Must do/see things in New Zealand and Australia?

[sylvev]

Hi
We (me, dh, ds(11) & dd(7)) are going to NZ and Oz for 5 weeks at Easter. We have our routes planned and some things we want to see/do, but would welcome any other suggestions from anyone who has visited or lives there.
(P.s I'm sooooooo excited)

Where are you going (roughly) eg which states?

For starters there are some tips on this thread

If you're planning to go anywhere I went, I'll try to help out.

Lonelymum, we fly to Auckland, then to Dunedon (sorry if spelling wrong), then driving from south through to north island. Then we fly to Perth to see friends for 5 days, then to Sydney for a few days and end with 5 relaxing days on the cook islands! Phew, I'm tired just typing it!

Racers, thanks for the link, some great ideas, I shall look in detail this evening. Many thanks.

Sounds fantastic! You are bound to have a trip of a lifetime.

I have been twice. My dh is Australian so we have tended to focus mostly on his home town/area, which is Brisbane, but I have also been to Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania. So not many areas in common with you, but I am sure the parts you are going to will not disappoint. Sydney is a lovely city. Dh is getting itchy feet again and wants another trip home soonish so we will have to explore another area when we go. I am thinking of doing the coast road around Victoria.

I am so jealous of you with your trip planned out!

When you get to Wellington try to get to Te Papa. It's the national museum and really good. Lots there for the kids too. rollerblading round the waterfront is good fun too!!
Also the cable car ride is fun and the best view from the top.

Thanks, Lonelymum. I'm excited but worried about what to pack! I'm a terrible packer at the best of times, i.e taking too much, just in case etc. Any tips on what to take/leave at home would be welcomed also.

We are planning certain things, i.e my dd wants to see Dolphins or whales, my ds fairy penguins and we want to see Napier and generally soak up the whole experience of NZ and Oz without getting too exhausted!

You must do Lake Taupo/ Rotorua the Buried Village the whole volcanic plateau.

Aww, my ds2 is a penguin fanatic and we so nearly went on a beach tour in Tasmania to see the penguins, but you couldn't take little ones and at the time my dd was only 2, so we had to give it a miss. You won't have that problem, thank goodness.

The clothes packing things is a bit tricky as I am not sure about NZ at Easter. The furthest south we went was Tassie and that was in August (so their winter). We toured in a motor home and stayed on campsites. The odd trip to the loo at night was a bit nippy, but not cold as we know it. If I were you, I would check out something like the BBC weather website nearer the time to check out the likely weather/temperatures. Or keep this thread alive and wait for someone in NZ to tell you what it is like there now!

What am I saying? We were in Tassie at Easter, not August!

Sydney - centrepoint tower, darling harbour, historic rocks, Manly, Zoo, Hunter valley if you can ( good day trip)

Can't think where else we went - had 4 days there.

When in Sydney we took a train to see the Blue Mountains and also went to Botany Bay (not easy to get to and surprisingly empty when you are there). Also the obvious things: harbour trip, tour of opera house - didn't get to climb the bridge but would do that if I went there again.

Gosh, forgot about Hunter Valley, we did a day trip there too. Mmm now I wonder why I forgot?!! Didn't spit, that's why!
Probably not much fun for your children though..

NZ South Island - would suggest Milford Sound if you can get there, plus Queenstown/Mount Cook/Lake Tekapo. in Queenstown lots of outdoor stuff (not just bungee jumping) like jet boat rides on the SHotoever River etc.
in Dunedin there's a sancutary out on the pennisula (can't remembr the name) with alabatrosses and all sorts of other bird, penguins ( I think) etc

you can def see penguins (not fairy ones thought I don't think) at Oamaru, if you go there look at the Moeraki boulders too.THe penguin thing is great, you watch them coming in from the sea and greeting their families etc. we did a while ago when it was a tiny little 'grandstand', think it may be an altogether bigger concern now!

For whale watching (and bags of dolphins) go to Kaikoura, which is above Christchurch. we also saw lots of dolphins (including a baby - unusual to see) on a boat trip round Akaroa harbour nr Christchurch. Kaikoura is great though

NZ North Island - def. Rotorua & Taupo. bay of islands also nice.

you will see I have spent most of my time in the SOuth Island....

I sound really drunk on my thread - I wasn't though.
bobbybob right about Oamaru and all the timing stuff and checking first about the wildlife

BTW don't know anything about Australia!

Thanks, everyone.You've given us some great ideas.
We're slowly building up a picture of how our trip will be, must try not to do too much, though.
Thanks again.

Albatross and penguins in Dunedin.

black water rafting in Waitomo.

Seals are visible all along the coast from Christchurch to Picton. Whale watching in Kaikoura.

Hamner Springs make a good stopping off point coming up the South Island.
Kiwis near Waitomo.

White Island for the ultimate 'wow' experience.

Albatross have got more boring - you have to look at them through a telescope now. If you go whale watching you will see millions of them hanging off the back of the fishing boat looking for a spot of lunch. I'd save your money and just do penguins.

Oh, and there is a seal colony on the way into Kaikoura. It's free and can be brilliant depending on the tide.

With 4 of you you may want to go for older motels as you will get more room, easier to get 2 bedrooms etc.