Cricket, diving and NZ - how long to fit it all in?
 

As some of you may have noticed there's a "minor" cricket series coming up between Australia and England in Dec '13/Jan '14, which both DH and i would love to see some of; he would also like to do some diving, and we'd both like to see [a bit of] NZ.

We've never been to the antipodes before, and could probably manage 3 weeks away [4 at a pinch].

I know that compared to the UK distances are vast and it may be that this idea is crackers but is there a way that this could be achieved? preferably without breaking the bank?

I can't promise it won't break the bank, but if you are going to both Australia and New Zealand, I can't see doing it in fewer than 4 weeks--2 weeks for Australia, 2 weeks for NZ. We've made multiple trips to both countries and never for less than 2 weeks in either Australia or NZ.

If you absolutely have to do both countries in 3 weeks, limit yourself to either the North or the South island of NZ. You won't have time to visit both of them.

Hi annhig

For us uninitiated, it would be helpful to know where the cricket will be held and how long you'd plan to sit and watch.

'Do some diving' - do you need to do this on the Barrier Reef; there are other lovely diving sites that don't mean travelling that far north necessarily.

There's no way you're going to cover everywhere in your time limit, but even in 4 weeks you'd be able to see some memorable places. Do remember that you're going to loose 24 hours each way on travel, plus time each time you move to a new place, so you need to factor that in when you're working out exactly how many days you'll actually be on the ground and sight-seeing.

Do you have a list of 'must sees' for your time down under? You won't have to spend a fortune, especially if you can get some early-bird air fares. You'll be here in high season for accommodation; on the coast the prices rise astronomically, but go inland and it doesn't make so much difference. Di

G'day annhig

Don't bother coming for the cricket- the way the Australians are playing in India it'll all be just too depressing. (well, I suppose not for you :)!)

Cricket first. Tests start 21 November and amble on until Sydney - New Year test, 3-7 January.

Full programme here:
http://www.cricket.com.au/series/ashes-series-2014

There may be an issue getting tickets here - if you are able to organise from home, so much the better. Tickets for the last Ashes test in Sydney sold out in 25 minutes or so. The Australian team is playing so poorly, there just isn't the buzz around right now.

I went to Adelaide for the South Africa test last year. Not recommended - unless they have finished the upgrade of Adelaide Oval. The only seats available to non-members were in full sun - and I absolutely roasted.

After you've decided what cricket you want to see, you can decide how much else you want to see around that. If you travel with the Barmy Army. I'll never speak to you again!

Diving - do you mean the Great Barrier Reef? Fly to Cairns from wherever you are. May be wet season? Perhaps aim for the Reef first.

New Zealand - what do you have in mind?

As the above poster says - you're travelling in high season in both countries.

Come back with some detail and we can expand on that.

thanks to all of you for your replies - I really haven't got much idea yet of what there is to see where, but I got the lonely planet guide to the EASt Coast of Australia out of the library today, so I'm learning!

Di - if you look at the link margo has posted, you'll see that what we are talking about is the most fiercely contested cricket contest in the world - the Ashes - played every 4 years between Australia and England. 5 matches, each potentially 5 days, spread over 6 weeks or so and played in 5 Australian cities. As Margo says, the great aussie team is wounded at the moment, but like some wild animal [and looking at some of the team that's not such a stretch] that's when it's at its most dangerous.

thanks for the link Margo - i had looked at the schedule but it's useful to have it there nevertheless. For family reasons, I think that the Sydney test is probably the only one that is really on the cards, and I'm not sure we could manage every day - though of course if it were the decider, we might be tempted. And no we aren't "Barmies", though their website is very useful for information; and then there's Billy [the trumpeter] of course, he's doing a great job out in NZ right now.

longhorn - i know that it's not really long enough to fit in much of either country; we might manage 4 weeks at a pinch, I suppose. personally I'd prefer just to see as much of Oz as we could but DH has his heart set on NZ, and I know he'd love to dive the GBR. [he's quite well qualified as a diver so we don't need to worry about courses, just venue and facilities]

so i suppose that what we're looking at is this:

a week or so in Sydney round about the time of the test match, for a couple of days cricket and some sight-seeing, a week before or after it for DH to do some diving and for us to explore a bit, then 2 weeks in NZ.

how does that sound?

