We have 3 weeks in Au and NZ,late December, 2 boys 5 and 7 yrs.old with us. 4 days in Sydney then 2 days in Melbourne or Cairns. Phillip Isl. and Great Ocean Rd. vs. GBR and Daintree Rainforest. Are there boat tours to see the Reef since we don't scuba? Is it pretty rainy in December? We have 13 days in NZ, possibly both North and South Island. Which one is best? Also, any charming b&b's that stand out and welcomes kids? I checked out the babs.com site but would like a first-hand recommendation.

Seeing you are here in December I would recommend Melbourne before north Queensaland. Up north it will be very very hot, humid and wet. <BR>As far as NZ is concerned, I think the south island is much better than the north.

Melbourne has lovely weather in December- rain is rare. The Zoo is fantastic, the Healesville Sanctuary (wildlife) is 90 minutes away, and there are lots of things for kids to do. Don't miss Scienceworks, an interactive museum especially for kids. It's in Spotswood, a suburb about 5 trainstations away from the city. <BR>There are many small towns along the Great Ocean Road- Apollo Bay, Torquay and Lorne are all lovely and child friendly. They will take you around 3 hours to get to, though. The beaches there are supervised by lifeguards and lovely to swim in. Lorne has a forest (i think it's a National Park) with waterfalls and beautiful easy walks. New Years Eve can be a bit rough, though, as all those towns are prime spots for teenagers to have a party outdoors. There are usually fireworks in Melbourne on NYE with good places by the Yarra River to watch. If you want some beach in Melbourne, you can go to Williamstown, or St Kilda. Good for wading but not up to local standards for swimming!

I would definety recommend Melbourne. Beautifully laid out city, easy to get around in,very Victorian. We did the Penguin Parade at night. Lovely. We just did a 25 day tour of NZ and Australia. Wonderful trip. Everything first class! Loved every minute, even though we did catch cold.