Anyone vacation to Australia and/or New Zealand?

[imported_Mike]

I need to travel this summer and I know...I've got some time. I know Australia's seasons are opposite to ours here in the States. This means it will be winter there. I've talked with a few Australians briefly and they made it seem like the winter there was nothing.

Obviously certain parts are more "winter like" then others. Im from San Diego though, so if it gets below 70 degrees I've got a bloody jacket on.

I've always wanted to go to New Zealand as well and it would be cost effective to visit both countries in the same vacation.

So, has anyone vacationed to either of these countries? Pointers on where to go? Would these spots be accessible in the winter?

Any other suggestions on where to go? (Not Europe)

Hopefully Dug chimes in, only Aussie I know....not that I really know you Dug. Either way, any info would be appreciated.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Mike
Any other suggestions on where to go? (Not Europe)

Calgary and/or Disneyland.

 

[illusion88]

I know this is late but.... here I am.

I was in New Zealand from late august the the end of October, so I was in the off season. If I was to do it again, I would arrive in October, to get a taste of the off season, then settle down somewhere (Queenstown!), to work for a while.

New Zealand has a lot to offer, so if you go, you should decide on what you are looking for. It's going to be tough to fit everything in. It is well known for extream sports. Bungee jumping was invented there. I went bungee jumping and skydiving as well as water rafting. You can also do alot of backpacking (called tramping). There are certain trails known as "great walks". Plan ahead and get reservations if you decide on those. They have glaciers that you can hike to and through, as well as take a guided tour of. If you are into climbing mountains, Mt Cook is quite a challenge. There are many many other less technical peaks to attempt if you want to try something a bit easier.

Earlier it was mentioned not to go to the towns, but I think some towns really do have alot of to offer. Many of them are close to outdoor areas, and alot of businesses have popped up because of that. Auckland is terrible, just another big city. You are probably landing there. Do all the toursity ****** and get out. Go to the top of the tower, go walk in some of the parks, see the museums, and at night have a few drinks at the ice bar, but leave the next day. If you want to party, you head to Queenstown. It's on the south island and you can do anything in Queenstown, it's like pure concentrated New Zealand. They have all the extreme sports there, beautiful mountains with skiing in the winter, awesome bar scene, Frisbee golf, and the best hambugers in the world (Fergburgers, no joke). Watch out though, your money goes quick.

I traveled by bus. I would have loved to get a car but the buddies I was with weren't having it. I wouldn't recomend a tour bus unless you really want to drink. If you want to party everynight and always ahve some peopel to travel with they are a sure bet, but that's all it offers and it's very restricted on when and where you go. I had a flexi pas that allowed me travel certain bus lines whenever I wanted. This worked out well, but I would have rather had a car, if only for th freedom that it offers. There are lots of car dealerships that cater to backpackers.

 

[dug777]

NZ is incredible, and i don't need to tell you how good Aus is (especially WA ).

Winter in Perth means ~12-15'C days at the coldest point, and we;ve only ever had one night since records began below freezing (and it was like .3'C below 0 ). Over East (well, NSW/Vic/Tasmania) and in NZ it is cold tho, great skiiing for both NZ and here...

Do some googling, but NZ is stunning (LOTR was filmed there, need i say more?), and there's a huge amount of stuff to see/do in Aus at any time of the year...

I doubt you'd do WA and over East/NZ in one trip tho, imo WA is a trip in itself (well, WA is about 5times the size of texas iirc)...

Any questions, hit me up

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Mike
Any other suggestions on where to go? (Not Europe)

Calgary and/or Disneyland.

:thumbsdown:

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: illusion88
I'm marking this. I just got back from 2 months in New Zealand but I am exhausted and must sleep. I promise to post about the trip tomorrow.
PS.... Go to New Zealand! Actually, spend 1-2 months in New Zealand and then do Australia.

:beer:

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: dug777
NZ is incredible, and i don't need to tell you how good Aus is (especially WA ).

Winter in Perth means ~12-15'C days at the coldest point, and we;ve only ever had one night since records began below freezing (and it was like .3'C below 0 ). Over East (well, NSW/Vic/Tasmania) and in NZ it is cold tho, great skiiing for both NZ and here...

Do some googling, but NZ is stunning (LOTR was filmed there, need i say more?), and there's a huge amount of stuff to see/do in Aus at any time of the year...

I doubt you'd do WA and over East/NZ in one trip tho, imo WA is a trip in itself (well, WA is about 5times the size of texas iirc)...

Any questions, hit me up

:beer: Thanks Dug. Not a fan of snow really. I don't ski/snowboard. Not that I would refuse to go where it snowed, I would just avoid it mostly. Would I miss out on a lot becuase of this?

edit: Damn your non-Fahrenheit temps.

