Price per person: Double (2 to a room)...................$6,399.00 Single (1 to a room).....................$7,999.00 PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP All passengers MUST HAVE a US Passport valid until May 31, 2008.		Click on map to enlarge!
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Transfers from Brainerd to MSP Airport Roundtrip Airfare MSP to Melbourne and return from Christchurch 18 Nights Deluxe Accommodations 14 Breakfasts/2 Lunches/10 Dinners Melbourne Orientation & City Tour Fairy Penguin Parade Alice Springs Sightseeing Outback Evening Aboriginal “Dreamtime” Tour Ayers Rock Cairns & the Great Barrier Reef	Great Barrier Reef Glass Bottom Boat Sydney City Tour Sydney Opera House Performance Featherdale Wildlife Park Sydney Harbour Cruise Christchurch Franz Josef Glacier Region Queenstown Orientation Dinner with a New Zealand Family Mount Cook National Park New Zealand Sheep Farm Visit
DAY 1&2     ON OUR WAY Today, we leave Brainerd on our journey “Down Under”! We travel to Minneapolis where we board our overnight flight for our trip to Australia and New Zealand. Crossing the International Dateline.
DAY 3     ARRIVE MELBOURNE Our tour begins today in the beautiful Victorian city of Melbourne, where the remainder of the day is ours to relax.
DAY 4     MELBOURNE Today we embark on a tour of Melbourne featuring Fitzroy Gardens, the Shrine of Remembrance and the Parliament House. Later, travel to Phillip Island, a renowned nature reserve and home of the world’s largest colony of Little Penguins. Behold the incredible Little Penguin Parade as hundreds of these lovable birds waddle out from the sea and cross the beach to their burrows in the dunes. We will also visit the interpretation center where you will learn about the life of the Little Penguins and their significance to the area. Dinner is included on Phillip Island.
DAY 5     ON TO ALICE SPRINGS We fly to Alice Springs, located in the heart of Central Australia. A sightseeing tour includes the Old Telegraph Station, Anzac Hill, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Tonight, enjoy a delicious dinner in the bush. Experience the real Outback complete with entertainment under the stars.
DAY 6     “DREAMTIME” Discover the beliefs and customs of the Aboriginal people this morning during the “Dreamtime Tour”. Your specialist guide along with members of the Walpiri tribe will teach you about the stories of creation and every day activities of the Aboriginals. Mingle with these people at their camp and watch as various dreamtime stories are depicted in paintings. Tonight you may “Take a Camel to Dinner” (optional)—enjoy a camel ride through the Outback to your dinner.
	DAY 7     AYERS ROCK Today we drive to Ayers Rock in the heart of the Australian Outback. The huge monolith called Ayers Rock and the sandstone domes of the Olgas were created through the process of upheaval and erosion. We will tour the Olgas and around the base of “the Rock,” learning about their significance to the Aboriginal culture, after which we view a beautiful sunset. Watch as Ayers Rock magically changes color!
DAY 8      TO CAIRNS Today we fly to Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
DAY 9     GREAT BARRIER REEF Board a high-speed catamaran for an exciting excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. From our base on Green Island, we are able to explore the reef. Enjoy a trip on a glass bottom boat where beautifully colored fish swim by in their natural habitat. Choose a stroll on the walking trail to take in the rain forest and the beaches, or watch the fish and sea turtles swim past from the pier. You may also visit the underwater observatory. For a more adventurous encounter with the reef, optional scuba diving, snorkeling and an outer reef tour are also available.
DAY 10     ON TO SYDNEY Explore the rain forest canopy this morning on an optional skyrail ride tour. Make a few stops on the climb to experience the beauty of this World Heritage Site. Depart for the exciting city of Sydney this afternoon. Your introduction to the city will be a birds-eye view as you dine overlooking the city at one of Sydney’s revolving restaurants.
