This is a personal SOS call to all those nice members from Australia and New Zealand. We are very excited planning a trip to both countries for this year; it has been high on our bucket list, and we want to plan it as careful as we can. I will really appreciate if you can mention places that you think we shouldn't miss. I know they are large countries, but don't stop yourself of mentioning what you think is a highlight. I'm sure I will be there only once in my life, so I am trying to do it right. Please share your info in a way that I can easily find it in google maps. Thanks so much in advance, and looking forward to see your beautiful countries.
I'm not from Australia but i'v done a 2,5 month trip overthere and what i think are must sees (depending on your time) are
-fraser island,
- sailing trip on the whit sundays,
- snorkeling/diving at the great barrier reef,
- tasmania,
- great ocean road
- and ofcourse uluru (ayers rock) and when your in the middle try to see kings canyon and katatjuta as well.
sorry if the names are spelled wrong, but these are the must sees i think!!
And i've heard NZ is really beautiful as well!! Have fun planning!
west coast south island new zealand. We have coastal ,forest', glacier, mountain and great people. All are easy to access for great photo opportunities.
I am from Australia and I live in the Nations capitol Canberra. We are a planned city and if you are coming this year we are celabrating your 100th birthday which in relative terms for most cities in the world we are still young.
Forget Australia - concentrate on NZ - sorry all you Aussies out there! NZ - North Island - Auckland - big,,lots views, beaches traffic. Napier - interesting buildngs, Rotorua - hot mud pools and Maori concerts. Wellington - big harbour, lots to do. South Island - I havent got an hour to write but Marlborough Sounds a must. West Coast, wild and beautiful. East coast - CHCH bit sad with its earthquake damage but some lovely bits. Oamaru - MY PLACE - Victorian Buildings,, Little Blue Penguins come in every night (right in the town area) history, food - cheese, cherries, salmon, - the restaurant Riverstone by the Waitaki River is a MUST. Also Fleur's restaurant at Moeraki, south of Oamaru is world famous as are the Moeraki Boulders. Mt Cook is photographic as are the Lakes - Tekapo, Pukaki, Ohau, Wanaka, Queenstown (high mountains and adventure capital) Te Anau. Hire a bike and do the Central Otago Rail TRail for 4-5 days and stay in historic liitle pubs. Dunedin has the University, and out on the Peninsular, an Albatross Colony and a Castle. Invercargill has some interest but Stewart Island just further south than Invercargill is absolutely beautiful - reached by a ferry. There!
@maggiemae You make me want to go back, I haven't seen the north island @anazad511 I don't think you will be disappointed where ever you pick to go. I am from Tassie. If you visit here you will need a few days, it's a couple of hours from north to south but I did a circuit round the west half & it took me eight hours. And I still missed some parts. We have got some lovely beaches, forests & mountains. If I was to travel the mainland, the Sydney Harbour bridge, Uluru & Adelaide ( the city of churches) would be my first picks
@anazad511 I live Sydney... haven't been to NZ...
What sort of trip and how long are you in Australia for? Australia is MASSIVE, it takes 5-6 hours to fly from one side to the other, much the same as the states, but we have alot of dessert in-between! LOL! Will you be hiring a car/camper or flying from place to place?
You could look into the Indian Pacific which is a train ride across country or the Gahn which is a train from lower to upper, they both take a few days but are an amazing way to see the country.
The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful if you like snorkelling...
Sydney itself is amazing, if you want some tourist destinations while your here i'd suggest (if your staying in the city) catch a ferry over to Taronga Zoo - only the worlds best, with the worlds best view!
Ferry to Manly... Visit Bondi... Theres a lot of beautiful beaches around sydney.
Do the harbour bridge climb (thats on my bucket list!).
theres heaps... all just depends on how long you have... North QLD is beautiful... as is the Great Ocean Road... anyhow feel free to quiz if you need answers! x
Oh my... I still have some must sees on my list :) it's a big country.
