Tour Code: 27ANZ1
Tour Manager: Dan Brubaker
Tour Leader: Dan Brubaker & Malcolm Peters
Group Size: 12
Activity level: Moderate

Australia: 10 DAYS. Climb over Sydney Harbor Bridge. Watch surfers at Bondi Beach. Touch a koala. Go snorkeling at Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy spectacular sunset and sunrise at Uluru (Ayers Rock). Visit Victorian College for the Deaf, the oldest deaf school in operation since 1860, in Melbourne. See the penguin parade at Phillip Island.

New Zealand: 12 DAYS. Stunning natural wonders, charming towns, and more sheep than people on land. Be in awe of Queenstown and its surrounding landscapes. Learn about Maori culture. Understand what happened at Waitangi Treaty Grounds. See volcanoes, boiling mud and geysers near Rotorua. Feast your eyes upon glowworms inside Waitomo Caves.

Saturday, January 9
Arrival into Sydney. Transfer to hotel. Welcome dinner. Stay in Sydney for 3 nights. 

Sunday, January 10
We do a grand tour of Sydney, including the City Hall, Opera House, The Rocks and Darling Harbour. 

Monday, January 11
Relax and explore Sydney with optional activities to choose from. 

Tuesday, January 12
We fly west to Yulara. Walk around the sacred site of Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock). Evening sunset of Uluru. Overnight in Yulara.

Wednesday, January 13
Rise early to see the sunrise of Uluru. Learn about Aborigines at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Then fly east to Cairns. Swim at the saltwater lagoon on the esplanade. Stay in Cairns for 3 nights.

Thursday, January 14
Visit Kuranda. Get up close with koalas and kangaroos. Optional opportunity to feed parrots and watch butterflies. Free time to walk around town.

Friday, January 15
Today, we have some optional activities to choose from.

Saturday, January 16
Fly down to Melbourne in the morning. By late afternoon, we head down to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade at dusk. Stay in Melbourne for 3 nights. 

Sunday, January 17
See the colorful bathing boxes at Brighton Beach. Visit the Victorian College for the Deaf, established by a deaf man in 1860.

Monday, January 18
Free day to explore various museums, shops and/or cafes. 

Tuesday, January 19
We fly out to Queenstown. Drive for 2 hours to Te Anau to check into hotel. Overnight in Te Anau. 

Wednesday, January 20
Rise up early and take a morning cruise at Milford Sound. Return to Queenstown. Stay in Queenstown for 3 nights. 

Thursday, January 21
Free day with optional activities to choose from.

Friday, January 22
Drive to visit two charming towns, Wanaka and Arrowtown. Free time in the late afternoon and evening.

Saturday, January 23
We fly north to Auckland late in the morning. Then drive 1.5 hours south to Hamilton. If time allows, we visit Hamilton Gardens. Overnight in Hamilton. 

Sunday, January 24
After breakfast, we take a 1.5 hour drive to Otorohanga to see kiwi birds. Waitomo Caves to see thousands of glowworms. Drive 2 hours to Rotorua. Stay in Rotorua for 2 nights. 

Monday, January 25
See boiling mud and exploding geysers. Then a scenic ride down south to visit beautiful Lake Taupo, including Aratiatia Rapids and Huka Falls. Return to Rotorua. Experience an exciting Maori performance dinner. 

Tuesday, January 26
In the morning, we visit Hobbiton in Matamata. After lunch, we head back to Auckland. Overnight in Auckland. 

Wednesday, January 27
Ride to famous Northland area into seaside town, Paihia, in beautiful Bay of Islands. Visit historic site where Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Relax and explore Paihia and its surroundings. Stay in Paihia for 2 nights.

Thursday, January 28
Ride on the sandy 90 Mile Beach to the “Top of New Zealand” where the Cape Reinga lighthouse is. Marvel the unique seascape.

Friday, January 29
After breakfast, we return to Auckland. Free time in afternoon in downtown Auckland. Overnight in Auckland. 

Saturday, January 30
Free time in the morning before our farewell lunch. Then head to the airport for your evening flights. 

Updated as of 8/17/2025

Dan has been to 92 countries including Bolivia, Cuba, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, North Korea and Uzbekistan. He has also presented at Deaf Youth Leadership Camps in Germany and Thailand as well as team-coordinating an exchange program between two deaf schools in Kentucky, USA and Kamensk, Russia.

Malcolm, born in Melbourne into a third-generation Deaf family, is a native Australian Sign Language (Auslan) user. Fascinated by geography from a young age, he became fluent in several sign languages and spent over 35 years at three Deaf schools across two countries, including participating in five international trips with HOT. Now retired in Fishers, Indiana with his wife Jeanne, their two CODA sons, and two beagle-mix rescues, Malcolm remains an active traveler, having traveled to more than 60 countries and regularly visiting family in Australia and the UK.

• 21 nights in 3-star or 4-star accommodations.

• 15 meals: Breakfast (8), Lunch (2), Dinner (5)

• Services of a deaf Tour Leader on call 24 hours a day.

• Services of local deaf guides.

• All transportation expenses.

• All city and/or tourist taxes. 

• Airport transfers at beginning and end of tour.

• All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.

• Informative travel preparation packet.

• $100 Repeat Customer Discount per person on your next regular tour.

• Domestic and/or international airfares.

  • Approximately $1,300+ for 4 domestic flights (Sydney > Uluru > Cairns > Melbourne, and Queenstown > Auckland) and 1 international flight (Melbourne > Queenstown).

• All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.

• Travel Insurance.

• Australian ETA and NZeTA (electronic visas)

• Tips for your Tour Leader, Tour Assistant and/or Local Guides.

• EXTRA COSTS which will be added to the invoice.

  • Approximately $1,350+ for 5 domestic flights (Sydney > Uluru > Brisbane > Cairns > Melbourne and Queenstown > Auckland) and 1 international flight (Melbourne > Queenstown).

• Tour begins in Sydney (Australia) and ends in Auckland (New Zealand).

• Tour will be confirmed when we meet the minimum number of participants

• When the tour is confirmed, additional deposits or payments may be required

• Significant walking is expected during the tour, and moderate physical fitness is required

• Hands On Travel recommends purchasing a travel insurance plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected

• Last but not least, please read Hands On Travel's Terms & Conditions.

We're here to help you plan the perfect adventure! For any inquiries or assistance, feel free to reach out:

Email: dan@handson.travel

With this tour confirmation, your $500 deposit is now non-refundable in any event you need to back out. However, it may be transferable to a future tour.