Sounds just fine!

Issues:
1.

Start again!

Sounds fine.

Issues - as I see them.

1. Hotel in Sydney. New Years Eve in Sydney is very big with tourists, hotels usually have a 3 - 5 day minimum, and prices are utterly ridiculous. And may be booked out.

2. Tickets. Always a problem. The grounds are bigger than those in UK - but... (and I think the Sydney Cricket Ground is also being re-built. It'll be hot and humid - you really need seats under cover or in shade.

3. Diving. Yes - you can dive anywhere (including Sydney) - but you really want to head to the Reef, and it's the wet season, potentially cyclones. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go there - it's just something of which you should be aware.

4. Weather - hot and humid, possibility of rain - but hopefully better than Cornwall offered on my last trip - rain every day but one!

I may avoid this - I'm currently considering a trip to your side of the world - apparently it's cold there at Christmas - a weird concept! How do the mangoes ripen? ;)

A further point - don't consider that this will be your only trip to this end of the world.

This isn't Italy - but it's pretty amazing in it's own right. And you can speak the lingo! You'll plan another trip.

I may avoid this - I'm currently considering a trip to your side of the world - apparently it's cold there at Christmas - a weird concept! How do the mangoes ripen? >>

lol, margo - the mangoes ripen on the supermarket shelves of course.

and are you sure that i'll understand aussies better than i do italians?

anyway, thanks for your words of wisdom, i'm going back to the drawing board.

meanwhile, if I can help with your trip to civilisation...

civilisation??? pah! This is the oldest continent! (How far north do I need to go to get a white Christmas?)

A further thought. Jane McGrath Day, the third day of the Sydney test is just spectacular. Jane, the wife of cricketer Glenn McGrath died of breast cancer - and this is a huge fundraiser. Everyone wears pink, even the Barmy Army.
http://www.cricket.com.au/video/Jane...Day-at-the-SCG

Tracking live scores of the Wales v England match, and texting Mucky. Wow!

Tracking live scores of the Wales v England match, and texting Mucky. Wow!>>

Grrr - hate to say it, but Wales deserved to win. they did everything better including conning the ref on occasion. how England beat the All Blecks with more or less this same team is a mystery to me and I was there.

Nice idea about getting tickets for Jane McGrath day. I have a soft spot for Glenn - I'm convinced that had he not turned his ankle over on the first day of the 2nd test in 2005, Australia would have won the series.

to be sure of a white Christmas, rather than thinking about going north, go for height - altitude should do it. Somewhere in or near the alps would be favourite - Salzburg for example, where there will be plenty of Christmassy music, Christmas markets, nearby mountains...

we went to Prague and Budapest between Christmas and New Year a few years ago, and they both had plenty of snow.

Hi, we are thinking of catching some Ashes action along with some diving in GBR and a trip to South Island in NZ around that time too. Since tickets and accommodation around Christmas/New Year's is expensive, we are planning to catch the 1st Test in Brisbane (21st-26th November), then proceed to Cairns, Sydney and NZ. Not sure if this works for you too.

As for the cricket, Eng just beat us here in India, and India is killing Australia..so I will be rooting for the Aussies come Ashes to somehow even things out!

As for the cricket, Eng just beat us here in India, and India is killing Australia..so I will be rooting for the Aussies come Ashes to somehow even things out!>>

booo - but understandable. Though we have been rooting for you against the aussies, of course.

thank you for sharing your ideas - I had been thinking about doing the trip after Christmas [when we would need to be home] not before. your itinerary has given me food for thought.

Ann, just stumbled across this thread. It would be very funny if after meeting you in Paris, I was also able to meet you in Australia? We will be down round Sydney Dec 27-Jan 4. I will keep an eye on your plans :-)

Toucan - how spooky!

it's not the first time - for a while I was following maitaitom around, but I was 6 months or so behind him!

I'll let you know how our plans develop, or not!

Any advances?

Our cricket / cricketers are bloody appalling - and Michael Clarke's back has given up (again)!

