August 20 - September 18, 2008 Itinerary for Australia and New Zealand
Nov 16th, 2007, 11:08 PM
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Hi again RTR1944
I've been doing some more thinking about the schedule I have posted so far, and it is a fair criticism to say that if you want to stop and explore, then this is not the right schedule at all.
I like driving and I tend to pull over when I see something I'm interested in, like an antiques store or a great view. Otherwise I would be thinking you would have prioritised the activities you were interested in, and devoted a couple of hours here, and a couple of hours there, rather than a whole morning walking and watching.
This second part of the trip requires some longer drives. I have been completely biased in favour of the South Island, which I believe is a good assessment. So they got more days than we did, and more of your tourist dollar!
We're up to Day Nine and we're hopping on a ferry to Wellington. This is going to take a half a day, but it's leisurely and the views at either end are nice, particularly the Southern end.
Wellington is New Zealand's only 'real' city, like Manhattan, small and focussed and walkable. The National Museum, Te Papa, is worth a visit, particularly the collections of New Zealand art. The City Gallery is more eclectic and has smaller, but more interesting shows. I'm an Aucklander, and Wellingtonians and Aucklanders think of each other the way Manhattanites and Los Angelinos (is that the right terminology?) think of each other. They are parochial try-hards and we are arrogant laurel-resters.
Wellington is worth a half a day if you have it, otherwise go Northeast to Martinborough or Greytown. I'm a b&b freak and both the Martinborough Hotel and the White Swan are lovely places to eat a good dinner and sleep well. Martinborough is a wine town, and Greytown, another gentrified colonial village. Both pretty.
www.peppers.co.nz/Martinborough, www.thewhiteswan.co.nz/
Travelling north on day ten up past the wind-powered turbines that line the hills above Palmerston North like alien stick insects, and a long stretch of road up to Taupo or Rotorua. This is a big drive, about five-six hours. You'll see lots of small country towns, and there are lots of antique and crafts stores along the way. Make sure you stop at Country Traders in Greytown. The people that run this antiques store have the most amazing taste. Like a set of shop fittings from a nineteenth century French drugstore.
Wonderful.
You're now about to stop in either Taupo, or drive for another three-quarters of an hour to Rotorua. It's late in the evening and I'm going to suggest you go to the latter.
I am going to be unpatriotic for a moment and tell you that Maori concert parties are naff. Not the Maori people themselves, who are lovely and easy to make friends with, nor the rich culture that they have that is genuinely exciting. But concert parties, particularly in hotels, are like seeing Don Ho in Hawaii, except probably not as polished. Go to the Tamaki Brothers Village just outside of Rotorua, go to the Buried Village, or Whakarewarea (both are touristy but magical), or go and a have a beer at the local pub, but leave the
hotel shows alone. Rotorua is not great for hotels. There are plenty of them - probably the Novotel is best. www.novotel.co.nz
A few words about Taupo. It's a very beautiful lake, and there are some very nice hotels along the waterfront, but you have to be on the water in my opinion to enjoy it to the full. Come back another year and do a week in each place.
Or, if you have money, Huka Lodge would be lovely.
Now you need to drive for three-four hours to the Coromandel. Here you're going to have to lose me as a guide. Coromandel is unmapped territory for me. There are, on the east side a number of big developed holiday resorts which do not much do it for me. There are some very, secluded beaches and native bush spots as well. I have never got past the former.
Alternatively have a look at Heritage Hotel du Vin. I stayed there in April, and while it's a little 80's I liked it. When it gets dark, it gets pitch black, and for a city boy, that's heaven.
I think we're up to Day Thirteen.
As an act of courtesy to my Wellington friends, I would happily suggest you give Auckland a miss.
Instead, try another long drive to the Bay of Islands. It's about four and a half hours from Auckland, or about six from Thames in the Coromandel. Ok, it's a big ask.
You're going to be exhausted when you arrive. I am going to suggest you go to Orongo Bay on the Russell side.
www.thehomestead.co.nz
Orongo Bay is a little cove about five minutes away from the Russell ferry. It's famous for its oysters.
The Homestead was the original American Consulate, when Russell was the capital of New Zealand. It has nice lawns, comfy beds and Chris and Michael - who run it - take their food very seriously. Talk to Michael and he'll prepare a dinner you won't forget.
