Destinations
From the vast deserts of Australia, to the snowcapped mountains of New Zealand
Experiences
From luxury yachts on the Great Barrier Reef, to helicopters through Fiordland
Itineraries
Experience the best of both Australia and New Zealand in one itinerary
From Australia’s rugged red outback to New Zealand’s glistening glaciers, from sandy white beaches to spectacular alpine ranges, lush rainforests to bustling harbour cities, our destinations offer contrasts that complement to excite and delight. Our selection of suggested itineraries are designed to inspire personalised journeys curated exclusively for you.
As neighbours on the world map, offering an inviting contrast of complementary landscapes and experiences, the temptation is often there for visitors to combine a visit to Australia and New Zealand.
However, the secret to weaving our destinations together to deliver an enjoyable vacation is defiitely in the detail. Whilst you enjoy one point of contact with Southern Crossings, behind the scenes our Travel Designers on both side of the Tasman, work together to craft seamless and complementary itineraries that combine adventures in Australia with New Zealand explorations.
We’ll help you navigate the time zones and the most logical itineraries to avoid any unnecessary backtracking or duplication of experiences, make the most of local events and take advantage of climate nuances.
Whether you have just two weeks; or many more, our Travel Designers will tailor personalised itineraries to ensure you experience the very best of Australia and New Zealand. Enjoy these suggested itineraries as the inspiration for tailored luxury travels designed exclusively for you.
Luxury Destinations Australia & new zealand
Explore a selection of our favourite locations
Luxury accommodation australia & new zealand
Experience some of our favourite places to stay
Luxury Experiences Australia & new zealand
Discover a few of our favourite activities
itinerary inspirations
These itineraries have been designed to inspire you with a small selection of the many unique adventures to be had in this beautiful region. Once you have a feel for the destinations and experiences that best resonate with you, we will tailor every element of your perfect luxury travel itinerary, exclusively for you.
Australia & new zealand
Downunder Icons
A flying visit to our most iconic destinations
On this quick trip around Australia and New Zealand, you’ll visit our five most iconic destinations, Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Queenstown and Milford Sound. Start in Tropical North Queensland where you’ll transfer from Cairns to the idyllic village of Port Douglas for your first three nights. Spend a day out on the dazzling Great Barrier Reef before heading inland to the rainforests of Daintree, the oldest in the world. Then head to the Outback where you’ll enjoy daytime viewing of Uluru Ayers Rock, as well as a luxurious dinner in the desert. Next up is Sydney with her spectacular harbour and the grandiose Sydney Opera House. Finally, hop across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand where you’ll visit the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, Queenstown, as well as majestic Milford Sound.
- Inclusions
12 nights’ accommodation (3 nights Port Douglas, 3 nights Uluru, 3 nights Sydney, and 3 nights at The Spire in Queenstown) including daily breakfast, airport transfers throughout, a full day cruise to the Great Barrier Reef (shared), full day private guided tour to the Daintree Rainforest, half day private guided tour of Uluru, Sound of Silence dinner at Uluru, private guided tour of Sydney with shared cruise on the harbour, private helicopter excursion to Milford Sound with alpine landing, and a shared Dart River jetboating excursion.
Experience the very best of Australia and New Zealand's famed luxury lodges
Start in New Zealand in the charming lakeside town of Taupo with a stay at iconic Huka Lodge, New Zealand’s first luxury lodge. Spend your days hiking and cruising before returning to the lodge for your pick of a dozen or so private dining locations. Continue to another lakeside town, Queenstown, where your stay at Matakauri Lodge provides you with some of the most stunning views in the country, over Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkable Mountains. Heli to Milford Sound and spend an afternoon sampling the velvety smooth Pinot Noir of Central Otago.
Jet into bustling Sydney for a city break at the Park Hyatt, where your suite will have panoramic views of Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. Experience the best of the harbour aboard a private luxury yacht for the day. Continue north to the Daintree Rainforest for a stay at Silky Oaks Lodge where you’ll sleep amongst the canopy in a treehouse. Spend a day out on the Great Barrier Reef chasing colourful fish and corals. Finally, head to qualia, one of Australia’s finest luxury lodges with one of Australia’s finest views. Soak in the views over the Whitsundays from your incredible infinity pool.
