diane

Hi we need help with planning a trip to OZ & Nz. We are coming from NY in March for 3 weeks.We can fly to OZ or NZ. Which order should we do the 2 countries in? Do you recommend south NZ or the North island? What ititernary? In OZ,we would like to go to Sydney,Great Barrier Reef & maybe Alice Springs. How many days for each? Is it worth the extra trip to Ayers Rock? Should we charter a sailboat at the GBR (we own a 44 ft sailboat at home) or is it cheaper/better to take a cruise? What will the weather be like in March? How can we do the trip most economically? Is it too ambitious to do the 2 countries in 3 weeks? We have free business class tickets to one country or the other. We will have to pay to fly between the 2. Anyone know of any good web sites?

Sharon

Hi Diane, <BR>So much detail to reply to will email you direct with soem ideas - but woudl suggest Australia & both island in NZ in 3 weeks would be pushing it a bit - you may have to make some choices to do justice to places you want to visit and survive the rushed itinerary - March in NZ should be good weather toward the end of our summer - kids are at school - so not a lot of Kiwis on holiday! <BR>Will email other ideas soon. <BR>Regards <BR>Sharon <BR>[email protected]

janine

In NZ south island only. Christchurch,Queenstown, Franz Josef, Milford sound. In Australia, Ayers Rock is even worth flying directly to, rather than from Alice Springs as the drive is about 5 hours! Ayers Rock is great! You have an idea of doing too much in your time. You need to really cut back. As an idea we spend 10 days in the south island of new Zealand and it was great. Sydney is also fantastic and you would probably spend about 3 days. Ayers Rock one night, one day (which is why you should fly) Great barrier reef forget it! Do it next trip! If it was my trip I'd choose Australia or New Zealand and not both! Do one country for 3 weeks and fly. e.g. if choosing NZ fly from North island to south. If in Australia fly between Sydney, Ayers Rock and Townsville (GBR) if that is your thing.

brendan

diane, I don't know too much about NZ as I've only been there once. It is a very picturesque country. However, I can tell you a great deal about Australia because I have lived in a lot of places up the East coast of Australia. I recommend The Great Barrier Reef, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. I will e-mail you with more information.

brendan

diane, have tried to e mail you the information but can't seem to get through.

kristi

I don't have first hand knowledge of Alice Springs/Ayers Rock but my brother in law went in March a couple of years ago and said it was a waste of time and money to go. It took a long time to get there from the coast and he said the bugs were awful. <BR> <BR>We visited both Australia and New Zealand on our 3 week trip back in 1993 and Sharon is right, you will have to make some choices as there is so much to do in both countries. We felt that we weren't going to be going back soon, based on the cost of the airfare and the distance from home, so we tried to squeeze in as much as possible. <BR> <BR>We loved the area up by the Great Barrier Reef. There may be restrictions on where you can go on the reef if you charter your own boat. You might want to look into that before deciding. We took Quicksilver out to the reef on a day trip and loved it. We spent three days in the area-one day to go to Daintree/Cape Tribulation, one day for the reef and one day to go to one of the islands. There's a trip to Kuranda via train/skyrail that people also recommend in that area. We stayed in Cairns, most people seem to prefer Port Douglas. Staying on any of the islands will probably be more expensive. <BR> <BR>We visited the South Island of New Zealand only so I can't comment on the North Island. The South Island was filled with outdoors activities-walks, rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, etc. We spent 10 days there, including 3 to do the Routeburn Track. If outdoor activity is what you're looking for, this is the place to go. <BR> <BR>The biggest expense you will have is flying between the various places. You will fly between Cairns (GBR) and Sydney and will have to fly between Sydney and Alice Springs if you choose to go. If money is a consideration, you might want to choose fewer places to visit and spend more time in each. <BR> <BR>We used Austravel to help us book things and we sent some friends there who are going next month and they have been satisfied. They might be able to help you with some of your questions. <BR> <BR>

diane

Brendan, my e-mail address is correct. Could you please try to resend? Thanks for your help!! If you need any info on the US let me know. Where do you live?

Liz

I agree with the above - to do two countries in 3 weeks is very rushed and you will not have time to realy enjoy the culture and ambiance of the places you visit. I am a NZer(born and raised and have just returned from a holiday to Australia - I am also a travel consultant. I would suggest that you visit one or the other. If in Australia - Sydney needs 3-4 days a fabulous city, very predistrian friendly and the blue mountains are worth a visit - 1 hour out of Sydney - great hiking and rock repelling. The fish market is a must - the prawns are huge, the mussels juicy and the other just plain delicious. I spent 5 days at the Hilton - great hotel and very centralized. A trip to Manly beach by ferry to eat fish and chips on teh beach with beer in hand is a great experience!!! The Gold Coast in Queensland is breaththaking as is the Sunshine Coast - 1 week there to really feel relaxed and rested. The GBR is awesome and to save time take one of the charters - they even have 2-3 day excursions - incredible diving and the relaxing in the sunshine!!! wow! Ramada Great Barrier Reef resort is very very nice and not too pricey!!Ayers rock is a tourist spot that shows you the Aborigine way of life - but it takes time to get there - 2 days. <BR>Remember you loose days flying to the South Pacific and you need a day of recuperation. <BR>The north Island is nice, but am partial to the south. The above spots mentioned are well worth the visit - I have been to them all and they are breath taking - especially the Milford Sound. Being that you are sailors at heart the Bay of Islands are wonderful to sail around. I have cousins that have yachts/saail boats - if you are interested in some serious yatching routes e-mail me back and I will get you the information. <BR>March is a super time to go - the south Pacific sunshine/heat is wonderful and skies are so very blue. <BR>Good Luck and enjoy - you will want to return!! <BR>Cheers, Liz <BR>PS Check out Fodor's travel guide to Australia - good resource materail <BR>Make sure your hotels are booked prior to your departure - saves time once you are there looking around for suitable accommodation.