NZ and OZ resident Experts

[waterdog]

My wife and I are planning an extended trip of up to 6 months to New Zealand and Australia. We've watched vids and are still reading all the travel books locally available. We're trying to get all our ducks (meds, ins, IDP, tix, etc.) in a row. The general plan is southern NZ first, then letting the weather run us north, the over to OZ ,Tas and points north and east. I'm trying to fit Perth and some west side, too.

We can find out about mountains and glaciers and reefs and rainforests and that big red rock from the books. What I'd like to hear from you guys is :
Local knowledge- there's nothin' like it.
What's under rated?
What's over rated?
How about that local music scene? Any jams?
What's the "absolutely don't miss this " of your area?
Got a favorite road? Know the best used van salesman? Where's the restaurant to stay away from? The best cuppa coffee? Anybody ride horses or motorcycles?

Well,you get the idea. Here's your chance to unduly influence(maybe, maybe not) our lives. March 1 is the probable departure date. Seriously, your comments are appreciated.

Thanks in advance-
Jim

[A9X]

Hi Jim,

I'm just about to step out, so I'll answer more later, at least for Oz, east coast. What sort of things are you interested in? Tourist type stuff of natural sights? Both? Are you going to hire a car here?

I ride (Suzuki SV1000) and know a lot of eastern roads.

[theNoseBleedKid]

I'll give you a breif rundown of Melbourne

1. Great Ocean Road and the Otways are a must, a different type of Australian scenery.
2. Phillip Island is boring, penguins are cool, not THAT cool.
3. The city is great, China Town has amazing food.
4. Flinder's Lane is the palce for jazz/funk bands, many university bands play there so it's pretty good.
5. The botanic gardens are fantastic
6. The bass centre is an epic place of mucho fun and chats

That's all I can think of, there's not a lot you should bother seeing in Victoria as far as scenery. Most of it's fairly tame. The city is a lot better, no where like it.

[Stinger]

Hey There,

The east coast of Tasmania is beautiful. Drop into a place called 'frecinet lodge', amazing spot! From here you can visit 'wine glass bay' rated as one of the most amazing beach inlets in the world and where the 'billionaire club' fly in (via private choppers) once a year to chill and feast on Tasmanian seafood....speaking of which, head to the states capital, Hobart. beautiful spot on the water. On the waterfront there is a seafood restaurant called 'Mures'. Tassie seafood is simply sublime! Theres also a fantastic irish pub in hobart called 'The New Sydney'. Owner is a guy called gary, ask for him (normally wandering around in there somewhere) he loves international visitors and will take care of you. There is always fantastic live music there too!

I have lived (gre up) in Tasmania, and have also lived worked in Melbourne (Victoria), North Queensland and Perth in Western Australia. Victoria has some great spots like the high country and as a previous post mentioned the 'great ocean road' is also very cool. travelling up the whole of the east coast from the bottom of Victoria to queensland is fantastic, plenty of amazing scenery and things to do. There's an island off queensland called 'Fraser Island', check that out too, its brilliant!
melbourne is the place to see great bands and enjoy a wide variety of food. Definitely check out the beach suburb of st Kilda.
My opinion of Perth in western australia is pretty poor (sorry pert people!), but if you like flat, sandy, dry, desolate, isolated places, might be your thing! But it's like a completely different country compared to the east.

+1 on the Bass Centre in south Melbourne. Great bunch of guys in there and plenty of cool stuff to drool over!

Hope this helps a little.

[f'nar f'nar]

The following things are a must when you come to Australia: Great Ocean Road, Gold Coast, Uluru (that whole area is great, if you get the chance, go see the Devils Marbles, they're very very cool), Barrier Reef.

As for local knowlege, I have some tips for you:
-Dangerous creatures, whilst abundant in Australia are still fairly rare. I've lived here for 17 years and only ever seen one Red Back Spider and very few wild snakes. Besides, you can avoid most dangerous animals by staying out of forests and bushy regions.
-Bring or purchase insect repellant. Don't ask, just do.
-Bring or Purchase sunscreen. Just do.
-If you want italian food, theres a place in melbourne known as Lygon street. Mucho tasty italian pubs and restaurants.
-Avoid AM radio channels, they numb your brain.
-Do not say 'G'day' to us. Only australians my say it, from anyone else it's patronising and in some regions, punishable by death.
-If you get a chance, find someone from the boards and have a BBQ with them, an Aussie BBQ is one of lifes little luxuries.


