Australia and New Zealand
 

I consider my dream trip to Australia and New Zealand end of Feb 2009, I can go for 1-2 months. I will travel by myself so I checked few travel agencies (i.e. Trafalgar,Goway) for escorted tours in both countries. I would like to see both islands in New Zealand, spend approx 12-14 days. In Australia I want to see: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Clare Valley, Finders Ranges, Coober Pedy, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, Alice Springs Desert Park, Mataranka, Katherine, Kakadu, Cairns
Great Barrier Reef and from Cairns down along the coast back to Sydney. The best would be to have trip in New Zealand, few days off in Sydney and continue on Australian tour. At this moment I'm a bit confused with the task. I would like to see as much as I can, but within a reason, I'm not that young (still in good shape) anymore so I need to pace myself.
Any suggestions? Any experience good/bad with Trafalgar, Goway (or other companies) trips? Or may be should I find local travel agencies? Anything will help, thanks.
Sorry for long message.

I would be rethinking your trip to Coober Pedy, Uluru and the rest of the inland areas in February - think in temps like Death Valley. Also forget the Trafalgar tours and do it yourself with out help - its easy as ABC.

Certainly the worst time of the year to do inland and up to Darwin, even Cairns in February not to mention it being Australia's hottest month all over and if you've ever been walking around cities in 30-35-(sometimes close to 40) C heat, ask yourself if you enjoyed it.

And 12-14 days to attempt all the locations mentioned would have you climbing onto planes or into buses/trains as often as climbing into bed, with hardly any time to enjoy what you would want to see.

If you cannot change the dates, stick with NZ.

I can't help with Australia, but I would spend at least three weeks in New Zealand; it's smaller than Australia, but there is a lot to see.

Lee Ann

I will also be in sydney nov. 28-dec 5th. im wondering if i need to prebook accomodatins? hire a car? any suggestions on must see during our short stay?

dreamandgo,

Explore worldwide have some comprehensive tours of Aust and NZ. I've travelled with them in Africa on three different trips and find them a consistently reliable company for safe travel to interesting places and good standards for food and accommodation, http://www.explore.co.uk/

Cheers,


Pol

Any Aussies want to join me in starting up a tour company of Australia, I am sure we could do it for half the price of the companies listedd not to mention make it much more memorable ???????
I have just checked on the price of the tours that Treepol suggested i.e Explore Worldwide and the prices are mindblowing particularly when you consider that Qantas does a "See Australia fare" which is a reasonably priced add-on to the International flight fares and then anything can be done easily when in those areas listed. The prices start at $10,700 Au for 14 days and the Cairns GBR area is not adequate at all and quite pathetic, 2 full days there is not enough time at all and its short on content ie. One of the days has Kuranda Skyrail and visit Tjapukai aboriginal park, well the Tjapukai aboriginal park is beside the Skyrail and you can do that yourself easily anyway and its preferable anyway to take the little railway up to Kuranda and then come down on teh Skyrail or vice versa. These tours can be arranged when in Cairns and are easy to do so. The Cat out to the reef on another day is not taking into consideration that you may prefer smaller boats or longer times or places on the reef or that the day maybe raining. Also they are missing out on other "must dos". All the boats ( and there are many, many tours to choose from ) have crews so again this is not an extra either and there are trained local experts at all of the places that there are tours to. Another thing is that there are "optional" tours to the Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island - without going to either of those places Adelaide is nothing but another ordinery city. This is the package folks:
Itinerary
1 Join Melbourne. 2 Full day in Blue Dandenong Ranges; 'Puffing Billy' steam train. 3 Great Ocean Road drive to Warrnambool. 4 To Adelaide; PM sightseeing tour. 5 Optional trips to Kangaroo Island or Barossa Valley. 6 Fly to Alice Springs; tour. 7 To Kings Canyon along Stuart Highway. 8 Kings Canyon tour; to Uluru/Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta/The Olgas. 9 At Uluru/Ayers Rock; fly to Cairns. 10 Full day catamaran trip to Great Barrier Reef. 11 Kuranda Skyrail and visit Tjapukai aboriginal park. 12 Fly Cairns to Sydney. 13 Tour of Sydney: Opera House & harbour cruise. 14 Full day Blue Mountains tour. 15 End tour Sydney.
Accommodation and Meals
14nts hotels - staying in comfortable hotels throoughout; 14 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 1 dinner included.
Transport
Air-conditioned Coaches/Steam Train/Catamaran/Sydney Harbour Cruise/Internal flights
Comments
All the main highlights of Australia are included in this short but comprehensive tour - Melbourne, Sydney, the south and east coasts - plus of course the great Outback. Nearly all activities and tours are included. Easy walks at sights of interest.
Tour Staff
Tour manager, drivers, expert local guides, crew on Catamaran.
Please people take some time to check on these things before you book an expensive trip like these - to me these are not even interesting!

