Auckland or Cairns in late May?
 

Hi,

Have five nights to kill after spending time in Melbourne. We cannot decide on whether to go to Auckland or Cairns. We're not divers, but interested in snorkeling (and the warmer weather in Cairns), but one of us (me!) has always wanted to explore Auckland and the surrounding area. Anyone know of any hiking trails in/near Auckland? Which destination would you choose?

Many thanks from Austin, TX!

As you aren't divers and you like hiking, would you consider Tasmania? With 5 nights, you could at least cover part of Tasmania (maybe area around Cradle Mtn.) - and it's a quick flight from Melbourne.

If I had to choose between your original options, I'd pick New Zealand - spend a couple days in Auckland and then head up to Bay of Islands.

Gosh - should you go to the GBR ( which is NOT just about diving at all because there is more diversity there than anywhere else in the entire South Pacific) or would you go to Auckland ( which to my mind is the most boring city on earth). To me the answer is easy.

There are many bush trails withing the city limits of greater Auckland in the main these are in the Waitakere ranges which are to the west of the city. You can get there by bus/rental car or if really keen taxi.

Arataki visitors centre is a good place to start. It has maps of the local walks which range from a hour through to a few days.

http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-par...entre_home.cfm

Sorry about the long web address. You can link to it from the Auckland visitors centre website.

http://www.aucklandnz.com/

The latter site also covers the miriad of other attraction in and around Auckland. The jewel is the Hauraki gulf and the islands in it. Most are reasonably accessible by ferry. The most populated being Waiheke, which has some good walks along with some grea vineyards which are well worth checking out

Late May can however be a bit wet as that is the end of Autumn. If it is a beach you are after and wamth, then FNQ is probably a better bet.

Haven't been to Aukland just yet, but Cairns would be warmer at that time of year. There is a ton of things to do in the Cairns region, we spent 8 days there, mostly in beautiful Port Douglas and wanted to stay longer. Consider going into the rainforest for hikes, or staying on one of the islands off the GBR would be great too if you want isolation. I am planning a trip to NZ at present and am only spending 1 day in Aukland because it just didn't fit well in my interest in the outdoors compared to other NZ locals. I suspect Cairns is a little less expensive as well, but I haven't done any recent research as my trip was 6 years ago.