Comprising Australia, New Zealand and some South Pacific Islands, Australasia may seem remote, but with today’s easy flight connections, travellers with Charitable Travel can easily discover these rewarding areas and create memorable journeys of a lifetime.  

Australia is as big as you imagine it to be and its vast areas offer the visitor remarkable contrasts stretching from its sun-baked red centre to the azure-blue waters of its Great Barrier Reef, and from Aboriginal villages famous for their unique art and culture to lively cosmopolitan cities enhanced with European and Asian flair. Start in Sydney to take in a performance at its iconic Opera House and spend time surfing the waves at nearby Bondi Beach. Alternatively, the colourful gateway city of Melbourne offers easy access to the famous Great Ocean Road where your drive will take you past fantastic coastal rock formations shaped by the wild waves. 

A great way to cover Australia’s big distances comfortably is to ride the train and the country boasts two of the most amazing transcontinental journeys – between Adelaide and Perth crossing the Nullarbor Plain aboard the Indian Pacific, or through the heart of the Outback on the Ghan to discover Alice Springs and hear dreamtime aboriginal stories at sacred Uluru as you marvel at its colours as the sun sets. However you choose to travel in Australia, you’ll be sure to spot some of its famous wildlife along the way from kangaroos and koalas to quokkas and wombats, as well as sampling its unique cuisine and famous Shiraz wines – they’re all part of Australia’s immense character.

Across the Tasman Sea lies New Zealand – uncrowded, peaceful and environmentally friendly. Easily combined with Australia or worthwhile as a journey in its own right, Charitable Travel offers some great ways to discover all that this inspiring country has to offer – be this on a group tour or by independent travel following one of our comprehensive New Zealand itineraries. There’s so much to see here across its North and South Islands but we recommend first experiencing one of the North Island’s cosmopolitan cities, Auckland or Wellington, with their cafe culture and craft microbreweries – before following quiet inland roads to discover the bubbling volcanic pools and mud baths at Rotorua as well as the beautiful and idyllic Bay of Islands area, home to around 150 islands and many Orca pods, normally easy to spot on an island cruise.

For a complete picture of New Zealand, you’ll want to cross by ferry to the South Island where more rugged landscapes await. In this region, you’ll find the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, the breathtaking fjord landscape of Milford Sound together with Mount Cook which at 372m is the country’s highest peak. However, the stark and dramatic landscapes of the South Island are soothed by the superb vineyards and wineries of the Marlborough region, famed for the crisp Cabernet Sauvignon it produces. As you explore both islands, you’ll be sure to encounter the thriving Maori culture along the way, and maybe even catch a glimpse of a kiwi bird, still to be seen in the wild on Stewart Island.

Call us today to start planning your Australasia adventure and support the charity of your choice at the same time.