Id probably have about 3 weeks total. I was checking though, and flights are cheaper then I'd thought they would be. Just over $1k USD to get to New Zealand. Probably a few hundred more to get to Aus.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: dug777
NZ is incredible, and i don't need to tell you how good Aus is (especially WA ).

Winter in Perth means ~12-15'C days at the coldest point, and we;ve only ever had one night since records began below freezing (and it was like .3'C below 0 ). Over East (well, NSW/Vic/Tasmania) and in NZ it is cold tho, great skiiing for both NZ and here...

Do some googling, but NZ is stunning (LOTR was filmed there, need i say more?), and there's a huge amount of stuff to see/do in Aus at any time of the year...

I doubt you'd do WA and over East/NZ in one trip tho, imo WA is a trip in itself (well, WA is about 5times the size of texas iirc)...

Any questions, hit me up

:beer: Thanks Dug. Not a fan of snow really. I don't ski/snowboard. Not that I would refuse to go where it snowed, I would just avoid it mostly. Would I miss out on a lot becuase of this?

Well...in short, no. NZ and the Australian Alps will be a lot prettier tho...

If you want warm weather, it's still mid 20s-low 30s up North of Western Australia, in the Northern Territory and far North Queensland...

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: dug777
NZ is incredible, and i don't need to tell you how good Aus is (especially WA ).

Winter in Perth means ~12-15'C days at the coldest point, and we;ve only ever had one night since records began below freezing (and it was like .3'C below 0 ). Over East (well, NSW/Vic/Tasmania) and in NZ it is cold tho, great skiiing for both NZ and here...

Do some googling, but NZ is stunning (LOTR was filmed there, need i say more?), and there's a huge amount of stuff to see/do in Aus at any time of the year...

I doubt you'd do WA and over East/NZ in one trip tho, imo WA is a trip in itself (well, WA is about 5times the size of texas iirc)...

Any questions, hit me up

:beer: Thanks Dug. Not a fan of snow really. I don't ski/snowboard. Not that I would refuse to go where it snowed, I would just avoid it mostly. Would I miss out on a lot becuase of this?

edit: Damn your non-Fahrenheit temps.

Id probably have about 3 weeks total. I was checking though, and flights are cheaper then I'd thought they would be. Just over $1k USD to get to New Zealand. Probably a few hundred more to get to Aus.

Don't take Oceanic!!!

 

[probzy]

Nope, never.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: probzy
Nope, never.

Your posts suck.

 

[Sc4freak]

If you go to New Zealand, don't go to the cities. New Zealand is much better known for their scenic tourist attractions.

I'd recommend going to the Gold Coast if you're coming to Australia. Don't know what the weather is like this close to winter, but it'll still be warm I'd wager.

Here in Melbourne I can tell you there isn't much to do. It's a very nice place to live, not much for tourism though. And our weather is known to vary wildly in a very shot amount of time (4 seasons in 1 day, and it gets real annoying after a while).

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: Sc4freak
If you go to New Zealand, don't go to the cities. New Zealand is much better known for their scenic tourist attractions.

I'd recommend going to the Gold Coast if you're coming to Australia. Don't know what the weather is like this close to winter, but it'll still be warm I'd wager.

Here in Melbourne I can tell you there isn't much to do. It's a very nice place to live, not much for tourism though. And our weather is known to vary wildly in a very shot amount of time (4 seasons in 1 day, and it gets real annoying after a while).

The City of Melbourne Tourist Board would like to kick you in the nuts for that effort

I'm going to have to disagree on most of your comments i'm afraid

Melbourne is a great city for tourists, and there is some awesome stuff to do and see there. You're also at the start of one of the finest touring roads i've driven, The Great Ocean Road...not to mention the finest sporting arena known to man, the MCG Catch a game of footy while you're there!

The Gold Coast is awful from experience, unless you like skyscrapers right up to the beach, crowds, and tacky tourist amusements...

Melbourne weather is *rather interesting* tho :thumbsup:

 

[Sc4freak]

Meh. As I said, Melbourne is a great place to live. But as far as tourist attractions go, I don't think it's a particularly good. I mean, you could probably go to Federation Square, or the arts centre. There's the MCG, Crown Casino, and that's about it. And there's the minor "regular" stuff: State Parliament, State Library, Aquarium, Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Zoo. All pretty regular stuff, and I think there are probably better ways to experience Australia.

The Gold Coast, for me, was quite good. Even though I'm not a fan of beaches or surf, the multitude of theme parks and an extremely high restaurant to area ratio kept me busy.

EDIT: Well, I guess you could go on the Great Ocean Road, I tried that once but the drive was far too long. Only got as far as Apollo Bay before turning back. I guess travelling up to Ballarat and visiting Soverign Hill and learning about the gold rushes could be interesting for visitors as well.

 

[Whitecloak]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: Sc4freak
If you go to New Zealand, don't go to the cities. New Zealand is much better known for their scenic tourist attractions.

