One Perfect Month in Australia & New Zealand: 10 Big, Bright, Brilliant Things to Do

Give two big, dramatic countries 30 days and they’ll try to steal 45. Australia and New Zealand are built on scale—reef to desert to snow, fjord to vineyard to volcano—and on the sort of distances that make you wonder if the map was drawn by someone showing off. This is a month-long, newspaper-grade plan that actually works in real life: no hopeless detours, no “you could just nip over to…” lies, and plenty of room for families, couples, and people who like to buy a better hotel when their flights drop.

1) Sydney harbour mornings, ocean pools & the jet-lag glide

Sydney is the sensible place to land because it lets your body adjust while your eyes are distracted. Do what Sydneysiders do on a bright morning: swim at Bondi Icebergs or the Bronte Baths, grab a flat white that suspiciously thinks it’s the best in the world, and walk the Bondi–Coogee coastal path before the sun boss-levels you. In the afternoon, let the Circular Quay ferries be your hop-on sightseeing pass—Manly, Watsons Bay, even just a round-trip at golden hour when the Opera House looks airbrushed.

Families should earmark half a day for Taronga Zoo—you ferry across, take the cable car up, and get the harbour as a backdrop to giraffes, which is not something London or Chicago can offer. Couples: the Harbour BridgeClimb at twilight is touristy, yes, but it’s the kind of touristy you’ll quote 10 years later.

Base yourself near the CBD light rail (Haymarket, Town Hall, Circular Quay) so you can float between The Rocks, Barangaroo’s waterfront bars, and Surry Hills dinners without summoning a taxi. Two full days is ideal; three if you want a Blue Mountains detour.

• When to go: Sep–Nov and Mar–May for dry-ish days, lower humidity, and harbour-view rooms that don’t cost your passport.
• How to get there: Fly into SYD and grab an Opal card at the airport—works on trains, ferries, buses.
• Value tip: Skip a $60 harbour cruise and ride the public ferry to Manly for a tenth of that—same skyline, more smugness.

2) Up to the tropics: Port Douglas, outer reef & the Daintree

A flight north puts you in a completely different Australia. Cairns is the airport, but Port Douglas is the place you actually want to sleep: a proper beach, palm-lined main street, and early departures to the Agincourt Reef or other outer sites where the visibility soars. Pick a boat that caps numbers—riff-raff-free reef days are worth paying for on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

On day two, swap coral for jungle. The Daintree Rainforest is older than most religions and wetter than UK bank holidays. Drive over the ferry, walk the boardwalks, look for cassowaries (they look like bouncers for the forest), and end on Cape Tribulation where the rainforest hits the reef.

• When to go: Jun–Oct is the dry season and best reef viz; Nov–May means stingers—wear a suit.
• How to get there: SYD → CNS (about 3h) then transfer 1h up to Port Douglas; Daintree ferry runs from early but queues build by 10:00.
• Value tip: Do the reef on a weekday and the Daintree on a weekend—local demand flips the prices.

3) The Red Centre: Uluru, Kata Tjuṯa & desert stars

No photo warns you how quiet Uluru is. Fly in, check into the Yulara resort area, and go straight for a sunset viewing spot—the rock darkens, the desert cools, and even coach groups shut up. The next morning, walk the base circuit early while it’s cool and the flies haven’t clocked in; you’ll pass waterholes, rock art, and see how the scale changes as you move around it.

Spend the second half of the day at Kata Tjuṯa (the Olgas). The Valley of the Winds walk is the most memorable one: domes, red dirt, hidden wallabies, and wind that sounds like it’s narrating a nature doc. In the evening, a desert dinner under the stars is as touristy as it sounds—but the Milky Way out here is a show. Book it once and tell nobody how much you liked it.

• When to go: Apr–May or Sep–Oct; Jan is furnace, Jun–Jul nights are cold.
• How to get there: Fly CNS/SYD → AYQ; resort shuttles connect hotels and park entrances.
• Value tip: Buy the multi-day park pass and hit sunrise/sunset twice—double the drama, same ticket.

4) Melbourne lanes, coffee wars & the Great Ocean Road

If Sydney dazzles, Melbourne seduces. Spend your first day in the laneways (Degraves, Centre Place), drink coffee that arrives with a TED Talk, and walk the Southbank art-to-dinner strip. Then rent a car and head west for the Great Ocean Road.

This coast is Australia showing off: Torquay for surf towns, Lorne and Kennett River for koalas hunched in roadside trees, Apollo Bay as a lunch stop, and then the Twelve Apostles area (which has fewer than 12, don’t write in) for golden-hour cliffs. Stay the night in or around Port Campbell so you can see the stacks at sunrise without a busload of selfie sticks.

Back in Melbourne, squeeze in Footscray or Brunswick for food from everywhere, and if you’re traveling with kids, do a tram ride and a park stop—Melbourne does green space properly.

• When to go: Oct–Apr for best coast weather; winter is moody and dramatic but windy.
• How to get there: AYQ → MEL direct; self-drive from Melbourne via Geelong → Apollo Bay (3h) → Port Campbell (2h more).
• Value tip: Pick up the car outside the CBD (e.g. St Kilda) to dodge higher rates and city exit traffic.

