Uncover Australia – Melbourne, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock & Sydney

Fly from London to Melbourne, Australia.

Arrival in Melbourne. Transfer to your hotel for a five-night stay.

This morning following breakfast, we will embark on a tour of the city. Melbourne really is a great place! Within the parks and gardens around the city centre are many gracious buildings such as Government House, the Old Treasury Building and the Exhibition Building, built for the Great Exhibition of 1880.

Melbourne also has many beautiful gardens within easy reach of the city. We take a drive past the MCG (the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground) and Rod Laver Arena (where the Australian Open Tennis is played each year), the parklands and the War Memorial, the stately old buildings in town and the odd-looking Federation Square. We also visit the Eureka Skydeck for amazing views over the city and Port Phillip Bay. We have the rest of the day free for personal sightseeing and shopping.

Dinner tonight is a short walk away from the hotel and overlooking the Yarra River at the Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf. We can enjoy our dinner and watch the sunset over the river and take in the stunning views of the city nearby.

This morning, we head for the hills – literally – as we travel through the eastern suburbs to The Dandenong Ranges. Take a ride through the lush mountainside on the historic 'Puffing Billy' steam train, through picturesque surroundings and stunning scenery. We disembark at Emerald, where our coach will be waiting to take us to Phillip Island, known for its stunning white beaches and iconic wildlife. Once on the island, we visit the Nobbies Centre. Overlooking the waters of Bass Strait, the Nobbies Centre showcases Australian fur seals and the unique marine life in Australia's southern oceans.

After dinner in Cowes, the main town on the island, we head to the Penguin Parade, part of the Phillip Island Nature Park. The area is a reserve designed to protect and promote awareness of Little Penguin. At sunset, the penguins cross Summerland Beach to return to their sand dune burrows after a day's fishing. To see them come out of the surf in small groups and waddle up the beach is an absolutely fascinating spectacle. This unique 'parade' can be experienced from environmentally friendly observation boardwalks and viewing stands. We will view the Penguins from a special Penguin Plus platform accompanied by a Ranger who will explain the comings and goings of these little charmers! It will be quite late by the time we return to Melbourne, but what a great day!

Today you will have time at leisure to explore. Maybe head to Southbank and the Crown Casino Complex, which are within easy walking distance over the Yarra River via a pedestrian bridge.

We have a full day exploring one of Australia’s most spectacular coastal drives. Following an early breakfast, we travel west to Anglesea and it’s here we commence our breath-taking drive. Built to honour the servicemen and women of World War One, the road extends more than 300 kilometres along some of the best coastal scenery this country has to offer. We travel to the coastal town of Lorne, which was the first place to be declared an area of Special Significance and Natural Beauty by the Victorian Government. The approach to Lorne is spectacular. This popular Victorian seaside village, located on Loutitt Bay overlooks the Otway Hills. From here we continue onto Apollo Bay where we leave the coast and wind our way through the slopes of the Otway Ranges. This afternoon we continue along the full length of the Port Campbell National Park - the western section of the Great Ocean Road which is known as the “Shipwreck Coast”. We stop to see the famous Twelve Apostles, towering limestone stacks with wild waves crashing at their bases, as they dominate the coastline near Port Campbell. After sightseeing, we return to Melbourne.

It's time for our next adventure, as we fly to Alice Springs where we spend two nights. A drive around 'The Alice' will help you get your bearings, stopping at ANZAC Hill for panoramic views of the town and the surrounding area, before visiting the Royal Flying Doctor Base (RFDS), which is also where you'll enjoy lunch. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive aero-medical organisations in the world. The Reverend John Flynn, the founder of the RFDS, has been brought back to life as a hologram to tell the story of the foundation of the service.

Our final visit for the day is a visit to the world’s largest classroom – The School of the Air. Here you'll be given an insight into this unique outback school. As it is a weekend, the children won't be at school today, but our guide will give us a comprehensive insight into what a day with students looks like. Dinner tonight is in our hotel.

This morning we visit the nearby Old Telegraph Station, the original Alice Springs, established in 1871 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide, and linking with an underwater cable network to London, it was the first real communication between Australia and England. After our visit, there will be be time for a stroll down Alice Springs' Todd Mall to purchase lunch and perhaps view some local artwork in one of the galleries.

We return to our hotel this afternoon for some free time to relax before our special dinner this evening. At The Earth Sanctuary – a World Nature Centre at Quandong Homestead, just 15 minutes out of Alice Springs – you'll enjoy a mouth-watering bush BBQ with music and entertainment and experience the spirit of the outback through stories of the Aboriginal Dreamtime. You'll even learn how to cook a 'swagman’s damper'! After dinner, relax around the camp fire and take in the unforgettable night sky before heading back to the hotel.

