Momburd

Thinking about visiting for a month in either February or March 2024. We are a 70’s active couple. Any recommendations on a Tour company that takes 30 or less people. We are interested in taking a tour for our first time, as tired of doing so many arrangements. Interested in seeing various items… nature, museums, architecture, definitely BarrierReef
to snorkel. We walk, hike, bike and swim. If you have been to area recently we are very interested in your experiences.. pro and con. Thanks in advance.
Pat

KayF

I guess you know that Australia is huge and even with a whole month, you would be limited with where you can go. You could spend the whole month in Australia or in New Zealand. Two weeks in each would also work but you'd be more limited.

You mention the Barrier Reef, the wet season in the north is from roughly November to April so it may not be the best time to visit the reef. There can be severe storms, could also be just a bit of rain. It will definitely be hot and humid, even in the rain. When it's raining I've heard it stirs up the ocean so visibility is not very good. If you particularly want to snorkel on the reef, visit later in the year, it will still be sunny but from about May to October it's a lot drier in the north. If you are set on Feb/March then maybe visit Sydney or Melbourne, maybe Tasmania. The southern states have a different climate.

Tour companies that have been around for quite a while, but I have no firsthand knowledge of, are Intrepid, Bunnik, APT, AAT Kings, Trafalgar, Insight, Outback Spirit. Lots of others too. Let us know if you have more questions. The Australian forum has been very quiet since covid so it's great you are coming to visit our beautiful country.

Momburd

If you were to be a visitor what would you recommend as to month to visit for eastern area of Australia?? Thanks

marg

I'd suggest November or March if you want to visit the southern half of eastern Australia (NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia). If you plan to visit further north (Queensland), then April to October to avoid the humidity and the rain.

KayF

It depends on if you are visiting the south or the north of Australia. For example, in June it could be fine and sunny in Cairns but freezing cold in Hobart. I don't know where you're from, but it's a bit like New York and Florida.

What marg says is good advice. One thing that may affect your plans is holiday times in Australia. Christmas (late Dec to early Feb) is the main school holiday break where prices are high and you must book well ahead. Each state has slightly different school holiday dates, with four school terms. This impacts cost and availability too. Easter is often combined with a school term break.

Bokhara2

Hi & welcome to the Australian Forum.

As others have noted, Australia is a bigger than you think & has several climate zones. As we're in the Southern Hemisphere, our seasons are the reverse of North America's.Australia – size map: https://www.virtualoceania.net/austr...ustralia.shtml

You will need Visas. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visa...sa/visa-finder
Apply for yours & get them approved before you book anything you can't cancel.

Have a look at www.Australia.com for ideas of what might appeal to you & where it is.

Do you mean you're looking to spend a month in Australia and a month in New Zealand or a month to cover both countries?
Sydney is a great place to start or finish your trip.

Sydney map:

https://goo.gl/maps/PFmeA45BAKXruh4F8



Visit Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/

emmamackenzie

March is the perfect month to visit NZ. The weather is warm and it's still daylight savings, so you'll have plenty of lovely daylight hours to fill with activities. I know you'll probably want to visit Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch, but the best parts of NZ are the smaller coastal towns. North of Auckland takes you to beautiful beaches such as Bay of Islands, Paihia, Ahipara, Whangarei, Mangawhai. The east coast has stunning spots such as the Coromandel, Mount Maunganui, , Ohope, Napier and Gisborne. Go to the West Coast to find relaxing locations like Raglan and New Plymouth. That's just the North Island! It's worth popping to the South Island to see Marlborough Sounds, the Catlins, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura, Queenstown, Arrowtown, Glenorchy and Wanaka.

I wish I was going on a trip around NZ next March! Enjoy planning!

KTtravel

Two trips I've considered are: https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-...nd-New-Zealand and https://odysseys-unlimited.com/tours...ia-new-zealand.

There's also this trip if you prefer a cruise: https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-...ple-Down-Under.

I have just done preliminary research but will consider the first two when we are ready to really start planning. We usually are independent travelers but have taken two Road Scholar trips we really enjoyed (Vietnam & Cambodia, and the Middle East.) I have heard good things about Odysseys Unlimited tours.

Bokhara2

KTtravel - You might also have a look at Nathab. https://www.nathab.com/ (Natural Habitat). They do small group tours and from what I've seen, do very good ones in Australia.

Australia and New Zealand are both countries where independent travel is very easy - and the Trip Advisor forums for both are active and very helpful. Fodors Forums for this part of the world are much less active these days.

mlgb

Not at all impressed with the Road Scholar tour. Sometimes I really wonder how they qualify for 501 c 3 (tax exempt nonprofit). My experience with RS is that there are a lot of wasted travel days so that they can charge more and you get little in return other than your butt in the seat of a tour bus, or an airport waiting area.