AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Jan 9 – 30, 2026
PRICE
$7,320
DURATION
22 DAYS | 21 NIGHTS
GROUP MAX
10 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Summertime, 70F-85F
TOUR OVERVIEW
Australia: 10 DAYS. Climb over Sydney Harbor Bridge. Watch surfers at Bondi Beach. Hold a koala. Go snorkeling at Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy spectacular sunset and sunrise at Uluru (Ayers Rock). Visit Victorian College for the Deaf, the oldest deaf school in operation since 1860, in Melbourne. See the penguin parade at Phillip Island.
New Zealand: 12 DAYS. Stunning natural wonders, charming towns, and more sheep than people on land. Be in awe of Queenstown and its surrounding landscapes. Learn about Maori culture. Understand what happened at Waitangi Treaty Grounds. See volcanoes, boiling mud and geysers near Rotorua. Feast your eyes upon glowworms inside Waitomo Caves.
TOUR LEADER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$7,320
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrival into Sydney. Your guide will meet you at the airport, and take you to hotel to rest up. Welcome dinner. Stay in Sydney for 3 nights.
DAY 2 • • •
We do a grand tour of Sydney, including the City Hall, Opera House, The Rocks, Darling Habour and boat tour around Sydney Harbour.
DAY 3 • • •
Relax and explore Sydney with optional activities – shopping, Taronga Zoo, Surry Hill Galleries as well as Oxford and William Streets. Also a chance of swimming at Bondi Beach. OPTIONAL: Do the amazing BridgeClimb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (which would take approximately 3.5 hours).
DAY 4 • • •
We fly west to Yulara. Walk around the sacred site of Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock). Evening sunset of Uluru. Weather permitting, we experience a 3 course dinner under the stars. Overnight in Yulara.
DAY 5 • • •
Rise early to see the sunrise of Uluru. Learn about Aborigines at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Then fly east to Brisbane. Overnight in Brisbane.
DAY 6 • • •
Morning visit at a koala sanctuary. Get the opportunity to hold a koala and see kangaroos. Then fly north to Cairns. Swim at the saltwater lagoon on the esplanade. Stay in Cairns for 3 nights.
DAY 7 • • •
Ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. Get the opportunity to feed parrots and watch butterflies. Free time to walk around town. Return via Kuranda Scenic Railway.
DAY 8 • • •
Today, we have some optional activities: 1) An all day catamaran boat trip to a floating deck at the Great Barrier Reef for some diving and/or snorkeling as well as riding in a semi-submersible. 2) Go skydiving. 3) Take a hike to Glacier Rock Lookout or Behana Gorge Waterfall. 4) Go sea kayaking. 5) Free leisure time.
DAY 9 • • •
Fly down to Melbourne in the morning. Free time for lunch and shopping. By late afternoon, we head down to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade at dusk (as they arrive back to shore from spending all day feeding in the ocean). Stay in Melbourne for 2 nights.
DAY 10 • • •
See the colorful bathing boxes at Brighton Beach. Visit the Victorian College for the Deaf, established by a deaf man in 1860. Free time in the afternoon and evening.
DAY 11 • • •
We fly out to Queenstown. Drive for 2 hours to Te Anau to check into hotel. Take a lakeside stroll to town for a pizza dinner. Overnight in Te Anau.
DAY 12 • • •
Rise up early and take a morning cruise at Milford Sound. Return to Queenstown. Be sure not to miss the one and the only Fergburger for dinner. Stay in Queenstown for 3 nights.
DAY 13 • • •
Morning drive on breath-taking scenic Glenorchy route. Lunch at the quaint Glenorchy Cafe. OPTIONAL: thrilling ride on Shotover Jet boat, sky-diving, hot-air ballooning, trail-walking, fishing, shopping, bungee jumping, boating and more.
DAY 14 • • •
Drive to visit two charming towns, Wanaka and Arrowtown. In the late afternoon, we take a Skyline gondola to Bob’s Peak for dinner with awe-spiring views as well as take up a thrilling luge ride (for all ages).
DAY 15 • • •
We fly north to Auckland late in the morning. Then drive 1.5 hours south to Hamilton.
DAY 16 • • •
After breakfast, we take a 1.5 hour drive to Otorohanga to see kiwi birds. Waitomo Caves and ride on an underground boat to see thousands of glowworms, then Ruakuri Cave. Drive 2 hours to Rotorua. Stay in Rotorua for 2 nights.
DAY 17 • • •
See boiling mud and exploding geysers at Waiotapu. Then a scenic ride down south to visit beautiful Lake Taupo, including Aratiatia Rapids and Huka Falls. Eat huge prawns for lunch. Return to Rotorua. Experience an exciting Maori performance dinner.
DAY 18 • • •
In the morning, we visit Hobbiton in Matamata. After lunch, we head back to Auckland. Overnight in Auckland.
DAY 19 • • •
Ride to famous Northland area into seaside town, Paihia, in beautiful Bay of Islands. Visit historic site where Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Relax and explore Paihia and its surroundings. Stay in Paihia for 2 nights.
DAY 20 • • •
Ride on the sandy 90 Mile Beach to the “Top of New Zealand” where the Cape Reinga lighthouse is. Go sandboarding. Marvel the unique seascape.
DAY 21 • • •
After breakfast, we return to Auckland. Free time in afternoon in downtown Auckland. Dinner at a restaurant on North Wharf. Stay in Auckland for 1 night.
DAY 22 • • •
Free time in the morning before our farewell lunch at Sky Tower. Then head to the airport for your evening flights.
- 21 nights in 3-star accommodations.
- 15 meals: breakfast (8), Lunch (2), Dinner (3)
- Services of a deaf Tour Leader on call 24 hours a day.
- Services of local deaf and/or hearing guides.
- All transportation expenses.
- All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
- Most tips, except for your Tour Leader.
- Informative travel preparation packet.
- $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
- Domestic and/or international airfares.
- Australia ETA visa (currently AUD $20 = USD $13)
- New Zealand ETA visa (currently NZD $52 = USD $32)
- All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
- Travel Insurance
- Any COVID-19 related tests.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR MANAGER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$7,320
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$7,320
DURATION
22 DAYS | 21 NIGHTS
GROUP MAX
10 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Summertime, 70F-85F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