- great ocean road
-Uluru
-Sydney
-Whit Sundays
Are my top four... But I have yet to see Perth which is supposed to be beautiful, the Barossa Valley is also supposed to be gorgeous and great for wine tasting.
I'm from Sydney and I could give my suggestions but a lot depends on how long you are coming for, are you planning on seeing all of Australia, will you have a car, what season will you be here?
When you are in NZ pretty much anywhere is incredible. It is such a beautiful country....the south island in particular....Walking Milford sound is supposed to be amazing and is on my bucket list!!
As for Australia there are so many places to pick from..... my fav places are:
1/ Whitsunday Islands and while there do some snorkeling or diving trips out to the reefs or even hire your own sailing yacht and do it yourself....in particular Whithaven Beach & Hook Island. 2/ Next would have to be Uluru. If you can, camp out there to get the spectacular views at sunrise and sunset the colours are amazing!!! (It can be a bit pricey though) 3/ Fraser Island is stunning and if you have time camp there for a few days a 4x4 is essential though or stay at Kingfisher Bay resort. http://www.kingfisherbay.com/ 4/ Great Ocean Road is stunning for it's rugged coast line and lovely seaside villages. I have done that one numerous times and it never ceases to amaze me. There are many little places along the way to stay. 5/ Byron Bay is a must see. It is the most Easterly part of Australia and has a very Bohemian feel to it. If you can do a road trip around the area as it is stunning!! You can go hang gliding off the headland either at Lennox Head (which I did in November last year) or Byron Bay itself. Lennox Head is not far from Byron the whole area is beautiful. I highly recommend staying at: Amazing Wollumbin Palms Retreat at Mt Warning A Luxury Rainforest Getaway in Mt Warning, NSW. http://www.wollumbinpalms.com.au/ It is a couples retreat and a great getaway in the hinterland not far from Byron Bay. You can also take a day trip into Mullumbimby and go to the Kiva Spa which is a bath house...it's gorgeous and great pamper day out. http://www.thekivaspa.com/ 6/ A city is a city they are all the same really but Brisbane is a lovely city as is Melbourne!! And time permitting Darwin, Broome and Perth are all well worth a visit. With all of this I think you will need at least 6 months haha....good luck planning!!
How exciting for you Ana! We travelled around Australia in 2009 and some of the highlights for us were;
Uluru (Ayers Rock) Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory
Fraser Island off the East Coast was spectacular, you will have to hire a 4wd or book a tour if you go there, it's an island made of sand.
The Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas in Far North Queensland were beautiful places to visit too.
The Great Ocean Road, a stunning drive along the southern part of the country.
Western Australia was for me the most beautiful part of the country, the city of Perth is fanatastic and if you are planning to hire a campervan you can drive up the west coast to amazing places like Ningaloo Reef, (you can swim with the whalesharks there) and the snorkelling is wonderful too, up to Exmouth, Karratha, Broome and 200 kilometres above Broome there is an amazing place called Cape Leveque. South of Perth, Albany and Esperance were beautiful places to visit too. If you are on facebook I am happy for you to inbox me any questions if you like. Happy planning.
We met lots of people on our travels from Europe that were driving around the country too, some for a week, others for a few months. It took us 5 months to drive 24,000kilometres.
I've been all over Australia and much of New Zealand. Agree with @sam_cr in general, especially if your time is limited. Must spend a bit of time in Sydney and its beautiful beach surrounds; Whitsunday Islands (in Queensland); drive from Cairns to Port Douglas and the Daintree (lots of crocodiles); the beaches all along the coast of New South Wales are stunning (and I live near some of them so would be happy to show you around my 'hood.) Definitely go to Uluru and Kata Tjuta in the centre of the continent - unmissable. As Wendy @wenbow says, Tasmania is a must-see. Looks small on the map compared to the rest of the continent but is packed with stunning scenery and amazing wildlife. Perth is a beautiful small city on the west coast of the continent, gorgeous river and parks and the southwest of that state is, again, different from everywhere else with its rugged coast, fantastic wineries and food. Great Ocean Road drive in Victoria. Janelle @turning_40 has some good advice re Australian must-sees, although I think she hasn't given Sydney enough credit when she says all cities are the same. Sydney's harbour setting, bridge, opera house, zoo, etc., all make it distinctive from the others. If you do find yourself in my area (halfway between Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie) let me know so I can show you around and introduce you to the wild kangaroos nearby.
