11-Day Australia & New Zealand from Sydney to Auck

Set on what Captain Arthur Phillip called "the finest harbour in the world," Sydney stakes its claim on the global imagination with Jørn Utzon's sail-roofed Opera House, a bridge you can climb for panoramic views, and a food scene anchored by Sydney rock oysters and the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere. The Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley wine country extend the adventure beyond the city. October through April brings summer warmth and the harbour at its most luminously blue.

Eden is a small Australian town on the Sapphire Coast famous for its extraordinary history of orca-whalers cooperation, preserved in the Killer Whale Museum with Old Tom's skeleton as its centerpiece. Visit from October through April for humpback whale watching, pristine coastal wilderness in Ben Boyd National Park, and some of Australia's finest oysters and seafood.

Burnie is a friendly port city on Tasmania's north coast, serving as the gateway to Cradle Mountain's wilderness, the Tarkine rainforest, and the island's celebrated artisan food culture. Must-dos include watching little penguins at dusk, tasting Tasmanian craft whisky and farmhouse cheeses, and visiting Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. October through April offers the best weather and penguin-viewing conditions.

Melbourne is Australia's cultural capital, a city of labyrinthine laneways, world-class coffee, street art, and one of the most diverse food scenes on earth. Must-dos include exploring Hosier Lane's street art, eating your way through the Queen Victoria Market, and driving the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles. October through April offers the warmest weather, though Melbourne's famous changeability keeps visitors on their toes.

Doubtful Sound is Fiordland's vast, silent fiord — three times longer and ten times larger than Milford Sound, yet virtually untouched by tourism, with resident dolphins, Fiordland crested penguins, and thousands of rain-fed waterfalls. Must-dos include cruising through the narrow entrance from the Tasman Sea, listening to the profound silence, and watching for dolphins in the mirror-still water. November through March offers the best weather, with rain creating the most spectacular waterfall displays.

Milford Sound is a glacier-carved fiord in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, where sheer granite walls rise 1,200 meters from dark, still water beneath cascading waterfalls and the iconic pyramid of Mitre Peak. Must-dos include scenic cruising the full length of the fjord, watching for dolphins and rare Fiordland crested penguins, and experiencing the dramatic Tasman Sea entrance. November through March offers the best weather, though rainy days create the most spectacular waterfall displays.

Dusky Sound is the largest and most remote of Fiordland's fourteen fjords, penetrating forty kilometers into pristine temperate rainforest where resident bottlenose dolphins, Fiordland crested penguins, and rare deep-water corals thrive in extraordinary isolation. Must-do experiences include Zodiac exploration of the fjord's branching arms, observing the unique freshwater lens ecosystem, and absorbing the profound silence of untouched wilderness. December through February offers the warmest conditions, though Fiordland's legendary rainfall makes waterproof gear essential year-round.

Dunedin is New Zealand's Scottish-founded southern city, home to the Southern Hemisphere's most beautiful railway station, the world's only mainland royal albatross colony, and rare yellow-eyed penguin nesting sites on the Otago Peninsula. Visit November through March via Seabourn or Oceania Cruises for wildlife encounters, Victorian architectural grandeur, and a university-town culture that punches far above its weight.

Lyttelton is Christchurch's historic harbor town, rebuilt with creative energy after the 2010-2011 earthquakes into one of New Zealand's coolest small towns with excellent restaurants and a beloved farmers' market. Must-dos include the Saturday farmers' market, swimming with Hector's dolphins in the harbor, and driving the Summit Road for panoramic views. October through March offers the warmest weather and longest days.

Tauranga is the gateway to New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, where the perfect beach at Mount Maunganui, Rotorua's erupting geysers, and Māori cultural experiences at Te Puia create one of the North Island's most diverse destination areas. Visit November through March via Celebrity or Princess Cruises for summit walks, geothermal wonderlands, and the authentic Māori encounters that give this sun-drenched coast cultural depth to match its natural beauty.

Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, straddles a volcanic isthmus between two harbours, offering a rare blend of Pacific Rim sophistication, Māori heritage, and dramatic natural beauty. Must-do experiences include a wine-and-oyster afternoon on Waiheke Island and the panoramic ascent of Maungawhau (Mount Eden) overlooking the harbour and Rangitoto Island. The ideal cruising season runs from November through March, when long summer days, calm seas, and pohutukawa trees in scarlet bloom make the Waitematā Harbour approach truly unforgettable.