We took a winnebago road trip up the east coast of Australia and then another winnebago trip of the north and South islands of New Zealand.
Link to still image montage of Australia & New Zealand visit:-
To view the video select:- https://youtu.be/rIVsIYBTONs
Link to youtube Queenstown to Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand video:-
To view the video select:- https://youtu.be/y9UXDg8KPSw
Youtube link to the JustRetired50Plus Australia Video_2:-
To view the video select:- https://youtu.be/AgUAkcI3PX4
Youtube link to the JustRetired50Plus New Zealand Video_2:-
To view the video select:- https://youtu.be/D-yHBJNs8gQ
Australia and New Zealand 2013 / 2014
We visited in December 2013 and January 2014 for a 4 week period. The climate was temperate and ideal for open air trips and excursions as it was during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
In considering a trip to Eastern Australia and New Zealand’s north and south islands, we decided on taking a self-directed winnebago road trip holiday.
The entire trip comprised three nights in Sydney, an internal flight to Brisbane, where we picked up a small winnebago near the airport and set off on our 11 day trip up and down the east Australian coast as far north as Airlie Beach on the Great Barrier Reef.
We flew from Brisbane to Auckland on the north Island in New Zealand. Based on our Australian experience we decided to go for a larger mid-sized winnebago for our road trip of New Zealand. Over the period of our 14 day trip we travelled down the north Island via Rotarua and on to Wellington. We caught the ferry to the South Island and made our way to Queenstown. An internal flight brought us on a day trip from Queenstown out to the Franz Josef glacier and the bay of Milford Sound. On return to Queenstown we completed our journey to Christchurch, where we spent three nights before flying back to Sydney. After two nights in Sydney we flew to Dubai for four nights, staying in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and then on to Dublin.
Sense of Australia and New Zealand
The official currency is the Australian and New Zealand dollar respectively.
During our trip we drove over 2500 Km by road and saw a variety of wildlife species, unfortunately, all dead as road kill.
If you get any opportunities during your travels there to visit wild life parks, do so, as it was our experience that wild life remains out in the bush.
Australian people are very friendly, louder than normal and definitely much more casual. If you do experience formality, it is generally a thin veneer. The impression we got of New Zealand people, on the other hand, was that they are extremely friendly, hard working and generally more European like, except when it comes to sport.
Recommendations for Australia and New Zealand
There is no language barrier if you speak English, so it lends itself to undertaking a self -directed trip.
In each of the nine cities, we visited all the local tourist trails and highlights on offer. We also visited some of the local communities and farm visits and these left us with a genuine sense of the sheer size and scale of Australia and the general industriousness of the New Zealanders.
Both Australians and New Zealanders drive on the left hand side of the road. Be alert to the inter-city Australian road-train and trucks which can be treacherous, especially at night. Always give way !
Our must see recommendation for a trip to Australia and New Zealand:-
(1) Our visit to Queenstown in general and our flight out to the Franz Josef glacier and the bay of Milford Sound was the highlight of our entire New Zealand trip.
(2) Our second choice would be the New Zealand South Island scenery particularly as it is the backdrop for most of the “Lord of the Rings” cinematic scenery.
(3) In Australia, sailing and snorkelling around the Great Barrier Reef, is a must.
Our observations and tips from our trip to Australia
Travelling in Australia without a fixed plan may sound tempting, however, planning becomes even more important given the potentially long journey distances.
Similar to Canada and the US, Australia is a melting pot of culture where you can literally find almost any type of food you want, especially in its metropolitan cities.
Carry some cash in your wallet. Cards aren’t always accepted and will often carry a surcharge if they are.
Carry more than one type of credit card with you. Not everyone accepts them so hedge your bets.
Electrical goods are expensive in Australia, so bring your own and remember to bring spares, particularly a spare camera.
The standard voltage in Australia is 230V. The power socket is type I. Make sure to bring enough universal adapters.
Buy a 2 dollar ‘Australian Sim Card’ that allows you to call landline and mobile numbers in Oz at reasonable rates. Plans start from 30 AUD for 250 minutes. For international calls, you can use Skype for free. Having a sim card in Australia will make travel and communication much easier. It is especially useful if you are travelling around the country.
