PACIFIC HORIZONS

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

This trip links Australia and New Zealand into one continuous arc, wild landscape and real polish moving together rather than competing. From Sydney's glittering harbor to the vineyard valleys and alpine peaks of Aotearoa, the scenery shifts with real clarity at every stage. Nature stays central throughout, and everything is shaped around how you actually want to move through it. This is the South Pacific at its most complete and its most expansive.

Note that everything you see here is an example of what your trip could look like. Your adventure will be tailored specifically to you.

WHEN TO GO

DURATION

OCT - APR

14 NIGHTS

LANGUAGE

ENGLISH

CURRENCY

AUD & NZD

ESTIMATED COST

$16,800

per person, excl. int'l flights

(based on two adults sharing)

Why this adventure

This itinerary leans into the South Pacific's real contrasts: city polish, coastal light, genuine wilderness, and a sense of culture that runs deeper than a postcard. It's built for travelers who want to feel the full range of two countries without rushing either one. You'll walk harbor paths at dawn, taste wine at the actual source, and later settle into alpine valleys where time runs on a different clock entirely. Every detail here is handled with real intention, private guides, considered pacing, and properties chosen because they actually belong where they sit. The result feels expansive and genuinely restorative.

Journey flow

It starts in Sydney, ocean, city, and sandstone cliffs all colliding without any real friction between them. Harbor walks, coastal trails, and a food scene worth taking seriously fill the days before a flight east into New Zealand's wine country. In Marlborough or Hawke's Bay, the pace drops into rolling vineyards, small tasting rooms, and lunches that run long on purpose. Then it's south into the Southern Alps for a finish built around still lakes, real peaks, and lodges that actually belong in wild country rather than just overlooking it. Private transfers and unhurried pacing carry the whole thing, fluid, grounding, and considerably larger in scope than most two-country trips manage.

Take it farther

For travelers who want more, a private seaplane flight from Sydney is worth the add, hidden coves and rugged headlands look entirely different from above than they do from the harbor. In New Zealand's wine country, a sommelier-led tasting with behind-the-scenes cellar access goes considerably deeper than a standard tasting room visit. A heli-picnic in the Southern Alps, gourmet provisions and real mountaintop solitude, is a strong finale add. Marine encounters, dolphins, coastal cruising, seasonal whale watching, round out the Sydney leg nicely for guests who want more time on the water.

Customize this itinerary

Every trip we design is built around you: your pace, your curiosity, your definition of a good day. No set departures, no group tours, no one-size-fits-all anything. If this itinerary sparks something in you, let's talk about what that could look like for you specifically.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Adventure highlights

TWO COUNTRIES, ONE CONTINUOUS ARC

A rare itinerary that actually links Australia and New Zealand with real pacing rather than rushing between them. The contrasts and the connections both get real room to breathe here, carried by considered lodges and genuine hospitality rather than a checklist of stops.

SOUTHERN ALPS EXPLORATION

A remote South Island lodge framed by valleys, glaciers, and lakes still enough to double as a mirror. Helicopter access and guided hikes fill the days, but the real highlight is just how quiet it gets by evening.

NEW ZEALAND'S WINE COUNTRY

World-class Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, tasted at small estates rather than tourist-facing tasting rooms. Cellar visits paired with chef-led lunches turn a wine day into something closer to an education.

SYDNEY BY SEA & SKY

The harbor from more than one angle: private cruising, waterfront dining, cliff-edge trails that capture the city's coastal energy without ever feeling staged for a photo.

How it unfolds

DAYS 1-4

SYDNEY

The city opens the trip on its own terms, harbor walks, coastal trails, and a food scene that holds up against nearly anywhere else in the world. Days move between guided city time and open exploration, private cruising and cliff-edge paths giving the harbor real range beyond the standard postcard view. This stretch sets an energetic tone before the pace shifts entirely.

DAYS 5-8

NEW ZEALAND WINE COUNTRY

A flight east changes the register completely. Rolling vineyards, small tasting rooms, and lunches that run well past the point most itineraries would call it quits define this stretch. Whether the routing runs through Marlborough or Hawke's Bay, days settle into a rhythm built around wine, food, and considerably less urgency than Sydney's opening act.

DAYS 9-14

SOUTHERN ALPS

The final stretch drops into real alpine country, still lakes, soaring peaks, and lodges that feel genuinely rooted in the wilderness around them. Helicopter excursions and guided hikes fill the days, but evenings run quiet and slow, a deliberate close to a trip that's covered enormous ground without ever feeling rushed.

Where you could stay

THE MARLBOROUGH LODGE

A restored 1901 convent turned ten-suite country estate, set on sixteen acres of parkland in the heart of Marlborough's wine region. The property runs its own small vineyard alongside the restaurant's kitchen garden, and the scale stays intentionally small, guests get to know the staff by name here rather than blending into a larger hotel. Evenings tend to end by the fire with a glass of something poured from the property's own label.

PARK HYATT SYDNEY

Positioned directly between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, close enough to either landmark that both feel like part of the room rather than a distant view. Rooms lean contemporary with Australian art and natural materials throughout, and the rooftop suites offer close to a full 360-degree view of the harbor. Dining, spa, and service all run at the same high, understated register the location demands.

BLANKET BAY

An alpine lodge on the shores of Lake Wakatipu near Glenorchy, built in a style that consciously echoes the grand lodges of the American West, with views running straight out to the Humboldt Mountains. Just a handful of rooms, suites, and chalets, heavy timber and stone throughout, a spa, and a helicopter pad right on the lawn for guests who want to fly straight into the surrounding wilderness. Fly fishing, horse riding, and jet boating are all a short trip from the front door.

Ready to start planning?

All Peregrine trips include:

Every trip we design starts from scratch, built around how you travel and what you're actually after. No fixed routes, no shared departures, no compromises. If something on this page resonated, that's a good place to start a conversation.