Australia's east coast plus a full South Island run — Kaikoura whales, Tekapo stargazing, a Mount Cook helicopter flight and Milford Sound.
The trip in a nutshell
The most ambitious of the private tours: sixteen days that pair the Australian east-coast classics with a proper drive through the New Zealand South Island, all in a private vehicle with your own driver.
The Australian half covers the Opera House interior tour, Taronga Zoo, the Great Barrier Reef, the Skyrail–Kuranda rainforest day, Phillip Island's penguins and the Great Ocean Road. Then you fly to Christchurch and the tone changes completely: whale watching at Kaikoura, the Church of the Good Shepherd and stargazing at Lake Tekapo, a 25-minute helicopter flight over the Aoraki/Mount Cook glaciers, That Wanaka Tree, the Te Anau glow worm caves, Milford Sound and a free day in Queenstown.
Pricing on this one moves with the date and the hotels you select, so check the live rate.
Land only: this price does not include international flights. You book your own flights to Sydney and home again — which many people prefer, especially with airline points or a preferred carrier. Everything inside Australia, including the internal flights listed, is covered. You also choose your own hotels on this tour — see our guide to budget-friendly Australian hotels.
Live availability on Trip.com's site · land-only package, so no UK flight protection applies
Our signature calculation
The brochure tells you what this trip costs to book. This is what it costs to take — the price plus every meal the package doesn't cover, plus the flights it leaves out, per person.
This package leaves more out than most — the headline price is a long way from what you'll spend.
Meals priced at mid-range Australian rates: breakfast £14, lunch £20, dinner £38. How we calculate it · See every trip ranked
vs £363/day on the brochure · +40%
The moments you'll remember
Driven in from Te Anau through the Homer Tunnel, on your own schedule.
A 25-minute scenic flight over the Aoraki glaciers — included, not an optional extra.
Sperm whales year-round, plus the fur seal colony on the way.
The Church of the Good Shepherd by day, the Dark Sky Reserve after dark.
The Australian half doesn't skimp — the full outer reef day from Cairns.
Cableway, koala photo, BBQ lunch, Aboriginal dance and the Scenic Railway.
Penguins, the Dandenongs steam train, Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles.
Plus Taronga Zoo, Hyde Park, Darling Harbour and the Botanic Garden.
One continuous private tour across Australia and New Zealand.
Where you'll go
Every stop below is included, with a private vehicle and driver on touring days and the internal flights booked for you.
3 centres, linked by the internal flights listed — with a private vehicle and driver on touring days.
SydneyCairnsMelbourne
Both islands, north to south, with the Cook Strait ferry and the TranzAlpine railway.
ChristchurchKaikouraLake TekapoMount CookWanakaTe AnauMilford SoundQueenstown
Day by day
Tap any stage to open it. Meals included at each stage are marked in green.
Arrival transfer and a guided interior tour of the Opera House, plus the Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden and Sydney Tower. Day two: Taronga Zoo, Hyde Park, Darling Harbour and the University of Sydney.
Fly north for the outer reef cruise, then the Skyrail cableway, Kuranda rainforest, koala park with photo, Australian BBQ lunch, Aboriginal dance performance, Army Duck tour and the Scenic Railway.
LunchFitzroy Gardens, Captain Cook's Cottage, Hosier Lane and Chinatown; the Dandenongs steam train and the Phillip Island penguins; then the full Great Ocean Road — Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge, Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles.
Melbourne departure transfer and Christchurch arrival transfer.
North to Kaikoura for the whale-watching cruise and the fur seal colony.
The Church of the Good Shepherd, the lake, and stargazing in the Dark Sky Reserve after dinner.
Lake Pukaki, a 25-minute helicopter flight over the Aoraki/Mount Cook glaciers, then on to Lake Wanaka and That Wanaka Tree.
Through historic Arrowtown to Te Anau for the glow worm caves.
The drive in through Fiordland to Milford Sound, then on to Queenstown.
Jet boats, the gondola, the wineries — or a quiet day by the lake.
Private transfer to Queenstown Airport.
Itinerary summarised from the operator's published programme and correct at the time of writing. Order of stages can vary by departure date — confirm the exact schedule for your date on the operator's site.
Photo tour
Photography from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons licences — full credits here.
The detail
Before you fly
On a 16-day trip, parking is a serious line item — and a policy that caps single trips at 31 days would leave you uninsured for none of this one.
Not sure this is the one?
Here's how this compares with the other private tours we rate. See all 20 holidays →
| Tour | Days | Australia | New Zealand | Cook Islands | From (pp) | True Cost / day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private 12-day three-city tour | 12 | ✓ | — | — | £2,688 | £394 | View |
| Private 11-day Sydney & Melbourne tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,722 | £429 | View |
| Private 11-day customisable tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,870 | £440 | View |
| Private 11-day tour (Cairns start) | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £3,059 | £457 | View |
| Private 14-day East Coast tour | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,081 | £376 | View |
| Private 14-day tour with Hamilton Island | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,753 | £426 | View |
| Private 16-day Australia & NZ tour You're viewing this | 16 | ✓ | ✓ | — | £5,815 | £509 | View |
Before you book
No. The itineraries state plainly that the driver does not enter attractions with you. This is private transport with admission tickets included, not a private guided tour. For Australia that is usually fine — everything is in English and well signposted.
Yes, within reason, and that is the main appeal. A travel planner works with you before departure to adjust days, swap attractions or change the pace. Changes once you are travelling are harder.
Because it is a land-only package with no UK flights, it falls outside the ATOL scheme. Book your flights separately and protect them separately — check that your travel insurance covers supplier failure.
Departures run from October 2026 through to September 2028. Long-haul escorted tours of this length sell out early — the best-value departure dates and preferred room types typically go 9–12 months ahead, so it pays to secure your place sooner rather than later.
Return flights are included from your chosen UK airport. Regional departures are available on most dates, sometimes for a small supplement — you'll see the options for your date when you check availability.
Yes — this is a fully escorted small-group tour with a Travelsphere Holiday Director travelling with you throughout. They handle the logistics, the check-ins and the local know-how, so your job is simply to enjoy it. Groups are typically modest in size and overwhelmingly British.
British passport holders need an Australian ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) and an NZeTA for New Zealand where applicable — both are straightforward online applications. Your passport should have at least six months' validity remaining. Always check the latest FCDO and official government guidance before you travel.
If you are already flying 10,000 miles, adding New Zealand is one of the best-value decisions you can make — it costs about the same per day as the Australian leg. You get both islands — Bay of Islands, Rotorua's geothermal theatre, the TranzAlpine, Milford Sound and Queenstown — in one continuous, fully-organised itinerary. Most people only make this trip once.
Live availability, departure dates from your local airport and current offers are on the operator's booking page. Deposits are low, the balance isn't due until much later, and every booking is ABTA and ATOL protected.
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