What's under rated?
-Melbournes night life. Very busy and you will always find something to do.
-A night at Crown Casino. Wander along the Yarra in Melbourne at about 7:00 and pillars of fire errupt from spires. And if you happen to catch the Casino on a night where there's a big party on, much fun is to be had.


What's over rated?
-Akubra hats.
-Sydney. I find that the harbour bridge and opera house don't nearly make up for the smoggy atmosphere and thick sense of disdain that envelops the city.

How about that local music scene? Any jams?
-There are so many clubs and pubs in the City that you'd be hard pressed NOT to find anything to sit and groove to. All around Melbourne are all sorts of clubs for all sorts of genre's.

What's the "absolutely don't miss this " of your area?
-I would say a night in the city and in crown casino. And a trip to Bass Centre. Always a laugh.

Got a favorite road? Know the best used van salesman? Where's the restaurant to stay away from? The best cuppa coffee? Anybody ride horses or motorcycles?

-Theres a greek souvlaki shop in the City called Stalectites... BEST SOUVLAKIS EVER! And their chips taste like pancakes

[Cambass]

I usually don't promote Adelaide but if you are into wine then apparently we have some of the best in the world.

+1 to Uluru, pictures don't do it justice. Heading further north up to the Darwin area there are some great national parks. Kakadu gets the limelight but the nearby Litchfield park is just as good, if not better.

Go to a pub and have a beer.

[theNoseBleedKid]

Originally Posted by f'nar f'nar

The following things are a must when you come to Australia: Great Ocean Road, Gold Coast, Uluru (that whole area is great, if you get the chance, go see the Devils Marbles, they're very very cool), Barrier Reef.

As for local knowlege, I have some tips for you:
-Dangerous creatures, whilst abundant in Australia are still fairly rare. I've lived here for 17 years and only ever seen one Red Back Spider and very few wild snakes. Besides, you can avoid most dangerous animals by staying out of forests and bushy regions.
-Bring or purchase insect repellant. Don't ask, just do.
-Bring or Purchase sunscreen. Just do.
-If you want italian food, theres a place in melbourne known as Lygon street. Mucho tasty italian pubs and restaurants.
-Avoid AM radio channels, they numb your brain.
-Do not say 'G'day' to us. Only australians my say it, from anyone else it's patronising and in some regions, punishable by death.
-If you get a chance, find someone from the boards and have a BBQ with them, an Aussie BBQ is one of lifes little luxuries.


What's under rated?
-Melbournes night life. Very busy and you will always find something to do.
-A night at Crown Casino. Wander along the Yarra in Melbourne at about 7:00 and pillars of fire errupt from spires. And if you happen to catch the Casino on a night where there's a big party on, much fun is to be had.


What's over rated?
-Akubra hats.
-Sydney. I find that the harbour bridge and opera house don't nearly make up for the smoggy atmosphere and thick sense of disdain that envelops the city.

How about that local music scene? Any jams?
-There are so many clubs and pubs in the City that you'd be hard pressed NOT to find anything to sit and groove to. All around Melbourne are all sorts of clubs for all sorts of genre's.

What's the "absolutely don't miss this " of your area?
-I would say a night in the city and in crown casino. And a trip to Bass Centre. Always a laugh.

Got a favorite road? Know the best used van salesman? Where's the restaurant to stay away from? The best cuppa coffee? Anybody ride horses or motorcycles?

-Theres a greek souvlaki shop in the City called Stalectites... BEST SOUVLAKIS EVER! And their chips taste like pancakes

+1

Definately check LYgon out for some very different Aussie culture. Also, you might be in luck to catch the Melbourne Jazz festival (runs through April I think), usually theres a few big names as well as a lot of cool little ones.

I too cannot stand Sydney, but fi your a tourist that may be a lot different. It's expensive and a total pain to get around (IMO and IME!)

[blizzard]

If you're going to NZ make sure you spend sometime in Queenstown. I spent 2 weeks in NZ and it was definitely my favourite place. Try to go around summertime so you can do all the water based activities such as rafting and sledging.

I'll try to give you a bit of rundown on Brisbane/Gold Coast.

Brisbane.

