A Grand Luxury Journey: Australia–New Zealand
Duration 26 days
Price Guide From US$ 24,900
Discover remote, soul-stirring landscapes and the headline icons on a 26-day luxury journey across Australia and New Zealand, weaving Sydney’s harbour sparkle and Blue Mountains wilds with Barossa’s cellar doors, then crossing the Tasman to the Bay of Islands, alpine Wanaka and Fiordland by helicopter—staying in boutique lodges, moving with private guides, and savouring seamless, white-glove moments throughout.
Our curated journeys include
We design thoughtfully curated experiences that balance comfort, discovery, and a touch of indulgence. Each journey with Orange Moon Travel includes:
- Handpicked stays in distinctive hotels and retreats
- Expertly guided explorations
- Seamless private transfers
- Specially selected experiences for every traveler
- Dedicated support from our travel specialists
Destinations and Highlights
Sydney Days 1-3
Bouddi Peninsula Days 3-6
Blue Mountains Days 6-8
Barossa Valley Days 8-10
Arkaba Days 10-13
Auckland Days 13-15
Bay of Islands Days 15-18
Wellington Days 18-20
Wanaka Days 20-22
Ahuriri Valley Days 22-24
Christchurch Days 24-26
Highlights
Sydney Icons & Harbour Elegance
Sail across glittering waters aboard a private yacht, climb above the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and savour fine dining against a backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic skylines.Bouddi Coastal Retreat
Unwind at Pretty Beach House, where bushland trails meet hidden coves and evenings bring candlelit dinners under a canopy of southern stars.Blue Mountains Wilderness
Journey deep into World Heritage landscapes, with sandstone escarpments, fern-filled valleys, and guided walks that reveal nature’s quiet grandeur.Barossa Valley Indulgence
Blend your own wine at Penfolds, meet passionate vintners at boutique estates, and feast on artisanal flavours surrounded by golden vineyard hills.Arkaba Safari Adventure
Discover the Flinders Ranges on a private conservancy safari, with expert guides bringing ancient fossils, Aboriginal rock art, and abundant wildlife to life beneath vast outback skies.Bay of Islands Bliss
Sail aboard a private catamaran through turquoise waters, swim and snorkel among secluded bays, and fly by helicopter to Cape Reinga and ancient kauri forests.Kaikoura’s Ocean Encounters
Take to the skies for whale watching, swim alongside playful seals, or cruise with pods of dolphins in one of the richest marine environments on earth.Alpine Majesty in Wanaka & Fiordland
Fly across Fiordland to Milford Sound, land on glaciers for champagne toasts, and return to lakeside calm in Wanaka, where mountain vistas frame each perfect sunset.
Itinerary in detail
Sydney
Day 1: Sydney – Harbour Welcome
Arrive where sparkling waters meet an iconic skyline; settle into your harbourside base and ease into the city’s elegant rhythm with sunset drinks by the water.
Day 2: Sydney Icons, Emma Mei & Hidden Corners
Explore with your private guide—from The Rocks’ cobbles and Macquarie Street’s colonial facades to secret laneways and cafés—then step aboard Emma Mei for a story-rich harbour sail past leafy parks, yacht-filled coves and the Opera House & Bridge. Cap the day with a fine-dining table and skyline views.
Bouddi Peninsula
Day 3: Bouddi Peninsula – Coastal Retreat
Slip north to Bouddi National Park and check in to Pretty Beach House. Wander eucalyptus trails to hidden coves, swim, spa, and dine under starlit skies on produce drawn from land and sea.
Day 4: Bouddi – Bush, Beach & Foraging
Kayak sheltered bays and trace the clifftop boardwalk; in the afternoon, join a guided native foraging walk through aromatic angophora and eucalypt before a long, low-lit dinner paired with Australian wines.
Day 5: Bouddi – Slow Living by the Sea
Choose an unhurried beach day, a private coastal cruise, or a ranger-led walk to Aboriginal rock engravings; return for terrace sundowners as sea breezes drift through the trees.
The Blue Mountains and Barossa Valley
Day 6: Blue Mountains – Into the Wild
Head inland to sandstone escarpments, fern-filled gullies and tumbling waterfalls. A luxury 4WD day gets you off the tourist path to panoramic lookouts, ancient rainforest canyons and the meadows of the Megalong Valley.
Day 7: Blue Mountains – Trails & Canyons
Walk quiet ridge paths to waterfalls, opt for a gentle canyon experience or a scenic heli over sculpted ranges; fireside cocktails and a mountain-produce dégustation close the day. Stay options: Spicers Sangoma Retreat / Lilianfels.
Day 8: Barossa Valley – Penfolds & Vistas
Fly to Adelaide and drive into rolling vines. In the Penfolds lab, blend your own GSM; take the sweeping vineyard panorama from Mengler’s Hill and lunch in Angaston, then settle into a vineyard lodge.
