Australia's Outback to New Zealand

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. It is located on Australia’s east coast, with the metropolis surrounding one of the world’s largest natural harbors. The first British settlers founded Sydney in 1788, but the area around the city is said to have been inhabited for many years before. Millions of tourists come to Sydney each year to see its natural features such as Sydney Harbor and Bondi Beach, as well as Sydney’s man made attractions such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on Bennelong Port in Sydney Harbour, adjacent to Sydney’s Central Business District and the Royal Botanical Gardens. The facility opened on October 20th, 1973. The opera house comprises several performance venues which together make one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world hosting 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. More than 7 million people visit the opera house each year.

Cairns is a regional city in the far north of Queensland, Australia. The city was founded in 1876 and named after the then governor of Queensland. The region of Cairns ranks as the 4th most popular destination for international travelers in Australia. The city serves as a gateway point for those visiting the Great Barrier Reef. While being a gateway to Australia’s surrounding ocean, Cairns is also surrounded by rainforest, and also serves as a gateway to destinations like Daintree.

Experience one of the seven wonders of the natural world when you climb aboard a high speed catamaran and set off for the Great Barrier Reef. As the world’s largest living organism, you’ll find over 2,800 individual coral reef systems which are home to amazingly diverse marine life. Their bright colors look remarkable against the turquoise waters. Jump in the water to snorkel and really experience the Reef in an immersive way! Stroll along the walking trails with a reef expert, simply relax on the beach, or meet with a marine biologist during an informative presentation. It’s a truly good day at the Reef, mate.

The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest region on the north east coast of Queensland Australia, north of Cairns. Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the continent at over 460 square miles in size. The rainforest sits just along the coastline, north of the Daintree Ricer and grows all the way down to the edge of the sea. Part of the rainforest is protected by the Daintree National Park.

Uluru, also called Ayers rock, is a large, sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory of central Australia. It lies 208 miles southwest of the nearest large town, Alice Springs. The rock is one of Australia’s most recognizable natural landmarks. The rock stands at 1,142 feet tall and is 2,381 feet above sea level.

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populated city in Australia. It is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip. The city was founded on August 30th, 1835. Melbourne is often referred to as Australia’s cultural capital because it is a major center for the performing and visual arts. Melbourne is said to be the birthplace of Australian dance styles, the Australian film industry, Australian impressionist art and the Australian television industry.

Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. The city is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu and has spectacular views of nearby mountains and the Southern Alps. The town was founded in the 1860s and is now known for commerce-based tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism, boasting over 200 adventure tourism activities to take part in.

Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. The sound runs inland for over 490 feet from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 3,900 feet on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 4,977 feet (1,517 meters), said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, at 4,272 feet (1,302 meters), in the shape of a crouching lion. Milford Sound is acclaimed as New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination.

Mt. Cook National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand. New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt. Cook, lies within the park. The area was established as a national park in October 1953 and covers about 270 square miles with glaciers covering over 40% of the park. It is a popular place for skiing, hunting and mountaineering.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the county’s third most populous urban area. It is located on the South Island’s eastern coast. Christchurch officially became a city on July 31st, 1856, making it the oldest established city in New Zealand. Christchurch is known as the Garden City due the large number of public parks and residential gardens.