First cruise to Australia/New Zealand booked

[CincyDave]

DW and I have booked our first trip/cruise to Australia and New Zealand next February. It's a 16 day cruise on Holland starting in Sydney and ending in Auckland. We plan on spending a couple extra days on each end of the cruise. Just wondering if anyone had any advice for things to do, or day trips/excursions to take in Sydney and Auckland. Been looking on a site called Viator and there are so many choices, I thought I'd reach out to the group here.

The cruise ports in Australia will be Melbourne and Tasmania / Hobart. The ports in New Zealand will be Milford Sound, Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton, Picton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga. Any advice on things to do here are welcome as well.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or general advice.

 

[Souschef]

I have attached a copy of our trip story. My biggest thrill was doing the Bridge Climb in Sydney,

 

[OldConch]

+1 for the Sydney Bridge Climb and be sure to book ahead as the good time slots sell out. Fantastic history, the thrill of the climb, and magnificent views made this an unforgettable experience. We also enjoyed a Dave's "The Rocks Pub Tour." More interesting history with food and drink. We stayed in a high floor club suite at the Intercontinental. It was the most money we'd ever spent on a hotel room an I'd do it again if we return. Didn't notice it before the bridge climb but after we realized that we could actually see the groups of climbers from our room.

In Hobart we enjoyed spending time at the Salamanca Market. Lots of good food vendors, crafts, etc. Our tour group of 12 visited the Mona Museum of modern art on the same day. We'd not seen anything like it before. Half of our group absolutely loved it. We thought it was very, very interesting but wouldn't return. Finally, I noticed that your cruise has an excursion to Port Arthur. If you're at all interested in the history of Australia I'd say it's a must see. We were in Belfast recently and learned that more than a few desperate parents voluntarily sent their daughters on ships to Port Arthur and other prisons in hopes of a better life. Despite the harsh "transportation" we read a letter from one of the girls expressing delight that they got 3 meals a day and their own bed.

Milford Sound was magnificent. Rainforest, glaciers, and fjords all in one place.

Plenty to see and do in Auckland. We rented a car and AirBnB out in the country and were busy for 3 full days. Also rented an apartment near the Viaduct Harbor. A. touristy but fun area with lots of good food. Walked through Albert Park and took a ferry to Devonport and would do the same if we returned.

Loved our trip to NZ, the Land Down Under, and the Island Under Down Under.

 

[OldConch]

The CBD of Melbourne is super-walkable with a free tram that runs a rectangle route around the outer boundary. Very easy to use Uber too. We liked our walks along the Yarra River and through the botanical gardens. Lots of cute little shops and places to grab a bite. The laneways surrounding Degraves Street were lots of fun and kept us busy for hours. We split a Parma at the nearby Irish Times Pub and it was excellent. The story DW tells most often about Melbourne is our trek to see the flying fox colony. Woke up early and walked for a couple of hours hoping that we might see a few. There were hundreds if not thousands of these huge cute bats hunkering down in trees along the river at Yarra Bend Park. Saw them again from our balcony in Cairns as they flew out at dusk/dawn. Finally, the Queen Victoria Market is just on the edge of the CBD is worth a visit.

 

[Flyfish1]

We enjoyed a nice day cruise out of Sydney harbor on a catamaran. Others in our group went out to Bondi Beach and loved it. Of course the Sydney Opera House - it's very impressive.

From Auckland we took a ferry to Waiheke Island - beautiful. We went to a gorgeous winery with views of the ocean and Auckland in the distance, Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Another vote for the Sydney Bridge Climb. An awesome experience!

I would also note that Viator is a great source for ideas on what to do. So is the cruiseline’s list of excursions. However, I suggest you don’t actually book tours through Viator. They are a tour re-seller. They are not the actual company that does your tour. With research, you can usually find the local company that is actually doing the tour. You can almost always purchase directly with them. Often at a lower price. This way you are in direct communication with the tour provider and not a third party reseller. Perhaps you already knew all this.

 

[OldConch]

Another vote for the Sydney Bridge Climb. An awesome experience!

I would also note that Viator is a great source for ideas on what to do. So is the cruiseline’s list of excursions. However, I suggest you don’t actually book tours through Viator. They are a tour re-seller. They are not the actual company that does your tour. With research, you can usually find the local company that is actually doing the tour. You can almost always purchase directly with them. Often at a lower price. This way you are in direct communication with the tour provider and not a third party reseller. Perhaps you already knew all this.

We've booked through Viator for years and have rarely had a bad experience. They offer 5% in Viator rewards for future tours and the Rakuten shopping portal often gives 10% cash back as well. Viator's cancellation policy is often better than local company too. Usually you can cancel online within 24 hours. If you book direct you usually have to call - not so good if you don't speak the language. I also like that customers can provide feedback that you can use to help evaluate the quality of tours. The vast majority of my feedback has been positive but I've also posted less than favorable feedback. All of my feedback has been posted for others to see.

In Warsaw a couple of years ago we did exactly what you suggested. Found a food tour in Viator and then booked direct. I figured I'd save some money and the tour operator would pocket a larger share. The food tour was awful. So bad that I reached out to the operator explaining the situation and asked if we maybe could get a discount on another tour in Krakow - maybe the guide had a bad day and thinking this might be a one-off. In two separate email responses they were defensive and basically told me to pound sand.

Booked our Krakow food tour through Viator and it was one of the best. Night and day difference.

