January 10-28, 2024 | New Zealand & Australia Cruise with extra time in Sydney & Auckland

There is something about the New Zealand and Australia.  Without question, it is one of the world’s most interesting regions combining spectacular natural beauty with vibrant cities, mesmerizing countryside and fascinating history.  This tour focuses on New Zealand, while sampling the beauties of Australia and Tasmania as well. 

 There are different ways to tour this region, but the most convenient is by cruise ship.  New Zealand is comprised of two large islands.  Much of the scenery and charm is along the coasts and waterways.  Yet the country is narrow, making the beautiful interior easily accessible on day trips from our ship.  Add to that time to enjoy Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania and you have an unforgettable journey Down Under. 

 Why do we go in January? It never gets very hot in New Zealand and January is the middle of their summer so temperatures range from the 60’s in the south island to the mid 70’s on the north island and Tasmania. It will be a bit warmer in Sydney (mid 80’s) and Melbourne (low 80’s).  It is the perfect time to be in the region.  Webb Tours has directed many trips to New Zealand and Australia.  It has always been among our most popular tours. We know it’s a big investment.  We pledge to do all we can to make it the trip of a lifetime… We hope you can join us.

Daily Itinerary:

January 10:  This afternoon, we gather at the Salt Lake Airport (or other gateway cities) for our flight to Los Angeles. In the evening, we’ll board our flight from Los Angeles to Sydney.  Those joining us from other cities will meet us in Los Angeles and fly with us to Sydney.

January 11:  Because we cross the international dateline, we skip this day.  We’ll get it back at the end of the tour.

January 12:  Welcome to Sydney, Australia!  Our flight arrives in the morning hours today and it will be important that we stay awake.  A local guide and luxury coach will meet us to show us around this world-class city.  We’ll stroll some world famous beaches, impressive overlooks, and learn some important colonial history of the city.  We’ll then check into the hotel for a shower and a break.  This evening we’ll enjoy a dinner cruise on beautiful Sydney Harbor. We sail under famous Harbor Bridge, by the front of the Opera House, near the prestigious suburbs and more. Or you can spend time on your own enjoying Sydney. D

January 13:  This morning, we’ll enjoy a tour of the world famous Opera House, Sydney’s signature structure and an absolute must-see in Sydney.  We will then be transferred to the pier where we will board Holland America’s Noordam.  The Noordam is an 82,000 ton ship with about 1,900 passengers.  Holland America is famous for unmatched service, excellent cuisine and creative itineraries with stops at more ports.  It will be our floating resort for 14 days.  We sail out of Sydney tonight enjoying a delicious dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room.

NOTE:  We highly recommend that you see Sydney.  However, if you choose NOT to see Sydney, you can depart the USA on January 11 and go straight to the ship on January 13).

January 14:  At sea today as we become familiar with our ship and enjoy the scenery.

January 15:  Today we spend all day in lovely Melbourne, Australia.  At each of the ports, you can do your own thing, chose an excursion offered by the ship or join us on our private Webb Tours excursion.  Our private excursion today takes us outside of Melbourne to enjoy native Australian animals at a fabulous wildlife sanctuary.  Our coach then takes us to charming Williamstown for a fish and chips lunch (or other options) before boarding a boat that will take us on a one hour ride into the heart of downtown Melbourne.  This is the BEST way to enter the city and enjoy the incredible skyline (you’ll see). Our guide meets us there to show us some highlights (including time to shop at the Victoria Market if open) as we make our way back to the ship.

January 16:  Today you wake up in TASMANIA!  We dock in Burnie at the north end of the country.  Our private excursion today takes advantage of the area’s renowned natural beauty. There are forests, mountains and lakes to be explored. We drive by motor coach to famous Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park.  The views from Dove Lake are stunning. After an included lunch, we make our way back via the Sheffield, the Town of Murals. This is a mountain town where you’ll have time to browse and enjoy the setting. We then return to the ship.

January 17 & 18:  Enjoy two relaxing days at sea as we cross the Tasman Sea that separates Australia from New Zealand.  Choose from lots of activities on board, take in the fabulous entertainment or just read a book on the decks as you watch the ocean go by.  And don’t forget to watch for wildlife as whales and dolphins are often spotted in this area. 

