3 weeks to travel - Australia or NZ?
Hi, we're planning our honeymoon and have a 3 weeks of holiday - On one hand we'd like Australia but would want to do a lot (Sydney, Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns/GBR and Brisbane/Gold Coast) which we worry is a lot to cover in a short space of time even if we take planes - on the other hand we've always been attracted to NZ which we know we could do easily in 3 weeks but I worry compared to Australia it's perhaps not as vibrant (sorry!) and we may regret not going to Oz. However, we are also aware that NZ is likely to have many hidden treasures and would pleasantly surprise.... what to do?
Comments
Three weeks is too short a time to do all that in Australia. You could have a great holiday doing Sydney, Uluru and the red centre, and Cairns and the reef in three weeks and that would give you time to relax and enjoy each other's company as well. Adding Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast would not give you long enough to see anything well. New Zealand is beautiful and well worth visiting. To enjoy it best you need to be active and adventurous as many of its delights require some effort on your part. Both countries have unique wildlife which you will be able to see on either trip.
It really is up to you. Whichever you choose to do will be the right choice for you and you'll have a wonderful time. Just don't try to squeeze too much of Australia into three weeks. The rest will always be there for the next trip.
Def Australia...but as others have said theres no way you could cover all the places in 3 weeks well enough to get everything out of places you visit at least. I'd suggest Sydney Gold Coast & Cairns or Melbourne which are all on the east coast then come back and do central australia and wa next trip. Also keep in mind our seasons are different in the southern hemisphere...Summer 1st Dec-28 Feb etc.
The time of year will have a big impact on which country and which areas to visit. When are you planning to travel?
3 weeks in winter (Jun-Aug) do Sydney, Uluru, Gold Coast and Cairns
3 weeks in summer (Dec-Feb) do NZ (eg Queenstown and Rotorua), Melbourne and Sydney. Think about spending a few days driving Melbourne to Sydney or vice versa along the coast. Also please seriously consider Tasmania in summer, it's a great international tourist destination highly underrated.
Spring or Autumn then you have some real deciding to do. Stick to four destinations.
Usually I would say Australia but considering your circumstances I would probably have to say New Zealand, purely because three weeks wouldn't give you enough time to make the most of what Australia has to offer. New Zealand is beautiful at this time of year whereas Australia shines more in Summer. You are probably leaning towards Australia at the moment but please, please realize that with only three weeks you are not going to be hardly as satisfied as you could be if you were to stay say 6 weeks. Both places are absolutely beautiful and I doubt any will disappoint but you seriously need to consider which place will give you your moneys worth in such a small time frame and I think when you look at it that way New Zealand wins.
I hope that wherever you choose proves to be a magnificent experience for you and your partner
Phill, trust me, three weeks for those places you mentioned in Australia, is not enough, even if you did fly. Yes if you don't go to Australia you will regret it, big time. Every time I fly over there, my minimum stay is 8 to 12 weeks, but in my line of work I can afford to. I thought I loved Europe, but since 1998 have only flown to Europe once, I keep going to Australia, my wife and I love the place.
well done to you for the volunteer work, ok heres my opinion,lol, im gonna say fiji fiji here you come,you've been here to oz before so go somewhere different, unwind and relax after your trip to nz cause travelling and volunteering for a month isn't really that relaxing.also since the australian volunteer work isn't set as such theres nothing worse then not knowing where you will end up.whatever you choose though i hope you have a great time,sounds like fun
ausralia. i love australia (i live in australia). the most relaxing place ive been to is hamilton island in queensland, but i can be pricey. new zealand is an amazing country too, with bungy jumping, snowboarding and lots more. i also love sydney!! its the best to go shopping and look at the sydney harbour bridge. i live in near melbourne and i love it. uluru is VERY hot. gold coast have the BEST theme parks ever. good luck on your choice!