Question for cruisers who have done Australia/NZ

[pacheco18]

We are planning for early 2012 and want to go to Australia and NZ. We have looked into higher end land based tours (A&K and Tauck) and we are wondering if cruising is the best way to see OZ. Some say just staying around ports does not get you to the best areas.

 

For those who have cruised in OZ-- did you combine with land trip? If so, what parts of Australia/NZ did you do pre or post cruise (I am told most cruise ships do not get to the Great Barrier Reef, e.g.). For those who did or did not add a land based segment, were there shore excursions offered that took you to inland areas?

[vakamalua]

We have visited Australia twice. It is a beautiful country with great distances to travel to see it all.

 

The first time, we took a two-week Princess cruise that started in Auckland, New Zealand where we did a pre-cruise land segment to see some of NZ's North Island. The cruise visited ports in NZ, as well as in OZ: Tasmania, Melbourne and ended in Sydney where we then did a post-cruise land segment to Canberra, Melbourne and with extra nights in Sydney. It was a wonderful experience and an incredibly relaxing way to cover quite a bit of territory in two countries!

 

As you mentioned, and as is true all over the world, cruises are limited to what you can see within a relative short distance of the port. Adding pre or post tours helps, but are often more time and money than some people can add to a cruise.

 

We have also done an A & K land tour to Australia. We are not big land tour people, but this was the best of the ones we have ever taken--fabulous guide, every detail handled and lots of special activities planned. We spent time in Sydney, on Hayman Island near the Great Barrier Reef, in Port Douglas for the rain forest and then to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) in the red center of the country. It was a really great trip and allowed us to see parts of Australia that we weren't able to see on the prior cruise. The downside of land tours, of course, is packing up and traveling to a new location every few days.

 

However you decide to visit Australia and NZ, you will have a the time of your life!

[pacheco18]

EXtremely helpful - -- you really gave me the answers I was looking for -- about what I was thinking.

Do the ships go to Ayers Rock and Great Barrier Reef as excursions or as pre-post tours?

[rallydave]

EXtremely helpful - -- you really gave me the answers I was looking for -- about what I was thinking.

Do the ships go to Ayers Rock and Great Barrier Reef as excursions or as pre-post tours?

 

From my visit to Oz, Ayers Rock would have to be pre or post and probably much less expensive with an independent tour as Alice Springs where you would fly into is at least 2 hours flying time from the closest Oz airport.

 

The closest airport to the Reef is probably Cairns and how far depends on how close the ship gets. More than likely, the same recommendation as Ayers Rock.

 

We found a travel agent who set up a routing for us to do on our own both driving and flying, no ships. Was the best land trip we ever did. Couldn't justify the Rock even though we did fly thru Alice Springs for 2 nites as it is quite expensive and a long ride there and back from Alice.

 

Cairns and the Reef were fantastic and recommend them highly. We followed a write up that looked like a guided tour but, did it all ourselves and it was wonderful. Now language difficulties, the Oz people are the friendliest we have ever seen and it was easy to ask if we had any questions. If you are able to take care of yourselves and like to plan your vacation, do it yourself. When we go again, we'll do it ourself as the agency is no more.

 

Have a great visit!!

[vakamalua]

EXtremely helpful - -- you really gave me the answers I was looking for -- about what I was thinking.

Do the ships go to Ayers Rock and Great Barrier Reef as excursions or as pre-post tours?

 

You'll have to do some research on what ships will be in that area when you want to travel and look carefully at their itineraries. A number of lines/ships do OZ cruises, often combined with NZ or up into South Asia. Explore what the cruises are offering as excursions and pre/post tours. Then compare with available land tours. It may take some work (and some compromise) but hopefully, you'll find what you're looking for.

[Dreps]

Several years ago we did the Regent cruise from Sydney to Auckland. We spent several days in Sydney pre-cruise and then went to Bay of Islands post-cruise from Auckland. We had a great time, but of course we saw much more of New Zealand than Australia, especially since we took Regent's overland excursion to Queenstown. I certainly think this cruise in combination with some pre- and post- land tours is a great introduction to this part of the world.

