Australia and New Zealand with Shauna

• In order to enter Australia and New Zealand, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
• We recommend having at least two blank passport pages for entry stamps.
• U.S. and Canadian passport holders must purchase an individual visa from the Australian government’s Electronic Travel Authority mobile app. Alternatively, you can apply for an eVisa or traditional visa in advance. To do so, visit the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs and follow our walkthrough guide. For additional assistance, you may use a third-party provider like VisaCentral—however, these services charge a fee in addition to the cost of your visa.
• U.S. and Canadian passport holders must purchase an individual visa and pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy on the New Zealand government’s Electronic Travel Authority website nzeta.immigration.govt.nz prior to departure.
• If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.

• Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Melbourne and depart from Auckland.
• Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
• When you arrive in Melbourne, a Go Ahead representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a Go Ahead sign or a sign with your name(s). If you don’t see a representative immediately, please be patient and stay in the arrivals area. They may be assisting another traveler who has also just arrived and will be back shortly.

Physical Activity Level

This is a very high physical activity-level tour. You can expect to be on the move on a regular basis throughout the course of the tour.

Tour Pacing

This is a very fast-paced tour. The pace of a tour itinerary considers how often you’ll switch hotels, the amount of planned daily activities, and how you’ll get from place to place. You can expect:

• Two 1-night stays
• Most days and evenings full of included activities (more if you add excursions) Most transportation by motor coach
• Some transportation by boat and commercial flight
• Daily bus time varies and can be lengthy

Walking, Terrain & Physical Requirements

• Travelers should be prepared to walk 2-3 miles per day - this includes city streets, cobblestones, stairs, and hills
• Entry/exit from the Sydney Opera house requires 100 stairs each way
• Accessing the Glowworm Caves will include navigating multiple flights of steep stairs, wet pathways, and narrow catwalks
• Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance.
• Please Note: Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour

Climate Considerations

• Travelers can expect a wide variety of climates on this tour from warm, tropical climates by the Great Barrier Reef to cooler, rainy climates in Southern New Zealand
• Countries visited on this tour are in the Southern hemisphere so their seasons are opposite of those in North America
• Summer months are considered December- February, while winter is June - August

Physical Activity & Tour Pace Questions

• Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special mobility or luggage handling assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group enjoys a smooth and informative journey, and they can’t be relied on to provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.
• This tour moves at a reasonable pace to avoid missing scheduled stops. The rest of the group cannot miss any scheduled activities because of the needs of an individual.
• Due to the pace and physical activity level of this tour, mobility aids such as wheelchairs or walkers will be difficult to use and are not recommended. Please notify Go Ahead Tours before your departure if you plan to bring these on tour with you.
• If you have mobility concerns or tour pace questions, please visit our Help Center or send a message to our Customer Experience Team. We’re here to help!

• This tour includes various modes of transportation, including boats, planes, and motor coaches. Some modes of transportation will have raised platforms or steps and often not provide access to ramps or lifts.
• Flights from Melbourne to Cairns, Cairns to Sydney, and Sydney to Queenstown, as well as boat rides to the Great Barrier Reef and Milford Sound, are included in the price of your tour.
• All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
• Private motor coaches and boats may have steps required to board and often do not provide access to ramps or lifts.

• Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and included flights.
• A checked bag may not be included in your airline ticket.
• Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
• Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
• Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
• Travelers must manage their own luggage throughout tour as porters are not guaranteed. This includes at airports and hotels.

• We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
• A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
• You may also wish to pack a swimsuit, as there are opportunities to swim on tour.
• You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
• The Australian sun is very hot. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
• Bug repellent is also useful, as there can be flies in the Outback certain times of year.
• Travelers prone to seasickness may want to take special precautions for the boat rides on tour.
• We recommend packing a reusable water bottle to cut down on single use plastic waste.
• We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
• In case of emergencies, we also recommend packing your medical insurance card in your carry-on.

• Go Ahead handpicks every hotel you’ll stay at, striking a balance between comfort, location, and local charm.
• Specific properties will vary based on your departure date, but are typically three-to-four-star hotels; always include private bathrooms; and usually have in-room safes for valuables. Additionally, your hotels will have Wi-Fi, but access may be limited to common areas. There may also not be elevators.
• Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that your accommodations will have laundry services or facilities. We recommend checking directly with your hotels once they’ve been confirmed, about 30 days prior to departure.
• Some hotels on this tour are situated on narrow streets; as such, our buses can’t drop you off right out front. In these instances, you’ll have to walk your luggage to the property, no more than a few blocks.
• Please be advised that the strength of the air conditioning in Australian hotels/buildings is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada.
• Australia and New Zealand operate on the standard 220-240 volts and use Types I plugs with three large, flat pins set on an angle.
• Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date.

• Excursions are available for purchase prior to departure, and most excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour directly through your mobile app for an additional $10 USD.
• We recommend purchasing excursions at least 3 days prior to your tour departure. Please note some excursions have advance booking deadlines. Check your tour itinerary for more information to ensure you don’t miss the deadline to add them.
• Optional excursions may be canceled on tour due to reasons like low enrollment, weather or unexpected closures. If an excursion you signed up for is canceled by Go Ahead Tours, you will be refunded the full cost of the excursion. Please note it may take up to 60 days for your refund to be processed.
• Your Tour Director may offer their own optional excursions which can only be purchased on tour via cash (in local currency).

