Australia and New Zealand: Spectacular Landscapes and Thrilling Adventures

Sun-kissed, surrounded by sparkling water, and scented with frangipani, Sydney is an unforgettable jumping-off point for your Australian adventure. Get into the adrenaline-fueled spirit with a bridge climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge for fabulous bird’s-eye views. You’ll no doubt be back another day to explore glistening Sydney Opera House and other city gems.

For now, head to the Great Barrier Reef. A 2.5-hour flight from Sydney, Hamilton Island is at the heart of the Whitsunday Islands archipelago, the most popular spot for experiencing Queensland’s epic reef. Covered in bush and car-free, it’s fringed by turquoise water and vibrant reefs, including famous Heart Reef, especially lovely from the air. Watersports lovers can enjoy sailing, snorkeling, diving, and boat tours to admire rainbow-bright corals, turtles, and manta rays. Whitehaven Beach, which can be reached on a day trip, dazzles with its brilliant white, silky-smooth sand and offers a truly idyllic escape. You can also encounter the reef from pretty, beach-blessed Port Douglas near Cairns.

A recent report suggests coral is regenerating in the central and northern parts of the reef’s fragile ecosystem.

Australia’s Red Centre is home to Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock), a massive sandstone monolith rising out of the desert that’s sacred to the local Anangu Aboriginal people. Fly into Ayers Rock Airport near Yulara to experience this geological and spiritual marvel, which glows red at sunset and changes color in different lights from ocher to orange to purple. The six-mile loop walk around its base is magical, with views of rock art, ancient carvings, native plants, and myth-laced watering holes. You can hear stories of the Dreamtime on a guided tour, take a camel ride, or see it from the air.

Another highlight is hiking between the soaring domes of nearby rock formation Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Savor a sunset Champagne with panoramas of Uluru or wander amid the stunning landscape installation, Field of Light, by artist Bruce Munro, illuminated by 50,000 colored spindles.

Australia’s unique indigenous wildlife is sure to wow. Kangaroos are a common sight bouncing about with their joeys in the countryside, while lovable koalas are visible in select spots such as Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. A trip to Sydney’s harborside Taronga Zoo or Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley wine region near Melbourne allows you to spy wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils, emus, echidnas, and platypuses, while Darwin in the Northern Territory is a top choice for crocodile encounters at Crocosaurus Cove.

From Melbourne, it’s possible to take a day trip to Phillip Island to watch little penguins waddle from the sea to their nests each night at the Penguin Parade. The island is home to the world’s largest colony of these ultra-cute creatures, also called fairy penguins, and a state-of-the-art center offers boardwalks and platforms to view them in action.

From South Queensland’s Fraser Island — the world’s largest sand island — to rugged, seabird-flocked Lord Howe Island out in the Pacific, Australia’s islands deliver once-in-a-lifetime adventures. South Australia’s Kangaroo Island has a magnificent colony of sea lions and fur seals, plus curious rocks. The island state of Tasmania boasts dreamy coastal walks to beauty spots such as Wineglass Bay or the Bay of Fires.

When it’s time for personal challenges, Queenstown is New Zealand’s dramatically beautiful adventure capital in the southwest of the country’s South Island. It’s where Aussies escape to for exciting ski fields and snowboarding and where adrenaline junkies flock to go bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, and jet boating. Coursing past quiet sheep farms is the fast-flowing Shotover River, a mecca for whitewater rafting. Not for the faint-hearted, a trip is as exhilarating for participants as observers.

Set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is fringed by the lofty peaks of the Southern Alps, including The Remarkables mountain range, where walking and cycling beckon, with serious hikes or fjord cruises around eye-catching Milford Sound. Take the opportunity to learn about the Indigenous Māori people through powerful kapa haka performances and fascinating cultural shows. A trip down under is truly otherworldly.

Domestic flights are the best way to travel between cities in Australia, due to the huge distances. A few luxurious train journeys are iconic experiences. They include The Ghan, named after Afghan cameleers, which glides right through the heart of the country from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. It’s around a three-hour flight from Sydney to New Zealand’s Queenstown.