G’Day and Kia Ora!!

It was my dream to visit Australia and New Zealand for many years, and it finally came true in September 2014. I was “down under” for three weeks and had an absolutely fantastic time with a wide variety of experiences – from Uluru and the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, tropical Queensland, and cosmopolitan Sydney to the Fiordland National Park, Queenstown (heart of “Lord of the Rings” country), and the Maori culture and geothermal wonders of Rotorua. Add to the mix wine and olive oil tasting, great food everywhere including green-shelled mussels, cruising, museum and wildlife park visits, strolls through botanic gardens, jet boats, helicopters, our own private charter plane, and wonderful traveling companions, and you have the vacation of a lifetime!

I recommend starting at the beginning – Day 1 – Arrival in Melbourne – and following along. The top menu has links to more information on Australia and New Zealand travel, while the side menu has links to each day on the tour and to photo galleries comprising the best of my almost 1700 photos taken during my travels through Australia and New Zealand. Enjoy!

Sunset at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia

Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland in Australia

Mirror Lakes, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

Jet boating on the Shotover River near Queenstown, New Zealand