Cattle & Dairy Technical Tour

Depart your hometown and fly to Los Angeles where you will connect to your flight for the trip across the Pacific to Sydney.

Lose a day as you cross the International Dateline.

As Australia's largest city, Sydney embraces its harbour, taking the sea and natural waterways to its heart. The grand style of the Sydney Opera House has made the city, the landmark of the South Pacific.

Accommodation: Carlton Crest Hotel (3 Nights) (D)

This morning we will head down to Sydney Harbour and board our Matilda cruise vessel to explore Sydney's magnificent harbour. In the afternoon we get to know more of this exciting city on a tour that will take us to the historic rocks area, past the world famous Opera House and Botanical Gardens, Chinatown and out to the beautiful Southern Beaches including Bondi.

This morning we head out of Sydney to Baulkham Hills for a technical visit to the Perfection Dairy. Later we head to Penrith and a visit to the Penrith Rotorlactor Dairy. Afternoon is free.

Travel through rich rural countryside to Goulburn and a technical visit to "Craigend" feedlot dairy with a new 20 a side 90 swing over herringbone facility. This afternoon we arrive in Canberra, Australia's National Capital where we'll enjoy a city tour before heading to our hotel.

Canberra, home to nearly 300,000 people, is different from other large Australian cities because it is inland, well-ordered in design, and has no major industry - it is a city of government. Renowned for its architecture, Canberra's awe-inspiring Parliament House, the glass-walled High Court, the green-domed Australian War Memorial, and the National Gallery of Australia are treasures not to be missed.

Accommodation: Rydges Canberra Hotel (1 Night)

Our first visit this morning is at "Yabtree", a 1000 acre alfalfa, beef cattle and sheep farm. Lunch at "Yabtree Homestead" with hosts Fred and Juliette Horsley is included. Later we visit Artificial Breeders, a world leader in dairy cattle genetics and exporter of dairy cattle.

Accommodation: Carlton Albury Hotel (1 Night) (L)

Visit "Haberfield's", a specialist cheese maker and whole milk processor. This afternoon we visit "Avondale" a prize winning organic dairy farm. Lunch is included today at All Saints Winery at Rutherglen with pre lunch wine tasting included. After lunch, we head to the University of Melbourne's Dookie Agricultural College dairy teaching farm for a visit.

Accommodation: Swanston Hotel (2 Nights) (L)

Melbourne has an Old World charm, a sophisticated elegance as you stroll through formal gardens, boat on the lazy Yarra River, wander down broad, tree-lined avenues, admire stately buildings, or shop in fine boutiques. The charm is also found in the sidewalk cafes, the clanging of the street trams, and the markets of the distinctive neighbourhoods.

Morning tour through Melbourne to the giant tree fern forests of the Dandenong ranges. South of the city see spectacular views of Port Phillip Bay. Continue to Phillip Island, a natural home to fairy penguins and koalas. At dusk enjoy the fairy penguin parade as tuxedoed characters waddle up the beach to their nests.

Today we will be transferred to the Airport for our flight to Christchurch.  Upon arrival in Christchurch, we will be transferred to our hotel.

Christchurch was designed in Britain in the mid 1800's as a model Anglican settlement, laid out in a grid pattern, centred on the cathedral. Today "the most English city outside England", Christchurch is the South Island's largest city of 300,000 people. Cathedral Square is still the heart of Christchurch, with the Avon River meandering through the city.

This morning we board our coach for a tour of the city sights. Sights include the Arts Centre, Christs College, Botanic Gardens Museum and the Christchurch Cathedral. This afternoon we travel to the Ashley district north of Rangiora to visit a typical sheep farm in the area. We will visit Richard and Margaret Spencer-Bower's sheep farm – a 4700 acre operation with 8000 ewes, 5000 hoggets and lambs and 200 head of cattle. They also have 200 acres of grain and seed. Lunch is included at the sheep farm. (L)

This morning we depart Christchurch and travel South via Mount Cook to Queenstown.

Mount Cook at 12,349 ft/3764m is the country's highest mountain, and was first climbed on Christmas Day in 1894. It stands head and shoulders above a splendid cast of massive snow-clad peaks that make up Mount Cook National Park. The Park contains 22 of the 27 peaks over 10,000ft/3000m in New Zealand. Nudging one side of Mount Cook is the mighty Tasman Glacier, a 20 mile/30 km giant, and one of the longest outside the Himalayas. While in Mount Cook we will have the opportunity for optional flight-seeing (own expense) and lunch. Later we continue onto Queenstown.

Accommodation: Copthorne Lakefront Hotel (2 Nights)

Today is at leisure. For those who wish, we can organise a Day trip to Milford Sound, with a luncheon cruise (own expense).

This morning we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Rotorua.

Arrive Rotorua
Rotorua is famous internationally as the oldest and perhaps best known resort in New Zealand, where generations of visitors have enjoyed the "healing" waters of its geothermal spas and marvelled at its natural wonders. Every now and again you can catch a whiff of pungent brimstone escaping from the subterranean fires not too far under your feet. You will see steam escaping from storm-water drains and mud pools bubbling with the earth's heat. It is a reminder that the earth's crust is but a thin veneer around here, and the main thermal areas are perfectly safe. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to our hotel. This evening we enjoy a traditional Maori Hangi (feast) on a local Marae.

Accommodation: Lake Plaza Hotel (1 Night) (D)

This morning we depart the hotel for a sightseeing tour of Rotorua. Sights include the Agrodome, Whakarewarewa, Paradise Valley Springs and the Skyline Gondola. At the conclusion of the tour we will be transferred back to our hotel to meet our Farm Stay hosts.

Accommodation: Farm Stay (1 Night) (D)

This morning we say goodbye to our hosts and rejoin the bus for the journey north to Waitomo to visit the famous Glow worm caves. From Waitomo we visit a large scale diversified dairy farm consisting of 4000 cows with 3 rotary sheds and 2 herringbone sheds for milking. A livestock breeding and exporting programme is also in place.

Later we continue onto Auckland. Auckland, with a population of almost one million, is New Zealand's largest urban area. Urban beaches and rural countryside are only a short distance away. The dominating feature of the Auckland cityscape are the graceful lines of the harbour bridge, the sparkling waters of the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf, and the brooding cone of Rangitoto Island. Upon arrival in Auckland we will be transferred to our hotel.

Accommodation: Sky City Hotel (1 Night) (B)

This morning we depart our hotel on a sightseeing tour of Auckland including Kelly Tarltons, the Auckland Domain, Harbour Bridge, Museum and Parnell Village. After lunch we will be transferred to the Bay of Islands. The main centre for the Bay of Islands is Paihia. Within walking distance of Paihia is Waitangi, perhaps the most historically important location in New Zealand.

It was here that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown. This resulted in the country becoming a British colony and the Maori coming the protection of the British Crown. Russell is a 20 minute ferry ride across the bay from Paihia. In the early nineteenth century, Russell was New Zealand's first capital. About 23 kilometres north of Paihia is picturesque Kerikeri on the northern extremity of the bay, set amid citrus and kiwi fruit orchards.

Accommodation: Copthorne Waitangi Resort (2 Nights)

Depart the hotel this morning to depart on the Cape Reinga Coach Tour. This evening enjoy a delicious 'Farewell' seafood dinner. (D)

This morning we board the Bay Of Islands ferry for a sightseeing cruise of the bay, before travelling through the Giant Kauri Forests back to Auckland. From here we will be transferred to the airport for our flights home.

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