

On your final day in Sydney, choose from a range of optional tours to delve a bit deeper into what makes this iconic city great. For more scenery, choose from a day at the world-famous Bondi beach, perhaps enjoying the stunning Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, or head to one of the two National Parks that fringe the urban area. Elsewhere, why not discover the excellent museums and galleries of the city, including the Museum of Sydney where the rich history of Sydney and Australia is told.

You are transferred by private chauffeur to your accommodation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The Blue Mountains National Park has been a favoured wilderness getaway of Sydneysiders for years. Step into the bush landscape through a range of optional excursions and marvel at the breath-taking waterfalls, sublime vistas, iconic wildlife and Aboriginal artwork of the area. The mystical blue tinge of the eucalyptus trees will only further mesmerise you in this deeply spiritual place.

Guests can choose to enjoy a leisurely morning in the wilderness surrounds, or otherwise rise early join an optional tour that will showcase the highlights of the local environment. For the latter, you could be served breakfast in the company of wild kangaroos, before exploring the World Heritage-listed area in a four-wheel-drive with a qualified ecological guide.

You return to Sydney by car before taking a flight to Melbourne. A transfer to your hotel is included and then you can settle into the charm and character of Australia’s most fashionable city. Candidly multicultural, it is characterised by a mix of Victorian architecture and a spectacular modern skyline, a vibrant café scene, fantastic food and wine, great beaches, and sophisticated leafy boulevards. Enjoy a day of leisure as you explore the sights and sounds of Australia’s cultural and sporting capital.

From Melbourne, you could choose to take an optional tour to one of Victoria’s two main attractions, Phillip Island, or the world-famous Yarra Valley. On Phillip Island, guests will find stunning scenery, great surf beaches, Australia’s largest colony of fur seals, and the iconic penguin parade. Here, Little Penguins return to their home on Summerland Beach every evening and toddle up the sand to their nests. In the Yarra Valley, guests will find a wilderness of great bushwalks, cycling, National Parks, platypuses in Badger Creek, and, of course, the world-renowned vineyards that fame the area.

Enjoy your final day in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, perhaps by exploring some of its chic and elegant suburbs. The bay side St Kilda, for example, is an excellent place to head in search of great cafes, delectable restaurants, sublime bay side views and a refreshing coastline. Others may opt to head to the rediscovered and historic Williamstown, enjoying the seaside, the history of Melbourne, and again, spectacular bay side views.

Pick up your hire car from your accommodation in Melbourne and venture out of the city onto the Great Ocean Road, a highway that features highly on the bucket list of motorists the world over. On day one of this epic road trip, perhaps stop at the mecca for surfing Bells Beach, where competition-standard surfers will provide a masterclass in this typically Australian sport, next, Point Addis provides an incredible board walk with mesmerising ocean views. Finally, you could allow time for Kennett River Holiday Park, where wild koalas, kookaburra, king parrots and rosellas are found easily in the eucalyptus forest.

From the comfort of your lodge accommodation, it’s time to re-join the Great Ocean Road. The enduring image of this fabled route awaits, the Twelve Apostles. Jutting out into the ocean, these rocky stands look as though abandoned to the ocean by the retreating headland. Only seven ‘apostles’ can be seen today by the fabulous vistas from the timber boardwalks that surround the headland. If possible, stay until sunset for a postcard image like no other. With a distinctly Mediterranean climate, a renowned gastronomy scene, world-class wineries and over 300 conservation reserves, arriving in South Australia is a moment to savour. Explore the elegant and green city of Adelaide, and be greeted by a refined local culture, fantastic neighbouring beaches, leafy boulevards, superb restaurants and great cultural centres such as the Tandyana Centre. You spend one night in Adelaide before and after the two nights spent on Kangaroo Island.

To the south of Adelaide lies Kangaroo Island, a wilderness outcrop in the Southern Ocean that contains awe-inspiring quantities of scenery, and endemic flora and fauna. To the north, the famous Barossa Valley offers once-in-a-lifetime wine and food tours, and a pleasant Mediterranean climate. We have included two nights on Kangaroo Island but you may switch this for two nights amid the vineyards of the Barossa Valley. For Kangaroo Island, take your hire-car on the ferry to the island. Explore your chosen rural retreat and savour the hospitality of your cosy lodge in the evening.

You have a full day to explore the scenery and admire the wildlife of Kangaroo Island.

You return to Adelaide by hire-car and ferry from Kangaroo Island to explore the city at leisure.

This morning you return your hire-car to the aiport in Adelaide and fly to Ayers Rock. The magical Red Centre of Australia’s Northern Territory provides a dramatic change of scenery to the lush bush landscape of the coast. Here, Uluru rises spectacularly from the flat plains of the desert measuring 3.6 kilometres long by 348 meters above the surrounding sandy shrubland. In the morning, perhaps join one of the guided walks to discover the sight’s ecology, Aboriginal cultural significance or geology. In the evening, you can enjoy a sundowner as the sun sets over Uluru and is replaced with a mesmerising sky full of stars.

Choose to wake early and embark on an expedition to the glorious Kata Tjuta, where a Martian landscape of dome formations will fascinate and delight. Next, perhaps visit the cultural centre to learn about the cultural significance of Uluru.

Depending on your flight time there may be some free time this morning before your transfer to catch your flight to North Queensland. Upon arrival, you are transferred to your hotel. This might be by private chauffeur, or even by scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef, depending on your chosen accommodation.

Spend the day adjusting to the tropical climate with the help of the facilities on offer at your chosen accommodation. For many, this will inevitably entail a gorgeous swimming pool. For some hotels, pure relaxation can be found in on-site spa facilities.

Today would be a great day to acquaint yourself with the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Stretching 2000km of coastline, this pristine stretch of coral reef is home to some of the most diverse and fascinating marine life on the planet. Enjoy calm, crystal-clear waters, and the iridescent colours of the coral, if you participate in one of a number of optional activities. Find turtles, rays, colourful fish, and even whales and dolphins for the extremely fortunate.

Recuperate from the thrill of your optional touring by another day spent indulging in the facilities of your chosen accommodation. The sunshine and warmth of North Queensland will sooth the aches and pains of adventure.

With the Daintree Rainforest to the North, the Atherton Tablelands to the East and Conway National Park to the South, the rainforest of North Queensland is never far from your chosen accommodation. Perhaps today explore the pristine, sometimes World-Heritage listed, landscape and marvel at the diversity of flora and fauna that surround you. From wildlife walks to crocodile cruises, the riches of Queensland are easy to see with an exciting range of optional tours on offer.

Having acquainted yourself with the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, use your last full day in Australia exploring the other local sights of interest. In the Whitsunday Islands, for example, cruise to the stunning white sands of Whitehaven Beach. Elsewhere, chase waterfalls, wilderness hikes, deserted beaches, islands and mountains. There’s something for everyone in North Queensland.

Wake late and soak up the last of the scenery, climate and luxury facilities of your boutique accommodation. Whilst the magic of this incredible continent will stay with you forever, it’s time you say goodbye for now as you are transferred to Cairns Airport to catch your flight home.