Essential EAt APT we have carefully selected a range of touring experiences that enable you to enhance your holiday ‘Down Under’. Discover some of Australia’s most breathtaking destinations the way you wish as we have a tour to meet your budget and holiday style. Freedom & Flexibility City Stays tours cover the iconic attractions such as Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and World APT tours are designed to appeal to all Australia’s eastern coastline offers beautiful Heritage-listed Kakadu. tastes, budgets and touring styles. Itineraries cities, natural attractions and pristine comprise included sightseeing and transfers, beaches to explore. Melbourne and Sydney Travelling in the comfort of spacious luxury as well as a carefully selected range of are both dynamic cities providing visitors coaches or custom-built 4WD vehicles your accommodation options, which are chosen with an array of cultural activities to professional Driver/Guide will help you to suit all budgets. Tours also feature expert experience. While in tropical north discover the natural wonders, Indigenous Driver/Guides, who are on hand to impart Queensland, Cairns provides a laid back culture and experiences unique to Outback local knowledge on the region you are lifestyle and is the gateway to the Daintree Australia. These tours can be tailored to suit visiting. We also feature a selection of fully and Great Barrier Reef. Our City Stays offer your requirements, with a variety of escorted tours that can be combined with the perfect ‘book-end’ to your holiday accommodation options in a choice of flexible journeys to create your dream holiday. Down Under, with accommodation to suit destinations and tours ranging from two to your budget and flexibility to see the things five days in duration. See pages 80-87 Independent Touring that interest you, all the while ensuring for our Outback Touring holidays. We have put together the Unforgettable the must-see sights are covered. Small Group Experiences Australian Experience, as an example of how See pages 78-79 for our range of you can personalise your holiday to suit your exciting City Stays. Travel off the beaten track and enjoy an interests. This itinerary gives you an overview in-depth discovery of some of the region’s of Australia, with the security and comfort of Outback Touring not so well known, yet no less special pre-booked travel arrangements and a Our extensive Outback Touring program destinations. As part of a fully escorted small choice of accommodation options to suit provides the opportunity to see Australia’s group, explore exciting places such as the your budget. Alternatively, create your very enchanting Outback region, encompassing Pilbara, tropical north Queensland, Kangaroo own itinerary by combining any number of the tropical Top End of the Northern Territory Island and New Zealand. For more Small tours from the following pages. and famed Red Centre. Our selection of Group Experiences see pages 88-91. Above, left to right: visit Victoria’s dramatic coastline; learn more about Australia’s native wildlife; keep your eyes open for crocodiles 7474 Far right: swim or snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef First of all, the region is absolutely stunning - we were fortunate enough to see two Outback sunrises and a sunset. All of our tour guides were wonderful – we fell in love with King’s Canyon and the staff that took care of us at the Wilderness Lodge. A Pierson 7575 APT Unforgettable RECOMMENDS Australian Experience 13 Day Independent Tour EMelbourne | Alice Springs | Uluru | Cairns | Great Barrier Reef | Sydney INDEPENDENT TOURING Day 1. Melbourne. On arrival in Melbourne, Day 3. Melbourne at leisure. Today is at you will be welcomed by a dedicated APT leisure to discover Melbourne with its maze of YOUR HOLIDAY PRICE INCLUDES representative and then transferred to your hotel. lane ways housing a selection of shops, galleries Airport transfers on the first and The remainder of today is then at leisure to relax and restaurants. Perhaps wander to the Melbourne last day of the tour or explore the charms of this cosmopolitan city Cricket Ground and uncover the city’s sporting All transportation by spacious luxury on your own. Perhaps take a stroll through one culture or visit the National Gallery of Victoria. coach with modern amenities of the city’s many exclusive shopping arcades, visit Alternatively book onto one of APT’s other renowned Crown Casino, explore a world-class Melbourne Day Tours (all activities today are at 12 nights accommodation in your choice art gallery, sit by the Yarra River on Southbank or own expense). of comfortable hotels just relax in a café and watch the world go by. Day 4. Melbourne, Fly to Alice Springs. All sightseeing, tours and entrance fees Alternatively, venture further afield and walk Today a morning flight takes us to