I grew up in Perth, Western Australia and think it is a wonderful part of the country. However , if your time is limited I usually suggest to people to stick to the east coast.Just as it is such a large country and if your are limited you can see more of the 'highlights' from there. Sydney is a really interesting city and from there you can go further north, to the great barrier reef or south to some beautiful areas or in to see Urulu. I also would love to go back to NZ, that if a beautiful country. I personally preffered the south island but it is all great. You will love it.
New Zealand (North to South) - I would say 2 months in a rental vehicle would be ideal to see all of this properly! Feel free to ask me any questions. I have travelled the whole country numerous times and host couchsurfers in the Coromandel area. And yeah, skip Australia :P
90 Mile Beach
Bay of Islands
Auckland (Piha/Muriwai beaches, Mt Eden, Devonport)
Coromandel Peninsula
Karangahake Gorge
Rotorua
Waitomo Caves
Lake Taupo
Tongariro Crossing
Taranaki (Mountain/Surf Highway)
Wellington (Te Papa/Music)
Marlborough Sounds
Abel Tasman
Golden Bay
Denniston
Punakaiki
Kaikoura
Hanmer Springs
Arthurs Pass
Fox/Franz Josef Glaciers
Christchurch (Earthquake Damage, Akaroa Harbour)
Wanaka
Queenstown
Milford Sound
Glenorchy
Dunedin (Steepest Road, Peninsula, Castle, University)
Caitlans
Stewart Island
@girlie Just not much of a city girl I guess haha At least you mentioned Sydney cause I completely forgot doh....and no one has mentioned poor old Adelaide the city of churches and it's surrounding areas :-(
As everyone said Anna, it depends on how much time you have ..... I'm from Sydney, I think that the Kimberlies in WA is a breathtakingly beautiful place but very remote.
Aaron has just made a good list of places in NZ to see and included everything I was going to mention, probably a little more comprehensive than I was going to do but all interesting places and a selection of any of those would be great.
because both countries are so big I would suggest not trying to see too much otherwise you will spend your whole time travelling. select your most fascinating areas with the help of google and then see how wonderful the country is and plan another trip for the stuff you miss :)
I have been to alot of places in australia , My favourites being Esperance with its beautiful white sand and granite islands. The town of Richmond in Tasmania is my favourite town in aust. Wave rock near esperance is ok if you are out that way. The Otways national park and the treetop walk is fantastic with the great ocean road being a definite must see. Melbourne is my favourite city with Melbourne museum, Melbourne zoo, art gallery and the aquarium all being places to visit. Phillip Island has a quick boat trip to seal rocks which is fantastic .Ninety mile beach and buchan caves in gippsland victoria . These are a few of my favourite places :)
Thanks so much to each of you for taking the time to write back with your wonderful advice. I was out most of the day and I just printed all this info to try to place it in the map, so definitely if I have questions, I will get back to you. We don't have an established time for the trip, and that's why my partner is pushing me to come out with the itinerary, so we can buy airfare tickets early (for a better price...)
To answer the general question of how long we plan to be there, we estimate that we will spend around four weeks, but it's flexible; of course we are aware of what large territory we have ahead and we will be flying from place to place, and driving in shorter distances.
Thanks so much.
Arnhem land
Uluru, Kings caynon
Daintree
Pinnicles - I have a photo in my project.
Whitsundays
Frazer Island
Nation Capital - If not for any other reason than I live here so it must have something going for it.
