15-NT Australia & New Zealand Holiday

This picturesque town near the border of New South Wales and Victoria was the site of a thriving shore-based whaling industry that depended on the cooperation of orcas, which herded baleen whales into Twofold Bay. Learn about it at the small but informative Killer Whale Museum.

Originally part of New South Wales, Victoria became a colony in its own right in 1851. The discovery of gold and the development of agriculture propelled Melbourne’s rise to prominence and prosperity. Melbourne is a green and welcoming city, teeming with cultural institutions as well as cafés, bars and restaurants serving a spectrum of international cuisine. Melbourne is also an event city, home to the Australian Open Tennis, the Melbourne Cup and numerous other sporting occasions. Anyone who gets to know the city finds it has a kaleidoscopic character. Signs of Melbourne’s heritage are everywhere, and yet the city bears the glass and steel hallmarks of a modern metropolis. A visit here guarantees myriad experiences, most within easy walking range, and others a short ride aboard one of the historic trams that criss-cross the city.

As you sail through parts of Fiordland National Park, you will appreciate how it has mesmerised and intrigued travellers and tourists over the centuries, with its graceful and mostly untouched beauty. Amongst and beyond the glacier-carved fjords of Doubtful and Milford Sound, stand impressive snow-capped peaks, luscious green slopes and forests that are home to unusual and unique species.

Oban is host to some amazing Scottish scenery and wildlife. In and beyond its embracing harbour, you might spot grey seals, otters and puffins, before some delicious seafood and a tot of local whisky.

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South of New Zealand and the principal of the region of Otago. In 1865 it became one of the largest cities for the influx of new settlers from Ireland, Italy, France, Germany and China due to the discovery of Gold. Sites not to be missed are the outstanding Dunedin Railway Station and a ride on the world famous Taieri Gorge Train.

Nestling on the lower slopes of a steep sided extinct volcano, the historic port town of Lyttelton is overflowing with trendy cafés and quirky shops. It’s also the gateway to nearby Christchurch.

New Zealand's capital and cruise port Wellington, is blessed with a wonderful setting, overlooking a glittering harbour filled with bobbing sailing boats. Behind the gleaming modern skyscrapers of its centre, you will find the city's history well preserved in some outstanding old buildings. Visit the second-largest wooden building in the world, the old Government Building which was built in 1876. To see New Zealand's story brought most vividly to life, visit the Te Papa Museum, a multi-level extravaganza of hands-on learning where you can explore a Maori meeting house, take a virtual reality bungee jump or even experience an earthquake.

Tauranga is the largest and most populated port in the Bay of Plenty region. This is an appropriate name due to the abundant beaches, rolling white waters, hot mineral springs and even kiwi orchards. From here visit the thermal wonders of Rotorua, where geysers spout, mud boils and steam escapes through cracks in the pavement. Maori people have used the healing hot springs since the 14th century.

In a nation where stunning scenery is taken for granted, this water wonderland sparkles like a freshly polished jewel. Over 48 extinct volcanoes cloaked in wild mountainous scenery encircle the City of Sails. An undulating succession of bays and inlets stretch along its endless shores. Even the downtown area with its expansive, farm-like parks exudes a sense of spacious beauty.