Day 1: Melbourne, Australia
Welcome to Australia! Upon arrival at Melbourne International Airport, you will be met at the gate of your plane and assisted with customs and immigration formalities before being transferred to your accommodations. Crown Towers continues to set the benchmark as one of the most luxurious hotels in Australia. Just a short stroll from the Central Business District of Melbourne, Crown Towers delivers the ultimate inner city sanctuary, including its renowned Crown Spa, nine fine dining signature restaurants and the world class Crown Entertainment Complex with cinemas, bars, live music venues and luxury brand shopping. Crown Towers boasts 482 luxurious oversized guestrooms including villas and suites, with spectacular views of the city or Port Philip Bay. For the ultimate in unparalleled opulence and privacy, Crown Towers offers 31 lavish Villas with their own lobby and private lifts including deluxe and Presidential Villas complemented with 24 hour butler service and access to the prestigious Crystal Club.

Melbourne is equally passionate about football and ballet, food and fashion, and more. You can opt to take a tram to the Greek eateries and bargain factory outlet shopping in Richmond, or set out for the designer boutiques in style-conscious South Yarra. See world class performing arts and great galleries at Southbank and the trendy cafes at the beachside suburb of St Kilda.
CROWN TOWERS HOTEL – Deluxe Room

Day 2: Melbourne
Today, you meet your private guide to explore the city on foot. Melbourne is the undisputed cultural and culinary capital of Australia, a city renowned for great art and delicious food. It is home to some of Australia’s most important colonial and contemporary artworks, with an abundance of private galleries. The city itself provides a canvas to renowned local street artists. There’s no better way to experience this diversity than on a walkabout. Visit historic lanes and architecturally interesting buildings, along the way, discovering hidden galleries, street art, photography, sculpture and modern art.

This four-hour walking tour will guide you to the best of Melbourne’s ever-changing art scene from showcasing high-end galleries to discovering significant art that is all around on lane walls and decorating prominent boulevards. You also uncover Melbourne’s cutting-edge, ever-changing food scene. Experience the world-renowned coffee culture and enjoy some of the Melbourne’s best Asian street food. Enjoy shared plates with a glass of wine surrounded by art in one of the city’s most exciting dining precincts of Flinders Lane. The afternoon is at leisure.
CROWN TOWERS HOTEL – Deluxe Room (B)

Day 3: Melbourne
This morning, you will be met at your accommodation by your private guide and vehicle for a day along the Great Ocean Road. Gain insight into the Australian surfing culture at Bells Beach, with its rugged cliffs and big waves. Learn about the historic Split Point Lighthouse, located in the town of Aireys Inlet. This beacon of light is credited with saving hundreds of ships and thousands of lives along Australia’s treacherous ‘shipwreck coast’.

Soak up the atmosphere of Victoria’s premier holiday town, Lorne, before marveling at the cliff-hugging road that stretches between Lorne and Apollo Bay. It is a spectacular drive with monstrous cliffs, roaring seas, tranquil coves and secluded beaches. En route, visit the wild Koalas of Kennet River and get acquainted with some of Australia’s most colorful birds. A delicious lunch is included this afternoon. Then climb aboard your light aircraft for an exceptional scenic flights. Enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the 12 Apostles, Moonlight Head, Cape Otway Light station, Gibson’s Steps and Loch Ard Gorge before a gentle touch down back in Apollo Bay. Your scenic drive back to Melbourne takes you through the majestic Otway Ranges.
CROWN TOWERS HOTEL – Deluxe Room (B,L)

Day 4: Melbourne / Hobart / Lake St. Clair
Today, you will be met at your accommodation by your private driver and vehicle and transferred  to Melbourne Airport for your onward flight. Fly to Hobart in Tasmania (additional cost). Upon arrival at Hobart Airport, you will be met by your private guide and vehicle for a scenic transfer to Pumphouse Point. Enjoy an introduction to Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart and its engaging history. Travel to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for an introduction to the rare Tasmanian devils, wombats, wallabies, echidnas, quolls, koalas and other Australian animals. The dedicated team of wildlife caretakers provides an invaluable service to the research and protection of native wildlife in Tasmania. For every guest visiting the sanctuary, five dollars will be donated towards the Tasmanian devils cancer research.

