Skanda Holidays
Discover Tasmania’s land of pristine wilderness, rich colonial heritage and Aboriginal culture. Enjoy one of Australia’s most scenic drives, the Great Ocean Road. Experience the sunrise over Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), one of the most iconic natural landmarks. Explore the fascinating landscapes and diverse wildlife of Kakadu National Park.
Discover the World Heritage treasures of Blue Mountains National Park and the breathtaking natural wonders of the Jenolan Caves. Nestled on the western side of the Blue Mountains, this extensive network of limestone caves and above-ground arches are Australia’s most impressive. Pass by the Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush Bay. Climb the western mountain highway via the sleepy townships Blaxland, Wentworth, Lawson and Katoomba the quaint capital of the Blue Mountains National Park, a getaway destination for holiday-makers. Enjoy views over stunning eucalypt forests and age-old rock formations as you travel through the scenic Blue Mountains, learn ancient Aboriginal Dreamtime interpretations of the creation of the world. Enjoy a stop at Echo Point and see the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Enter the Grand Arch at Jenolan Caves, hiding place of sparkling limestone caverns. Take in the beauty of the region and see the mysterious Blue Lake. Join an informative and fully guided Cave tour through the Lucas Cave.
This tour is the ideal introduction to Sydney, it includes major highlights and a guided tour of Australia’s most iconic building , the Sydney Opera House. Your tour highlights all the city’s major landmarks – Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Sydney’s birthplace, Parliament House, Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral, Art Gallery of NSW and the Domain. You will travel through the exclusive Eastern suburbs of Double Bay and Vaucluse to The Gap for stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the Heads before arriving at the famous Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s favourite beaches. Finally you will return to the city via the historic and trendy suburb of Paddington to the Opera House where you will join a comprehensive guided tour of this famous building.
Start the morning by seeing spectacular views of Hobart, the Derwent River and Kingston, Hobart’s fastest growing town. Skirt the D’Entrecasteaux Channel noted for its aquaculture developments. Pass through the tiny town of Snug and into the boating village of Kettering. Drive onto the ferry for the crossing to Bruny Island. Board a cruise at stunning adventure bay. Wildlife and panoramic views abounds on Bruny Island. The monument, nature’s cathedral – stark 300 metre high Jurassic dolerite cliffs. Breathtaking rock the spectacle of an explosive blow hole. Look for Sea Eagles nest and view the pristine untouched rainforest and beaches. Stunning sea caves and rock formations. Explore Friar Rocks – home to over a thousand Australian Fur Seals and sea bird nesting areas. Look for dolphins and walk to a secluded tessellated pavement on a pristine white sandy beach.
A full day tour of the best of Tasmania. See Port Arthur and the surrounds in this amazing deluxe tour. Rich in visual history, the Port Arthur Historic Site evokes a powerful sense of our past convict era and early Australian settlement heritage. Sitting tranquilly amidst English oaks and gardens, Port Arthur is a harsh contrast to the beauty of the Tasman Peninsula. Highlights on the tour include the historic convict site, royal botanic gardens, government house, eaglehawk neck and the superb views of the rugged coastline. Guided walking tour of the historic convict site in Port Arthur and then cruise on Carnarvon Bay to the Isle of the Dead. Enjoy more spectacular views on your return trip to Hobart.
Full day tour of Great Ocean road. See some of the most spectacular coastal scenery on Earth, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks and the Gibson’s Steps, site of a historic clifflines.Enjoy the views of the city and Port Phillip Bay as you cross the Westgate Bridge. You will pass through Geelong on the way to the Surf Coast and the world’s premier surfing spot of Bells Beach. Continuing along the Great Ocean Road. A stop will be made at Kennet River township to locate local koalas in their native habitat. Your tour then continues through the spectacular Otway Ranges, here you have the opportunity to walk through the cool temperate rainforest. Then it’s on to Port Campbell National Park and it’s iconic array of rock formations. You will be awestruck by the majestic monoliths of the Twelve Apostles before returning back to Melbourne.
Sit back and allow the experts to introduce Victoria’s most visited region. The Yarra Valley is irresistible, with its majestic hills and mountains of the Great Dividing Ranges. Recognised as one of the world’s great wine growing regions, you will experience fine local produce and breathtaking scenery during the tour. Your first visit will be the Yering Station Vineyards. Start the day by learning how to swirl, sniff and slurp and you’ll be ready to taste some wines. Then off to lunch at Ray’s Restaurant located in Balgownie Estate. Enjoy a high quality restaurant lunch with a glass of Balgownie Estate wine to compliment the meal. After lunch we continue to Yering Farm. The cellar door proudly showcases antique cooper tools used by pioneer wine makers over a century ago. Our last winery visit is the Domaine Chandon. This is the perfect way to finish the day with a guided tour through the winery that shows how the wine is made, followed by a relaxing glass of Australia’s best bubbly with tasty light platters and a view that will leave you in awe.
We travel to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Here, we enjoy a guided wildlife walk where we have the opportunity to meet and hand-feed many species of native Australian animals. Learn about iconic species such as kangaroos, koalas, emus & wallabies, as well as some of our lesser known favourites including quolls, owls, bandicoots & Tasmanian devils. A visit to Point Grant and The Nobbies gives us an opportunity to enjoy views over Westernport Bay and Bass Strait, including Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest population of fur seals. Where just after dark every night the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore after spending the day fishing out at sea.
