Independent travel Down Under is simple, easy and very rewarding. On this page, you'll find our recommendations for short independant trips in Tasmania, Australia and New Zealand, to be taken alone, in combination or joined with one of the escorted itineraries in this brochure.
Few tour operators have the resources and expertise necessary for the creation of "tailor-made" individual itineraries for independant travellers. A&K specializes in custom travel, and with the assistance of our offices in Melbourne and Auckland we can design trips based on any special interest, sport or destination you may desire. The following itineraries are sugestions only - contact our office (215-483-3080) for more information about your "tailor-made" trip.
Australia's Outback
An excursion deep into the mysterious "Red Centre" of the continent.
Canberra and Country Life
Australia's capital city is yours to explore from the base of your luxury hotel, then stay at the cattle and sheep farm owned by Miles Franklin, author of "My Brillant Career", with opportunities for trout fishing, swimming, canoeing and bush walking in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains
Cruise Australia's "Mighty Murray River"
Two wonderful days on an authentic paddle steamer exploring a harsh but beautiful landscape. Your expert naturalist guide adds to your enjoyment of an area rich in uniquely Australian vegetation and animal life.
Melbourne, Great Ocean Road and Private sheep Station
Explore Victoria's spectacular Southern coast and experience a working sheep farm
Perth and the Dolphins of Monkey Mia
After sightseeing in friendly Perth, fly by light aircraft to Shark Bay, a World Heritage area where dolphins can be hand-fed from the beach.
Tasmania
An idyllic escape to the unspoiled old-worldliness of this historic island off Australia's southern coast.
Coromandel Peninsula and Rotorua
Two of New Zealand's most spectcular "beauty spots": the wild and lovely Coromandel Peninsula and Rotorua's hot springs, featuring superbly-sited hideaway hotels
Lake Brunner Lodge
A stay at one of New Zealand's premier mountain lodges, flanked by senic rides on the Trans Alpine express.
Whale and Dolphin Watching
Swim with the dolphins and sail with the whales on the New Zealand coast.
New Zealand "Off The Beaten track"
The best of natural New Zealand: Maori culture, mountains, glaciers and rivers.
To our way of thinking, a hideaway is a special place where you can relax in comfortable, intimate surroundings, where the emphasis is on attentive, personalized service and where you can explore an area of unique beauty and interest. In this section we feature some very special places, each selected personally by the Directors of Abercrombie & Kent.
Puunyart
Camperdown, Victoria
Learn about sheep, wool and cattle farming while staying as guests of Jim and Diana Wilson and their family on this magnificent homestead. The 2,800 acre property, two-and-a-half hours west of Melbourne, has its own private Australian museum, swimming pool, tennis court, billard room and a nearby golf course.
The Convent
Hunter Valley
The Convent - once a 1909 Brigidine nunnery - was transported to a new location in the Hunter Valley, restored in chic Renaissance style, and is now a luxurious country retreat in the middle of one of Australia's most famous wine regions. Spend your days touring the vineyards and your nights indulging at the marvelous Roberts Restaurant.
Napperby
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Imagine staying as guest on a comfortable cattle station in the very center of Australia. napperby - home of Roy Chisholm, his charming wife, Janet, and their young family - is two-and-a-half hours from Alice Springs and covers 2,200 square miles.
Silky Oaks Lodge
Daintree Rainforest, Far North Queensland
Silky Oaks is Daintree's ultimate rainforest resort, with main lodge, private chalets and restaurant linked by paths and boardwalks winding through the forest canopy of Mossman Gorge and designed to give you a luxurious armchair view of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Guided walks, 4-wheel-drive safaris, mountain biking, horseback riding, swimming, kayaking, river cruising, bird watching, fishing and tennis are all available at this award-winning resort.
Seven Spirit Bay
Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory
This is a very special place, hidden in the Top End's most remote wilderness but just two hours from darwin by light aircraft and four-wheel drive vehicle. With only 24 beautifully-appointed individual rooms, Seven Spirit Bay offers sailing and fishing, walking and bird-watching with a naturalist guide.
