If you had two weeks to visit that part of the world, would you attempt both or would you do just one. If just one, which one and why? Places that I MUST see? Over-hyped places I should avoid?


Thanks TWW.

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 5:10 PM. Reason : * also, I am all about camping / backpacking so suggestions WRT are welcome]

1/31/2011 5:09:14 PM

if you only go to Australia, try to connect in NZ so you can say you've been there (that's what i do at least...and fuck the "airports dont count" haters)

1/31/2011 5:12:21 PM

Quote :

"so you can say you've been there"

so that's why you go to new places?

1/31/2011 5:15:22 PM

of course not

but it's a perk

1/31/2011 5:16:19 PM

All the good shit is in East Australia anyway. Spend a week between Sydney and Melbourne, take day trips to the outback and Tasmania. Then go to New Zealand, check out the GBR and all the LOTR landscapes if you're into that kind of thing.

Two weeks is a long time...you can easily do both.

1/31/2011 5:17:57 PM

1/31/2011 5:18:57 PM

the thread title made me think of the one where Jermaine dates an Australian girl

1/31/2011 5:20:20 PM

new zealand has no venomous animals. australia has every venomous animal you can imagine. i think the choice is clear

1/31/2011 5:24:41 PM

Quote :

"All the good shit is in East Australia anyway. Spend a week between Sydney and Melbourne, take day trips to the outback and Tasmania. Then go to New Zealand, check out the GBR and all the LOTR landscapes if you're into that kind of thing."

This is pretty much exactly what I'm trying to avoid. If I want to go tour a modern English speaking city I can do that all over the US. I'll probably spend a couple of days in Sydney but I've heard good things about Perth being more "Australian" and less international and I'd like to spend a number of days in the outback.


I know next to nothing about New Zealand and, while the LOTR sites would be cool, I'd be wanting to see more than just that

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 5:26 PM. Reason : .]

1/31/2011 5:26:16 PM

1/31/2011 5:27:13 PM

slavefamous got it right

i'm heading back there on feb 12th for 2 weeks - week and a half split between melbourne and sydney and half of a week in auckland

1/31/2011 6:14:22 PM

You should do New Zealand and just spend all of your time insisting that the Chronicles of Narnia was a superior film.

1/31/2011 6:18:11 PM

i have a friend / ex that lives in Christ Church NZ and it looks amazing
had a few earth quakes lately

1/31/2011 6:26:02 PM

sydney is a big city, but you also has an "australian" feel, at least as much as Perth.

If I had 2 weeks:

5 days in New Zealand (I've only been to the south island):
- Fjordland/Milford Sound
- Hike a glacier
- do some trails near Te Anau

Fly to Australia for the rest:
- 2 days in Sydney to check out the harbor, do the cliff walk through the beaches, see the city
- 2 days in the north for Great Barrier Reef
- 2 days in Alice Springs so you can drive to the rock and back

That will definitely keep you busy. Tasmania is cool, but not if you go to New Zealand. Perth was cool, but I enjoyed the wineries and tree walk more than Perth itself. Alice Springs will give you the more traditional outback experience, but you'll drive 5 hours through nothing to get to ayer's rock to hike around it for a couple hours. Melbourne was alright, but I think Sydney is a much more fun city (and has the best beaches).

I lived in Sydney and wrote about my experiences here: http://mikeallover.travellerspoint.com/co/1/
I traveled through New Zealand for 10 days and wrote about it here: http://mikeallover.travellerspoint.com/co/150/

1/31/2011 6:46:03 PM

I'd spend every day of it in New Zealand.

2/1/2011 12:41:20 AM

If you are going around the September timeframe, make sure you go to NZ. They are hosting the Rugby World Cup this year.

2/1/2011 7:03:27 AM

^^^ Thanks that will be helpful

^^ Cool. Why?

^ Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. I have no clue when it'll be though

2/1/2011 9:10:59 AM

If you enjoy the outdoors and want to get away from civilization, NZ all the way. The climate there is soooo much more diverse and there's an incredible amount to see and do. Australia has some interesting places as well but not nearly the geo or climatic diversity that is in such close proximity in NZ

2/1/2011 2:52:54 PM

i would want to see a kangaroo

so australia has it

2/1/2011 4:01:00 PM

New Zealand.

I can't really think of anywhere in NZ that is 'over-hyped', so perhaps it will work out for you well. The people there (at least in the countryside) are amazing. I'm talking, "marlndarln got so drunk so left her coat and purse with passport under a chair on the side of the road and some nice guys brought it back to her hotel with all of her money and then let her move in with them for a week basically rent free while they took her fishing" kind of amazing.

Plus, as said before, no poisonous animals (cept for one spider that really isn't actually poisonous, just irritating) so you can go slamming through the bush grabbing vines with no worries about one of them being a snake.

2/1/2011 8:57:28 PM

For me, I'd definitely want to see both. But I'd lean toward NZ - it seems more laid back.

