Oct 17 to Nov 6, 2027 Melbourne to Sydney 26 travelers at most
You fly in once and stay for three weeks. Street art and coffee in Melbourne, a day in the Barossa Valley, a night train through the old gold country, and a full day on the Great Barrier Reef.
Until departure
Only 26 places, and they are not sold online
Answer a few quick questions. Then Matt will call you for a short chat. He will go over the cities, the free days and the Ghan add-on. You pay nothing, and nothing is held until you say so.
A 21-day land adventure through Australia
You start in Melbourne and finish in Sydney, with the wine country and the reef in between. Here are three of the days people book this for.
Days 1 to 5
Narrow lanes full of street art, coffee and small bars, on a guided walk. Later in the week, wine on Phillip Island and the penguin parade at dusk.
Day 8
A full day in one of the great wine regions, with small wineries, chocolate and a stop at Maggie Beer’s farm shop. Hahndorf and McLaren Vale come the day before.
From Cairns
A full day out on the reef, the largest living thing on earth. Cairns also brings a sunset river cruise with a Mandingalbay Yidinji guide.
Melbourne · Victoria
5 nights · Oct 17 to 22
Laneways and arcades on a guided walk, then Phillip Island for wine and the evening penguin parade. Two free days.
Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders
Adelaide · South Australia
3 nights · Oct 22 to 25
You get here on the Overland train, a full day across the countryside. Then Hahndorf, McLaren Vale and a day in the Barossa Valley.
Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets
Brisbane · Queensland
4 nights · Oct 25 to 29
A group dinner under the Story Bridge, a walking tour of the city, and wineries up Mount Tamborine. One free day.
Hotel Indigo Brisbane
Cairns · Queensland
4 nights · Oct 29 to Nov 2
A sunset river cruise with a Mandingalbay Yidinji guide, a full day on the Great Barrier Reef, and tastings in the Atherton Tablelands.
The Benson Hotel
Sydney · New South Wales
4 nights · Nov 2 to 6
A guided tour of the city, and a farewell dinner with the group.
Run by First Light Travel Group. Hotels and timings may change. The last few days in Cairns and Sydney are set but not yet published day by day, so Matt will walk you through them on the call.
Who books this trip
01
It is a long way to go for a week. Three weeks makes the flight worth it, and you see five cities instead of one.
02
The Barossa, McLaren Vale, Mount Tamborine and the Atherton Tablelands, with local guides and 30 meals already paid for.
03
Matt can pair you with another solo traveler so you pay the shared price. Want your own room? That price is on this page.
04
Hotels, three flights inside Australia, the train, every transfer and every guide are booked. There are 4 free days for whatever you want to add.
Most guests are 45 to 75, with about as many men as women.
Before the group meets, if you want it
Start in Darwin instead, and take one of the great train journeys south through the middle of Australia. Five nights, three of them on board, before a short flight brings you to Melbourne to meet everyone else.
$4,999
per person sharing, or $5,899 on your own
Matt is working from live train inventory. Do not book flights to Darwin until he has confirmed your place on the train.
What it costs, and what it covers
Three weeks, five cities, and almost nothing left to book once you are there. Your flights to Australia are the main thing on top.
Per person, two to a room
$8,999
Per person, on your own
$12,499
$2,900 per person holds your place. The rest is due July 12, 2027.
Traveling alone? Matt can pair you with another solo traveler, so you pay the shared price. Want a room to yourself? That price is on this page too.
You fly into Melbourne and home out of Sydney, so book an open-jaw ticket rather than a round trip. Matt can book the flights for you.
Who put this together
Matt Dawson has planned bucket list trips for 6 years, and he will not sell a place he has not been to himself.
A host from Adventures by Matt travels with the group the whole way, with local guides in each city. The host handles the hotels, the transfers and the problems.
Before you ask
26 people at most. That is small for a trip this long, and it is the reason the walking tours and tastings work the way they do.
There are 4 of them: two in Melbourne, one in Brisbane and one in Cairns. They are yours. Matt also offers an add-on experience for each one, so you can fill a day if you want something specific that is not already on the list.
A host from Adventures by Matt travels with the group the whole way, along with local guides in each city. The host handles the hotels, the transfers and the problems, so you do not have to.
Travel insurance is required on this trip, with medical and evacuation cover at minimum. You can buy it anywhere, and Matt needs a copy about 120 days before you go.
$2,900 per person holds your place. The rest is due by July 12, 2027, about three months before you go. It costs nothing to talk with Matt, and nothing is held until you say so.
Traveling alone? Matt can pair you with another solo traveler, so you pay the shared price. Want a room to yourself? That price is on this page too.
Americans need a visa for Australia, and it is your job to sort it out before you go. The same goes for any vaccination rules in force when you travel. Matt will tell you what to look at and when.
You fly into Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) and home out of Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD). They are different cities, so book an open-jaw ticket rather than a round trip. If you add the Ghan, you fly into Darwin International (DRW) instead, and you wait until Matt confirms your place on the train.
Oct 17 to Nov 6, 2027 From $8,999 per person
Send Matt your questions. He will tell you honestly if this trip is right for you. It costs nothing to talk.