I'll go ahead and say that Brisbane really doesn't have any really big landmarks like Sydney or Melbourne. However some of the more interesting places to visit are:

- The Queen St Mall, a fairly A-typical pedestrian mall but some good shopping all the same, home to a music shop and also next to the Conrad Treasury Casino.
- The Valley, probably the most interesting area Brisbane but also one of the dodgiest places in Brisbane. It contains Chinatown which is an absolute blast. A whole lot of boutique shops, markets, restaurants and also the best music shops in Brisbane. The Valley is also the hub of nightlife, with lots of clubs and a few major concert venues. However some areas of the Valley is home to 'adult' entertainment, addicts and homeless. (Although it is easy enough to avoid them)
- South Bank. Probably the most family friendly place in Brisbane. Situated on the southern bank of the Brisbane River has a heap of pathways, numerous pools including a fake beach, pubs and restaraunts and markets. Also across the road from one of the best cinemas in Brisbane.
- Gallery of Modern Art. Personally I've never been there as it only opened less than 6 months ago but its supposed to be fantastic.
- North Stradbroke Island, Its in Moreton Bay has some great beaches and nature walks.
The Gold Coast:

Hmm where to start. The Gold Coast has amazing beaches but is kind of trashy (kind of how I imagine Las Vegas is). So where to go:

-Surfers Paradise: Probably the heart of the Gold Coast, also the trashiest place. Cavill Avenue hosts a heap of clubs, shops and restaurants. Many gimmicky places to visit if you are so inclined; the Hard Rock Cafe, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Infinity (my personal fav.) and Space Walker. Surfers also has tons of crappy souvenir shops aimed at the Asian market. It is really worth visiting. However there are much nicer beaches on the coast than Main Beach Surfers Paradise.
- The Beach. The coast is known for its beaches my favourites include Broadbeach, Burleigh , Greenmount, Kirra and Tallebudgeria. Avoid Surfers Paradise Beach as though its nice, its over-crowded and its not nearly as nice as previously mentioned beaches.
- Theme Parks. The Gold Coast hosts several Theme Parks including Movie World (a Warner Bros Franchise with movie based rides and backlot tours), Wet 'n' Wild (water park), Sea World (Sister to other Sea Worlds around the world, lots of marine life and a few rides) and Dreamworld/White Water World (2 theme parks actually that are together and have all kinds of rides + native Aussie Animals. Dream World is probably the best theme park of all of them. However the other 3 are alligned and offer combined tickets to all three.
- Conrad Jupiters Casino. Pretty much as it sounds a Casino with a monorail to Broadbeach.
- Dracula's Dinner Cabaret if you are so inclined to seeing a show/eating at the same time its pretty good.
- The Hinterland, behind the coast some pretty awesome scenery and tea shops/gift shops.


Just general information:

-Don't say "Put another shrimp on the Barbie"
-Fosters is not popular here at all.
-Avoid VB beer like the plague.
-Australian's love to shorten words, you should pick them up fairly quickly.

[waterdog]

YES! YES! This is exactly what I was hoping for. I'll address specific comments and ask more questions later. This stuff ain't in the travel guides. We hope to have a bite or a beer with several/all of you. Keep it comming!

Jim

[waterdog]

OK ,All-
Tourist or natural? Both, after all ,we are tourists. Don't need the theme parks though.

Right now I'm guessing that we'll fly, train, bus a bit then hire a car or van depending on the area. I'm sure there will be a few motorcycle rentals too. Here I ride a BMW LT and Sandi has a Shadow 750. Too bad it costs so much to get them there and back.... Some camping/hosteling. Eager to try the Tassie seafood, NZ hot springs, and well, everything!

Jim

[theNoseBleedKid]

Originally Posted by waterdog

OK ,All-
Tourist or natural? Both, after all ,we are tourists. Don't need the theme parks though.

Right now I'm guessing that we'll fly, train, bus a bit then hire a car or van depending on the area. I'm sure there will be a few motorcycle rentals too. Here I ride a BMW LT and Sandi has a Shadow 750. Too bad it costs so much to get them there and back.... Some camping/hosteling. Eager to try the Tassie seafood, NZ hot springs, and well, everything!

Jim

I think you'll find almost all tourism here IS natural. Australia is not a country of giant metropolis' and we have very few theme parks. Tourism isn't aimed at a party life or a city scene but mroe at the laid back, open and vast country that we live in. I cannot think of a part of the country where the tourism is not generated (at least partially) by the scenery. Unlike somewhere like say, California, where it's all about the parks and Hollywood.