Australia is home to the oldest rainforest in the world, ‘The Daintree’.
We highly encourage you to stick to the safety rules, even if they may sound exaggerated to you, that you come across at the beach, on the roads, in the Outback and national parks and everywhere else in the outdoors.
Driving distances are long and empty. Take all the opportunities you are given to rest up and take a break.
Australia has a train system that connects most cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs and Perth. Train travel is comfortable but it can be extremely long in duration.
Internal plane journeys are long, also. There is a flying time of 5 hours coast to coast.
Greyhound Australia is Australia’s long-distance bus operator. The bus system has many routes that will take you to different parts of the country. The Greyhound bus has comfortable reclining seats, USB chargers, and free wifi. It is the cheapest way to get around Australia.
Drink plenty of water and try to keep your skin sun protected and hydrated at all times.
Australia is not a mountainous country. It is two-thirds desert and the driest inhabited continent on earth. It’s also the smallest, lowest and flattest continent.
Do not pack any fresh food when crossing Australian states. The fine for getting caught with fruits & vegetable is about 2.500 AUD.
Restaurants in Australia can be very expensive. From accommodation, transportation, eating, going out, shopping and everything in between, are all expensive in Australia.
Tipping is not part of Australian culture. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or a bar, a tip is not expected at all .
Crocodiles are found in the northern territories of the country. There are over 800 species.
Most of the world’s marsupials are found in Australia. Kangaroos are macropods (Big-footed marsupials) and there are around 60 species of macropods.
Internet usage is pricey in Australia. Tourist Information offices will tell you about free-wifi places in town and give you a map with hot-wifi spots.
Australia is home to one of the oldest living civilisations in the world, Aboriginal Australians.
Australia’s east coast (Sydney to Cairns) our top 6 must see locations.
The distance between Cairns and Sydney is around 2400km, without doing any detours on the way. We have listed our top 6 or 7 places along this journey that we wanted to visit. It is a journey that can be made in 3 weeks, depending on the number of stops that you make. As we only had 2 weeks to complete the return journey, before our flight departure to New Zealand from Brisbane, we took the option of flying from Sydney to Brisbane where we picked up our camper van.
To get the best weather in both New South Wales and Queensland, if you have the choice, we would recommend going between May and October. It is the dry season and a safer time to travel. As you travel northwards the weather will be getting progressively better with blue skies, warm days and less rain. If you decide to go at any other time of the year, you run the risk of reaching Queensland in the wet season (crazy storms and humid air). We travelled in Dec - Jan and luckily we did not experience any crazy weather.
Australians drive on the left hand side of the road, if you normally use left hand driving, you should be ultra careful. Also, the inter city Australian road-train trucks can be treacherous especially at night. Always give way !
Tip: Driving distances are very long in-between recommended locations, take lots of short breaks to maintain concentration or preferably swop driving duty with your travel partner.
Transport options
We found, in our opinion, a hire Camper Van the best option for the east coast trip. We had a living space, kitchen and bedroom all in one, with ample space for living in relative comfort, with a toilet, shower, full size bed and power to run small TV and radio, fridge A/C etc. In a camper van you are self contained which allows you to stop and take in the scenic spots at your leisure.
The other options were bus or car. We are too old for the inflexibility of bus travel and not supple enough for sleeping in a car, camp or hostel (been there, done that already).
Tip: Buy or hire two bikes and strap them on top or onto the camper. When you get all hooked up in a campsite or caravan park, the bikes give you the flexible option of visiting the local sites, in a radius of your ability to cycle comfortably (50K round trip in our case).
(1) Sydney
As an international flight destination city, Sydney is a great place to start your east coast trip. Spend at least 3 days here if you can. If like us you had a 24 hours flight to get there, your first day will be getting over the jet lag, so just chill. There are plenty of beautiful parks to relax in, beaches to explore and restaurants to eat your way through. Like all big cities, it is more expensive than usual. Head up to the famous Bondi Beach to hone your surfing skills, discover more about Australia’s cultural heritage in the Art Gallery of NSW or simply take a break in one of the city’s many indie cafes and enjoy a famous Aussie breakfast. Be sure to take in Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge Climb. You can also use Sydney as a base for visiting the Blue Mountains.
