Beach, Rock and Reef Down Under

A Classic Family Summer in Australia

DAY 1 Exploring Sydney

Get up and at it this morning as you'll want to spend as much time as possible exploring this iconic city. Meet your guide at your hotel and head out for a tour of the city, spotting some of the most famous sights and a few sneaky locals' haunts too. Your guide will be well used to catering for kiddies and can tailor the tour to suit your family. After the tour, stop for lunch in a restaurant recommended by your guide or our detailed destination Dossier and then head towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge (or 'the coathanger', as it's known to locals) for this afternoon's very special climbing activity. Suitable for everyone from eight up, this is a really amazing family activity which will see you fully kitted up and ascending the arch of this world famous bridge to enjoy some seriously spectacular views of the harbour and Sydney Opera House from the top. Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a real once in a lifetime experience and kicks the holiday off with quite a bang. Those with no head for heights could head instead to Bondi for an afternoon spent on the beach watching the surfers.

DAY 2 To the Red Centre

Pack up your things this morning and meet a driver in reception for the transfer back to Sydney Airport. Once you arrive, board your three-and-a-half-hour flight to Ayers Rock. When you land the first thing you'll notice is how different the landscape is. As so often in Australia, even after a short flight it can feel like arriving in an entirely new world. Gone are the blues and greens of Sydney to be replaced by the beautiful burning reds and burnt oranges of the aptly named Red Centre. Take it all in on your private transfer from the airport to your hotel and then spend the afternoon at leisure, getting to know your new surroundings.

DAY 3 Heading North

Say goodbye to the Red Centre this morning and make your way up to the equally descriptively known Top End. You'll start the journey with a private transfer back to Ayres Rock airport where you can catch a flight to Darwin, stopping briefly at Alice Springs en route. After around a four-hour total journey you will land in Darwin to be met by one of our team on the ground. Pile into your private transfer car and head two hours out of Darwin to the edge of Kakadu National Park and your next lodge. The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend exploring.

DAY 4 Discover the Big Blue

Your last day in Australia calls for something pretty epic, and so we have arranged for you to spend a full day cruising and snorkelling on the world's largest coral reef system. As the largest living thing on earth The Great Barrier Reef has rightly earned a place on the list of natural wonders of the world. Your day starts as you are picked up and driven to the marina for an early morning departure on a custom designed boat. Over the course of the day you'll be briefed and taught how to snorkel properly by the expert, friendly crew, all the while enjoying some of the best coral and marine life in the world.

The children will love that the onboard marine biologist will come snorkelling with you and can often even hand you a creature or two to inspect, and Mum and Dad will love seeing your little ones so excited.

There's plenty of time for cold drinks on board and a fresh buffet lunch during the day too, so in between snorkelling and swimming you can finish topping up your tans and enjoying the endless blue views. After docking back on dry land, spend your final evening enjoying dinner all together under the stars.