Weather-HELP

Is March 21 2006 too late for going to Austailia /New Zealand??????

Thanks Patty

Which parts are you going to?? Weather varies greatly within both these countries. And then it depends what you want to do - eg if you want beaches etc March will be fine in some parts but not in others.

We want beach activities. I think we go to all parts. Sounds like maybe February would be better. What do ya think.?????

We want beach activities. I think we go to all parts. Sounds like maybe February would be better. What do ya think.?????

When you say all parts I am not sure what you mean as you would need quite some time to cover it all. For most parts March would be fine, definitely good for Queensland and actually better than February for northern Qld (Cairns, Barrier Reef etc) as it can still be quite cyclonic there then.. Southern Qld (gold coast, sunshine coast ) March once again would be beautiful. For New South Wales and Victoria the weather might not be as consistently warm/hot, although March in Melbourne is often beautiful with mild to warm clear days. I personally wouldn't swim there then but it depends what you are used to.

Tasmania will be getting cooler in March and personally I find the water there a bit too cool for swimming even in summer, but I am a frog.

Are you going to the northern Territory- that is totally different again- top end hot humid and wet wet wet. The centre will be very hot. The ideal time to visit Northern Territory is May/June (IMHO)

I can't really speak for New Zealand except that I have been there in January and it was beautiful- depending where you go again, it can be quite cool to quite warm.

Overall March is a beautiful month and you really shouldn't go too wrong. Just check when Easter falls as it is a very popular holiday break and accommodation will be more expensive and harder to get. Sue

Which would you suggest for getting the best exchange rate , atm,charge card or us traveler's checks?

 

Margie

Which would you suggest for getting the best exchange rate , atm,charge card or us traveler's checks?

There's lots of discussion all over about the relative merits of these. You need to look at more than just the exchange rate, because commission and spread also affect how much local currency you get for every dollar that you started out with. You also need to take into account convenience.

 

For me, that last factor overrides everything else. I love being able to jump on a plane to Sydney knowing that I don't even have to think about how much money I've got left in my Aussie dollar pack - or even whether I've remembered to pack it - because I can just go to the nearest ATM when I get there. Same for most of the other places I'm going to regularly.

I wrote this on another thread... you might find helpful.....

 

For those who are interested, and some of you may already know this, if you would like to get an idea of what type of weather to expect in any port/city at time of arrival, check this link http://www.wunderground.com/ click 'international' find country and/or city, click 'trip planner', put in dates you will be there and you will see a multiyear weather history of those dates. Very informative and interesting.

 

Andy

Hi Patty,

 

If you're coming to NZ then March should still be fine weather, though with recent global patterns no one can be sure. Last year for instance Feb was the wettest in memory here with torrential floods for the whole month in many areas. This summer is been the wettest and coldest December for 60 years, so who knows.

 

We live in Tauranga and at present its glorious, though with any small landmass in the middle of a large ocean the weather can change drastically in a short time and be very different throughout the country on the same day.

 

March or Feb, both should still be good, go for it.

 

So what if it rains, you probably shower each day, so whats a little water!.

 

If you are coming to Tauranga NZ let me know if i can help with anything.

 

Happy cruising.

Betty Ann, I'd suggest you contact the cerdit card companies you may be using since many have service fee's and conversion fee's that vary by company.Some have a fee I:E $2 + a percentage of amount every time you charge something.I called a couple & the fee's vary by company. Hope this helps ,we leave on the 30th from Auckland.

March is a great time to go to Australia. It is Autumn and the weather is normally pleasant. It is my favourite time of the year in Australia.

Hi all!

 

I, too, am researching travel to A/NZ in the early part of 2006. From what I've seen in this thread, March is a good time to go. If the weather on land is pretty good, how are the seas for cruising at that time? And will it be warm enough to be pool side (in a swimsuit rather than a heavy coat!!! :D )?

 

We're looking at the Diamond Princess going from Sydney to Melbourne, Hobart, Fiordland, Dunedin, Christchurch, Tauranga and Auckland. Our choices are departure dates in Jan, Feb and March. But we're concerned about the roughness of the seas and whether or not we'd want to be out on deck due to cooler temperatures.

 

Thanks for your help!!!

tigre

I live in Melbourne and this year March and April were our best months with lovely sunny days, no wind and lots of sunshine with temperatures ranging from 20C to 24C. In March, our nights start to cool down to around 15C which is 50F.

