We will be spending a few days in Auckland and Sydney next January (cruise). Any suggestions/recommendations of things to do/see. We are aware of the “classics” (the Opera House, bridge, botanical gardens etc.) Will likely want to stay in the Quay or the rocks in Sydney. Thanks in advance
1 Like
Is this the Princess cruise? If so, we did it for our honeymoon! Lovely memories, but that was so long ago that I don’t think any recs would be relevant. But I hope you have lots of fun!
Thanks! Its a Seabourn cruise
2 Likes
I was in Sydney two years ago, we saw a show at the Opera house, did the Sydney Bridge Climb, took a ferry across the Sydney Harbor to Manly Beach, and a highlight was a spectacular coastal walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach (about 6 km or 2-3 hours).
Edited to add that public transportation (buses, trains, ferries) in Sydney is really easy.
2 Likes
Keeping an eye on this since we will be spending a few days in Sydney after our Globus New Zealand tour next February. Our main idea is to see different kinds of things than we can see in San Diego (surfers, beaches, koalas, even kangaroos and platypuses are all accessible here). In addition to the Sydney Harbor sights, I am considering a Blue Mountain Tour. We’ll likely stay at the Hilton.
Not sure when the Rugby season runs but this would be on my list. Watched a match there once on a layover. Would love to watch the Haka in-person. Lamb is popular and done well in NZ.
Don’t get too close to kangaroos. Not pets.
I’ll be there also, but in January which is during their summer holiday time. I need to check the Sydney Opera house, but IIRC, they don’t have much during their summer holiday.
My husband wants to fly to Durban. Any opinions on that? We will be in Australia for 10-14 days.
1 Like
For NZ, I would recommend leaving Auckland and either going North to Russell in the Bay of Islands or South to Waitomo Caves and Rotorua. If you don’t want to leave Auckland. I would say take a trip to either Rangitoto or Kauau island, and perhaps Piha.
For Australia, other than the Opera house, I would suggest going to the blue mountains or Batemans bay and maybe one the wildlife parks where you feed a Koala or Wallaby. Watch out for drop bears though.
1 Like
I just got back from a 3 week trip that included both…
I highly enjoyed where we stayed in both places. In Sydney we started at the Shangri-la Sydney. It is right on the border of the Rocks and CBD and right across from the Circular Quay. We had a spectacular view of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the entirety of The Rocks from the floor-to-ceiling windows of our room. (Also had the best view of the daily cruise ship parked in the terminal – a new one each morning.) Service was first rate. So was the breakfast buffet. Super convenient and walkable to most things.
In Auckland we stayed at the Intercontinental Auckland. It is directly across the street from their ferry terminal – the closest hotel to it. It’s also attached to a high end shopping center with dozens of resturants and is 2 blocks (a few minutes) walk from the popular Viaduct Harbour. Again, I couldn’t imagine a better positioned hotel. It’s less than a year old – bottom half of a completely redone building. Service was again top notch. Loved the 1 minute walk to the ferries to the islands. But also walkable to many other things.
In Sydney, while you know the Opera House I would suggest booking a tour early. They sell out well in advance of the day of and we saw many disappointed people who thought they could just show up. The tour goes inside which is a whole different treat than the outside. On the bridge, assume you know about the Bridge Climb? One of my favorite activities on the trip and, again, something that almost never can be booked last minute. You didn’t mention the zoo in your list of classics. I’ve visited dozens and this is one of my favorites. You get much closer to the animals in many cases than most. And if you get their early you can buy “encounters” with them on a first come, first served basis. We had group of meerkats hanging out on our laps snacking. We also enjoyed the 4 mile walk along the coast between Bondi and Coogee beaches (with half a dozen other beaches in-between). The Hyde Park Barracks is also a well done museum set in a building that was at times an early prison, immigrant women’s dormitory, etc. They give you headphones that are tied to location so as yo walk around you get an audiobook-like acted and produced narrative with voice actors and sound effects. None of this hitting numbers – it’s all automated.
In Auckland, we only had a day but did a lot of stuff. Probably my favorite was hiking Rangitoto Island. It is Auckland’s largest and most recent volcano that only emerged from the ocean about 600 years ago (but is now dormant). It is completely uninhabited and only accessible by ferry (3 in a day, and 3 out). So it’s not crowded, is beautiful and has great views of Auckland. The entire island feels like a time capsule because most of it is still raw dried up lava flow. You can still clearly see where the rivers of lava flowed down the island and then dried into black rock… If nature hiking is not your thing they have another island (Waiheke) that is more like Marthas Vineyard with shopping, restaurants and activities. The War Memorial Museum (which is only war-related on the top floor and is culture an history on the others) is nice but not as good as the one in Wellington (the capital of the country).
Enjoy (we did).
1 Like
What kind of things do you enjoy? You can hop on a ferry, just steps from where you arrive on the ship, and head to Waiheke Island to go to wineries.
If you like hiking, there are lots of little places for hiking. Check out Rangitoto Island, for instance. Rangitoto Island: Places to go in Auckland If you prefer birds, you won’t find endemic mammals there, you can head to Titiri Matangi, an island bird sanctuary. https://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/
If you’re renting a car, you might drive to the Waitākere Ranges or Piha or Muriwai to see the beaches. Those are the surfing destinations. And the ranges are just beautiful and good for hiking.
If you’ll be there on a weekend, consider going north to Takapuna for the Sunday Markets. It’s a cute little beach town. Lots of good food.
Speaking of good food, don’t leave until you’ve had a pie. You can find hand pies, usually meat but sometimes veg, all over and they’re only about $4-5 nzd. If you want something more substantial Ponsonby has great food options, including Ponsonby International Food Court (Malaysian, Turkish, Laotian, Thai, etc.) and Ponsonby Central.
Last suggestion, check out Te Hana Te Ao Marama a Māori cultural center. They might even have Marae stays.
It’s so gorgeous there. Have so much fun!
2 Likes