Hi Loretta,
Wentworth Falls & Leura are both towns in the Blue Mountains on the way to Katoomba.

You're right - Wentworth is a long way south west of there ;)

For B & B's in the Blue Mountains, have a look at http://www.visitnsw.com.au/ then "accommodation", "Blue Mountains" & "B&B" - there are quite a few which look interesting.

Re. the Opera House - it just depends on what's on that appeals to you when you're here. You might prefer to see a ballet, or a play, or an opera. My personal choice is to see a performance if I possibly can when visiting a landmark Concert/Opera House. Even if you don't see a performance, I would recommend you take the Opera House tour - it's very interesting and will give you insights and access to areas you wouldn't get just by looking around on your own.

If you are looking for a wide range of accommodation experiences in Australia, use website http://www.travelinoz.com.au
It has many unusual B&Bs, specialty hotels, apartments, cabins in wineries, right up to top hotels, in all states around Australia. Can make enquiries and get quotes before being committed to a booking - very handy!

In Australia and New Zealand, a great way to get around is by campervan and motorhome. DIY travel! and save money. And lots of fun, too. In NZ, Contact http://www.nzcarandcampervanrentals.com

In Australia, contact www.getaboutoz.com for campers, motorhomes and car rentals.
Regards, Roger

To: wlzmatilda

Hi Melodie-

Appreciate immensely your time to answer my query. As much as we would have liked, we just could not fit in Tasmania this go round. Sounds like that might be just as well, what with the tight lodging.

Had not thought about getting an Aussie Specialist to help us but should the need arise, I will certainly go in that direction. Have had so many wonderful, helpful people responding that we are going to try it on our own. But do appreciate the info.

Was happy to hear that the Aussie left side driving may not be too bad. We recently (2 years) moved to a large retirement Village in Florida and there are many roundabouts througout The Villages. Many is the time that I have gone around the same one, not once, not twice, but three times. Doing a roundabout driving on the left hand side is something I would probably have to practise in the middle of the night when there would be few to no cars around. But, I bet I'll try. Thanks for the encouraging words and helpful information.

Regards, Loretta

All you lovely people -- Thanks you so very much for all the information and suggestions. Your help has been invaluable and given in such a friendly manner. We are really looking forward to our brief visit. Upon return, we hope we can help someone as much as you have helped us.
Now, I must practise, so --- G'Day, Mates!!!

Loretta, IMO the biggest potential for a slip-up when driving on the "other side" is when you're turning onto a deserted road, without other traffic to remind you which side you should be on. The other danger is when you're crossing the street on foot - you have to be very careful to first look right, not left, for oncoming traffic.

Atlantic/Pacific Tours with Newman's was a "great" tour around the South Island according to my 70/80 year-old in-laws who went last March...

Lorhrp -

You can also look into an Elder Hostel program. My in-laws (in their 60's) did a few weeks in NZ with them. They were one of the youngest groups on the tour, but enjoyed themselves. However, they wanted to explore certain places a bit longer at times.

It's all inclusive - transpo, hotel, food. And very educational.

You can find them at Elderhostel.org.

Denise

We are Floridians who visited Australia and New Zealand a couple of years ago. We bought a Qantas pass that allowed us to fly domestically at good fares and flew to Uluru (Ayers Rock) for a night (a MUST - it is awesome) and Adelaide for 5 nights. We took a day trip to Kangeroo Island which was also a highlight of our trip - wish I had more time there. So if Tasmania will be packed, you might try Kangeroo Island. You won't need a car in Sydney and it is a wonderful city. We also went to Perth for 5 nights but I don't think you have enough time for that too. We also had 5 nights in Auckland - as I recall, there was a bus you could hop on and off to see the town. Wonderful place.

Regarding NZ, we are looking into a 7 day Tranz Scenic rail pass (still waiting for responses to that idea) - which will take us from Auckland to Wellington (12 hours) to Christchurch to Greymouth through Arthur's Pass - at which point we plan to rent a car for the rest of our time. The pass includes one interisland ferry crossing. At the end of our trip, we will fly back to Auckland for departure home. For the train, check out: http://www.tranzscenic.co.nz/default.aspx
We have never taken a land tour so I can't advise you on that - but Air New Zealand or Qantas have packages, and I'm sure you can purchase just the land portion. We tend to stay in serviced apartment hotels or rent directly from homeowners - search on "vacation rentals" - there are places all over the world. Hope this helps.