Dennis_the_menace

This is a tough question to answer, but here goes. I am looking at spending about 5 weeks in Australia and NZ either in November '05 or the January to March '06 time frame. In Australia, I will be in Cairns (for snorkeling plus), and from Sydney to Melborne. I was planning on visiting both the north and south islands in NZ. What are the pluses and minuses of November versus January to March time frames?

Alan

Hi, Dennis!

It's a very good question, but I am sure that you realise that, with such a wide area to cover -- from Cairns to the south island of New Zealand -- there is no one "best" answer.

I can speak best about Sydney. The weather in November will be milder than in January, which is our hottest month, and March would probably be best of all -- our "in-between" seasons (March-May and Sept-Oct) are the best. But there's more than just the weather to consider here, and I wouldn't get too hung up about that, as the fact is that the climate in Sydney is just fantastic, and people rave about it even in our worst months (which is round about now). Weather notwithstanding, January is a great month to be in Sydney, especially the last half of the month, as January 26 is Australia Day, and the celebrations go on for a couple of weeks -- outdoor dance festivals, free concerts in the park, carnivals, free jazz, outdoor film screenings etc -- culminating in a terrific fireworks display on the harbour on Jan 26. It's a great time to be in Sydney, and, frankly, I would try to plan my holiday around that.

The Barrier Reef starts its rainy season round about that time, so you may have to plan that leg quite carefully, but whether it would be best to do the Reef first -- say, in early January -- and finish up in Sydney, or to start in Sydney and gradually work north towards the Reef by end February, I couldn't say: I am sure that some of our reef experts (Margo? Liz?) will be able to plan that leg for you. But my strong advice is that you should DEFINITELY plan your holiday around being in Sydney in the last week in January. BY the way, if you do, be sure to book ahead, as it is a VERY busy time of year, and the best accommodation will be snapped up fast.

tropo

Dennis, I would go for NOVEMBER. Try to start your trip by visiting North Queensland first. November is a great time to visit Cairns. (January/February/March...is the wet season), then after Cairns, back down to Sydney & Melbourne, then over to New Zealand, to enjoy their summer, which seems to come a bit later than the Australian summer.
(P.S. the long weekend in October, is the official start of the swimming season in Sydney...however, the water can still be quite cold, but my late November, you shouldn't have any trouble in swimming around Sydney's beaches)

pat_woolford

Dennis - I second NOVEMBER for Cairns - gorgeous time of year, after the windy months and before the humidity of summer. It's getting harder to predict the "wet" - this year March was far wetter than January, but not as wet as April and for the two previous years there was no wet season at all.

stormytrooper

When is the "long weekend in October"? We'll be in Sydney the last week in October and my daughter is looking forward to some beach time (but she'll swim regardless of temperature).

Alan

The long weekend in October is October 2-4, but there will be people swimming at the beaches before that! In fact, I went on the Bondi Beach-Coogee Beach walk last week, and was amazed to see how many swimmers were willing to brave the surf, in mid-July! As long as you choose a patrolled beach, you shouldn't worry too much about the dates -- it's only the municipal pools that sometimes close outside of the official season (but even that's getting less-true nowadays as more and more become heated).

Kiwi_acct

Hi Dennis

I agree with the other posters who suggest you start in Northern Queensland first and then move on through OZ and then into NZ.

Speaking from the NZ perspective the weather in summer does not become settled as a rule until January, however, November/December can be very pleasant in both the North and the South Islands. Watch for showers though and make sure you have a jacket available in case of rain.

People will be out swimming in the sea here from November onward but to be honest I don't venture in until at least late December, too cold.

If you were in NZ in Jan through March the weather would be much warmer and settled however your Australian leg would be a bit compromised given that it is the wet season in Queensland then. And of course you would not be able to swim in the sea in northern Queensland due to the fact that the sea could well be full of stingers etc (Not to mention the crocs, sharks, negligent charter boat operators who don't do head counts - don't worry I'm just waiting for Liz's reply)

Steve