Distance from Sydney to Brisbane: 750km (around 2 hours by plane & over 10 hours by road)
(2) Byron Bay
We backtracked from Brisbane in the camper van to take in Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, noted for its festivals, hippies and surfing. You can go hand-gliding, sky-diving or hot air ballooning, if you have the inclination. Alternately, cycle up to the famous Cape Byron Lighthouse, where you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of the bay. It’s also Australia’s most easterly point. Relax on the sandy beaches, or get your adrenaline pumping at one of the exciting theme parks in the area. Learn how to surf in the iconic waters of the bay, or stick to a boat and see if you can spot some whales. In Australia, you are never too far from outstanding natural beauty, even if you are staying in a city. If you’re not a beach type, then the scenic hinterlands are waiting for you. Explore quirky towns, visit the National Park and explore rainforests and waterfalls.
Distance from Brisbane: 170km (around 3 hours)
(3) Brisbane
Brisbane is a huge sprawling city. It has something for everyone, you won’t be bored here. It is a good place to stock up on food and backpacker clothes for your journey. The Queen Street Mall has everything you’ll want.
Things to do: Whale watching; River Cruise; climb the famous Story Bridge; visit the Botanic Gardens; or visit Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art: make your way up to Noosa Head for quiet sandy beaches and local boutiques and cafes; visit Noosa National Park.
All of these are within a 150km radius of Brisbane.
(4) Fraser Island
Fraser Island is famous for its 4WD adventure, exploring endless beaches and swimming in the gorgeous lakes. You can hire 4WD before you get to the island and explore yourself or take a tour with the the professionals whilst you enjoy the scenery.
Things to do: Aussie BBQ and beach day trip; Swimming with Whales; Carry on to Bundaberg and take in the famous Bundy Rum distillery. The distillery lies in the northeast of the town and is easy to get to.
Distance from Brisbane to Fraser Island: 350km (around 6 hour drive)
(5) Cape Hillsborough
Drive on through via Rockhampton and if you so wish, take in Yeppoon on the coastal side. Definitely stop off at Cape Hillsborough National park, 2 hours south of Airlie beach, to break your long journey to the Whitsundays. You have to be up early to meet the sunrise and the Kangaroos and Wallabies who visit the beach.
(6) Airlie Beach
Spend a few days in Airlie Beach, be sure to include a trip to the Whitsundays. You’ll find plenty of gorgeous cafes and restaurants along the water in Airlie Beach. There are some amazing boutiques and markets where you can buy unique souvenirs, jewellery and local artwork. You can almost always find live music venues, these are great fun, particularly when they release the entire bar bubble bath.
Things to do: Take a dip in Cedar Creek Falls; Do a tandem Skydive; Sail around the Whitsundays (The Whitsundays are the perfect place to relax on the gorgeous sandy beaches or unwind on a sailboat. Snorkel, dive, hike, fly, or golf); Sail to Hamilton Island or Whitehaven Beach, if you’re looking for pristine white sand.
Distance from Brisbane to Airlie Beach: (around 13 hour drive)
Unfortunately, we had to turn back for Brisbane at this stage, before reaching Cairns, to get back to Brisbane in order to catch our flight to New Zealand.
As a diver I was looking forward to visiting Magnetic Island. It is well renowned as an excellent diving location.
We also planned to use Mission Beach as an access point for the Great Barrier Reef and to visit Atherton Tablelands for a mountains and wildlife contrast to all the other beach experiences.
Our plans for when we reached Cairns was to mingle with the numbers of the backpacker fraternity that use this smaller city as their base. We would have done the usual:- hired a boat and gone sailing, diving and snorkelling to Fitzroy Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Taken in the National Park at Baron Gorge and hopefully have gone on the Kurunda railway through this World Heritage area. Also, taking a drive from Cairns to Port Douglas out through the Daintree onto Cape Tribulation is a really nice drive we have been told.
