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is there a best time


Genessa
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I've wanted to visit New Zealand and Australia for as long as I can remember. Hopefully I'm retiring early March 2018 which will give me the time to visit and see some of what I want to see.

 

I'm thinking of flying to NZ, doing a land tour of both islands, then taking a cruise to Australia (or flying to Australia, doing a cruise), followed by a land tour of Australia, with a stop in Tasmania somewhere, and either flying home or possibly cruising to Hawaii and flying back to US from there(if available).

 

I just spent some time looking through all these great posts - and adding to the lists of places I want to see and things I want to do - but didn't see anyone asking if there was a best time to visit.

 

I'm sure that, like most places, the weather can be variable, but should I try to make my visit from say mid-March into mid-April, or wait until the end of 2018 or January of 2019? Or have I made a muddle of my seasons altogether?

 

Definitely want to do spring/summer things - walking/day hiking, snorkeling/diving, and touristy landscape sightseeing.

 

thanks for any help!

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If you want to do summer type items, then you should go in December or January, as those are the summer months. Going in March or April won't matter too much in most of Australia, but it will in Tasmania and New Zealand.

 

thanks! well, don't like waiting, but gives me more time to save up money ;)

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Well being in the Southern Hemisphere our seasons are opposite, so Spring and Summer are from Sept-Feb. But the thing to remember for Australia is that only the southern states have 4 seasons, the northern 3rd of the country is tropical climate so they have Wet/Dry season, with Summer months being the wet season with chances of Cyclones (Hurricaines). It's pretty weather similar to Florida in Summer. So for visiting the Great Barrier Reef for example, June to August is the best time, but it cold and wet down south then. If you're wanting to visit all over, you will find the shoulder seasons the best balance, personally I love October. If you're doing this over a couple of months, follow the weather, the first half of the year travel south to north, second half of the year to north to south.

 

If you're wanting to do a cruise back to Hawaii, they leave around late April, and they return in October. In the winter months there is only the local cruise lines of P&O, Carnival Australia and Princess Australia. During the cruise season you have RCI and Celebrity here also.

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Well being in the Southern Hemisphere our seasons are opposite, so Spring and Summer are from Sept-Feb. But the thing to remember for Australia is that only the southern states have 4 seasons, the northern 3rd of the country is tropical climate so they have Wet/Dry season, with Summer months being the wet season with chances of Cyclones (Hurricaines). It's pretty weather similar to Florida in Summer. So for visiting the Great Barrier Reef for example, June to August is the best time, but it cold and wet down south then. If you're wanting to visit all over, you will find the shoulder seasons the best balance, personally I love October. If you're doing this over a couple of months, follow the weather, the first half of the year travel south to north, second half of the year to north to south.

 

If you're wanting to do a cruise back to Hawaii, they leave around late April, and they return in October. In the winter months there is only the local cruise lines of P&O, Carnival Australia and Princess Australia. During the cruise season you have RCI and Celebrity here also.

 

awesome info! thank you so much!

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I used to live in Australia and also visited New Zealand a few times.

 

Because New Zealand is further south than Australia is, the best time to visit one country won't be the best time to visit the other. But, if I had to choose one 4-6 week time period for your visit (and that's the minimum amount of time you should devote to a trip to both of these countries), I would choose mid-October to mid-November with the trip commencing in Far North Queensland (theGreat Barrier Reef area) and continuing southward through Australia before continuing on to New Zealand. This itinerary will avoid the heat of summer in Australia and the summer school holidays in both countries while giving you pretty good weather in New Zealand.

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I used to live in Australia and also visited New Zealand a few times.

 

Because New Zealand is further south than Australia is, the best time to visit one country won't be the best time to visit the other. But, if I had to choose one 4-6 week time period for your visit (and that's the minimum amount of time you should devote to a trip to both of these countries), I would choose mid-October to mid-November with the trip commencing in Far North Queensland (theGreat Barrier Reef area) and continuing southward through Australia before continuing on to New Zealand. This itinerary will avoid the heat of summer in Australia and the summer school holidays in both countries while giving you pretty good weather in New Zealand.

 

thanks so much! I've been planning this trip of a lifetime in my head, but just adding to the list of must see/must do things and not taking it because I know that we need a minimum of a month. And just don't have that much vacation time ;). October-November it is!

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If you want to do summer type items, then you should go in December or January, as those are the summer months. Going in March or April won't matter too much in most of Australia, but it will in Tasmania and New Zealand.

 

Except it is HOT in summer.

 

I'd suggest Oct Nov

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You have pretty much missed our peak cruise season anyway.

 

It runs Oct to April.

 

 

thanks! I'm not planning for this year, or even next year, lol.

 

I was thinking maybe mid March or April of 2018, but after your posts, I'm now going to plan on October,November of 2018.

