mackerman10

Hello All!

I am currently in the process of thinking through some ideas for a honeymoon for my fiancee and I post our wedding in July of 2017. We will be wed in Chicago towards the end of the month and were looking to take about 2 weeks to travel somewhere truly unique / exotic for our honeymoon. We are big fans of the beach, but also would like to enjoy some adventure (whether that is hiking, kayaking, or exploring a new city)

We were originally thinking Australia (Sydney or Melbourne), New Zealand (Queenstown), and French Polynesia (Bora Bora / Morea) but given that it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere we are concerned about the New Zealand / Australia portion of trip as it will be cold and potentially snowy.

My fiancee ideally would like to not encounter snow on our honeymoon but we would love to get your thoughts on winter time in both NZ / AUS. That being said, we would also like to hear what other countries we should considering visiting if we still wanted to do something with French Polynesia or Cook Islands.

Thank you for the help -- I know that this group can provide me with some ideas!

Melnq8

New Zealand in the dead of winter probably isn't the best choice if you're looking for beaches! While it isn't nearly as cold as Chicago in the winter, it will be cold, particularly on the South Island. July is the height of ski season in Queenstown and Wanaka.

Australia is huge and has different weather in different parts of the country, but the water can be cold year round. I lived in Perth for seven years and I loved the winter months, but it's definitely not swimming weather.

For something completely unique, you might take a look at Australia's northwest coast - it would be a good option that time of year:

http://www.australiasnorthwest.com/

A bit further afield, but perhaps the Maldives?

https://www.maldives.com/

tasmangirl

Two weeks is not long when you allow for some jet lag days just getting Down Under.
It will not be so cold in Australia and Sydney would be a better winter choice that Melbourne IMO.
A bit further north Queensland is positively summery in June/July. Noosa would be lovely.
Queenstown will be cold but then it is a beautiful place.
Tahiti is further from both NZ and Oz so if you went there spend 2 weeks there.
The Cook Islands are lovely with that tropical vibe and 3 hours flight from NZ. If you want to visit 2 places pick the 2 that are closest. It's still international travel with check in 2 hours before, the flight itself, then customs/luggage so allow the time for this.

mackerman10

Those are fantastic tips! We will check it Sydney and more of Northwest Australia. We can be a little flexible with timing and extend a little more than 2 weeks (probably like 16-17 days) to allow for more flexibility / travel time.

I will also look into Noosa as New Zealand overall seems like a gorgeous place! Do you know if it would be possible to do both the Cook Islands and French Polynesia, along with Australia or is the Cook Islands / Bora Bora portion somewhat mutualyl exclusive given travel routes.

My fiancée and I have never been to anywhere in the South Pacific and are really excited about the idea so pretty open to any options that involve some warm beaches and some sort of adventure so these suggestions seem perfect.

Thanks again and please let me know if you have any additional thoughts on a potential itinerary.

BigRuss

<<given that it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere>>

Yes and no.

Brisbane in Queensland is on the 27th parallel south, on the equivalent northern parallel are such wintry areas like Baja California, the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, Southern Morocco, Southern Algeria, and Central Egypt.

Cairns, in north Queensland, is about the 17th parallel south, the equivalent regions in 17th north include the Saudi peninsula, the Bay of Bengal, central Belize, Nevis, etc.

Australia isn't known for snowy and wintry, and it won't be if you're in the northern half of the country.

tasmangirl

Well it is possible to fly anywhere but whether it makes a good holiday is a different story.
The Pacific is a huge ocean and these places are not exactly close to each other.
Chicago to Papeete 14 hours, Papeete to Sydney 9 hours flying, Sydney to Rarotonga 6 hours.
Sounds like you really want the Pacific Island experience so just chose Tahiti and the Cook Islands. There is a weekly flight between the 2 so you do not need to come to NZ or Australia.

Kathie

I'd suggest you choose one: either Tahiti (you can visit more than one island) or the Cook Islands. As others have pointed out, it's a very long flight from Chicago to Australia. It's a long flight to Tahiti or the Cook Islands as well, but not as long. And as noted above, it would be a long flight from Tahiti or the Cooks to Australia. I would assume you would like to minimize the amount of your honeymoon you waste on a plane and in airports.

I love Tahiti, but let me point out that it is quite an expensive destination. The Cook Islands are less expensive. Do some more research and see what suits you best. Your local library will have guidebooks you can browse, which will be very helpful in your decision-making.