This is a post about our incredible 23-day journey through the stunning landscapes and vibrant cities of Australia and New Zealand. This was the longest international vacation we have taken, but wanted to make the most of the long flight and the great expense of this trip. It was a trip filled with city exploration, breathtaking nature, delicious food, and unforgettable experiences. We loved it so much, we hope to make it back someday. Click on the links for other blog posts.
Table of Contents
Days 1-4: The Heartbeat of Sydney
Our adventure began in Sydney, a city that immediately captivated me with its energy. The first two days were spent exploring the city on foot, taking in the iconic sights, from the bustling streets to the serene beauty of the Botanical Gardens. At the Botanical Garden I learned about the Jacaranda Tree, which to our amazement was in bloom all around Sydney and a few other places. These trees bloomed a beautiful purple, that just made you smile. A highlight was the Bridge Climb, offering a panoramic view of the city and its stunning harbor. Day three took us out of the city on a “Wildlife, Waterfalls, and Wine” day tour, a perfect way to experience the diverse natural beauty just outside Sydney’s urban core. The tour brought us up close with Koala, Kangaroo and Wallaby’s in addition to a short hike, and lunch on the beach. It was on this tour that our guide gave each of us a small treat, a Tim Tam…and well, we kept buying them, trying all the different flavors over the next few weeks. On the fourth day, we took a ferry to Manly Beach for a taste of Sydney’s famous coastal lifestyle and ended the day with a show at the iconic Opera House, a truly magical experience, even though we were in one of the smaller rooms.
Days 5-8: New South Wales Coastal Charms
We decided to rent a car so we can drive up the coast. They drive on the left side of the road, so Justin was the brave one to give this a try. He did really well, aside from the first 45 minutes of adjusting. We drove to Nelson Bay, a coastal city with a laid-back vibe. The town looked really cute, but maybe we were in shoulder season since almost nothing open. Wd did get our first Meat Pie (well, mine was vegetarian, Justin’s was traditional) here and then we got a few more during the week in different towns. We spent time walking around the town wishing we didn’t miss the whales by 2 weeks, found a walking path and looked at all the birds. The highlight of our time here was a thrilling quad biking tour on the Stockton Dunes, an exhilarating way to see the vast sandscapes. We also took a ferry to Tea Gardens, enjoying the peaceful journey across the bay. Our ferry ride got us super close to a dolphin jumping up right next to us, a drink at a bar on the other side, and a private ride back. The next morning we set out to continued our drive, stopping to admire the majestic Ellenborough Falls and the picturesque Crowdy Head Lighthouse, soaking in the coastal scenery. The first time we got to see the Southern Sky where we admired all new stars.
Days 8-9: Rainforests and Regional Towns
We made our way to Port Macquarie, where we visited the Koala Hospital and took a walk through the lush rainforest. The journey continued with a bush road drive to Coff’s Harbour. The next day, after breakfast in Bellingen, we explored the stunning Dorrigo National Park, home to a section of the ancient Gondwana Rainforest. We walked the raised loop trail looking for birds, wildlife and of course attention to the trees some of which are 600-800 years old. The drive to Glen Innes was a scenic one, showcasing the diverse inland landscapes of New South Wales.
Days 10-14: From Byron Bay to Noosa Heads
We made a four-hour drive to the bohemian paradise of Byron Bay. Unfortunately, it rained all day, so we spent the day relaxing, eating, and drinking. It was too bad, it was a cute looking, very touristy beach town. The next day, we drove to Montville, a charming hinterland town on a hill, and enjoyed lunch with a view at The Edge Cafe, Bar & Restaurant before embarking a hike to Kondalilla Falls. Our lodging was lovely aside from a private hot tube that was never cleaned and the couples shower while cool in design, somewhat impractical and an open area toilet. We then made our way to Noosa Heads, stopping at the famous Eumundi Flea Market (getting the best souvenir of all, the Clever Dick Juicer), meeting up with friends, and simply enjoying the beautiful Noosa Beach. A highlight was the Noosa Coastal Walk, followed by a sunset boat tour and a lovely dinner, a perfect end to our time there.
Days 15-17: Brisbane City Life
We drove to Brisbane, a city with a modern and friendly atmosphere. Our first night was celebrated with a delicious degustation dinner. The next two days were dedicated to exploring the city’s highlights, including a ride on the Ferris Wheel, a scenic ferry trip along the river, and a visit to a museum. We had planned another bridge climb, but it was unfortunately canceled due to weather.
Days 18-22: The North Island of New Zealand
The journey continued with a flight to Auckland, New Zealand. The first two days were spent exploring the city’s iconic sites, including a bridge climb, a visit to the Sky Tower, and a stroll down Queen Street. Confident in Justin’s driving, we rented a car and drove to Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity and stunning natural beauty. We explored waterfalls, walked around the town, and experienced a truly unique glow worm kayak tour. The next day, after a canopy tree walk, we drove back to Auckland, enjoying a comedy show in the evening with headliner Ben Hurley. Our final day in Auckland we took a ferry to Davenport for breakfast and visited three breweries before the weather forced us to stay in the hotel until our flight home. We made the most of it, though, catching up on books and movies, ending a truly unforgettable 3 week adventure.
