OK, I have a question and I'm sure that there are people on this forum who have either been on vacations in Australia/south pacific or actually live there and can help me out!
I'm trying to plan my honeymoon. It will be a two-week trip in the middle of October. We would like to go somewhere with warm weather (but not roasting or making us sweat bullets), where we have a choice of either relaxing and doing nothing or going out and doing fun stuff. Major requirements: must be safe, have good food, be very scenic, be luxurious, and not cost like $1000 per night (we are looking at a budget of around $8000US, maybe a little more). We would also like to not get eaten alive by mosquitos, and some interesting cultural experiences would be nice. We have no interest in nightlife so that's not a concern at all.
We're currently looking at Queensland, Australia, Tahiti/French Polynesia, and Hawaii as possible destinations. I'd love to get some more info about Australia, in terms of what areas are good to visit in October, what there is to do, etc. I also want to know about Tahiti and what there is to do there other than snorkelling, since I'm afraid if we went there we'd get totally bored after three days. And Hawaii -- where is good, where is too expensive, etc? What fun stuff is there to do?
We talked about New Zealand too but I'm afraid the weather would not be good in October.
For reference, if we had been going on our honeymoon in like July instead of October, we probably would have spent a week in London, checking out museums and famous historical places, and a week in Scotland, enjoying the scenery. However, the weather in the UK that time of year doesn't look so good.
I lived in Australia as an exchange student for six months in high school. At one point, we took a 3 week bus tour of Australia (a small portion) and I would have to say that Sydney was my favorite. We only stayed a day, but the harbor tour was fantastic and the city seemed so fun! But that's in New South Wales not Queensland. I don't remember much of the city of Brisbane (funny, cause i was living in Queensland) But I'm pretty sure Queensland is the only state or territory or whatever they call it where you can hold a koala bear! Also, I went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. It was over cast, and dreary a storm was coming so it was kind of choppy. But it was still one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!
I don't know about the costs, but I loved Australia and really wish to go back someday.
October is New Zealand's spring and the weather is probably decent but if you want a warm place then it might not be the best choice. (There are some NZ girls here so they may have better advice!)
Tahiti sounds good but also look at Fiji.
If you want something to do, then Australia and New Zealand are probably your best choices. If you want to do hiking, snorkeling and stuff like that, I'd recommend Fiji or Tahiti.
I wouldn't recommend Hawaii.
Forgot to add, Costco has some pretty interesting trips to the South Pacific. Even if you aren't a Costco member, I recommend looking at their itineraries for general ideas. They list them off of the Costco.com website. You could also look at other travel websites and see their itineraries for the places you'd like to go to give you a general idea of things to do.
I went to Hawaii last year and loved it! We went for 11 days/ 10 nights and spent about $8000 (including airfare, car, hotel). Anywhere you go, it helps if you get a room that has a kitchen in it. We had breakfast in our room and some dinners. We are not nite life people either. Had a great time snorkeling (free); we bought our own equipment here in the states before we left but you can rent for reasonable fees. We still did some tours and eating out and lots of souveniers!!! I was not worried about the money at all with my budget. We had plenty and loved every minute!!! I don't know much about the other destinations, but Hawaii was great! We are going back this August.
I should make an addendum to my post I recommended Fiji, but I forgot about their recent coup. It may not be such a smart idea right now.
I was looking at pictures of Bora Bora and other places where they have huts that you can stay in that are over the water. That looks really awesome to me
I went to Hawaii a few years ago and didn't care for it. To me, it was like visiting Florida or California (hey I'm from California so not necessarily bad). It didn't really have an exotic feel and really felt really touristy. I went to 3 islands (Hawaii, Maui and Oahu). I stayed at really nice hotels and it was fairly cheap for a 2 week vacation including flights and what not ($3k per person).
You could also look at some place like Thailand for a bit more exotic.
i visited austrailia about 2 years ago...i LOVED it. I visited in may-june when it was cooler...but it was awsome...very little tourist (off season). If you go in july...it wILLL Be cold. Also, in october, if you visit central australia..the flies will be pretty bad...but well worth the trip..food is OUT OF THS World. Fresh fish, veggies, fruits etc. however, i spent 2 weeks in OZ and wish i had more time. Two weeks is the minimum i would recommend since it takes you a day to get there.
I also loved hawaii, it is a bit expensive. I was in the military at the time and spent very little in the military run hotel (which btw is very nice). So i guess it depends.
never been to south pacific...my parents went this year and LOVED IT. They got one of those bungalows that sits on top of the water. They said it was beautiful. Although my mom did get bit by a insect that took a while for the infection to clear (not to scare you). But she said is was worth the month long antibiotics...and would do it again in a heart beat.
I havent been to Australia yet, but I've been to Hawaii and LOVED it!
It really depends what you're looking for. The island of Oahu is very commercialized (I describe it as cosmopolitan) but incredibly beautiful Oahu is not the place to go for solitude, relaxing alone on the beach..not at all. But we knew this going in- and usually we prefer to go to big cities.
We visited Oahu and Maui, didn't like Maui, but Oahu was awesome...
For a person like me, Warm temps, beautiful beaches, delicous breezes after supper, tons of "eye candy" with the surroundings, AND the best shopping- a girl's paradise! lol Dh couldnt stop raving, either..
Next time I would like to go to Kauai too as I heard it was the most beautiful hawaiian island, and way more serene, not as commerical at all.
