Sydney, Byron Bay & Cairns
December 28, 2008 – January 5, 2009  › Reserve Today

From the sexy city and world-class vineyards to the ultimate surfing paradise and tropical rainforest beaches, Maverick's Australia Adventure aims to introduce the "land as old as time" as an extraordinarily vibrant playground. The adventure's main objective is to provide an authentic Aussie experience: stylish and fun yet very down-to-earth, immersing in a culture defined by, and highly respectful of, incredible nature.

Our Australia Adventure combines four distinct experiences: four nights in cosmopolitan Sydney, a night in the premier wine country of Hunter Valley, two nights in the bohemian chic Byron Bay (ideal for surfing, kayaking and yoga), and if you choose to add, three nights in Port Douglas to experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, the only natural wonder that can be seen from space.

Please check back soon for more details!

2008 trips with final itineraries, pricing, dates and details will be available by mid-summer. If you want to be the first to receive notification, trip details and special offers on our Australia Adventure, please › Request trip announcement today.

DAYS 1-3: BYRON BAY (3 nights)
Piemonte is the northwestern region of Italy, bordering France and the Swiss Alps. The hills of southern Piemonte produce many of the great Italian red wines, most importantly, Barolo, made from the rich and fascinating Nebbiolo grape. Among the gorgeous landscapes of hills and medieval villages, the discerning gourmet will find an abundance of priceless pleasures: truffles, risotto and tonda e gentile, a variety of hazelnut grown only in the Langhe area.


Our time in Barolo will include visits to the Ceretto estates, La Morra and Castello di Barolo where our group will meet several lauded winemakers. These visits will showcase the breadth of the Barolo and Barbaresco wines, from the traditional to more modern. The estates themselves reflect this variety.



For part of our transfer from the Barolo area down to Florence, we will travel by private boat: beginning in the ultra-chic harbor of Portofino to cruise along the breathtaking Cinque Terre coastline - the most beautiful piece of Liguria with steep cliffs covered with endless terraces of vineyards and olive groves. For lunch, we anchor in Vernazza (one of the five villages in the Cinque Terre) and stop by a traditional foccaceria to discover the 3 key ingredients of Ligurian cuisine: olive oil, pine nuts and basil. After that delicious lunch, we board the boat again, take our last photos, and catch up with our bus in Porto Venere to head inland to Florence.

DAYS 4-7: SYDNEY (4 nights)
Located in the northern part of the Tuscany region, Florence is famous for the wealth of its artistic and cultural heritage — a living museum holding the world's greatest Renaissance treasures. Beyond Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello, and Brunelleschi, Florence is also renowned for leather and fashion goods (home to Salvatore Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli, among others), Renaissance gardens and exquisite cuisine.


The Florence itinerary will feature numerous options for museum visits, architectural walking tours, music concerts, shopping (we know the top-notch boutiques, culinary accessories shop, and premier vendors at il mercato centrale) and even dancing — the difficult part will be deciding how you want to spend your time. You will not want to miss our special Tuscan wine-tasting at Maverick's favorite enoteca, led by one of Florence's top wine gurus.

DAYS 9-10: VENICE (Veneto region)
Venice is perhaps one of the most unique and still most intriguing cities in the world — no small feat for a city that has architecturally remained unchanged for more than 200 years. Maverick will take you away from the millions of tourists to experience the rich history, high style and sophisticated food and wine of this magical city. The itinerary includes a very special evening boat ride: The Vices & Mysteries of Venice.

Byron Bay
The Byron at Byron Bay, a 92-room resort, welcomes our group to the eastern most point of the Australian continent.


Sydney
Establishment

Australia Adventure
This tour is designed for anyone who loves great food and wine, yet wants to go beyond the typical culinary tour. We will have guests who are enogastronomic enthusiasts and others who simply know what tastes good.



Typical Maverick Guests
We design our trips and events for adults 25 to 55, and our groups are a great mix of singles, couples, solo travelers and friends — our active, social and adventure travel itineraries are designed for today's urban professionals who want it all.



Our Style of Travel
What is most important is that each traveler embrace the Maverick style of travel — we may have later mornings and definitely later nights than a typical tour, we choose stylish boutique hotels over the Four Seasons, we emphasize more active pursuits over cheesy walking tours, and we embrace authentic, local traditions over run-of-the-mill tourist experiences.

While we plan for a lot of "activity" on our itineraries, we strive for a constant element of flexibility and spontaneity. In other words, you have a lot of choice. Prefer to soak in the hotel's Turkish sauna over a museum visit? Fine. Prefer to spend the entire afternoon relaxing on a local beach? Fine as well (some of us may join you). With smaller groups, Maverick trips aim to give you the sense you are simply traveling with a group of friends.

The cost for the Australia Adventure (Spring 2008):

• $3,450 per person, double occupany
  
• +$850 per person, single occupancy
• 7 nights
• Meet: Sydney Airport (SYD)

• $4,475 per person, double occupany
  
• +$975 per person, single occupancy
• 8 nights
• Meet / Depart: Sydney Airport (SYD)

Pricing above is for 2007. Final dates and pricing for 2008 will be online soon.

• Premier accommodations for the duration of the trip
• Taxes and gratuities for accommodations
• All arrival and departure transfers, as specified on the Trip Itinerary & Planner
• All transportation that is part of the group itinerary, including boats, private cars, charter buses and trains
• All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, wine tastings and other culinary experiences as specified on the program's Trip Itinerary & Planner
• All pre-planned group excursions, activities and events, including tickets, guides, classes, equipment, meals and transport

Availability:
There is currently availability for this adventure.

How to Reserve:
If you are ready to reserve your spot today, simply go to Reserve Now to complete the easy and secure online reservations process.

If you need to speak with a Maverick travel consultant, please contact us via phone (888-628-2386) or email info@maverickadventures.com.

Please enjoy the following articles:

› Summer In Sydney - Sydney’s Beachside Cuisine – The New York Times (February 24, 2008)

› Sydney’s Rock Pools – The New York Times (February 24, 2008)

› Australia’s Bohemian Heart – The New York Times (September 23, 2007)

› Sydney, Asia – Travel+Leisure (July 2007)

› Byron Bay: Making Waves Down Under – Travel+Leisure (June 2006)

› Byron Bay – World's Sexiest Beach – The Sydney Morning Herald (December, 2006)

› 36 Hours in Sydney – The New York Times (November 12, 2006)

› Byron Bay: Australia’s New Age Wonder Beach Town – GoNomad.com