5) Tasmania: Hobart, MONA & the mountains that smell of cold water

Tasmania is Australia exhaling. Start in Hobart’s Salamanca Place (Saturday market if you can), then take the camouflaged catamaran up the Derwent to MONA—part art museum, part fever dream, part “is this allowed?”. After a night or two, point the car inland: Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park gives you alpine boardwalks, pencil pines, and wombats roaming like they’ve paid the mortgage.

Do the Dove Lake Circuit counter-clockwise for the best reveals. If you’ve got more time, add the Huon Valley or Bruny Island for food, cider, and windswept beaches.

• When to go: Dec–Mar for friendly weather; shoulder seasons cheaper but pack layers.
• How to get there: MEL → HBA; rent a car. Hobart → Cradle is a full day with good stops (Bothwell pies, Sheffield murals).
• Value tip: Split the trip: 2 nights Hobart without a car (save on parking), 2 nights near Cradle with a car.

6) Across the ditch: Auckland & the Bay of Islands

Now cross to New Zealand. Auckland is not a checklist city; it’s a “live in it for 48 hours” city. Climb Maungawhau / Mount Eden for the big bowl crater and skyline; eat around Britomart and Wynyard Quarter; and then leave. Drive or fly north to the Bay of Islands, where the water is blue, the history is deep, and dolphins show up like unbooked extras.

Paihia is the easy base for families—plenty of boat trips, island hops, and beaches. Russell is slower and prettier for couples. Whatever you pick, go to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for context; it changes how you experience the rest of NZ.

• When to go: Dec–Mar for real beach weather; Nov and Apr are lovely with more availability.
• How to get there: HBA/MEL → AKL; drive 3h to Paihia or fly to Kerikeri (KKE) and hire a car.
• Value tip: Stay two nights in the Bay, not one. Day-trippers leave and prices/boats calm down by evening.

7) Rotorua, Taupō & New Zealand’s steamy middle

This is the bit where the earth hisses. Drive south from Auckland with a Hobbiton detour if you’ve got fans on board, then hit Rotorua for geysers, Māori cultural evenings, and that unmistakable sulphur smell. Do the Redwoods Nightlights walk—giant trees lit like a set from a gentle sci-fi film.

Carry on to Taupō for lakefront paths, Huka Falls, and jet boats if you’ve got teenagers who need to burn adrenaline. Families can add the Zorb; adults can book a private pool at one of the geothermal spas and pretend the Zorb didn’t look fun.

• When to go: Nov–Apr for long evenings; winter has clearer air and cheaper rooms.
• How to get there: AKL → Rotorua about 3h by road; Taupō is 1h further; easy by coach if you don’t want to drive.
• Value tip: Get combo passes for geothermal sites—saves 15–25% and avoids queuing twice.

8) Wellington wind, cafés & the Cook Strait ferry

Wellington is small but opinionated. You can walk most of it: Te Papa for national stories, the red cable car up to the Botanic Garden, Cuba Street for cafés, vinyl and people who dress like it’s always 1997. Then comes one of the best transfers in the southern hemisphere: the Cook Strait ferry to Picton.

Pick a midday sailing if the weather looks frisky—better light, calmer seas, and the Marlborough Sounds glowing green and folded. You can go as a foot passenger and hire a car in Picton to avoid paying vehicle fares.

• When to go: Year-round; Dec–Feb is busy—book ferry seats early.
• How to get there: Drive or train into WLG; sail WLG → PIC; collect a car in Picton.
• Value tip: Stay in Picton not Blenheim if you’re wine-tasting—walkable harbour stays are cheaper.

9) Queenstown, Glenorchy & Fiordland’s cathedral water

Queenstown is NZ’s action poster-child but you can enjoy it at walking pace. Stroll the lakefront, breakfast with a mountain view, and then drive to Glenorchy for some of the country’s most cinematic scenery—mirror lakes, snow-capped peaks, silence.

Dedicate a day to Fiordland. Milford Sound is the icon: cliffs, waterfalls, seals, and moods. If the forecast is bad or tickets gone, Doubtful Sound is bigger, wilder and looks good in drizzle. Families: coach–cruise–coach removes 8 hours of “are we there yet?” driving. Couples: spring for the coach–cruise–fly so you get a scenic flight back over the mountains.

• When to go: Nov–Mar for long days; shoulder months have more hotel availability.
• How to get there: WLG → ZQN flight; tours run daily to Milford/Doubtful from Queenstown or Te Anau.
• Value tip: Book excursions 48–72h out—operators flex prices when buses aren’t full and weather clears.

10) West Coast glaciers, the TranzAlpine & Kaikōura whales

Finish with a drive many locals call their favourite. From Wanaka or Queenstown, cut across to the West Coast—rainforest right up against mountains—and stay near Franz Josef or Fox Glacier. Heli-hikes are weather-dependent, so book early in your stay and keep a spare day.

From there, head to Greymouth and, if the timetable fits, take the TranzAlpine train through Arthur’s Pass to Christchurch—it’s a proper, watch-the-landscape-change journey. Continue north to Kaikōura for whales, dolphins and seafood that actually tastes of the sea.

• When to go: Jan–Mar for best odds of clear passes; spring is wetter but full of waterfalls.
• How to get there: Self-drive Wanaka → Franz (3.5h), Franz → Greymouth (2.5h), TranzAlpine to CHC, then road north to Kaikōura (2.5h).
• Value tip: One-way car hires are often cheaper Greymouth → Christchurch than the reverse—check both directions.