El Questro
Western Australia
If you are looking for absolute luxury in the rugged Kimberley region, this is it! Primarily a cattle station in the heart of the outback, the El Questro now invites guests to share its unique features. The luxurious homestead is cantilevered over the top of a high bluff, providing panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Guests are treated to the highest standards of service and cuisine. Your wilderness experience can include barramundi fishing, cattle musters, horse or camel rides, crocodile spotting, hot springs, helicopter flights and you can even spend a night camping under the stars to see the area from a different perspective. El Questro Homestead accommodation includes all meals, beverages, transfers and most activities.
Huka Lodge
Huka Lodge is near Lake Taupo, just an hour's drive from Rotorua. Large, airy villa rooms with beautifully fitted bathrooms are set amid extensive grounds. Huka has a tennis court, a nearby golf course, and the fish in Lake Taupo "jump into the boat."
A quiet corner, Huka Lodge
Solitaire Lodge
Near Rotorua on "the most beautiful lakeside" in New Zealand, Solitaire Lodge caters to a maximum of just twenty guests at any time. Seventeen square miles of trout fishing have produced the trophies which line the lodge walls; boating, bush walks and water skiing keep non-fishermen busy.
A suite at Solitaire Lodge
On The Great Barrier reef Bedarra Bay Resort
This architecturally brilliant, intimate resort is located on private Bedarra Island. Here you enjoy the very highest standard of accommodation, food and service, with all drinks included in the price. Bedarra offers a fresh-water pool, tennis, catamaran and dinghy boating, snorkeling, fishing, and much more. No children under 15. Acess is via Townsville or Cairns and Dunk Island; you have to use the Dunk Island's facilities when you stay at Bedarra.
Lizard Island Lodge
One of just two Barrier Reef islands completely surrounded by the reef itself, Lizard Island features luxurious accommodations and marvelious food, white sand beaches, tennis courts, windsurfing, game fishing, and wonderful opportunities for coral viewing. The management requests no children under six. Fly to Lizard Island via Cairns.
Hayman Resort
Hayman Island Resort opened in mid-1987 and set a new standard for resort hotels in Australia. With 200 beautifully appointed rooms set in lush gardens, four restaurants, acres of swimming pools, sailing and tennis, Hayman is a luxurious resort in the best of taste. It is easy to reach from all major Australian cities.
The terrace at Hayman Island resort
The Wakaya Club, Fiji
Only a thirty-five minute flight on Air Wakaya from Nadi International Airport, the Wakaya Club is a magical heaven - a wooded private island where wild horses, deer and other wildlife roam, soaring cliffs, and 32 secluded, unspoiled beaches. Yet the Wakaya Club accommodates only 16 guests in eight exquisite cottages. Enjoy a wide range of activities and top quality equipment: scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea sport fishing, windsurfing, sailing, jungle hikes, archeological sites, fresh water pool with a waterfall, night-lit tennis court, croquet and even a 9-hole golf course. The food is simply fabulous. We know of no finer hideaway in the South Pacific.
Vatulele Island Resort, Fiji
Less than half an hour's flight by seaplane from Nadi, the island of Vatulele is only seven miles long, with three villages and a total population of nine hundred Fijians. This outstanding resort has twelve spacious bungalows set well apart along a beautiful beach. When you stay at Vatulele you experience the island life of the South Pacific in consummate luxury. Fill your days with watersports, fishing, tennis, walks to secret waterfalls and grottos and swimming off the beach in the clear tropical waters.
Vatulele offers "barefoot luxury" in twelve private beachside bungalows.
Yasawa Island
Luxurious Yasawa Island Lodge nestles into the greenery of a spectacular tropical island, in a landscape of volcanic peaks, rainforests, long white beaches and tiny local villages. Here you can enjoy "the easy life" in a superbly appointed resort, in one of just sixteen private guest bures on the beach, each with soaring ceilings, Fijian decoration and its own sun deck. Imaginative meals with a Pacific touch are prepared by a European chef, and the staff regularly hosts joyful traditional celebrations for the guests. Activities include snorkelling, bushwalking, windsurfing and perivate beach picnics, safari drives through the tropical rainforest, game fishing and scuba diving. Do everything or do nothing - Yasawa is yours to enjoy.
