I'm looking into traveling to Australia and New Zealand over New Year's. I did a search, but I didn't find many threads. Right now I'm thinking about two weeks between Sydney and Auckland, but I'm not sure. Should I visit some other places? Melbourne or Wellington perhaps? Any tips on where to go, what to do, what to see, where to stay, and where to eat would be much appreciated! Thanks!

I'll be in Sydney, Australia for about 2 months in October, so I'd love to hear about great places to visit as well!

I've been twice and loved it---I'd move there if I could. Sydney and Melbourne are musts, imo. They are different from each other, but are both great! I also recommend going up to Cairns--you can snorkel or scuba and the water/reef are gorgeous. You do have to keep an eye on the time of year, though, because they get really bad jelly fish some parts of the year. If you go to Melbourne you can rent a car and drive up the great ocean road--it's their version of the PCH and is gorgeous...it'd be a fun day trip. Let me know if you have any questions!

Go to Melbourne! And Don't forget Tasmanie, lovely little island!
Cairns is great, but don't forget Darwin.
But if you have let's say just 3 weeks I would go to; Cairns-->Sydney-->Melbourne--> Tasmanie.

Originally Posted by CuTe_ClAsSy

I'm looking into traveling to Australia and New Zealand over New Year's. I did a search, but I didn't find many threads. Right now I'm thinking about two weeks between Sydney and Auckland, but I'm not sure. Should I visit some other places? Melbourne or Wellington perhaps? Any tips on where to go, what to do, what to see, where to stay, and where to eat would be much appreciated! Thanks!

I live in Sydney so I'm more then happy to answer whatever questions you have. It isn't hard to spend a week in Sydney and not see everything you want to. This would depend on what you want to do as some things are full day trips such as the Blue Mountains.

Melbourne is very different to Sydney and we love taking short trips down there for shopping and musicals.

It can be very hot over New Years, we do get days that are over 40 C which is 101 F so that is something to take into account.

I'm more then happy to answer whatever questions you have :)

Thanks for your input ladies!

Originally Posted by Bvlgari_Babe

I live in Sydney so I'm more then happy to answer whatever questions you have. It isn't hard to spend a week in Sydney and not see everything you want to. This would depend on what you want to do as some things are full day trips such as the Blue Mountains. Melbourne is very different to Sydney and we love taking short trips down there for shopping and musicals. It can be very hot over New Years, we do get days that are over 40 C which is 101 F so that is something to take into account. I'm more then happy to answer whatever questions you have :)

What would you say the must do things are in Sydney? Obviously I will go to the opera house and the botanic gardens, The Sydney Tower, the Harbour Bridge, and hit some of the beaches, but what else would you recommend/is there anything that you think is overrated?

I am Australian and it just depends on what you would like to do.
We love Melbourne more than Sydney, but Sydney is a must do for a visitor.
Did you want to explore the beaches? Our beaches in Queensland are some of the most beautiful in the world.
If you have only two weeks I would choose 2 or 3 areas maximum as Australia is very large and you don't want to lose time by travelling.
The Great Ocean Road outside Melbourne is spectacular.

hey girls! i'll came in Australia in a month and alf and i will stay in Brisbane! love that state, beaches, city love queensland!

oh! OP don't forget Kangaroo Island!

Thought I might bump this old thread with some things about New Zealand and Aus too.

I'm from Australia, and I spent 2 weeks on the South island of New Zealand last year. I loved it! If you're into nature and beautiful scenery (or extreme sports), you'll love it too.

We flew from Sydney to Christchurch, then hired a car and drove to Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Wanaka and Queenstown (with a few other stops on the way). You could also travel further, and check out the Alpine places like the Glaciers. We went in January and it was lovely.

As for Australia - definitely do the big cities - Sydney and Melbourne. I haven't been to Melbourne for a few years so I won't make any suggestions there. My favourite places in Sydney are Darling Harbour (good people watching from waterside cafes), Chinatown (delicious eats and cute shops), and take a ferry trip to Manly and have a swim at the beach.

If you have time, a trip away from the cities would be nice too - you could go to Tasmania from Melbourne, or to the Blue Mountains from Sydney.

My dream is to visit Australia and New Zealand. A friend of ours had a business trip to NZ and said the people there were the nicest he's ever met. A relative lived in Sydney for a couple years and he said it was fabulous.

Is Tasmania mostly rural or urban? Sorry for my geography ignorance.

Most of Tasmania is rural. Hobart is the capital, but it's not a big city. There are lots of cute little towns to visit.

My bf is from Tasmania - they refer to Australians from other states as 'mainlanders'.. Cute!

I live in Sydney - but spent a large part of my life on the Gold Coast which is in Queensland (1 state further north from Sydney).

I really haven't seen anywhere near as much of Australia as I should have - and often it is visitors from overseas that see a lot more than most normal Aussies because they make the point of going to a lot of different places!

Where you go in Australia really depends on what type of holiday you want. E.g. if you want beaches, then you can go to places like Bondi Beach whilst you are in Sydney, but if you go further north you can go to the Great Barrier Reef etc.

In terms of must-sees in Sydney: Circular quayQwhere the Opera House is (basically right in the city), you can get ferries from there (a lot of people use them to commute to work), - you could get a ferry to Manly which is a very popular beach, or to Taronga Zoo. Blue Mountains are gorgeous but about 1.5 hours out of Sydney. You can get the train up there from the city, but you might prefer to get a day tour up there. If you like the beach, there is a gorgeous work from Bondi Beach to Coogee - both in the Eastern Suburbs; Sydney Tower (which we all still call Centrepoint), right in the city, now a lot of shopping, and there is a viewing level/revolving restaurant

Melbourne - I have only been to a couple of times and usually only for a day or two, but I did do a day trip down to Phillip Island and it was wonderful - went to a Koala Sanctuary and saw the fairy penguins at night - amazing!

Tasmania - only been to once for a weekend, was in Hobart which is the capital. Personally I didn't think much of Hobart but I was staying right in the CBD, and I think most tourists go slightly further out. I did however do a climb of Mount Wellington which is in Hobart and that was wonderful.

Queensland - Gold Coast - very touristy. A lot of beaches and theme parks.

Canberra - our capital - about 3-4 hours drive from Sydney. Around New Years it will be dead because Parliament isn't sitting.

Australia is one of those places that you could spend months here - the country itself is around 80% of the size of the US - so it still is pretty big!

I've never been to New Zealand but will be in Auckland in late January for a conference, and I've been told by New Zealand colleagues that Auckland is the nicest part of the NZ - but I think that could be because that is where they are from!

Sydney is a must!! I'm on the other side (in Perth - dead boring don't come here!) and I go over to Sydney once or twice a year. It is just such a beautiful place you'll never regret it!!

Everything you all have described makes me want to go even more:)

Originally Posted by [coco]

Sydney is a must!! I'm on the other side (in Perth - dead boring don't come here!) and I go over to Sydney once or twice a year. It is just such a beautiful place you'll never regret it!!