 

this will be a super expensive and long vacation and aside from not having time until after I retire, I'll need to start scrimping to save money for it.

Edited by Genessa
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I think you need to keep an open mind as to the best time of year.

 

Whilst Oct/Nov is great for most of Australia except perhaps Tasmania, the weather in March/April is also fantastic in the southern states. Note that northern part and centre is very hot during our summer. Today was a beautiful day in Sydney at 25 to 28 deg C and its Autumn!

 

We would do a cruise accross the top of Oz in Oct on Radiance but from Perth to Sydney via NZ on Radiance i would do in Feb.

 

We think NZ is better in Feb/March. Oct/Nov in NZ is still cold.

 

A repo cruise from Sydney to Seattle or Vancouver is a great way to return

Edited by cassamanda
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October - November here is still very early spring and can be changeable and cool, if not cold and rainy. Certainly not beach weather. The best time for warm weather is January - February, but this is peak holiday time being school summer holidays.:)

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October - November here is still very early spring and can be changeable and cool, if not cold and rainy. Certainly not beach weather. The best time for warm weather is January - February, but this is peak holiday time being school summer holidays.:)

 

I would agree with the October - November suggestion, pre cyclone season in northern Australia (unless you are very unlucky), with NZ at the end. I have visited NZ twice in November and got sunburnt on both occasions, as I underestimated the sunshine (and I am from the sub tropics). Of course, as Korimako says the weather can be changeable, so prepare for all weathers in NZ.

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Not in New Zealand...they could go to New Zealand in December or January, and Australia in November or February.

 

Hot....:confused::confused::confused:

 

What if there's a cruise that stops in both locations? ( I know this is not what the OP asked ) yet that is what I am looking to do.

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The point is, as NZ is further south than a good part of Australia, the summer is shorter there, and the overall temps are lower. So, if warmth is important in NZ, the target time is smaller. The overall temps are warmer in much of Australia, so a "summer trip there has a bigger time zone.

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I've booked a cruise for February from Sydney to Auckland and was thinking about doing an overland the prior week beginning at the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock and then on to Sydney. (It's an escorted tour.) But listening to what everyone has contributed, maybe that's not such a good idea. Any advice?

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Loujul, in Feb it is going to be hot. Really really hot. Stinking hot in the outback. Feb is probably the hottest month in Australia, and also one of the wettest.

 

Also our ozone layer is stuffed, and while a few hours lying around on a beach in the Mediterranean will get you a nice tan, in Australia it will get you 2nd degree burns.

 

Average Sydney temps will be mid to high 30's with the possibility of some 40+ degree days. North Qld will be slightly hotter but you also need to factor in the humidity factor, and the inability to swim in the waters due to stingers (unless you wear a special suit). You're looking at average 40+ degree days in Alice Springs / Ayers Rock. And those temps are celsius !!

 

I know that sounds really offputting, but I'm not saying don't do the tour, just be prepared for the heat. Your tour bus will be air conditioned as will your hotel rooms, and generally our infrastructure deals better with the heat than it does the cold, but still, be prepared. Hat, parasol, long sleeved loose cotton tops (so you don't burn), sunscreen with a good SPF and lots of drinking water. Avoid spending hours out and about in the middle of the day, go out in the morning & the afternoon if you can.

 

The advantage is that, particularly at Ayers Rock, there will be less tourists :)

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I've wanted to visit New Zealand and Australia for as long as I can remember. Hopefully I'm retiring early March 2018 which will give me the time to visit and see some of what I want to see.

 

I'm thinking of flying to NZ, doing a land tour of both islands, then taking a cruise to Australia (or flying to Australia, doing a cruise), followed by a land tour of Australia, with a stop in Tasmania somewhere, and either flying home or possibly cruising to Hawaii and flying back to US from there(if available).

 

I just spent some time looking through all these great posts - and adding to the lists of places I want to see and things I want to do - but didn't see anyone asking if there was a best time to visit.

 

I'm sure that, like most places, the weather can be variable, but should I try to make my visit from say mid-March into mid-April, or wait until the end of 2018 or January of 2019? Or have I made a muddle of my seasons altogether?

 

Definitely want to do spring/summer things - walking/day hiking, snorkeling/diving, and touristy landscape sightseeing.

 

thanks for any help!

 

I dare say that a place that you've always dreamed of - and places as amazing as Australia and New Zealand ARE that spectacular in any weather - won't disappoint because your heart is already in it - mine was. For a lot of us, price usually is a factor, as is time. Of course we want the weather to be nice but the reality is when we are actually standing there in these marvelous places, doing things we always dreamed of, it *almost* doesn't matter because everything is kind of wonderful.

