aussie land and NZ land
Dec 13th, 2016, 09:27 AM
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aussie land and NZ land
We are planning to visit New Zealand next Nov-Dec for about 12 days and stop in Sydney for 3 days.
Looking for suggestions on itineraries, must do's and any other tips. please note we will have a toddler so don't plan to rush on lot of things.
Looking for suggestions on itineraries, must do's and any other tips. please note we will have a toddler so don't plan to rush on lot of things.
Dec 13th, 2016, 12:10 PM
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Nov-Dec is a good time to come as it's not so busy but weather can be changeable.
15 days would be better spend in NZ I think. Travel to Sydney will take up a whole day and with the time difference you lose 2-3 hours.
Auckland has some good spots although most tourists like to rush through the place and onto somewhere else. If the little one likes animals then Auckland Zoo is a good day out and has a native bird area. Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World has a walk through penguin enclosure which is pretty cool. Even my teenage son still enjoys the up close view of the penguins.
Rotorua is good for Maori culture and the thermal parks but if you have been to Yellowstone it's probably underwhelming.(not personal experience on that comment just picked it up on the forum here!)
Queenstown would be another good choice as there's plenty of family activities.
Fly to Sydney from Queenstown rather than go back to Auckland. In Sydney I like to Darling Harbour area for accommodation. The Sydney Aquarium is right there and also the Maritime Museum. A Taronga Zoo ferry goes from Darling Harbour so you don't have to go to Circular Quay.
15 days would be better spend in NZ I think. Travel to Sydney will take up a whole day and with the time difference you lose 2-3 hours.
Auckland has some good spots although most tourists like to rush through the place and onto somewhere else. If the little one likes animals then Auckland Zoo is a good day out and has a native bird area. Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World has a walk through penguin enclosure which is pretty cool. Even my teenage son still enjoys the up close view of the penguins.
Rotorua is good for Maori culture and the thermal parks but if you have been to Yellowstone it's probably underwhelming.(not personal experience on that comment just picked it up on the forum here!)
Queenstown would be another good choice as there's plenty of family activities.
Fly to Sydney from Queenstown rather than go back to Auckland. In Sydney I like to Darling Harbour area for accommodation. The Sydney Aquarium is right there and also the Maritime Museum. A Taronga Zoo ferry goes from Darling Harbour so you don't have to go to Circular Quay.
Dec 13th, 2016, 04:11 PM
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A great time to be in Sunny Sinny. Budget willing, stay in The Rocks area, historic (although touristy) area with accommodation and all types of eateries, open-space hangout, impressibely under the Harbour Bridge, across from the opera House (can never get enough of that view), and -most importantly - right by the multi-transport hub of Circular Quay for buses, trains, and THE FERRIES!
Hop on a ferry just for the heck of it, the ferry rides are likely to remain the most intense memories. Don't use the enclosed catamarans, go for the oldfashioned ones where you catch the sea breeze.
From The Rocks, walk up Argyle Street until you see a nondescript hole in the wall on the right (literally!), it's stairs up to the next level, Cumberland street, cross over and keep going up a broad set of stairs to the bridge traffic level, and soon you climb the stairs of the South-East Pylon (the only one open to the public) with a panoramic view of Sydney: www.pylonlookout.com.au/ (precise walking instructions and an access map are on the website).
This is not to be confused with the Harbour Bridge Climb that goes over the top, an expensive and involved affair.
From behind the Opera House start walking through the Royal Botanical gardens (just a lovely park) until you come out in The Domain, where the Art Gallery of New South Wales (a museum) awaits, with good art and a good cafe.
Or start walking, also at the Opera House, and swing around to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a lovely lookout.
Take the Manly ferry, walk from the terminus (on the harbour side) across the pedestrianized "Corso" to the open-ocean side, just before the end of the Corso, on the right, is a hole-in-the-wall that sells fabulous take-away seafood dishes, and across is a pub for the libations. Sit on the free benches and enjoy!
If you go for a dip, be sure to remain between the flags, there are some subtle but persistent undercurrents that keep pulling you out before you know it, the lifesavers are good at spotting you if you seem to struggle trying to swim towards the beach and not making progress.
Another option: Take the train and bus to Bondi Beach and walk to the adjacent beaches, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, maybe even Coogee - there are buses back into town and to Circular Quay from all of those locations.
No need for a car for all this and for much more fun in the short time you'll have.
Hop on a ferry just for the heck of it, the ferry rides are likely to remain the most intense memories. Don't use the enclosed catamarans, go for the oldfashioned ones where you catch the sea breeze.
From The Rocks, walk up Argyle Street until you see a nondescript hole in the wall on the right (literally!), it's stairs up to the next level, Cumberland street, cross over and keep going up a broad set of stairs to the bridge traffic level, and soon you climb the stairs of the South-East Pylon (the only one open to the public) with a panoramic view of Sydney: www.pylonlookout.com.au/ (precise walking instructions and an access map are on the website).
This is not to be confused with the Harbour Bridge Climb that goes over the top, an expensive and involved affair.
From behind the Opera House start walking through the Royal Botanical gardens (just a lovely park) until you come out in The Domain, where the Art Gallery of New South Wales (a museum) awaits, with good art and a good cafe.
Or start walking, also at the Opera House, and swing around to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a lovely lookout.
Take the Manly ferry, walk from the terminus (on the harbour side) across the pedestrianized "Corso" to the open-ocean side, just before the end of the Corso, on the right, is a hole-in-the-wall that sells fabulous take-away seafood dishes, and across is a pub for the libations. Sit on the free benches and enjoy!
If you go for a dip, be sure to remain between the flags, there are some subtle but persistent undercurrents that keep pulling you out before you know it, the lifesavers are good at spotting you if you seem to struggle trying to swim towards the beach and not making progress.
Another option: Take the train and bus to Bondi Beach and walk to the adjacent beaches, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, maybe even Coogee - there are buses back into town and to Circular Quay from all of those locations.
No need for a car for all this and for much more fun in the short time you'll have.
Dec 14th, 2016, 09:14 AM
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Tasmangirl, amazingly few people seem to know about that one, I take all visitors up there and it's never crowded. Maybe because you can't take busloads there, at least not close-by?
Another goodie for a peaceful few hours: Take the ferry to Balmain (Mort Bay) and walk around to Ballast Point, the former ugly Caltex facility that's now a lovely park. Recently it was one of several locations of an art show, so more people than usual were present, but still - just lovely
Then either hop back on the ferry, or walk up to Darling Street for a nosh, then walk or go by bus to Balmain East and pick up a ferry from there.
Another goodie for a peaceful few hours: Take the ferry to Balmain (Mort Bay) and walk around to Ballast Point, the former ugly Caltex facility that's now a lovely park. Recently it was one of several locations of an art show, so more people than usual were present, but still - just lovely
Then either hop back on the ferry, or walk up to Darling Street for a nosh, then walk or go by bus to Balmain East and pick up a ferry from there.
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