January 16-February 3, 2025 | 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 16:  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 Auckland.  Those joining us from other cities will meet us in Los Angeles and fly with us to Auckland.

January 17:  Because we cross the international dateline, we skip this day.  We’ll get it back at the end of the tour.

January 18:  Welcome to Auckland, New Zealand!  Our flight arrives in the morning hours today and it will be important that we stay awake.  Our coach will be waiting and our local guide 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.   

January 19:  We will make some photo stops in Hamilton today before returning to Auckland. We’ll show you Mt. Eden, the interesting monments and memorials and share some interesting information about this world class city. We will then make our way to the cruise port to register for our cruise. We will board Holland America’s Westerdam.  The Westerdam 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 Auckland tonight enjoying a delicious dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room. The ship departs at 5:00 PM. 

January 20:  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 21:  Today we continue south on the North Island of New Zealand.  We will be in the port of Napier until 2:00 PM.  There is no private excursion today. We suggest you take the free cruise ship shuttle into Napier to enjoy this interesting town. Napier 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 will have a chance to see a short movie about the history of the earthquake that is quite interesting. You can come and go as you please. 

January 22:  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 23: Today we wake up in port of Picton, New Zealand at the northern tip of the south island.  You’ll have a free morning in town (free shuttles from the ship) and an early lunch.  Our excursion departs at 12:30 and shows you the sweeping views overlooking the picturesque Cook Straits.  We then drive 30 minutes to the town of Blenheim where we’ve included admission to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Center.  Started by Sir Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings fame), this is his private collection of World War I aircraft and artifacts – but not just that. They recreate WWI scenes as if you’re in them with interesting technology. The Sydney Herald called it “the best museum in the world” which may be an overstatement, but you get the idea.  As our ship leaves port this afternoon, we’ll sail through scenic Queen Charlotte Sound and Captain Cook Ship Cove – places best enjoyed from comfort of our cruise ship.

January 24:  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 25:  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 travel along this lovely peninsula to the Royal Albatross Center. These birds are fascinating and they are nesting this time of year. We’ll tour the facility and see these amazing birds flying or on their nests. We’ll also have lunch while we are here. Then, we 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.   We’ll also show you Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest street, before going back to the ship.

January 26:  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 27 & 28  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 29:  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 30:  At sea today enjoying our ship and the scenery.

January 31:  Today we spend all day in lovely Melbourne, Australia.   Our private excursion today takes us outside of Melbourne to enjoy native Australian animals at a fabulous wildlife sanctuary. It is called Moonlit Sanctuary where we can see the wildlife native to Australia (and you can cuddle a Koala if you want to. We then continue to the Mornington Peninsula (on Por Phillip Bay) and board our gondola to what they call “Arthur’s Seat”. The views from the top are lovely. We then go into downtown Melbourne to show you a few things in this interesting city with its impressive skyline. 

February 1:  At sea making our way to Sydney.  Enjoy your last day on our lovely ship.,

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

February 2:  This morning, we’ll enjoy a tour of this world class city. We’ll see the famous Opera House, (from the outside),  We will then show you several other gems like Bondi Beach, The Gap, The Rocks, Darling Harbor and more. After checking into the hotel, we’ll enjoy a dinner cruise on the world famous Sydney Harbor. It is a great way to end our trip.

February 3: Today we transfer to the airport for our flights back to the USA. 

NOTE:  We highly recommend that you see Auckland.  However, if you choose NOT to see Auckland and Hamilton (and the caves), you can depart the USA on January 17 and go straight to the ship on January 19).

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