NZ by Princess cruise or land tour?

[drsel]

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

[V_icki_e]

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

 

Maybe you'd like to consider splitting these 6 nights into 4 on the Gold Coast and 2 in Brisbane? If you're keen for theme parks, I'd suggest you base yourself on the Gold Coast for quicker access.  Public transport from Brisbane to the parks is at best 90 minutes each way (a bit over 2 hours each way for Brisbane to SeaWorld).  Gold Coast is also much closer to Byron Bay.  If you are wanting to see more than just beaches on the Sunshine Coast, it might we worthwhile to find a day tour that leaves Brisbane and helps you explore Noosa/Montville 🙂 What time of year are you thinking of visiting us? 

[Gwendy]

Just  adding to the misunderstanding.  When I lived on the Gold Coast I was chatting to a newly arrived traveller who was going to do a day trip to Uluru, another day trip to Great Barrier Reef and their final day trip was to Melbourne to go to Aus Open.  Umm.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, Gwendy said:

Just  adding to the misunderstanding.  When I lived on the Gold Coast I was chatting to a newly arrived traveller who was going to do a day trip to Uluru, another day trip to Great Barrier Reef and their final day trip was to Melbourne to go to Aus Open.  Umm.

When I was staying at Thredbo Youth Hostel, there was a young Japanese couple on their honeymoon.  They were staying in a shared dorm because they wanted to visit the snow, the Reef and the Centre, on their honeymoon.  

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

I wouldn't try to do a day trip from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast even though I have a car. It would take around three hours each way and could be longer if there was bad traffic.

 

You mentioned that you would not be driving, so presumably you would have to get a taxi to the train on the Gold Coast, travel to Brisbane, then a bus to the Sunshine Coast. At a guess that would take around four hours because public transport makes frequent stops.

[mr walker]

5 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

 

It's up to you of course, but I couldn't imagine travelling all the way to Australia to spend 3 days at theme parks. There are a lot more things to see & do to my mind.

[ilikeanswers]

5 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

 

A bus ride from Gold Coast to Byron Bay is about 3hrs one way. I don't think that is feasible as a day trip 🤔. You might want to consider at least a night there. 

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

A bus ride from Gold Coast to Byron Bay is about 3hrs one way. I don't think that is feasible as a day trip 🤔. You might want to consider at least a night there. 

We have done lots of day trips from GC to Byron Bay by car.  I've also done one way bus trips from Byron Bay to GC.  

[MMDown Under]

5 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

In addition to the above attractions, with six nights on the GC., you could do day trips to the beautiful GC Hinterland - O'Reillys, Binna Burra, and Tamborine Mountain.  You could also visit South Stradbroke Island and Stradbroke Island, by ferry. 

[Docker123]

Could go to Currumbin on GC and Australia Zoo in SC.

 

Lots of animals and birds.

 

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, Docker123 said:

Could go to Currumbin on GC and Australia Zoo in SC.

Lots of animals and birds.

As well as Lone Pine Sanctuary in Brisbane 

[ilikeanswers]

52 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

We have done lots of day trips from GC to Byron Bay by car.  I've also done one way bus trips from Byron Bay to GC.  

 

Well the OP has stated they do not feel comfortable driving in a foreign country and if I understand correctly it seems they want to go to Byron Bay and back to GC in one day. That was why I was thinking it does not seem like a particularly good idea🤔. 

Edited October 2, 2020 by ilikeanswers

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Well the OP has stated they do not feel comfortable driving in a foreign country and if I understand correctly it seems they want to go to Byron Bay and back to GC in one day. That was why I was thinking it does not seem like a particularly good idea🤔. 

To do the trip in one day, OP would need to take an organised tour.  It is a scenic trip which I would do, if that was the only way I could do it.  Northern Rivers is well worth a day visit as it is beautiful, with its wide rivers, Mount Warning, etc. and very different to Qld.

[ilikeanswers]

24 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

To do the trip in one day, OP would need to take an organised tour.  It is a scenic trip which I would do, if that was the only way I could do it.  Northern Rivers is well worth a day visit as it is beautiful, with its wide rivers, Mount Warning, etc. and very different to Qld.

 

I didn't realise there were organised day tours to Byron Bay from GC that was why I assumed they would take the bus (plus they mentioned wanting to use public transport around Australia). That sounds like a reasonable option in that case. 

Edited October 2, 2020 by ilikeanswers

[Aus Traveller]

26 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Well the OP has stated they do not feel comfortable driving in a foreign country and if I understand correctly it seems they want to go to Byron Bay and back to GC in one day. That was why I was thinking it does not seem like a particularly good idea🤔. 

