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Gourmet Australia

15 nights from $7070

Highlights

Destinations
Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Whitsunday Islands,
Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Sydney

Your Itinerary Includes

Internal coach class air in Australia
Round trip private transfers
2 nights Mornington Peninsula at Woodman Estate
Mornington Peninsula Cellar Door Journey
2 nights Melbourne at The Langham
Savannah Walkabout Nature Tour
4 nights Whitsunday Islands at qualia, Great Barrier Reef
2 nights Blue Mountains at Lilianfels Resort & Spa
Eco Walk with Gourmet Lunch
2 nights Hunter Valley at Tower Lodge
Horse Drawn Carriage Wine Tour
3 nights Sydney at The Observatory Hotel
Sydney Harbour luxury cruise
10 breakfasts 5 lunches

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Day-By-Day Itinerary

This itinerary can be fully customized; to tailor this package to your specific requirements please call one of our travel specialists at 1-800-22-SWAIN.

Day 1 Fly USA to Melbourne
Please note international air from the USA has not been included in the package price.

Day 2 You cross the International Dateline
The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the earth’s surface that approximately coincides with the 180th meridian (LONGITUDE), and separates the calendar date. Traveling east across the line takes the traveler back one day; traveling west, takes the traveler forward one day.

Day 3 Welcome to Melbourne, Australia
Upon arrival into Melbourne, clear customs and immigration and meet your driver in the arrivals hall. Enjoy the drive to Woodman Estate on the Mornington Peninsula.

Australia’s newest and fastest growing boutique wine district, featuring over 100 vineyards and 35 cellar door facilities, many of which include restaurants with breathtaking views over sea and countryside. The region is blessed with sandy beaches and tranquil rolling green hills between Western Port Bay and Port Phillip Bay and is within a 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne.

Day 4 Mornington Peninsula - Cellar Door Journey
A relatively young region, the Mornington Peninsula is best known for its medium-bodied dry table wines. Its marginal maritime climate means that its most successful wines are the chardonnays and pinot noirs, with Pinot Gris winning acclaim. Visit Dromana Estate Winery and Red Hill Estate Winery followed by lunch at the unique and beautiful Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove. Montalto is a spectacular 50 acre natural amphitheatre property incorporating 23 acres of premium vines, 1500 olive trees, extensive wetlands and bird life and a fruit and nut grove and kitchen gardens to provide self sustaining produce for their restaurant.

Enjoy the innovative provincial food in their highly acclaimed restaurant, taste their award winning wines and olive oil in the cellar door or take a stroll through the wetlands. Conclude the afternoon with visits to the cellar doors of Stonier Wines and Willow Creek Vineyard or Moorooduc Estate.

Day 5 Transfer Woodman Estate to Melbourne
Your driver will meet you at the Estate and drive you to Melbourne.

At first glance, Melbourne may resemble any other modern city with its skyline full of concrete and glass. However, if you look a little closer, you’ll find the real Melbourne, a city of unique charm. There are the clanging trams (street cars), swanky boutiques, friendly taxi drivers, Australian Rules Football, fickle weather and ‘BYO’s’, by the hundred (restaurants to which you bring your own liquor or wine). Add to this, Melbourne’s traditional virtues of tree lined boulevards, glorious parks, elegant buildings and imposing Victorian Banks and Churches, and of course the giant Melbourne Cricket Ground and you'll have some idea of the city.

Melbourne has become a polyglot society with a huge diversity of cultures, Italian, Greek, East European, Middle Eastern and Asian. This diversity is reflected in the food styles, the lifestyle, and even the language spoken in the street.

Day 6 Savannah Walkabout
A one day cultural and nature tour where you may see and learn about native animals and plants both in the famous open-range grasslands of Serendip Sanctuary on the Western Plains and in the bushlands of Brisbane Ranges National Park. Search for kangaroos, koalas, bird life and discover a rich Aboriginal heritage. Departing from your city hotel, we travel the short distance to the western plains of Victoria – one of the largest volcanic plains on earth.

Open grasslands stretch in all directions with the occasional extinct volcano or ancient mountain range rising steeply out of the plain. There is a distinctly 'Australian' feel about the region. Our first stop is Serendip Sanctuary, an open range reservation for rare and endangered indigenous wildlife of the Western Plains. Run by the National Parks Service, Serendip plays a pivotal role in the conservation of some of Australia's rarest birds, including the Bustard, Brolga and Cape Barren Goose.

Seek out the large free-range mobs of our tallest kangaroo, the Eastern-grey and family groups of the world's second largest bird, the Emu. We have a bush lunch before traveling to the Brisbane Ranges National Park, to walk a wide Savannah of grass, bush and wetlands searching for kangaroos and koalas. The park has a large population of wild Koalas and we very rarely miss out on sighting a number of these delightful creatures, we also visit places of importance to the Aboriginal people of the region.

Day 7 Fly Melbourne to Hamilton Island
Your driver will meet you in the lobby/driveway area of the hotel and drive you to the airport for your flight to Hamilton Island. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a member of the qualia team who will arrange a transfer for you to qualia, Great Barrier Reef.

Days 8-10 At leisure, qualia, Great Barrier Reef
Inside qualia, you can feel time unravel however you choose. Facilities include two serene pools, a library, private dining room, two bars and restaurants, and a fitness centre. And for that truly memorable experience step inside Spa qualia, which offers an extensive range of luxurious local and international treatments.

