Explore Australia & New Zealand (Self-Launched)
22 days · Australia & New Zealand
G Adventures charges £6,900
No-markup version: ~£4,850 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of G Adventures' 22-day National Geographic Journeys trip from Sydney to Queenstown. You'll cover the same ground — Sydney Harbour, the Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Melbourne's laneways, Auckland, Rotorua's geothermal country, an overnight in Fiordland and Queenstown — but booking hostels, low-cost domestic flights, InterCity buses and the TranzAlpine train yourself. Costs below are rough per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to/from Australia/New Zealand and the optional big-ticket activities (reef dive, heli-hike, bungy). Book domestic flights (Jetstar/Virgin/Rex and Air New Zealand) 2-3 months out for the best fares — these are your single biggest saving versus a packaged tour.
Day-by-day
Arrive Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Land at Sydney Airport and take the Airport Link train to Central Station (~AU$20). Check into a hostel in the Rocks/CBD or Surry Hills. Use the afternoon to walk Circular Quay, the Opera House forecourt and the Harbour Bridge. Grab dinner in Chinatown or a pub in the Rocks.
🚌Airport Link train from SYD (~£11)
🛏Hostel dorm in CBD/Rocks (~£28)
- →Circular Quay and Opera House walk
- →The Rocks evening wander
Sydney — Aboriginal heritage and harbour
Sydney, Australia
Start with the self-guided Barangaroo and Sydney Harbour foreshore walk, which includes interpretive signage on the Gadigal saltwater heritage. Book a small-group Aboriginal cultural walk through The Rocks via GetYourGuide or the Tribal Warrior Aboriginal Cultural Cruise (from ~£30). In the evening take a public ferry to Watsons Bay or Manly for sunset instead of a private cruise — an Opal card ferry ride is a fraction of the cost.
🚌Opal card ferries and light rail (~£8)
🛏Hostel dorm (~£28)
- →Tribal Warrior Aboriginal Cultural Cruise or Rocks Aboriginal walk (~£30)
- →Manly ferry sunset
Fly to Cairns and Mossman Gorge
Port Douglas, Australia
Fly Sydney to Cairns (Jetstar/Virgin ~£70-110 booked ahead). From Cairns Airport take the public bus or a shared shuttle to Port Douglas (~£18). En route or the next morning, visit Mossman Gorge — public bus from Port Douglas to Mossman then a short walk, or book the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk with the Kuku Yalanji guides via the Mossman Gorge Centre (~£45).
🚌Flight (~£90), shuttle to Port Douglas (~£18)
🛏Hostel in Port Douglas (~£26)
- →Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, Mossman Gorge (~£45)
Port Douglas — beach and reef gateway
Port Douglas, Australia
Free day. Swim at Four Mile Beach, walk the Flagstaff Hill lookout trail, and browse Macrossan Street. If you want the reef without the Cairns crowds, browse Outer Reef day trips departing Port Douglas (from ~£110) for tomorrow or the next day. Cheap eats: the Sunday markets if you time it right, or fish and chips on the foreshore.
🚌Walking
🛏Hostel (~£26)
- →Four Mile Beach
- →Flagstaff Hill lookout
Port Douglas to Cairns
Cairns, Australia
Travel back down the coast to Cairns (public bus or shared shuttle ~£15). In place of the private research aquarium tour, visit the free-or-cheap Cairns Museum and the Reef Teach evening presentation (~£13), run by marine biologists — an excellent primer before snorkelling or diving the reef. Explore the Esplanade lagoon (free) in the afternoon.
🚌Bus/shuttle Port Douglas to Cairns (~£15)
🛏Hostel in Cairns (~£22)
- →Reef Teach marine biology talk (~£13)
- →Cairns Esplanade lagoon
Great Barrier Reef day trip
Cairns, Australia
Book a full-day outer reef snorkel trip from Cairns with a reputable operator (Reef Magic, Sunlover or Passions of Paradise, ~£130-170 including lunch and gear). Divers can add intro or certified dives for ~£60-100. Book direct or via GetYourGuide the day before — midweek departures are cheaper. Reef-safe sunscreen and seasickness tablets recommended.