Outback
Simpson desert
Lake Eyre
Sydney Centre- The rest of it you can leave alone
Kosciusko national park
Byron Bay is nice buy holly cow there are WAY to many tourist there to enjoy yourself
Blue Mountains
Jenolan Caves
Cameron's Corner
Underground houses in lightning ridge
Margaret River
Hunter Valley
Tasmania - Check out where all the convicts where kept.
I would recommend that if you have 4 weeks to travel that it would be better to travel to only one of the two countries otherwise you will be extremely rushed and not be able to experience any of the real beauty of either country. Even though I am rather biased in saying that the one country should be New Zealand I would probably recommend to go to just Australia over both in that sort of time frame.
Just saw this. It is a big place so pick what YOU want.
Given a limited time the must see place in Aus for me are Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon in Central Australia. Spend at least 4or 5 nights there. This will give you time to immerse yourself in it. The best walk I have ever done is the Valley of Winds at Kata Tjuta. There are shuttle buses around Uluru and Kata Tjuta like at Grand Canyon. You can organise to go to Kings Canyon/Watarrka for day. Do the walk, take your swimmers and take the plunge at the rock pool in the Garden of Eden. If you miss seeing this part of Canyon it is missing the whole point. You can fly from Sydney to Uluru direct. Easy 2 hour flight.
I would go to Great Barrier Reef and snorkel. It is mind boggling and nothing like it anywhere else. Sure you can do coral dives elsewhere, but it is usually fished out and coral discoloured. Worth the effort.
Great Ocean Rd is a scenic drive. Lots of those in the world. The 12 Apostles is much photographed but a lot of effort to get there to shoot from a lookout and then go.
Spend a few days in Sydney. Is truly a beautiful city. Book tickets to see a show at the Opera House, catch the public ferry to Manly have lunch at the Corsica and dip your toes in the Pacific, get the shots of opera House on way back. Go to the Blue Mountains for a day and see some beautiful landscapes and the bush. Lots of tours or catch train to Katoomba.
In NZ visit Fox Glacier and get helicopter half way up and do glacier walk. Milford Sound is a must. Go overnight and sleep on boat on the sound
PS don't come in our summer. Central Australia can be at its best in April-May. This because it is not to cold, and if you are lucky there might have been monsoon rain or a few showers so there could be wild flowers. It is the start of dry season and not too dusty
@peterdegraaff - Thanks so much for your advice. I really appreciate it. Uhm, I read today that Sidney was 45 degrees yesterday, and what you are telling me... January might be too hot...
@douglas2012 - @anazad511 Thanks so much for making me aware about the weather; we are really reconsidering the time. I don't deal very well with extreme heat; I live in Miami but inside A/C. I already received a large map that I ordered on line for each country, so now it's easier to see all your wonderful comments. Hope you have had a great weekend.
Far North QLD is a must. Great Barrier Reef. Daintree. Kuranda are all great and on the main tourist trail, but if you venture a little further away from them, there are some amazing waterfalls up on the Atherton Tablelands (From Ravenshoe through Milla Milla, Malanda, Yungaburra, Atherton, and an enormous wetland area at Mareeba. Undara lava tubes are mind blowing and are only an hour or two further west of the Tablelands.
In southern Queensland, Fraser or Moreton Islands are worth a look, as well as the Glass House Mountains.
@anazad511 depends if u like heat, last summer the highs were only 30, this year we have had Sydney's hottest day on record of 45!!
Personally I like late spring or early autumn... So a few weeks either side of an including November or April...
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-fraser island,
- sailing trip on the whit sundays,
- snorkeling/diving at the great barrier reef,
- tasmania,
- great ocean road
- and ofcourse uluru (ayers rock) and when your in the middle try to see kings canyon and katatjuta as well.
sorry if the names are spelled wrong, but these are the must sees i think!!
And i've heard NZ is really beautiful as well!! Have fun planning!
Thanks so much for your list. I really appreciate them.
