In the Dreamtime of Aboriginal mythology, god-like ancestors left their marks on the Australian landscape, among them the sacred rock Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) outside of Alice Springs, towering alone in an empty plain. 1,200 feet high and two miles long, this sandstone island somehow survived when the mountain range it was a part of eroded away… and its peculiar composition causes it to change color dramatically at different times of the day, a mystical effect which is bound to work its magic on you as you stand awestruck in its shadow and mystery.
Melbourne maintains one of the largest tramcar networks in the world… and since you can get just about anywhere by tram, there’s no more stylish way to see the sights in this sophisticated city than aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. This is one of a fleet of vintage streetcars restored and retrofitted with a kitchen and two saloons decorated in lavish Pullman-style, accentuated by velvet and brass; watch an eclectic landscape of urban towers, leafy boulevards and ornate Victorian townhouses pass by in evening’s glow, with a cool libation close at hand and as you dine on fine Australian cuisine.
The Haka is a traditional Maori group dance that can be exciting and unnerving to watch… the entire body is an instrument involving thigh slapping, dramatic gestures, distorted facial expressions, and aggressive guttural singing. Warriors used it in bygone days to raise their adrenalin and frighten their enemies before a battle, and these days the All Blacks New Zealand rugby team famously performs a warlike haka dance before every match. But the haka isn’t just about scaring the living daylights out of people as you’ll learn in a demonstration of this ancient celebratory custom at the Te Puia Maori Cultural Center in Rotorua. Experience Australia with Tauck Tours
List of Australia & New Zealand tours:
New! Grand Australia & New Zealand
Spotlight on Australia
Spotlight on New Zealand