New Zealand, North & South island road trip - our top 6 must see locations.
New Zealand can be best described as raw, edgy and beautiful all at once. It is a place of jaw dropping scenery. New Zealand has forests so dense that you could walk for weeks and never see a soul.
To get the best weather in both New Zealand’s North and South islands, if you have the choice, we would recommend going between December to February as this is their summer season. Their winter is between June and August. We travelled in Dec - Jan and luckily we experienced some really pleasant warm summer weather.
Our observations and tips for a NEW ZEALAND road trip
In New Zealand they drive on the left hand side of the road, if you normally use left hand driving, you should be ultra careful;
A well worn-in pair of walking boots and lots of pairs of good walking socks are a must for any trip to New Zealand;
Driving distances can be very long in-between recommended locations, take lots of short breaks to maintain concentration or preferably swop driving duty with your travel partner;
Rent a set of wheels, you simply cannot get around New Zealand very easily without a motorised means of transport;
Rain is common and sudden (even in Summer) so always be prepared. Bring a good rain jacket with you. There is no such thing as bad weather in New Zealand, there is just a bad choice of clothing.
Apply tons of sunscreen. The ozone layer above New Zealand is very thin, so the sun can be strong. You may not realise this but within one day you can get severely burned. Better still wear a broad brimmed hat.
During the summer holiday season, accommodation tends to book up very fast. Make sure to book your accommodation choice, at least a few months in advance, to avoid disappointment
Bring a good camera, tripod and remember a wide angle lens as well. Photographic opportunities are all around you. Panorama shots are the best at trying to capture the enormity of this landscape.
New Zealand is a big country with lots of foliage cover, if visiting in summer and you are prone to allergies, bring lots of your own high strength meds with you.
It can be very windy at any time of year. Basically New Zealand is a few mountainous islands stuck partially in the Roaring Forties. These westerly winds blast over the South Island and the lower portion of the North Island. In fact, the Roaring Forties stops northwards at about Whanagnui. North of that you're outside of the Roaring Forties, and as a consequence the north island gets much less wind.
New Zealand ranks second place (after Finland) for being the safest country in the world, however, nowhere is perfect. You should still take care in the busier cities of New Zealand such as Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
Sport, dogs and the wind are some of the favourite conversation topics for New Zealanders.
Be advised that sandflies are the hidden curse of New Zealand, but, if you wear a good insect repellent at all times while outdoors, you will be sorted.
New Zealand wine is nice and plentiful, but be advised that it was more expensive to buy in its home country than to buy the same wine at home in Dublin, go figure !
The Sun still rises in the East, but it goes from right to left across the sky. The moon is seen upside down and water goes anti-clockwise down a plug hole.
New Zealand weather changes very fast, this can be especially critical if you plan to hike. You can see four seasons in one day. To be prepared bring clothing layers with you.
In our opinion, South Island has some of the best hikes we’ve seen in the world so we recommend spending a little more time in the South Island.
Hill walking suggestions
Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park
Housing the tallest mountain of New Zealand, Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park is known for the snow capped mountain, dramatic landscape, and amazing hikes. On your way to Mt. Cook take in Lake Tekapo, its a well known post card location and Lake Pukaki is another beautiful lake about 20 minutes from Lake Tekapo.
Hooker Valley Track Length: 3 hours round trip (5km)
Perhaps the single most popular track in Aoraki/Mount Cook NP, Hooker Valley’s got it all: beautiful landscape, 3 swing bridges, alpine lakes and snow capped mountain. Most importantly it’s very easy! Bus tours of hikers visit it everyday.
Mueller Hut Track or Sealy Tarns Hike: One of the best day hikes (or overnight hike) in Aoraki/ Mt. Cook National Park is the Mueller Hut hike. It’s an 8 hour hike (round trip), hiking first to Sealy Tarns then you have the option to either turn back around or continue up to Mueller Hut, an actual Hut that you can stay in overnight and then return.