 

Next February, we're taking a segment of the Voyager World Cruise from Sydney to Beijing which goes along the Northern coast of Australia. We hope this trip will fill in some of the missing pieces.

[ging466]

Not many cruise ships call into every state of Australia but Silversea has a circumnavigation of Australia in Jan 2011.

 

It's a fabulous itinerary: Silver Shadow

 

Otherwise, u need to break it down to either east coast or west coast which will mean 2 trips down here:)

 

The country is vast and flying from Sydney to Perth is comparable to flying Los Angeles to New York (give or take).

 

Cruise ships don't call at Uluru (Ayers Rock)...it's way out in the bush (desert), but you can fly there directly from capital cities.

 

Barrier Reef is a day trip on a fast catamaran usually from Cairns, the Whitsundays or Townsville. There is even a 'stay overnight on the reef' trip that u can take.

 

HTH.

 

Cheers from Down Under

ging466

[Down Under]

Had to laugh - we do speak English in Australia!!

 

Although the Silver Shadow cruise sounds OK, it sails north in the 'wet' season and the temperatures will be pretty hot! Because its such a large country, to really see Australia you need to do a lot by land, as the current cruise lines seem to only call in at major cities. I imagine there would be day trips offered to the Reef from Cairns.

 

New Zealand is not ideally seen by ship, although there are a few land excursions offered. It is such a beautiful place, especially the South Island - well worth staying a week or more if possible.

 

If cruising is the way you want to go - do it - just take as many shore excursions as possible.

[pacheco18]

All these posts have been incredibly helpful. I just bought two guidebooks, one for Australia and one for NZ, and I am going to figure out what I MUST see, what is covered by the cruise and what is not. Then I will look at the practicality of add ons. A lot of work but I love planning and it will be well worth it.

[crusinbanjo]

Had to laugh - we do speak English in Australia!!

 

Although the Silver Shadow cruise sounds OK, it sails north in the 'wet' season and the temperatures will be pretty hot! Because its such a large country, to really see Australia you need to do a lot by land, as the current cruise lines seem to only call in at major cities. I imagine there would be day trips offered to the Reef from Cairns.

 

New Zealand is not ideally seen by ship, although there are a few land excursions offered. It is such a beautiful place, especially the South Island - well worth staying a week or more if possible.

 

If cruising is the way you want to go - do it - just take as many shore excursions as possible.

 

Speak English in Australia? My first trip to visit friends, I could barely understand a word of it! Ha. Just kidding, of course, but we all use words a little differnetly and some of the meaings are different. Anyway, if you want to truly see and experience Australia, you need some time on land. The blue mountains, Katoomba, the Snowy Mountains, the 12 Apstles, Ballarat..... .....there is a whole lot to see. Our friends often describe tours to OZ as "Seeing the whole of America in 2 weeks on the East Coast? Can't be done" I agree with that, you need to time or return visits to get a true experience.

[NCCruzQueen]

I will taking my first visit to Australia this fall pre-Navigator cruise. We've booked 3 nights in Palm Cove, near Cairns to do some snorkeling. Then 3 nights in Sydney and have a visit with my good friend, Down Under. Fortunately for us, we are taking the overnight from Milford Sound-Queenstown-Dunedin. Though three weeks is surely not enough, hopefully we can get a wonderful taste of QZ-NZ.

[alaskabound2323]

If you want to see that area of the world, don't take a cruise! The south island of New Zealand is amazing! My family spent 5 weeks there a few years ago.

 

20 years ago my sister and I spent 6 weeks touring NZ and Australia. New

Zealand is small and easy to get around with a car. Australia is HUGE and you need to fly places.

 

Cruise elsewhere. My opinion.

 

PS The Australians vacation in NZ