Being busy professionals, Amanda and I knew that we wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand for our next vacation, but we didn’t have time to plan out all of the details.  While searching online, we noticed that there were several great tour packages available that would meet our needs and the best were provided by Collette tours.  When we read the itineraries and descriptions for the South Pacific Wonders tour, we knew we had our tour of choice.

This was a huge relief for me, because I had more important things to worry about.  The real reason for my trip was that I planned to ask Amanda to marry me.  You can imagine the anxiety that comes along with carrying an engagement ring 9,000 miles across the globe. While I had my energy focused on solidifying our future together, we left the rest up to Collette.

Good news: she said yes! Now we had a fortnight of touring relaxation in front of us in Cairns, Sydney, and the South Island of New Zealand.  When Joani (our fantastic tour guide) found out about our recent engagement, she went out of her way to show us great hospitality.  Champagne, hotel upgrades, you name it – Joani went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure we had a great time.

And how couldn’t you have a great time when you are snorkeling and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Sydney Opera House, taking a Helicopter ride to the top of a glacier, Fjord cruises and soaking in the sights of Middle Earth.

Our time in Australia and New Zealand was truly one for the ages.  We will always remember the beauty of the South Pacific and the hospitality we witnessed throughout our tour.

About the author: Jeff Sauer is a partner in a Minnesota Online Marketing company and has been traveling internationally since his senior year in college.  He has been blogging about his experiences on his personal travel blog for nearly a decade.  Jeff and Amanda are planning their marriage for 2012 at a winery in Sonoma Valley, CA.  They are deciding whether to honeymoon in Bora Bora or Mauritius.  While not traveling, Jeff serves on the board of directors for two non-profits, is an avid Minnesota Twins fan and loves gourmet cooking with Amanda.  Amanda enjoys cooking and studying international tax code.

Inside the pages of the Exotics brochure are 28 tours to some of the world’s most sought out destinations including Namibia, Israel, Thailand, China, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica and the South Pacific.

New tours featured in the Exotics brochure include Collette’s Israel: A Journey to the Holy Land; Flavors of Thailand; The Wonders of South America; Avenue of the Volcanoes; and Three Kingdoms of Indochina, a 19-day Explorations tour which travels with no more than 28 passengers.

The brochure is available in print and  an e-brochure can soon be found online at http://www.collettevacations.com/ebrochure.cfm.

With competitive pricing and companion air offers on select Australia and New Zealand tours, Collette’s Exotics brochure is definitely worth taking a look at!

The Aussie & Kiwi Experience, our small group Australia and New Zealand package, is packed with highlights.  This tour to the “lands down under” offers an unparalleled cultural adventure.

1. Overnight aboard the Sunlander Train.
2. Stay two nights in the renowned wine region, the Barossa Valley.
3. Travel to Fraser Island, the world’s  largest sand island.
4. Immerse yourself in the indigenous culture on a rainforest walk.
5. Experience a day in the life of an ordinary New Zealander  when you dine with a family in their home.
6. Spend the night at the Bayview Chateau Tongariro in Tongariro National Park.
7. Visit a Maori Village and witness how the Maoris keep their culture alive.
8. Taste the best wine of New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay region.
9. Head to the outer Great Barrier Reef aboard a high-speed catamaran for a day on Green Island
10. Raise your glass for a champagne toast as you watch Uluru (Ayers Rock) change color with the fading sun light.

Plus, set foot on famed Bondi Beach and explore the rigorous training lifeguards must go through during your “surfing lesson.”

Find out what Bondi is really like…

Maybe that’s why our passengers are always raving about the Sydney Harbour dinner cruise.

Mix a beautiful skyline and two of Australia’s most famous icons –  the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – and you have one of those inclusions that sets Collette apart.

Look for it on our Australia and New Zealand tours:

• South Pacific Wonders
• From the Outback to the Glaciers
• Journey to the South Pacific
• The Aussie & Kiwi Experience

If you need more convincing, here are 5 great highlights from this Australia and New Zealand tour.

