Flights of fantasy: Australia & New Zealand by private jet

Forget the credit crunch: Bridge & Wickers has just teamed up with US-based TCS Expeditions which offers amazingly luxurious expeditionary tours of the world by private jet. The first tour of Australia and the South Seas takes off on October 14, 2010 and costs a whopping £30,000. Although the date may strike many as too far away to even think about, Bridge & Wickers advises that TCS tours get booked up months in advance, with just under half being bagged by repeaters.

The tours use a privately chartered 757 aircraft which has been configured to carry just 74 passengers in business class comfort. As well as visiting Perth, Uluru/Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, Darwin and the Kakadu National Park, Tasmania, and New Zealand’s North and South Island, the new 23-day tour, which starts and finishes in Singapore, also includes visits to Papua New Guinea, Brunei and Borobudur in Indonesia.

The astounding £30,000 price per person (depending on prevailing UK dollar exchange rates) includes absolutely everything; guests are even given spending money in local currency. Tours are accompanied by lecturers, private cars meet guests on arrival, special events and exclusive access to sites are arranged, meals are provided by private chef, plus there are no night flights.

For further information on either the new Australian itinerary or any of the other itineraries in the TCS global programme, log on to Bridgeandwickers.co.uk.