Australia New Zealand - help with itinerary
Jul 17th, 2016, 05:21 AM
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Australia New Zealand - help with itinerary
My husband and I are planning a trip to Aust/NZ over Thanksgiving. Avid travelers in our mid thirties, no kids. Arrive Saturday into Sydney, depart following Monday to US from NZ on American. Unfortunately length of trip not negotiable for us
We'd like to see Sydney, Great Barrier Reef and as much as we can in New Zealand. Any ideas on best way to split up time? Don't care for big cities on vacations, so likely to start the trip by spending 1-2 days in Syndey then head north to yhe Reef? What city do we fly to and stay to explore Queensland/ the Reef/ Whitsunday Is? Can you suggest a beach city/resort destination? We like Caribbean like warm beaches! Heading to NZ from there, we want to be active and explore the best of NZ 's outdoors and food. Where should we go in NZ?
All intinery suggestions are welcome as we haven't booked the flights yet!!
We'd like to see Sydney, Great Barrier Reef and as much as we can in New Zealand. Any ideas on best way to split up time? Don't care for big cities on vacations, so likely to start the trip by spending 1-2 days in Syndey then head north to yhe Reef? What city do we fly to and stay to explore Queensland/ the Reef/ Whitsunday Is? Can you suggest a beach city/resort destination? We like Caribbean like warm beaches! Heading to NZ from there, we want to be active and explore the best of NZ 's outdoors and food. Where should we go in NZ? All intinery suggestions are welcome as we haven't booked the flights yet!!
Jul 17th, 2016, 07:29 AM
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With nine days on the ground, you really only have time for one or two destinations in either Australia or NZ, but not both.
If you want to concentrate on Australia, you could do 3 nights in Sydney and 6 in Port Douglas. Even if you do not like cities, Sydney is worth at least a good look IMO. Spend a full day on the water, ferry hopping from place to place. You can spend time at either Manly or Bondi. There's good day hiking if you're into that. For Port Douglas, fly into and out of Cairns. In addition to the Reef, visit the Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tablelands.
If you rather see some of NZ instead, and not want to visit cities, spend all of your time on the South Island. Spend a few days in Queenstown, visit Milford and / or Doubtful Sound, travel along the east or west coasts, the options are plentiful. You can easily spend several weeks on the island.
And please do not forget the electronic visa if you go to Australia. It takes five minutes and you can apply for it online.
If you want to concentrate on Australia, you could do 3 nights in Sydney and 6 in Port Douglas. Even if you do not like cities, Sydney is worth at least a good look IMO. Spend a full day on the water, ferry hopping from place to place. You can spend time at either Manly or Bondi. There's good day hiking if you're into that. For Port Douglas, fly into and out of Cairns. In addition to the Reef, visit the Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tablelands.
If you rather see some of NZ instead, and not want to visit cities, spend all of your time on the South Island. Spend a few days in Queenstown, visit Milford and / or Doubtful Sound, travel along the east or west coasts, the options are plentiful. You can easily spend several weeks on the island.
And please do not forget the electronic visa if you go to Australia. It takes five minutes and you can apply for it online.
Jul 17th, 2016, 09:35 AM
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You're welcome. Assuming you are traveling on an U.S. passport, you can apply online at https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAS3/etas; it costs 20 Australian dollars. As Americans, we don't need visas for NZ.
Jul 17th, 2016, 02:09 PM
#5
I'm unclear on how many days you have, but if it's only nine days, you absolutely do not have time for two countries. You barely have time enough for 1/2 Australian states or the tiniest surface of one NZ island.
Jul 17th, 2016, 05:27 PM
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Australia is as big as the USA...it will take time to just get places so there won't be much time to actually do anything.
Triplanner's 3 days Sydney, 6 in Port Douglas is a good suggestion. We did an Agincourt Reef trip (2 hours out into the Reef) from PD and it was awesome so spend enough time there to make it worthwhile.
Why are you flying out of Auckland?
Triplanner's 3 days Sydney, 6 in Port Douglas is a good suggestion. We did an Agincourt Reef trip (2 hours out into the Reef) from PD and it was awesome so spend enough time there to make it worthwhile.
Why are you flying out of Auckland?
Jul 18th, 2016, 01:48 AM
#7
If I read this right and you really only have 9 days, you would be mad in my opinion to try and visit two countries. You will be jet-lagged when you arrive and just travelling between each place - e.g. Sydney flight to Cairns or Sydney flight to NZ etc - all takes time. Pick whichever country makes you most excited and save the other one for another time.
Kay
Kay
Jul 19th, 2016, 11:25 AM
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<<Australia is as big as the USA...it will take time to just get places so there won't be much time to actually do anything.>>
Aussies love saying this. It's not true - it's about 77% the size. But that's still the 6th largest country in the world.
Your plan as it stands is daft. You don't have nine days, you have nine nights. And both traveling to Queensland and from there to Kiwiville will cost you 1/2 day each. The latter is worse - the direct flights from Cairns to Hobbiton would be nearly 5 hours, the straight shot from Brisbane is 3+, which means 4.5 in travel time. Now you're down to 7-plus days at most of seeing stuff.
