Iconic Australia & New Zealand — Self-Launched

Land at Auckland Airport and take the Skybus or a public AT Metro bus into the city centre (~NZ$20/£10). Check into a CBD hostel, pick up an AT HOP card for buses and ferries, and spend the evening wandering the Viaduct Harbour and Britomart. Buy groceries for breakfasts — self-catering saves a lot over 23 days.

🚌Skybus or AT Metro bus from airport, ~£10

🛏CBD hostel dorm or private room (e.g. Haka Lodge / Attic Backpackers), £18-25

• →Viaduct Harbour evening walk
• →AT HOP card setup

Do a free self-guided orientation walk through the city, then take the Fullers ferry from downtown to Waiheke Island (~NZ$50/£25 return). Use the island's public bus to reach Onetangi and Oneroa beaches and two or three cellar doors (Mudbrick, Cable Bay, Stonyridge — tastings NZ$15-30 each, book direct or use the Waiheke hop-on hop-off wine bus). Cheaper alternative: bring a picnic to Oneroa Beach and do one tasting only.

🚌Fullers ferry Auckland-Waiheke return ~£25; island bus ~£5

🛏CBD hostel, £18-25

• →Waiheke Island Ferry
• →Wine tasting at 2-3 vineyards
• →Oneroa Beach

Take an InterCity bus from Auckland to Waitomo (~3 hrs, ~NZ$35/£17), join the 45-minute boat tour through the Glowworm Caves (book direct with Waitomo Glowworm Caves or via Klook, ~NZ$65/£32), then continue on the afternoon InterCity service to Rotorua (~2 hrs, ~NZ$30/£15). Rotorua smells of sulphur the moment you arrive — that's the geothermal field. Check into a hostel and walk to Kuirau Park for free steaming craters and hot pools.

🚌InterCity bus Auckland-Waitomo-Rotorua, ~£32 total

🛏Rotorua hostel (e.g. Rotorua Downtown Backpackers), £20-28

• →Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour
• →Kuirau Park geothermal walk

Book the Kohutapu Lodge day experience directly (they run independently and also host group tours) — it includes a guided walk among 800-year-old podocarps in Whirinaki Forest, a traditional hangi lunch cooked in the earth, and a visit to ancient Maori rock carvings. Roughly NZ$200-260/£100-130 including transport from Rotorua, or take the public InterCity bus to Murupara (~£12) and arrange the lodge separately. Evening: soak at a free public hot pool or pay for the Polynesian Spa (~NZ$40/£20).

🚌Included in tour or InterCity to Murupara return ~£24

🛏Rotorua hostel, £20-28

• →Whirinaki Rainforest guided walk
• →Kohutapu Lodge hangi lunch
• →Maori rock carvings
• →Optional Polynesian Spa hot springs

Book the National Kiwi Hatchery tour direct (~NZ$60/£30) — a 1-hour behind-the-scenes look at kiwi incubation and chick rearing. Then take the shuttle or bus to Rotorua Airport for a direct Jetstar or Air New Zealand flight to Christchurch (~NZ$120-180/£60-90 booked a few weeks ahead). On arrival, check into a hostel in the CBD and explore the rebuild-era city centre and Cathedral Square — most of central Christchurch is walkable.

🚌Rotorua-Christchurch domestic flight ~£75

🛏Christchurch hostel (e.g. Jailhouse Accommodation), £20-28

• →National Kiwi Hatchery tour
• →Christchurch city centre walk

Ride the TranzAlpine — one of the world's great scenic rail journeys — from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass (~2 hrs). Book direct with Great Journeys NZ; a one-way Christchurch-Arthurs Pass fare is roughly NZ$79-129/£40-65 depending on how far ahead you book. Walk the short Dobson Nature Walk or Devil's Punchbowl Falls track, grab a coffee, then return on the afternoon service or the InterCity bus back to Christchurch (~£20). Alternative: stay a night at a Arthur's Pass lodge for a quieter mountain evening.