[Spinner]

Checking in from New Zealand.

If you're planning to start in the south island and work your way north, there's some interesting stuff in Dunedin - Albatross colony, penguins, Larnoch Castle, Speight's Brewery tour (awesome tour showing history of beer, how its brewed, all that kinda good stuff, you get free beer at the end of the tour).

Queenstown is pretty spectacular scenery and you can do all sorts of activities all year round. Shotover Jetboat is pretty cool, bungy jumping, paragliding, whitewater rafting, etc or sightseeing, fishing, wine if you're less active. Qtown can be a bit expensive though .... lots of tourists go there and the businesses know how to charge.

Christchurch is interesting ... kinda quaint. Akaroa is a french settlement just out of Chch that's worth a visit. Go to the cheese factory there, fabulous!

Kaikoura on the east coast of the south island is a pretty spot where you can see seals and go whale watching. The seafood is pretty good and the scenery is not too bad.

On the west coast of the south island there are a couple of glaciers that you can get right up to (Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers) and there's the pancake rock formations at Punakaiki. The Nelson area in the north of the south island is really pretty and the weather is usually pretty damn good there. Sea kayaking around Abel Tasman National Park is pretty, there's nice beaches, bush walks, etc.

To the north island ... take the ferry during the day - great scenery.

Wellington is just another small city, though they seem to think they're pretty hot on culture. There's usually plenty of bands playing around the city. Local gig guides on radio stations give plenty of information or there should be some gig guides available online.

Napier/Hastings in the Hawkes Bay is just gorgeous. Lots of vineyards, nice piece of coastline, great weather, good food ... what's not to like?

Taupo has a large lake, there's more bungy jumping, fishing, jetboats, all that kinda stuff.

Rotorua is a traditional tourist destination - lots of geothermal activity so if a perpetual farty smell and puddles of bubbling mud get you all excited you should probably go there. Once again, excellent trout fishing.

Tauranga and Mount Maunganui is a beautiful piece of coastline - great surf beach, nice place to chill out. Home of the Tauranga Jazz Festival.

Raglan on the west coast of the north island is a lovely little spot. Great surf beach with a left hand break.

Auckland is a big, sprawling city built on two harbours. Hop on a ferry and get out to Waiheke Island for a day or two. Great vinyards, cafe's and beaches - nice place to chill for a while and home to the Waiheke Jazz Festival. Other islands in the Hauraki Gulf could be good for day trips ... a climb to the top of Rangitoto gives you some spectacular views. There are plenty of dormant volcanoes to climb in Auckland if that's your thing. Kumeu is to the west and north of Auckland and is another wine area and also leads to west coast beaches - rugged coastline, black sand and surf. Plenty of bands play around the city, especially on thurs/fri/sat nites. Once again, local gig guides will tell you where and when.

North of Auckland are some pretty spectacular bits of coastline and some impressive stands of forest. If you've got time, a trip to the Bay of Islands would be worth it and if you've got more time then going further north and hopping on a bus trip to Cape Reinga (the northenmost tippity top of the country) would be good. Get on a bus trip because they take you either up or down 90 Mile Beach - there's somethign pretty cool about hooning along a long flat beach in a 4X4 bus and you just cant really do that in a car (even a rental).

Check out http://www.aa.co.nz/travel/Pages/Wha...-do-in-NZ.aspx

Gives 101 things to see and do in NZ (as voted by NZers).

Spinner

[A9X]

Where did my earlier reply go? Maybe I didn't hit post. Senile, so young.

Sydney: All the touristy stuff like the Harbour Bridge, Opera House etc can be done in a day. The ferry to Manly from the City can be pleasant.
Bondi Beach is famous, but for the life of me I dunno why. Tamarama has better scenery (in summer) and there are plenty of other beaches that are a better surf or swim.
Motorcycling: lots of good roads in the mountains, and to the north of Sydney, especially if you ride through Wollemi and Broke and hit the wineries. Beware though the the wallopers are often in force on the weekends. 'Fun' riding is best midweek.
I personally wouldn't bother with Newcastle, and Wollongong is only really good as a riding destination, via the Royal National Park, which has a few highlight for those into flora and fauna..