Fireworks from Sydney harbor is on my bucket list, though.

2/1/2011 10:42:48 PM

I was talking to a guy who went a couple of years ago. He spent two weeks just surfing and highly recommended that. It might be the way to go.

2/16/2011 10:11:55 PM

I hear NZ has a lot of sheep.

2/16/2011 10:15:51 PM

someone asked me to bump this

i'm doing a 2 week driving tour of the south island starting next week

12/13/2012 9:27:22 PM

^ thanks, i would actually be interested in hearing about your trip

i'm leaving for a research cruise for work from christchurch at the beginning of february -- was wondering if anyone had any advice for things to do/see in the area and more specifically how much time to spend there if i go early...

12/14/2012 5:11:58 AM

NZ4LYFE

12/16/2012 3:42:55 AM

just got back this morning and it was amazing - the basic itinerary was below - some of the best parts were the driving and admiring the scenary

fly to christchurch - stay a night
drive to arthur's pass - stay a night
drive to fox glacier - stay 2 nights
drive to wanaka - stay 3 nights
drive to te anau - stay 1 night
drive to milford sound overnight cruise
drive to queenstown stay 5 nights

1/3/2013 1:33:10 AM

what are you guys' professions that take you to Australia/NZ?

1/3/2013 8:56:55 AM

^^ thanks, i'm waiting on my flight itinerary but i should get to christchurch a few days early and will probably rent a car and hit up fox glacier, if nothing else -- decided to spend more time on the end of the trip and explore southern chile

how was christchurch itself? anything to see/do?

^ i'm an oceanographer and have a 2-month research cruise in antarctica starting in february, perk of the job is getting to visit various ports depending on where cruises start/finish (ended a cruise in iceland this past summer, and will be in new zealand and chile before/after this one)

1/3/2013 12:13:11 PM

I am about to embark on a long Circle Pacific trip!

Think I will stop in Christchurch and Melbourne. What's fun? I really want to try Zorbing. I read a book where the author said, "If you do not try Zorbing, your life has been wasted."

1/3/2013 3:10:33 PM

^^sounds like an awesome career.

^looks like an awesome adrenaline rush.

1/3/2013 4:12:53 PM

I went Zorbing in Gatlinburg...same company, probably not exactly the same terrain

It was fun, not a whole lot different from a water slide and about the same length of time...I will say I'm glad to be able to say I've done it, but it's a bit expensive to do again

"If you do not try Zorbing, your life has been wasted." - Unless it's a vastly different activity in New Zealand, if I were ever to travel there I would hope to have other things to see and do

1/3/2013 5:28:14 PM

Quote :

""If you do not try Zorbing, your life has been wasted.""

we did OGO (i believe the guy that started zorb sold it and then started ogo) in rotorua a few months back and it was very fun - only paid half for the two of us and got the pictures / video free because a friend of a friend knows the owner http://www.ogo.co.nz/

Quote :

"hit up fox glacier"

the day hike is a must-do - one of the best things we did in NZ

Quote :

"how was christchurch itself? anything to see/do?"

even though the earthquake was 2 years ago it's surprisingly demolished still - there are plenty of places open and whatnot but all of the appeal is gone - the beauty of the city has been ruined - 1.5 days max if even that much

Quote :

"Think I will stop in Christchurch and Melbourne. What's fun?"

i've been living in melbourne for the past 2 years - what time are you thinking of going?

Quote :

"what are you guys' professions that take you to Australia/NZ?"

work for a software company - we opened an office over here and they asked me and my wife to come run the technical side of things - opened the office with 4 people including us 2 years ago and now we're at 25 - globally we were at 150 when we moved here and now we're just under 1,000

1/3/2013 7:26:09 PM

do you have any recommendations for where to stay in arthur's pass and/or fox glacier?

planning to rent a car in christchurch and starting to think about the details...

thanks

1/15/2013 3:01:53 PM

A year ago my ex-wife and I did a 16 day itinerary in just NZ split like 9 days on the north island and 7 on the south island. We flew into Auckland, drove around the north island, hopped a flight to the south island, drove around, and then flew back. If you want to see our itinerary I probably still have a copy floating around, just send me a message

1/15/2013 10:44:13 PM

Quote :

"new zealand has no venomous animals. australia has every venomous animal you can imagine. i think the choice is clear"

Australia it is

1/16/2013 9:29:37 AM

it's legal to distill your own booze in New Zealand.

1/16/2013 9:37:22 AM

Quote :

"do you have any recommendations for where to stay in arthur's pass and/or fox glacier?"

Arthur's Pass Alpine Motel and the Westhaven at Fox - both were nothing special but definitely did he job - it's common to have a 'half kitchen' so you can cook it you want

1/17/2013 1:05:28 AM

Heading to Sydney (3 days) and New Zealand (14 days) in August. Anyone else visited since 2013 have new advice? Or anyone who has gone during their winter?

6/5/2019 11:22:43 PM