Australia & New Zealand Cruises 2021-2022

Australia & New Zealand

Experience Unique Wildlife, Sealife & So Much More

Explore Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania by land and sea, and you’ll discover a whole new meaning to the term wild life—including a memorable sunset penguin parade on Australia’s Philip Island. Windstar gets you up close and personal with countless species from wombats, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies to wedge-tailed shearwaters, black swans, manta rays, and killer whales—you can even hug a koala in Mooloolaba. But that’s just the beginning. This unique region offers up icons like the Great Barrier Reef, the famed Sydney Opera House, Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks, Freycinet National Park’s Wineglass Bay, Fjordland National Park, and the home of The Hobbit. Windstar also takes you down the road less traveled to immerse you in the area’s intriguing convict history, traditional Maori culture, and incredible wine country. Sip your way from Australia’s Barossa and Yarra Valleys to New Zealand’s esteemed Marlborough region and the Gisborne wine trail. Wine, wildlife and natural wonders await you Down Under.

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Deep Dive Down Under: The Great Barrier Reef & Beyond

Port to port

Melbourne to Cairns

Duration

10 Days

Whether you prefer to snorkel or witness vibrant marine life from the comfort of a glass bottom boat, dive into your Eastern Australian adventure at the awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef—accessible from Cairns and Port Douglas. Watch for wedge-tailed shearwaters, sooty terns, and noodies as we pass Willis Island, and fall in love with Whitehaven Beach. Feel the rich maritime history the minute you step onto remote Middle Percy Island and experience rugged Fraser Island with a dip in picturesque Lake McKenzie or a drive on 75 Mile Beach, a veritable beach highway home to dingoes and birds of prey. Cuddle a koala at the Australia Zoo in Mooloolaba where the family of the late Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, preserves his memory today. An overnight in Sydney brings opportunities to explore the famed Opera House, bustling Sydney Harbour, iconic Bondi Beach, and The Rocks, the birthplace of modern Sydney. Wake up and take in Melbourne and its insatiable thirst for artisan coffees, boutique gin and whisky distilleries, and the Yarra Valley’s famous Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sparkling wine.

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Edge of the Outback

Port to port

Cairns to Sydney

Duration

12 Days

Wallabies, walkabouts and authentic cultural immersion are some of the many highlights awaiting you during this 12-day cruise along Australia’s eastern coastline. Master spear throwing fundamentals and discover the traditional fishing techniques of the Kuku Yalanji tribe during a trek into the mangroves and coastal flats along Cooya Beach outside Port Douglas. Slip beneath the shady canopy of the world’s oldest surviving rainforest, where colorful birds, quiet possums and rock wallabies await your discovery. Slip a kayak blade into the turquoise sea near Shute Harbour as you learn about unique marine life throughout Airlie Beach’s shore and scenic islands. Bite into tangy quandongs and spicy, raisin-like bush tomatoes during an authentic tour of Australian bush life survival, then savor refreshments paired with grilled emu, crocodile, and kangaroo. Sample sweetly intense ginger candies and local macadamias dipped in chocolate at beach shacks lining Noosa’s sandy shores—key elements for a quintessential Australian vacation destination.

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Great Barrier Reef & Down Under Cruise Tour

Port to port

Port Douglas to Auckland

Duration

18 Days

Uncover the natural qualities that make Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand spectacularly unique during an 18-day combination cruise and inland tour. Drift along a river in the iconic UNESCO Daintree Rainforest, earth’s oldest and most continuous tropical forest. Swim or snorkel offshore in the Great Barrier Reef. Scan sandy beaches and shoreline grasslands of Freycinet National Park for waddling fairy penguins. Swirl and savor deep crimson hues and layered flavors in Australian Shiraz wines made from Barossa Valley old vines. Sample sweet Lamingtons—sponge cake dipped in chocolate and dusted with shredded coconut—paired with bush tea’s earthy, roasted-nut flavors. Peer skyward at towering coastal ranges and misty veiled waterfalls along Fiordland National Parks’ steep coastlines. Fly to Stewart Island and hike among countless waterfowl in a predator-free bird sanctuary. Admire Maori artwork and watch Waiata performances at Wellington’s Te Papa Museum. Take in North Island views in the Sky Tower while perched a thousand feet above Auckland.