After lunch, continue your journey to Lake St. Clair. This lake is the deepest in Australia (190 meters/623 feet), and was carved out by glaciers 10,000 years ago during the Ice Age. High dolerite cliffs rise sheer from the water and there is a drowned moraine at the southern end. The lake is surrounded by forest and is the southern gateway to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. At the southern end of the lake, the award-winning visitor center offers clear descriptions of the area, including the geological history, the wildlife (such as platypus) and vegetation. Lake St Clair is known by the Aboriginal people as ‘Leeawuleena’ meaning “sleeping water.” The lake and its surroundings offer welcome sense of tranquility. Its lake’s deep waters reflect a range of colors from deep purple to shimmering green and sky blue. Lake St Clair is located at the southern end of the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park. Its Overland Track is internationally known to trekkers. Your boutique hotel is a wilderness retreat created from a facility to pump water for hydroelectricity built in the 1940s. The station now contains 18 rooms for guest accommodation with 12 in the Pumphouse over the water and six rooms located in the Shorehouse on the lake’s edge.  The property is nestled in the south eastern corner of Lake St Clair, at the headwaters of the Derwent River and is surrounded by a UNESCO World Heritage Wilderness. Enjoy walks and biking trails, fishing or exploring the lake by dinghy, and wildlife viewing. Ten minutes away at Derwent Bridge, artist Greg Duncan has hand carved the history of Tasmania’s central highlands in three-meter/10-feet Huon pine panels.  The remainder of the day is at leisure. You can enjoy some of the optional activities available that include bushwalking, canoeing and fishing. Go in search of wildlife such as pademelons, Bennets wallabies and other endemic animals.
PUMPHOUSE POINT – Pumphouse Room (B,L)

Day 5: Lake St. Clair / Freycinet
This morning is at leisure to savor this magical environment. Later in the day, you will be met at your accommodation by your private car and driver and transferred to your accommodation at Saffire (approximately a 4-hour journey) on the Freycinet Peninsula on Tasmania’s stunning east coast, characterized by sheltered white sand beaches, dramatic wilderness and those breathtaking vistas of Wineglass Bay. Towering walls of pink and grey granite, patched in orange lichen, soar dramatically out of the water, while timid wildlife and beautiful orchids grace the lush green forests of this national park. Visitors can feast of local oysters, mussels, olives, cool climate wines and creamy ice cream!

Saffire Freycinet is Australia’s new luxury coastal sanctuary on Tasmania’s east coast, and combines a sophisticated and intimate style with an inspirational experience. Overlooking the Hazards Mountains, Freycinet Peninsula and the pristine waters of Great Oyster Bay, Saffire blends manmade elegance with nature’s breathtaking beauty. Featuring 20 luxurious suites, exclusive day spa, restaurant, guest lounge and bar, this new accommodation celebrates the art of service, local culinary delights, ancient landscapes and abundant wildlife. In Palate restaurant, head chef, Hugh Whitehouse, has insured that innovative dining does not compromise the true flavors of the freshest local produce. The Schouten Island Signature Experience has been designed exclusively for guests to deepen their exploration. There’s a world of deserted islands, wild bushland and secluded beaches to discover.
SAFFIRE HOTEL – Suites (B,D)

Day 6: Freycinet Peninsula
During your stay, you have a selection of touring options specified below are available, but do not always operate daily so the resort staff will confirm your program with you on arrival. The following tours are available and included in the Saffire Freycinet experience: guided tour of Freycinet Oyster Farm, an encounter with a Tasmanian devil, Pelican Bay canoeing and bird-watching, cooking demonstration with the chef and a lesson in cocktail mixology, kite flying, archery, mountain biking, kayaking, shore fishing, golfing and star gazing. Signature Experiences available that are available at additional cost include Schouten Island half-day excursion, Friendly Beaches quad bike experience, and Saffire Sparkling Cruise.
SAFFIRE HOTEL – Suites (B,D)

Day 7: Freycinet / Hobart / Cairns / Mossman
Today you will be met at your accommodation by a representative of the resort and transferred to Hobart Airport (approximately a 3 hour journey) for your onward flight to Cairns (additional cost). Upon arrival at Cairns Airport, you are met by your private car and driver and transferred to your accommodation (approximately a 1 hour and 30 minutes) located in the heart of Daintree country. Clear blue waters, lush green rainforests, the outback’s rugged red earth and the famed Great Barrier Reef’s brilliant rainbow of corals can all be accessed from here. Cruise with the crocs on the mighty Daintree River, snorkel the world famous reef and tour the world’s oldest rainforest. Queensland’s tropical north is where relaxation, wilderness, luxury, adventure, wildlife and aboriginal culture converge.