And you lot could only manage a draw against the Kiwis! The Kiwis? Really?

i know, Margo. i couldn't believe it either, and that last day with Monty crawling towards to crease had elements of farce.

perhaps the best we can say is that they/we are equally hopeless!

Dragging myself back to the trip planning and after a bit more thought, [and copying the idea of someone else on another thread] I'm coming round to the idea of starting off in Brisbane, then doing the GBR, then going to NZ, so as to be home in time for Christmas, hopefully missing the hottest weather and highest prices.

That would give us approx 4-5 weeks, with perhaps a stop over in Hong Kong on the way out [DD loved it] and Fiji [or even California where we have rellies] on the way home.

Still possible we may meet up as we will be in Brisbane area Dec 8 to around the 17, then up north until the 27th when we will fly to Sydney. So keep me posted!

Don't make the mistake of trying to fit too much in. You will definitely make a return visit.

If I can visit your country about half a dozen times, even though the weather stinks, you'll certainly come back here! :)

You are coming to Sydney, aren't you?

Don't make the mistake of trying to fit too much in. You will definitely make a return visit.>>

lol, Margo, you sound just like me on the europe thread.

thought I do think that in 4-5 weeks we ought to have time to fit in one of the tests, some diving for DH, and some of NZ [i'm thinking south Island]. oh yes, and Sydney of course.

shouldn't we?

ok, new[ish] plan:

based around seeing the test match in Brisbane, we could do the following:

Nov 9 - leave LHR and fly to HK. stop over 3 nights.

Nov 13 - fly to Cairns - 3 nights on liveaboard dive boat so DH can dive the GBR [he's an experienced diver so we just need a boat that offers diving, not courses]

Nov 18 - fly to Brisbane. stay til end of test on Nov 25th [hopefully!]

Nov 26 - fly/drive? down to Sydney. spend/stay a week

Dec 2 - fly to Christchurch. spend 2 weeks driving from south to north island

DEc 15 - fly from Aukland to Fiji

Dec 20 - fly home to LHR.

how does that look?

It looks like we will miss each other :-(

Looks like a good itinerary to me. I like Brisbane a lot. Gallery of Modern Art is well worth a visit with a cafe fronting onto the river. I've stayed at a variety of hotels and apartments if you want any recommendations. Miro Apartments in the Valley was where I last stayed, it's well located, near enough to the train to the airport and lots of good cafes in the vicinity.

Looking OK

<<of course I sound like you...I haunt the Europe threads, both here and there!>>

thanks, Susan. i like the look of Brisbane too, which is what made me think that seeing a test there would be a good choice - that and it fitting in which the schedule i have in my head - Sorry Toucan2!

I suspect that in Brisbane we may go with a package that includes tickets for the test match, unless i can work out how to buy them direct.

any ideas?

just got onto the Australian Cricket Board site - tickets not on sale yet.

any idea when they might become available?

Margo - great minds!

Anne, I think you should attend the Boxing Day test in Melbourne. 85,000 Aussies baying for English blood.

Peter - i think you've just told me why we shouldn't be there!

Hi Ann, I saw your comment on an Italy thread that you are coming to Australia so I thought I'd pop over here and have a look. Your trip sounds good, not too rushed, very sensible ;) .

ok, new plan - out goes Fiji, to give us more tim in Aus and NZ.

Nov 11 - leave LHR and fly to HK. stop over 3 nights.

Nov 15 - fly to Cairns - 3 nights on liveaboard dive boat/island so DH can dive the GBR followed by touring area

Nov 22 - fly to Aukland. Pick up car/motorhome [not sure about that, never done that before!] tour NZ for 2 weeks, ending at Christchurch/Queenstown

Dec 7 - fly to Sydney. stay 3 nights, then tour area

Dec 12 - fly to Perth for 3rd test. [13-17 Dec]

DEc 18 - fly from Perth to ? for 3 night stopover

Dec 23 - arrive home at LHR.

How does that look?

would it be better to do NZ first so as to avoid the December high season? that would push Cairns to the end of the trip - is that a good idea?

oh dear - so many choices!

