Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Australia - New Zealand - Polynesia
100% customisable for you
Overnight flight, arriving the next day.
Welcome on arrival, private transfer and three nights' accommodation in the heart of the city: The Rocks, Darling Harbour and Circular Quay are all within walking distance. It's the perfect location for exploring the city. Behind its neo-Gothic facade, your 1920's hotel boasts an Art Deco atmosphere. The rooms are spacious, the terrace is pleasant and the service is professional.
Sydney life centres around the water - the harbour and the ocean. From Circular Quay, you'll sail through the harbour. You can't miss a walk along the sands of Bondi and Bronte beaches, connected by a scenic path. Whether you're a beginner or experienced surfer, you must try out the waves here, or try your hand at skimboarding. The Sydney Fish Market offers the best fish in the ocean on beds of ice; many small restaurants come here to turn fresh fish into mouth-watering dishes. Immerse yourself in the CBD's high-rise architecture or stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens, Australia's oldest scientific institution. It's a wonderful place to explore on foot; the British-style gardens, combined with its plant conservation and acclimatisation processes, have created a living national treasure. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, admire works by Emily Kane Kngwarreye, Fiona Foley and Peter Kennedy, among many others. As evening falls, you'll see that whether it's beer or wine, burger or haute cuisine, a tiny cafe or a huge techno club, Sydney has something for everyone at night.
Included in the itinerary - a guided walk with a local expert take a tailor-made walk of the city with an expert guide who will adapt the tour to suit your interests. It's also the perfect opportunity to talk about life in Australia, to listen to anecdotes about Sydney and get some tips for the rest of your trip.
Option - A private cruise around Sydney's bay for unobstructed views of the city, Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Ayers Rock in the Red Centre. Collect your hire car and spend two nights in simple and practical accommodation in the middle of the bush. The location is ideal for enjoying the desert, especially the views of the towering Uluru, the spiritual heart of local Aboriginal culture.
Option- A helicopter ride over Uluru to fully appreciate its majesty.
Included - Admission to the 'Field of Light'. Internationally renowned light artist Bruce Munro chose the Red Centre to exhibit his artwork. This is a world first for this ephemeral art show, which is a temporary installation that keeps being extended due to its popularity. Approximately 50,000 thin stems crowned with frosted glass spheres line the desert and light up the red earth as soon as night falls in the Outback, against the backdrop of the towering rock. It's a truly unique opportunity to see the desert completely lit up at night.
Things to see and experience - At dawn or at the end of the day, enjoy some couple time alone while watching the sunrise or set on Uluru - the Olgas Mountains, a series of 36 red domes; another unique site, owned by the local Aboriginals.
Our advice : the rock is so huge that it can easily be seen from several miles away. Yet, curiously, all visitors stop at the same place to admire the show. Be smart and find your own little spot.
Return the hire car to the airport and fly back to Sydney. Private transfer to the CBD where you'll setting in your Art Deco hotel for your last night in Sydney.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Queenstown, on New Zealand's South Island. Pick up the hire car and spend three nights in a welcoming and cosy B&B with a view of the lake and the mountains.
Situated on the shore of the lake and surrounded by mountains, Queenstown alternates between a winter sports resort and a summer resort.
Things to see and do - Treat yourself to a dose of adrenaline with bungee jumping, parachuting, rafting, quad biking, mountain biking - enjoy a peaceful walk along the shores of the lake to reminisce about your trip - hike to Coronet Peak, the oldest ski resort in the country - climb to the top of Bob's Peak by Gondola - for bird lovers, visit the Kiwi and Birdlife Park - enjoy an evening on the bustling streets of the city.
Included in the itinerary - Tickets to the Onsen Hot Pools, which houses private and hidden pools nestled in wooden structures facing the Shotover mountain range and river.
Option - A cruise through Milford Sound (access plus a plane flight over the area, where you take in the breathtaking scenery). Milford Sound is spread over nine miles inland and is surrounded by 3,937ft mountains, the highest point being The Elephant, which reaches 4,977ft. You might be lucky enough to see dolphins, seals or penguins.
Return hire car to the airport and fly to Auckland, on North Island. Pick up another hire car and drive to Rotorua via the very fertile Waikato Plains. Spend three nights within walking distance of the city centre, in a lovely colonial house. The garden is planted with vines and lemon trees; you can walk around it or admire it from your balcony. Here you'll return to a simple and rural way of life. Breakfast is particularly delicious.