Rob Roy Glacier Hike & The Blue Pools Length: 5km each way (3 hours roundtrip) Elevation: ~500m (~1600 ft) Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Wanaka is very close to Mount Aspiring National Park and the Rob Roy Glacier Hike is situated in Mount Aspiring National Park
Abel Tasman National Park: A beautiful coastal National Park on the North side of the South Island.
Arthur’s Pass National Park: The highest pass over the Southern Alps situated between Canterbury and the West Coast on the South Island.
Transport options
From our experience, an upgrade (from a camper van) to the hire of a Motorhome is the best option for our North and South Island road trip. We had a living space, kitchen and separate bedroom, with ample space for living in relative comfort, with a toilet, shower, full size bed and power to run small TV and radio, fridge A/C etc. In a Motorhome you are self contained which allows you to stop and take in the scenic spots at your leisure.
The other options were bus or car. We are too old for the inflexibility of bus travel and not supple enough for sleeping in a car, camp or hostel (been there, done that already).
Tip: Buy or hire two bikes and strap them on top or onto the camper. When you get all hooked up in a campsite or caravan park, the bikes give you the flexible option of visiting the local sites, in a radius of your ability to cycle comfortably (50K round trip in our case).
(1) Auckland
As an international flight destination, Auckland is a great place to start your North Island road trip. We went straight from the airport and picked up our new Motorhome rental. Having learned from our previous experience on the East coast of Australia road trip, we decided to increase the size of our rental from a camper van (Transit van size) up to a motorhome. We made this decision to give us much more space and comfort. If you can afford this upgrade, it was the best decision for us.
Things to do in Auckland:-
The sky tower is a top attraction in Auckland. It can be found in walking distance from the harbour. There are lots of restaurants and bars nearby.
If shopping is your thing, check out Queen St or Britomart area.
If you are looking for photos of the city, Mount Eden offers some of the best views of Auckland. It’s about 3 miles from Auckland city centre.
There are tours available or simply walk around the Viaduct harbour and stop by some nice restaurants and bars.
We recommend that you break your journey to Rotorua with a stop at Matamata and visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, used in the making of the Lord of the Rings. You can also take the tour option from Rotorua, if you prefer.
Distance from Auckland to Rotorua: 230km (around 3 hours by road)
(2) Rotorua & Taupo
Rotorua is in a very active geothermal area and Wai-O-Tapo is the prime example of all the geothermal activities one can witness. You will be seeing geysers, sulphur deposits, mud pools, etc. Plan about 2 hours at Wai-O-Tapo for your visit and be aware that this whole park smells like rotten eggs.
Things to do:
Since the entire area of Rotorua is in an active geothermal area, there are a ton of hot springs. Some of the most famous ones include Polynesian Spa and Waikite Valley Thermal Pools.
If you want to see the glowworms and Hobbiton Movie Set you can take a tour that will take you from Rotorua to the Waitomo caves and Hobbiton. Most people opt to take the regular boat tour through the Waitomo Cave to see the world famous glowworms. The glowworms you see in Waitomo are actually native to New Zealand. For the more adventurous you can take an adventure tour called Black Water Rafting from Waitomo.
On the Hobbiton Movie Set tour, the guides are all very good. During the Hobbiton tour you will learn about the back story of the movie set and filming of the Hobbit. If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies then you must do this tour of Hobbiton.
Taupo
Taupo is a big resort town about an hour from Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Many people stay in Taupo before going hiking. There is a nice lake in Taupo and you can do boating and other water activities at Lake Taupo.
Many visitors stop by Huka Falls in Taupo. Parking lots get filled very quickly but the falls is nice to see from the viewing platform.
For the adrenaline junkies, visit and jump at the Taupo Bungy.
Distance from Taupo to Wellington: 370km (around 5 hours by road)
(3) Wellington to Picton
Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand. Just 50k north of Wellington are Paekakariki and Paraparaumu, the home of the Wellington Tram Museum and Southward Vintage Car Museum, respectively. If you are a car or train buff, then they are well worth a visit.
Things to do:
Visit the botanic garden and take the cable car to the highest point for great views of the city.
Visit Queens wharf and the Harbour front. From here you can take in the Wellington and New Zealand museums.
