| Downunder Honeymoon Portfolio |
| You want your
dream trip to be relaxing and exciting. Luxurious and adventurous. You
want a perfectly planned itinerary that makes your dreams come true -
within your budget. A week in a Tahitian "over-the-water" bungalow?
Horseback riding in Tasmania? Both? We can make it happen! Here are six
honeymoon dreams we made come true for other couples (price based on
cost at the time the trip was taken). |
| Rocks 'n Reef - a 16 day Tour of Australia |
| This honeymoon
started in a charming hotel in Sydney's historic Rocks district -
interesting shops, great waterfront dining, and real Aussie pubs and
wine bars! They visited the Sydney Aquarium and took a ferry across the
harbor. From Alice Springs (in the center of Australia) they took a 3-day excursion to Ayer's Rock. Traveling in a 4WD small-group tour, they saw rugged mountain ranges, a 130 million-year-old comet crater, canyons and cattle country before arriving at Ayer's Rock Resort. They toured the Olgas and had a morning hike of the base of Ayer's Rock. In Australia's "top end," they had a daytrip to the Aboriginal "Tiwi Islands" and learned about "bush tucker" and native culture. Tiwi paintings and batik were available for purchase directly from the artists. Then, they had an exciting 3-day camping trip into the Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. Billibongs, crocodile spotting, Aboriginal rock art, and fabulous wetlands are part of this tour. In the permanent campsites, all meals are cooked in the bush. It was the dry season, so there were no worries about getting wet! The honeymoon ended with 5 fabulous nights at a Great Barrier Reef resort. Dunk Island offers bird-filled rainforests, tennis, aerobics, a gym, swimming pools, water skiing, para sailing, tube rides, skydiving, reef trips, sailing, and fishing. Breakfast and dinner were included. |
| Rocks, Reef & Rainforests- 17 day tour |
| This honeymoon
started in Sydney's historic Rocks, where they stayed in one of
Australia's oldest pubs, now a charming hotel. They climbed the Harbor
Bridge and visited the city's beaches and shops using their Explorer
pass. Then it was off to Alice Springs, where they rode a camel to dinner out in the bush! The next morning they took a large coach tour to Ayer's Rock and the Olgas, then flew to Cairns. Like the couple on the "Rocks 'n Reef" tour, they also chose Dunk Island - but saved money by taking a launch to the island rather than flying. After their Reef relaxation, they visited central Queensland, staying several nights in a rustic mountain lodge that has evening and morning animal and bird-spotting walks. Their stay included all meals and touring. Their final 2 nights were in Brisbane, where they visited the Australia Zoo, home of television's famous Crocodile Hunter. |
| A 16 day Outback Adventure …plus a Great Barrier Reef Luxury Retreat |
| This honeymoon
began at a charming inn near Sydney harbor. They climbed the Sydney
Harbor Bridge, toured the Opera House and dined at a romantic restaurant
there. On a 4WD daytrip to the Blue Mountains, they saw koalas and
kangaroos. Then they flew to Ayer's Rock, where they toured the Olgas, enjoyed the famous "Sounds of Silence" dinner under the Milky Way, and rose early the next morning to see the sunrise on Ayer's Rock, with Aboriginal guides. They flew to Darwin and for a 3-day tour to the World Heritage wilderness of the Kakadu. They enjoyed a wildlife tour of the floodplains, saw ancient Aboriginal rock art, and stayed in a hotel shaped like a crocodile! Next was Cairns for a 4WD tour of the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest before the grand finale -- 5 nights at the intimate luxury resort of Bedarra. All snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, meals and drinks, fishing, and other activities were included. A launch was available to take them to a nearby island where activities included golf, tennis, squash, horseback riding, and tandem sky diving. "We were treated like the king and queen here," she said. |
| Alps and Diving: 8 days in New Zealand and Australia |
| This couple
started in New Zealand's adventure capital, Queenstown, in a lovely
lakeside lodge before their coach trip to Milford Sound. There, they
boarded a small ship for an overnight cruise of this amazing fiord. In
Milford Sound, the mountains rise sharply from the seas, their steep
sides filled with ferns and waterfalls. Late that afternoon, they
kayaked among dolphins and New Zealand fur seals. Then it was off to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. After a brief visit in Brisbane, they flew to one of Australia's top dive sites, Heron Island. Their 5-night package included all meals -- and snorkeling right on the reef, as this is one of the few resorts actually built on the reef itself. |
| Australian-to-the-max -- plus a South Pacific Island - in 24 days |
| This couple
started their honeymoon by relaxing on a 4 night cruise of the Great
Barrier Reef. Their ship stopped at various ports for land touring and
islands for snorkeling. Then it was off to Darwin for a 3-day tour of national parks in a 4WD small-group tour. They visited wetlands, Aboriginal rock paintings, waterfalls, and waterholes while staying each night in comfortable lodging. In Australia's "red center" they explored in their own 4WD rental vehicle. Since this was the dry season, there were no concerns about getting bogged! They saw Alice Springs, Glen Helen, Kings Canyon, and Ayer's Rock. Then they flew south to Kangaroo Island - the best place in Australia to see wildlife… in the wild! This island, a short flight from Adelaide, has spectacular coastal rock formations, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, goannas, and fantastic birdlife. They toured with naturalists and stayed in B&Bs where their Aussie hosts lavish home-cooked meals on their guests. One evening, they saw fairy penguins emerge from the sea and enter their burrows. After taking the Barossa Valley Wine Train to Australia's premiere wine growing area, they flew to the Cook Islands for 4 nights of total relaxation on white sand beaches among the palm trees, in their beach bungalow unit. |
| New Zealand's Luxury Lodges & Landscapes - 19 scenic days |
| This couple
wanted to a driver to whisk them around New Zealand's magnificent
scenery while they stayed in some of the country's famous luxury lodges.
They started in Wellington, seeing the local sights. One day for lunch, they took a short helicopter ride to the magnificent country lodge of Wharekauhau. (In 2000, Andrew Harper's Hideaways called it the most romantic hideaway in the world!) It was so wonderful, they plan to return here for a "second honeymoon." After a ferry ride to the South Island, they were driven down the scenic east coast to Christchurch. They enjoyed the city's botanical gardens, and arts and crafts before taking the Trans-Alpine train to the west coast of New Zealand. Their lodge here was an Italian villa set on a hillside overlooking the Tasman Sea. The next few days they toured the west coast, where the scenery changes every few hours -- glacier country, mountain passes, and semi-arid deserts -- ending in Queenstown. Along the way they stay in lodges to hike. In Queenstown, they visited a sheep station and took a daytrip to Milford Sound. Then they flew to the top of the North Island for 3 nights in the Bay of Islands. Using a lodge as their base, they took the "cream trip," a small which delivers packages to the residents of islands in the bay. They also rented a car and visited an ancient kauri forest - one of the few virgin forests remaining in NZ. In Rotorura they toured the thermal reserve and learned about Maori culture before arriving at their lodge - a Frank Lloyd Wright-styled villa overlooking Lake Taupo. Their honeymoon ended with a 2-night stay in Auckland, where they stayed in a lovely Art Deco hotel. |
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