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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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I'm looking for some help planning a trip.
Details are still very hazy at this point, so I'm mostly looking for general info.
I'm going primarily to New Zealand, but I'd also like to see some of Australia. Probably tour around Sydney a bit, and I have relatives in Melbourne. I'm open to other suggestions, too. (I'm not big on deserts, though. I overheat and dehydrate too readily.)
Not sure what to see in New Zealand, or where to go. I'm interested in the more natural aspects, to a point. That is, the landscapes, the parks, the flora and fauna, etc. OTOH, from what I've seen so far, it seems like the national parks are set up mostly for hiking and camping. I'm looking more for moderate exploration based out of a hotel. Something with climate control and readily available food. I might also be interested in some of the cities and towns, but I'm still in the really early research stages and frankly, I don't have much of an idea of what's out there to see. (The only bit of info I've seen so far about the cities talked mostly about bar hopping, which isn't at all my thing.)
Which brings me to the point of this post. Does anyone have any suggestions? What to see? When to go? Where to go? What to do? How to do it? Where to stay? How to get around?
That last is especially important. I'd like to get as much as I can out of the trip, since it'll be my first (and quite possibly last) time south of the equator. OTOH, I don't want to pack things so tightly that I barely have time to appreciate a given location before I'm whisking myself off to the next stop. Cost is not a huge issue, as the trip on the whole is something of an extravagance. As long as we're going, we might as well do it right. Time, though, is a constraint. I'll probably have about 2 weeks total, including the time to travel halfway around the world and get over jet lag.
The three transportation options that we've come up with so far are:
1. Car. Fly in to Australia. Tour around. Fly over to New Zealand. Drive around at our own pace, see what we can. Fly home.
2. Plane. Fly in to Australia. Take short flights from there to major points. Spend a couple days at each, fly to the next stop. Etc.
3. Cruise. Fly in to Australia. Tour around there a bit. Get on a ship. Let the cruise companies decide the itenerary, and use shore excursions to see the sights as best we can. Spend a day or two extra, if there's time, then fly home.
I'm not really sure what's best. Like I said, I've never been anywhere close. I don't know what there is. I don't know how best to get around. I regret that I do have only 2 weeks to explore a whole country, but I want to do the best I can with that time.
So... To anyone who's been there, and especially to those who live there... Any thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc you may have would be appreciated.
Paul
When in doubt, think about penguins. It probably won't help, but at least it'll be fun.
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,160 |
Car is one way to see Australia although I don't recommend driving around in Sydney and forget about the trains in Sydney unless you are able to deal with cancellations and late trains. Cruising is a good thing to do though I'm not too sure about cruises around Australia, the ferry services in Sydney do get you to some nice locations such as Manly and even the Olympic site down in Homebush Bay. When it comes right down to it, it depends on what you want to see and how long you have to see it.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart
Helen Keller
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Hey Paul WOW! You’re coming to Australia.  There is so much to see and do here. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited every state and every Capital city. Are you in a hurry for this information? In a few days I can get back to you with a list to do. Since you only have two weeks I suggest you fly between destinations here. It can take hours of driving to get from one state to another. You can hire a car at each airport to see that local area. Depending on the dates you choose to visit, I can show you around Sydney. I like doing the tourist thing and I have no problem driving around Sydney.  Tricia 
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Pulitzer
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Crazy Babe: Thanks for the advice about Sydney. Good to know. But... if not by train and not by car, how do you get around? Taxi? Bus? On foot? Boat? I know all about cities where driving is just not a good idea (I did live in Boston for a few years...), but that's usually where the subway comes in handy... Cruise-wise, there are a few companies that do Australia-New Zealand cruises. They take you to Sydney and/or Melbourne, then out to sea for a day or two, then down the New Zealand coast, stopping at a few key places. From there, it's up to you to fly back. It looks like a reasonable possibility, but I'm thinking I might want a more flexible schedule and the ability to get further inland. I'm just not sure, though. In any case... How long I have to see it -- 2 weeks, all told. Including flying in, visiting relatives, seeing Sydney, whatever we do with New Zealand, flying home, and giving my Dad enough time to recover so he can go back to work. It'll be a little tight, but we should be able to do some good stuff... What to see. I'm not sure. Bar hopping -- no. Good restaurants -- yes. Museums -- maybe. Depends on the content. Archetecture -- a bit. Not going to stare at it and analyze it in detail, but if there are interesting things to see, I'd like to see them. Desert -- no. Rain forests and waterfalls -- yes. Glaciers -- maybe. Seen them in Alaska, so not a priority, but they're (no pun intended) cool. Zoos -- no. Not so much on the caged animals. Wildlife peserves -- yes. I'm interested in seeing the unique creatures of the area in comfortable natural habitats. Penguins -- definitely yes. I really like the little guys, and they only naturally exist in the Southern Hemisphere. Rustic cabins and hikers' huts -- no. Mid-range hotels -- yes. (Not majorly expensive, but more than just truck stops.) Other -- maybe. What else ya got?  I really don't know what's out there to see. That's what's making planning things so hard. Tricia: Yup. I'll be upside-down for the first time in my life!  (And you know I'm going to stare at the first toilet I come across, just to see if it's true about them going counter-clockwise...) In a hurry? No. We haven't even pinned the dates down yet. We're thinking late Nov/early Dec, since I want to catch New Zealand in late spring (warm enough to be comfortable, early enough to see flowers). I'll have to see what Dad can work out with his schedule and what else is going on with the family. Ooo, and a tour guide! That'd be cool! Thanks!  Anyway, I'll look forward to your info and suggestions when you get the chance. Thanks to both of you for the replies. Anyone else care to chime in? Paul
When in doubt, think about penguins. It probably won't help, but at least it'll be fun.