For those with a more adventurous spirit, the Great Barrier Reef is the perfect place to make some unexpected discoveries. Head off on a diving or snorkeling adventure, or marvel at the wondrous diversity of underwater life on a reef tour. There are also all manner of water sports to pursue.

Or, why not charter the services of a yacht and cruise the Whitsundays, unwind on the pristine sands of Whitehaven Beach, or take a bird’s eye view on a private, scenic helicopter flight?

Day 11 Fly Hamilton Island to Sydney
Your driver will meet you after you collect your luggage and then drive you to the Blue Mountains, about a 2 hour drive.

Day 12 Eco Walk with Gourmet Lunch
The wilderness walk is a 5 hour fully guided easy fitness bush walk in a fauna study reserve of the Blue Mountains World Heritage area. Departing every morning with a specialist bush guide exploring wildlife and nature, ask our professional guides about everything and get the local knowledge on all the best walking tracks.

See beautiful Mountain parrots , listen to the enchanting sound of the Australian bush. Learn the history of the Blue Mountains and the Aboriginal people. Walk with a fully qualified guide and study the geology, fauna & flora. Elevate your senses & get the most out of your World Heritage stay, and enjoy a delightful gourmet lunch in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Day 13 Transfer Blue Mountains to Hunter Valley
You will be driven from Blue Mountains along a scenic route to the Hunter Valley. The transfer will take approximately 3 hours.

Day 14 Horse Drawn Carriage Wine Tour
Today you will cimb aboard the horse drawn carriage and tour the wineries of the Hunter Valley. Usually you will visit about 4 wineries and you enjoy a delightful picnic lunch in the country.

Day 15 Transfer Hunter Valley to Sydney
Today you will be driven from the Hunter Valley to Sydney.

Day 16 Cruise Like A Local
Cruising on Sydney Harbour is a quintessential Australian experience. With a minimum of two and a maximum of ten passengers, 'cruise like a local' aboard this luxurious 52' Pacific Motor Cruiser, on one of the most spectacular harbours in the world.

Depart from Campbells Cove Pontoon (adjacent to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Circular Quay) at 11am, for a five-hour personalised, Sydney Harbour cruising experience. Enjoy the fabulous sight-seeing opportunities, or perhaps you fancy yourself as an angler? You may wish to take the sea kayaks and row to a secluded beach? Perhaps go for a swim, or take your chilled glass of Australian wine and relax on the luxurious sunpads.

A catered gourmet Australian barbecue lunch is served with regional wines and local beers. Jump aboard and explore this magnificent, world-renowned harbour with Sea Sydney Cruises.

Day 17 At leisure, Sydney
At your leisure to explore Sydney. Most of the major attractions of the city are within easy walking distance of your accommodation - Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, Centrepoint Tower, Circular Quay, The Rocks and more.

Day 18 Fly Sydney to USA
Your driver will meet you in the lobby/driveway area and transfer to the airport by private vehicle for your departure flight.

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Hotels

For more information about the hotels visited in this itinerary please click the hotel name below.

City	Standard	Superior	Deluxe	Luxury

Mornington Peninsula	-	-	-	Woodman Estate

Melbourne	-	-	-	The Langham

Whitsunday Islands	-	-	-	qualia, Great Barrier Reef

Blue Mountains	-	-	-	Lilianfels Resort & Spa

Hunter Valley	-	-	-	Tower Lodge

Sydney	-	-	-	The Observatory Hotel

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Pricing

Please note all prices listed below are subject to current rate of exchange adjustments. Please call for exact price quote for your travel dates.

To determine pricing for your tour select the appropriate travel season and desired accommodation level from the table below.

	Standard	Superior	Deluxe	Luxury
Reference #	-	-	-	SWSP4532

4/1/10-9/30/10	-	-	-	$7070

10/1/10-3/31/11	-	-	-	$7150

Single Supplement
4/1/10-9/30/10	-	-	-	$5630

10/1/10-3/31/11	-	-	-	$5715


International Airfare Pricing
Routing: LAX-MEL//SYD-LAX

4/1/10-4/30/10				$950

5/1/10-6/8/10; 7/24/10-9/21/10				$650

6/9/10-7/23/10; 11/1/10-12/6/10				$1050

9/22/10-10/31/10				$1350

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Terms & Conditions

*Prices are per person, twin/double share in USD. Travel may be restricted to certain days of the week and be available from one or multiple US departure points. Add on fares are available from most US cities and surcharges may be applicable for travel on particular days of the week. Seats are limited and may not be available on every flight. Hotels and tours remain subject to availability. US and Foreign Govt. taxes and fees vary depending on the itinerary selected and may range from $90 to $395 per person. Passenger Facility Charges of up to $18 per person and the September 11th Security Fee of up to $10 per person, are not included. After ticketing changes may not be permissible in some circumstances, or a change fee may be applied. Cancellation penalties and other booking or alteration restrictions may exist. Please note that some air segments may be served by an associated carrier. Full payment for special deals may be required within a number of days of the reservation being made as nominated by your consultant at the time of booking (or 60 days prior to departure). Please note blackout dates may apply to Christmas, New Year and local special event periods. Prices indicated remain subject to change without notice. Group inquiries are welcome however specials remain subject to hotel and airline capacity control and therefore may not be applicable for group travel. The best deal available for group travel will always be given in lieu of the offer indicated. Unless otherwise indicated all travel must be completed by March 31, 2011 if not before. CST #2012413-20 See our Complete Terms and Conditions.

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