🚌TranzAlpine return or TranzAlpine + InterCity bus, £55-85

🛏Christchurch hostel, £20-28

• →TranzAlpine scenic rail journey
• →Arthur's Pass walks

Morning in Christchurch — the Botanic Gardens are free, or rent a bike and ride the Avon River. Afternoon InterCity bus to Lake Tekapo (~3.5 hrs, ~NZ$45/£22). Check into a hostel or the Tekapo holiday park. Tonight book the Dark Sky Project or Dark Sky Diner stargazing session (~NZ$100-190/£50-95) — Tekapo sits in an official International Dark Sky Reserve and the Milky Way views are unreal. If you're on a budget, walk 10 minutes out of town and stargaze for free.

🚌InterCity bus Christchurch-Lake Tekapo ~£22

🛏Lake Tekapo hostel or holiday park cabin, £25-35

• →Christchurch Botanic Gardens
• →Dark Sky Project stargazing session

Take the InterCity or GreatSights bus up to Mt Cook Village (~1.5 hrs, ~NZ$40/£20) or book a shuttle. Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre at the Hermitage (~NZ$20/£10) to learn about Hillary's first ascents on the south face of Aoraki. Then walk the Kea Point Track (~1 hr return, easy) for views of Mount Sefton, Hooker Valley, Mueller Glacier Lake and Aoraki/Mt Cook. Stronger hikers can continue on the Hooker Valley Track (3 hrs return). Bus back to Tekapo for the night.

🚌Shuttle/bus Tekapo-Mt Cook return ~£40

🛏Lake Tekapo hostel or holiday park cabin, £25-35

• →Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
• →Kea Point Track
• →Optional Hooker Valley Track

InterCity bus Tekapo to Wanaka (~2.5 hrs, ~NZ$40/£20), free time for lunch and the lakeside. Then the local InterCity/Orbus service or a shared shuttle down through the Crown Range to Arrowtown (~1 hr, ~£15) — walk the historic miner's cottages, old churches and the Chinese Settlement (all free, the Lakes District Museum is NZ$12). Continue into Queenstown (~30 min, ~£6). Dinner at Fergburger is a rite of passage (~NZ$18) — expect a queue.

🚌InterCity buses Tekapo-Wanaka-Arrowtown-Queenstown, ~£40

🛏Queenstown hostel (e.g. Haka Lodge Queenstown), £25-35

• →Wanaka lakefront
• →Arrowtown historic walk & Chinese Settlement
• →Fergburger

Book a Milford Sound day trip with coach from Queenstown via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£130-170 including the Nature Cruise, or drive to Milford yourself and buy a cruise-only ticket for ~NZ$120/£60). It's a long day (12-13 hrs round trip) but the scenery — waterfalls, towering cliffs, Mitre Peak — is spectacular. Keep an eye out for bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and little blue penguins. Cheaper alternative: the Milford Sound coach is expensive; the Te Anau–Milford coach + cruise combo runs around £100.

🚌Coach to Milford Sound return included in day trip

🛏Queenstown hostel, £25-35

• →Milford Sound nature cruise
• →Fiordland National Park scenery
• →Optional underwater observatory

Pick your poison: the TSS Earnslaw steamship cruise on Lake Wakatipu (~NZ$70/£35), a Shotover Jet boat ride (NZ$159/£80 booked direct), the Skyline Gondola + luge (~NZ$66/£33), or a Gibbston Valley wine tour (~NZ$189-265/£95-130). Hikers: the Queenstown Hill Time Walk is free and takes 1.5 hrs for huge views. Tonight, dinner with whoever you've met at the hostel — the hostels here run family dinners most nights.

