“Down Under” with Tauck

DISCOVER A GRAND AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE.

BY AMY ROBERTS

FOR TRAVELERS WHO CRAVE ADVENTURE, SOUL-STIRRING EXPERIENCES, AND TRUE CULTURAL IMMERSION, TAUCK ADVENTURES ARE DIFFICULT TO TOP. The luxury travel outfitter is recognized across the globe for creating authentic and enriching opportunities that leave guests saying, “I didn’t even know it was possible to do that.”

In fact, the family-owned and operated travel company collaborates with acclaimed documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, tailoring several Tauck excursions around the themes, events, and locations of awardwinning films. This partnership offers travelers the chance to find deeper meaning and appreciation in each experience — a goal permeating every Tauck itinerary.

This is perhaps best demonstrated on Tauck’s Grand Australia and New Zealand land journey. As the name implies, this 20-day comprehensive tour is nothing short of grand, exploring it all — Australia’s famed Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforests, and cosmopolitan cities. New Zealand’s dramatic fiords, enticing islands, and indigenous Māori culture are also part of this unforgettable journey. A total of six private charter flights ensure time is maximized in each location — Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Queensland, Sydney, Milford Sound, Queenstown, and Auckland.

The nearly three-week experience includes a total of 39 meals, and while all are impressive, the three-course “dinner with the warbirds” at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre is a highlight. This world-class museum boasts a rare collection of WWI and WWII aircraft, including several owned by Sir Peter Jackson, the celebrated New Zealand film director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

Other notable highlights include an eco-cruise to the Agincourt Reef – a section of the Great Barrier Reef — for swimming and snorkeling; an adrenaline infused jet boat ride through the rapids of Skippers Canyon on the Shotover River followed by an aerial view via helicopter; sailing aboard an America’s Cup yacht; a private dinner celebrating Aboriginal culture; a visit to a crocodile farm; private cruises in the Sydney Harbor and Marlborough Sounds; and a Māori cultural experience at the Auckland Museum.