I am planning to visit a friend in Sydney December 16-January 6. I would like to spend a week during that time in NZ but multi stop airline tickets seem to be too expensive (I will be flying out of LA). Can anyone give me advice about the price of tickets from the US? Should I by a direct flight to NZ and then purchase a round trip ticket from NZ to SYD? I've done a little research but the prices I've found were close to $2000. Because of the work I do, I won't be able to leave any earlier in December. Any help you could give is much appreciated!!

Hard one, had a look and got even more $ than you.

However I looked the other way from here to LA for those dates and China Airlines came up cheapest option. Tried to see their website but all I could see was a news item they are increasing flights into Australia from October.

Maybe worth an email inquiry. Though with these types of pacific rim airlines they are often not direct flights, you may need to change at a hub airport in China.

Virgin Blue have some great fares to NZ return if you more or less straight away and return to Sydney before Christmas. About one fifth of the Kiwi population live in Australia and many go home for Christmas so try to be coming the other way to save $$.

Please be in Sydney for New Years to watch the fireworks, quite a sight!

Also in Sydney Boxing Day, get up high, probaly above Watson Bay nesr the Light House and watch to start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Quite a sight.

Being in Sydney at that time, you can't beat it. Also everything exciting going on is free!

Thanks Jane_47. I was afraid that might be the answer. I'll keep looking but I'm sure it will be worth it no matter the cost!

I don't know how much the multi-stop tickets are but you might want to look at booking a return trans-Tasman leg seperately. Playing around on the airline web sites I found return fares for $450 AUD into Christchurch on Pacific Blue and around $500 AUD into Auckland on Air New Zealand (I used 18 - 23 dec in my examples). As has already been said you will find seat avialiblity much higher if you go to NZ before Christmas rather than after