Things to Do
By Larry Rivera, About.com Guide to Australia / New Zealand Travel
There's a richness of activities for you to enjoy when you visit Australia and New Zealand. Among the host of things to do are many and varied activities such as sightseeing, bushwalking, sailing, surfing, swimming, skiing, diving, bungy jumping, or simply lazing away the days under a tropical sun.
- Walking Tracks
- Skiing and Snowboarding
- Food and Drink
- Shopping and Souvenirs
- Find Suitable Accommodation
What to See
There are myriad attractions in Australia and New Zealand that would be of interest to visitors, from World Heritage sites to idyllic island resorts, from mountains touching the clouds to coral reefs under the sea, and are found in every state and territory of Australia and in each island of New Zealand.
World Heritage Sites
There are 17 World Heritage sites in Australia inscribed by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations. These include the World Heritage-listed Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building and the Sydney Opera House. In New Zealand, you'll find three United Nations-inscribed World Heritage sites.
- Central-Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia
- Fraser Island
- Great Barrier Reef
- Greater Blue Mountains Area
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Kakadu National Park
- Lord Howe Island
- Macquarie Island
- Naracoorte
- Purnululu National Park
- Riversleigh
- Royal Exhibition Building
- Shark Bay
- Sydney Opera House
- Tasmanian Wilderness
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
- Wet Tropics of Queensland
- Willandra Lakes Region
- New Zealand World Heritage Sites
Beaches and Beach Resorts
Australia, with its generally warmer weather, is noted for its innumerable beaches, surfing and diving sites, beach and island resorts, and its fascinating coastal towns. Here's a sampling of some the places you might want to vsit.
- Bells Beach
- Cable Beach
- The Entrance
- Fraser Island
- Green Island
- Heron Island
- Islands in the Sun Photo Gallery
- Jervis Bay Beaches
- Margaret River
- Melbourne Beaches
- Noosa on the Sunshine Coast
- Queensland's Gold Coast
- Rottnest Island
- Sydney Beaches
- Sydney Beaches Photo Gallery
In the Water
There are a number of activities in and on the water you can dive into in Australia and New Zealand, from going on lake and sea cruises to swimming with the denizens of the deep to diving or snorkeling among colorful reef.
- Black Water Rafting at Waitomo
- Cruising Doubtful Sound
- Cruising Lake Wakatipu
- Cruising Milford Sound
- Diving and Snorkeling in Sydney
- Diving and Snorkeling off Rottnest Island
- New South Wales Fishing Coast
- Sailing to Rangitoto Island
- Surfing at Margaret River
- Where to Swim with the Sharks
On the Road
I've never been lost on Australian or New Zealand roads. Well, that's not exactly true. I missed a turn once on the way to the Twelve Apostles in Victoria and some city one-way streets can lead you astray. So it's always best to have a map or street directory handy. Mostly, driving in Australia and New Zealand is pleasant and fun.
- Driving in Australia
- Sydney's Metroads System
- Around Australia on Highway 1
- Sydney to Melbourne on the Hume Highway
- North from Sydney
- South from Sydney
- West from Sydney
- Down to the Darling Downs
- Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles
- Getting to Cradle Mountain
- Ninety Mile Beach to Cape Reinga
- North Island in Five Days
- South Island in Five Days
Walking Tracks
For those who love to go bushwalking or taking long hikes lasting several days, Australia and New Zealand have numerous walking tracks of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. Almost every city or town would have walking tracks close by — it's just a matter of asking around to discover one near where you're staying. Some relatively longer tracks follow:
- Marlborough Sounds / Queen Charlotte Track
- Milford Track
- The Overland Track
- Royal National Park Walking Tracks
- Stewart Island Walking Tracks
Skiing and Snowboarding
When it's summer in northern hemisphere countries, get away from the heat and come to the snow, for it'll be winter Down Under. In Australia, you can ski and snowboard in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia — and in New Zealand on the North and South Islands — in the ski season. You can even ski the glaciers anytime.
Food and Drink
Australia and New Zealand are countries of such diversity in culture and cuisine that the influences of food from around the world and from local indigenous communities are making their mark on Australian cuisine. There are, of course, the usual fast food places but you can certainly aspire for better than those.
- Sydney Cuisine
- Where to Eat in Sydney
- Should You Tip?
- Sydney Opera House Restaurants
- Spyders and Sausage Rolls
- Awesome, Amazing Aussie Burgers
- What Are Anzac Biscuits?
- What Is a Hangi?
- Best Wines from New South Wales
- XXXX
Shopping and Souvenirs
Quite a large number of visitors to any country consider shopping, particularly for unique gifts and souvenirs, part of the joys of travel. Here are some places you may want to visit as well as precautionary advice on certain items you may want to buy.
- Australian Opals Buying Guide
- Before You Buy Australian DVDs
- The Best of Melbourne Markets
- Queen Victoria Building Sydney
- Queen Victoria Market Melbourne
- Queenstown Outdoor Market
- The Rocks Market Sydney
- Salamanca Place Hobart
- South Bank Arts and Craft Market Brisbane
- Sydney's Chinatown
Find Suitable Accommodation
The matter of finding suitable accommodation on your trip to Australia and New Zealand is certainly an important factor in any travel needing at least one overnight stopover stay in any city, in any state, in any country.
