nalaland

We are arriving Auckland in early May 2023 and plan 4 days in the area
- where to go and what to do here.
We will then fly to Melbourne for 5, 6 days, visiting Kangaroo Island, then to Sydney
- please suggest best means of transportation, places to go, things to do at these places.

What's best to go around the city? bus, train, walking, taxi, Uber?

We are from Texas. Is it safe to rent cars at these places?

I have US Citizenship. Do I need Visas to enter Australia and NZ? Covid card? anything else?
Thx

Diamantina

You need an electronic visa for Australia (Electronic Travel Authority).
And an electronic visa (NZeTA) for New Zealand.

Have you booked all your flights? In other words, is your itinerary fixed?

Have you booked an Auckland accommodation?
Have a look at this link for things to do and see in Auckland
What are your interests? Museums? Restaurants? Wineries? Craft breweries tour? Zoos or aquarium? Wildlife experiences? Hiking? If you can provide more details about what you are interested in seeing and doing, I might be able to suggest the best forms of transportation. If you stay in the city center, you don't need to rent a car in Auckland. I would avoid driving in Auckland because of the traffic.
With 4 days you could see some of its urban attractions, possibly do a bus tour to Rotorua or a day trip to an island in Hauraki Gulf.
The most visited islands in Hauraki Gulf are Waiheke Island (40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland), Rangitoto Island (25-minute ferry ride), and Tiritiri Matangi Island (75-minute ferry ride). Harbor cruises and whale and dolphin watching cruises are also available (I've not done this myself, but I've visited the aforementioned islands).Bus tours from Auckland to Rotorua can also include stops in Waitomo Glowworm Caves or Hobbiton (if you are a Tolkien/Lord of the Rings fan).

As you might have read or seen on the news, parts of Auckland, such as its wild West Coast, were recently affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and more heavy rain is expected for this weekend.

Expect daytime temperatures in Auckland to be around 60F (more or less), not beach weather. Bring attire for rain and sun. In early May, the sun will rise at around 7 a.m and set at approximately 5:30 p.m.

You wrote, "We will then fly to Melbourne for 5, 6 days, visiting Kangaroo Island, then to Sydney". Could you please clarify how many days in each place? Again, what are your interests? I'm guessing if you are going to Kangaroo Island, you must be interested in wildlife.

The drive from Melbourne to Cape Jervis, where you can catch a ferry to Kangaroo Island, is a long one. More than 11 hours. If you visit the Great Ocean Road along the way, then much longer. In either case, you'd want to break up this drive into two or three days.

When I visited Kangaroo Island, I did so by flying into Adelaide, but i was also interested in Adelaide itself and nearby wine regions.

There a lot to see and do in Sydney and Melbourne. Both cities are great for walking, but also have good public transportation.

You don't need proof of Covid 19 vaccinations to enter NZ. Please read this link.

nalaland

Thank you Dia for a lot of good info especially the Visas which I hadn't thought we needed it.
I would love to visit the wineries with my 19-yr old for the first time. Is 19-yr old legal age ?
We have 10-11 days for the entire trip. I was thinking spending 4 days in NZ and the rest to split at Melbourne, Kangaroo and Sydney. Not sure how to spend those days yet. Any further suggestion would be further appreciated. We are up for all those things you mentioned and hope to avoid long ride (if possible).

Melnq8

10-11 days for three Australian states and one island in NZ?

Way beyond ambitious, IMO.

We are from Texas. Is it safe to rent cars at these places?

That depends on how well you drive on the left.

Yes, your daughter is of legal drinking age in Australia and NZ.

mlgb

Do you already have plane tickets? Eleven days is barely enough for New Zealand, you could have gone to the South Island instead of Melbourne.

Uber works quite well in Auckland city instead of a car.

Bokhara2

Nalaland - you would be best to post your queries about Australia on that Forum.

However, I will just add a few comments.
1) Agree with mlgb - 11 days is barely enough to scratch the surface of New Zealand, let alone include distant places in Australia.
2) Australia is bigger than you think.: https://www.virtualoceania.net/austr...ustralia.shtml
3) If you want to go to Kangaroo Island, you would save time by flying into Adelaide. You really don't have time to drive from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road & see something on the drive as well as in Kangaroo Island.
Kangaroo Island: You will need to rent a car or take a tour. It, like Australia, is bigger than most people think. You could rent a car in Adelaide, provided the rental firm allows it to go on the ferry. I'm not sure whether you can rent cars on Kangaroo Island - ask on the Australian Forum.
4) If you fly to Adelaide, you could also fly Adelaide-Sydney.
5) I really don't think you have time to do what you've outlined in any other than a "whistle-stop, box ticking exercise".

Visas: Yes, you do need them. Apply now so you're not left waiting for approval of yours as your departure day arrives.
Car hire: Of course it's safe to hire cars in the cities you've mentioned. Whether you can safely drive one depends entirely on your driving ability. Australia and New Zealand both drive on the left hand side of the road.
Drinking age: 18 in Australia.

Use webjet to see flying schedules and times for the various flight legs you're contemplating. Book direct with the airlines. Do not exceed the luggage limits, particularly Cabin/hand luggage and most particularly the latter on domestic flights.

KayF

For Sydney and Melbourne, don't get a car. You can use public transport or taxi/uber. Melbourne has trams and Sydney has light rail. Also trains/buses. The public transport card in Melbourne is Myki, in Sydney it's an Opal card. Check online for where to buy and if there's a visitor card. As already noted, we drive on the left.

Have you looked on a map to see how far apart these places are? Each time you move to another country/city you lose nearly a whole day. Why not skip Melbourne or skip Kangaroo Island? You'll need to fly between each place, airlines are Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Rex and Bonza (new airline, dreadful name).

For Kangaroo Island, a tour might be a good idea. I've never been, perhaps check on Trip Advisor under Kangaroo Island and see which tours get good reviews.

If you want to see native wildlife, you could skip Kangaroo Island and Sydney and instead visit Melbourne for a few days then drive to Halls Gap where there is great hiking, views and wildlife. If you had time you could visit other Victorian towns, Ballarat, Bendigo, Daylesford etc etc. You'd want at least a day or two in each place.