Small Ship AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND CRUISES

Experience Unique Wildlife, Sealife & So Much More

Explore Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania by land and sea, and you’ll discover a whole new meaning to the term wild life—including a memorable sunset penguin parade on Australia’s Philip Island. Windstar gets you up close and personal with countless species from wombats, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies to wedge-tailed shearwaters, black swans, manta rays, and killer whales—you can even hug a koala in Mooloolaba. But that’s just the beginning. This unique region offers up icons like the Great Barrier Reef, the famed Sydney Opera House, Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks, Freycinet National Park’s Wineglass Bay, Fjordland National Park, and the home of The Hobbit. Windstar also takes you down the road less traveled to immerse you in the area’s intriguing convict history, traditional Maori culture, and incredible wine country. Sip your way from Australia’s Yarra Valley to New Zealand’s esteemed Marlborough region and the Gisborne wine trail. Wine, wildlife and natural wonders await you Down Under.

Windstar Knows the Way to Australia & New Zealand

Dive the Great Barrier Reef into waters every shade of blue. Cruise fiords surrounded by every shade of green. Sip fine wines born of volcanic soil, austral sunshine, and ocean breezes off the Tasman Sea. Find yourself at the Sydney Opera House one day, in a tiny Indigenous community learning to play the didgeridoo or chanting a Haka the next. Head off the beaten path to undeveloped islands where the only way ashore is to beach your Zodiac and walk through the surf, what we call “wet landings.” See all the weird and wonderful creatures you’ve heard so much about and make the walkabout your own.

The Spirit of the Walkabout

SURF BOARDS AND FIORDS. Penal colonies and penguins. Flightless kiwi birds and kiwi fruit with fur. The Land Down Under is full of conundrums for you to explore as Windstar pays its inaugural visit to Australia and New Zealand.

Get Closer

Visit small, rarely visited ports of call like Middle Percy Island, and Thursday Island

More Time, More Exploration

Overnight in exhilarating cities like Wellington, and Sydney, plus a late-night departure in Melbourne

Wild Wildlife

You’ll discover a whole new meaning to the term wild life—including a memorable sunset penguin parade on Australia’s Philip Island. Windstar gets you up close and personal with countless species from wombats, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies to wedge-tailed shearwaters, black swans, manta rays, and killer whales—you can even hug a koala in Mooloolaba.

Featured Port: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

When most people think of Tasmania they think of lush foliage, wilderness, and crazy wildlife. And it’s true — you’ll find all that here. But in Hobart you’ll also find a sophisticated farm-to-table food scene, fine local wines and craft beers, perfectly preserved Georgian warehouses, and nearby, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Port Arthur, a historic penal facility used by the British Empire until 1877. That’s a lot of attractions for a tiny island state, and makes for some difficult choices when you come ashore.

Shore Excursion Must-Do: Countryside & Private Home Visit (Napier, New Zealand)

Fertile soil and a temperate climate have made the picturesque Hawke’s Bay countryside one of New Zealand’s leading wine producers, and you’ll have the chance to taste some splendid organic wines at a boutique winery before exploring the Puketapu and Dartmoor growing regions. After your tasting, head to Horsford Downs to meet your hosts Hamish and Diane, and join them for light refreshments in their beautifully landscaped garden.