Join the 2019 Fulbright Insight Trip to Australia!

Planned in timing with the 70th Anniversary of the Australian Fulbright Program, Australia is a continent left disconnected from much of the world for centuries, Australia balances their rich aboriginal culture with globalized commonwealth sensibilities. Founded by colonial prisoners shipped from England, Australia has a tenuous and fascinating relationship with its past.In this ten-day journey, you’ll traverse the continent, seeing two of Australia’s most iconic cities and the legendary Great Barrier Reef. Gain an understanding of the spiritual underpinnings of the aboriginal beliefs and the modern outlook of Australians.

About the trip

Total cost: $3,299 (shared room); single rooms available for an additional $799

Dates: November 3-12, 2019

Travel partner: Insider Expeditions

Contact: travel@fulbright.org

Registration

Submit your deposit and registration packet by September 1, 2019. Please note, this deposit is non-refundable.

Itinerary

1

Sunday, November 3

  • After a flight to the other side of the globe. You’ll be met at the airport by our local guide and hosts and be transferred to your centrally located hotel in the heart of the World’s Most Livable City—Melbourne.
  • After freshening up, take a short walk, seeing the Yarra River—a mistranslation of the local Boonwurrung language’s yaro-yaro meaning “ever-flowing”—to our dinner location specially reserved for our welcome soiree.
  • Forget hop-on-hop-off tours… dine on a four-course meal of Australian specialties as we cruise the streets of Melbourne in a cozy colonial tram car. Joining you this evening will be a representative of the U. S. Consulate for a briefing on life in the land down under. Meals: Welcome Dinner // Accommodations: Mercure Welcome Melbourne Hotel

2

Monday, November 4

  • After brekkie at the hotel, hit the streets of Melbourne to explore this former capital of Australia. The city could have been named Batmania, after one of the city’s founding fathers, John Batman. Explore the laneways that have grown from Batman’s first landing.
  • Our first stop will be the Queen Vic Market, where we will sample our way through this foodie heaven meeting local farmers and artisans. This 19th century traditional market is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and has everything from handmade arts to fresh produce and succulent meats.
  • Marvel at the world’s largest stained-glass ceiling as we take in the collections at the National Gallery of Victoria. Receive a curatorial tour of the exhibitions including works spanning Australian culture.
  • Melbourne has the highest per capita of cafés and restaurants. Discover a hidden gem to enjoy this evening with a Melbournian Fulbright Scholar to talk about their work.Meals: Breakfast // Accommodations: Mercure Welcome Melbourne Hotel

3

Tuesday, November 5

  • This day can either be spent as a free day to yourself, or you can chose to attend the Melbourne Cup!
  • After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, grab your fanciest hats and your fascinators as we head to Flemington Racecourse for the “race that stops a nation.”
  • An experience like no other, immerse yourself in the elegant crowds for a derby Down Under.
  • Choose your favorite bet to win this horse race, that has taken place since 1861, and has been a public holiday since 1877. Most shops and restaurants close on this day so families and workers can watch the race or and see if they win their “sweepstakes.”
  • After the electric day at the tracks, enjoy a celebratory dinner in your derby duds. Meals: Breakfast // Accommodations: Mercure Welcome Melbourne Hotel

4

Wednesday, November 6

  • Melbourne is Australia’s coffee capital so grab a hot flat white or long black before we bid farewell to Melbourne. Board your flight to Sydney to experience Australia’s largest city with a current population of around 5 million people.
  • Your hosts will greet you at the airport and hit the ground running as we head directly to the Circular Quay to the heart of Sydney Harbor—first discovered by the English in 1770. Our Fulbright group will discover it anew.
  • Journey on a backstage tour of the most recognizable spot in the city skyline, the Sydney Opera House. See firsthand what makes this thousand room architectural marvel tick. You can understand the elements of the Scandinavian designed Opera House’s including the distinct ridged roof—made up of over 1 million tiles—are meant to resemble sails of a beautiful ship at the edge of the harbor.
  • After the tour, board a private vessel and enjoy lunch cruising around the harbor, taking in the beauty from all sides. Look closely at the Sydney Harbor Bridge - you may see intrepid hikers climbing to the 440-foot-high peak of “The Coathanger” arch.
  • Get a birds-eye view of the city from the over 1,000-foot Sydney Tower Eye’s golden turret observatory in the Central Business District.
  • Enjoy some free time to explore the neighborhood of The Rocks - these narrow laneways and cobblestone steps are home to a rich history of Australia’s working class. Now the charming markets, cozy cafes, small museums, and archeology sites provide a wide range of interest to locals and visitors alike.
  • Dine at a classic seafood restaurant, right on the water overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.
  • Afterward, as an option, take a ferry across the harbor for our final evening excitement, Luna Park. Sydney’s vintage amusement park in the heart of downtown. If you choose, you to play classic fair games and scarf down lamingtons. This park is a Sydney classic. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner // Accommodations: Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central

5

Thursday, November 7

  • The previously scheduled conference, in connection with the 70th anniversary, will not be occurring. Instead plans are in the works for a salon to be hosted instead, focusing on refugee issues. Meals: Breakfasts each day // Accommodations: Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central