Packing for the trip
Packing for the three week vacation was a little challenging because we like to fly with just carry-on suitcases and personal item. With the time difference and because this was a vacation and not a trip, we decided to leave our bulky laptops at home, we wouldn’t be working. We were going in November, but that is Summer there which is great since that clothing takes up less space. We’d do laundry at least twice and intentionally picked lodging where washer and dryer was available.
- D Clothing: 1 pair jeans, 2 pairs shorts, 1 skirt, 3 tank tops, 3 short sleeve shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 casual dress, 1 PJ, 2 bathing suits, 1 coverup, rain jacket, rain pants, hoodie/sweatshirt, 8 under ware, 3 bra, socks
- J Clothing: 4 pair shorts, 1 pair pants, 2 hoodies, 5 short sleeve shirts, 1 long sleeve tee shirt, purchased 1 short sleeve dress shirt there, 1 PJ, 8 under ware, socks
- Accessories: hats, sunglasses, 2 day bags, purse, 1 thin small travel towel, eye masks, travel pillows
- Shoes: waterproof sneakers, flip flops, sandals
- Toiletries: sunscreen (bought lots more), medications, dental stuff, hair products, shaving razors,
- Other: iPad, Kindle, 2 paper books, headphones, phones, headphone splitter, rocketbook, chargers, paper currency
What would we do different?
The trip was amazing. One of my favorites. I honestly wouldn’t change that much. But I guess, it would be that I shouldn’t have second guessed our first itinerary which was to go to Tasmania not New Zealand. I thought maybe we’d never go back to this area, and I thought going to New Zealand would be great. I wanted to see Glow Worms (Australia has a cave that we passed on our way to Noosa) – and it was cool, but not cool enough to go out of the way for. I didn’t love Auckland, or maybe I was tired by week 2 1/2. We couldn’t pull off going to the South Island due to the limited timing we had around things that was already planned, but I would rather have gone there, or not gone at all, staying in Australia for the extra few days.
What I loved, aside from the Tim Tam’s, was that even though this was an international trip, it wasn’t as hard as other places we’ve been. We could easily converse (aside from accents and some vocabulary that was unfamilar) and read signs and menus. We rented a car to give us a little more freedom in where we wanted to go, and we got used to being on the left. We bought e-sim card so we’d have data and maps. We predownloaded plenty of movies and tv shows on our devices (sometimes you are limited if you are in another country). We met up with a couple we knew which broke up the travel, doing ‘local’ things and having other people to talk to. All in all, it was ‘easier’ and I can’t wait to go back.
Detailed Itinerary: Australia and New Zealand
| Getting there / Days 0 | Flights | |
| Day 1 | Sydney | Walk around informally. Eat & drink |
| Day 2 | Sydney | Walk around town Botanical Gardens Bridge Climb |
| Day 3 | Sydney | Tour: Wildlife Waterfalls and Wine Day Tour from Sydney |
| Day 4 | Sydney | Manly Beach Opera House Show: The Twelfth Night |
| Day 5 | Nelson Bay | Drive through New Castle to Nelson Bay Walk around town |
| Day 6 | Nelson Bay to Port Stephens | Breakfast with a view Tour: Quad Biking on Stockton Dunes Ferry to Tea Gardens from Nelson Bay (info link) |
| Day 7 | Port Stephens to Port Macquarie | Ellenborough Falls Crowdy Head Lighthouse (info link) |
| Day 8 | Port McQuarie | Bush road drive to Coff’s Harbour Koala Hospital Rainforest Walk |
| Day 9 | Glen Innes | Bellingen for Breakfast Dorrigo National Park Gondwana Rainforest (info link) Drive to Glen Innes |
| Day 10 | Byron Bay | Four hour drive to Byron Bay (Rained all day so we ate and drank and relaxed) |
| Day 11 | Montville | 3 hour drive to Montville lunch with a view in town waterfall hike |
| Day 12 | Noosa Heads | Emundi Flea Market Drive to Noosa Heads See Friends / Beach |
| Day 13 | Noosa Heads | Noosa Beach |
| Day 14 | Noosa Heads | Noosa Costal Walk Breweries Sunset Boat Tour Dinner Hotel Pool |
| Day 15 | Brisbane | Drive to Brisbane Degustation Dinner |
| Day 16 | Brisbane | Explore Brisbane including Ferris Wheel, Ferry, Dinner with Friends |
| Day 17 | Brisbane | Explore Brisbane including museum Bridge Climb (weather cancelled) |
| Day 18 | Auckland | Fly to Auckland Casual around town |
| Day 19 | Auckland | Auckland Bridge Climb Sky Tower Queen Street |
| Day 20 | Auckland / Rotorua | Drive to Rotorua Waterfalls Around Town Tour: Glow Worm Kayak |
| Day 21 | Rotorua / Auckland | Canopy Tree Walk Drive back to Auckland Comedy Club |
| Day 22 | Auckland | Ferry to Davenport for breakfast Three breweries |
| Day 23 | Auckland / Flight Home | Heavy rain, so we stayed in hotel until flight. Read books / watched movies Flight Home |