January 19:  Today you will live in postcard scenery. The seaward edge of Fiordland National Park is a series of fourteen massive knife cuts, carved by the glaciers during successive ice ages. Towering, snow-capped peaks reflect in the midnight blue fingers of ocean that reach into the park’s thickly forested interior, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old. For sheer drama, few places of earth can compete with this remarkable natural environment. Milford Sound, part of the park, is a natural wonder of the world.  Most visit from Queenstown which involves an arduous 3 hour bus ride, much of it on windy roads.  But we are on a cruise ship and we will simply sail into the fjords and enjoy the day taking in the incredible scenes.  Enjoy towering Mitre Peak, plunging waterfalls, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, penguins and more.  As we leave Milford Sound, we will continue cruising in other parts of Fjordland National Park visiting Doubtful Sound which is equally dramatic.

January 20:  While we sleep, the ship makes its way around the southern tip of New Zealand and we wake up in Port Chalmers, in Dunedin, New Zealand.  They call this the “Edinburgh of the South” because of the Scottish influence here – and the scenery is similar as well.  Our private excursion will take you to the top of the mountain to visit Larnach Castle and Gardens.  You have to see this place! The castle, the history, the gardens and the views overlooking the water over 1000 feet below are all stunning.  Before going back, we’ll stop for 30 minutes at Glenfalloch Gardens.  It’s summer in New Zealand and these places are quite incredible to see. We’ll also show you the world’s steepest street on the way back to the ship.

January 21:  Today we wake up in beautiful Timaru, New Zealand, still on the South Island.  Our private excursion today focuses on the scenery and activity between Timaru and Geraldine. Geraldine is flanked by the Southern Alps and is a must visit in the area. Sample some juices and jams at Barkers Fruit or go next door to the Talbot Forest Cheese Factory and sample the delicious offerings. We will stop at Caroline’s Bay and enjoy the timber boardwalk taking you along the beach and the sand dunes. We then make our way back to the ship. 

January 22:  Today we wake up in port of Lyttelton, New Zealand at the northern part of the South Island.  We are less than an hour from Christchurch, the largest town on the South Island. Our current plan is to take our group to beautiful sheep farm for lunch. While there, we’ll have a sheep dog demonstration. The mountains are visible in the distance and the landscapes are beautiful. We’ll enjoy a stroll on the Avon River before going back to the ship. 

January 23:  Today we are in Wellington – New Zealand’s capital city.  Our private tour takes you via cable car to enjoy the amazing panoramic views from Mt. Victoria.  We’ll also make a brief visit to Kelburn Rose Gardens before making our way to the Weta Workshop to enjoy an interesting tour in the studios where they filmed much of Lord of the Rings.  It’s a bit like a mini Universal Studios in New Zealand.  Whether a fan of the epic movies or not, the tour here is very interesting.  We’ll take you by Parliament and some other highlights before giving you some time in town before getting back on the ship.

January 24:  Today we wake up on the North Island of New Zealand.  We will be in the port of Napier until 2:00 PM.   We highly recommend that you join us for an interesting morning tour that includes three things:  First: A visit to Arataki Honey for an interesting education about honey bees (and a chance for some honey ice cream).  Second: A short trip to the top of Te Mata Peak with fabulous views in all directions (and other interesting things we’ll show you).  Third:  A chance to browse in this interesting town of Napier that was almost entirely built in the 1920’s (after being destroyed by an earthquake).  The whole town looks like a movie set from the 20’s with everything built in that distinct Art Deco style.  It is unlike any other town in the world.  We continue sailing north in the afternoon.

January 25:  Today we are docked in Tauranga on the North Island.  One of New Zealand’s most famous attractions is in Rotorua which is like the “Yellowstone” of New Zealand.  We’ll drive about 40 minutes to Te Puia Park.  It is sacred ground for the Maoris and you will enter with one of their chiefs.  We’ll learn much about the Maori’s and witness an authentic Hangi performance which is always fun.  We will also have a delicious buffet lunch while we are there. We’ll then give you some free time in the fun town of Rotorua for shopping and lunch.  We then return to the ship in Tauranga.  

