MJ INTERNATIONAL TOURS

This is the itinerary for our Australia and New Zealand Escorted Group Tour.

Option #1 

Day 1 – Fly from home airport to Los Angeles

Fly from Los Angeles to Sydney by Air New Zealand 

Day 2 – Cross International Dateline 

Day 3 – Arrive in Sydney @ 0605 

On arrival in Sydney you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

This sparkling city lives on a magnificent harbour.  Few cities in the world are fortunate enough to be situated in such beautiful surroundings.  Sydneysiders, as the locals are called, make full use of their harbour for cruising, sailing and swimming in its clear waters.  Sydney was founded in 1788 by the British Colonists and today the area along the harbour called “The Rocks”, is the spot where the colonists first landed.  The Rocks is now a major tourist attraction shops and restaurants abound. 

Dinner at hotel. 

Accommodation: Carlton Crest Hotel (3 nights) 

Day 4 – Harbour Coffee Cruise 

The best and most relaxing way to see Sydney is from the water.  Begin at Darling Harbour with a Coffee Cruise through Sydney Harbour aboard “Matilda Cruises”.  Points of interest include Fort Denison, which was built in 1840 to defend the young colony form a feared attack by Russian warships, offshore views of the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline. 

City sighseeing tour 

Depart your Circular Quay by private coach for a sight-seeing tour of Sydney and Environs.  Pass by Paddington (one of the oldest suburbs in Sydney), and into the city past the Museum and Hyde Park.  Journey over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the North Shore.  From the Bridge, you’ll be able to see the world famous Opera House, set on the water’s edge.  Also see The Rocks, which features some of Sydney’s first homes, now restored to their original dockside glamour.  Visit the southern beaches of Bondi, Bronte and Coogee. 

Day 5 – Featherdale Wildlife Park and Blue Mountains 

From the rugged grandeur of the plateau cliff faces with their spectacular waterfalls, to the quiet charm of the gullies, the Blue Mountains are a place of endless variety and contrasts. 

Featherdale Wildlife Park is 40 minutes west of Sydney and home to a large collection of native animals.  Hand feed to kangaroos, Wallabies and Emus.  Cuddle a koala and learn about Australia’s unique wildlife. 

Day 6 – Fly Sydney to Cairns 

You will be transferred to and from your hotel. 

Cairns is located in the heart of the tropical north, on the tranquil shore of Trinity Bay.  Wide tree-lined street and colorful median strip garden plots are a feature of this friendly, casual city where everybody feels welcome. 

Accommodations:  Oasis Resort (3 nights) 

Day 7 – Freshwater Station

Tropical Breakfast 

Enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast at Freshwater Station before it is boarding time. 

Kuranda Rail, Skyrail Return, Tjapuki Cultural Theme Park 

The rail journey takes a leisurely one and a half hours to wind through dense tropical forests, past majestic waterfalls and high over almost bottomless ravines.  Pull in to Kuranda and the “village in the rainforest”. Explore the markets and sights of Kuranda, then board Skyrail – the world’s largest gondola cableway, you’ll glide just meters above the rainforest canopy and enjoy sights that were once strictly for the birds.  At the end of the Skyrail ride is the Tjapukai Cultural Park.  Four separate theatres combine with Aboriginal Dancers and an outdoor Aboriginal Village. 

Day 8 – Quicksilver Outer Reef Cruise

M.V. Quicksilver is a high speed catamaran with a licensed bar, sundeck, fresh water showers and swimming platform.  See an underworld of breathtaking beauty, with deep sunlit valleys and coral cliffs teaming with brilliant fish, giant clams and all the magnificent marine life of a tropical sea garden.  You may swim, snorkel, explore the glass bottom boat and watch the Coral Sea breaking close to the continental shelf.  A smorgasbord lunch will be served on board.   

Day 9 – Fly Cairns to Melbourne 

You will be transferred to and from the airports.  Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, the smallest mainland state in Australia.  It is a major financial centre, and Australia’s second largest city.  Melbourne’s pride is in its parks and gardens, lending old world charm to contemporary living.  The backbone of Melbourne’s public transport system is the tram, with some trams having been in service for a quarter century or more. 

Accommodation:  Ibis Hotel (2 nights) 

Day 10 – Brief City Tour, Puffing Billy, Dandenong Ranges and Winery Lunch 

Depart your hotel this morning by private coach for a sight-seeing tour of Melbourne City.  Puffing Billy, Australia’s unique century-old steam train is still running on its original mountain track in the scenic Dandenong Ranges, only 40 km east of Melbourne, spectacular mountain views and cool fern gullies abound along the winding track. 

Stop at three wineries in the Yarra Valley for tours and tasting with a lunch stop at a local winery. 

Day 11 – Fly Melbourne to Sydney

Fly Sydney to Los Angeles

Fly Los Angeles to your home airport 

Option #2

Tourists going to New Zealand will continue as follows. 

Day 11 – Fly Melbourne to Auckland 

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

A “Bustling Metropolis” by local standards, Auckland is laid back and serene; its magnificent parks and gardens increasing its air of spaciousness. 