 

I ended up going to Aussie/NZ in over mid-late April (in NZ for my birthday, unplanned but great) and it was their Autumn - it was indeed a bit cooler in NZ...especially when we'd gotten down to Dunedin but really only at night....the day times were really just lovely, sunny and breezy, mild. I couldn't have been more pleased at the weather in Australia which was idyllic and in NZ which was also really fine. The weather didn't affect or hinder my trip in any way whatsoever....nor has it ever done so anywhere I have ever gone and I have traveled to England, Scotland and France in January - smiling.

 

It's what you make of where you are, most of the time - barring extreme weather situations, of course. Is a sunny day lovely? Of course, especially for beaches and outdoor things...avoiding a known rainy season makes sense too but other than that, the best thing to do is just pack when, plan well and go, enjoy being there - smile. Things tend to work out :) April just might be OK....

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  • 1 month later...

So back to my question.. if the cruise lines go to both countries in mostly Feb. is the weather hot and humid just in Sydney & Melbourne?

Then NZ is mild? Feb 6- 18th

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruises/12-day-australia-and-new-zealand-from-sydney-STAR12SYDMELBWTORRAKAWLGNPETAUAKL?numberOfGuests=4294915774&destinations=Australia_&_New_Zealand_Cruises&state=NY&itineraryCode=STAR12SYDMELBWTORRAKAWLGNPETAUAKL

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So back to my question.. if the cruise lines go to both countries in mostly Feb. is the weather hot and humid just in Sydney & Melbourne?

Then NZ is mild? Feb 6- 18th

 

You can find cruises between Oz and NZ from October through April.

 

According to Wikipedia, for Feb (degrees F):

 

Auckland: Record High = 86.9, Avg High = 74.7, Avg Low = 60.4, Record Low = 47.7

 

Sydney: Record High = 107.8, Avg High = 78.8, Avg Low = 65.8, Record Low = 49.3

 

Melbourne: Record High = 115.5, Avg High = 78.4, Avg Low = 58.3, Record Low = 40.1

 

You can see from that the main difference between the cities in Feb are the record highs in Sydney and Melbourne. The average temperatures are really quite similar.

 

Fortunately record highs are relatively rare. You may get a few days in the high 90s or even over 100 in Sydney and Melbourne, but then again you may not. Last Feb in Sydney the max temperature never exceeded 90.

 

Everything is relative, but neither Sydney or Melbourne are particularly humid in summer. For that you need to go north of Brisbane.

 

If I were doing an Oz/NZ trip I would do it in Feb/Mar. Oct/Nov are too chancy in NZ and Dec/Jan are school holidays.

 

The thing to always remember is that you can't control the weather, so don't plan on your holiday being perfect, just plan on it being fun.

Edited by SinbadThePorter
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If I were doing an Oz/NZ trip I would do it in Feb/Mar. Oct/Nov are too chancy in NZ and Dec/Jan are school holidays.

 

The thing to always remember is that you can't control the weather, so don't plan on your holiday being perfect, just plan on it being fun.

 

Somewhat comforting to know we chose a good time to be cruising in your part of the world.:D We have 10 days in the Cook Islands and then a 13-day cruise planned for New Zealand in February and a 29-day circumnavigation planned for March/April next year. We always pack for all types of weather no matter where in the world we go. This trip is a bit more challenging as we will be travelling for 2 months.

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Somewhat comforting to know we chose a good time to be cruising in your part of the world.:D We have 10 days in the Cook Islands and then a 13-day cruise planned for New Zealand in February and a 29-day circumnavigation planned for March/April next year. We always pack for all types of weather no matter where in the world we go. This trip is a bit more challenging as we will be travelling for 2 months.

 

Now that sounds just about perfect.

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you can find cruises between oz and nz from october through april.

 

According to wikipedia, for feb (degrees f):

 

Auckland: Record high = 86.9, avg high = 74.7, avg low = 60.4, record low = 47.7

 

sydney: Record high = 107.8, avg high = 78.8, avg low = 65.8, record low = 49.3

 

melbourne: Record high = 115.5, avg high = 78.4, avg low = 58.3, record low = 40.1

 

you can see from that the main difference between the cities in feb are the record highs in sydney and melbourne. The average temperatures are really quite similar.

 

Fortunately record highs are relatively rare. You may get a few days in the high 90s or even over 100 in sydney and melbourne, but then again you may not. Last feb in sydney the max temperature never exceeded 90.

 

Everything is relative, but neither sydney or melbourne are particularly humid in summer. For that you need to go north of brisbane.

 

If i were doing an oz/nz trip i would do it in feb/mar. Oct/nov are too chancy in nz and dec/jan are school holidays.

 

The thing to always remember is that you can't control the weather, so don't plan on your holiday being perfect, just plan on it being fun.

 

thank you!:) Looking at a cruise from Feb 6th to 18th

Edited by ISLABONITA
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