mahjong99

Hi,
I am planning a trip to Australia/New Zealand for 3-4 weeks in June/July with kids(2+2) from the US. I heard that it is difficult to cover both countries in that time frame. I am guessing there are parts of Australia that cannot be visited with kids in the winter. Given that would appreciate any suggestions - any "must not miss places.
Thanks!

KayF

What does 2+2 mean? Two girls and two boys? What ages?

Australia doesn't have really harsh winters, at the most you might get rain and cold in the southern states. The weather in the north is mild to warm that time of year. We do have ski fields, snow etc but only in very small areas of Victoria and NSW.

It is impossible to cover Australia in 4 weeks, let alone see another country as well. Australia is huge, I'd suggest checking out some guidebooks to see what interests you the most and pick a couple of places, maybe Sydney and Cairns/Port Douglas or Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

Lots of other options of course but you will probably need to fly between places, maybe too far to drive in your timeframe. Staying in Sydney first then driving up the coast to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast could be OK if the kids are good travellers. Check distances on Google maps.

You could consider a week in NZ and 3 in Australia or 2 weeks in each but don't forget to factor in travel time each time you move on.

Kay

longhorn55

I can't think of any parts of Australia that can't be visited by children at any time of the year.

In addition to just not having enough time to visit both countries in 3-4 weeks, you've got the problem that winter weather (June/July) will be harsher in New Zealand than in Australia because it lies further south than does Australia. In fact, the northern states of Australia have magnificent weather in those months and that's where I would focus my visit.

If you only have 3 weeks for this trip, I would definitely spend it all in Australia. If you have 4 weeks, you could divide it up, but you could also easily spend that entire time in Australia and not run out of things to see and do.

I also recommend you start reading some guidebooks (Lonely Planet is my favorite) and pay close attention to the weather in various locations. You'll find the best conditions in Far North Queensland (Cairns/Port Douglas) and the Top End of the Northern Territory (Darwin, Litchfield, Kakadu, Katherine). The least favorable conditions will be in the southern states of Victoria (Melbourne) and Tasmania.

BigRuss

If 2 + 2 means the kids' ages, you need to slow down. You can't drag toddlers all over creation and hope they retain monkish serenity.

There is no such thing as a must see. If you're going to Australia, you probably have ideas as to why you wanted to go. State them, and you can get better suggestions as to what to do. If you want a "universal" list - go look at Fodors and its competitors, each of whom covers Australia.

In addition, you're asking about must sees in a country that is 90% of the size of the continental United States. That's a lot of land.

Which June/July? Do you mean 2016? If so, get with the research and planning.

WineAroundOz

With 2yo you could spend a whole week in Sydney and surrounds.
Opera house, bridge, ferry rides,Zoo, Sydney tower, Wildlife park and aquarium in Darling Harbour, reptile park near Gosford (need a car), a multitude of national parks for walks in Sydney and number just outside. The Blue Mountains a couple of hours west for more national parks and better wildlife. Beaches that are safe.

It will be the colder months so beaches might be a bit of turn off and the Blue Mountains will be COLD by Sydney standards (sometimes snows). So, otherwise, its a trip to Cairns in the sunny north and boat out to the barrier reef if you think they can stand a day on a boat. A day or two in Port Douglas and some time spent in the Rainforests and and you've had a nice dose of the tropics.

Now that I think about it, the tropics are probably a better idea as it is going to be FREEZING in New Zealand at that time of year.

Have fun!

Melnq8

Cold is relative. Aussies may find NZ freezing in the winter months, but chances are unless the OP is from Hawaii or the southern US, he/she will find it pretty tame.

But wet, definitely wet.

annhig

AS longhorn says, June/July would be an ideal time to see Northern Queensland and the Top End.

Melnq8 will be able to tell you what the area around Perth is like at that time of year.

Melnq8

Winter was my favorite time in Perth...although we had to go outdoors to warm up.

Sue_xx_yy

We did visit both countries in barely 3 weeks, but did a lot of flying (got a good fare) and were careful to be realistic about our expectations. You can have a great time, but keep your goals modest, i.e. don't expect to cover the bucket list of 'must sees'.

For example, the south island of NZ is more than just Queenstown and area (e.g. Milford Sound) but Queenstown is the only area of the south island we visited. Australia is much, much more than just Sydney and environs and Melbourne and environs, but those were the only places we visited in Australia. And so on.

mahjong99

Thanks for all the responses. 2+2 : 2 adults , 2 boys.

mahjong99

Thanks for the responses. 2+2 : 2 parents, 2 boys age 7 and 12.