 

If you are coming to Melbourne, please remember that we will be having the Commonwealth Games in March and the city will be very crowded. The Games are like a mini Olympics for Commonwealth countries - that is any country that was once part of the British Empire.

 

Sydney will still be warm and of course up north will be extemely hot. We spent two weeks at Port Douglas just north of Cairns in late April and we had very hot, humid weather with lots of rain.

 

As far as the seas are concerned, they can change any day, depending on the highs and lows and of course the winds but I do think that March is a very settled month down here.

 

Jennie

Hi all!

 

I, too, am researching travel to A/NZ in the early part of 2006. From what I've seen in this thread, March is a good time to go. If the weather on land is pretty good, how are the seas for cruising at that time? And will it be warm enough to be pool side (in a swimsuit rather than a heavy coat!!! :D )?

 

We're looking at the Diamond Princess going from Sydney to Melbourne, Hobart, Fiordland, Dunedin, Christchurch, Tauranga and Auckland. Our choices are departure dates in Jan, Feb and March. But we're concerned about the roughness of the seas and whether or not we'd want to be out on deck due to cooler temperatures.

 

Thanks for your help!!!

tigre

Hi Tigre, difficult to predict the oceans exactly around the NZ coast but this is normally a pretty calm season for us, though the ocean between NZ and Australia can blow up quite quickly. The ship you are on should be able to handle it. If you are needing some advice on what to do and see in our home town of Tauranga let us know, there is a lot to do apart from the normal tours to Rotorua to see the geo-thermals. Temperatures on land vary from north to south so expect cooler climates in Dunedin and hotter in Auckland, between 18 and 30 degrees C is the range over the summer months.

Thank you both! We were on the Norwegian Crown in March, which is a tiny ship if you've never seen it, and the waters in the Atlantic were quite nasty. We just want to get a good idea of what to expect down under if we end up booking on the Diamond Princess.

Thanks again for your help!! :)

 

tigre

Thank you both! We were on the Norwegian Crown in March, which is a tiny ship if you've never seen it, and the waters in the Atlantic were quite nasty. We just want to get a good idea of what to expect down under if we end up booking on the Diamond Princess.

Thanks again for your help!! :)

 

tigre

The Diamond Princess is the largest ship to visit NZ at about 116,000 toms [ i think] so the trip should be both smooth and enjoyable. At over 18 stories tall it dwarfes the port when tied up in Mount Maunganui [the actual location of the Port of Tauranga cruise liner berth]. The entrance to the harbour looks almost to small to allow entry but it does get in, stopping in Tauranga 8 times this season 2005/06. If you need any further info re NZ or our city of Tauranga and the local area please advise.

Tigre and PattyCruise,

Why don't you both join our thread on group cruises to Australia.

A big group of us cruise critic members have booked the Feb 25th cruise Sydney/New Zealand

Check out out the thread,and you will get a vast amount of info on any question you want answered regarding weather,money,ship tours etc.

Right now we are trying to plan a cruise critic get acquainted party.

We would love to welcome you both in our group.

Think about it now,so you can get a good cabin and rate.

 

Betty anne

Hi Betty anne, could you give us the link to the two threads.

 

I'm doing the 2006 Oct 27 HAL Statendam.

 

Marge

 

Tigre and PattyCruise,

Why don't you both join our thread on group cruises to Australia.

A big group of us cruise critic members have booked the Feb 25th cruise Sydney/New Zealand

Check out out the thread,and you will get a vast amount of info on any question you want answered regarding weather,money,ship tours etc.

Right now we are trying to plan a cruise critic get acquainted party.

We would love to welcome you both in our group.

Think about it now,so you can get a good cabin and rate.

 

Betty anne

Can anyone post when Ester Break for 2006 will be in Sudney? We are planning a stay April 7 to 14? (Will be checking out of Sydney Hotel Fri. April 14 and embarking the Diamond) so will not be needing the hotel for the Easter Weekend - Will the Sydney hotels be more expensive/ capacity limited? that week before Easter?? Thanks, GotTiCruise

Gotto Cruise,

 

The Easter Break will be from Friday 14th April until Tuesday 18th April. Usually the hotels in the city are cheaper over Easter.

 

Though there is always a lot on in Sydney during Easter including the Royal Easter Show. I would start and book now. Usually they are cheaper the earlier you book.

 

Jennie