Day Fourteen and you should be getting on a plane. You're going to have to catch one to get you back to Auckland. Get out on the water for a couple of hours, then drive to Waitangi House for the views and the quick history lesson. New Zealand is the only country in the world where the settlers asked permission of the natives to come to their country to live. The English Crown was very particular about this. Unfortunately the white settlers became envious when they saw how well the Maori were doing out of the deal, and how desirable their land was. That's when the shooting started. But Waitangi was an honourable treaty, an attempt by The Court of St James to leap in and get things in order before the greedy got too well established. It was done because many of those who met the Maori genuinely respected the m and wanted them to do well. Best intentions sadly not very well delivered on. And the Maori have, for the most part, suffered ever since.
Well, the whirlwind tour is over. There is plenty you haven't seen; you didn't do 90 Mile Beach, or any of the rugged West Coast, unless you saw Hokitika. The North Island, from New Plymouth on, has the most wonderful stretches of wild, windswept beachfronts. You can do those next time. My feeling is you will be breathless when you see the South Island. It's not really a land of the Maori people, it's English landscapes or New England landscapes, and fantastic mountain ranges with bright bluewater rivers running over polished grey pebbles. The North Island is where you'll meet the Maori. In a pub, in a swimming hole or hot springs, on a summer day by the beach playing touch rugby. If you're in Auckland on a Saturday, at the vegetable markets in Otara - you'll see Islanders and Maori from 7am in the morning. The Island music plonk-plonks away, the T-shirts make jokey puns on major brand names and movies ='The FOBfather' (FOB meaning Fresh off the Boat).
I've been doing some more thinking about the schedule I have posted so far, and it is a fair criticism to say that if you want to stop and explore, then this is not the right schedule at all.
I like driving and I tend to pull over when I see something I'm interested in, like an antiques store or a great view. Otherwise I would be thinking you would have prioritised the activities you were interested in, and devoted a couple of hours here, and a couple of hours there, rather than a whole morning walking and watching.
This second part of the trip requires some longer drives. I have been completely biased in favour of the South Island, which I believe is a good assessment. So they got more days than we did, and more of your tourist dollar!
We're up to Day Nine and we're hopping on a ferry to Wellington. This is going to take a half a day, but it's leisurely and the views at either end are nice, particularly the Southern end.
Wellington is New Zealand's only 'real' city, like Manhattan, small and focussed and walkable. The National Museum, Te Papa, is worth a visit, particularly the collections of New Zealand art. The City Gallery is more eclectic and has smaller, but more interesting shows. I'm an Aucklander, and Wellingtonians and Aucklanders think of each other the way Manhattanites and Los Angelinos (is that the right terminology?) think of each other. They are parochial try-hards and we are arrogant laurel-resters.
Wellington is worth a half a day if you have it, otherwise go Northeast to Martinborough or Greytown. I'm a b&b freak and both the Martinborough Hotel and the White Swan are lovely places to eat a good dinner and sleep well. Martinborough is a wine town, and Greytown, another gentrified colonial village. Both pretty.
www.peppers.co.nz/Martinborough, www.thewhiteswan.co.nz/
Travelling north on day ten up past the wind-powered turbines that line the hills above Palmerston North like alien stick insects, and a long stretch of road up to Taupo or Rotorua. This is a big drive, about five-six hours. You'll see lots of small country towns, and there are lots of antique and crafts stores along the way. Make sure you stop at Country Traders in Greytown. The people that run this antiques store have the most amazing taste. Like a set of shop fittings from a nineteenth century French drugstore.
Wonderful.
You're now about to stop in either Taupo, or drive for another three-quarters of an hour to Rotorua. It's late in the evening and I'm going to suggest you go to the latter.
I am going to be unpatriotic for a moment and tell you that Maori concert parties are naff. Not the Maori people themselves, who are lovely and easy to make friends with, nor the rich culture that they have that is genuinely exciting. But concert parties, particularly in hotels, are like seeing Don Ho in Hawaii, except probably not as polished. Go to the Tamaki Brothers Village just outside of Rotorua, go to the Buried Village, or Whakarewarea (both are touristy but magical), or go and a have a beer at the local pub, but leave the
hotel shows alone. Rotorua is not great for hotels. There are plenty of them - probably the Novotel is best. www.novotel.co.nz
A few words about Taupo. It's a very beautiful lake, and there are some very nice hotels along the waterfront, but you have to be on the water in my opinion to enjoy it to the full. Come back another year and do a week in each place.