I agree with your comment. The trip by coach from the Gold Coast to Byron Bay takes 3.5 hours each way so  they would only have a fairly short time there, before they had to get a coach to return to the GC. They also have to fit in with the timetable for the coach.

 

I suggest the OP should scrap the idea of going to Byron Bay. If they want to spend time on the Sunshine Coast it would be better to spend only a couple of days on the GC, then relocate to the Sunshine Coast from where they can visit Australia Zoo. The Zoo usually runs buses once a day. The trip takes 1.5 hours from Noosa Heads.

[drsel]

 
Maybe you'd like to consider splitting these 6 nights into 4 on the Gold Coast and 2 in Brisbane? If you're keen for theme parks, I'd suggest you base yourself on the Gold Coast for quicker access.  Public transport from Brisbane to the parks is at best 90 minutes each way (a bit over 2 hours each way for Brisbane to SeaWorld).  Gold Coast is also much closer to Byron Bay.  If you are wanting to see more than just beaches on the Sunshine Coast, it might we worthwhile to find a day tour that leaves Brisbane and helps you explore Noosa/Montville [emoji846] What time of year are you thinking of visiting us? 

April and May 2021

[drsel]

In addition to the above attractions, with six nights on the GC., you could do day trips to the beautiful GC Hinterland - O'Reillys, Binna Burra, and Tamborine Mountain.  You could also visit South Stradbroke Island and Stradbroke Island, by ferry. 

In that case, we would need even more nights at Gold coast.
Earlier someone said that 6 nights was too much!

[OzKiwiJJ]

19 minutes ago, drsel said:

 

April and May 2021

You're dreaming! There is no way Australia will be open to international visitors by then. Try 2022.

[ilikeanswers]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

You're dreaming! There is no way Australia will be open to international visitors by then. Try 2022.

 

I didn't want to be a downer but I was thinking it seems rather unlikely 😆especially to Americans. The NZ cruise also seems unlikely to be running at that time and even if it did probably again not for Americans. 

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, drsel said:

In that case, we would need even more nights at Gold coast.
Earlier someone said that 6 nights was too much!

The islands (South Stradbroke and Stradbroke) are not places that I would recommend that an overseas visitor go to. Most Aussies don't even bother. 

 

If you liked the idea of one of the islands, you could go by boat from Brisbane to the Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island to spend a night or two. You can feed wild dolphins (or watch someone else feed them) and toboggan down enormous sand hills. That would be a much more interesting place than Stradbroke Is or South Stradbroke which are just quiet islands people go to fish.

 

I still feel 6 nights is too long to allocate to the Gold Coast. I agree with an earlier comment, that there are great places to see and experiences in Australia for an overseas visitor. I don't think visiting our  theme parks is one. I don't know if 'drsel' is from USA. If so, I think he/she would find our theme parks not as good as those in the US. I hope I don't offend Aussies by saying that. 🙂

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

There is no way Australia will be open to international visitors by then. Try 2022.

I agree with your comment. I don't think there is a chance that Australia will be accepting international visitors as early as April or May 2021. I think that P&O Aust have even cancelled their cruises up to May 2021.

 

We have a short cruise booked for August 2021 and I feel we have (at best) a 50/50 chance it will go ahead, and if it does, it might just be for Aussies and NZers.

 

Maybe 'Drsel' should start planning for April-May 2022. There might be a chance then, but it will depend on whether there is an effective vaccine.

[ilikeanswers]

6 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

If so, I think he/she would find our theme parks not as good as those in the US. I hope I don't offend Aussies by saying that. 

 

I would agree with that our parks are pretty tiny compared to US offerings. Perhaps the OP is travelling with children and it is something they would enjoy🤔. 

[drsel]

You're dreaming! There is no way Australia will be open to international visitors by then. Try 2022.

What will happen to all the Princess and Carnival cruises from March to May 2021?

[drsel]

Could go to Currumbin on GC and Australia Zoo in SC. Lots of animals and birds.

Since we will be based in Gold coast, we will have to skip Sunshine coast, Noosa heads and the Australian zoo.

 

From Gold coast, we can do 3 theme parks and day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane, Currumbin and Tangalooma

 

 

 

[GUT2407]

31 minutes ago, drsel said:

46 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You're dreaming! There is no way Australia will be open to international visitors by then. Try 2022.

What will happen to all the Princess and Carnival cruises from March to May 2021?

They’ll cancel them if borders remain closed unless the powers that be allow Aussie only cruises and they can sell enough cabins.