Trip to Australia & NZ

[redlinehw]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

 

[vkj91]

@SkilletHead2 is your guy

 

[mesa4234]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

Skillethead definitely is the way to go but if you want some more info, my wife and i did a similar trip in 2016 and I would be happy to provide you with a ton of info. Send me an email at robert.zisk at gse.rutgers.edu

 

[Tango Two]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

Previous Thread On This Might Prove Helpful:

https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/ot-new-zealand-trip.116775/

 

[Caliknight]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

What time of year are you going? I lived in Australia for 2 years and can give you some info. there. Personally, I'd spend more time there. Especially if in their winter months.

 

[mikefla]

I worked at the Olympics in Sydney. The Olympic committee took care of the flight and accommodations but I can tell you OZ is just a wonderful trip. A tad expensive but very amazing. I made friends there I am still in touch with !


Skillethead lives in NZ & will likely weigh in. He is a great guy!

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

You can stay with Skillets alpaca and goats if you dont mind sharing accommodations and chow...

 

[RUloud114]

We went on a 20 day tour. 11 in Australia and 9 in New Zealand. Tour company was Tauck. Highly recommend them.

 

[wasiman]

Went way back in Jan 2002.Cruised with NCL. Great trip and scenery. Even though it was summer New Zealand was cool.
Dress for cooler temps. Australia was hot . Hit all the wineries you can. Only drawback was the long air flight.

 

[RUnTeX]

I believe Qantas and Air New Zealand are the flagship airlines, respectively, and are probably superior to any US-based airline.

 

[Caliknight]

Emirates flies there. Best airline going.

 

[gunboat]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

 

[gunboat]

Sitting in Adelaide Airport right now waiting for flight to Alice Springs. Two weeks in Australia and one week in New Zealand. Booked through Collette Tours at Liberty Travel in Eatontown. Try me at [email protected]. 12:30 in the afternoon right now. 15 hour difference and 10,000 miles.

 

[gunboat]

I believe Qantas and Air New Zealand are the flagship airlines, respectively, and are probably superior to any US-based airline.

Flew down on United 787 dreamliner. Most amazing experience flying and I've done a lot of

 

[RUnTeX]

Flew down on United 787 dreamliner. Most amazing experience flying and I've done a lot of

Fair enough...if UAL has a Dreamliner serving that route then it's probably a good alternative.

 

[RU#1fan]

Been there several times.’
Visit Darling Harbor, Bridge walk, Sydney Opera House, Paddy’s Market, Olympic Stadium,etc.
Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

Anyone have any experience putting this trip together? best airline to fly, highlights in each place, things to avoid etc.

Thinking 2 weeks; 1 week in each country. Start in Sydney and go either north to Great Barrier Reef or south to Melbourne and then to NZ for a week.

thanks

Did this trip last year and added Fiji on the way back. Flew the United Dreamliner and was unimpressed. It’s quiet and clean but if you ask me, they shrunk the seat size....or perhaps I just got wider..lol.

I booked nearly a year in advance and we did all one-way trips. It cost us more, but we never had to return to a place and saved a lot of time.

We loved the Melbourne area much more than the Sydney area but it was still a great trip.

16 hours non stop Newark to Melbourne is grueling.

 

[RUBeta]

Skip Australia and spend your full trip in New Zealand.

 

[keywestRU]

If you can swing it -- Business Class on Air New Zealand was the best flight of my life. (Also found NZ more interesting, more beautiful, more accessible than AUS.)

 

[PoorTailor]

Flew down on United 787 dreamliner. Most amazing experience flying and I've done a lot of

Did the same thing and had business class. Made the trip absolutely bearable and enjoyable.

 

[BigRnj]

I did this trip back in April, definitely reach out to Skillethead for advice about OZ. I'm United 1K and can say Polaris business class is awesome (not up to Emirates or Singapore Air for service and amenities) but awesome just the same. I flew SF to Auckland on the Dreamliner for the first leg and return via Melbourne to LA. I have flown every common modern aircraft, and while the A380 (Air Singapore Business Class) is as good as I have experienced, cabin comfort on the Dreamliner is unsurpassed. Since the Dreamliner is a composite material it doesn't suffer the metal fatigue from compression/decompression like an aluminum riveted plane does. So the Dreamliner cabin pressure simulates 5k to 6k elevation vs about 8k+ for non-composite planes. This makes for a noticeable difference in comfort. I would fly a Dreamliner every time on a long flight if possible. You just feel better when you arrive. Enjoy it will be an awesome trip.