Rotorua is known for its thermal activities and lake - not to mention its very strong sulphur smell. Beyond the geothermal energy of this volcanic plateau, which is one of the most active in the world, Rotorua is also a major centre of Maori culture.
Included in the itinerary - Admission for a free visit to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park, which amazes with its colour and diversity: lakes, caves, whirlpools, geysers, fumarole fields and rainbow-coloured silica terraces. You admission to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley is also included. There are several discovery trails throughout the park, which have varying distances and levels of difficulty. Among the park's main sights are Flynn Pan Lake, the world's largest hot spring, and the blue, smoky waters of the incredible Inferno Crater.
Things to experience - Explore old Rotorua on foot - a walk in the Government Gardens - a seaplane or helicopter ride for a better view of the region's geothermal and volcanic activity - enjoy a Hangi dinner - head a little further south to Lake Taupo, created as a result of a supervolcano eruption, which magnificently highlights the uniqueness and beauty of the country.
Drive to Auckland. With a population of one million (one third of the country's entire population), the City of Sails is the most populated city in New Zealand. It is a sprawling city with a long cultural heritage and excellent quality of life. Spend two nights in a comfortable suite a short walk away from the waterfront. The area is full of fashionable restaurants and bars and the stylish Viaduct Basin. The New Zealand Maritime Museum is within walking distance: it exhibits everything from explorations of Maori sailors to triumphs at the America's Cup. Also nearby is New Zealand's oldest park, the Auckland Domain, and the beautiful tropical glasshouses of the Wintergardens, dating back to the 1920s. The shabby-chic Karangahape Road and the artsy Ponsonby are great places to visit. Rugby lovers must head to Eden Park, southwest of the CBD. The sun sends Aucklanders running to the beaches of Waitemata Harbour. Climbing to the top of Mount Victoria, will give you a full, immersive view of the city.
Return hire car to the airport and fly to Tahiti, whose time difference will set you back a day. Welcome on arrival, private transfer and overnight stay a short distance away in the lagoon at Papeete. Your hotel is the only one on the island with a natural white sandy beach. The upscale resort offers spacious rooms overlooking the garden and lagoon, and a stunning sand-based pool. You'll have everything you need to acclimatise to the relaxed Polynesian way of life.
Private airport transfer and short, ten-minute flight to Moorea. Another transfer and three-night stay on one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago - or even the world - bordered by a translucent lagoon. Bungalows on stilts look out onto the ultramarine blue of the Pacific ocean and the island of Tahiti. Others are nestled on the garden side, around a pond covered with water lilies. The architecture is based on the traditional faré (Polynesian bungalow) - all wood, braided bamboos and screw palms.
Its relaxed way of life has always attracted painters, sculptors, writers and poets throughout the years. You'll spend a few enjoyable days in Moorea, Tahiti's sister island, along the lagoon.
Things to see and do - Enjoy Mahi-mahi on the beach - go to a traditional dance show - relax on the sand or by the pool - put on flippers, a mask and a snorkel to see the multi-coloured reef fish - take a catamaran ride - have a Tiare flower treatment in the spa - cycle around the island - go on a romantic getaway at sunset.
Option - Spend a day with a Polynesian couple, which includes net fishing on a pirogue, snorkelling, a cooking class, a trip to their organic plantation and a braiding workshop.
Private transfer to the airport and another flight (30 minutes) to Bora Bora. Transfer by boat to an intimate hotel combing Polynesian hospitality and decor, where you'll stay for three nights. Here, you'll literally be staying on the water: hotel bungalows float on wooden pontoons protected by motus, small barrier islands. It's just three steps from your bungalow to the water.
Immerse yourself into the mythical Bora Bora. Perfectly poised in the middle of its lagoon, it contrasts against the water's palette, of every shade of blue you can imagine.
Included in the itinerary - A private boat trip with a guide. Go on a full tour of the lagoon, stopping off in several places in search of blacktip reef sharks, and swim with the majestic manta ray, stingray or leopard whipray. In Toopua, where marine life flourishes under ideal conditions, the coral garden invites you venture out with a mask and snorkel in waters ranging in depth from one to six metres.
Option - An introduction to diving.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Tahiti. A few hours' journey to Papeete (your baggage is checked in so you can wander around at your leisure), then an international flight home. Overnight flight, arriving the next day. The flight will take you forward one calendar day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
