Australia, New Zealand Luxury Vacation Review: Port Douglas, Whitsundays, Sydney, Queenstown, Te Anau, Auckland, 20-Day Trip

Highlights for us included:

Port Douglas: Our snorkel trip to the Great Barrier Reef was the highlight and we loved staying in Port Douglas. We also loved spending a day with the Kuku Yalanji and learning about their culture. We especially loved our brief time in the Daintree Rainforest. Our wildlife safari was also very enjoyable, resulting in native sightings of wallabies, kangaroos, flying foxes, and the elusive platypus. We had an excellent guide.

Whitsundays: We had the most beautiful helicopter ride and trip to a catamaran which provided spectacular views of the Heart Reef and Whitsunday Islands. It included another snorkel stop. The 30-minute private koala experience was awesome!

Sydney: We love this city. We were treated to guided land and harbor tours, neither of which I’d eliminate. Our day on land included walking from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach during the Sculpture by the Sea event. It was unforgettable. The city and views were stunning, and we truly made the most of our two days there. Staying in The Rocks also was ideal.

Queenstown: The most beautiful ski town on Lake Wakatipu was such a great stop. Day one featured a private helicopter ride and hike to the Earnslaw Burn. This was truly a private day, with private helicopter rides and a full-day hike. I cannot even describe the scenery. It was stunning. Day two included a jet-boat ride and funyak trip on the Dart River. We witnessed spectacular scenery and our boat driver and kayak guides were awesome!

Te Anau: This involved a beautiful drive from Queenstown to Te Anau (no problem driving on the other side of the road). We enjoyed exploring and dining in this small town on very large Lake Te Anau, followed by a nice trip across the lake to see the glowworms. One of the highlights of the trip was our day hiking and boating in Milford Sound. We would have missed this trip if we hadn't driven to Te Anau because the planes/helicopters from Queenstown were grounded that day due to the weather.

Auckland: We are so glad we ended our trip in Auckland and were able to spend the day tasting fine wine and enjoying the scenery of Waiheke Island with our private guide. He was great, not only for his wine knowledge, but his love of Auckland.