Today, we drive across the 'Outback' from Alice Springs to Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock for a two-night stay in Yulara. We pass through the desert country, dotted with spinifex and desert oaks. Along the way, you'll also see Mount Conner, a distinctive flat-topped mountain often confused with Ayers Rock. We stop for lunch, before continuing on to Yulara.

Dinner tonight will be very special and one of the highlights of our tour – you'll be dining out – way, way out! Shortly before sundown, we will be driven to a special location in the desert. To the sounds of a didgeridoo, you'll enjoy canapés and witness a spectacular sunset. The Sounds of Silence Dinner – winner of many tourism awards – is a magical four hour gourmet desert dinner eaten under the stars, a unique outback experience and a must-do, once-in-a-lifetime event for visitors. After a feast of Northern Territory delights, including barramundi, bush salads and classic Australian desserts, guests are treated to some of the world’s best stargazing with the assistance of a resident astronomer. Finally there’s tea or coffee before returning to the resort. What a memorable experience.

It's an early start this morning as we head to the Ayers Rock sunrise viewing area to experience the first light of the day, before returning to the hotel for breakfast. We then transfer back to the rock for a guided walk. Learn about Aboriginal perceptions of Uluru, its powerful spiritual significance and how Anangu Traditional Owners and Rangers are looking after the park together. There are many fine examples of Anangu art to see along the way. We spend some time at the Cultural Centre and take a drive around the rock, stopping for photo opportunities. Ayers Rock is located in the World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It rises 348 metres from the desert floor and has a width of 9.4km. It’s the world’s most famous monolith, with at least two thirds of the rock lying beneath the surface. We will visit the Olgas, known by the Aboriginal people as ‘Kata Tjuta’, or place of many domes. Enjoy excellent views from an observation deck and take a walk around the area.

Late afternoon we drive to Sunset Strip - the colour of the Rock changes depending on the time of day and the weather but in the evening, at sunset, Ayers Rock puts on a remarkable light show as it changes colour from red to orange to lilac in a matter of minutes. We enjoy this special experience before returning to the resort for dinner.

Following breakfast, we complete our check-out procedures. We have some free time to purchase some lunch then head to the airport for our flight to Cairns in tropical North Queensland where we stay for four nights. Dinner tonight is in our hotel.

Today we board the Skyrail Forest Cableway which will take us skimming over the pristine rainforest canopy and back down to the coastal plain. Stretching 7.5 kilometres, Skyrail is the world’s longest gondola cableway. The views are breathtaking. We stop off along the way to visit a rainforest interpretative centre and for a short walk along a boardwalk through the rainforest.

Arriving in Kuranda we have time to explore this pretty village and find a spot to purchase lunch from one of the many outlets. Our travel down the hill is with Kuranda Scenic Railway for a spectacular journey with stunning views. During our trip we pass the massive Barron Falls and Stoney Creek and cross steep ravines, all part of the experience that is Kuranda.

We return to our hotel where the evening is at leisure.

This morning we join our boat for our cruise out to the Barrier Reef. First stop is Green Island, a 6000-year-old coral cay. Following our visit, we reboard our vessel for our cruise to the reef. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of over 2900 reefs and 900 islands and is the largest reef structure and marine park in the world. We’ll dock alongside a floating pontoon where we enjoy a buffet lunch. We have free time to enjoy the water either by snorkelling or seeing the coral and fish from the semi-submersible boat. After our fabulous day on the reef, we return to Cairns to freshen up for dinner at the hotel.

Enjoy a day at leisure today in Cairns. You may choose a day of relaxation or retail therapy, or one of the various day tours available: head north for the Daintree Wilderness and surround yourself with beautiful white sandy beaches, spectacular views, colourful butterflies, tree frogs, climbing vines and crystal clear streams; to the west is Atherton Tablelands, an area known for its wildlife, impressive waterfalls and stunning rainforest backdrops; or choose Paronella Park to the south, where you can explore the incredible castle and fountains, and admire the exotic plants and tropical palms and ferns in the park created by José Paronella. You might choose to visit Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, with over 2100 metres of timber boardwalks and pathways leading you through woodlands and rainforest where you can see an array of wildlife, including koalas, kangaroos, tropical birds, reptiles and insects, and take a boat cruise to see crocodiles and more reptiles, mammals and birds. Or, you may choose to head to Port Douglas. Favoured by A-list celebrities as the place to get away, the town is a place where food, wine and culture are appreciated. Enjoy a swim here at beautiful Four Mile Beach, a pristine strip of palm-fringed, white sand, or wander down the main street, a great place for shopping, wining and dining.