6

Friday, November 8

 
  • Spend your day engaging with other Fulbright alumni
  • Spend your nights together as a group at your comfortable centrally located hotel. Meals: Breakfasts each day // Accommodations: Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central

7

Saturday, November 9

  • After the wonderful experience in Sydney, say goodbye to one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
  • Board your flight to the northern Queensland coastal town of Cairns—1,218 miles away.
  • Freshen up at your beachfront hotel with an architectural exterior of a traditional old Queenslander home.
  • Gather together for an evening of Australian delights on the waterfront. From crocodile to kangaroo, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options, get the real Aussie culinary experience.
  • Enjoy the esplanade this evening looking out across the lagoon as pelicans bob and fish in the moonlight.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner // Accommodations: Ibis Style Cairns

8

Sunday, November 10

  • Grab breakfast at the hotel before we check-out of our rooms. We’ll store our large suitcases at the front desk and only take with us an overnight bag—with your swimsuits, towel, hat and sunglasses—as we set out for our overnight adventure in one of the few underwater features that can be seen from space.
  • Journey into Australia’s greatest natural wonder, it’s right there in the name—Great Barrier Reef! The greatness is contained in every inch of the 1,800 miles of spectacular underwater experience. Teeming with life, this reef is the largest living structure in the world.
  • We’ll take a speedboat out to our large catamaran, which is permanently moored on the Outer Great Barrier Reef.
  • Enjoy snorkeling, swimming, and optional scuba diving in the outer sections of the reef where you will be introduced to pristine corals. The biodiversity of marine life is outstanding. Divers will witness the full array of inhabitants. One fish, two fish, one million fish—spanning the whole color spectrum, multiple shark species, manta rays, whales, eels, giant grouper—you name it, it's here! The waters of the outer reef are renowned for their clarity, with visibility sometimes reaching over 60 yards.
  • After a full day of action, or simply relaxing on the boat with its beautiful surroundings, let the sound of the waves lull you to sleep, in your beachside hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch // Accommodations: Ibis Style Cairns

9

Monday, November 11

  • After a breakfast of seasonal tropical fruits - your plate overflowing with kiwis and passion fruits from nearby islands - head to the rainforest. Here in the northern part of Queensland you find two distinctly different natural environments which have both been named and preserved as World Heritage sites, meeting together at the water’s edge.
  • At 11:00am, we will observe Remembrance Day together with poppy-wearing Australian workers, marking one full minute of silence. The holiday, similar to the origins of American Veteran’s Day, commemorates the end of WWI.
  • Walk (or hike!) through the Daintree Rainforest, past waterfalls and massive ferns and see a magnificent display of fauna including the wompoo fruit dove, Boyd’s forest dragon, and the mighty ostrich-like cassowary. At over 110 million years, the oldest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest is an environmental miracle you need to experience first-hand.
  • See Cape Tribulation and Mossman Gorge and get a chance to look out for wild crocodiles on our river cruise, a final way to encounter this incredible nature up close.
  • On your return to Cairns, enjoy a farewell dinner in a secluded balcony restaurant overlooking the esplanade. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner // Accommodations: Ibis Style Cairns

10

Tuesday, November 12

  • Wake up for one last flat white before heading to the airport.
  • After we check out of the hotel, a private transfer will take us all to the airport where we will bid hooroo— Australian for ‘goodbye’—to friends old and new. You’ll board your flights to Melbourne and then onward home dreaming of didgeridoos and boomerangs. Meals: Breakfast

What's Included

  • All activities, sightseeing, and entry fees listed in the itinerary.
  • Accommodations as described in the itinerary. We will be staying at boutique 3-star group accommodations in close
    proximity to the sites on our itinerary.
  • All meals listed in the itinerary.
  • Transportation by private, air-conditioned motor coach, as well as transfers for the group as appropriate.
  • Bottled water during all excursions.
  • Comprehensive cultural information and reading materials.
  • The services of an Insider Expeditions tour manager.
  • All gratuities for participants and staff to cover drivers, wait staff at group meals, guides, and tour directors.

What's Not Included

  • Flights to and from Melbourne International Airport.
  • Expenses of a purely personal nature (including cab fares, laundry and other personal items, room service charges,
    passport application fees).
  • Transportation of luggage in excess of weight allowance.
  • Travel insurance (we strongly advise that each participant arrange for their own travel insurance).
  • Food and beverage other than that specified in the itinerary.
  • Medical expenses.
  • Costs associated with trip interruption or modification due to weather, travel conditions, political/civil disputes,
    medical emergencies or other causes beyond our control.

Please read all the information in our registration packet for terms on cancellations, refunds, and other policies.

Membership requirements: Please also note that you must be a current member of the Fulbright Association in order to join the tour. If you are not a member, you can click here to join, or if you are a lapsed member, please click here to renew your annual membership. Not a Fulbright alum? No problem! The Fulbright Association welcomes all supporters of the mission of the Fulbright Program to join as Friends of Fulbright. Tour registrants may also bring one non-member guest. Please indicate who your guest is in your registration materials.

If you have any questions, please give us a call at (202) 775-0725 or e-mail us at travel@fulbright.org.