With the SYDNEY skyline in the sunset, say goodbye to Australia’s secret capital and get in the mood for relaxing days. Let yourself be pampered on board the EUROPA before you make your first acquaintance with New Zealand’s natural beauty: NEW PLYMOUTH stretches from the feet of snow-capped Mount Taranaki to the black beaches. The impressive scenery already provided material for Maori legends. As for Hollywood, New Zealand’s green hills around the capital WELLINGTON have provided the backdrop for many a film. See “Wellywood” for yourself as you ride the historic cable car from bustling Lambton Quay up to the Botanic Garden*. Want to learn more about the country’s famous mountainscapes and sheep pastures? The TranzAlpine Express* takes you from CHRISTCHURCH through the grasslands of the Canterbury Plains and into the Southern Alps to Arthur’s Pass. It’s onwards and upwards, too, on excursions from TIMARU to the glacier lakes of Mount Cook National Park*. You will find the steepest road in the world in DUNEDIN, whose Scottish roots shape the landscape. The city owes its wonderfully preserved Victorian buildings, especially the railway station building, to the gold rush of the 19th century. An untouched insider tip lies off the southern tip of the South Island: STEWART ISLAND is sparsely populated, and kiwis can hop around undisturbed through the undergrowth in the national parks. The Fiordland National Park, for instance, is a national pride and joy. Experience the breathtaking rocky landscapes from the deck of the EUROPA as you leisurely cruise along the mossy cliffs, waterfalls and headlands of the THOMPSON, DOUBTFUL and MILFORD SOUNDS. After two days at sea, you will reach Tasmania off the coast of Australia. Home to Tasmanian devils and wombats, most of the island is a nature reserve – but the island’s capital, HOBART, is bustling with modern life. Follow the cobbled streets past galleries, restaurants and wine bars. Learn more about the island’s history in the former convict colony of PORT ARTHUR before cruising through the gorgeous WINEGLASS BAY. The wild heart of the island – rugged mountain ranges, deep-blue lakes and dense moorland forests – opens up to you in the vicinity of BURNIE. In the Cradle Mountain National Park*, the Tasmanian wilderness reveals itself from all perspectives. Look back over your impressions on the beaches off COWES and say “farewell” to the wonders of the red continent in MELBOURNE.

* The shore activities are not included in the cruise price and are in the planning stage. Subject to change.