Or, if you have money, Huka Lodge would be lovely.
Now you need to drive for three-four hours to the Coromandel. Here you're going to have to lose me as a guide. Coromandel is unmapped territory for me. There are, on the east side a number of big developed holiday resorts which do not much do it for me. There are some very, secluded beaches and native bush spots as well. I have never got past the former.
Alternatively have a look at Heritage Hotel du Vin. I stayed there in April, and while it's a little 80's I liked it. When it gets dark, it gets pitch black, and for a city boy, that's heaven.
I think we're up to Day Thirteen.
As an act of courtesy to my Wellington friends, I would happily suggest you give Auckland a miss.
Instead, try another long drive to the Bay of Islands. It's about four and a half hours from Auckland, or about six from Thames in the Coromandel. Ok, it's a big ask.
You're going to be exhausted when you arrive. I am going to suggest you go to Orongo Bay on the Russell side.
www.thehomestead.co.nz
Orongo Bay is a little cove about five minutes away from the Russell ferry. It's famous for its oysters.
The Homestead was the original American Consulate, when Russell was the capital of New Zealand. It has nice lawns, comfy beds and Chris and Michael - who run it - take their food very seriously. Talk to Michael and he'll prepare a dinner you won't forget.
Day Fourteen and you should be getting on a plane. You're going to have to catch one to get you back to Auckland. Get out on the water for a couple of hours, then drive to Waitangi House for the views and the quick history lesson. New Zealand is the only country in the world where the settlers asked permission of the natives to come to their country to live. The English Crown was very particular about this. Unfortunately the white settlers became envious when they saw how well the Maori were doing out of the deal, and how desirable their land was. That's when the shooting started. But Waitangi was an honourable treaty, an attempt by The Court of St James to leap in and get things in order before the greedy got too well established. It was done because many of those who met the Maori genuinely respected the m and wanted them to do well. Best intentions sadly not very well delivered on. And the Maori have, for the most part, suffered ever since.
Well, the whirlwind tour is over. There is plenty you haven't seen; you didn't do 90 Mile Beach, or any of the rugged West Coast, unless you saw Hokitika. The North Island, from New Plymouth on, has the most wonderful stretches of wild, windswept beachfronts. You can do those next time. My feeling is you will be breathless when you see the South Island. It's not really a land of the Maori people, it's English landscapes or New England landscapes, and fantastic mountain ranges with bright bluewater rivers running over polished grey pebbles. The North Island is where you'll meet the Maori. In a pub, in a swimming hole or hot springs, on a summer day by the beach playing touch rugby. If you're in Auckland on a Saturday, at the vegetable markets in Otara - you'll see Islanders and Maori from 7am in the morning. The Island music plonk-plonks away, the T-shirts make jokey puns on major brand names and movies ='The FOBfather' (FOB meaning Fresh off the Boat).
Nov 17th, 2007, 12:15 PM
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Whilst I have been to the GBR about 10 times I am not up-to-date on what is going on up there now and I was hoping that someone like Pat Woolford would chip in here and give you some ideas about that area because she is one of several experts on that area. However Sally from Seattle has been there very recently and wrote an excellant report as have others over the last year or so and I have posted a really good website. Do a search above for Cairns/Daintree/Port Douglas/Palm Cove/ Atherton Tablelands/GBR/ liveaboards/ etc and see what you come up with - then perhaps do a search on me and you may find the website that I posted which has a wealth of information within it.
Nov 17th, 2007, 02:01 PM
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Hi Bradford,
I was really impressed with your comments re Wellington, made as an Aucklander!! Thank you. Your suggested itinerary was pretty impressive. I have little to add except if you do drive down the West Coast it is almost an absolute must that you go through Haast towards the Queenstown area. We do this just about every year, and it never fails to impress with its different beauty each year. Lake Hawea is an impressive lake, and stunning to wake up to in the morning, if you want a place to stop overnight.
