Hi All,

I am planning a vacation to New Zealand and Australia in July. I have never been to either, and getting to both is a trek (I'm from New York). I have a few questions that I was hoping someone could help answer. Many thanks in advance for your help.

1) I am flying into Auckland and, following some time on the North Island, will make my way down to the South Island to fly out of Christchurch to Melbourne/Sydney. Acknowledging that I won't have time to see/do everything, can I still have a good, not-too-rushed time in 6 days, 7 days, 8 days, 9 days, or 10 days? If so, how many days would you recommend?

2) If I want to see Melbourne and Sydney while in Australia, can I do both in 6 days, 7 days, or 8 days?

3) If I want to see Tasmania, how many extra days should I add on? Relatedly, will it be too cold in Tasmania in July?

Thanks again so much for your help!

Take as many days as you can manage & spend them in each location according to your interests.

If your interest is more nature & outdoors based - that's New Zealand & Australia's Tasmania. Both will be cold. It's mid-winter. Spend 10 days in each if you can.

"Too cold" is relative - neither will be as come as mid-winter in North America or Europe, but if one is from Fiji or other tropical location, it very well may be "too cold". Some roads & walking paths may be inaccessible or require special equipment if it's snowing.

Sydney & Melbourne - 4 days each will give you time to have a look at the cities and do a day trip. Another day or so would help, but you can only work with what you have.

As Bokhara said, cold is definitely relative, but as a NYer, you'll not find the Southern Hemisphere winter particularly cold. Having said that, do be sure your accommodation has heat, especially on the South Island and in TAS. Central heating is pretty rare in these parts, particularly in houses (and many restaurants in NZ). Look for accommodation with a heat pump or reverse cycle air con (which also provides heating). At this very minute I'm wearing fleece pants, fleece jacket and Uggs and I'm wrapped in a fleece blanket - I'd be wearing gloves too if I could type while wearing them. I find it much colder indoors than out this time of year.

Expect rain - a waterproof jacket that fits over a sweater or fleece jacket are probably the two most important items you can pack.

NZ is one of those places you need plenty of time to fully appreciate, but there's no reason you can't see a few good bits in a short time. I'd suggest basing yourself in/around Queenstown for several days as you can see quite a lot from there by making day trips - Glenorchy, Arrowtown and Wanaka are all quite doable, and you can even make a day trip to Milford Sound, but it's a VERY long day (13 hours give or take).

It's ski season, so Queenstown will be busy and prices will be high.

Otherwise, attractions are well spread across both islands and you'll find it quite a challenge to see more than a handful of places in only 6-10 days.

bs15 -

Assuming you've got a US passport...

Don't forget to apply for a visitor visa for Australia. You can apply on line here, visa is usually issued immediately.

http://www.immi.gov.au/Services/Page...lications.aspx

None needed for NZ.

Have a look at some of Melnq8's NZ trip reports. She & her husband have seen more & know more about NZ than most on here. And they're well travelled, adventurous people with a balanced perspective.

All very helpful! Many thanks.

One more question:

Although it sounds from the responses as if 9-10 days in NZ and 5-6 days in Melbourne/Sydney is sufficient and doable (I'm planning to come back later in life), I could possibly extend my time in NZ and Australia by a full week. If I do that, though, I would complicate some other plans at home and at the beginning of trip. Those other plans aren't critical, but I'm wondering whether it's worth the hassle for an extra week in NZ and Australia.

Thoughts?

Thanks again so, so much.

For what it's worth, I'm planning to make the NZ part of the trip the outdoorsy part, with the Australia part limited largely to Melbourne and Sydney (and, again, possibly Tasmania if I can fit it in).

Thanks again!

We spent 3 weeks in Australia (wonderful!) and my greatest regret is not spending more time in Tasmania. From our experience I would lose Melbourne, go to the Blue Mountains around Sydney and then spend as much time as possible in Tasmania. Melbourne is lovely but it is a city - Tasmania is unlike anything we have every seen - and we're from Colorado where mountains and hikes are a daily thing. Hobart is wonderful. The food is magnificent - cheeses, great wines, wonderful places along the road.
Anyway, that's my pitch.
Have a wonderful time.

Thanks so much, howsaker. Much appreciated.

I need to be in Melbourne for at least three days, and I wonder if Tasmania, on the heels of New Zealand (where I'm planning to spend most of my time outdoors), will be too similar. Also, I heard Tasmania in July is legitimately cold.

Take the extra days, you'll be pleased you did.

Before my first visit to TAS I was told that it was similar to NZ.

It's not.

They're like chalk and cheese as far as I'm concerned. The only similarity is the stunning beauty.

Good onya for spending lots of time outdoors in NZ, but do be aware the weather, which is unpredictable at the best of times, can seriously curtail plans, so it pays to be flexible.

I've never been to NZ but was told by a Kiwi that NZ is like Tassie without the animals.

I agree that Tassie in winter would not seem particularly cold to someone from NY. I would allow at minimum 5 days.

Tasmania is nothing like New Zealand, except that they are both uniquely beautiful.

Truly - squeeze in as many days as you can. And be flexible, with lots of "plan Bs". Nature doesn't run to our schedules.

<Also, I heard Tasmania in July is legitimately cold.>

It's legitimately cold for those unaccustomed to cold, such as Australians from warmer parts of the country. Not-so-much for those of us from say, Colorado or NY. And as I mentioned earlier, it's usually colder indoors than out. It's a damp cold, which to me, makes it feel colder than it actually is. I'd think a NYer would be used to a humid cold, but what do I know, I'm a CO girl.

Average July highs and lows in TAS: 2c (35F) to 13c (55F). It can also very wet.

As mentioned earlier many places are unheated. Fifty-five degrees inside one's house feels pretty darn cold. It's 57 in my home office as I type this and my fingers feel like ice.

Kaikoura is close to Christchurch -- I recommend the whale watching that time of year!

Thanks again to everyone for all the help. I really appreciate it.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, have you considered Uluru or Kakadu NP instead of Tassie ?

July is the ideal time for both destinations, it will be warmer and either could be done in 4 or 5 days from Melbourne. You'll get a totally different outback experience......

Thanks for the idea, sartoric. I will certainly look into it.