Take a 3 hour ferry from Wellington to Picton in the South Island. This is an extremely scenic ferry crossing across the Cook Strait. You are never very far from land during the crossing. There are several ferries per day.
(4) Queenstown
Since Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand, of course there are plenty of adventurous activities (as well as non-adventurous activities) in Queenstown. Situated by
Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by the Southern alps, Queenstown has all sorts of adventure activities so you can literally spend a week in Queenstown and not get bored.
Things to do:
One of the most popular attractions in Queenstown, the Skyline Gondola takes you to the peak of Bob’s Peak for a panoramic view of Queenstown. There is a restaurant there as well. If you want to do stargazing tours in Queenstown, the tour will take you up Bob’s Peak at night. The gondola closes at 9pm so only those with stargazing tours or restaurant reservation are allowed up there at night.
The Luge is a fun family friendly activity at Skyline Gondola. You ride in a luge cart and go down the hill as fast as you want.
You can also mountain bike from the top of the Gondola.
Queenstown is the home of Jumping and where they first commercialised Bungy Jumping in the world. There are 2 places you can Bungy Jump in Queenstown, one is next to Bob’s Peak and another one is in Kawarau. You can also go out of town to Nevis Bungy above the Nevis River.
Take a Day Trip to Milford Sound. Many people opt to take a full day trip to Milford Sound for the scenic cruise. It takes about 4 hours to drive to Milford Sound from Queenstown. Alternatively you can fly over the Alps in under an hour in a small twin-prop plane
One of the most popular things to do is to take a Hotspring Spa in Queenstown at the the Onsen Hot Pools. You will need to make your reservation in advance during peak summer season to avoid disappointment.
Take a nice scenic Helicopter Ride above the Southern Alps or even to Milford Sound or Mount Cook. The view is unreal and something you cannot get anywhere else. However these helicopter rides can be quite expensive.
The jetboats in Queenstown are unlike any other Jetboats. The most famous ones are the Hydro Attack and Shotover Jet, but there are many other companies such as Go Orange Thunder Jet Boat and Dart River Funyaking.
(5) Milford Sound and Franz Joseph Glacier
Milford Sound is the most popular attraction in the South Island of New Zealand if not the entire country. Even though Milford Sound weather is mostly rain you can still visit this natural wonder all times of the year.
The most popular thing to do in Milford Sound is to take a scenic cruise. Most people take the day cruise but there are options to take an overnight cruise at Milford Sound as well.
Many people take a day trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound for the cruise but we personally think it’s better to fly to Milford Sound since a day trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound is literally 8 hours sitting in a bus.
As the most popular activity in Milford Sound, a sightseeing cruise shows you the peaks, waterfalls and wild lives of Milford Sound. During rainy days there are many temporary waterfalls form on the walls of Milford Sound. Generally Milford Sound sightseeing cruises last about an hour and half.
(6) Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. Unfortunately Christchurch suffered a devastating earth quake in 2011 so most of the buildings you see in Christchurch are now either new or lower built. Hundreds of its historical buildings were lost to the earthquake. The re-building of Christchurch is ongoing with traces of the destruction and fenced-off broken buildings probably more noticeable to tourists than locals, who instead see how far the city has improved.
Things to do:
185 Empty Chairs: an unofficial memorial for the 185 individuals who died during the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake;
Christchurch Botanic Gardens: a really nice botanic garden in the Christchurch city centre;
Christchurch Gondola: a relaxing gondola ride to the top of Port Hills with a panoramic view of the city.
When we travel, especially if we do it for a limited period of time, a lot of us try to fit so much into our schedules that there are days when we don’t even have time to breathe.
In the end, you come back so tired that you need to go on vacation again to recharge your batteries.
Planning the trip and realising you can’t possibly fit in all you want to do can be exhausting and, sometimes, frustrating.
Although here, we have to add that it is a good strategy to leave something out so that you have an excuse to return.
As always, the people we met on the trip, enriched the whole experience.
Cost of tour circa Euro 3000 per person.
“You should travel away from home, to really appreciate the value of what you have at home, on your return.”