Palm Cove , Queensland
ASIA & SOUTH PACIFIC
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Aboriginal art
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Fly from the U . S . to Melbourne , Australia .
DAY 2 • Cross International Date Line Continue your flight to Melbourne , losing one day en route as you cross the International Date Line ( which you regain when you fly back home ).
DAY 3 • Arrive in Melbourne , Australia Arrive in Melbourne , where you ’ ll be joined by fellow travelers , including those who took our Undiscovered Tasmania : Hobart , Cradle Mountain & Launceston pretrip extension .
Holiday Inn Express Little Collins or similar
DAY 4 • Melbourne • Koorie Heritage Trust visit This morning we ’ ll visit the Koorie Heritage Trust with a local indigenous guide . Then we ’ ll tour Melbourne ’ s highlights , including its famous lanes and arcades , St . Paul ’ s Cathedral , and the expansive Federation Square . This evening , enjoy a Welcome Dinner .
Meals : B , L , D | Holiday Inn Express Little Collins or similar
DAY 5 • Melbourne • Optional Great Ocean Road & Wildlife Wonders tour
Explore Melbourne independently today . Perhaps you ’ ll take a boat ride on the Yarra River , or venture to Dendy Street Beach in Brighton . Or , you may join an optional tour to explore the Great Ocean Road , a national park that winds 150 miles along Australia ’ s
stunning coast , stopping along the way to discover the Australian wildlife .
Meals : B , D | Holiday Inn Express Little Collins or similar
DAY 6 • Melbourne • Wildlife Sanctuary • Mornington Peninsula
Visit a wildlife sanctuary on the Mornington Peninsula and learn about the conservation efforts being made here . Then , head to Heronswood Garden for lunch before exploring more of the peninsula ’ s highlights .
Meals : B , L | Holiday Inn Express Little Collins or similar
DAY 7 • Alice Springs • Old Telegraph Station Fly to Alice Springs , located in the Red Centre of the continent , and visit the old Telegraph Station .
Meals : B , L | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs or similar
DAY 8 • Alice Springs • Simpsons Gap & Standley Chasm • Outback barbecue
Travel to Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm , and learn about their significance to indigenous populations . This evening , we ’ ll visit a sustainable living center in the heart of the Outback to gain an understanding of local customs and share a barbecue dinner under the stars .
Meals : B , D | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs or similar
DAY 9 • Ayers Rock ( Uluru ) • Sunset viewing Drive to Ayers Rock ( Uluru ), an imposing formation that has been the indigenous people ’ s spiritual site for over 20,000 years . Later , toast to the beauty of our surroundings as we watch the sun set over this 650-million-year-old monolith .
Meals : B , L | Desert Gardens Hotel or similar
DAY 10 • Ayers Rock ( Uluru ) sunrise viewing • Visit Kata Tjuta rock formations
If you wish , you can rise early this morning to revisit Ayers Rock ( Uluru ) in the light of dawn . Later , our group will visit the Kata Tjuta rock formations .
Meals : B , D | Desert Gardens Hotel or similar
DAY 11 • Fly to Cairns • Palm Cove Fly to Cairns and transfer to Palm Cove to begin our explorations of the Great Barrier Reef and Australia ’ s lush Pacific Coast .
Meals : B | Peppers Beach Club or similar
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Day 13 , learn how the Grand Circle Foundation and the Coral Nurture Program are working to protect the Great Barrier Reef
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / aua 103