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  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • South Pacific
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  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • South Pacific
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Australia

+61 2 9657 2088
ausdesign@southern-crossings.com

New Zealand & South Pacific

+64 9 309 5912
nzdesign@southern-crossings.com

Bespoke travel specialists
"Southern Crossings put together the trip of a lifetime...The team was incredibly accommodating and went above and beyond to ensure we received what we asked for and more .. amazing excursions and accommodations that we will never forget across seven locations in Australia and New Zealand. We highly recommend using Southern Crossings!"
January 2020, Ben - New York City, USA
"Thank you, once again, for making our trip so seamless. We loved every place we stayed and all of the adventures you planned for us! We hope to visit again and will be sure to connect with you for that trip."
January 2020, USA
"Every day was more exciting than the last. Great advice and great execution all around by Southern Crossings. Highly recommend!"
December 2019, USA
"I just wanted to let you know how extremely pleased we were with our trip to Australia. You planned an excellent itinerary. Our hotels were were wonderful .. Every transfer and transport arrived on time .. I have already given your name to a young couple planning Australia for their honeymoon."
November 2019, USA
"Working with Southern Crossings on our Australia / NewZealand adventure was an absolute pleasure. The hotels/resorts we stayed at were world class in service and attention to detail. Excursions were well planned and executed and we were very pleased with the overall trip. Thank you for an exceptional adventure!!! "
October 2019, USA
"Every tour company, every person and tour guide was excellent! .. I really can't say enough about our experiences. The tour guides were amazing, the places we went were exactly what we had wanted, the food so good ! We would absolutely use (Southern Crossings) again and highly recommend ! "
September 2019, USA
"Stuart and his team gave my family an absolutely wonderful trip to Australia. Their hotel choices were excellent and suggested activities that were perfect for us ... I would absolutely use them again and would be happy to refer them to any of my friends. We are already trying to figure out our next trip to Australia "
July 2019, USA
"Their excellent recommendations delivered a trip of a lifetime .. From the itinerary which was delivered in a beautiful book to calling us to welcome us in our first hotel (they) made sure everything was seamless providing an experience beyond our wildest dreams. If you are traveling to New Zealand working with Southern Crossings is a must!"
June 2019, USA
"You really did a phenomenal job planning a fantastic experience for us. We ABSOLUTELY LOVED NZ and cannot stop talking about how we wish we could move there. :) The places you chose for us were fantastic in terms of activities and also top-notch accommodations. You are top-notch and we feel so lucky to have been able to work with you."
April 2019, California USA
"Everything was perfect and exceeded our expectations! .. hotels we NEVER would have found on our own .. great advice as to the order and scope of our trip .. went off without a hitch."
May 2019, USA
"I want to thank you and your team for organizing such a truly magnificent visit to New Zealand! We had a phenomenal time literally from start to finish, with each venue being the kind of place (and lodging) that we felt like never leaving. All the guides, activities and meals were outstanding, and the people could not have been nicer."
December 2018, The Grossman Family, USA
"We not only loved your beautiful country but thank you for the choice of amazing and different accommodation. It certainly made our holiday of a lifetime to New Zealand a wonderful experience and we cannot recommend Southern Crossing enough. We have life long memories of beautiful places and magical views around every corner."
December 2018, United Kingdom
"The best parts of our time (in Australia) were the things we would not have thought of .. We knew we had a non-stop agenda to see as much as we wanted to, but Stuart and his crew managed to fit it all in while leaving us just enough leisure and spontaneity. "
December 2018, USA
"My wife and I used Southern Crossings to organize and book our 17 day trip to the South Island of New Zealand per the recommendation of a friend. We were not disappointed. In fact, this was the best planned International trip that we have completed. All of our lodging and planned excursions significantly surpassed our expectations. "
November 2018, Steve and Susie - Idaho, USA
"My family and I were truly impressed with your services and thought the whole trip was first grade… we felt we discovered a truer side of Australia ... The choice of hotels was also truly perfect for our needs as a family. We enjoyed all locations .. You always do more than the client wants so congrats…and all this, at a reasonable price point."
August 2018, Canada
"Wow! What can I say? I don’t even know where to begin. This was an amazing trip for my family! My two daughters, husband, and I had an awesome time in Australia– many thanks to Stuart for such great planning, execution, and many memorable touches! .. could not have asked for a more memorable holiday."
August 2018, USA
"The trip to Australia has been perfect; flawless execution at every step. All the resorts and activities have exceeded expectations. We have had an amazing time. As always, thank you for your wonderful work."
April 2018, Chicago USA
"Our experience with Southern Crossings was wonderful. We really enjoyed the luxury lodges that were presented to us, and the side trips and private tours were really special. Unique and so memorable... Our family trip exceeded our expectations. Thank you Southern Crossings!"
July 2018, Ohio USA

Bespoke travel specialists for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific

When Southern Crossings began in 1986, we saw the dramatic landscapes of Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the South Pacific as the perfect canvas to create personally designed luxury travel, catering to the most discerning travellers - an entirely new concept at the time.

More than three decades later, we continue to lead the way in tailor made luxury vacations and UltraLuxe travel experiences to the Southern Hemisphere. We enjoy consistent praise for attention to detail and impeccable levels of service, exceeding the expectations of even the most exacting of clients. Above all though, it is the personal touch that keeps our clients coming back to book their next trip with us. We are proud to say that every holiday we design is still unique to each client - tailor-made to create their trip of a lifetime.

Awards & accolades

We are widely regarded by industry experts as a ‘destination specialist’, the best‐in‐class for bespoke luxury travel and UltraLuxe experiences in the regions that we service.

