February or October for Australia/New Zealand cruise?

[Carol28]

We are looking at a land tour of Australia and then a cruise of New Zealand in either February or October. Which is the best month for this? Both tours go to the north and south areas of both.  I'm wondering about rainfall, temperature and now I'm wondering about flies that I just read about on Tripadvisor.  

[portcbob]

I would be more worried about actually cruising then flies. 

Firstly your no hope in February if your referring to 2022.

October may be a chance of cruising however its only maybe at this stage 

If your referring to 2023 I would recommend cruising in NZ in February.

[Carol28]

Thank you. Yes. 2023 is the target year.  Why do you think February is better? It's hotter than, I think. We live in South Florida so we wouldn't go for the warmth.  But, I don't want cold either.  I read that Australia had bad fires and drought for the last two years and wonder if that is one reason not to go in October?  I do appreciate your opinion on all these matters.  What about rainy season? I'd hate that!

[lissie]

Even Australia doesn't all have the same climate an NZ is a different  climate again. If you asked should I come in Feb or October to USA what would you say?

 

February is our best weather in NZ - but it can still be 10C and raining down south in Fiordland  - its a rainforest - its what it does and it makes it stunningly beautiful. On a good day it will be 20C. You're want to bring layers. But the rest of the country it should be fine. We'd consider 30C up north a good day (Taurangua, Auckland, Bay of Islands) .  Tasmania and Victoria are somewhat similar - but hotter - up to mid 30's 

 

Feb is the rainy season in the far north of Australia ie Cairns, Darwin up there October would be better- while it could be miserable weather in all of NZ and Melbourne. 

 

Sydney and Brisbane are kind of in the middle. Western Australia is entirely different again - October is peak wildflower season and a beautiful time to come to Perth. 

 

C to F conversion Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion | °C to °F (metric-conversions.org)

Edited December 15, 2021 by lissie

[OzKiwiJJ]

The best combination would be to cruise in late February then do your land tour in Australia.

 

Sea conditions around the lower South Island of NZ can still be a bit dicey in October so there is a higher risk of missing out on the Fiordland scenic cruising.

 

Usually flies in Australia aren't too much of a problem in the coastal areas and cities but can be annoying inland at times. However we had no problems on our trip in Feb/Mar this year travelling through inland NSW to Broken Hill, then through South Australia and Victoria before returning up the coast to Sydney. If there are flies around I wear a broad brimmed hat and spray repellant under the brim. It seems to keep them away from my face OK.

[SinbadThePorter]

5 hours ago, Carol28 said:

We are looking at a land tour of Australia and then a cruise of New Zealand in either February or October. Which is the best month for this? Both tours go to the north and south areas of both.  I'm wondering about rainfall, temperature and now I'm wondering about flies that I just read about on Tripadvisor.  

 

The short answer is that February is the better month for NZ and October the better month for Australia. If it was me, I would go for February. Less chance of stormy seas in NZ.

 

Flies can be very annoying. Sometimes there are swarms of them, more often just a few. If going to Uluru I would take fly nets and insect repellent just in case.

 

 

[mr walker]

Flies in Australia & the sandflies on the NZ west coast are all part of the deal when travelling downunder. You can take precautions as Julie says, but let me assure you that you will hardly notice the insects - you will be totally absorbed in what you will see around you.

Oh, and I'm not mentioning the snakes, spiders, sharks, crocodiles and drop bears 🙂 

[OzKiwiJJ]

34 minutes ago, mr walker said:

Flies in Australia & the sandflies on the NZ west coast are all part of the deal when travelling downunder. You can take precautions as Julie says, but let me assure you that you will hardly notice the insects - you will be totally absorbed in what you will see around you.

Oh, and I'm not mentioning the snakes, spiders, sharks, crocodiles and drop bears 🙂 

Shhhh! Don't mention the drop bears! 🤣

[Bubbeh]

All posters have given very good advice regarding when to travel to this neck of the woods.  I'd agree and further suggest that October is best for northern Australia while February is better for southern Australia; we're a very big country you know with diverse weather and to some degree culture.  If you're nervous about flies and bush fires don't come here in any year with 12 months, they're just a fact of life and we deal with insects and extreme weather events every year.  Stick to the coastal areas and you'll have a better experience in terms of flies etc.  Go anywhere in this country and you could find yourself confronted with fire during the season.  However, we are very good at fighting our fires with a volunteer and professional brigade across this vast land who annually perform miracles.

 

In terms of New Zealand, we did a cruise in February 4 years ago and crossing the ditch was very rough.  So bad that the crew posted sick bags in all common areas.  While I always travel with anti emetics, I've never been seasick in my life before this crossing.  However, after a few vomits the Nurse gave me a shot of something in my bum and I fell asleep soon afterwards.  The following day it was all over except that the ship smelt a bit gross for a little while - some strange mixture of spew and disinfectant.  Notwithstanding all this, I'd agree that February is probably the best month for a cruise of New Zealand in terms of climatic conditions.  I wore a coat every shore day because I thought it was colder than I liked but then I'm a sook when it comes to cold weather, you may fare much better.