January 26:  NEW TO THE ITNERARY THIS YEAR:  We are excited about this addition. We’ll spend the day today enjoying one last bit of that famous New Zealand waterfront scenery. We’ll spend the morning cruising in the Bay of Plenty and the afternoon along the famous Coromandel Peninsula. We have a farewell dinner on board the ship tonight. 

January 27:  This morning we dock in Auckland where our cruise comes to an end.  You can transfer to the airport for flights home, or you can extend one day to see more of this area. Our excursion today will take us to some BEAUTIFUL and interesting places.  The scenery between Auckland and Hamilton is comprised of green, rolling hills and sheep farms.  We’ll drive about 2 hours from Auckland to the south through the rolling hills. We will visit the famous Waitomo Caves known as Glow Worm Grotto.  We board a small boat for a short ride inside these natural caves that are lit (from the ceiling) by glow worms!  It is a very interesting sight to see.  Lunch is included while there.  We then go to nearby Hamilton where we stay in a lovely hotel on the Waikato River.   

*NOTE: If you prefer to visit Hobbiton on this day instead of the Waitomo Caves, this can be arranged as well. In either case, the countryside and landscapes on this part of the north island are magnificent and getting to your destination is as enjoyable as the destination itself.

January 28:  Today, we board our plane for our flight through Los Angeles back to Salt Lake.  Because we cross back over the dateline today, we retrieve the day we lost, so we get home mid day on the same day. 

Registration Information:

To make a reservation, simply fill out the attached reservation form and send it to us with a deposit of $400 per person.  When we receive your deposit, we will mail you a receipt confirming that you are registered for the tour.  A letter with instructions, hotel itinerary flight information (if applicable) and luggage tags will be sent 90 days prior to departure at which time the balance will be due.  You do not need to pay the balance until after you receive that packet.  We require final payments in the form of a check.  If that is not possible, arrangements can be made to use a credit card.  Webb Tours accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover.  A 2% surcharge will be added for credit card payments. 

Cancellation Penalties

We understand that you may need to cancel your trip for whatever reason.  If it is 95 days or more before departure, all money will be refunded.  If it is within 95 days, the following schedule applies:

 For airlines, specifically, tickets are generally non refundable when purchased.  However, most airlines will allow the value of the canceled tickets to be reused for future travel, though a penalty may be assessed to reuse the tickets.  If you have to cancel, Webb Tours will work with other providers to obtain as much refund as possible for our travelers.  Our travelers know us to be very fair in this regard.

Cancellation Insurance: 

To avoid cancellation penalties, cancellation insurance may be purchased.  Insurance will reimburse you for the non-refundable cancellation penalties imposed if you must cancel your trip for a covered reason like illness, injury or death to you, a traveling companion or an immediate family member.  Other reasons for cancellation include Common Carrier-caused delays due to inclement weather, jury duty, or a documented traffic accident en route to departure. Price of the insurance depends on your stateroom category as follows:

Categories M, L & K (Inside Staterooms):                  $239 per person

Categories G & H (Obstructed Ocean View):              $259 per person

Categories C, E & F (Ocean View, Lower Decks):      $269 per person

Categories VD Balcony (upper decks):                         $329 per person

Insurance may be purchased any time up to the point you make your final payment.  Insurance cannot be purchased after your final payment is made.  Webb Tours is not the insurer and acts as agent for the insurance company.  To activate your insurance, we need your premium and your birth date. 

Currency Fluctuation: 

Webb Tours reserves the right to adjust the rates if necessary in order to reflect currency fluctuations larger than 10% from those used in our tour price.  This is not likely to happen, but we must protect against it.  A shift of that magnitude would quickly erase our tour profits.  Of course, if the fluctuation moves in the opposite direction, we will reduce your tour price.

Mail deposit and enclosed reservation form to:

 WEBB TOURS

2378 Evergreen Avenue

Salt Lake City, UT  84109

Tel. (801) 278-3101

or Toll Free 1-800-658-8519