🚌Included in reef trip
🛏Hostel (~£22)
- →Outer Great Barrier Reef snorkelling (~£150)
Fly to Uluru — sunset at the Rock
Yulara, Australia
Fly Cairns to Yulara via Alice Springs or direct where scheduled (~£160-220). Take the free shuttle or a paid airport transfer to Yulara. Buy your Uluru-Kata Tjuta park pass online (~£22, valid 3 days). Walk the base of Uluru for sunset from the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku viewing area with a supermarket-bought bottle of something bubbly — the same sunset the tour charges for, at a fraction of the cost.
🚌Flight (~£190), airport shuttle (~£10)
🛏Yulara campground cabin or budget lodge (~£45)
- →Uluru sunset viewing (~£22 park pass)
Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Yulara, Australia
Get up for sunrise at Uluru, then do the Mala Walk and Kuniya Walk self-guided (interpretive panels explain the Anangu stories). Join a free ranger-guided talk at the Cultural Centre if scheduled. In the afternoon take the shuttle or drive to Kata Tjuta and walk the Walpa Gorge (2.6km) or Valley of the Winds (7.4km, closed in extreme heat). Start early — summer temperatures here are brutal.
🚌Shuttle between Uluru and Kata Tjuta (~£15)
🛏Yulara campground cabin/budget lodge (~£45)
- →Mala Walk
- →Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds
Sunrise at Uluru, fly to Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia
One more sunrise over the Rock, then fly Yulara to Melbourne (~£160-210). Take the SkyBus from Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross (~£11). Check into a hostel in the CBD or Fitzroy and spend the evening exploring Hosier Lane street art and the riverside.
🚌Flight (~£185), SkyBus (~£11)
🛏Hostel in CBD/Fitzroy (~£30)
- →Hosier Lane
- →Yarra riverside walk
Melbourne free day
Melbourne, Australia
Options: the free City Circle tram and Queen Victoria Market; the Great Ocean Road on a day tour (~£80-100); a Yarra Valley wine tour (~£95-110); or the Brighton Bathing Boxes on the commuter train. Shrine of Remembrance and NGV art gallery are free. Cheap eats at the Queen Vic Market food hall.
🚌Myki card (~£6)
🛏Hostel (~£30)
- →City Circle tram and Queen Victoria Market
- →Optional Great Ocean Road day tour (~£90)
Melbourne laneway food walk
Melbourne, Australia
Do the Melbourne foodie experience independently: book a small-group laneway food tour via GetYourGuide (~£65-90) or build your own progressive lunch — coffee at a laneway roastery, a dumpling stop in Chinatown, then a cheese and charcuterie board at the Queen Vic Market. Afternoon: Fitzroy and Collingwood's street art and breweries.
🚌Tram/Myki (~£6)
🛏Hostel (~£30)
- →Laneway food tour (~£75) or DIY progressive lunch
Fly to Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Fly Melbourne to Auckland (~£110-160 on Jetstar/Air NZ booked early). Take the SkyBus to the city (~£10) and check into a hostel near Britomart or Ponsonby. Afternoon: free walk up Mount Eden for the crater view, or the free Auckland Art Gallery. Dinner in Ponsonby or the Viaduct Harbour.
🚌Flight (~£135), SkyBus (~£10)
🛏Hostel in Auckland CBD (~£26)
- →Mount Eden walk
- →Auckland Art Gallery (free)
Auckland to Raglan
Raglan, New Zealand
Take an InterCity bus south to Raglan (~£20, ~3hrs). Raglan is a laid-back surf town on a black-sand harbour. Do a harbour kayak or stand-up paddle hire (~£25) or book a beginner surf lesson (~£45). Walk to the Raglan lookout and Bridal Veil Falls if you have a car-share.
🚌InterCity bus Auckland to Raglan (~£20)
🛏Hostel or holiday park cabin in Raglan (~£28)
- →Surf lesson (~£45) or kayak hire
Raglan to Waitomo and Rotorua
Rotorua, New Zealand
Bus via Hamilton to Waitomo (~£25 combined), then join a guided glowworm cave tour — the Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour is ~£30, or the cheaper Ruakuri Cave walk. Continue by InterCity bus to Rotorua (~£15). Check into a hostel; many have private thermal pools.
🚌InterCity buses (~£40 total)
🛏Hostel in Rotorua (~£25)
- →Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour (~£30)
Rotorua — Maori culture and geothermal
Rotorua, New Zealand
Book a Maori cultural experience independently — Tamaki Maori Village evening or the Mitai Maori Village (~£60-75 via GetYourGuide or direct), which include a welcome, performance and hangi dinner. In the afternoon, walk the free Kuirau Park geothermal area or pay for Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (~£20).