BUSHRANGER! I see that you are watching the cricket or at least I suspect that it is you who is writing on the cricket site.

Dreamandgo,

I've just checked the website and in addition to the trip LizzyF mentions with the hefty price tag there are some more reasonably priced options for the East Coast and Outback ranging from 3.5 - 5K.



Cheers,


Pol

I can't imagine an organised tour covering all that territory in Oz. You do realize that Oz is roughly the same size as mainland USA but without the population.

It would be possible to organise yourself - but it's a huge amount of travel. Perhaps aim for the cities and an organised tour of the Centre - taking into account the heat AND THE FLIES!

I'm currently trying to organise me to Flinders Ranges from Adelaide - and that, in itself, will take a couple of days. (You could do it in a day - but where's the fun in only driving there and back?)

12-14 days is not much for NZ either.

If you take 2 months, it may be possible to see Australia in the 6 weeks left after 2 in NZ. Need some planning though.

Lizzy
" BUSHRANGER! I see that you are watching the cricket or at least I suspect that it is you who is writing on the cricket site. "

I do follow the cricket a little Liz, picked up on Kruezal or whatever his name is bagging 8 via a web site but I didn't even know we have a cricket site here on Fodors if that is what you mean.
Like the idea of a tour company - get a few people from all over to be like locals with local info etc., and yep, I've seen some reports of huge rip offs and poor service.

We could even have you as a celeb, for on seeing a self description on another post, I'm thinking Lizzy of Prisoner days, but she has gone to the maker a few years back.

CFCOOL
It pays to start a new thread when you have an enquiry for piggybackers can often be unsighted in the crowd.

December 28th to January 5th, you will be lucky to get anything moderately priced re accommmodation in Sydney and immediate regions.
Might be something around in the upper eupper price range or you could try a few left field alternatives like hiring a campervan - many companies if you google or maybe even a boat/houseboat on the Hawkesbury or St Georges rivers but I suspect they will also be very popular.

Have a look at www.drivelater.com.au and they do a scan of major car hire companies re a car and you may be able to get accomodation somewhere up in Blue Mountains, plenty of B&Bs etc. and then use that as a base, hotels out Parramatta way or in southern tablelands being other options to try.

Some Universities also have accommodation free over the Xmas holiday period or at least Xmas/NY and they are about twice what backpackers like to pay and reasonable enough accomodation but they could also already be snapped up.

There's a place, http://www.sydneyterraces.com/ , also a step up from a backpackers and they have or have had a 4 week minimum booking period and that could mean they take a while to fill if they do not shorten it for over Xmas/NY.

Pay the $145//hd for 4 weeks =$580 and just use it when you want and you're about break even for just one night in some places and well under for other places, that's if you can get in.

Last resort, buy a tent and a sleeping a bag or just the latter and sidle up with the homeless!

For ***CFCOOL***
Scrub The Terraces - Backpackers will have them all packed out courtesy of a free 1800 call for you,,,,,buttttt!

In your shoes and make them boaters
http://www.ripples.com.au/ do seem to have vacancy looking at their availability section.

You'll no doubt pay, but it'll be worth it believe me - anchored amidst a national park on Sydneys doorstep!

I would not dally though, and not only can you send the booking fee to BushLizard Touring Company, account details to be advised, I'm sure we could get some company for you to spread the cost if you find it too exhorbitant.

Courtesy

BushLizard Tours
(afterall) the Aussie Bush has heaps

Thanks for all suggestions.
- I can change travel time, what would be better time to see all places I mentioned?
- I've never went on a trip by myself, that's why I consider escorted tour,
- what part of Australia would you suggest for a visit (forget my list)