All activities today are at your own cost but choice is yours!

We fly to Sydney, then transfer to our city hotel for a four-night stay. We dine in style tonight, with an unforgettable dinner cruise on Sydney Harbour, possibly one of the most exciting and beautiful harbours in the world. Relax and take in the sights of the harbour, the bridge and the beautifully-lit Opera House at night as you enjoy a wonderful cooked meal in a superb atmosphere. What a way to start the final part of our tour!

Sydney is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities on earth. Its harbour, beaches and warm, sunny climate combine to create a relaxed, outdoor lifestyle. This morning's sightseeing tour will take in the harbour and surrounding beaches, which provide some of the most picturesque scenery in Australia. We visit the historic area known as 'The Rocks', a strip of land where European settlers came ashore in 1788. With its cobbled lanes, cosy cafés, museums, galleries and Australia's oldest pubs, The Rocks is a popular place for visitors and locals alike.

We also visit Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a historic chair carved out of a sandstone ledge by convicts for Governor Macquarie’s wife so that she could watch the activity on the harbour and await the arrival of ships from England. This vantage point provides wonderful views and photo opportunities of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. From here, we make our way through the exclusive suburbs of Double Bay, a picturesque bayside village packed with exclusive boutiques, and via one of Sydney's most affluent and prestigious suburbs, Vaucluse, with its wealth of history and many heritage listed buildings. We continue to The Gap, a spectacular cliff on the southern side of the Sydney Harbour Heads with amazing views over the ocean.

Next it's Bondi Beach, where you can stroll along the promenade, purchase lunch and watch the surfers ride the waves.

Returning to town, we make our way to the iconic Sydney Opera House, where we'll meet our guide for a tour with a difference. In the late 1950s, Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, designed what is now considered one of the greatest buildings of all time. The Sydney Opera House is also the youngest cultural site ever to be included on the World Heritage List. This will be a fascinating tour. The rest of the day and evening is free for some personal sightseeing and for you to enjoy the city's waterfront.

Today we discover the beauty of the Blue Mountains - a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Sydney. First, we visit Featherdale Wildlife Park, which houses a great variety of wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, Australian reptiles, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and various species of Australian birds.

Leaving the park, we continue westward over the Nepean River and climb up to almost 1000m above sea level into the Blue Mountains, famous for its eucalyptus forests and spectacular sandstone cliffs. We take the Cliff Drive to Echo Point which is a great photo opportunity of The Three Sisters, an ancient rock formation.

This afternoon we have lunch and a visit at Scenic World where we take a ride on the Scenic Railway, the world's steepest incline railway. We descend the escarpment at a gradient of 52 degrees and travel through the tunnel and ancient rainforest. When we disembark, we take the 300m rainforest boardwalk to connect with the Flyway platform. The Scenic Flyway is the steepest aerial cable car in Australia. It will take us on a ride through the World Heritage Listed rainforest of the Jamison Valley.

Our final adventure is to join the Scenic Skyway to take the journey above ancient ravines and dazzling waterfalls. This ride boasts a world first, state of the art Electro-Scenic Glass Floor. At the flip of a switch breath-taking views are revealed through the cabin floor directly below. The 360-degree Birdseye view takes in the Three Sisters, Katoomba Falls, Mount Solitary and the never ending expanse of the Jamison Valley. We now make our way back to Sydney where once again, the evening is ours to enjoy.

Enjoy a day at leisure for shopping or personal sightseeing. There are so many choices today: visit the Taronga Park Zoo the nation's leading zoological garden, with over 4000 animals to see, keeper talks and shows, and uninterrupted views of Sydney harbour; take a coffee cruise on the harbour where you can take in the panoramic views and listen to the commentary as you snack on tea, coffee and light refreshments. If you're feeling adventurous, you could climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge (pre-booking essential) and enjoy the spectacular panoramic view over the harbour; or for something a little more relaxing, enjoy one of the many harbour side restaurants and soak up the atmosphere. Tonight, we join together for our special farewell dinner. There’ll be an opportunity to get dressed up as you indulge in a three-course dinner at 360º Bar and Dining restaurant at the top of Sydney Tower. The views will be spectacular as the restaurant boasts 360º revolving views of the Sydney skyline. What a great way to complete your holiday in Australia!

Return flight to the UK.

Arrive in the UK.