Kangaroos, Koalas & Kiwis - Cruise Sydney to Auckland

Date          Port                                                                        Arrive          Depart
Nov 16    Sydney, Australia                                                                        6:00 pm
Nov 17    At Sea, International Waters
Nov 18    Melbourne, Australia                                                8:00 am
Nov 19    Melbourne, Australia                                                                   6:00 pm
Nov 20    At Sea, International Waters
Nov 21    Hobart, Australia                                                      8:00 am       6:00 pm
Nov 22    At Sea, International Waters
Nov 23    At Sea, International Waters
Nov 24    Cruising Milford Sound, International Waters
Nov 25    Dunedin, New Zealand                                        9:00 am           6:00 pm
Nov 26    Christchurch (Lyttleton), New Zealand                  8:00 am           6:00 pm
Nov 27    Wellington, New Zealand                                     8:00 am           4:00 pm
Nov 28    Napier, New Zealand                                           8:00 am           6:00 pm
Nov 29    At Sea, International Waters
Nov 30   Tauranga, New Zealand                                        8:00 am            5:00 pm
Dec 01   Auckland, New Zealand                                        8:00 am

Aboard the Seven Seas Navigator departing 16/November 2010 for 15 nights in the six-star tradition of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Emerging from a refurbishment in December 2009 and occupying the uppermost niche in cruising, she offers her 490 guests an unusual level of luxury and some of the highest space and service ratios at sea. From her all-suite, all-oceanview accommodations with their luxurious marble baths to her signature cuisine to her superbly attentive staff, she has few equals.

FREE UNLIMITED SHORE EXCURSIONS
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions on each and every voyage. Receive access to complimentary, award-winning shore excursions during your voyage, in addition to the all-inclusive cruise experience you have come to expect from the World’s Best Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

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Australia - Frequently Asked Questions

What clothes should I pack?
Australia is a reasonably casual country, which is reflected in the locals’ attire. To attend a performance at the Sydney Opera House or dine at a fine restaurant, gentlemen may feel more comfortable in a jacket. To be prepared for any weather, use the layer system. Wear a t-shirt, but carry a fleece and lightweight waterproof jacket in a daypack so you’re ready for all conditions. Comfortable walking shoes are a must. We provide you with a packing list with your final documentation.

Is it true that there are poisonous jellyfish in the waters around Cairns?
Yes, from about December to March, but there are designated swimming areas which are netted to keep the “stingers” out so that you can swim in the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef Islands are usually not effected, and all hotels have pools.

What regions do you recommend I visit?
Australia has so many experiences to offer, we’ll talk with you about activities you are interested in, your budget, your style of vacation and we can put a really unique and creative itinerary together for you that will cater exactly to the expectations you have. That’s what we are here for!

How far in advance should I book?
As far as possible to avoid disappointment at sought after properties. A minor deposit will allow us to confirm services and hold your reservation until final payment is due. We’ll supply complete Terms and Conditions with your Quotation.

What is the weather like; when should I travel?
Australia, which is as large as the continental US, has milder temperature extremes. The seasons are reversed so the northern Tropics are hot and rainy from December through February and the southern areas are cool, though rarely snowy, from July through September. Mildest months for all round travel are March and April, and October and November.

What documentation do I need for Australia?
To return to the US you need a valid passport. To enter Australia you need a passport valid for at least six months after the date of your departure. To enter Australia you need an ETA, which we can usually issue for you over the phone in five minutes, if you are a US citizen. When you book, we’ll fax you a Personal Information form to fill out which will ask you for all the details we need to issue your Australian visa. Getting a passport is your own responsibility.

How long should I spend in Australia?
Most people find that 2 weeks is the right amount of time to visit 3 regions. If you have more time, you’ll see more.

Will I lose a day?
On the way to Australia you’ll skip a day on the calendar when you cross the dateline, but the reverse happens on the way back so you really haven’t lost anything. Here’s how it works: If you leave the US on a Monday evening, you’ll arrive in Australia on Wednesday morning. If you leave Australia on a Monday you’ll arrive back in the US on Monday, the same day.

How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Sydney?
14 hours non-stop, or, as we like to say: Two good meals you don’t have to cook yourself, all the Australian wines and liqueurs you care for, and unlimited free movies. Seriously, by the time you have cocktails, eat, relax with a book or a movie, sleep and eat again; you’re there. Your vacation starts at take off.

How much does a trip to Australia cost?
That’s about as difficult as answering how much your house remodel will cost-it all depends on what you plan to do. Call us and we can work on a vacation to fit your budget/lifestyle.

If you would like to take a trip Down under to Australia
Call Me at 1-800-644-6659
Your See the South Pacific Specialist at Luxury Hideaways

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Early History about Australia & its Aboriginal People

Australia’s Aboriginal people were thought to have arrived here by boat from South East Asia during the last Ice Age, at least 50,000 years ago. At the time of European discovery and settlement, up to one million Aboriginal people lived across the continent as hunters and gatherers. They were scattered in 300 clans and spoke 250 languages and 700 dialects. Each clan had a spiritual connection with a specific piece of land. However, they also travelled widely to trade, find water and seasonal produce and for ritual and totemic gatherings.