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Hidden Indonesia & Great Barrier Reef Expedition

Port to port

Benoa to Cairns

Duration

13 Days

Natural splendors and architectural wonders beckon throughout this exceptional journey rich in expedition cruising excursions exclusive to small ports that very few other ships visit. This is small ship cruising at its best – remote islands teeming with wildlife and small villages with friendly locals. Observe Komodo dragons, wombats, koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies in their natural habitats at Komodo National Park near Loh Liang. Browse unique knit shawls and sample artisan-made nutmeg preserves among tiny shops and Portuguese colonial architecture in Ambon. Walk the gray stone battlements of Fort Belgica, the former protector of all nutmeg trade bound for Europe in the 1600s. Ride swift Zodiacs from the small port of Kokas to 35,000-year-old paintings and handprints throughout the caves and cliff walls of Andamata, globally recognized among the oldest human artwork on the planet. Snorkel amid schools of rare tropical fish and colorful, reclusive eels along the edges of the Great Barrier Reef. Gain insights on cutting-edge coral reef experiments and the latest conservation efforts from researchers at Australia’s Lizard Island Research Station.

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Star Collector: Australia & New Zealand Odyssey

Port to port

Auckland to Cairns

Duration

25 Days

Koalas, penguins and red kangaroos abound throughout this remarkable 25-day cruise that touches the warm beaches, small villages and coastal cosmopolitan cities on New Zealand’s North and South Islands and Australia’s eastern coastline. Ride bikes through Marlborough, New Zealand’s most famous wine country, and enjoy wine tasting paired with a light private lunch sourced from local ingredients. Watch sheepdogs herd sheep on a working farm outside Christchurch. Seek out penguins, great albatross and colorful avian wildlife aboard a restored wooden launch cruising along the remote reaches of the Otago Peninsula. Observe koalas, wombats and wallabies at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary near Hobart, Tasmania. Kayak amid turquoise waves and vibrant marine life off the warm sandy tropical coast of Airlie Beach, Australia. Explore with a guide from the Kuku Yalanji tribe near Port Douglas and learn how to source food from mangroves and tidal lagoons, then examine native artifacts and hear stories about indigenous land.

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Star Collector: Extended Great Barrier Reef & Indonesian Explorations

Port to port

Melbourne to Benoa

Duration

23 Days

Indulge in sunrays and fragrant tropical flowers in Asia’s hottest tropical archipelago as you discover contemporary city harbors and small port charms throughout Indonesia and Australia’s eastern and southern coastlines during this longer cruise. Sip cocktails adorned with bright blossoms and fresh fruit on a pristine Lembar, Lombok beach. Stand atop the stone battlements above Banda Neira, a former Spice Island stronghold, and imagine protecting Renaissance Europe’s entire mace and nutmeg supply. Savor the spicy deliciousness of Ayam Goreng Penyet, crunchy fried chicken crushed and mixed with chili paste. Dive or snorkel Triton Bay’s brilliant blue waters, as you swim to the center of the Coral Triangle, a region unmatched for vibrant coral and reef sea life anywhere else on our planet. Venture along the eastern Australian coast to spend days at the Great Barrier Reef, pristine beaches at Thursday Island, Airlie Beach and Fraser Island, and overnight in Sydney, a world-class city.

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Star Collector: Indonesia & Australia Discovery

Port to port

Benoa to Sydney

Duration

25 Days

Enormous and elusive lizards, towering stone temples and cosmopolitan coastal cities await during this unforgettable 25-day adventure throughout countless Indonesian islands and Australia’s east coast. Follow a skilled guide through Komodo National Park’s rugged savannah landscape to catch glimpses of massive Komodo Dragons. Venture to a traditional tropical Indonesian village outside Ende to meet locals and discover customary weaving and radiant dyeing techniques for Lionese ikat, one of the oldest weaving styles still practiced today. Learn about Great Barrier Reef wildlife from a marine biologist at the Lizard Island Research Center, the epicenter of scientific onsite coral reef research. Slurp spicy coconut curry laska noodle soup in Cairns, a local favorite often paired with freshly caught King or Tiger prawns. Join members of the Kuku Yalanji tribe as they gather mussels, mud-crabs and small fish on Cooya Beach, then stay out late exploring Port Douglas pubs and seafood restaurants during an overnight port stay.