🚌Local bus (~£5)
🛏Hostel (~£25)
- →Maori village cultural evening (~£70)
- →Kuirau Park (free)
Rotorua to Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand
InterCity bus or the scenic Northern Explorer train south, or fly (~£15 bus, ~£75 train, ~£60 flight). Wellington is compact: walk the waterfront, Te Papa museum (free), Cuba Street and the Mount Victoria lookout. Evening in Hannah's Laneway bars.
🚌InterCity bus (~£18) or train (~£75)
🛏Hostel in Wellington (~£27)
- →Te Papa museum (free)
- →Mount Victoria lookout
Wellington to Christchurch via the TranzAlpine
Christchurch, New Zealand
Fly Wellington to Christchurch (~£55-80) — or for the scenic route, take the ferry to Picton (~£40) and the Coastal Pacific train south. Once in Christchurch, do a self-guided walk of the rebuild and street art — the Resourceful Ōtautahi story is told on free public murals and the Quake City exhibit. Hire a bike for the afternoon (~£20).
🚌Flight (~£70) or ferry + train
🛏Hostel in Christchurch (~£26)
- →Street art self-guided walk
- →Bike hire (~£20)
TranzAlpine to Franz Josef
Franz Josef, New Zealand
Ride the TranzAlpine train Christchurch to Greymouth (~£55) — one of the world's great rail journeys through Arthur's Pass. From Greymouth take the InterCity bus south to Franz Josef (~£30). Note: the heli-hike and scenic snow landing (~£200-320) and glacier valley walks are booked direct here. Book heli flights a day ahead; weather-dependent.
🚌TranzAlpine train (~£55) + bus (~£30)
🛏Hostel in Franz Josef (~£27)
- →TranzAlpine scenic rail journey
Franz Josef glacier and hikes
Franz Josef, New Zealand
Walk the free Franz Josef Glacier Valley track to the terminal viewpoint (~1.5hrs return). Options for the day: the guided heli-hike (~£230-300), a scenic heli flight with snow landing (~£200), or a kayak on Lake Mapourika (~£70). Cheaper alternative: the Roberts Point Track (5hrs, free) for glacier views from above.
🚌Shuttle to trailheads (~£8)
🛏Hostel (~£27)
- →Glacier Valley Walk (free)
- →Optional heli-hike (~£250)
Franz Josef to Fiordland — overnight cruise
Doubtful Sound / Manapouri, New Zealand
Bus Franz Josef south to Queenstown then on to Manapouri (~£45-60, long day) — or break the trip in Wanaka. From Manapouri, join the RealNZ Doubtful Sound overnight cruise (~£260-330 including meals, kayaking and tender boats, book direct in advance). In winter, the day cruise runs instead (~£120). This is the single splurge that's genuinely worth it.
🚌Bus (~£55), cruise transfer included
🛏Overnight on the Fiordland Navigator-style cruise boat
- →Doubtful Sound overnight wilderness cruise (~£290)
Fiordland to Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Disembark and bus to Queenstown (~£35, ~3hrs via Te Anau). Take the Skyline Gondola up Bob's Peak (~£28) for the same view the tour includes. Wander the lakefront, and if you're feeling brave pre-book the Shotover Jet (~£70) or a bungy (~£100-180) for tomorrow morning.
🚌Bus to Queenstown (~£35)
🛏Hostel in Queenstown (~£30)
- →Skyline Gondola (~£28)
- →Lakefront walk
Queenstown — final morning
Queenstown, New Zealand
Last morning for the lakefront trail or a Fergburger. Optional add-ons if time allows: a Milford Sound day trip (~£90) or a winery tour in Gibbston Valley (~£75). Fly out of Queenstown (or bus to Christchurch for cheaper international departures).
🚌Airport local bus (~£5)
🛏—
- →Lakefront walk
- →Optional adventure activity
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£4,850 | £6,900 |
| Duration | 22 days | 22 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,050 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£4,850
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Explore Australia & New Zealand (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £4,850 per person for 22 days in Australia & New Zealand. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £6,900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £4,850 — a saving of roughly £2,050 (30%) per person.
How long is the Australia & New Zealand trip?+
This itinerary runs 22 days, covering 22 day-by-day stops through Australia & New Zealand.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Australia & New Zealand, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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