Alice Springs as outlined in your itinerary, including a along Melbourne’s lovely suburban beaches or special feature lunch on the Great Barrier (airfare not included), the gateway to Central explore the vibrant and bustling seaside suburb Reef and on Sydney Harbour Australia. This afternoon enjoy an Alice Springs of St Kilda (all activities today are at own expense). town tour and get a taste of what life is like in Three Night Stay: Melbourne, Australia’s Red Centre. Visit the Royal Flying THE APT DIFFERENCE Mercure Welcome Hotel (Standard), Doctor Service base and the School of the Air. Swanston Hotel Melbourne Grand Mercure Over 80 years touring experience Started by the Rev. John Flynn in the 1920s, the (First Class), Sofitel Melbourne (Deluxe). in Australia and New Zealand, Flying Doctors provide a much-needed medical still family owned and operated Day 2. Melbourne City Sights Tour. service to the remote Outback. Multi-award winning tours and Today, enjoy time to discover the delights of Stay: Alice Springs, Aurora Alice Springs 98% customer satisfaction rating Melbourne, with its wide boulevards and historic (Standard), Crowne Plaza (First Class), Wide range of benefits for buildings. View the upmarket shops of the Paris The Chifley Alice Springs Resort (Deluxe). APT Club members end of Collins St, the Gothic spires of St Paul’s Day 5. Camel Farm, Cultural Centre, Base Cathedral and the Victorian opulence of the Tour, Sunset Drinks at Uluru (Ayers Rock). Princess and Regent theatres. Then, see the On the way to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Buildings, today, we’ll visit a camel farm and perhaps ride a Federation Square and stroll through the stunning camel (at your own expense). Later, we visit the floral displays at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and Maruku Gardens. Later, we explore the lush Fitzroy Gardens Arts and Craft Cooperative before travelling to before visiting the Queen Victoria Market, which Mutitjulu waterhole for a guided walk. Join the is an epicurean’s delight and a great place to Mala Walk around Uluru and visit sacred Kantju pick up some souvenirs. In the afternoon, our Gorge. Tonight enjoy a complimentary glass of journey takes us to Phillip Island, home to the wine while witnessing the sun set over Uluru. world-famous Little Penguins who, each evening, Two Night Stay: Ayers Rock Resort, Outback Above: spend three days exploring Melbourne. perform the fascinating spectacle of emerging Pioneer Hotel (Standard), Desert Gardens Far right, clockwise from bottom: see the domes of from the surf and making their way to their Kata Tjuta; discover Bondi Beach; perhaps go (First Class), Sails in the Desert (Deluxe). burrow. Return to Melbourne late this evening. snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef 76 AUSTRALIA ESSENTIAL B a G rr r i e e a r t R e e f NORTHERNNORTHERN 3 TERRITTERRITORYORY Cairns Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park 1 Alice Springs Kata Tjuta 2 (Olgas) Uluru QUEEQUEENSLANDNSLAND (Ayers Rock) SOUTH AUSTRALIA Sydney NNEWEW SOUTHSOUTH 3 WALELESS Melbourne 3 Coach Cruise Air (own expense) 1 2 3 No. of nights stay World Heritage Area Day 6. Uluru Sunrise, Kata Tjuta (Olgas), Day 9. Cairns at leisure. The beautiful city of Day 12. Sydney at leisure. Walpa (Olga) Gorge. Rise early and enjoy a Cairns awaits our discovery today. Stroll along Today spend the day at leisure in Sydney. cup of tea or coffee as the sun casts its first rays the Esplanade, enjoy a meal at one of the many Perhaps join one of APT’s exciting sightseeing on Uluru. Then travel to Kata Tjuta, 36 dramatic cafés and restaurants, do some shopping or tours to some of greater Sydney’s special rock formations that were once a single rock the perhaps book another of APT’s day tours of the attractions such as the famous wine region of the size of Uluru. Here, take a guided walk surrounding region. Cairns enjoys a scenic Hunter Valley or the Blue Mountains. Part of the into Walpa Gorge and hear the fascinating coastal foreshore and a verdant rainforest Great Dividing Range, the Blue Mountains commentary that will teach us about the area’s backdrop, so you may like to take the Kuranda consist of craggy mountains, deep wooded unique flora, fauna and geology. Tonight, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, north of Cairns, for valleys and rock formations. Delight in the perhaps dine on Australian delicacies under the breathtaking aerial views. You will literally glide rugged beauty and charm of this intoxicating desert stars at the Sounds of Silence dinner just feet above the rainforest canopy as you region (all activities today are at your own or indulge in a delicious Outback BBQ dinner journey to the pretty village of Kuranda before, expense). (both at your own expense). returning to Cairns via the Kuranda Scenic Railway Day 13.