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Star Collector: Koi, Koalas & Komodos — East Asia & Australia

Port to port

Tokyo to Cairns

Duration

39 Days

Uncover the extraordinary along the Australian and East Asian coastlines during this extensive cruise to remote beaches, iconic cities, and untouched villages throughout Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia. Meditate for a moment in silence amid fragrant, wood incense in an intricately crafted shrine in Okinawa, surrounded by raked gravel beds and verdant gardens. Slip past intricately handcrafted wooden boats, sleek family pleasure craft, and placid forested shorelines during a day-long cruise of Japan’s scenic Inland Sea. Browse high-end fashions in the shadows of towering residential high-rise buildings along Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan skyline. Savor the culinary magic of an exclusive Windstar Signature Cruise barbecue on a remote stretch of beach in pristine Hundred Islands Park in the Philippines. Observe massive Komodo dragons lumbering along the gravel shores of Komodo National Park near Loh Liang, Indonesia. Drift beneath the azure waves and float amid multihued splendors of tropical fish and endangered coral reefs throughout Triton Bay.

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Star Collector: The Grand Far East Adventure

Port to port

Kobe to Cairns

Duration

49 Days

Ornate ancient temples, vibrant village markets, verdant jungle coastlines, and endangered exotic wildlife beckon throughout this diverse and far-ranging 49-day cruise with unforgettable stops in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia. Stand on the riverbanks of the quiet Motoyasu River, steps away from the stark skeletal girders of the Atomic Bomb Dome, the closest surviving structure to Hiroshima’s atomic attack. Savor a delicious overnight stay beneath glowing paper lanterns in the midst of a thriving evening market in Keelung, Taiwan. Ride skyward aboard the Peak Tram funicular railway to lush, green Victoria Peak high above Hong Kong’s contemporary skyline. Lose yourself in the serenity of remote Indonesian islands. Sample rich and crunchy lumpia, spicy garlic adobo and sip tart, ginger-infused fish tinoloa broth served up by Manila’s street vendors. Meet oceanographers and gain insights on the future of Great Barrier Reef and Pacific Ocean marine life at the Lizard Island Research Station in Australia.

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Tasman Sea Treasures: New Zealand Fjords & South Australia

Port to port

Melbourne to Auckland

Duration

14 Days

Wines, wilderness and wildlife—iconic hallmarks throughout Australian and New Zealand scenic coastlines—are yours to explore during this 2-week cruise crossing the Tasman Sea. Browse specialty food shops and sample seasonal fruit and artisan cheeses at popular local eateries during a Tauranga foodie tour. Glide a sleek sea kayak amid seals and aquatic birds in the stunning natural beauty of the Marlborough Sounds near Picton. Venture among The Lord of the Rings film settings during a tour outside Wellington. Savor bright, South Island Sauvignon Blanc white wines and the red fruit flavors of Waipara Pinot Noirs while taking in vineyard views during a wine tour outside Lyttelton. Sail across Halfmoon Bay to the remote Mutton Bird Islands for glimpses of terns, yellow-eyed penguins and curious seals near Oban. Nibble on local chocolates, cheeses and truffles while admiring local artisan artistry on a delicious Tasmanian tour of Hobart’s seaside shops. Depart from convenient Melbourne, but not before capturing a penguin parade on Phillip Island.

Looking for more? Go in-land and combine the best of the land and sea with a Cruise Tour that includes this itinerary:

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Wildlife & Wines of New Zealand

Port to port

Auckland to Lyttelton (Christchurch)

Duration

12 Days

From subtropical Northland to the snowcapped fjords of the South Island, this exceptional ten-day cruise along New Zealand’s scenic island coasts contrasts contemagreedporary Kiwi culture with authentic Maori traditions. Stroll vineyard grounds and sample crisp Chardonnay and fruity Cabernet Franc in the cellars of a Hawke’s Bay Winery in New Zealand’s oldest and most acclaimed wine growing region. Search the waves for bobbing penguins against precipitous cliffs and snow-dusted ranges during a scenic cruise of picturesque Fjordland National Park. Indulge in famed hokey-pokey ice cream, a sweetly indulgent culinary Kiwi hallmark consisting of rich vanilla blended with honeycomb toffee chunks, and uncover the legends of Tangaroa, the Maori god of the sea, as you feed friendly stingray along the warm shorelines near Gisborne.

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