We are proud to be an invited member of several elite travel industry groups,  very honoured to have been recognised with numerous prestigious award nominations, and delighted to have featured in dozens of coveted luxury travel magazines and media.

CLICK HERE FOR A SELECTION OF SOUTHERN CROSSINGS MEDIA COVERAGE

Awards & accolades

Our travel experts

Our Experts Our Experts
  • Our team
  • Sarah Farag
  • Stuart Rigg

Our team

Indeed, our people are our greatest asset and collaboration is at the heart of everything that Southern Crossings does:


The leading luxury travel experts Down Under won’t tell you where to go or what to see – they listen.


They wont simply respond to your requests, they will work to understand the motivations that move you and anticipate the needs you haven’t yet thought of.


Each carefully crafted itinerary begins with a blank canvas to ensure every moment is individually designed to connect travelers with their personal passions and deliver the tailored experiences that memories are made of.


Every new travel request is discussed collaboratively by the Southern Crossings travel design team; all sharing their individual ideas, combined knowledge and different perspectives; to curate tailored itineraries that benefit from their collective expertise and connections.


The Southern Crossings team also works closely with the inspirational locals and leading tourism suppliers who bring clients' travel dreams to life. It is this team approach that also ensures every Southern Crossings moment is delivered with silky smoothest attention to detail, almost as if they heard your requests before you even asked.


Sarah Farag

Co-owner and Director of Southern Crossings New Zealand

With a family history that she can trace back to the legendary Pink and White terraces in the pioneering days of tourism in New Zealand, Sarah Farag was raised in the ‘land of the long white cloud’ by parents with an insatiable passion for globetrotting; and she now loves travelling the length and breadth of New Zealand with her own children at every opportunity. It seems almost inevitable that Sarah would pursue a career in travel – but that was more than two decades ago, and she now heads up the talented team at Southern Crossings New Zealand - living out her dream of sharing the region's vast treasures and little-known hidden gems with visitors from around the globe, and from down the road.

Sarah shares her vast knowledge generously and insightfully to craft individually tailored itineraries that are executed with the finest attention to detail. Her ‘Little Black Book’ bulges with the talented Kiwi chefs and winemakers, fly fishers, golf pros, wildlife experts and more who can open doors to authentic adventures and provide her clients with personalized windows into the enviable local lifestyle.

Sarah Farag’s unrivalled connections, combined with her natural gift of being able to truly read clients’ passions, enable her to incorporate the thoughtful touches and bespoke travel experiences that wow both first-time international visitors and life-long locals alike – and which have also secured her place on respected lists of the world's leading travel specialists including: Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure and Town & Country.

Spend anytime time with Sarah and her passion for travel, pride in her home country, her dedication to perfection and her ability to connect people are immediately clear – and clearly infectious! Sarah is surrounded by a team of equally dedicated and very talented travel designers, many of whom have worked together at Southern Crossings since its early beginnings – and to whom Sarah will very proudly attribute the company’s success.

Conde Nast Travel Specialist for New Zealand

Travel + Leisure Magazine A List Top Travel Advisor for New Zealand and Fiji

Town & Country Travel Guru for New Zealand

Stuart Rigg

Co-owner, and Director Southern Crossings Australia

With a travel career that has spanned continents and industry sectors, but which has always been inextricably connected to the lands Down Under, it was almost certain that British-born Stuart Rigg would one day call this corner of the planet his home.

Stuart established Southern Crossings’ Sydney-based Australian operations in 2001 and now leads a talented team who share his passion for personalized travel that really resonates, and his unwaivering commitment to the highest standards of service.

Well-travelled and well-connected, Stuart has a true appreciation of discerning travelers’ desires and a clear understanding of travel industry needs, enabling him to truly deliver on the company’s mission of “enriching and inspiring by creating extraordinary journeys". A mantra that also rings true for Stuart personally in his quest for uncovering great Australian experiences that also ‘do good’, and filling discerning travellers’ itineraries with the moments that life-long memories are made of.

For Stuart, it is not so much about which hotel to recommend, or even which room to request (which he will do without you even knowing), his real talent is curating itineraries that will take travelers off the beaten track and help them stay ahead of the pack. Hand-picked and personally road-tested experiences help travelers uncover the hidden local gems that they won’t find in any well-thumbed guide books and authentic encounters that they can’t find with any google search.

From a hit of tennis with one of the greats of the game, a walk through the wilderness with a world-renowned wildlife expert or a private masterclass with one Australia’s most highly celebrated chefs, Stuart’s connections - from both within and beyond the travel industry - can open the doors that other’s cant and tailor personalized experiences others haven’t even thought of.

It is Stuart Rigg’s ability to make the seemingly impossible, possible and access the inaccessible, that have earned him invitations to sit on a collection of respected industry panels, and a place on coveted international travel lists, including the Wendy Perrin WOW List (since 2014) and Conde Nast’s list of the world's leading Travel Specialists (since 2011).

 

Conde Nast Travel Specialist for Australia

Wendy Perrin WOW List Trusted Travel Expert for Australia

Town & Country Travel Guru for Australia

Visit New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific with us.

Contact Australia

AUSTRALIA

+61 2 9657 2088
ausdesign@southern-crossings.com

Suite 303, 46 Market Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
clock icon 5:38 am

Contact New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH PACIFIC

+64 9 309 5912
nzdesign@southern-crossings.com

68 Shelly Beach Road, St Mary’s Bay, Auckland 1011, New Zealand
clock icon 7:38 am

Southern Crossings - Tailored luxury travel to Australia and New Zealand