WE stayed at the Outrigger East and it was very nice. Top floor, beautiful view. Hotel we got a deal on and the airfare was pretty cheap (I work for an airline) lol
We can't wait to go back- but we're in a catch 22- ds is too young to leave him for that long- and he's too young to ask him to travel that far..so we'll wait a couple years
I can chime in saying that New Zealand is an absolutely fabulous place to visit depending on what you want to do. If sitting on a beach doing nothing is what you want then New Zealand isn't for you. Its a gorgeous little microcosm of so many different climates. If you travel to the north (above Auckland) you hit the tropical region -- the south island is where the Alps are.
My husband was from New Zealand and we spent many vacations there - beautiful lakes and oceans to be visited. So you can tell I am a bit biased.
My son spent a year down in Australia and New Zealand and aside from the fact he wants to move back to New Zealand permanently he loved his time touring Australia and he quite loved Queensland. Just two pros and cons for the two countries. Australia is full of nasty snakes and bugs, New Zealand has zero snakes and all the bugs are friendly LOL.
Nelie is correct about Fiji as gorgeous as it is the coup has created some problems. Another back to nature retreat if that is what you are looking for is the Cook Islands.
Great area to visit again it all depends on what you really and truly want to experience.
I'm in NZ, and have regularly visited Queensland, so here's my take
October in NZ is springtime and the weather is very unpredictable. It isn't unheard of to go from a cold, frosty morning to a warm day, to storms in one day. The North Island would be warmer, obviously, but nowhere would it be unbearably hot or unbearably cold. If you're planning on spending your honeymoon sitting on the beach, then NZ is definitely not the place to go at that time of year.
October's a good time to visit Queensland - it's before it gets too hot, but it's still quite warm. I'd recommend the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast as great starting points - my personal favourite is the Sunshine Coast. In both places, there's enough to keep you busy and you can also sit on the beach, if that's what you want to do. The thing to bear in mind with Queensland is that it can be very humid, and some people find it unbearably so.
I personally would suggest giving Fiji a miss at the moment due to the political situation. You shouldn't have an issue if you were to go there, but politically it's still extremely unstable.
I haven't been to Tahiti, but if it's a tropical island you're after I'd second the suggestion of the Cook Islands. It's gorgeous and quite economical when compared with Australia or NZ.
Nicole,
Thank you DH and I almost went to New Zealand this year. We want to go visit where the penguins are as well as other places. Before the situation in Fiji, the plan was to do a stopover in Fiji for a few days and then on to NZ. I will keep in mind your comments though for a trip we will take sometime in the future
Nelie, let me know when you're planning that trip, and I should be able to recommend places and sites that you must see, based on what you want to do. I've travelled to most parts of the country and have a fairly good idea on what shouldn't be missed and what's a complete rip off or waste of time
Thanks for the advice everyone! Now after reading all your tips we are considering spending a week in the Cook Islands and a week in either Australia or New Zealand. Nicolen, I would love to hear your advice about what parts of NZ are good to visit in October. It is so hard to find info online since all the travel sites first ask which part of NZ you are traveling to! We are interested in museums, culture, scenery, and food.
How exciting to be planning your honeymoon! I live in Adelaide, Australia. Thats pretty much smack in the middle of the southern coast. If you want a quiet, cultural experience, then this is the place. We have a lovely promenade with the museum, art gallery and library next to each other, along with a beautiful sandstone uni.
The beaches are lovely, and if you like wine tours etc, there are lovely areas like the Barossa or Clare valleys only about an hour away.
There are the Adelaide hills, if you like bush walking, and gorgeous views of bushland, and the city. You can spend lazy days walking along the River Torrens.
There are lots of great cafes and restaurants, well priced too. Adelaide isn't a flashy tourist place, more quietly interesting. This keeps the prices and tackiness to a minimum. The currency conversion is also in your favour!!
People might tell you Adelaide is boring - but there is so much to discover here.
My 2 cents. If you want more info, or you have any questions, please fire away!
Goodness, Jessica, that's a lot to cover. I'll try and be as concise as I can.
Museums
- Te Papa is a must see. It's the national museum, and it's in central Wellington. Allow for at least a day there and it wouldn't be silly to allow for 2 days - it's absolutely awesome
- Christchurch museum is quite worth a look as well. It's nowhere near as big as Te Papa but the Antarctic room is brilliant.
- Auckland has MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology. The one time I went, I wasn't overly impressed, but I'm really not into cars and transport, so it may well be worth looking at if you're interested in that sort of thing.
Most towns have a smallish museum covering local history and they're quite worth a look at
Culture
- For a look at Maori culture, you need to go to Rotorua. There's a place there which will introduce you to the basics of Maori culture, bring you onto a Marae and feed you.
Scenery
Here I will admit to a definite bias - the South Island is better than the North. Places that you must see are Milford, Queenstown (although this is very pricey), Wanaka, Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook/Aoraki. The West Coast of the South Island also has very dramatic scenery.
In the North Island, the central plateau (area around Lake Taupo) and Taranaki is beautiful. Hawke's Bay, especially Napier is well worth a look - Napier was virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and completely rebuilt in Art Deco style. It's very cool. Northland - the area above Auckland - is also very pretty, but bear in mind that the roads up there can be a bit on the rough side (or they were when I was last there 4 years ago).
Dining Out
This is where things obviously get very subjective as places I suggest may not be to your taste. The best suggestion I have for you would be to go to www.dineout.co.nz and have a look there - you can have a play by location and cuisine - and see what appeals.
Australia and the south pacific/Hawaii
I recommended Fiji, but I forgot about their recent coup. It may not be such a smart idea right now.