🚌Local Orbus / walking, £5

🛏Queenstown hostel, £25-35

• →TSS Earnslaw cruise or Shotover Jet
• →Skyline Gondola
• →Queenstown Hill Time Walk
• →Optional Gibbston Valley wine tour

Morning domestic flight Queenstown-Melbourne on Jetstar or Virgin Australia (~NZ$200-350/£100-175 — one of the pricier hops, so book early; otherwise a cheap route is via Christchurch or Sydney). Note the separate Australian and NZ baggage rules and the NZeTA/Australian ETA requirements. Arrive in Melbourne, take the SkyBus into Southern Cross Station (~A$22/£11), check into a hostel in Fitzroy or the CBD, and explore the laneways and Hosier Lane street art on foot.

🚌Queenstown-Melbourne flight ~£135; SkyBus ~£11

🛏Melbourne hostel (e.g. Space Hotel or a Fitzroy hostel), £30-40

• →Hosier Lane street art
• →Laneway wander

Do your own foodie crawl: Queen Victoria Market (free to enter, grab a borek and coffee), the laneway coffee scene, dumplings in Chinatown, and a Vietnamese banh mi in Richmond. Prefer structure? Book a Melbourne food walking tour on GetYourGuide (~£60-80) covering the CBD and Queen Vic Market. Afternoon options: the free City Circle tram loop, the NGV (free), or a stroll through Fitzroy's Brunswick Street.

🚌Free City Circle tram + Myki card for zones, £6

🛏Melbourne hostel, £30-40

• →Queen Victoria Market
• →Melbourne laneway food crawl
• →NGV (free)
• →Optional guided food walk

Book a Great Ocean Road day tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£90-120) — the G Adventures optional version runs about US$119 extra, so it's not much different independently. You'll see the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Otways rainforest with a small-group operator. Cheaper DIY option: V/Line train to Geelong plus a local bus, but you'll need two days and your own transport to see the Apostles properly. Back in Melbourne by evening.

🚌Included in day tour

🛏Melbourne hostel, £30-40

• →Twelve Apostles
• →Loch Ard Gorge
• →Great Otway National Park

Fly Melbourne to Yulara (Ayers Rock Airport) on Jetstar or Qantas (~A$250-400/£125-200; alternatively fly to Alice Springs and take the 5-hr bus, which is cheaper but much slower). Book a bed at the Ayers Rock Resort hostel/campground (the only accommodation in the park — book well ahead, it sells out). Note: the park entry pass is now free for visitors. Spend the afternoon on an easy base walk section or the free cultural centre.

🚌Melbourne-Yulara flight ~£160; airport shuttle ~£10

🛏Ayers Rock Resort hostel dorm, £40-55 (expensive and limited — book early)

• →Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre
• →Sunset viewing area

Hire a car or join a small-group tour for the day. Do the 10.6 km Uluru Base Walk early (start at dawn — by midday it can hit 40°C+ and walks close above 36°C). Afternoon: drive out to Kata Tjuta for the Walpa Gorge or Valley of the Winds walk. End the day at the official sunset viewing area with a bottle of sparkling wine — exactly what the G Adventures trip includes, but nobody stops you. Self-drive car hire is ~A$120/day shared, or a day tour ~£100-130.

🚌Car hire shared ~£40 or day tour

🛏Ayers Rock Resort hostel dorm, £40-55

• →Uluru sunrise
• →Uluru Base Walk
• →Kata Tjuta / Valley of the Winds
• →Uluru sunset with sparkling wine

Fly Yulara to Sydney (~A$350-500/£175-250 — or Yulara to Alice Springs then a cheaper Sydney flight, but usually not worth the time). Check into a hostel in Surry Hills, Kings Cross or the Rocks. Afternoon: walk the Rocks, Circular Quay and Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic Opera House + Harbour Bridge view, which costs nothing.