Day 9: Barossa – Artisan Circuit
Taste at Barossa Valley Cheese Company, compare your blend to Turkey Flat’s benchmark GSM, then seek small-lot treasures at Torbreck. A vineyard-view dinner pairs storied Shiraz with a glowing Barossa sunset.
Arkaba
Day 10: Arkaba Conservancy – Outback Arrival
Journey to Arkaba, a 60,000-acre private conservancy in the Flinders Ranges. Settle into the five-room homestead and roll into dusk on your first conservation safari—emus, kangaroos, wedge-tailed eagles—beneath vast outback skies.
Day 11: Arkaba – Safari & Ancient Stories
Track wildlife by open 4WD and on foot; pause at fossil fields and rock art etched with millennia of lore. Sundowners on a ridge are followed by a bush-inspired dinner under a sweep of stars.
Day 12: Arkaba – Immersion & Night Skies
Choose a dawn ridge hike, a scenic flight over folded ranges, or quiet hours by the homestead pool; after dark, a spotlight drive or stargazing session reveals the outback’s nocturnal life and crystal skies.
New Zealand Entry and the Bay of Islands
Day 13: Adelaide to Auckland – Pacific Crossing
Return to the city and fly across the Tasman to Auckland’s glittering Waitematā. Harbourfront dining sets a graceful new tempo.
Day 14: Auckland – Cones, Coasts & Forests
Ascend Maungawhau (Mount Eden) for sweeping views, browse contemporary galleries and laneways, then slip west to the Waitākere Ranges for native forest trails and black-sand vistas; elevate the day with a chef-led tasting of foraged botanicals in a glasshouse hideaway.
Day 15: Bay of Islands – Cool Change Sail
Travel north to subtropical shores and board Cool Change, a 54-ft sailing catamaran, to swim and snorkel in translucent coves and drift between emerald islets before a golden return. Stay options: Kauri Cliffs / Eagles Nest / luxury villa.
Day 16: Cape Reinga Heli & Waipoua Forest Walk
Lift along wild coastlines to Cape Reinga, where oceans meet; in Waipoua Forest, Kupe’s descendants guide you beneath ancient kauri, sharing spiritual ties to land and sea. Scenic low-level flight home skims Ninety Mile Beach and luminous sands.
Day 17: Bay of Islands – Quiet Waters
Set your pace: kayak glass-calm inlets, deep-sea fish, or join a boutique cruise for dolphins and seabirds. Dine waterside as island silhouettes fade into starlight.
Wellington and Wanaka
Day 18: Wellington – Harbour, Hills & Culture
Return south and fly into the compact capital; trace the waterfront to Te Papa for a curator-led immersion, ride the hillside cable car to the Botanic Garden, and sample the coffee-and-craft scene of Cuba Precinct.
Day 19: Wētā, Zealandia & Wharekauhau
Step behind the scenes at Wētā Workshop, then walk Zealandia’s predator-free sanctuary listening for tūī and, after dusk, little spotted kiwi. Outside the city, include a Wharekauhau Country Estate Farm Tour—sheepdogs at work, shearing demos, and coastal views—before a harbour-view dinner on the bays.
Day 20: Wanaka – Alpine Welcome
Fly south into the Southern Alps and continue to lakeside Wanaka, where still waters mirror jagged peaks; sip Central Otago pinot as the mountains catch the last, lingering light. Stay: Mahu Whenua / Whare Kea / boutique lakefront lodge.
Day 21: Wanaka – Milford & Mt Tutoko by Heli
Lift across Fiordland’s serrated skyline to Milford Sound for a short nature walk and fjord cruise beneath Mitre Peak, then arc over blue-green icefalls to land on Mt Tutoko Glacier for a champagne salute before tracing braided rivers home.
Ahuriri and Christchurch
Day 22: Ahuriri Valley – Into the High Country
Drive the Lindis Pass into high-country grandeur; arrive at The Lindis, where sculpted architecture dissolves into wild tussock and the landscape opens to silence and sky.
Day 23: Ahuriri – High Country Calm & Dark Skies
Walk ridge trails, ride across open country, or cast for trout in crystalline streams; after dusk, the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve unveils galaxies in rare, sparkling clarity.
Day 24: Christchurch – Garden City Reimagined
Trace braided rivers coastward to a city of parks, heritage squares and inventive architecture; glide by punt on the Avon or browse Riverside Market for South Island flavours.
Day 25: Banks Peninsula & Akaroa (Hector’s Dolphins)
Head to Akaroa for volcanic headlands, French-tinged cafés and a cruise in search of Hector’s dolphins, penguins and seabirds—returning to the city for a seasonal chef’s table and a final nightcap.
Day 26: Departure from Christchurch
A gentle farewell among botanic gardens and riverside paths—leaving with the shimmer of northern bays, the hush of high valleys and the grandeur of the Alps stitched into one extraordinary journey.