The gannets you referred to in your Dunedin post are actually Royal Albatross, and quite an internationally recognised sanctuary. "Taiaroa Head provides the only mainland colony of albatross in the world. The return of the first Royal Albatross, the world's largest seabird, to its Taiaroa Head breeding ground, is greeted by every church bell in the Dunedin City area." quote from the nzbirds.com website
The Yellow-eyed penguin reserve is also on the Otago Peninsular, and also well worth a look. Another old home open for visiting is Olveston House, an impressive record of early 1900s life in New Zealand.
As a true-blue Wellingtonian who has lived most my life in North Island provinces I can heartily endorse the beauty of the South Island. It is a big part of why my husband and I spend 3+ weeks there every January.
Hope RTR1944 has much fun replanning their trip. Good luck.
I was really impressed with your comments re Wellington, made as an Aucklander!! Thank you. Your suggested itinerary was pretty impressive. I have little to add except if you do drive down the West Coast it is almost an absolute must that you go through Haast towards the Queenstown area. We do this just about every year, and it never fails to impress with its different beauty each year. Lake Hawea is an impressive lake, and stunning to wake up to in the morning, if you want a place to stop overnight.
The gannets you referred to in your Dunedin post are actually Royal Albatross, and quite an internationally recognised sanctuary. "Taiaroa Head provides the only mainland colony of albatross in the world. The return of the first Royal Albatross, the world's largest seabird, to its Taiaroa Head breeding ground, is greeted by every church bell in the Dunedin City area." quote from the nzbirds.com website
The Yellow-eyed penguin reserve is also on the Otago Peninsular, and also well worth a look. Another old home open for visiting is Olveston House, an impressive record of early 1900s life in New Zealand.
As a true-blue Wellingtonian who has lived most my life in North Island provinces I can heartily endorse the beauty of the South Island. It is a big part of why my husband and I spend 3+ weeks there every January.
Hope RTR1944 has much fun replanning their trip. Good luck.
Nov 18th, 2007, 07:15 AM
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Given all that you want to accomplish, I'd recommend eliminating the Kangaroo Island stop. We just got back having, spent 2 nights on the island, and while we enjoyed our circular tour, I suspect you'll do better in allocating the KI time elsewhere.
We also took a one day tour from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. Though interesting in multiple respects, with your time constraints, we'd suggest a pass on this destination.
In planning our trip, we came to the conclusion that one month was simply not enough to do Australia alone, and thus planned to make a additional trips to OZ and NZ.
We also took a one day tour from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. Though interesting in multiple respects, with your time constraints, we'd suggest a pass on this destination.
In planning our trip, we came to the conclusion that one month was simply not enough to do Australia alone, and thus planned to make a additional trips to OZ and NZ.
Nov 18th, 2007, 01:49 PM
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If I have to pare my itinerary down further, then I may have to take the approach of: "If I've seen it somewhere else, why would I want to see something similar?" For example, if we have seen the Matterhorn and hiked the Aletsch glacier in Switzerland, do I rule out Mt. Cook and/or Tasman/Fox Glaciers and see something that we haven't see before like the Dunedin area?
Your thoughts?
BTW, I have been thinking of forgetting Auckland altogether in deference to the Bay of Islands and the Coromandel Penisula. What do you think?
Your thoughts?
BTW, I have been thinking of forgetting Auckland altogether in deference to the Bay of Islands and the Coromandel Penisula. What do you think?
Jan 30th, 2008, 06:01 AM
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Hi RTR
Late in responding but wanted to encourage you to keep the Lizard Island portion of your trip. We covered a lot of territory in 2001 and LI was at the top! It takes quite a while to get out on the GBR by boat, so staying there is much better.
Enjoy
Leslee
Late in responding but wanted to encourage you to keep the Lizard Island portion of your trip. We covered a lot of territory in 2001 and LI was at the top! It takes quite a while to get out on the GBR by boat, so staying there is much better.
Enjoy
Leslee
Feb 8th, 2008, 09:38 PM
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Give north Queensland a miss this time and come back in a few years to do it with some sense of proportion.
I understand your need to cover as much as possible but three days in Tassie and the north is wasting a day or two just getting there.
If you want to see wildlife in the wild it takes time, even when you have a skilled guide. This is the best way to experience the bush and not as expensive as you might think. Value for money is the thing.
I understand your need to cover as much as possible but three days in Tassie and the north is wasting a day or two just getting there.
If you want to see wildlife in the wild it takes time, even when you have a skilled guide. This is the best way to experience the bush and not as expensive as you might think. Value for money is the thing.
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