Wildlife of Australia & New Zealand 2-Week Tour

This full day in Mungo National Park will be all about indigenous wildlife. To get close to kangaroos, you may need to creep a few meters without disturbing the mob. On the contrary, wallabies often come to you, and their mischievous behavior can be part of their charm. Koalas can be seen here, but the sightings are rare because there is not much eucalyptus. A private day with wildlife will be complemented by local Aboriginal experiences. During these, you can admire painted rocks across the park, and messages from the past that contain much resonance for now.

Over these two days, you will embark on one of Australia’s ultimate road trips. The road is beautiful and empty all over the country, so wherever you drive, there will be a sense of wilderness. The road toward East Gippsland is the best for wildlife and nature. You will then head to the coast to encounter koalas. Rufous bristlebirds are another exotic species that you can see on the road to the coast on day three. Day four will be all about the coast as you drive the Great Ocean Road. While there is plenty of wildlife along the drive, the area does have a tendency to be busy with tourists, so you will not enjoy the same safari exclusivity as your first three days in Australia.

Although little known outside Australia, East Gippsland is the true wildlife jewel in this vast, open country. You will be spending two days at a rainforest lodge just meters from the ocean. This location means that you can tailor your time around wildlife encounters on land and in the water. Large marsupials will be part of your hourly experience, and it is rare to go more than a few hours without seeing wallabies and kangaroos. Goannas and echidnas will also provide two entirely new wildlife experiences, which will be encountered when you stroll along the wild forest trails. You can head to the water, where you may discover an ocean rich in dolphins and seals. You can also encounter these animals during kayaking and small boat cruises.

Today will be a travel day as you swap Australia for New Zealand. Still, travel is rarely dull in this part of the world. Leaving East Gippsland, you will probably pass a few kangaroo mobs on the road to Melbourne, where you will board a direct flight to Queenstown in the morning. With the duration of the flight and the time difference, it will be late afternoon when you arrive in the beautiful little South Island town of Queenstown. Although Queenstown is well known as being an adventure destination, it is also one of the calmest and most laid-back places that you can ever travel. Nothing is planned for the evening, but you may wish to take the cableway up Bob’s Peak for a spectacular sunset view.

Today, you will leave Queenstown behind you and journey into a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The snowy peaks will peer down at you as you cross one of these lakes by boat before continuing your journey in a 4WD vehicle. Milford Sound is the most iconic and best known of the fjords in Southwestern New Zealand. Although it is the narrowest and steepest, Doubtful Sound is home to more wildlife. After crossing a mountain pass, you will descend on this fjord. It will be easy to see why it was called Doubtful, as the people naming it were ultimately incorrect because it is, in fact, a fjord and not a sound. This afternoon, you will cruise on the sound’s sublime waters.

The premier highlight of an overnight fjord cruise is not sleeping but waking up in the middle of this surreal locale. Mist consumes the fjord walls on most mornings, and you can watch it slowly clear. The ship is very comfortable, and you can be treated to Doubtful Sound in privacy before day-tripping visitors flock to the water. After breakfast, you can venture on another kayaking trip to waterfalls that cascade from steep fjord slopes and penguins. Lunch will be served on board before you start the journey back to Queenstown. On a day trip, you will spend more time on the road than in the fjord, which does not really make sense given how Fiordland National Park is one of the world’s most spectacular natural destinations.

The New Zealand experience is all about the journey, and during these two days, you will travel through some of the South Island’s most astonishing landscapes. First, you will travel by road across the Central Otago plains toward Aoraki / Mt. Cook National Park. From here, you will transfer to your luxurious alpine lodge in the heart of an area where Sir Edmund Hilary learned his trade. There are hikes and climbs galore in this area, so your guide will tailor something to your interests and fitness levels. If you want something in the Hilary mode, you can go ice climbing in the national park, but there are also short walks along well-trodden paths with iceberg-dotted lakes among the destinations. You will also indulge in a scenic flight over the national park that will immerse you in New Zealand’s alpine wilderness.

You will complete your road journey across the South Island this morning by traveling across the Canterbury Plains to Akaroa, which is a charming coastal town near Christchurch. This afternoon, you will be swimming with dolphins in the South Pacific. Of course, you will have a wetsuit so you will not be uncomfortable in the water, and you should remember that these are wild dolphins, so there are no human-trained tricks or cuddling. Instead, you will be able to feel their social intelligence as you listen to squeaks and clicks beneath the water. Even when you cannot see the dolphins, you will know they are close, especially with their calls that echo through the water.

After 12 days that are focused on raw nature and Southern Hemisphere wildlife, you can spend your final day reflecting on it all. Nothing too strenuous will be planned with a long flight home tomorrow. Instead, you will soar across the Canterbury Plains in a hot air balloon, admiring a patchwork of colors. Vineyards are set between wheat plantations and cow fields, so it will not be pure nature, but you will still experience a different side to the New Zealand landscape. You will touch down in the heart of wine country, where you will dine in style at a boutique winery with epic views and plenty of time to recall everything from wallabies to icebergs. By the late afternoon, you will have arrived in Christchurch for your final night in New Zealand.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Christchurch’s international airport to start your journey home.