Australia & New Zealand tips

[sweetsailing]

Greetings fellow cruisers! I am considering a cruise that visits both Australia and New Zealand. I have a choice of starting in Sydney or Auckland.  Is the water rougher going in one direction versus the other? I have cruised between California and Mexico quite a bit and know that the current is much easier going south than north. Is there a similar situation in this area of the world? 
Also, what is the best month for this type of cruise? Is there a rainy season that should be avoided? 

[Aus Traveller]

We have cruised across the Tasman Sea (between Aust and NZ) probably 20 times and never had really rough weather but it can happen. It is more likely in winter (say May to September). If the weather is really bad, it would be worse cruising from NZ to Australia - heading into the rough seas rather than having following seas.

 

NZ cruises are virtually all in the southern summer (November to March) because of the weather in NZ. NZ's weather is better in summer, but even so it is always cool (cold to me!) in the fiords and even in Dunedin. Wellington is renowned for strong winds. It is known as Windy Wellington.

 

Most cruises from Australia to NZ start from either Sydney or Brisbane. Sydney doesn't have a really rainy season, but Brisbane does because it is sub-tropical. January and February are usually the wettest but that doesn't mean it will rain every day or even most days.

[cruiser3775]

The NZ cruise season is our summer, roughly December to March.  Don't see any reason to go either way. Try to get a cruise that goes to the southern fjords, which are an absolute scenic highlight - Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds. Sometimes cancelled by rough weather, though.

If you are short on time, you can save a few days by doing a one way crossing and flying back to your starting port, or directly to your home.

I would start or end in Sydney rather than Brisbane, because sailing down Sydney Harbour is a highlight of any cruise.

Edited December 6, 2023 by cruiser3775

[possum52]

39 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Most cruises from Australia to NZ start from either Sydney or Brisbane. 

Looking at an online cruise TA and for all cruise lines - between now and March 2024, there are only four cruises from Brisbane to NZ compared to Sydney around fifty and Melbourne fourteen. For 2024-25 there are six cruises from Brisbane to NZ, fifty five from Sydney and ten from Melbourne.

 

It is difficult to include Brisbane in 'most cruises from Australia to NZ start in either Sydney or Brisbane'. Sydney has by far the majority of cruises from Aust to NZ, with Melbourne next and Brisbane bringing up the rear.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

Looking at an online cruise TA and for all cruise lines - between now and March 2024, there are only four cruises from Brisbane to NZ compared to Sydney around fifty and Melbourne fourteen. For 2024-25 there are six cruises from Brisbane to NZ, fifty five from Sydney and ten from Melbourne.

 

It is difficult to include Brisbane in 'most cruises from Australia to NZ start in either Sydney or Brisbane'. Sydney has by far the majority of cruises from Aust to NZ, with Melbourne next and Brisbane bringing up the rear.

Virgin Voyages are now doing cruises from Auckland to Melbourne and visa versa from Melbourne to Auckland.  My 11 day cruise on 12/1 has two overnight stops - Tauranga in Bay of Plenty and Sydney, which are attractive to cruisers like me.  

[Shaporama]

On 12/6/2023 at 1:52 PM, Aus Traveller said:

We have cruised across the Tasman Sea (between Aust and NZ) probably 20 times and never had really rough weather but it can happen. It is more likely in winter (say May to September). If the weather is really bad, it would be worse cruising from NZ to Australia - heading into the rough seas rather than having following seas.

 

NZ cruises are virtually all in the southern summer (November to March) because of the weather in NZ. NZ's weather is better in summer, but even so it is always cool (cold to me!) in the fiords and even in Dunedin. Wellington is renowned for strong winds. It is known as Windy Wellington.

 

Most cruises from Australia to NZ start from either Sydney or Brisbane. Sydney doesn't have a really rainy season, but Brisbane does because it is sub-tropical. January and February are usually the wettest but that doesn't mean it will rain every day or even most days.