- Inclusions
15 nights’ accommodation (3 nights at Huka Lodge in Taupo, 3 nights at Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown, 3 nights at the Park Hyatt in Sydney, 3 nights at Silky Oaks Lodge in Daintree, and 3 nights at qualia in the Whitsundays) including daily breakfast, 2 lunches and 6 dinners, airport transfers throughout, private guided hike and cruise on Lake Taupo, private helicopter excursion to Milford Sound with alpine landing, private guided wine tour of Central Otago, private luxury cruise on Sydney Harbour, and a full day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef.
Our long hot summer days are best spent surfing, jetboating and dining al-fresco!
Start in Sydney where hot summer days means just one thing, surfing at Bondi Beach! After your private lesson, enjoy lunch at one of Sydney’s top restaurants with views along the iconic stretch of sand. Then head to aptly named Kangaroo Island for your wildlife fix. See seals and sealions on the beaches, koalas and kookaburras in the trees, and wallabies and kangaroos in the bush. Continue on to Barossa Valley and spend lazy afternoons amongst the vines sampling the regions acclaimed reds. Finally for Australia, visit the city of Melbourne where you’ll spend a day on the beaches of the Great Ocean Road, and have time to explore the hidden shops, restaurants and bars of her laneways.
Shoot over to New Zealand for a stay at gracious Blanket Bay. Spend your days hiking and jetboating through Mount Aspiring National Park before returning to the lodge and dining on the terrace with spectacular lake and mountain views before you. Travel on to The Farm at Cape Kidnappers for a luxurious farm experience where you can see the sheep shearers and working dogs at work, as well as search out the kiwi, an elusive bird that has become the symbol of New Zealand.
- Inclusions
17 nights’ accommodation (3 nights in Sydney, 3 nights on Kangaroo Island, 2 nights at Sequoia Lodge in the Barossa Valley, 3 nights at Blanket Bay near Queenstown, and 3 nights at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers in the Hawke's Bay) including daily breakfast, 1 lunch and 6 dinners, airport transfers throughout, private guided surfing lesson on Bondi Beach, private guided wildlife tour of Kangaroo Island, private guided wine tour of the Barossa Valley, private guided tour to the Great Ocean Road, half day private guided Melbourne laneways tour, private helicopter excursion to Milford Sound with alpine landing, full day private guided hike on the Routeburn Track with shared jetboat ride, half day private guided farm tour, and Kiwi Discovery tour at Cape Kidnappers.
From the Blue Mountains to Palliser Bay, experience the best of our countryside
Start in the New Zealand hotspot of Rotorua where you’ll experience the extraordinary geothermal features such as geysers, boiling pools of mud and hot springs. Also get your cultural fix with a guided walking tour through a Maori village. Continue to the southern tip of the North Island where you’ll enjoy an authentic New Zealand farming experience seeing shearers at work and exploring the farm by quadbike. Then visit the township of Queenstown where you’ll helicopter to Milford Sound and take a 4WD into the rugged backcountry of Skippers Canyon where gold miners once sought their fortune.
Cross the Tasman Sea for Sydney and a touch of city life. Explore the historic Rocks district before retreating to the harbour for an afternoon cruise. Finally, head to serene Wolgan Valley, one of Australia’s top luxury lodges. Here you’ll head into the bush to spot wildlife such as kangaroos, as well as embark on an authentic ‘walkabout’ to study the unique flora of the region.
- Inclusions
14 nights’ accommodation (3 nights at Solitaire Lodge in Rotorua, 3 nights at Wharekauhau Country Estate in Palliser Bay, 3 nights at Eichardt's in Queenstown, 2 nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney, and 3 nights at Wolgan Valley) including daily breakfast, 4 lunches and 6 dinners, airport transfers throughout, private guided tour of Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, private guided tour of Ohinemutu, private guided farm tour and quadbiking at Wharekauhau, private helicopter excursion to Milford Sound, private guided 4WD tour to Skippers Canyon, private guided walking tour of The Rocks, shared cruise on Sydney Harbour, wildlife touring at Wolgan Valley.
Stay in beautiful remote locations and experience the best of the unique wildlife
Begin your journey in Australia’s Tropical North Queensland where you’ll visit not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree National Park. Start in the Daintree where you’ll rest your head high amongst the trees in a treehouse at Silky Oaks Lodge. Explore the rainforest in search of crocodiles and cassowaries. Then fly out to Lizard Island, our favourite island on the Great Barrier Reef. The northern part of the Great Barrier Reef is the most pristine, so you’ll see the most colourful corals and fish.