Experience the ancient wonders of the Daintree National Park, a vast area of tropical rainforest wilderness in Far North Queensland, Australia. The park is home to the oldest rainforest on the planet. It has a high concentration of plant and animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of the forest here. Silky Oaks Lodge and Healing Waters Spa is an oasis of elegance and beauty nestled on the edge of a World Heritage Wilderness. The lodge was originally built on a portion of a farmed and cleared 34-hectare parcel of land adjoining the Daintree National Park. For the past 25 years, this land has been restored and replanted to return it to its original rainforest habitat. The stylish lodge encompasses some 50 treehouses and river houses, with wide verandahs and spa baths for the perfect private sanctuary to relax in this extraordinary serene environment. The Lodge Suite is a newly refurbished and enlarged deluxe treehouse, with open plan lay out. Designer decorated throughout with a contemporary luxury feel. An extra large balcony overlooks the rainforest with its own outside king size four poster day bed and outside sitting area. From the moment guests arrive, they feel the aura of the Daintree.
SILKY OAKS LODGE & SPA – Lodge Suite (B)

Day 8: Mossman
This morning, you will be met at your accommodation by your private guide and vehicle to explore the Aboriginal mythology of Dreamtime.

Note: please bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, swimsuit, towel and bottle of water.

Travel north along scenic coastal roads to Kuku Kuku (Cooya Beach), a traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people. This unique coastal place has three diverse ecosystems – beach, mangroves and coastal reef. You are in for a special experience as one of the Kubirri Warra brothers teaches you to throw a spear and other Aboriginal hunting techniques. Walk with the brothers on their traditional land as you learn how to track and hunt for fish, mud crabs and mussels among the mangroves. The brothers demonstrate different Aboriginal artefacts and their uses. Then travel further north into Kuku Yalanji country to the Mossman Gorge Center, where you will be welcomed with a traditional ‘smoking’ ceremony. This ceremony is conducted by Kuku Yalanji people who possess specialized cultural knowledge about this special region.
SILKY OAKS LODGE & SPA – 1 Lodge Suite (B,L)

Day 9: Mossman
Today is at leisure and while at Silky Oaks you may like to enjoy some of the complimentary activities included in your stay such as guided rainforest walks, canoeing, snorkeling, bicycle rides, tennis, and yoga (seasonal). Other optional activities (additional cost) include: scenic flights over the gorge and reefs, spa treatments at the noted Healing Waters Spa, horseback riding, golf, and rafting expeditions.
SILKY OAKS LODGE & SPA – Lodge Suite (B)

Day 10: Mossman / Cairns
Today you will be met at your accommodation by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to Cairns Marina for your Great Barrier Reef overnight experience. The Great Barrier Reef is 2,000 km/1,240 mi long and is composed of a collection of colorful coral reefs that stretches along the Queensland seaboard. This remarkable ecosystem is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. It offers some of the most spectacular diving imaginable among the hundreds of mainly uninhabited islands. A few hand-selected islands offer some of Australia’s finest holiday destinations catering to romantics, nature lovers, honeymooners, divers and families. You depart on your Great Barrier Reef cruise aboard a catamaran that takes you to a reef at the very edge of Australia’s Continental Shelf to an underwater world that is a dazzling kaleidoscope of color and brilliance. Experience firsthand the magic that is the Great Barrier Reef.

Diving and snorkeling allow you to explore this incredible marine world. Or you can choose to stay dry and explore the stunning reef from the comfort of a semi-sub, just one meter underwater. Watch the fish feeding, join in the touch tank presentation, enjoy the glass bottom boat. After the day guests have departed, it will be just you and a few other guests who take in the wonders of the night sky.
There isn’t a more quintessential Australian experience than sleeping outside in a hammock under a brilliant southern night skies. Imagine stargazing while floating on a pontoon on the outer Great Barrier Reef! It doesn’t get much better than this.

Your “glamping” experience features sunset on the Great Barrier Reef with gourmet cheese and fruit platters, three-course BBQ dinner, night time marine life presentation in the underwater observatory, sunrise over the reef with breakfast, and guided snorkel safari and glass bottom boat tour.
SUNLOVER’S CATAMARAN (B,L,D)

Day 11: Cairns / Sydney
Late morning, your catamaran returns to the pontoon for another day of activities at the reef. This afternoon, you depart Moore Reef Pontoon by helicopter and return to Cairns Airport. Upon arrival at Cairns General Aviation terminal you will be transferred to Cairns Domestic Airport for your onward flight to Sydney (additional cost). Upon arrival at Sydney Airport you will be met by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to your accommodation.

