The Kaufman/Brand family from Nyack, NY traveled Down Under for a 3-week adventure through New Zealand and Australia.  The mother/daughter duo visited nine different destinations to highlight each country’s unique wildlife, topography, and culture!  The trip included Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, and Queenstown, New Zealand along with Melbourne, Cairns, Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, and Sydney in Australia.  We used a tour operator due to the complexity of this tour which included flights (international and domestic), transfers, hotels, tours, experiences, and more.  But the tour was customized to meet their needs, interest, and budget.  Some of the unique experiences in New Zealand that were included in their package were the Waitomo Caves to see the glow worms and the Hobbiton movie set on the way from Auckland to Rotorua; an eco-thermal tour of Rotorua to see volcanoes, geysers, boiling mud pool, and hot springs; dinner in a Maori village and a cruise on gorgeous Milford Sound.  The itinerary allowed plenty of free time to explore on their own as well.  In Australia, their favorite highlights were day trips from Melbourne that included a drive along the Great Ocean Road and a Philip Island tour to watch the penguin parade.  They also experienced Great Barrier Reef snorkeling, the Kurunda Railway, and separate sunset and sunrise experiences at Uluru.  They added a tour at Uluru on their last morning to see Kata Tjuta (the Olgas).  They also added a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney where they witnessed a baby koala come out of its mother’s pouch and fed kangaroos and wallabies.  Other memorable experiences: getting wrapped up in the Women’s World Cup excitement by attending a match in Sydney and also watching the Aussies win at Fan Central.  They enjoyed all of their deluxe hotels and stayed at hotels by Pullman, MSocial, Crowne Plaza, and a few smaller chains.  All but the Queenstown hotel were in the city centers. They let us know that they both really loved the trip and had an excellent time!