When's the best time to go?
 

I'm planning a trip to Australia next year and am not sure the best time to go. We will be diving the Great Barrier Reef and French Polynesia and want to also visit Melbourne, Sydney and possibly New Zealand. So my problem is I need good dive weather for GBR and French Polynesia(warm and not too rainy)and good sightseeing weather for the other locations. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I'd suggest March. Dry in the tropics and lovely warm water and very stable fine weather in melb & most likely sydney at this time. If not March then probably November.

I think the previous post might be a tad optimistic claiming March is "dry" in the tropics. It is still the height of the Wet Season and will also be very hot and humid. I'd wait until about May or later for GBR. The air temperature will have cooled down a bit, should be much less rainfall and the water will still be warm. <BR>Sydney should be nice in April/May (its about 24 degrees and sunny now). Maybe start your trip in the south (Sydney/Melbourne) in April/May and then move your way up to GBR and Polynesia. <BR>Another option would be to do the reverse around September/October.<BR>See www.bom.gov.au for all the climate averages across Australia.

Hi, Cathy!<BR><BR>The previous poster has "the goods"; April is the nicest month for Sydney and environs -- you could even stretch this into mid-May -- and after that, early October.... in other words, the "in-between" seasons. If you're coming in April, start at the south and move north. Have a great time!

Just got back from Australia in February. We were really lucky since it's the wet season. It didn't rain one single day the week and a half we were in Northern Queensland and on the reef, but it did rain all 5 days we were in Sydney.