We are considering cruising Auckland to Sydney on Viking in early February 2025.  My wife is concerned about heat and humidity that time of year.  We understand that Sydney can get uncomfortable, but much of the cruise will be along the NZ coast, across to Tasmania then Melbourne up to Sydney.  What temps and humidity can we generally expect along the coast of the South Island, and also in Melbourne and in Sydney?  Also, any seasonal weather hazards (e.g. cyclones) that are typical that time of year in those destinations?

 

Thanks for any insights you can share.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, Shaporama said:

We are considering cruising Auckland to Sydney on Viking in early February 2025.  My wife is concerned about heat and humidity that time of year.  We understand that Sydney can get uncomfortable, but much of the cruise will be along the NZ coast, across to Tasmania then Melbourne up to Sydney.  What temps and humidity can we generally expect along the coast of the South Island, and also in Melbourne and in Sydney?  Also, any seasonal weather hazards (e.g. cyclones) that are typical that time of year in those destinations?

 

Thanks for any insights you can share.

Your trip will be too far south for cyclones to be an issue. Melbourne can be hot at that time of year, but it will be a dry heat. NZ will be cool, even cold in the south, to comfortably warm in Auckland. Sydney can be hot (low 30s Celsius) but it wouldn't be terribly humid.

[Shaporama]

Just now, Aus Traveller said:

Your trip will be too far south for cyclones to be an issue. Melbourne can be hot at that time of year, but it will be a dry heat. NZ will be cool, even cold in the south, to comfortably warm in Auckland. Sydney can be hot (low 30s Celsius) but it wouldn't be terribly humid.

Wow!  Thanks for the quick reply!  And for putting me at ease.  

[cruiser3775]

It will not be humid anywhere on your sailing trip at that time of year. New Zealand is a long way south and has mild temperate weather. Same for Tasmania. Melbourne can be hotter, but is almost never humid in summer. Actually Melbourne is renowned for its very changeable climate, so you might get one hot day followed by one mild day.  Sydney will usually be less hot than Melbourne and more humid.

You have actually picked a good time for this trip.

 

Edited February 22 by cruiser3775

[Shaporama]

Thank you!

 

 

[valantine80]

7 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Your trip will be too far south for cyclones to be an issue. Melbourne can be hot at that time of year, but it will be a dry heat. NZ will be cool, even cold in the south, to comfortably warm in Auckland. Sydney can be hot (low 30s Celsius) but it wouldn't be terribly humid.

You can never say never. The area around Napier and Hawkes bay in the North Island was severely affected by cyclone Gabrielle in Feb 2023. Certainly not a regular occurrence.

 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, valantine80 said:

You can never say never. The area around Napier and Hawkes bay in the North Island was severely affected by cyclone Gabrielle in Feb 2023. Certainly not a regular occurrence.

 

According to the internet, Cyclone Gabrielle was no longer at cyclone strength when it hit NZ. It had been down-graded to a deep sub-tropical low. However there was a lot of damage from the exceptionally heavy rain.

[arxcards]

The media likes to call ex-tropical cyclones as cyclones, even though they have lost that classification and are hybrid lows at worst.

 

That said, the seas around NZ from the remnants of such cyclones are often worse than the seas in the tropics, just with much less destructive wind.

[possum52]

21 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Your trip will be too far south for cyclones to be an issue. Melbourne can be hot at that time of year, but it will be a dry heat. NZ will be cool, even cold in the south, to comfortably warm in Auckland. Sydney can be hot (low 30s Celsius) but it wouldn't be terribly humid.

Melbourne doesn't always have dry heat, it can be humid, not as humid as QLD, but we certainly can have quite humid days during the summer. 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, possum52 said:

Melbourne doesn't always have dry heat, it can be humid, not as humid as QLD, but we certainly can have quite humid days during the summer. 

Your 'humid' probably isn't what Queenslanders call 'humid'. 😁

[possum52]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Your 'humid' probably isn't what Queenslanders call 'humid'. 😁

I did infer that, and that our heat is not always dry.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, possum52 said:

I did infer that, and that our heat is not always dry.

Agreed. You did say it. I was just making a joke. 😁

[Shaporama]

That’s ok.  We lived in Washington, DC for decades (before moving to California) and have had plenty of experience with long, humid summers.  My wife says she has had so many “better hair” days since moving west.