Captain Cook’s Rediscovered Australia:
From Sydney to Rain Forest to Reef. 13 Days.

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solation does strange things to a continent. It breeds wildlife that’s just a little bit wilder: wallabies, wombats, koalas, numbats, platypuses, kangaroos, even a cat that looks like a mongoose. It has an odd effect on the other inhabitants, too. Fills people’s heads with strange notions about diversity and egalitarianism. Perverts their priorities. Imagine — a leisure ethic promoting play (even at the expense of work). Not a serious place at all. Better go there, quick.

    Across the Pacific to Sydney. Cruise the city’s magnificent harbor, voted tops in the world by mariners and landlubbers alike. Spectacular from every vantage: the Rocks, Macquarie Street, Bondi Beach, Watsons Bay, and darling Darling Harbour. Roam through city neighborhoods in search of history, shopping, and a sense of place.

    Spend a bit of time in the Opera House, built in 1973 and added to UNESCO World heritage site in 2007. Lunch and a tour of the venue give us a clear picture of this marvelous (and iconic) building.

    Venture into the outskirts: the Blue Mountains, last century’s edgy hangout (maybe still). They’re not really blue; the color’s an optical illusion caused by oils that evaporate from the gum trees. Not really mountains, for that matter. They’re elevated remains of a vast sandstone plateau. Walk along Koala Valley for a glimpse of these shy (and utterly irresistible) marsupials. Factoid: The koala is not a bear. No relation, actually. It is most closely related to the wombat, but even that relationship is distant at best

    Australia is the oldest continent. And the most eroded. Need proof? We take you to Uluru (the rock formerly known as Ayers). Aborigines have long revered this place. To be here is to understand why. We hike the big marble to its rounded summit at 1,100 feet. Spectacular at dawn, Uluru positively stuns at sunset. We return for a final toast and to pay homage in the transforming colors of dusk. Take a night-sky tour to get acquainted with the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. An expert stargazer explains it all. Feel small, discover enchantment.

    Consider taking an optional camel ride in the surrounding outback, or ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle around Uluru, or take a helicopter flightseeing expedition around Uluru and Katatjuta. Want something a bit more sedentary? Perhaps a lesson in Aboriginal dot painting…

Then to Uluru’s monolithic neighbors, Katatjuta (formerly the Olgas). Thirty-six bald rock domes play a sacred role in the Anangu Aborigines’ spirituality, and they can only be approached by initiated tribesmen.

    Fly northeast to Cairns, and further north still to Mossman, on the edge of Daintree. Penetrate the earth’s oldest living rain forest. Flowering plants appeared here first. There are options galore here—on land, in the air, underwater.

    One more natural phenom to go: the Great Barrier Reef. A coral causeway of 2,000 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited. We visit one of two that are the most luxurious we know—Hayman Island or Lizard Island. No worries mate, luxuriate. White sand beaches above, anemones hosting clown fish below. Take the plunge into a pristine bay. Surface long enough to consult with the sommelier. Shiraz or Cab Sav?

Now head home, or continue on to Melbourne on R. Crusoe & Son’s extension in and around Australia’s second-largest city.

Melbourne Extension. 4 Days.
Fly from Cairns to Melbourne, where you choose your preferred touring during the next two days:
    Travel the Great Ocean Road through tiny, atmospheric coastal towns. See Cape Otway Lighthouse and the 12 Apostles, giant rocky stacks that jut out of the Southern Ocean. Loch Ard Gorge gives us an up-close-and-personal look at erosion in action. A history lesson here spells it all out.
    Another option? Head for Phillips Island. In the company of a park ranger, explore the midden of the indigenous Bunurong people, learn about shipwrecks around the island. Explore Churchill’s homestead, and meet the world’s mosr diminutive penguin species.
    Finally, take on the rugged coastline and white sand beaches of Mornington Peninsula. Historic homesteads await, as do home-baked scones and tasty wine.
    Then back home, or on to New Zealand, where R. Crusoe & Son can show you the sites.

Captain Cook's Rediscovered Australia: From Sydney to Rain Forest to Reef. 13 Days.

Why not extend your journey with a trip to New Zealand? Click here.