when to go?

diana_simkin

Can't figure out when is best time to go to Australia/New Zealand. Other than avoiding their summer, what is the best month? My schedule is flexible, but I do have to plan a good deal in advance. I am thinking next March/April or May. Any suggestions????

British

Well, not many people like my idea, but it is what we did and so glad we did it that way.
We went to Australia in their winter, arriving two days early and staying a day later.
A couple of years later we went to New Zealand in their summer, again going two days early and staying on a day.
Yes, I know, two lots of flights but we did not care and anyway a three week long tour for the combined tour was not really what we wanted before my husband retired

AshvEd

We went in late February and early March and did both countries over 16 days. The flights from the East Coast of the US were long and expensive so two trips were not in our DNA. We went into Melbourne a few days ahead of time to see a few other places and get on the local time zone. There was quite a temperature difference between Uluru and Queenstown however we had layers to put on and it was very comfortable. It is a wonderful adventure and would highly recommend it.

joycesw

We went in mid-February, their fall, on the advice of Australians we met on a different tour. It was warm in Melbourne and the Outback but pleasant in Sydney. It was rainy in Queenstown but very pleasant elsewhere in New Zealand. We were pleased with our choice, although, we did require bug nets in the Outback. Great travel memories, however!

john_macdonald7

I doubt there is a perfect time to see both countries in one visit due to the significant differences in the 2 climates!
We went on the Australia/New Zealand trip in late January, February of 2017. We knew it would be hot in Australia, but we thought it was a good trade off for warmer weather in New Zealand! High temperatures in Australia were 80-90, and 95 at Ayer’s Rock. However, we had fabulous weather in New Zealand, with highs between 65-75 with lots of sun.
Some friends decided to go in April and had very nice weather in Australia but cool rainy weather in New Zealand and it snowed one afternoon in Queenstown!
Whenever you decide to go, I am certain you will have a wonderful experience, it was our favorite trip!

Choc

We went in late Sept. flying into Australia first. It was their spring. We had great weather in both countries for touring. We were gone 3 weeks.

PF606590

September/October is a good time. While it was quite hot at Ayer's Rock then, the biggest problem was the flies. We wore long sleeve shirts, which didn't help with the temperature.

New Zealand was a bit cool, bout very pleasant at that time of year.

This is a great tour, but we were tired after the 21 days.


PS Do take the optional balloon ride, it is a great experience

diana_simkin

Thank you all for the info. I can see there are pros and cons to all times of the year.

HuntNfun

We went on this tour in early November a few years ago on the advice of two ladies who live in Sydney and whom we had met on the Classic Italy tour in 2013. Late spring is a great time of year to go to both Australia and New Zealand. The weather was great; we wore lightweight jackets on a few days in NZ, with mild temps and rain only for a short while on a couple of days.

Regardless of the month you choose, you will find this to be truly a trip of a lifetime!



Ruby

Cas2

We went early Nov last year. The weather was fabulous—just a bit cool in Melbourne when we started (although weather was great the weekend before we arrived). And our NZ weather was also perfect. We may have just been lucky, but I would definitely recommend Nov over Feb (super busy and hot).