If you drive or bus south from Sydney, go via the coast road (Princess Highway). Much, much nicer than inland via the Hume Hwy, though that does make it easier to get to Canberra. Quite pretty as far as capitals go, and undoubtedly a lot of interest there, but I'll let a local give recommendations.

Melbourne: a lot of great restaurants and bars. Good nightlife, better than Sydney. Again, I'll let the locls add detail.
If you come there via the coast Philip Island is worth seeing. Heading west through Geelong and you get to the Great Ocean Road. A hell of a good riding road, at all speeds, but watch for rubbernecking tourists veering to the wrong side of the road. At the western end are the Twelve Apostles, which I like and I find the area really epaceful for some reason. I would have also suggested London Bridge, but it fell down.
At this point you're about half the way to Adelaide.

More later, when I remember what I typed before..

One thought is that if you're going to spend a few weeks+ here, it might be worth buying a cheap car to travel in and sell it to one of the backpacker type car dealers. Gives flexibility and could be very affordable for a longer trip.

[Baryonyx]

My girlfriend went travelling there for a year a couple of years ago. She loved it, but I'm at a loss as to what to recommend to you!

[Petebass]

Originally Posted by A9X

Where did my earlier reply go? Maybe I didn't hit post. Senile, so young.

Sydney: All the touristy stuff like the Harbour Bridge, Opera House etc can be done in a day. The ferry to Manly from the City can be pleasant.
Bondi Beach is famous, but for the life of me I dunno why. Tamarama has better scenery (in summer) and there are plenty of other beaches that are a better surf or swim.
Motorcycling: lots of good roads in the mountains, and to the north of Sydney, especially if you ride through Wollemi and Broke and hit the wineries. Beware though the the wallopers are often in force on the weekends. 'Fun' riding is best midweek.
I personally wouldn't bother with Newcastle, and Wollongong is only really good as a riding destination, via the Royal National Park, which has a few highlight for those into flora and fauna..

If you drive or bus south from Sydney, go via the coast road (Princess Highway). Much, much nicer than inland via the Hume Hwy, though that does make it easier to get to Canberra. Quite pretty as far as capitals go, and undoubtedly a lot of interest there, but I'll let a local give recommendations.

Melbourne: a lot of great restaurants and bars. Good nightlife, better than Sydney. Again, I'll let the locls add detail.
If you come there via the coast Philip Island is worth seeing. Heading west through Geelong and you get to the Great Ocean Road. A hell of a good riding road, at all speeds, but watch for rubbernecking tourists veering to the wrong side of the road. At the western end are the Twelve Apostles, which I like and I find the area really epaceful for some reason. I would have also suggested London Bridge, but it fell down.
At this point you're about half the way to Adelaide.

More later, when I remember what I typed before..

One thought is that if you're going to spend a few weeks+ here, it might be worth buying a cheap car to travel in and sell it to one of the backpacker type car dealers. Gives flexibility and could be very affordable for a longer trip.

I'll agree with most of this.

By all means do the Harbour thing, but get out of town as well. Katoomba in the Blue Mountains is a must. Spectacular scenery and lots of bush walking if that's your thing. Take the motorbike and make sure you take the Bells Line of Road. I love that ride.

I happen to like the ride through the National Park to Wollongong, especially the bit where the hang-gliders do their thing at Stanwell Tops. Great scenery and some twisty roads, though a bit bumpy, so be careful. I'm also fond of the ride to Gosford via the Pacific Hwy, then come back VIA Wiseman's ferry.

Bondi is over-rated, as are all of the beaches south of Sydney. Too crowded and too industrial. Many have views of petrol refineries which for some reason go unnoticed by the locals. The Northern Beaches are much better. The further north you go from Manly, the less touristy and more naturally beautiful the beaches get.

A trip to the store I work for is a Must, even if it's just to introduce yourself and say hello

[f'nar f'nar]

Oh, and something I left out. Stay away from Australia's capital city/territory, Canberra. It's so bad many of Australias barely call it a Capital city and by default, Dream World is Australia's capital city.

Also, if your looking for a good trip in a car/van etc. There is a road that runs lengthways across the whole country. It's an idea, others will know more about it than I.

[Correlli]

Originally Posted by waterdog

How about that local music scene? Any jams?

There's the 'Blue Note' in Wellington on a Wed. nite

EDIT: THrusday nite

[waterdog]

MAN! What great posts! Very, very helpful!

Jim