Accommodation:  Copthrone Harbour City (1 night)  

Day 12 – Coach Auckland to Waitomo Caves 

Your sight-seeing today will include the Waitomo Caves.  Set beneath the rugged King Country hillside lay a series of enormous limestone caverns.  Visitors come from all over the world to view what is one of New Zealand’s premier attractions.  Not only do the caves feature cathedral caverns, stalagmites and stalactites, but also the glow worm grotto.  This viewed from a boat traveling across a huge underground lake.  The ceilings of the caves are dotted with millions of small glow worms, each one providing its own small light to attract the insects they feed on. 

Coach Waitomo Caves to Rotorua 

Rotoura sits in the middle of a vast thermal belt, where waters and mud are heated below ground under immense natural pressure.  The result is that Rotorua’s 60,000 residents, along with many visitors, are treated to a continuous geothermal spectacle of erupting geysers and turbulent, swirling pools of mud. 

Accommodation:  Lake Plaza Resort (2 nights) 

Day 13 – Sight-seeing Whakarewarewa, Rainbow Springs and Farms 

Today your tour will take you toe the Maori village of Whakarewarewa.  Here a Maori guide will escort you through the Arts and Crafts Institute (where the young Maori learns the skills of his ancestors), and down into the region of gushing geysers, bubbling mud pools, steaming hot springs and hissing fumaroles.  From here you will progress to Rainbow Farm, for a display of New Zealand’s agricultural industry. 

Then on to Rainbow and Fairy Springs – a fascinating area, where countless numbers of Brown and Rainbow Trout swim in their own haven of crystal-clear pools surrounded by over one hundred species of native ferns.  Your guide will then escort you through the Nocturnal Aviary to see the Kiwi – New Zealand’s National Bird. 

Maorihangi and Concert on Local Marae 

Serving as the backbone of Maori society, a “marae” or traditional Maori meeting place still plays an important function as a gathering place.  Witness an authentic haka, complete with its spine-tingling chants and sample a “hangi” food, food that has been cooked in the ground. 

Day 14 – Coach Rotorua to Auckland 

Pride of Auckland Harbour Dinner Cruise 

The Pride of Auckland has 5 yachts offering several cruises every day.  There are large open decks, a very comfortable saloon lounge and a licensed bar.  All meats are cooked on board.  The Pride of Auckland is well known for its fresh seafood and dinner on board will be included. 

Accommodation:  Harbour City (1 night)  

Day 15 – City sight-seeing Tour including Kelly Tarlton’s and Skytower 

Enjoy a high flying bird’s eye view down the length of the Hauraki Gulf – location of America’s Cup Race, and across to Rangitoto – the volcano that erupted 750 years ago.  Skytower is one of the tallest towers in the world. 

Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World was the creation of Kelly Tarlton, famous underwater explorer and treasure hunter.  Kelly’s vision was to create and underwater environment that was accessible to everyone.  A moving walkway takes you through an acrylic tunnel under the ocean.  Visitors are surrounded by sharks, stingrays, giant eels and over 1,500 species of other fish – all seen from a scuba diver’s point of view. 

Fly Auckland to Los Angeles 

Fly Los Angeles to your home airport 

Prices, terms and conditions 

• Total package for Australia Tour (Option #1) is $3500.00 per person based on double occupancy.
• Total package for Australia plus New Zealand Tour (Option #2) is $5200.00 per person based on double occupancy.
• Round trip air fare from your home airport to Los Angeles is additional add on to package price which is estimated to be $350.00 or less.
• Deposit of $300.00 per person is required at time of reservation.  The final balance of the payment is due 90 days prior to departure date.
• Full refund of deposit if cancelled 90 days before departure.  50% refund of deposit if cancelled between 90 and 60 days before departure.  No refund if cancelled less than 60 days before departure.
• Price is subject to change if airlines increase their price due to fuel surcharge or any other reason.
• It is strongly recommended that clients purchase cancellation insurance coverage to protect themselves against cancellation due to illness prior to or during the trip.  In the event of traveler becoming ill during a tour without advance purchased insurance, all hospital and medical expenses are the traveler’s responsibility and they shall not be entitled to any refund.  Either total or partial insurance must be purchased at the time of deposit.

Insurance rates

Up to $4,000.00 of total package price:  $99.00 per person

Up to $5,000.00 of total package price:  $149.00 per person

Insurance is optional, but strongly recommended.

• The following are not included in package price:
  1. Departure tax NZD $22.00.
  2. Tips and gratuities.
  3. Personal items.
• U.S. citizens must have valid U.S. passport.  Australian visa is required.  We will get visa for our clients at a nominal fee.
•   General disclaimer:

In all matters relating to the making of arrangements for hotel and/or motel accommodations, sight-seeing tours and services provided incidental thereto, entertainment, and transportation by air, railroad, motor bus, automobile or steamship, The Travel Bug Worldwide Travel, Inc. and its subsidiaries act only in the capacity of an agent for the airlines, hotels/motels and other suppliers stated in the tour literature describing the services purchased.  Because of its status as an agent, and because it maintains no control over the personnel, equipment, or operations of these travel service suppliers, The Travel Bug Worldwide Travel, Inc., and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for and cannot be held liable for any personal injury, property damage or other loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of (1) any wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized acts or omissions on the part of any suppliers, (2) any wrongful, negligent or unauthorized acts or omissions on the part of any employee of any of these suppliers, (3) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, equipment, or instrument owned, operated or otherwise used by any of these suppliers, or (4) any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under the supervision and control, direct or otherwise, of the Travel Bug Worldwide Travel, Inc.