	DAY 11     SYDNEY & WILDLIFE Enjoy a morning cruise on Sydney Harbour with fantastic views of two of Australia’s most famous landmarks: the Harbour Bridge and the world-renowned Sydney Opera House. Later, we visit Featherdale Wildlife Park to view a variety of Australian wildlife including wombats, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, dingos and crocodiles...we will even have the opportunity to pose with a koala. This afternoon, enjoy a tour of the amazing city of Sydney. You will see Kings Cross, the Harbour Bridge, Chinatown, the Rocks, Circular Quay, the Botanic Gardens, and the fashionable suburb of Paddington. Later, enjoy a fascinating opal presentation and learn how raw opals are processed—from the dark mine shafts to your favorite jewelry store.
	DAY 12    SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Today is yours to spend in one of the world's greatest cities! Stroll throught the city streets, visit the historic Rocks district, or simply relax. This evening, experience the beauty of Sydney as you dine while cruising the harbour, enjoying views of the city's great icons—the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Following dinner, return to the Opera House to enjoy a spectacular performance!
DAY 13     ON TO NEW ZEALAND Today we’re off to New Zealand. We arrive in Christchurch, a beautiful English city located on the Avon River. Christchurch is considered “the most English city outside of England.” A sightseeing tour highlights the city’s magnificent gardens, elegant park district and the historic Neo-Gothic Cathedral.
DAY 14     FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER Journeying across New Zealand’s spectacular Southern Alps, we will marvel at the snowcapped peaks and beautiful river gorges as we wind our way past waterfalls and rugged mountain scenery. Perhaps you would prefer an optional train ride aboard the Tranz-Alpine Express for a scenic trip through the Southern Alps. Later, we will arrive in the Franz Josef Glacier Region.
DAY 15     QUEENSTOWN This morning you may choose to view the rough snow covered mountaintops by taking an optional flightseeing tour (weather permitting) over New Zealand’s beautiful glacier region.We will be traveling out of the South Island’s lush, rugged and magnificent west coast this morning. Take in New Zealand’s most stunning scenery as we pass through rain forest surrounded by the Southern Alps and the twisting coastline. Travel over one lane bridges sighting green glacial lakes, thundering waterfalls and dramatic landscape changes. After crossing the Haast Pass, we arrive in Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s prettiest towns. Dinner is included at the Skyline Restaurant overlooking Queenstown, the Remarkable Mountains, and Lake Wakatipu. After dinner you will have the option to take in a Maori cultural performance.
	DAY 16     MILFORD SOUND Travel through beech forest into the rugged grandeur of the Hollyford Valley via the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound, where we will enjoy a fascinating cruise. You may choose to return to Queenstown via a short optional flight (weather permitting) for spectacular views of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
DAY 17     QUEENSTOWN Today is a day of leisure. Shop in the charming village of Queenstown or enjoy an optional jet boat ride on the Shotover River. A special treat is in store for us tonight as we dine with a New Zealand family in their home.
	DAY 18     MOUNT COOK Enjoy a visit to Arrowtown, an old boomtown thriving with the history of the 1800’s gold rush. Traveling along the Kawarau River, we cross the Lindis Pass before arriving in New Zealand’s most famous national park, Mt. Cook. This massive mountain rivals the Himalayas in appearance. You will have time to enjoy the park and perhaps take a nature walk or enjoy an optional glacier flightseeing tour (weather permitting).
DAY 19     CHRISTCHURCH This morning, savor a drive through the magnificent landscape as we return to Christchurch. This afternoon, enjoy a visit to a working farm where we will view a demonstration by a skilled New Zealand “strong eye” sheep herding dog, followed by a sheep shearing demonstration. Learn how this New Zealand farm family has survived the changing times by adapting their land to produce a variety of products. Tonight, step back in time and experience the true elegance of Canterbury as we dine in style at a restored mansion and learn about the history of the first settlers of Christchurch.
DAY 20     HOMEWARD BOUND This morning, time permitting, you may choose an optional excursion to the International Antarctica Center, the gateway for all U.S. expeditions to the Antarctic. We then board our trans-Pacific flight back to the United States. Our friendly coach driver meets us in Minneapolis for our short trip back to Brainerd.