 

As they say, watch out for the snakes, spiders, mossies and especially the drop bears 😉.

[lyndarra]

My last Australia/New Zealand cruise was a month before everything shut down, February last year. Goldilocks weather. Not too hot, not too cold.

[Porky55]

Another thing the OP should consider is distances. Unless they are travelling with an unlimited budget and can fly everywhere - they can’t get from Sydney to Uluṟu in a day - or from Brisbane to the Barrier Reef . Australia is a BIG place Carole28 - you need a plan: where do you want to go, what do you want to see and how much time do you have? 
 

I would go for October btw - NZ is a cruise so climate easily managed and Aus at her best during that month 🤔

 

Let us know what you decide or if you want more specific info, ie locations. 👍

 

[Carol28]

Thanks, everyone.  We will be doing a Princess Cruisetour so we don't have to worry about the travel part or how long in each place.  We take busses and planes (and maybe boats and trains!) From what I read from these responses, we will do it in February.  The 6 day land part will be first, starting in Sydney, then Ulura , Cairns, and then back to Sydney to jump on the cruise that does NZ for 13 days.

[Porky55]

29 minutes ago, Carol28 said:

Thanks, everyone.  We will be doing a Princess Cruisetour so we don't have to worry about the travel part or how long in each place.  We take busses and planes (and maybe boats and trains!) From what I read from these responses, we will do it in February.  The 6 day land part will be first, starting in Sydney, then Ulura , Cairns, and then back to Sydney to jump on the cruise that does NZ for 13 days.

With that itinerary of 6 days, sure hope it’s planes - or most of the 6 days will be spent travelling 🙄 Though admittedly thru some amazing country. Feb is probably when the NT is near its hottest - and we are talking Arizona mid summer temps and higher. Then Cairns - humid and hot. 
Really do hope you enjoy your time here, though would personally not holiday in either location in Feb. Sydney will be nice and warm too.

Approximate distances and travel times - without any stops:

Sydney to Uluṟu - 2800km or 1740ml - or 1 1/2 days driving

Uluṟu to Cairns - 2800km or 1740ml - “.          “

Cairns to Sydney - 2500km or 1500ml - “.      “

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Porky55

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Porky55 said:

With that itinerary of 6 days, sure hope it’s planes - or most of the 6 days will be spent travelling 🙄 Though admittedly thru some amazing country. Feb is probably when the NT is near its hottest - and we are talking Arizona mid summer temps and higher. Then Cairns - humid and hot. 
Really do hope you enjoy your time here, though would personally not holiday in either location in Feb. Sydney will be nice and warm too.

Approximate distances and travel times - without any stops:

Sydney to Uluṟu - 2800km or 1740ml - or 1 1/2 days driving

Uluṟu to Cairns - 2800km or 1740ml - “.          “

Cairns to Sydney - 2500km or 1500ml - “.      “

 

I don't think anyone would drive those distances - Sydney to Uluru, them Uluru to Cairns. Flights are available.

[GUT2407]

February in the centre would be a big NO from me. Max temp mid 30s in Oct you would be looking at about 5 decrees c lower

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

That's the problem with Aus/NZ travel. What is best for NZ is worst for Aus and vice versa.

[Porky55]

On 12/17/2021 at 8:18 AM, Aus Traveller said:

I don't think anyone would drive those distances - Sydney to Uluru, them Uluru to Cairns. Flights are available.

Exactly, so hopefully the Princess Cruisetour is all flying to each destination, for the OPs personal comfort.
 

But again, the Australian Outback and Cairns in Feb - not a chance 😳 So much more enjoyable during our Winter, (or October!)

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Exactly, so hopefully the Princess Cruisetour is all flying to each destination, for the OPs personal comfort.
 

But again, the Australian Outback and Cairns in Feb - not a chance 😳 So much more enjoyable during our Winter, (or October!)

The Princess cruisetour is flying the legs because it is less than seven days. It would be too expensive if people were taken by road.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Exactly, so hopefully the Princess Cruisetour is all flying to each destination, for the OPs personal comfort.
 

But again, the Australian Outback and Cairns in Feb - not a chance 😳 So much more enjoyable during our Winter, (or October!)

My guess is that it will be one night in Sydney, fly to Uluru for two nights, fly to Cairns for two nights, fly back to Sydney for one night before boarding the cruise.

[Aus Traveller]

15 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

My guess is that it will be one night in Sydney, fly to Uluru for two nights, fly to Cairns for two nights, fly back to Sydney for one night before boarding the cruise.

I think that it what it is.

[SPacificbound]

My choice was February, traveled in New Zealand, Tasmania and then about 10 weeks in Australia. The other advantage of February, if you want to cruise out of Australia and head home, you can leave Sydney have some stops in the South Pacific, then Hawaii and finally the West Coast of North America.