@anazad511 I don't think you will be disappointed where ever you pick to go. I am from Tassie. If you visit here you will need a few days, it's a couple of hours from north to south but I did a circuit round the west half & it took me eight hours. And I still missed some parts. We have got some lovely beaches, forests & mountains. If I was to travel the mainland, the Sydney Harbour bridge, Uluru & Adelaide ( the city of churches) would be my first picks
What sort of trip and how long are you in Australia for? Australia is MASSIVE, it takes 5-6 hours to fly from one side to the other, much the same as the states, but we have alot of dessert in-between! LOL! Will you be hiring a car/camper or flying from place to place?
You could look into the Indian Pacific which is a train ride across country or the Gahn which is a train from lower to upper, they both take a few days but are an amazing way to see the country.
The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful if you like snorkelling...
Sydney itself is amazing, if you want some tourist destinations while your here i'd suggest (if your staying in the city) catch a ferry over to Taronga Zoo - only the worlds best, with the worlds best view!
Ferry to Manly... Visit Bondi... Theres a lot of beautiful beaches around sydney.
Do the harbour bridge climb (thats on my bucket list!).
theres heaps... all just depends on how long you have... North QLD is beautiful... as is the Great Ocean Road... anyhow feel free to quiz if you need answers! x
http://365project.org/bobfoto/365/2013-01-12
- great ocean road
-Uluru
-Sydney
-Whit Sundays
Are my top four... But I have yet to see Perth which is supposed to be beautiful, the Barossa Valley is also supposed to be gorgeous and great for wine tasting.
How long will you have?
As for Australia there are so many places to pick from..... my fav places are:
1/ Whitsunday Islands and while there do some snorkeling or diving trips out to the reefs or even hire your own sailing yacht and do it yourself....in particular Whithaven Beach & Hook Island. 2/ Next would have to be Uluru. If you can, camp out there to get the spectacular views at sunrise and sunset the colours are amazing!!! (It can be a bit pricey though) 3/ Fraser Island is stunning and if you have time camp there for a few days a 4x4 is essential though or stay at Kingfisher Bay resort. http://www.kingfisherbay.com/ 4/ Great Ocean Road is stunning for it's rugged coast line and lovely seaside villages. I have done that one numerous times and it never ceases to amaze me. There are many little places along the way to stay. 5/ Byron Bay is a must see. It is the most Easterly part of Australia and has a very Bohemian feel to it. If you can do a road trip around the area as it is stunning!! You can go hang gliding off the headland either at Lennox Head (which I did in November last year) or Byron Bay itself. Lennox Head is not far from Byron the whole area is beautiful. I highly recommend staying at: Amazing Wollumbin Palms Retreat at Mt Warning A Luxury Rainforest Getaway in Mt Warning, NSW. http://www.wollumbinpalms.com.au/ It is a couples retreat and a great getaway in the hinterland not far from Byron Bay. You can also take a day trip into Mullumbimby and go to the Kiva Spa which is a bath house...it's gorgeous and great pamper day out. http://www.thekivaspa.com/ 6/ A city is a city they are all the same really but Brisbane is a lovely city as is Melbourne!! And time permitting Darwin, Broome and Perth are all well worth a visit. With all of this I think you will need at least 6 months haha....good luck planning!!
Uluru (Ayers Rock) Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory
Fraser Island off the East Coast was spectacular, you will have to hire a 4wd or book a tour if you go there, it's an island made of sand.
The Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas in Far North Queensland were beautiful places to visit too.
The Great Ocean Road, a stunning drive along the southern part of the country.
Western Australia was for me the most beautiful part of the country, the city of Perth is fanatastic and if you are planning to hire a campervan you can drive up the west coast to amazing places like Ningaloo Reef, (you can swim with the whalesharks there) and the snorkelling is wonderful too, up to Exmouth, Karratha, Broome and 200 kilometres above Broome there is an amazing place called Cape Leveque. South of Perth, Albany and Esperance were beautiful places to visit too. If you are on facebook I am happy for you to inbox me any questions if you like. Happy planning.
