From the sun-drenched shores of Bondi Beach to the snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps, Australia and New Zealand are some of the most visually stunning places on earth. Former English colonies that have forged unique modern identities, Australia and New Zealand boast striking land formations, weird and wonderful animals and plants, nuanced and complex histories, and ancient indigenous cultures. Their sights and stories are ripe for exploration and examination.
And you’ll do just that in the 28 immersive lectures of The Great Tours: Australia and New Zealand, led by historian and native Aussie Dr. Matthew Laing. And you won’t just learn about Australia—you’ll experience the continent as if you were right there. You will tour the landscapes that imbue the country with its hallmark beauty and character, from tropical rainforests and barrier reefs to vast red deserts and mysterious bushland. You’ll journey from far-flung mining towns and outback hamlets to the modern metropolises of Sydney and Melbourne. And as you go, you will reconstruct the history of Australia, seeing how Aboriginal adaptation and British settlement, global conflicts, and industrial and agricultural development shaped the modern country. And, of course, you’ll get to see up close many unique examples of flora and fauna that also call the continent home.
In New Zealand, you will accompany Dr. Laing to the glacial fjords, volcanic hotspots, and grassy valleys that pepper New Zealand’s North and South islands and have served as the luscious backdrop of so many Hollywood blockbusters. We’ll see the impact of Māori and European arrivals in transforming these ancient islands, and the modern urban centers they created in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. You will chronicle the history of the country as you take in its contemporary sights and sounds, tracing a path from early Polynesian settlement to modern beehive politics.
With The Great Tours: Australia and New Zealand, you’ll emerge with a more complete understanding of what these nations are like—ecologically, culturally, and historically, while getting a taste for the unique Antipodean outlook on life.