Do one of the following:
(1) Just go to NZ. Admire innumerable sheep. Eat lamb. Search for hobbits. Match its vistas to those panoramic shots during the LoTR movies. Bop around the South Island for much of the time you have before returning to Auckland for your departure home.
(2) Arrive Sydney, stay a couple of days, go to Queensland to do whatever, return home from Sydney.
(3) ONLY if you're tied into arrive Sydney, leave Auckland = arrive Sydney, take immediate flight to Cairns for reef fix and couple of nights; burn a day traveling to North Island of NZ (the Kiwis are not noted for unique naming protocols). Hire car, putter about North Island until you need to return to Auckland for flight home.
Otherwise, you're trying to do too much and it will suck because you'll lose two days of your < 9 just in transit.
Aussies love saying this. It's not true - it's about 77% the size. But that's still the 6th largest country in the world.
Your plan as it stands is daft. You don't have nine days, you have nine nights. And both traveling to Queensland and from there to Kiwiville will cost you 1/2 day each. The latter is worse - the direct flights from Cairns to Hobbiton would be nearly 5 hours, the straight shot from Brisbane is 3+, which means 4.5 in travel time. Now you're down to 7-plus days at most of seeing stuff.
Do one of the following:
(1) Just go to NZ. Admire innumerable sheep. Eat lamb. Search for hobbits. Match its vistas to those panoramic shots during the LoTR movies. Bop around the South Island for much of the time you have before returning to Auckland for your departure home.
(2) Arrive Sydney, stay a couple of days, go to Queensland to do whatever, return home from Sydney.
(3) ONLY if you're tied into arrive Sydney, leave Auckland = arrive Sydney, take immediate flight to Cairns for reef fix and couple of nights; burn a day traveling to North Island of NZ (the Kiwis are not noted for unique naming protocols). Hire car, putter about North Island until you need to return to Auckland for flight home.
Otherwise, you're trying to do too much and it will suck because you'll lose two days of your < 9 just in transit.
Jul 19th, 2016, 01:32 PM
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Thanks Big Russ for the exact size difference between Oz and USA.
I threw it in loosely to get the idea across that Australia is BIG and some crazy itineraries posted here are the equivalent of flying in Florida and then whipping up for a day trip to Niagara Falls.
Getting to New Zealand still takes time...get to the airport, check in 2 hours before, fly 3 hours at least, another hour for customs/baggage and there's a whole day gone. NZ is not just a couple of small islands reached by a day trip on the ferry.
Sweetness - take his advice. Plans 1 and 2 are sensible.
I threw it in loosely to get the idea across that Australia is BIG and some crazy itineraries posted here are the equivalent of flying in Florida and then whipping up for a day trip to Niagara Falls.
Getting to New Zealand still takes time...get to the airport, check in 2 hours before, fly 3 hours at least, another hour for customs/baggage and there's a whole day gone. NZ is not just a couple of small islands reached by a day trip on the ferry.
Sweetness - take his advice. Plans 1 and 2 are sensible.
Jul 22nd, 2016, 07:22 AM
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Thank you everyone for your feedback. We appreciate it. We'll be in NZ 6 days. Any advice where to go from Auckland? Should we stay at the North Island or go to the South Island? Can we drive from one island to another? We like spending time on the ocean and seeing little towns and villages. Is there a known or preferred itinerary that everyone follows in NZ that is highly recommended? We do not care much for museums or big cities 
. Thanks!
. Thanks!
Jul 22nd, 2016, 08:06 AM
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<<Can we drive from one island to another? >>
Wondering how this would work given the lack of bridges . . . Google for ferries.
Why are you flying to Auckland in the first place if you'll mainly putter about the South Island? If you're undecided on N v. S Island, go research it and pick one and only one.
Can you thumbnail out your flights so the people trying to help you can actually give advice? It's not state secrets. Otherwise, this is difficult. After all, we don't know if you're going to NZ first or last, where you're flying to NZ from if going to Oz first, etc.
Wondering how this would work given the lack of bridges . . . Google for ferries.
Why are you flying to Auckland in the first place if you'll mainly putter about the South Island? If you're undecided on N v. S Island, go research it and pick one and only one.
Can you thumbnail out your flights so the people trying to help you can actually give advice? It's not state secrets. Otherwise, this is difficult. After all, we don't know if you're going to NZ first or last, where you're flying to NZ from if going to Oz first, etc.
Jul 22nd, 2016, 10:32 AM
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Not knowing if that is 6 nights or when your flights arrive/depart, it's a bit difficult to advise. Generally, I'd stick to North Island. Drive down the length of it to Wellington, and fly back to Auckland for your departure. You could visit Waitomo Caves for the Glowworms, Rotorua for thermal activity and Maori culture, and Tongariro NP.
Or you could do a leisurely loop of Northland (the peninsula north of Auckland) if you want more coves and beaches. http://www.northlandnz.com/visit/vis...ts-in-5-7-days
Or you could do a leisurely loop of Northland (the peninsula north of Auckland) if you want more coves and beaches. http://www.northlandnz.com/visit/vis...ts-in-5-7-days
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