New Zealand & Australia Premium Cruise

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and its most cosmopolitan, built across a narrow isthmus between two harbours on an active basaltic volcanic field — 48 volcanic cones within the city boundaries give it a distinctive topography that no other major city can match. The Sky Tower, rising 328 metres above the city centre, gives the finest panoramic view of both the Waitemata and Manukau harbours and the Hauraki Gulf. January in Auckland means long summer evenings, the Viaduct Harbour at full summer operation and the city beach suburbs of Mission Bay and St Heliers easily accessible.

The Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated coastal landscapes, 144 islands scattered across a sheltered gulf with the Northland Peninsula rising behind them. Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and Maori chiefs in 1840, is the most historically significant site in New Zealand and gives the bay a cultural depth that its natural beauty alone would not communicate. Russell, accessible by ferry from Paihia, was New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement and gives a vivid sense of the colonial history of the bay. Dolphin watching, sailing and the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett are the natural highlights of a summer day in the bay.

Situated in the heart of the sunniest region of the North Island, Tauranga is a popular seaside getaway for locals and visitors alike. Initially settled by the Māori in the 13th century, the Bay of Plenty area has an abundance of things to see and do.

Located on the east coast of the North Island, Napier is a popular tourist town, and together with inland Hastings, are known as “the Bay Cities of New Zealand”. After Napier was destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 1931, the city rebuilt in spectacular Art Deco style that Mr. Gatsby himself would approve of. Take a stroll through the streets and you’d swear you can hear the clink of glasses and the faint notes of jazz music in the air.

Often referred to as “the coolest little capital in the world”, Wellington sits on the southwestern tip of New Zealand’s North Island. For such a small city, Wellington—or Windy Welly as it’s affectionately known—packs a huge reputation. With its fantastic nightlife and renowned entertainment district of Courtenay Place as well as an internationally recognized coffee culture, the city is both cosmopolitan and relaxed.

Nestled on the shores of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, Nelson is also known as the top of the south. It is also the geographical center of New Zealand, marked by a landmark on a hilltop near the center of the city. Climb up to point zero and be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the area—two massive bays surrounded by hills and mountains. An area of extraordinary beauty, the Nelson Tasman region is home to several film locations from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

A seaside town situated close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound on the South Island, Picton is a great jumping off point for exploring the Marlborough Sounds. Like most of New Zealand, this area is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Choose your own adventure and go fishing, swimming, bird watching, or visit the playful fur seal pups at their colony near the waterfall at Ohau Point. Bring your walking shoes and walk to the Snout—located between Picton and Waikawa Bay, this peninsula is still wild and untamed. There are tracks and trails for all abilities, from a few minutes-long stroll, so a full-scale hiking adventure.

“Ōtautahi.” “The Garden City.” “The Most English City Outside England.” Christchurch may go by many names, but one thing is for certain: There’s so much to see and do in this lovely, energetic city, you’re going to have to plan strategically.

First, how would you like to explore Christchurch? You can go punting through the city center on the Avon River. Hop on a tram, double-decker bus, or a bike to take advantage of the excellent cycleways and paths. Or head to the Christchurch Gondola for spectacular 360° views of the city, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps, and Banks Peninsula.

Located on New Zealand’s South Island, Dunedin is sure to be a pleasant chapter in your voyage. Known both as a City of Literature, and the Edinburgh of the South, it’s no surprise that there’s a statue of Robbie Burns in the heart of town. Though a Scottish influence can be felt throughout town, Dunedin is still distinctly Kiwi.

Milford Sound is the most celebrated fiord in New Zealand and one of the most dramatic natural environments on earth. Azamara Pursuit enters Mitre Peak Inlet in the morning and the sheer rock face of Mitre Peak, rising 1,692 metres directly from the water, is visible from every deck as the ship navigates the narrow channel. The Stirling and Bowen waterfalls cascade continuously from the cliffs above, fed by the high rainfall that keeps the fiord’s rainforest in perpetual brilliant green. Fur seals rest on the rocks below the waterfalls and Fiordland penguins are visible in the shallower coves. Milford Sound in Fiordland receives over 7,000 millimetres of rain per year and the mist that often hangs over the cliffs in wet weather gives the fiord a mythological quality that a clear day, while spectacular, cannot quite replicate. Azamara Pursuit’s intimate scale allows close navigation to the waterfall faces and cliff walls that larger ships cannot approach.

A sea day heading northeast across the Tasman Sea toward Tasmania. Fiordland is behind and the vast blue of the Tasman opens ahead. This is the crossing that separates New Zealand from Australia and the transition is felt in the water temperature, the swell patterns and the quality of the light. Hobart arrives in two days and the Tasman at this latitude in late January is warm and typically settled. The Prime C steakhouse and the Aqualina are both worth reserving for this evening.

A second sea day and Tasmania is less than 24 hours ahead. The Tasman has opened fully and the Australian coast is beginning to make itself felt in the sky ahead. Hobart’s Derwent River estuary, with the sandstone cliffs of the Wellington Range rising above the city, is one of the finest harbour arrivals in the Southern Hemisphere and worth being on deck for tomorrow morning.

Hobart is Australia’s second-oldest city and the most distinctive, its Georgian sandstone waterfront, the convict history of the Port Arthur site 90 kilometres south and the extraordinary MONA museum giving it a cultural depth that no other Australian city outside Sydney and Melbourne matches. The Salamanca Market, operating every Saturday morning along the row of sandstone warehouses on the waterfront, is the finest outdoor market in Australia. The Wellington Range rising directly behind the city gives a walking track accessible from the suburbs that provides the finest panoramic view of the Derwent estuary and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel below.

A second full day in Hobart and the city opens its finest destination: MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, accessible by the MONA ROMA ferry from the Brooke Street Pier, is the most important private art museum in the Southern Hemisphere and the most genuinely surprising. Built largely underground into the dolerite cliffs of the Moorilla estate, MONA’s permanent collection includes works that challenge, disturb, delight and confound in equal measure. The cellar door at Moorilla Winery, producing some of Tasmania’s finest Pinot Noir and Riesling, is directly above the museum and gives the afternoon its perfect close. The Port Arthur historic site, 90 kilometres south, is the finest convict-era heritage site in Australia for those who explored the city yesterday.

A sea day heading north along the New South Wales coast as Azamara Pursuit leaves Tasmania behind and makes for Eden. The Bass Strait has given way to the Tasman and the New South Wales south coast is visible to the west. Eden arrives tomorrow and Sydney the day after. The Prime C and the Aqualina are both worth booking for this penultimate evening at sea.

If you’re chasing paradise along the shores of the Sapphire Coast, you’ll find it in Eden. Set on the breathtaking Twofold Bay, Eden’s laid-back atmosphere, charming locals, and stunning natural surroundings make it a destination you’ll never want to leave.

Start by making your way to the Eden Lookout, where the best views of Twofold Bay are found. In the distance, marvel at the vast hinterland, as well as Boyd’s Tower—an elaborate structure crafted from sandstone that was once used as a lookout for whale spotting.

Azamara Pursuit arrives in Sydney Harbour and the Opera House and Harbour Bridge appear as the ship passes through the Heads in the summer morning light. This is one of the finest arrivals in the Southern Hemisphere and the conclusion of 16 extraordinary nights covering the full length of New Zealand, the Fiordland fiords, Tasmania and the New South Wales south coast. Your New Zealand and Australia Premium Cruise concludes here. Ask your Cruiseabout specialist about a post-cruise Sydney hotel stay before flying home.