🚌Yulara-Sydney flight ~£200; Airport Link train ~£10

🛏Sydney hostel (e.g. Wake Up! or Sydney Harbour YHA), £35-50

• →The Rocks
• →Circular Quay
• →Mrs Macquarie's Chair viewpoint

Book a Sydney Opera House guided tour direct (~A$45/£23 — the 1-hour tour gets you inside the Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre) or via GetYourGuide. Afternoon: Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (free, 6 km, 2 hrs — one of the best urban walks anywhere). Evening: a Sydney Harbour sunset dinner cruise is the equivalent of the G Adventures inclusion — book a budget option on GetYourGuide or Klook (~A$90-140/£45-70) or BYO fish and chips on the Manly ferry instead (~A$8 return with an Opal card).

🚌Opal card ferries and trains, £10

🛏Sydney hostel, £35-50

• →Sydney Opera House guided tour
• →Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
• →Harbour sunset dinner cruise or Manly ferry

Jetstar or Virgin Australia flight Sydney to Cairns (~A$150-250/£75-125). Check into a hostel in Cairns city (Gilligan's or similar), then walk the Esplanade lagoon (free) and the night markets. Book tomorrow's reef trip and the Daintree day tour online tonight if you haven't already — Great Barrier Reef day trips sell out in peak season.

🚌Sydney-Cairns flight ~£100; airport shuttle ~£8

🛏Cairns hostel, £25-35

• →Cairns Esplanade lagoon
• →Night markets

Book a reef day trip via GetYourGuide, Klook, or direct with a Cairns operator like Reef Magic, Quicksilver, or Passions of Paradise (~A$230-290/£115-145 including transfers, lunch, snorkel gear and stinger suits). Note the G Adventures trip includes a snorkelling excursion; independently it's a bookable day tour. Expect 2-3 reef sites on the outer reef, turtles, giant clams, reef sharks and more fish than you can count. Reef trips out of Port Douglas are an alternative if you're already heading north.

🚌Reef terminal transfers included

🛏Cairns hostel, £25-35

• →Outer Great Barrier Reef snorkelling
• →Semi-submersible or glass-bottom boat

Book a Daintree day tour from Cairns or Port Douglas (~A$180-260/£90-130) including the Mossman Gorge Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk with a Kuku Yalanji guide — bush food, medicinal plants and the community's relationship with the rainforest. Many tours also include a Daintree River wildlife cruise (crocodiles!) and Cape Tribulation. The post-2026 G Adventures version swaps this for the Kuranda SkyRail — you can book the SkyRail direct (~A$125/£62) and combine it with Kuranda markets if you prefer. Overnight in Port Douglas rather than Cairns to save tomorrow's transfer.

🚌Daintree tour transfers included

🛏Port Douglas hostel or budget motel, £30-45

• →Mossman Gorge Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk
• →Daintree Rainforest
• →Daintree River crocodile cruise
• →Optional Kuranda SkyRail

Book the Kuku Yalanji cultural habitat tour at Cooya Beach directly with the operators (~A$150/£75) — a Kubirri Warra family-led walk through the mudflats learning spear-throwing, traditional fishing and mangrove harvesting for mud crabs. Afternoon: Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas is free, or pay for a catamaran sail to the Low Isles. Evening: the Port Douglas Sunday markets or a barbecue at the hostel.

🚌Local bus or shuttle to Cooya Beach ~£8

🛏Port Douglas hostel or budget motel, £30-45

• →Cooya Beach Kuku Yalanji cultural experience
• →Four Mile Beach
• →Port Douglas markets

Transfer from Port Douglas to Cairns Airport (~1 hr) by the Sun Palm or Premier shuttle bus (~A$40/£20), or the public bus to Cairns then the airport shuttle. Book outbound flights no earlier than 13:00 to allow the transfer. If you've got a spare day, the Kuranda Scenic Railway (~A$55/£28 one-way) makes a good final detour.

🚌Port Douglas-Cairns Airport shuttle ~£20

🛏—

• →Airport transfer
• →Optional Kuranda Scenic Railway