serdel

Hi , we are a family of four people with 2 kids 7 and 11 yo.We are planning to visit Australia and new Zealand next month of Juliet/august 2025 . We are going to be based in Sydney for 30 days . What is the best and cheap way to get around Australia ? How about NZ ? Thanks a lot

Sergio

marg

I'm a bit confused with your question? Do you intend to stay in Sydney for 30 days or do you mean that you will fly into Sydney to start a 30 day holiday in Australia and New Zealand? And what do you want to see in both countries? Are there any particular places you want to visit? Give us some more details and we can help with travel plans.

Tarakona

First up you need to chose some places you want to visit.
July and August are winter months here so it's not the best time weather wise. July has school holidays in both Australia and NZ - they do it state by state in Oz and here in NZ it's the same dates for the whole country. Australian weather is so much better than here in July there will be lots of families on holidays as well. We had a wonderful holiday in Sydney in July - sun shining every day and blue skies but you needed a second layer of clothing. NZ tends to be grey and dull in the winter.
Sydney is fabulous and Brisbane/Gold Coast is a good family destination with heaps to do. As for getting around well flights are the best in Australia (it's 29 times bigger than NZ) but probably not the cheapest. Driving will take too long to get anywhere. In NZ hiring a rental car would be better than flying but this would depend on where you want to go.
Beaches and swimming are ruled out because of the season so I'd focus on the South Island of NZ. Are you into skiing? Queenstown is lovely in the winter and there's heaps to do.

KayF

Do you have 30 days for all of Australia? Just based in Sydney? If not, how long in total for Australia? What's the reason for 30 days in Sydney? It does tie you down, although there's a lot to do and see, it also means missing out on a lot of other places, unless you have extra time.

For getting around, generally flying or driving is usual. Flying is not that cheap but if you book early and maybe get a sale fare, then it's manageable, price wise. You are also locked in though, a cheap fare will be non-refundable.

You could hire a car and spend a week driving south along the coast, same thing but heading north, or go inland. What sort of things are appealing? If it's school holidays you should book ahead as the popular places, especially on the coast, get booked out months in advance by locals having a break.

serdel

First of all Tks everybody for the answer . We are going to be based in Sydney because we have some friends there who will give us an accommodation . During this 30/40 days we would like to make 1 0r 2 flights in Australia and 1 in NZ and make a car renting to go around . I know august is not the best period but for us is the only chance to have such a long free time cause we have long school holidays in that period . We wonder what places go in both country and what visit . Australia is a huge territory and we have to make a choice .

FarleyJo

You have enough time to visit Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand has so much to offer for the tourists and even the Australians would agree on this.

marg

As you are visiting during our winter, one trip could be to fly to Cairns and use that as a base to hire a car and do day tours. You could stay in Cairns (which does not have a beach but does have a very nice lagoon for safe swimming) or travel a bit further north to Port Douglas. Another destination could be the Sunshine Coast - good beaches and lots of places to explore.

Tarakona

Fly to Queenstown for your New Zealand trip then as I suggested before. There's direct flights from Sydney and lots to do there. It will be much colder than Sydney so bring a third layer - jacket or coat, hat/beanie and gloves. You can hire ski gear if you want to go skiing. Australia and New Zealand are not cheap destinations but having a base of free accommodation in Sydney is a huge bonus.
For Australia fly to Queensland - all the suggestions above are good. I've been to Cairns/Port Douglas in May and Brisbane lots of times in July. If your kids love theme parks and all that kind of activity the Gold Coast is fantastic. I always think of the Sunshine Coast as more for 'oldies' but the Irwin's fabulous Australia Zoo is in that area.

northie

Id suggest flying to Uluru from Sydney -its so diferent and a really special place for ay 4/5 days.. .

Bokhara2

You've been given great advice above.
And you're right - Australia is a big place.Australia – size map: https://www.virtualoceania.net/austr...ustralia.shtml

There's endless fascinating things to see & do in and around Sydney - and with day/multi-day driving trips. The suggestions to fly to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef (you could stay in Port Douglas if you wanted a beach) and to Yulara to visit Uluru.

These links may be useful:
Australia - Tourism: https://www.australia.com/en

Sydney map: https://goo.gl/maps/PFmeA45BAKXruh4F8

Visit Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/


You will need Visas for both countries. Here's the link for Australia. Apply now so you have everyone's approved before you want to make any bookings.

Visa Finder: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visa...sa/visa-finder

places_with_palms

For New Zealand, hiring a car and doing a road trip is by far the cheapest and best way to see everything. The roads have some stunning scenic spots and there is so much to explore. Particularly in the South Island. Make sure to check out the West Coast in the South Island.