- Date: November 4 - 25, 2012
- Trip duration: 22 days
- Price: 4195 CAD plus $785 CAD tax
- Seats:
The Land of the South and the land of the Long White Cloud!
AUSTRALIA - looks back but always runs forward!
Where are the mythical confines of the earth? We are still not sure but Australia – the smallest continent on our globe – is so far away that it has to be really close to them!
The Land of the South (Terra Australis) – the sixth largest country of the world built by a multicultural society of immigrants; is a highly developed country still under the rule of the British Queen and the mythical Aboriginal ancestors Mala (kangaroo) and Liru (snake). The indigenous population – Aborigines, who nowadays live mostly in reserves and slums, created one of the oldest instruments of the world – didgeridoo – which was traditionally made from the tree branches (e.g. eucalyptus) nibbled by the termites, with a hole inside. The more popular symbol of Australia is of course the boomerang –a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport; which frustrates many tourists when it fails to return to the person who threw it (only some types of boomerangs can do it).
It is a pure pleasure to see the Australian fauna – during our expedition you will find Koala bears, different species of kangaroos, ostriches, as well as hungry crocodiles! Australia is populated in a very unsymmetrical manner, most of the people live on the east and south – east coast, whereas the interior is a flat, dry, desert-like space, where you can travel for many days and not meet a soul – in fact, the interior of the continent was not explored until the beginning of the 19th century. To discover the new land, we will travel the most interesting and known regions – we will visit the best Australian vineyards, Blue Mountains, Sydney and its famous Opera House, Melbourne, Torquay - the capital of Australian windsurfing, and Brisbane – the capital of the subtropical climate. On the Philip Island we will watch the unforgettable show called “The Parade of the Penguins”; we will look into the everyday life of the Aborigines Pamagirri, and we will be able to look closely at the mysteries of the underwater world on the Great Barrier Reef.
Kangaroo and ostrich – the two most popular animals of Australia. They were placed on the national emblem facing each other because of some common symbolic features. Both a kangaroo and an ostrich can look back and still run forward but, although they are really fast, none of them can move backwards. Like a kangaroo and an ostrich, Australia also looks back but runs forward.
After the desert-like brownish Australian landscapes, it will be a nice change to see the lush green of New Zealand. The country has become popular because of the film “Lord of the Rings” and is called “The Country of the Long White Cloud” by the native Maori people. Auckland, the legendary caves of Waitomo with the possibility of rafting on the underground river (black water rafting); Rotorua, famous for its natural hot springs, geysers and the Maori culture (the lake Frying Pan near Rotorua is the world’s largest hot spring, with the temperature rising up to 200 degrees Celsius); Taupo Lake in the crater of an old volcano; the possibility of taking a flight above the Volcano Valley (some parts of “Lord of the Rings” were shot here); Wellington – the city of the winds; the charming land of fjords of Queenstown, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with very interesting rocks and beautiful waterfalls; the Southern Alps with the highest peak Mount Cook and the possibility of taking a flight and landing on one of the glaciers; Christchurch, the most English city outside the English borders – New Zealand is famous for its vast romantic beaches and … sheep. The country holds a world record – there are 47,390,000 sheep, which is 12.6 sheep per person – typical elements of the landscape are lazy flocks of sheep eating grass. New Zealand is also inhabited by the kakapo parrots and kea parrots, the tuatara lizards have the life expectancy of 300 years!, and the waters around New Zealand are inhabited by the world’s smallest Hector’s dolphins and the very rare Hooker’s sea lions. The most popular symbol of the island is the kiwi – not only a name for a bird and a fruit but also a name for a New Zealander. What else? New Zealand gives the only chance to be the first to welcome the New Year!
New Zealand as the first country in the world welcomes the New Year! And kiwi kiwi kiwi.