Despite the diversity of their homelands - from outback deserts and tropical rainforests to snow-capped mountains - all Aboriginal people share a belief in the timeless, magical realm of the Dreamtime. According to Aboriginal myth, totemic spirit ancestors forged all aspects of life during the Dreamtime of the world’s creation. These spirit ancestors continue to connect natural phenomena, as well as past, present and future through every aspect of Aboriginal culture.

Britain arrives and brings its convicts when a number of European explorers sailed the coast of Australia, then known as New Holland, in the 17th century. However it wasn’t until 1770 that Captain James Cook chartered the east coast and claimed it for Britain. The new outpost was put to use as a penal colony and on 26 January 1788, the First Fleet of 11 ships carrying 1,500 people - half of them convicts - arrived in Sydney Harbour. Until penal transportation ended in 1868, 160,000 men and women came to Australia as convicts.

While free settlers began to flow in from the early 1790s, life for prisoners was harsh. Women were outnumbered five to one and lived under constant threat of sexual exploitation. Male re-offenders were brutally flogged and could be hung for crimes as petty as stealing. The Aboriginal people displaced by the new settlement suffered even more. The dispossession of land and illness and death from introduced diseases disrupted traditional lifestyles and practices.

By the 1820s, many soldiers, officers and emancipated convicts had turned land they received from the government into flourishing farms. News of Australia’s cheap land and bountiful work was bringing more and more boatloads of adventurous migrants from Britain. Settlers or ‘squatters’ began to move deeper into Aboriginal territories - often with a gun - in search of pasture and water for their stock.

In 1825, a party of soldiers and convicts settled in the territory of the Yuggera people, close to modern-day Brisbane. Perth was settled by English gentlemen in 1829, and n 1835 a squatter sailed to Port Phillip Bay and chose the location for Melbourne. At the same time a private British company, proud to have no convict links, settled Adelaide in South Australia.

Gold was discovered in New South Wales and central Victoria in 1851, luring thousands of young men and some adventurous young women from the colonies. They were joined by boat loads of prospectors from China and a chaotic carnival of entertainers, publicans, illicit liquor-sellers, prostitutes and quacks from across the world. In Victoria, the British governor’s attempts to impose order - a monthly licence and heavy-handed troopers - led to the bloody anti-authoritarian struggle of the Eureka stockade in 1854. Despite the violence on the goldfields, the wealth from gold and wool brought immense investment to Melbourne and Sydney and by the 1880s they were stylish modern cities.

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The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism that can be seen from space…

The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism that can be seen from space - astronauts have described it as a ‘thin white line in the blue ocean’. The reef is made up of about 2,900 unconnected reefs and 900 islands.

The Great Barrier Reef area abounds with marine and bird life. It is home to 400 species of coral, more than 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 types of molluscs, and more than 200 species of birdlife.

Other wildlife species include the dugong, varieties of dolphins and whales. Six of the world’s seven marine turtles can be found at the Great Barrier Reef.

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Why Travel to Australia?

1. Australia is a safe and comfortable destination
2. No foreign language, no weird money, no worries - just wonders!
3. Stable political environment
4. From LA to G’Day in a day -By the time you enjoy your in-flight movies, your meals and a nap you’ll be Down Under!
5. Favorable exchange rate
6. Australian’s are friendly! People want to meet us
7. Australia is an Adventurer’s Playground.
8. 50,000 years of ancient culture
9. Roll out your swag- absorb the flavor of rural Australia
10. Wine & Dine - sample the exotic flavors of Australian cuisine from Barramundi to Balmain Bugs!

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Australia vs Europe – Do The Math!

With the comparatively stronger US dollar, Australia offers an amazing getaway any time of the year. Choose from amazing vacations in world-class wine country, vibrant cities, tropical beaches or the Outback. Australia truly is the land of no worries.

With the current US exchange rate compared to the Euro, your dollar will stretch much further in Australia.
Europe - Lunch or cappuccino? In Australia, you don’t have to choose.
But… I Hate Math. Don’t worry mate - I’ve done all the math for you… the US dollar goes much further than with those Euro dudes.

Pint of Beer -
Australia - $3.00 USD vs Europe - $7.00 USD

Cruise with Lunch
Australia $56.00 USD vs Europe $78.00 USD

Round of Golf
Australia $98.00 USD vs Europe $104.00 USD

Two nights in a 4 star hotel
Australia $279.00 USD vs Europe $459.00 USD

So, where are you going for your next holiday?

If you would like to take a trip Down under to Australia
Call Me at 1-800-644-6659
Your See the South Pacific Specialist at Luxury Hideaways

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FYI’s Before You Go - We’re Traveling DownUnder - Australia!

When you are traveling to Australia for the first time on a cruise or holiday there are some important things that you need to have to gain entry into the country, whether you are arriving via a ship or plane. Australia is one of the countries in which you will need both a passport and a visa to gain entry.  This information is detailed below with links to the Australian Tourism Board. [Read more]

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