Calling Aussie and Kiwi FoLCs - 07/22/05 11:24 PM
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
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