Harbour, Reef, Remarkables

The journey.

Day 1 · Sydney · Land, and walk to the water

A long flight lands in the morning and nothing is scheduled beyond walking to the harbour, where the Opera House is bigger and stranger than the photographs.

Day 2 · Sydney · The harbour, and the bridge

The city on foot and on the water with a guide for the morning, an Opera House tour, and the bridge climb for anyone who wants it.

Day 3 · Sydney · Bondi, or the Blue Mountains

A free day for the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee, which is the best free thing in Australia, or the mountains two hours west.

Day 4 · Great Barrier Reef · North, to the reef

A flight to the Whitsundays, where the colour of the water on the descent tells you most of what you need to know.

Day 5 · Great Barrier Reef · On the reef

A full day out on the outer reef rather than the fringing reef, with a marine biologist aboard and introductory dives available.

Day 6 · Great Barrier Reef · Whitehaven, and the sand

A boat to Whitehaven Beach, where the sand is ninety eight percent silica and squeaks, and the lookout over Hill Inlet.

Day 7 · Queenstown · Across the Tasman

A flight to New Zealand's South Island, where the landscape stops being subtle and the Remarkables turn out to be named accurately.

Day 8 · Queenstown · Milford, or the lake

The fiord through the Homer Tunnel and a cruise under Mitre Peak, which is genuinely better in the rain when the waterfalls run.

Day 9 · Queenstown · The adrenaline, or the wine

A jet boat through the Shotover canyons, or three estates of Central Otago pinot noir. Queenstown does both extremely well.

Day 10 · Queenstown · Nothing at all

A free day, which after nine days of moving you will want. The lake at seven in the morning is absolutely still.

Day 11 · Queenstown · Glenorchy, and the valleys

The road to the head of the lake, which is the drive everyone remembers, and the valleys behind it where most of the films were shot.

Day 12 · Queenstown · A last day

Nothing scheduled before the long flight home.

Day 13 · Auckland · Home

A connection through Auckland or Sydney, with the Southern Alps visible from the aircraft for an hour.

What a journey like this includes

• Park Hyatt Sydney, qualia, Lizard Island and Rosewood Matakauri among the choices

• Both the Australian and New Zealand visas, prepared and tracked

• A full day on the outer reef with a marine biologist and lunch aboard

• Sydney harbour on foot and by ferry with an Opera House tour

• All three internal flights and every transfer private

• Reef marine park fees, usually quoted separately

Build this journey your way

Every day and every hotel here has alternatives, with live pricing as you choose: https://packages.tripn.in/australia-nz-harbour-reef-remarkables