Jet across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand for your first stay at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers. This luxury farm is also home to an excellent bird sanctuary where you can see elegant gannets, cheeky kaka, precious kiwis and other native birds of New Zealand. Continue south to grandiose Otahuna Lodge, one of New Zealand’s finest historic homes on the outskirts of Christchurch. Travel to the French village of Akaroa and cruise the harbour home to acrobatic dolphins and one of the world’s rarest penguins. Finally, continue south to Blanket Bay near Queenstown, right on the edge of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Te Wahipounamu. This collection of national parks is home to some of the most untouched rainforests on the planet, and full of unforgettable hiking trails.
- Inclusions
14 nights’ accommodation (3 nights at Silky Oaks Lodge in Daintree, 3 nights at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, 3 nights at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke's Bay, 2 nights at Otahuna Lodge in Christchurch, and 3 nights at Blanket Bay near Queenstown) including daily breakfast, 4 lunches and 8 dinners, airport transfers throughout, return flights between Cairns and Lizard Island, private guided bird touring at Cape Kidnappers, private guided tour to Akaroa with harbour cruise and penguin spotting, full day private guided hike in Mount Aspiring National Park and a private helicopter journey to Milford Sound.
The deep south of both New Zealand and Australia
In the deep south of both New Zealand and Australia you’ll find wild, rugged regions that are some of the most untouched lands in the world. Both Fiordland and the Tasmania Wilderness, just to name two, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites for this very reason.
Start in New Zealand where you’ll stay on the edge of of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site at luxurious Blanket Bay. Venture into the park for a full day hike combined with a thrilling jetboat ride. Next board a helicopter and fly to one of the most remote of Fiordlands fiords, Dusky Sound. Cruise the majestic fiord, view where Captain Cook moored for two months in 1773, and dine on fresh seafood pulled from the sea before your eyes. Finish your day at The Lindis, a new luxury lodge surrounded by conservation land on three sides, deep in the Ahuriri Valley. Explore the countryside by foot, bike, 4WD or horseback, and gaze in wonder at the incredible milky way above you in the evenings.
Jet across the Tasman for a few fabulous days in the multicultural metropole of Melbourne, exploring the city’s colourful laneways and arcades before venturing a little further afield to see Little Penguins wandering up the sands of Philip Island at dusk.
Hop across Bass Strait to Tasmania’s stunning east coast, enjoying spectacularly wild nature and refined comforts at Saffire Freycinet, one of Australia’s most breathtaking luxury lodges. Hike to spectacular look outs, sample oysters shucked straight from the bay (glass of Tasmanian sparkling in hand!) and contribute to the lodge’s Tasmanian Devil conservation efforts.
Hobart, where colourful history and bold contemporary culture meet, is the final destination for this Southern Wonders itinerary. During a stay at the waterfront MACq1, enjoy a full day tour of the Tasmanian capital, including a visit to MONA, a world-class thought-provoking museum of old and new art.
- Inclusions
15 nights’ accommodation (3 nights at Blanket Bay near Queenstown, 3 nights at The Lindis in the Ahuriri Valley, 3 nights Crown Towers Melbourne, 3 nights Saffire Freycinet on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula and 2 nights MACq1 Hobart) including daily breakfast, 4 lunches and 9 dinners, airport transfers in New Zealand, full day private guided Routeburn Track hike with shared jetboat ride, full day private helicopter excursion to Dusky Sound, airport transfers in Melbourne, half day private tour of Melbourne's laneways and arcades, full day private Philip Island tour, full day private tour of Hobart including visit to MONA, airport transfers in Tasmania.
many many many thanks!!!!!!
We have been blown away by everything - hotels, food, people, golf, wine - the list is endless. You did an amazing job
Planning a 7 week trip is daunting enough without the complications of COVID cancellations, rebookings, and closures. Yet every connection, every transportation detail, every accommodation, every meal, everything was flawless.
From our arrival in Sydney .. to our last stop in Queenstown .. we will carry with us the best memories of our trip and all of your efforts. The incredible private boat tours .. the bespoke wine tours with the best guides .. our accommodations .. and the excellent itinerary and pacing, made for a perfect trip.
We can't thank Southern Crossings enough for making this trip all, and more, than we had imagined. You allowed us to see the best of your countries: the people, the beauty, the culture. Five stars, a blue ribbon, and a gold medal to everyone at Southern Crossings!