We met lots of people on our travels from Europe that were driving around the country too, some for a week, others for a few months. It took us 5 months to drive 24,000kilometres.
90 Mile Beach
Bay of Islands
Auckland (Piha/Muriwai beaches, Mt Eden, Devonport)
Coromandel Peninsula
Karangahake Gorge
Rotorua
Waitomo Caves
Lake Taupo
Tongariro Crossing
Taranaki (Mountain/Surf Highway)
Wellington (Te Papa/Music)
Marlborough Sounds
Abel Tasman
Golden Bay
Denniston
Punakaiki
Kaikoura
Hanmer Springs
Arthurs Pass
Fox/Franz Josef Glaciers
Christchurch (Earthquake Damage, Akaroa Harbour)
Wanaka
Queenstown
Milford Sound
Glenorchy
Dunedin (Steepest Road, Peninsula, Castle, University)
Caitlans
Stewart Island
because both countries are so big I would suggest not trying to see too much otherwise you will spend your whole time travelling. select your most fascinating areas with the help of google and then see how wonderful the country is and plan another trip for the stuff you miss :)
Thanks so much to each of you for taking the time to write back with your wonderful advice. I was out most of the day and I just printed all this info to try to place it in the map, so definitely if I have questions, I will get back to you. We don't have an established time for the trip, and that's why my partner is pushing me to come out with the itinerary, so we can buy airfare tickets early (for a better price...)
To answer the general question of how long we plan to be there, we estimate that we will spend around four weeks, but it's flexible; of course we are aware of what large territory we have ahead and we will be flying from place to place, and driving in shorter distances.
Thanks so much.
Uluru, Kings caynon
Daintree
Pinnicles - I have a photo in my project.
Whitsundays
Frazer Island
Nation Capital - If not for any other reason than I live here so it must have something going for it.
Outback
Simpson desert
Lake Eyre
Sydney Centre- The rest of it you can leave alone
Kosciusko national park
Byron Bay is nice buy holly cow there are WAY to many tourist there to enjoy yourself
Blue Mountains
Jenolan Caves
Cameron's Corner
Underground houses in lightning ridge
Margaret River
Hunter Valley
Tasmania - Check out where all the convicts where kept.
This may also help http://www.squidoo.com/thingstoseeinaustralia http://www.australiansky.co.uk/travel-guide-top-10-things-to-do.htm http://travelblog.viator.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-australia/
Given a limited time the must see place in Aus for me are Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon in Central Australia. Spend at least 4or 5 nights there. This will give you time to immerse yourself in it. The best walk I have ever done is the Valley of Winds at Kata Tjuta. There are shuttle buses around Uluru and Kata Tjuta like at Grand Canyon. You can organise to go to Kings Canyon/Watarrka for day. Do the walk, take your swimmers and take the plunge at the rock pool in the Garden of Eden. If you miss seeing this part of Canyon it is missing the whole point. You can fly from Sydney to Uluru direct. Easy 2 hour flight.
I would go to Great Barrier Reef and snorkel. It is mind boggling and nothing like it anywhere else. Sure you can do coral dives elsewhere, but it is usually fished out and coral discoloured. Worth the effort.
Great Ocean Rd is a scenic drive. Lots of those in the world. The 12 Apostles is much photographed but a lot of effort to get there to shoot from a lookout and then go.
Spend a few days in Sydney. Is truly a beautiful city. Book tickets to see a show at the Opera House, catch the public ferry to Manly have lunch at the Corsica and dip your toes in the Pacific, get the shots of opera House on way back. Go to the Blue Mountains for a day and see some beautiful landscapes and the bush. Lots of tours or catch train to Katoomba.
In NZ visit Fox Glacier and get helicopter half way up and do glacier walk. Milford Sound is a must. Go overnight and sleep on boat on the sound
In southern Queensland, Fraser or Moreton Islands are worth a look, as well as the Glass House Mountains.
Personally I like late spring or early autumn... So a few weeks either side of an including November or April...