Rise early this morning to travel to Talinguru Nyakunytjaku in Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park. Watch the first rays of the sun rise the Red Centre alight while enjoying a warming cup of tea or coffee. Then travel to the mystical 36 domes of Kata Tjuta. On the way enjoy panoramic views of the southern side of Kata Tjuta before arriving at the base of Walpa Gorge. Spend some time exploring the gorge and the unusual conglomerate rock formations. The walking trail through Walpa Gorge follows the natural creek between two of the tallest domes of Kata Tjuta.
Early morning Travel from Ayers Rock Resort to Kings Canyon, stopping for breakfast at Kings Creek Station (included) along the way. Make the rocky climb to the rim of the canyon for marvellous views of Watarrka National Park. Follow the rim of the canyon stopping to look down into the canyon gorge at look-out points. Time permitting, you may choose to descend into the green oasis of the ‘Garden of Eden’. The circuit walk takes approximately 3 hours to complete and is rocky and steep in parts. It is recommended for those with a good level of fitness. Alternatively, you may wish to take an easier, shorter walk to explore the boulder strewn canyon floor. On arrival Alice Spring check in at hotel Double tree by Hilton.
Explore the West MacDonnell Ranges on a full-day tour. This one day 4WD safari travels through the West MacDonnell Ranges to Hermannsburg, an Aboriginal community and historic precinct which is renowned for its Aboriginal art collection and the works of Albert Namatjira. Either morning or afternoon tea is provided in Hermannsburg. Travel down the bed of the Finke River, one of oldest water courses in the world, into Palm Valley. See spectacular rock forms, white sands and an oasis of rock pools and palm trees. Some plants such as the cycad and ‘Livistonia Mariae’ (cabbage palm) are known world-wide as relic plants and are unique to Central Australia. Visit the spectacular rock formation known as the Ampitheatre. Enjoy a picnic lunch within the Finke Gorge National Park. On the return journey, relax and enjoy the changing colours of the magnificent West MacDonnell Ranges in the afternoon light.
Kakadu National Park is a timeless place, a landscape of exceptional beauty and diversity. Mangrove fringed coastal areas blend into expansive flood plains, lowland hills flanked to the east by sandstone escarpments, all interwoven between various open woodland and forest habitats. You travel on the Arnhem Highway across the Adelaide River and Marrakai Plains. Stop at Nourlangie to view ancient Aboriginal rock art. After lunch you cruise the famous Yellow Water Billabong. Visit the Warradjan Cultural Centre with informative displays depicting the traditions of the Aboriginal people in Kakadu.
Morning we travel south passing former World War II airstrips en route to Adelaide River. A short stop to view the Adelaide River War Cemetery, a site dedicated to those killed in the attacks on Darwin in the 1940’s. Travel to Nitmiluk National Park for your guided cruise on Katherine Gorge. Opportunity to see Crocodiles sunning on the banks and interesting species of birdlife. The first two gorges takes us past sheer rock walls and of flora and fauna. The second gorge requires a short walk before boarding a second cruise vessel. A picnic lunch is included before taking a brief tour of Katherine. We have an afternoon break at Edith Falls. There is time for a refreshing swim in the crystal pool beneath the falls.
After breakfast, take a scenic rail journey up to the rainforest village of Kuranda, where you can explore the stunning scenery, take a memorable journey on the skyrail. Visit the award winning Rainforestation Nature Park to experience the Dreamtime Walk and a performance of the Pamagirri Aboriginal Dancers in the rainforest amphitheatre and take a tour of the rainforest by amphibious army duck. Learn about the rainforest ecosystem from both land and water as your guide explains the vast array of flora and fauna. Then onto the Wildlife Park and observe Australian animals such as crocodiles, snakes & wombats, hand feed the friendly Kangaroos. Relax over a delicious barbecue lunch before you go back to Cairns on the Kuranda Scenic Rail.
We depart Cairns and cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef on a 25 metre high-performance catamaran, enjoying morning tea along the way. First stop is the beautiful Michaelmas Cay where most of our water activities take place, including snorkelling tour assisted by our very own Marine Naturalist for new or nervous snorkeler. All snorkelling equipment is provided and you also have the option of scuba diving (at own expense) in the crystal clear waters. After lunch depart to Breaking Patches (Paradise Reef Mooring) where you have time to snorkel, dive (at own expenses)
Your day starts in Mossman Gorge, where you will be treated to a guided rainforest walk along private, easy graded tracks, visiting special places and culturally significant sites, past traditional bark shelters and over cool rainforest streams. Your experienced interpretive Indigenous guides demonstrate traditional plant use, identify bush tucker sources, share their dreamtime legends, explain the history of cave paintings and provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationships within this unique tropical environment. The next stop is at Mossman where your driver/guide will point out the highlights of Australia’s most northern sugar town. Here you will enjoy lunch overlooking the Mossman River. The tour then continues with a cruise along the Daintree river, home to birds, unique plants and the estuarine crocodile. The last stop on the tour is at Port Douglas where you will enjoy a short tour of the historical town.
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All our holiday packages are flight inclusive tours, we also do ground only tours should you wish to arrange your own air tickets, perhaps you might want to redeem your favourite airline loyalty points. Or you might want only a few elements of the tour, talk to us we will guide you the best, trust us we are experts in what we do. We tailor make holidays to what you want and not what we have, so you sit back and relax, we’ll take care of all your holiday arrangements.