• At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
• If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to your departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
• If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
• Take proper care with sun exposure, as the sun can be especially strong in some of the regions on this tour.
• If you choose to go swimming, be careful of powerful surf. Make sure to obey signs and lifeguards’ orders, and always swim between the marked flags.
• Travelers prone to seasickness should note that this tour includes boat rides.
• The water is safe to drink throughout your tour unless posted otherwise.

• This tour includes two lunches and eight dinners: They may be set menus, buffets, or family-style meals, depending on the location. Dinners also include one glass of beer, wine, or a soft drink, as well as water, coffee, and tea.
• Breakfast each morning is also included at the hotel and is typically buffet style with hot and cold options.
• Australian menus emphasize high-quality steaks and lamb chops, though meat pies are also popular. Regional specialties include shellfish (such as Sydney rock oysters and crabs) and smoked sausages brought to South Australia by German settlers. The national beverage is beer, and a visit to an Aussie pub is a popular pastime, but the country’s wines are also superb.
• In New Zealand, there are many good local varieties of seafood, excellent lamb and fresh fruits, including kiwi and passion fruits. For lunch, tea rooms serve savory meat pies, quiche, and desserts.

• At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
• We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $4USD per person per day for your driver.
• If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
• Tips can only be paid in cash.
• If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
• The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.

• You will use the Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar on tour.
• Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
• We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
• You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
• International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
• Plan ahead and bring cash to tip your tour director, local guides, and bus drivers. We also recommend keeping coins in the local currency on hand, as some public bathrooms may charge a fee for use.

• To ensure you feel prepared before traveling on tour, we strongly recommend you download the EF Go Ahead Tours mobile app. The app is free and provides important deadlines, entry requirements, your detailed itinerary, packing tips and more. You can also connect with fellow travelers through the chat feature in the app.
• Wifi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
• There is no Wifi on any of the motor coaches.
• Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.

• Your Tour Director will be leading your group throughout your journey. You will have the same Tour Director in Australia and New Zealand.
• The role of the Tour Director is not only to provide information and context on the destinations you visit, but also to confirm services, coordinate inclusions, prepare each days’ activities and support travelers while on tour. As such, they must focus on the success of the group, and cannot provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.

• One of the benefits of traveling with EF Go Ahead Tours is our on tour emergency support team.
• Our extensive network of offices around the world, and our integration of ISO 31000: Risk Management Guidelines, help our dedicated 24/7 Emergency Service teams anticipate and address on-tour challenges in a flexible and iterative way.
• This team supports travelers and Tour Directors using a combination of extensive training, simulations, incident response planning, and decades of experience to help manage emergencies if they arise, ranging from personal health concerns or injuries to major world events.
• As needed, On Tour Support can facilitate additional support for travelers on tour, arrange assistance from outside specialists, and liaise with local and international authorities to help solve on-the-ground issues. In addition, the team is dedicated to supporting and facilitating communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency while on the road or at home.

• While in Australia, you'll travel through Australian Eastern Standard Time (15 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time).
• New Zealand is 17 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
• When it’s noon on Monday in New York, it’s 2 am on Tuesday in Cairns and 5am in Queenstown.
• Please note, some regions of Australia do not observe Daylight savings time.

• When you travel with Go Ahead Tours, you’ll make a positive impact on the places you visit and the people and animals you meet along the way. That’s because our three core Responsible Travel commitments—protecting the environment, supporting local communities, and promoting animal welfare—are at the heart of every tour we offer.
• Travel, when done responsibly, can have an enormous socioeconomic impact on communities. To maximize your impact, eat at locally owned restaurants and shop at small businesses. Ask your Tour Director to point out restaurants they recommend.
• Prepare for your trip: Be aware of monetary norms such as tipping and negotiating in a market; learn about the destination’s forms of etiquette; and take some time to learn a few words in the local language.
• When interacting with locals, make sure to ask people for permission before you take their picture, and approach cultural differences with empathy and an open mind.
• Go Ahead Tours encourages travelers to limit their waste while on the road, especially single-use plastics. You can cut back on generating plastic waste by packing your own toiletries, using electronic documents, and bringing a reusable water bottle and shopping bag. If you need to use plastics or paper, please recycle.
• When visiting national parks, reserves, or other protected areas, please do not remove anything from the natural environment or leave any litter. Carry out what you carried in.
• To protect the delicate reef ecosystems, make sure to use reef-safe sunscreen.
• When you come across wild animals on tour, take the philosophies of World Animal Protection to heart: Don’t touch or feed them, and maintain a respectful distance. The animals you encounter on your trip should be able to exhibit natural forms of behavior.
• Furthermore, avoid buying exploitative animal products, like crafts made from tortoiseshell or meals such as shark fin soup.
• If you feel we aren’t meeting any of these commitments, please let us know.