Hello,
I am new to this and I could use some help! My fiance and I are planning our 15 day honeymoon for this August. We are planning to go to New Zealand and Australia as they are both places we have always wanted to go. Here is our itinerary so far. Please let me know what you think!
2 nights in Auckland
2 nights in Wellington
4 nights in Sydney
4 nights on Hayman Island
3 nights in Cairns
We would also love to know some "must-see" sites and things to do. We are interested in sightseeing, culture, adventure and nightlife.
Many thanks!

Remember that you lose almost a whole day travelling between the countries. I would consider sticking to one country only.

Also Auckland and Wellington (while nice and lots of fun) are not the highlights of NZ - especially not in winter.

Consider a Queenstown - Sydney flight.

i.e.
Fly to Auckland - maybe one night to recover
Fly to Queenstown - 3/4 nights - go on a day trip to Milford Sound if it is open (avalanche hazard). Might want to do some skiing.
Good sights, nightlife and scenery.
Although it is winter so you will need to plan accordingly.

Fly to Oz (3 hours difference). Check that these flight are available - I think they run for the ski season.

Some one else should be able to help with Oz.

The South Island is what makes NZ different Ak and Well are just another city. (I'm from Wellington and it pains me to say it.)

I spent most of my honeymoon in Queenstown during the summer a few years ago. It is touristy but I just love the place. Sitting drinking wine looking at the remarkables.

PS Good luck for the wedding!

Hi There. I agree with the Auckland comments - just another city (especially if you're going on to Sydney). I, did, however, really like Wellington (one full day is enough - Te Papa museum, incline, good coffee, etc.). As far as the south Island - beautiful, but you need a few days.

Now, with Australia...Don't spend all four days in Sydney - go to the Blue Mountains for at least a day. Skip Cairns all together!! I'll say it again - SKIP CAIRNS. You're already going to Hayman Island and Cairns is not impressive. If you must do a nother town in QUeensland, go to Port Douglas. However, I would suggest a few days in Melbourne (my favorite) or even be a good tourist and fly out for a couple of days to Ayers rock (it really is worth seeing at least once - and a good quiet honeymoon spot). Good luck!

I don't think I would ever consider Ayers Rock 'a quiet honeymoon spot'!!!
I don't think I have ever been anywhere and felt so surrounded by a mass of humanity!

Look at Palm Cove as an option for Cairns or Port Douglas also. Its more modern and not far from either.

http://palmcove.seatemple.com.au/index.cfm

I've been to both countries extensively so here is what I can offer. I agree with previous posters to just visit one country. They are both beautiful and spectacular but while Auckland and Welly are nice cities they are just that-cities. The beauty of NZ is in the countryside and places like Queenstown where there is so much to do. I was also there in July which is winter and it's very cold in NZ during this time. I went skiing for a week outside Queenstown which was heaps of fun. However, the most spectaulcar parts of my trip to NZ were spent on Doubtful Sound, iceclimbing on Franz Josef Glacier, and viewing Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo. I'm a big city person but cities are cities, at least in NZ IMO.

Now as for Australia, I"m totally in love with the place. I've been all down the East Coast and it's just beautiful. Definitely go to Hayman and Port Douglas as they are lovely and it's much warmer up there. Sydney will be a bit chilly but really like autumn here in the east coast of the States and it's the greatest place. I would definitely spend 3-4 days exploring Sydney and trips to the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley are also recommended. HV would be fun if you are wine drinkers because you could go stay in a B&B and have some quiet time/wine time! Melbourne is also very cool but it's really really cold at that time of the year, much more so than Sydney. I also really enjoyed Noosa, a beach town outside of Brisbane. Byron Bay, a surfers town south of Brisbane is also really fun. These smaller areas of Australia are what I think make it so authentic and beautiful (although I think Sydney is the greatest place on earth). It's quite easy to fly from Cairns to Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne, and it will give you time to relax, get over jet lag, and enjoy your time.

If you want go to to NZ do it another time (or do it now and do Oz later) so you can really enjoy it. It's sooooo beautiful and if you are adventurous there is heaps of fun activites all around!

Congrats and have fun.

If you do decide on OZ and you like a little adventure, try the bridge climb at night for WOW! factor. www.bridgeclimb.com

interested in sightseeing, culture, adventure and nightlife.

The places listed in the replys all cover your requirements. If culture is important then you may want to include Melbourne. It will not give you the quality museums but it does offers great opera, theatre, concerts etc. If you are foodie, then Melbourne is well known for food and wine also – head up to Mornington or Yarra Valley.

<Skip Cairns altogether!! I'll say it again, SKIP Cairns.. if you must do another Queensland town go to Port Douglas>

It may interest you to know Port Douglas's town chamber of commerce has resorted to taking out a full page advertisement designed to shame the Douglas Shire Council. The ad features photographs of the town's dilapidated facilities and is aimed at making the council "accountable for the presentation of Port".

Chamber of Commerce president, Mr Kevin Dodds goes on to say "people are telling us they go to other tourist-type destination around Australia and they see how well everything's kept. Yet in Port Douglas, it's just not up to scratch." On Radio Port Douglas this week Mr Dodds made the suggestion that the town could do better under Cairns City Council - or that the Douglas council could be better off under an administrator.

Hayman is certainly a lovely resort in the Whitsundays, a totally different experience to Far North Queensland which offers more to do and see over a fairly compact area than anywhere else in the country. If it didn't I wouldn't have moved here from Sydney.

And Beagle, if "modern" is your criterion for "best", take a look at Cairns at the moment, not short on new development. BTW, Palm Cove is a suburb of Cairns and comes under the auspices of Cairns City Council.

PS - sorry, hsmith, forgot to mention that Cairns City has far more nightlife than either Port Douglas or Palm Cove. Pick up a copy of "Barfly", available all over town to see what's on where.

Thanks Pat, you are right I meant Cairns city. Also I think 'modern' is different and not 'best or better'. I didn't mean to give that impression.

I think Cairns is a nice spot and has gone some way in updating its 70's architecture and facilities in general. Pt Douglas as you point out is in need of attention if it aims to compete with other spots in FNQ. For my money - and in my opinion - Palm Cove is my choice as a base to visit the surrounding sites I find it a more romantic and central spot to stay.

Hi Beagle, I think Palm Cove is lovely, too and nothing can beat those ancient melaleucas which they've had the sense to maintain and preserve (mostly). But with the loss of the beachfront caravan park and the growth of upmarket resorts and apartments, its losing its old egalitarian feeling fast. The old Novotel has sold off half its golf course for housing development and there's plans for massive apartment development literally on the cliff face of Buchan's Point at northern end of Palm Cove. Hope its not another case of killing the goose.

I would not write off Auckland as just another city. We stayed in Ponsonby which is a very happening place full of cafes and people. We also went out on the harbour on an America's Cup yacht.