OZ & NZ itinerary, please your opnion
 

This is our tentative itinerary for a trip to OZ and NZ next December and January:
17/12 ? MELBOURNE
18/12 - MELBOURNE ? city, Fairy Penguin Parade, Sovereing Hill, Ballarat Wildlife Park, etc.
19/12 - MELBOURNE ?
20/12 - GREAT OCEAN ROAD (GOR) ? Warrnambool, Port Campbell, Appolo Bay and Lorne (by car)
21/12 - GOR ? 12 Apostles, London Bridge, Otway Mountain Ranges, etc.
22/12 ? MELBOURNE A SIDNEY (by plane)
23/12 ? SIDNEY
24/12 ? SIDNEY
25/12 ? SIDNEY
26/12 ? SIDNEY A BRISBANE (by plane)
27/12 ? BRISBANE
28/12 ? BRISBANE A FRASER ISLAND (Hervey Bay) (by plane) Staying at ?Kingfisher Bay Resort &Village?, in Fraser Island
29/12 ? FRASER ISLAND
30/12 ? FRASER ISLAND (Hervey Bay) to SURFERS PARADISE (by car ?)
31/12 ? SURFERS PARADISE (REVEILLON)
01/01 ? SURFERS PARADISE
02/01 ? SURFERS PARADISE to SIDNEY (by plane)
03/01 - SIDNEY A AUCKLAND (NZ)
04/01 ?AUCKLAND to Waitomo to Rotorua
05/01 ? AUCKLAND to QUEENSTOWN
06/01 ? QUEENSTOWN
07/01 - QUEENSTOWN
08/01 - QUEENSTOWN
09/01 ? QUEENSTOWN ? TE NAU ? DUNEDIN (by car)
10/01 ? DUNEDIN
11/01 ? DUNEDIN to AUCKLAND, via Christchurch ou Wellington
12/01 ? AUCKLAND to BRASIL
Thanks in advance,
Ismael

Too long in Melbourne and surrounds in comparison to other places in Australia. You have only left 3 days in Sydney which is not enough. Also too long in Brisbane which, although a nice clean city with some interesting aspects is still not worth more than about 1 full day and night. Fraser Island will be nice but again I am not sure if you are aware that there is not all that much to do there and it is not a reef island. It is usually a place where people who have the time to laze on a beach ( a non-swimming beach) and perhaps go fishing go. The fresh water lakes are wonderful but they are not really that close to Kingfisher. If you want nothing more than to laze around then Fraser is fine but if you are after something else then perhaps a little re-think may be in order. I wonder if you would be better thinking about the Whitsundays islands as an alternative?

I would agree with Janese comments.

I believe KIngfisher resort on Fraser and Lady Elliot island run a package...why don't you look at that.

Or look at the Whitsudays or perhaps Heron.

At that time of year you need to make your reservations early

I disagree with Janese - I think three full days in Syndey is plenty, but I guess that really depends on what you plan to do there. I've found lots to do in the Brisbane area (with a car), so if you're going to make the flight there, you might as well stay a few days.

Since you've only got one full day planned for the North Island, you won't have time to do much. You might want to consider flying directly to Queenstown (probably via Auckland) instead and spend all of your time on the South Island.

Queenstown is a good base, but a little of Queenstown can go along way IMO, so you might consider a day less there to give you more time somewhere else. You can fly to Auckland from Queenstown as well as from Dunedin, without that stop in Christchurch, so that might give you more flexibility.

Melnq8
I live in the Brisbane area and I would love you to tell me what interesting things I could do with 3 days here so I can go and do them. Things I presume that I could not do in say Rio or any other big city.
I guess also you are dancing against the tide of opinion about Sydney as it was voted the most favoured city to visit in the world last year so its good to get another point of view.

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. I'll take them improving my itinerary.
I think that more days in Sidney is advisable.
I'll get in touch with you.
Thanks again,
Ismael

Janese -

Geez...

Libanio did ask for opinions, did he/she not? The interesting thing about opinions is that they often differ from one another!

We found plenty to do in the Brisbane
area -

If memory serves The Gold Coast is about 40 miles south of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast is an hour or so north of Brisbane.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, with it's koalas, emus, wombats and kangaroos - a great place for those of us who don't see these animals on a regular basis.

Brewery tours, river cruises, city tours, wildlife sanctuaries, walking tours, the Maritime Museum, Queensland Cultural Center, South Bank Park, Mt. Coot-tha Park and Botanic Gardens, etc.

Don't sell your city short - there's alot for a tourist to do there in my OPINION.

Likewise, I have nothing against Sydney - I love the place, but three days there was plenty for us as we had limited time and wanted to see more of your vast country.