For the last several years running, Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) has been the world’s fastest growing cruise market, and all the cruise lines have some presence “down under”.
There are more choices than a reasonable person can sort through!
To make things a bit easier for you, I’ve put together an ANZ Bucket List.
But first, here are some little bits of trivia that might help guide your decisions for a cruise to ANZ:
- It’s a long way away. From LA or Vancouver it is a 14-hour flight to Sydney or Auckland. If you’re going to the time and expense of flying to the other side of the world, you should stay as long as you can.
- Australia is big. It’s about the same size as the lower 48 states – so, NO – you can’t drive from Sydney to Perth for a couple of a nights.
- You will find your cost of things in ANZ is more similar to Europe than the United States. As Americans, we love to complain about the cost of things, when in fact, most goods and services are substantially cheaper here than in other Western Nations. This is one reason why cruising is such great value in ANZ.
Here are my best suggestions of things not to be missed in Australia:
- Sydney– this is one of the world’s great harbor cities. It is as cosmopolitan as it is beautiful. It is also a great place to recover from your jet lag, so plan on spending a few days here at a minimum.
- The Great Barrier Reef– if you are a snorkeler or diver, this is mandatory.Even for the rest of us, there is nothing else that compares to this on the entire planet. The reef is closest to Australia in Cairns, which for most people will require a flight. You can also fly to one of the reef islands, but going to ANZ without visiting the barrier reef is a bit like going to Paris and missing the Eiffel Tower.
- Ayers Rock/Uluru– Fine, it’s just a big red rock, but it is unique, and it’s a great excuse to visit the Outback and hunt kangaroos with your camera. You can also take a camel ride in Alice Springs, and visit the township of Coober Pedy, where the population lives in dug-out caves.
There are tons of other things to see in Australia, but unless you are able to travel for months, that might have to do. New Zealand is much smaller, but far more diverse than Australia on just about any comparison.
Most of the 2 week Australia/New Zealand cruises hit one or two ports in Australia, and then 8 or 10 ports in New Zealand. This is because in many ways, there is more to see in NZ.
Here’s your New Zealand list:
- Milford Sound– If you’ve ever done an Alaskan Cruise, this is the Southern Hemisphere’s equivalent.
- Queenstown and Christchurch– these two small cities on the South Island ooze charm and scenic beauty. Christchurch was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 2011, but the recovery effort is nearly completed.
- Napier– this is probably the world’s best display of art deco architecture.It is also near the wine-growing area of New Zealand, and there are lots of parks and pedestrian areas.
- Rotorua and Lake Taupo– New Zealand is an active geothermal area, and this is evident in these places. A great place to see geysers, hot springs, and even a geo-thermal power plant.
- Auckland– this is New Zealand’s only city of over a million, and while it is not a scenic as Sydney, it has it’s own charm, and is very much built around its natural harbor.
- Bay of Islandsand North of Auckland – this is the tropical part of NZ, and includes small beach communities and townships with a surfing and artistic feel.
There are several cruises that enable you to put most of these ticks in the box. The exception is Ayers Rock that you will have to fly to (it’s 1000 miles from the ocean). These cruises are a minimum of 2 weeks long, and ideally you start in either Sydney or Auckland, and then finish in the other. It is fairly easy (and won’t cost you any more) to open-jaw an air ticket into one city, and out of the other.
There are cruise ships in Australia year-round, but there are many more options from November through March.
There are other cruises originating in Australia that go to Asia, the South Pacific, or all the way around Australia, but if you haven’t been “down under” before, I would suggest starting with something similar to the above.
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