Are you set on Cairns and Liveaboard for diving? I find the humidity in Cairns in December/January quite hard to take. You can do great diving at the southern end of the reef. Heron Island is fantastic and being an island, it's fairly temperate even in December/January. You can snorkel straight out from the island and there are dive boats that go further out. It is a bit of a hike to get there, however, plane from Brisbane then a ferry from Gladstone to the island (2-3 hours).

http://www.heronisland.com/

funny susan - I've been looking at Heron Island, but had the impression you could get there from Cairns! lucky you said.

they've got what looks like a great offer on now [$999 for 3 days all inclusive] - how long would you think was the best amount of time to stay there? we could fly into Brisbane instead of Cairns and then transfer to Gladstone.


however, i think that we are set to put the diving at the beginning of the trip, wherever we do it, so if we were going to be in the Cairns area in mid november, would that make any difference to your advice?

3-4 days at Heron is perfect. The time of year does make a difference. The turtle hatching only starts in December, but the synchronised coral spawining is in November. And the mother turtles will be starting to lay their eggs in November. At night, they come up to the island on the high tide. It's amazing watching them.

If you go to Heron Island it's just for diving and snorkeling (and the natural environment with birds and turtles). Cairns offers a lot more than the reef: Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tablelands. I haven't been to Cairns in November but I imagine it would not be quite as hot and humid then.

A quick question Re your stop overs. Are you allowing 3 nights each way to see things or just to avoid jet lag? Actually 2 quick questions, which airline are you using as that will affect your stopovers.

Are you allowing 3 nights each way to see things or just to avoid jet lag?>>

a bit of both, really, cathies!

we've never been to Singapore OR Hong Kong and this seems like a good opportunity to take a look, for minimal extra cost. I'm still waiting to hear back from RTW for revised costings, which I hope by jettisoning Fiji will have come down.


Actually 2 quick questions, which airline are you using as that will affect your stopovers.>>

another good question - I'm not entirely sure! i can see that that's something to bear in mind - I spent some time on the internet last night working out routings that didn't involve any indirect flights, but that wasn't something I'd considered.

back to the drawing board!

good job we've got plenty of time for planning.

ok, we're now ontp itinerary no 3 [or is it 4?]


Nov 10th - LHR - singapore [arriving Nov 11th]

Nov 11-14 [4 nights] singapore [or HK if necessary]

Nov 15 - to Brisbane - spend 5 nights including 3 nights on Heron Island - DH's choice of where he wants to dive from

Nov 19 - to Auckland - hire car - spend 15 nights

Dec 5th - fly Christchurch to Sydney - spend 5 nights

Dec 10 - fly to Perth [test match 13 -17th]

Dec 18 - fly to ? 3 nights

Dec 21 - fly home to LHR

comments anyone?

Wow! That's certainly some hopping about. Airfares will be hideous.

Wow! That's certainly some hopping about. Airfares will be hideous>>

is it really a lot? - two places on the way out to NZ, two/three on the way back and we're probably going to come straight home from Perth, so that cuts out another "hop" and we've already "lost" Fiji and Cairns.

as for hideous airfares we've been quoted about £1400 each, which is actually less than I was expecting. we are going to be travelling for 6 weeks so it's bound to be expensive! and if we're going all that way, we'd like to see a few different parts of the area. [I know, I sound like one of those people I criticise on the Europe board, but they are often trying to cram the whole of europe into a fortnight which is rather less time than we've got].

anyway, any suggestions as to how we might streamline this gratefully received!

and Margo, as you obviously know you cricket, which in YOUR opinion is the best Test Match to head for? I started off leaning towards Brisbane, then DH fancied Perth, now we might be coming back to Brisbane. Pros and cons?

<Dec 10 - fly to Perth [test match 13 -17th]

Dec 18 - fly to ? 3 nights>

Why not just spend all that time in WA instead of flying somewhere else? WA is a third of Australia afterall - lots to see and do and if you're lucky it won't get seriously hot until Christmas.

I think it's a lot of hopping around too, but I could easily spend six weeks on the South Island alone.

I completely understand the temptation to make stopovers, but in my experience they can be exhausting.

thanks, Melnq8 - I think that we are leaning towards spending longer in Perth and flying straight home from there, though accommodation there does seem to be rather dearer than in Brisbane - or is that my imagination?