Brisbane to Benoa, Bali

Brisbane’s superb shopping, dining, and golden sands are hard to leave but there are plenty more thrills in store on this cruise along the east coast of Australia to Indonesia. Our journey begins at Airlie Beach, jump-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, where divers can discover treasure beneath the waves and landlubbers can venture into the wilds of Conway National Park. Next, we spend a night in Cairns, a gateway to reef and rainforest – there's an option to take to the skies for an overview of both. Now we cross to Papua New Guinea to visit Alotau, on the fringe of Milne Bay, with its bustling market and harbor brimming with colorful boats, and Port Moresby, the capital, where ancient traditions still pepper everyday life. You have two days at sea now, until we reach Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, where you can learn about the region's rich Aboriginal heritage. Another day at sea brings us to Indonesia, where we visit Komodo, an island prized by UNESCO for its biodiversity, which includes the famed “dragon”. Our final call is the port of Benoa in Bali, where we stay overnight – enough time to explore the Chinese Caow Eng Bio Temple, one of the oldest in Bali.