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,160 |
Well our rainforests are up north in Queensland the Daintree perhaps the most well known. I'm not aware of any actual wildlife reserve around in Sydney there are disadvantages to living in a really urbanised area we have Featherdale Widelife Park so that maybe a good thing to look at. Though Western Plains in Dubbo (though really inland) is a zoo that doesn't cage the animals in as far as I know I have never been there. As for Taronga though you don't want to see caged animals provides a pretty beautiful view of Sydney as it's on the opposite end of the harbour.
As for museums not much too interesting we have a Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, but I never found that too interesting. The Art Gallery of NSW is free entry for the general exhibits the touring ones you will need an admissions fee. The Hyde Park Barracks is a building dedicated to our convict days and the Australian Museum is close by to that I saw a Terracotta Warrior exhibit there once (it's has since moved on) so they always have interesting new things to look at. The Powerhouse Museum is fun and interactive too so if you enjoy that kind of thing its a great place to go.
Well I've never seen a penguin in the wild before, but they have groups that go to see the fairy penguins down on Phillip Island in Vistoria(and to all the motor racing enthusists yes this were they have the Australian Grand Prix) at night.
Hope whatever information I gave helps!
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart
Helen Keller
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Yeah, that does help get me started. Thanks. Paul
When in doubt, think about penguins. It probably won't help, but at least it'll be fun.
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 111 |
Hey Paul,
I was going to suggest you see a game of footy at the MCG in Melbourne but footy season finishes in Sept. How about cricket? You can see a game at the SCG in Sydney, I'd suggest a One Day'er or even a 20/20.
If sports not your thing and like most tourists you want to climb the Sydney Harbour bridge but don't want to fork over $250, you can climb the pylon for $10. You don't go up quite as high but you still get a pretty good view of the city.
Avatar: Michael Clarke, awesome Aussie cricket player
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Thanks for the info, Mr Monkey. Not much for sports, but the pylon sounds like a good tip! Trica... wow! Major linkage! Thanks! (You don't happen to know anything about New Zealand, do you? Or is the Aussie/Kiwi thing as bad as some rumors would have me believe?) Paul
When in doubt, think about penguins. It probably won't help, but at least it'll be fun.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,587 |
Paul, I asked a Kiwi friend (Kylie) of mine for the info you requested. She doesn't feel like signing up for yet another forum so I was asked to pass along this: - trains in NZ are good, comfortable, reliable, and a great way to see the scenery. Buses are cheaper, but if he's not worried about expense, I'd totally trip around NZ on the trains. Hiring a car would also be a good option if the trains were too restrictive. I wouldn't recommend flying around NZ - it's too small, you won't get to see any countryside that way! Trains . - In general the South Island is more scenic than the North, however there are certainly some things in the North Island you don't want to miss. - Rotorua (NI) (mudpools, geysers, Maori arts & crafts, traditional marae visits, haka, hangi etc) is a must-see. - Waitomo caves (NI) for glow worms, black water rafting, anything of that sort. Caves . [interjection from Rivka: The caves are certainly memorable, as they are one of the few things I remember from a visit to NZ about 20 years ago. Them and Rotorua.] - Te Papa national museum in Wellington (NI) is also highly recommended and very interesting, particularly for people who don't know a lot about NZ. - Yacht cruise or kayaking (depending how physical you want to get) around Marlborough Sounds (SI) would be gorgeous at that time of year, Nelson is also lovely, as is Queenstown... pretty much the whole South Is. - helicopter tour over the Alps (SI) would be awesome. My recommendation? Fly in to Auckland & see anything you want to see there, then either a) hire a car and drive down through Coromandel, through the Bay of Plenty (possibly staying a night at Mount Maunganui if you're interested in beaches & surfing), to Rotorua. Spend at least one night in Rotorua, and definitely a whole day. Continue down to Wellington through the Desert Road. See Te Papa and other things of interest in Wellington, then catch the ferry to Picton. Marlborough and Nelson are at the top of the SI, then continue down to the really scenic stuff closer to the bottom. Fly back to Aucks (most car rental places will let you drop off the car at any main centre). Day trip to Waitomo cos you just can't miss it (buses do this from Auckland). You could alternatively drive through Waitomo on the way down instead of going to Coromandel - ie go Aucks, Waitomo, Rotorua, Wellington, and miss out Coromandel & Bay of Plenty, depending on what you want to see. Or b) Train from Auckland down to Wellington, stopping anywhere you want on the way including Waitomo caves. Ferry across Cook Strait, train on down SI etc. Fly back to Rotorua, see sights. Fly or bus to Auckland. The main disadvantage of taking the train is that you are restricted by route, and limited on your transport when you stop somewhere. And it doesn't go to Rotorua. Third option c) Intercity flexipass . Basically you buy bus hours. So you can get on and off the bus anywhere, for that amount of time. Intercity buses cover most of NZ, and you can even travel at night (although you also can on trains and it's probably more comfortable on the train). You'll have more flexibility with buses (there are many routes), however will have the same problem with limited transport when you stop in a city for a day or so. I don't think you'd actually end up having that much trouble with getting around though, in particular Wellington and Christchurch have excellent public transport, and NZ isn't really that big. I'll be happy to pass along any further questions.
Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you, like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says, "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly.
- Under the Tuscan Sun
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Pulitzer
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Nov 2004
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I don't have anything to add, I think Tricia might have covered... everything But... Originally posted by HatMan:
Or is the Aussie/Kiwi thing as bad as some rumors would have me believe? It's probably worse... 
'I just kind of died for you;
You just kind of stared at me'
- Aurora, Foo Fighters
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