Itinerary

Sydney, Phillip Island, Melbourne, Burnie, Adelaide, Penneshaw/Kangaroo Island, Hobart, Port Arthur, Eden, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Milford Sound, Cruising Fiordland National Park, Port Chalmers/Dunedin, Lyttleton (Christchurch), Picton, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland

Description

Pricing based on departure date: 20 December 2025

Spend the holidays unwrapping Australia and New Zealand’s many gifts. Stretch out on powdery beaches, explore Sydney on an overnight stay, and encounter rare wildlife from kangaroos to cockatoos.

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:

Just 87 miles south-southeast of Melbourne, lies Phillip Island, ancestral home of the Bunurong people, among the first indigenous people to encounter Europeans. Wildlife is abundant here, including little penguins, fairy penguins and Pacific gulls; as well as wallabies and kangaroos.

Burnie’s long-running logging industry is just one hint at the amazing forests that surround the town, from the UNESCO World Heritage area that contains Tasmania’s most famous crag—Cradle Mountain—to the lesser-known rain forests of the Tarkine wilderness. Woodworkers, papermakers and print artists thrive in this misty land of trees, as does rare wildlife, ranging from wedge-tailed eagles to echidnas and the fabled Tasmanian devils. There’s pristine beachfront, too, where little penguins march and well-to-do locals dine on seafood platters as they gaze off into Bass Strait. Tasmania's separation from mainland Australia has created a resourceful, self-reliant and sometimes rebellious community that cooks and farms as well as it crafts and explores. Burnie's bounty includes award-winning single-malt whiskeys, hard apple cider, trout and salmon, hormone-free milk and cheeses and beef from Cape Grim in the far northwest. Known for having the world’s cleanest air, Burnie is an exciting base for a taste tour as well as a rugged or refined adventure.

The Australian continent’s third-largest island—Kangaroo—enchants visitors with its mellow rhythms, which seem to be coming from a quieter and much simpler time. Even Penneshaw, its main ferry port, has a population of less than 300 people, and farmers sometimes still advertise for spouses on bulletin boards.

The very small town of Port Arthur offers a fascinating introduction into the history and culture of Tasmania—indeed, of Australia as a whole. About a 100-kilometer (62-mile) drive southeast of Hobart, Tasmania's capital, Port Arthur is best known for its past as a penal colony. The Port Arthur convict settlement, which spreads over 40 hectares (100 acres), operated from the 1830s until 1877. Today its stone buildings make up one of several UNESCO-designated Australian Convict Sites on Tasmania. The whalers, miners, farmers and bushrangers who once lived in this region have given way to artists, foodies and rock climbers. The dramatic landscape ties it all together, infusing the identity of the people as well as the incredible food, drink and culture scene, for which Tasmania has become renowned. From the towering sea cliffs around Port Arthur to Hobart's historic Salamanca Place, southeast Tasmania holds much appeal for adventurous travelers. Add in artisan wineries and distilleries—and possibly one of the world's strangest museums—and you have a destination that’s easy to fall in love with.

Milford Sound, or Piopiotahi (its name in Maori), sits on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island and was first called the Eighth Wonder of the World by none other than Rudyard Kipling, who had seen some pretty wonderful places.

Every year, visitors flock to New Zealand in search of landscapes straight out of Middle Earth. They find what they're looking for in Fiordland National Park, on the southwestern coast of the South Island.

Much of New Zealand feels like England, by way of Polynesia. There are a few exceptions, though, such as the town of Akaroa, a former French settlement, and the distinctly Scottish city of Dunedin, named after the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh.

The South Island’s biggest city, Christchurch is now inextricably linked with the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, which leveled the planned city center and many historic buildings.

Tucked into the northeastern end of the South Island—just 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of Bleinheim and 109 kilometers (68 miles) east of Nelson—the petite and picturesque port town of Picton is your starting point for exploring the region of Marlborough.

Surrounded by the rolling vineyards of the Hawke's Bay wine region and edged by pristine waters, Napier has attracted a host of culinary innovators that has put it on the foodie map over the past two decades.

Your Ship; Noordam

Named for the Northern compass point, Noordam dazzles with museum-quality art and lavish staterooms. Guests of this Vista Class ship will have their pick of onboard activities. Sing along to your favorite hits at Billboard Onboard. Enjoy a Pilates class at the Fitness Center. Or savor the delights of one of our specialty restaurants. The Pinnacle Grill serves the juiciest steak at sea and Canaletto beckons with tantalizing Italian dishes.