• Sail past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House on a Sydney Harbour dinner cruise.
• Learn to throw a boomerang and play the didgeridoo during an interactive lesson lead by the local Aboriginals!
• Search for crocodile in their natural habitat at the world-famous Hartley’s Crocodile Farm.
• Explore the the Great Barrier Reef from a glass bottom boat or your own goggles.
• Cruise the fjords of New Zealand’s Milford Sound.

PS - Don’t underestimate this cute Australian icon.

Travel from the rugged Outback to the Sydney Opera House and all the way to New Zealand’s Franz Josef Glacier on this amazing escorted adventure.

It looks hot here! Australia's Outback.

Here in New England the temperature has been hovering at zero. Old Man Winter has us in his grips and with more snow predicted, he doesn’t seem ready to loosen his stranglehold any time soon.

In spin class the other day, I pedaled furiously in an attempt to break a sweat and get warm for the first time in a long time. As often is the case with exercise and me, my mind wandered and I imaginined myself on a bike ride to a warmer destination.

Here are my top 5 warm weather longings (but not necessarily destinations I recommend biking to from New England):

1. Southern California. I guess the recent Academy Award nomination buzz and missing friends who live here, makes this my current top warm weather getaway…again.
2. A journey to the South Pacific. It’s summer time in Australia and New Zealand right now…enough said.
3. Just about any island in the Caribbean would work.
4. Argentina. I traveled here on our Wines and Wonders tour and would love to re-visit Mendoza and sip Malbec in a bodega along Los Caminos del Vino wine route.
5. A game drive in South Africa. I promise I wouldn’t complain about the heat – not once.

Where are you longing to go to escape winter?

1. Exploring Ayers Rock, deep in the Outback.
2. Heading for the Great Barrier Reef aboard a high speed catamaran.
3. Taking a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House.
4. Cruising Sydney Harbour.
5. Overnighting at the base of Mt. Cook.
6. Dining in the home of a local New Zealand family.
7. Visiting Drum Atweme – the Collette Foundation project.
8. The chance to throw a traditional boomerang.
9. Taking the Aboriginal ‘Dreamtime Tour.’
10. Cruising the fjords of Milford Sound.

Dig a little deeper and discover how to add Fiji to this tour.

Let’s kick it off with a BIG destination. Here are five highlights from our Australia and New Zealand tours:

1. Touring the Sydney Opera House
2. Riding a high speed catamaran out to the Great Barrier Reef
3. Cruising majestic Milford Sound
4. Exploring Aboriginal life and toasting the sunset at Ayers Rock
5. Visiting Mt. Cook National Park

Wow. Maybe five isn’t enough? Check back next week.

Me in Sydney with a local!

We’ve all heard of the Big 5 in Africa – but only some know about the Big 3 you find in Australia:

1. The Great Barrier Reef
2. The Sydney Opera House
3. The Outback

The reason that From the Outback to the Glaciers has been the company’s #1 tour for years running is that we do all 3 of these experiences. We tour the opera house, ride a glass-bottom boat through the turquoise waters of the reef and stay overnight in Ayers Rock in the stunning Outback. And that’s just the Australia portion.

It’s funny; most people visit the South Pacific to experience Australia and then come home telling everyone that New Zealand was the more impressive destination – maybe because it was more of a surprise to them. New Zealand offers up its own perfect moments. Australia delivers on its promise to amaze travelers – but so does New Zealand. A couple New Zealand highlights from this tour:

1. Visit the south island, the home of New Zealand’s beauty. Well, at least a good chunk of it.
2. Spend 3 nights in Queenstown, the “adventure capital” of the world.
3. And overnight in two glacier regions: Mt. Cook and Franz Josef. The scenery is stunning.
4. Stay in beautiful Christchurch – you’ll feel like you’re in a quaint town in England; it’s such a charming place.

As former Product Manager of this amazing region, I’ve been there MANY times. And still – I can’t wait to go back.

Have you been? What was your favorite experience?

Author: Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, Inside Sales Manager