Australia / NZ trip in March advice
Discussion
Going to Australia in March to visit a friend who lives in Coff Harbour (halfway between Sydney and Brisbane), I will be staying with him for five days to a week, but am out there for three weeks.
I would like some advice on what to do with the other two weeks or so I have out there, because at the moment I am a little clueless. The thoughts I had were maybe spending a few days diving at the great barrier reef (I have never dived, and would take a few lessons over here) and I would also like to spend a week in New Zealand.
Anyway, if you could recommend places to visit in Aus / NZ it would be much appreciated.
I would like some advice on what to do with the other two weeks or so I have out there, because at the moment I am a little clueless. The thoughts I had were maybe spending a few days diving at the great barrier reef (I have never dived, and would take a few lessons over here) and I would also like to spend a week in New Zealand.
Anyway, if you could recommend places to visit in Aus / NZ it would be much appreciated.
Definitely do the Great Barrier Reef....first time I did it was as a single lad and stayed in Cairns which is a bit of a khazi IMHO but there's plenty of other things to do there like see the Daintree Rain Forest, White Water Rafting etc. Second time was with the wife and we stayed in a hotel in the Whitsunday's....quieter but a much nicer pert of the world. When you do go to the Reef I would definitely recommend trying to see it from a helicopter....it's stunning when you see it from the air. You really don't get to appreciate the scale of it from a boat...
Get to Byron Bay. North of Coff's, but still just in NSW.
Fantastic place. Really relaxing, a bit "alternative", plenty of nice bars and restaurants.
If you like wine, go (or come back via) the Hunter Valley and do a wine tour.
For cheap (ie reduced rates, not s
t holes) hotels, use the Aussie version of the "Ratestogo" website. Alternatively, stay in Quest apartments. About the same price as a decent hotel, but room to spread out.
Fantastic place. Really relaxing, a bit "alternative", plenty of nice bars and restaurants.
If you like wine, go (or come back via) the Hunter Valley and do a wine tour.
For cheap (ie reduced rates, not s
t holes) hotels, use the Aussie version of the "Ratestogo" website. Alternatively, stay in Quest apartments. About the same price as a decent hotel, but room to spread out.World superbikes is on at Phillip Island on February 26th for a few days.
This is on in Melbourne in March http://www.grandprix.com.au/
V8 supercars start in Adelaide on the 1st-4th March.
If you like cricket, the 50 over version is on in February and March. Australia, India and Sri Lanka.
First round of Rugby League starts on the 24/25/26th February
First round of Super Rugby (Union) starts the same weekend.
Pre-season AFL is on in places too.
Think that is it on the sport front.
Travelling is what gets people, as everything is a long way from everywhere else!
Normal sort of airlines.
http://www.virginaustralia.com/
http://www.qantas.com.au/
Low cost airlines.
http://www.tigerairways.com/au/en/index.php
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home
Online ticket places.
http://www.flightcentre.com.au/
http://www.webjet.com.au/
Stuff to see, depends where you want to go and what sort of stuff you like.
March in the south of Australia is normally very hot, 30 to 40 degrees(including Perth) Up north would be cyclone season in the Tropics, so high humidity. If you hire or buy a car make sure it has air conditioning!!
This is on in Melbourne in March http://www.grandprix.com.au/
V8 supercars start in Adelaide on the 1st-4th March.
If you like cricket, the 50 over version is on in February and March. Australia, India and Sri Lanka.
First round of Rugby League starts on the 24/25/26th February
First round of Super Rugby (Union) starts the same weekend.
Pre-season AFL is on in places too.
Think that is it on the sport front.
Travelling is what gets people, as everything is a long way from everywhere else!
Normal sort of airlines.
http://www.virginaustralia.com/
http://www.qantas.com.au/
Low cost airlines.
http://www.tigerairways.com/au/en/index.php
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home
Online ticket places.
http://www.flightcentre.com.au/
http://www.webjet.com.au/
Stuff to see, depends where you want to go and what sort of stuff you like.
March in the south of Australia is normally very hot, 30 to 40 degrees(including Perth) Up north would be cyclone season in the Tropics, so high humidity. If you hire or buy a car make sure it has air conditioning!!
Not much time.
Must do:
Whitsundays
Fraser Island
GBR out of Cairns
Rainforest
Could do in NZ:
Queenstown and throw yourself off loads of things?
FWIW I went for 5 months (3 in NZ, 2 in Aus) and didn't have enough time.
Where are you stopping over btw? It's cheaper to learn to dive in Thailand.
Must do:
Whitsundays
Fraser Island
GBR out of Cairns
Rainforest
Could do in NZ:
Queenstown and throw yourself off loads of things?
FWIW I went for 5 months (3 in NZ, 2 in Aus) and didn't have enough time.
Where are you stopping over btw? It's cheaper to learn to dive in Thailand.
Coffs Harbour is a lovely place.
I love NZ to bits, but you'll be doing a huge chunk of extra travel for not a lot of time there. I've spend 10+ weeks there over various trips and still don't feel I've seen much of it. Lots of the typical highlights are quite spread out too - eg. getting to Milford or Doubtful Sound is either a (long) day trip out of Queenstown or an overnight stay. I don't think there's any international flights into there so you need to go to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch and change. Leave it for another trip if you can, you'll have more than enough to do down that coast of Australia in 3 weeks.
I love NZ to bits, but you'll be doing a huge chunk of extra travel for not a lot of time there. I've spend 10+ weeks there over various trips and still don't feel I've seen much of it. Lots of the typical highlights are quite spread out too - eg. getting to Milford or Doubtful Sound is either a (long) day trip out of Queenstown or an overnight stay. I don't think there's any international flights into there so you need to go to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch and change. Leave it for another trip if you can, you'll have more than enough to do down that coast of Australia in 3 weeks.
Ok most people seem to be suggesting that we stick to Australia this trip, and I think that may be a good idea, although I would love to goo to New Zealand. I will pass this on to the friend I am going with, and see what we can come up with.
I defiantly would also like too visit some of the national parks, and see some of the rain forest.
We are stopping off in Beijing.
I defiantly would also like too visit some of the national parks, and see some of the rain forest.
We are stopping off in Beijing.
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