I'd recommend going to the Gold Coast if you're coming to Australia. Don't know what the weather is like this close to winter, but it'll still be warm I'd wager.

Here in Melbourne I can tell you there isn't much to do. It's a very nice place to live, not much for tourism though. And our weather is known to vary wildly in a very shot amount of time (4 seasons in 1 day, and it gets real annoying after a while).

The City of Melbourne Tourist Board would like to kick you in the nuts for that effort

I'm going to have to disagree on most of your comments i'm afraid

Melbourne is a great city for tourists, and there is some awesome stuff to do and see there. You're also at the start of one of the finest touring roads i've driven, The Great Ocean Road...not to mention the finest sporting arena known to man, the MCG Catch a game of footy while you're there!

The Gold Coast is awful from experience, unless you like skyscrapers right up to the beach, crowds, and tacky tourist amusements...

Melbourne weather is *rather interesting* tho :thumbsup:

The WACA is the finest sporting arena known to man.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Woot, Dug is back. When did this happen?

 

[WildHorse]

As for Oz, pick just one flight destination & stay around there, or drive out from there. Don't plan on flying from your 1st destination to other cities , because costs to fly between two two points within country are horrendous.

Oz: Cairns is nice to fly into, but don't stay there. Out of Cairns you can take a narrow gauge rail up the "mountain" to Karanda to stay a day or 2, which is fun. Rent a car at Cairns & drive north along the coast to little Port Douglas to stay, & to boat out to the Great Barrier Reef, & from there also drive further up to Daintree Rainforest area & boat on the river. Mossman Gorge along the way is worth a couple hours to hike around in, beautiful spot. I've swam in the river (creek) pools there a few hot evenings. All those places (Karanda, Port Douglas, Daintree River) have butterfly forests you can walk around in, are interesting, some hottie guide babes.

Or another place you could have fun at is further south at the Surfer's Paradise area. I like it there, but it's very similar to my home, so no great attraction to me personally. You might really like it. You can have Sydney, lots goes on down in Melbourne but you mentioned you didn't want bad weather & it'll be cold there in winter.

NZ: North island vs. South Island. The South Island has the NZ Alps & some beautiful places. It's way more scenic. That's where I like. Sometimes I stay in Christchurch. It's a "big city," but from there you can excursion out to the mountains, Arthur's Pass, ride jet boats on the rivers, etc. If you'd prefer, but the weather won't be as happy, way down south Dunedin is like being in England.

The north island has a very different feel. There's a tourist-trap Maori village at sulpher-fuming Rotorura cough cough, and Auckland is very nice. They make a deal about the Bay of Islands but it isn't much to see, don't go out of your way for that. Ditto "90 mile" beach. I stood at the absolute very farthest north tip of land at the far north.

You'll have a wonderful time. People are so extremely nice there, especially in NZ.

 

[DrPizza]

One of the teachers at my school organizes a trip to New Zealand every year. Usually a few middle school and high school students go; sometimes a teacher or two goes along as well. One of these years I'm going to spring for the trip. (But, first, I think I'm going to go with my kids on that teacher's Alaska trip... absolutely incredible trip he organizes - he used to be a wildlife manager in Alaska, has a ton of contacts up there, and gets great deals for the students/teachers who go.)

 

[DrPizza]

Incidentally, "they made it seem like the winter there was nothing."

That's simply saying "people I've talked to in the U.S. say that winter is nothing." Depends on which people you're talking to - the people in San Diego and Florida, or the people in Maine. (But the population densities in Oz lean heavily toward the nicer climates in the winter.)

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
One of the teachers at my school organizes a trip to New Zealand every year. Usually a few middle school and high school students go; sometimes a teacher or two goes along as well. One of these years I'm going to spring for the trip. (But, first, I think I'm going to go with my kids on that teacher's Alaska trip... absolutely incredible trip he organizes - he used to be a wildlife manager in Alaska, has a ton of contacts up there, and gets great deals for the students/teachers who go.)

Id like to visit Alaska eventually as well. Personal goal to visit all the States.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Incidentally, "they made it seem like the winter there was nothing."

That's simply saying "people I've talked to in the U.S. say that winter is nothing." Depends on which people you're talking to - the people in San Diego and Florida, or the people in Maine. (But the population densities in Oz lean heavily toward the nicer climates in the winter.)

Yea, I realized that. Guess I would just have to stay as south as possible.

 

[IMaN00BieGF]

My mother traveled to Australia and New Zealand recently. She said they were both an amazing, but New Zealand is her favorite place to travel to now. Apparently it is gorgeous.

 

[iamaelephant]

If you find yourself in the Bay of Plenty area give me a bell (PM for my phone number) I'll show you around Tauranga. How old are you?

 

[RossMAN]

Lucky bastard!

I would love to vacation in New Zealand, maybe rent an RV and drive around the country.

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Check out Pufffs website for the australia and new zealand categories. http://www.m-why.com/