11 tours in the last 12 months booked through Viator - on 3 different continents. I'll continue to give them our business until they give me a reason not to.

 

[CincyDave]

Thanks all for your feedback and ideas. Souschef, thanks for sharing your trip and pictures. Looks like you guys had a great time. The bridge climb looks neat but not sure if my knees or fear of heights make if a good fit. We will probably book our port excursions through the cruise line and use Viator for the others.

 

[brett]

We did a last minute cruise on RCI. Enjoyed it. Best day was Milford Sound. Weather spectacular and we had a retired Park Ranger doing the narrative all day.

You could spend a week in Sydney. Our last stay was 5 days even though we had been there before. A day at Bondi beach and environs. A day on the various ferry system routes. Trained to Blue Mountains then grabbed a tour bus outside the train station. Walking guide of city. Endless possibilites.

On our last land trip we spent a week driving through Tasmania. The Hobart market is fine but really it is just a market. 1-2 hours and it is done. You might want to combine this with a city tour. Or, perhaps go out to Port Arthur for and take the tour. On the way stop at the overlook of Hobart.

At Dunedin we signed up for the train trip. Then we spoke to a clerk at a Gov't tourist office in at a prior stop. She told us that when we got off the ship we could take a taxi to the train station, they buy a ticket. It considerably less money than the cruise tour. People we spoke later at dinner felt that the ship tour was a rip off. Lunch was a bag lunch. We got off the train and bought our lunch for a barbeque that the local Rotary club had set up...then went a block over to the pub for some cold ones.

Be careful in New Zealand. Do not try and disembark with any fruit in your bag. Big no no and it is taken seriously.

You might do well to get a Lonely Planet guide from the library and read up on your stops so you have a good notion beforehand of what you want to do. We also use trip advisor and cruisecritic.com forum roll calls. On several cruises we have joined private tours organized by posters on our cruise that have been first rate.

 

[Librarian]

DW and I have booked our first trip/cruise to Australia and New Zealand next February. It's a 16 day cruise on Holland starting in Sydney and ending in Auckland. We plan on spending a couple extra days on each end of the cruise. Just wondering if anyone had any advice for things to do, or day trips/excursions to take in Sydney and Auckland. Been looking on a site called Viator and there are so many choices, I thought I'd reach out to the group here.

The cruise ports in Australia will be Melbourne and Tasmania / Hobart. The ports in New Zealand will be Milford Sound, Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton, Picton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga. Any advice on things to do here are welcome as well.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or general advice.

I did NZ & New Caldonia out of SYD in Feb. Loved it!
Got a hotel right by SYD Opera House which is ALSO the port where you board--walkable!
Milford Sound--fjords, great photo ops if not too foggy.
Port Chalmers (Dunedin)--just wandered around Port Chalmers, reminded me of Alaska. Found a darling outdoor coffee/wine shop tucked behind a cute shop & enjoyed the sunny day. Cute locals market & enjoyed a local library (former librarian here) Friends walked into Dunedin. Not a lot there.
Wellington--very big city vibe tho smaller than Lincoln, right on the water
Napier--ADORABLE Art Deco town, right on the water. Did a winery tour, but we also toured about town a bit.
Tauranga--LOVE it. Very resort town. Perfect to hit the beach, wander the town. GREAT sushi (seriously, even take out). Great place to grab a drink & people watch.

 

[HI Bill]

In Sydney, I'd stay at "The Rocks" area next to the Opera House. Lots of great shops and restaurants, many waterfront. Expensive everything. Take a harbor cruise for great views of the opera house, and stop at the Taronga Zoo (at one of the ferry route terminus).

In Auckland, rent a car and go to Hobbiton, if you're at all a fan of the Hobbit or the LOTR. There's a great park in Auckland, with museums, hiking trails, etc. If you like burgers, try Burger Fuel! There are some hot springs/boiling mud pots a few hours away, as well as some awesome waterfalls. Tons of great hiking, and just outside of Auckland, there are great beaches with lots of birds.

 

[brett]

We have stayed in several hotels/locations in Sydney.

Our favorite so far has been Marriott Pier One Sydney Harbour. Short walk to the Sydney cruise ship terminal.

Spent a few days at the Regent, by the Opera house while on business a number of years ago. Both are in great locations. Close to CBD and the ferry terminal.

Last trip it was Four Points Sheraton Sydney for five days on Marriott points. Not in the CBD but very convenient as well.

 

[nwsteve]

Sydney has two cruise piers--the one next the Opera House and the other one is several miles away. . Viking ports there and I was told by our cab driver the city is in process of moving the majority cruise ships to new location--much bigger

 

[brett]

We did a Princess cruise from White Bay a few years ago. It seemed small to us. Perhaps this facility has been expanded/improved since our cruise.

Disembarking was not fun. Poor taxi service with long lines. We waited over 30 minutes in line to get a cab. Much prefered the Syndney Harbor cruise terminal for our RCI cruise. More convenient, more central, much better organized. Partly because we did not require a cab...just rolled our carry ons along to the Pier One hotel.

 

[nwsteve]

We ported in White Bay in Jan 2024--much expanded from our departure from there several years ago--2 other cruise boats at dock besides us. Taxi service better but our prebook ride had trouble finding the right dock for our ship. I think a lot of drivers don't come to White Bay that often and aren't sure how to access properly to get to proper waiting area.