Day 1

Arrive in Sydney, private transfer to your hotel. Free time.

Day 2

A private car tour with a private guide, 'In the Footsteps of Captain Cook in Sydney' - 6 hours

The story of Australia's settlement begins in Sydney: with its ocean coastline and Botany Bay, where Captain Cook's ship, the Endeavour, first came ashore.

During the tour your guide will introduce you to the historical facts of Captain Cook's life and that of the French navigator La Perouse, the first colonists and convicts, and will show you the extraordinary flora of the national parks and tell you about the Aboriginal people of this region of Australia.

You will see:

• Sydney's southern and eastern ocean beaches
• Memorials to Captain Cook, his botanists Banks and Solander, and the French navigator La Perouse
• The cosy beaches of Botany Bay
• Ancient trees and flowers in the national parks
• The ocean gateway rock formations into Sydney Harbour
• Whale-watching lookout points (season June to September)

You will visit:

• Botany Bay National Park
• The picturesque fort island at La Perouse
• The Gap National Park with an easy walk through the bush along 70-metre cliffs

On a hot day you'll be able to swim at any of the many beaches your guide shows you during the Sydney tour

Day 3

Free time. Optional additional tours with a private guide to the Blue Mountains and Wildlife Park, the Hunter Valley wine region, or a car tour, 'Panoramas of Eastern and Northern Sydney'. For a swim in the ocean, the famous Manly Beach is recommended (a self-guided 30-minute ferry trip).

New Year's celebrations.

Spectacular fireworks over Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge at 9 pm and midnight.

Optionally, arrange a New Year's evening watching the fireworks from a cruise boat or the revolving restaurant at Sydney Tower.

Day 4

Free time.

For a swim in the ocean, the famous Bondi Beach is recommended (a self-guided 30-minute taxi or bus ride).

Day 5

Private transfer to the airport.

Fly to Cairns.

Arrive in Cairns, private transfer to your hotel.

Free time.

Day 6

A trip to the Great Barrier Reef as part of a group. A private guide can be arranged for an additional charge.

See and touch the priceless natural wonder of the world - the Great Barrier Reef, a giant living organism visible from space.

Cruise by high-speed catamaran to one of the reefs in this region.

A comfortable three-level floating pontoon is moored at the reef, fully equipped for snorkelling, diving, viewing the seabed's inhabitants from a semi-submersible, or simply relaxing on the water with a buffet lunch.

Day 7

Free day.

Optional additional tours with a private guide: to the mountain village of Kuranda; the ancient Atherton Tablelands; a 'crocodile adventure' in the jungle; or a self-guided day trip by catamaran to one of the Great Barrier Reef islands (Green, Fitzroy, Low or Frankland).

Day 8

Private transfer to the airport.

Fly to Brisbane.

Arrive in Brisbane. A personal sightseeing tour of Brisbane with a private guide (4 hours), then a private transfer to your hotel on the Gold Coast.

Queensland's tropical capital, Brisbane, is known in Australia as the City of Palms and considered one of the most desirable places to live.

Here, 19th-century buildings sit beautifully alongside ultra-modern skyscrapers, urban landscapes blend with lush tropical gardens, cycling and walking paths line the riverbank, and the city boasts distinctive residential architecture suited to a subtropical climate, plus a unique solar-powered pedestrian bridge.

The city sightseeing tour with your guide includes the best lookout points and main landmarks of Queensland's capital:

• Panoramic views of Brisbane from the Mount Coot-tha lookout
• Historic buildings: the Old Windmill, Customs House, Government House, St Stephen's Cathedral, Parliament House, City Hall, the Casino and many other unique late-19th-century structures
• An introduction to the city's distinctive 'Queenslander' homes, timber houses built on stilts for better airflow and protection from termites
• The South Bank Parklands, with tropical landscaping, an artificial beach, numerous cafes and restaurants, a zoo, an Australian insect exhibit and the world's largest koala sanctuary

After the tour, drive to the Gold Coast (80 km) and check in to your hotel.

Day 9

A 4WD safari tour to Stradbroke Island as part of a group with lunch - 8 hours. A private guide can be arranged for an additional charge.

Stradbroke Island is considered one of the largest sand islands in the world and a popular tourist route on the Gold Coast and Brisbane trail.

Australians affectionately call the island 'Straddie' and love coming here for a getaway. Stradbroke is a barrier island, 38 km long and 11 km wide, with a total area of 27,530 hectares.

Straddie is famous for its magnificent sandy beaches, enormous dunes (up to 100 m high), ancient native vegetation and lookout points for spotting dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, dugongs and humpback whales in season.

The island has 5 beaches (the main beach stretches 32 km) and numerous freshwater lakes with unusual names such as Ibis Lagoon, Blue Lake and Brown Lake.

The island is home to 18 unique animal species, including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, echidnas and possums, as well as many rare and exotic birds.

Day 11

Free time. Visit the theme parks

Optionally arrange: scenic cruises, helicopter flights, fishing or shopping.

Day 12

Private transfer to Brisbane Airport.

Fly home.