Designed for families of all ages, this exciting, two-week journey leads your family far from home to the adventurous landscapes of New Zealand and Australia. Including hopping kangaroos, Aboriginal encounters, Hobbiton, and active volcanos, these two weeks will allow you to savor the iconic Australian and New Zealand experience without needing to rush or travel too much. You can check-in and relax before exploring and discovering with an expertly crafted mix of private day trips and family experiences.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Melbourne – The Australian Experience
After landing at Melbourne’s international airport, you will be transferred to Brighton, which is a charming, beachside suburb that is nestled by the gentle waters of Port Phillip Bay. Here, you can absorb a laid-back, coastal experience while only being 20 minutes from the heart of Melbourne. Brighton has a colorful and leisurely vibe, and you can find a diverse selection of great cafes and restaurants, enjoy a feeling of space on the golden beach, and experience snippets of local culture in nearby markets. This day will be at your leisure.
What's Included:
Day 2
Melbourne – The Great Ocean Road by Helicopter
Day 3
Melbourne – Kangaroos and Koalas
Day 4
Melbourne – Exploring Melbourne
Day 5
Port Douglas – Rainforest Activities
Day 6
Port Douglas – The Great Barrier Reef
Day 7
Port Douglas – Traditional Family Tour
Day 8
Auckland – Australia to New Zealand
Day 9
Rotorua – Iconic Hobbit Holes
Day 10 - 11
Rotorua – Customize your Adventure
Day 12
Queenstown – Lords of the Rings Filming Locations
Day 13
Queenstown – New Zealand’s Prettiest Town
Day 14
Queenstown – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Experience the wide-eyed wonder as your family comes face to face with wild kangaroos and koalas
- Discover Maori traditions during an informal evening in Rotorua, including the famous haka dance
- Explore the Great Ocean Road by helicopter and touch down to otherworldly beaches and rocks
- Wander through the perfectly preserved Hobbiton movie set and reenact famous scenes during a Lord of the Rings filming locations tour
- Connect with the natural world during an intimately private Aboriginal tour through Mossman Gorge and its surroundings
- Luxuriate in two of the Southern Hemisphere’s cutest towns, Queenstown in New Zealand and Port Douglas in Australia
- Experience the great New Zealand outdoors with options for hiking, cycling, kayaking, and traversing active volcanos
- Marvel at the Great Barrier Reef on an exploratory tour that is tailor-made for families
Detailed Description
Australia and New Zealand are a long way from everywhere, and taking your family to a continent down under can be the adventure of a lifetime. This is where kangaroos hop across the wild bush, Maori greet you with a haka war dance, and Hobbiton rivals the Great Barrier Reef for a child’s wide-eyed wonder. It’s easy to get carried away and try to do too much, especially when you only have two weeks. Long distances and continual travel can be tiresome, especially as a family. Furthermore, two weeks is not enough time to see all of these two countries, but it can provide a thrilling and laid-back journey through an eclectic variety of highlights and experiences.
Handcrafted for families with children of all ages, this exciting, two-week journey to Australia and New Zealand uses only four primary, overnight destinations. Private day trips will reveal everything from koalas to Aboriginal lifestyle and Lord of the Rings filming locations to active volcanos. By sticking to four destinations, you can unpack, get comfortable, and appreciate four very different aspects to your Australia and New Zealand experience. Local tours will showcase wonders, such as the Great Ocean Road, Mossman Gorge, which is complete with exploding geysers and an active volcano. At each destination, you will also have the time that is necessary to relax as a family without the constant need to pack up and move.
Melbourne will provide you with a city experience and is preferred over Sydney because there is more to do in the surrounding area. It is also a more relaxed city destination for families. You will be staying on the beach just south of the city, and here, you will enjoy a helicopter day trip to the Great Ocean Road and intimate encounters with kangaroos and koalas in the wild. Port Douglas will be your second Australian destination. This charming, beachside town is where you can completely unwind with available trips to see the Great Barrier Reef and long-standing Aboriginal culture.
You will then swap Australia for New Zealand with a direct flight to Auckland. This will be a travel day before you spend three nights in Rotorua, which is located in the heart of the North Island. By using this quaint town as a base, you can discover volcanos, lakes, forests, Maori communities, and the unmissable Hobbiton. With so much to do, your days will be customized with a private guide, so you can experience your version of the New Zealand outdoors. You will end your family tour in Queenstown, which is a magnificent town that is nestled beneath the mountains on the South Island. The change in landscape from Cairns and Rotorua will make it a really special stop while the wonderful variety of activities means that you can finish your vacation in a way that fits everyone’s mood.
Starting Price
$5,700 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.86 stars based on 2598 reviews.
Zicasso's travel designer put together a trip that got us to the places we wanted to see, with companies that suited our abilities and desires. He offered excellent suggestions, was always available, and was a pleasure to work with.
Reviewed By Mark H.
We very much enjoyed our time in New Zealand and Australia. The tours were all very good. Zicasso's travel agent and our tour partner were very responsive and helpful throughout the planning phase and while we were on vacation.
The only feedback we have is that the hotels selected, other than the hotels in New Zealand, did not have the amenities we were hoping to get from four-star properties. We'll do a better job of indicating what we need in hotel selections moving forward, but we thought the hotels could have been a notch better than they were.
Reviewed By Tim G.
I would use our travel company again in a minute! Zicasso's travel consultant really “got me” and designed the perfect trip for us.
The highlights especially included picking perfect places for us to stay (close to most everything we were doing and in the heart of the cities). The tours, both private and small group, gave us not only what we asked for, but even more that we didn’t know existed.
The itinerary was as detailed as it could possibly be, describing the day, what to bring, names and phone numbers to call if there were issues, and who we needed to call to confirm future tour dates.
One of our highlights was the penguin experience. Our guide was great and our trip planner got us “plus” tickets, which I would definitely recommend. Finally, she provided us with the necessary info and guides (where necessary) for our amazing hikes.
Reviewed By Ellin A.
Zicasso's travel specialists were fantastic! They provided excellent and unique recommendations. As a traveler seeking adventure and outdoor experiences, they completely understood my needs. Additionally, all accommodations were high quality, communication was very clear, and pricing was reasonable. I would strongly recommend them to anyone traveling to Australia/New Zealand.
Reviewed By Emil S.
We absolutely loved so much of our trip! My kids’ (ages 11 and eight) favorite activities were luging in Rotorua, NZ, and the sunset camel ride in Uluru, AU, while my husband and I were enchanted by Hobbiton and enjoyed exploring a glowworm cave with the owner's father! We all loved Tasmania.
There were a few hiccups. However, we were very happy with all the support the Zicasso travel company's team provided in real time to help us get back on track.
The overall trip was fantastic. My husband and I appreciated having the team support our adventures, both the highs and the lows. The team members were detailed-oriented. This trip exceeded our expectations and we’re incredibly grateful for their expertise in curating such memorable experiences.
Reviewed By Sivly R.
Zicasso's tour planner did a superb job for us. She collaborated with us on working out our itinerary and had useful information on how to combine our desired destinations efficiently.
While we were in Australia, she was available via the company's app, including helping us on a late evening when our flight from Sydney to Hobart was canceled because of a cyclone and we needed a short-notice hotel in Sydney.
Reviewed By Henry H.
