You never know what you might run into in Australia: Cute koalas. Cavorting kangaroos. Clip-clopping camels . . . with tail lights!
I didn’t make that up, folks.
A century ago, camels were brought to Australia as pack animals. Nowadays, their progeny are a tourist attraction in some parts of the country, taking visitors on sunset rides along beaches in Broome, for instance. These camels trod the same roads that drivers use. To ensure that no one gets rear-ended–particularly since there’s a real rear-end involved–local tour operators outfit their camels with battery-operated bicycle tail lights. It sure beats risking road rage.
Welcome to Australia, a wacky, weird and wonderful place that’s not labeled the Land of Oz for nothing. In fact, for jaded passengers who may yawn at the suggestion of another winter cruise in the Caribbean, Australia may be an alluring alternative. When winter hits the Northern Hemisphere, Australia enjoys Austral summer, so the best time to visit the Land Down Under (as in, under the equator) is December through March.
Let’s face it, though, we are talking a continent here. Australia is big–nearly the size of the United States, with almost 30,000 miles of coastline (but only 18 million people). It’s also far away–about a 14-hour flight from the our West Coast. At first blush it hardly seems possible to make a dent in such a vast region.
True enough. Nonetheless, a number of cruise lines endeavor to make the most out of two or three weeks there, calling at lots of places in a little amount of time, said Mimi Weisband of Crystal Cruises.
There are plenty of reasons to visit. Australia boasts some of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, sophisticated arts and culture and pristine natural beauty. It also is perceived as safe, easy, friendly and comfortable, Weisband said. Besides, Australians speak English. Well, some form of it, anyway.
Australia once was part of a colossal land mass–a great supercontinent called Gondwanaland that included Antarctica, Africa, South America and India. When Australia broke away 65 million years ago, unique wildlife evolved in total isolation on the continent. Aside from familiar oddities such as Crocodile Dundee, Australia has koalas, wallabies, wallaroos, bandicoots, frill-neck lizards and Tasmanian devils–not to mention the world’s only egg-laying mammals and fish that can breathe above and below water.
Australia also happens to harbor 11 natural wonders on the list of World Heritage Sites: It has tropical rain forests, a rugged outback and dazzling reef systems (some cruises ply the Great Barrier Reef, known as the world’s largest living organism). Australia’s Aboriginal tradition stretches back 40,000 years, and some cruises permit time to visit sacred monoliths such as Ayer’s Rock.
Primarily, ships visit Melbourne, Cairns and New South Wales (Australia’s most populous state and home to Sydney). However, the continent’s proximity to New Zealand and the South Pacific islands amplifies cruising options; a number of lines combine Australia with New Zealand’s stunning landscape and Maori heritage. All prices are based on per person, double occupancy.
Orient Lines’ Marco Polo is sailing its fifth season Down Under. Depending on itinerary, cruises start as low as $2,295 (ranging to $13,950); air add-ons from Los Angeles to Sydney are $495. For singles, Orient offers a guaranteed-share program (or levies a low 25 percent supplement for most cabin categories). A 16-day Australia/New Zealand cruise/tour includes three nights in Sydney, two nights in Auckland and an overnight in Christchurch.
Incidentally, some years ago, Marco Polo became the first foreign-flag vessel granted permission to operate solely within New Zealand’s territorial waters. Cabotage laws similar to the U.S. Jones Act previously had prohibited such cruises there. Marco Polo now sails 12-day New Zealand-only routes, making a figure-eight path around the two-island nation.
Luckily, ships that sail Australia offer a range of cruising styles to suit every taste and pocketbook: Seabourn’s Legend; Holland America’s Rotterdam VI and Nieuw Amsterdam; Cunard’s QE2 and Royal Viking Sun; Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess; Silversea’s Silver Wind; P&O’s Oriana and Arcadia; Orient’s Marco Polo and Crystal Harmony. All cruises sail between November and March.
Nevertheless, if you’re contemplating cruising this continent, travel experts advise that you plan to add land stays to your cruise, particularly if the cruise begins or ends in Sydney or Melbourne. Most lines conveniently offer the opportunity to do so, with rosters of variable-length pre- or post-cruise options.
Crystal, Holland America and Silversea recently bolstered their Australia itineraries. Until now, Crystal Harmony offered an Australia segment only on its world cruise (it was the first segment to sell out, Weisband said); this fall, however, Harmony will inaugurate a series of three 11-day voyages between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand, departing Nov. 7, 18 and 29. Fares start at $5,420; air add-ons are from $300 to $600, depending on your coast of departure.
Similarly, Holland America’s Rotterdam VI offers an Australia segment during its world cruise. But the Nieuw Amsterdam also has a series of cruises from fall ’98 through spring ’99. A 16-day Christmas cruise from Sydney to Auckland starts at $4,041, cruise only; 14-day cruises between Auckland and Sydney start at $2,866, cruise only.
Silversea launched Australia/New Zealand cruises last year and offers 12- to 16-day voyages on Silver Wind. Virtually all port calls are a comparatively lengthy eight hours, plus itineraries include a precruise overnight in Cairns and a postcruise overnight in Auckland. Silversea rates, from $8,095, include air fare, pre-cruise hotel, all on-board beverages, port charges, gratuities and transfers.
In addition to vessels that visit here, Australia has its own cruise line, Captain Cook Cruises, a 25-year-old company with a fleet that covers the country’s waterways. Nine sightseeing vessels cruise Sydney harbor, letting passengers hop on and off as they like, reboarding the next boat. The line also operates Australia’s version of a Mississippi paddle wheeler, which plies the Murray River, cruising from Adelaide to the Barossa Valley (a wine-producing region with a German culinary tradition).
Captain Cook Cruises’ 150-passenger vessel, the Reef Endeavour, makes three-, four- and seven-night cruises from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef (see story on Page 1). The ship carries four reef-expedition craft, and a marine naturalist is aboard all sailings. The vessel has air-conditioned staterooms, a pool, library, gym and lounges. Fares for three-night cruises start at about $660 (transfers are extra). For more information, call 888-292-2775 or access the Web site at www.captcookcrus.com.au
Given Australia’s size, deciding what you want to see can be daunting. Two booklets from the Australian Tourist Commission may help: Australia Come Discover (24 pages) and Australia Vacation Planner, a 91-page tract offering in-depth information on Australia’s eight states and territories. For copies, call 800-369-6863.
If your cruise line arranges your air transportation, be sure to request an “air deviation.” This may cost you about $50 more, but it allows you to make special requests, in this case for the most direct flight instead of having multiple stopovers. Also, remember to enroll in a frequent-flier program; you’ll rack up lots of miles.
Finally, make sure that your flight dates match your cruise. You cross many time zones plus the international dateline to get there.