Sunny and stylish, energetic and inviting, Sydney shines all year round. Ferries, yachts, jet boats and harbor cruises share the sparkling waters framed by the world famous white sails of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. The colonial sandstone warehouses of the lively Rocks district nestle at the foot of tall glass towers and contrast with the modernity of the neighboring Darling Harbor. Your hotel is a true expression in luxury. Positioned on the edge of the world’s most stunning harbor, moments’ walk from the famous Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens and exclusive shops, it was built around the restored Treasury Building of 1851. The hotel’s 509 contemporary designed guest rooms and suites offering luxurious furnishings and latest technology insure a private retreat. INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL – Club Intercontinental Harbor Executive Suite (B) 

Day 12: Sydney
This morning, you are in for a treat. You make your way independently to the bike office for your private Sydney Classic bike tour. Discover the city on this entertaining four-hour bike tour! Your guide will take you to all of the iconic sights, and many others you might have missed on your own. Ride past the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Sydney Harbor Bridge, Darling Harbor, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Hyde Park, the Anzac War Memorial, Chinatown, Sydney Tower, Parliament House, Queen Victoria Building, Museum of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of NSW and more. Take a break in a pub half way through your tour. At the end of you of your tour, enjoy a short stroll to the Sydney Opera House for your scheduled (shared) tour. A cultural and architectural masterpiece, our foremost tourist attraction is home to some of the world’s most celebrated performing arts companies. This 60-minute tour offers the opportunity to experience the Sydney Opera House in its daily operation, learn about its fascinating history and architecture. Return on your own to your hotel following your tour.

Later this afternoon, you will be met at your accommodation by your private guide for a walking tour of the famous Rocks area. Let your experienced guide entertain you with lively tales from Sydney’s colorful past while enjoying the ambience of the vibrant present. Hear how The Rocks was inhabited by that First Fleet of convicts arriving into Sydney Cove in 1788. Up onto the rocky land a human cargo was disgorged and so began the British Australian story. Your guide will share with you this story of triumph over tragedy and introduce the characters from this early convict settlement era. Still to be seen today are the storehouses, pubs and working class cottages from the time when this place took on all of the characteristics of a dockside area and a disease ridden slum. Today The Rocks is renowned for having the oldest streets in Sydney which are dotted with beautifully restored nineteenth century buildings. You will weave your way through hidden narrow alleyways, along charming cobbled lanes and into shady courtyards, linger by quaint terrace cottages and visit a gothic church. Your tour will conclude at your accommodation.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL – Club Intercontinental Harbor Executive Suite (B)

Day 13: Sydney
Today is at leisure to explore this cosmopolitan city on your own, or enjoy one of the many optional activities. See Sydney Harbor by boat; visit Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Park Zoo; go surfing at the famous Bondi or Manly beaches; shop Pitt Street Mall, Queen Victoria building and Oxford Street Paddington; take a scenic seaplane flight over the beaches and spectacular Sydney Harbor; discover Australia’s natural history at the Australian Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art; or stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens. There are a host of day trips as well such as to Hunter Valley wine region or the Blue Mountains.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL – Club Intercontinental Harbor Executive Suite (B)

Day 14: Sydney
This morning is at leisure. Early this evening make your way independently to Sydney Harbor Bridge for an exhilarating experience… a twilight climb on the bridge, one of the world’s most famous icons! Absorb a 360-degree panorama of Sydney. During this three and a half-hour small group adventure, you will climb stairs and catwalks never previously opened to the public and wind your way through a tangle of hatchways and steel girders suspended above the traffic. You’ll see the place where the arch was joined for the first time, and access walkways only recently used exclusively by maintenance teams. At the top of the bridge, you climb between the arches to the summit, 134 meters/440 feet above the water for a novel view of all of Sydney. Along the way, your climb leader will share the story of this incredible feat of engineering.

Note: All Climbers must wear suitable closed rubber-soled shoes such as runners, track or hiking shoes. PVC and leather soled shoes are unsuitable. Every Climber needs to pass a breath-test to check for a blood alcohol limit of 0.05% or less before being allowed to climb.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL – Club Intercontinental Harbor Executive Suite (B)

Day 15: Sydney / Depart
Today you will be met at your accommodation by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to Sydney Airport for your onward flight.
(B)

Land price, per person, double occupancy:  Call for rates