Cruises to Australia and New Zealand, Things to do Down Under Cruise Vacations
- Here you will find information on Australia and New Zealand cruise travel, sightseeing, attractions, map of Australia and New Zealand, weather and cruise port information.
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Australia's wild country known as the outback, also offers superb beaches and surfing. Within this guide you will see just how different these 2 really are with Australia being one of the flattest land masses on the planet, its highest point rising 7,310 feet above sea level and New Zealand being extremely mountainous, with Mount Cook towering over 12,000 feet. Australia offers an incredible variety of wildlife including kangaroos, koala bears, wombats and the unique platypus. Australia is one of the flattest land masses on the planet, its highest point rising 7,310 feet above sea level. New Zealand is extremely mountainous, with Mount Cook towering over 12,000 feet. Australia's land features are best characterized as gentle and regular, with sloping plains and, with the exception of Sydney Harbour, a smooth coastline with few inlets or bays.
The summer begins in December there, however the mild climates makes both destinations attractive cruise choices during any time of the year. Australia's typhoon season runs from December 1 - May 30, and affects such ports of call as Brisbane and Cairns more than Sydney. Since New Zealand is south of the cyclone belt, it is not affected.
Both countries claim temperate or sub-tropical climates, with the seasons reversed from the pattern in the Northern Hemisphere. So, winter in North America is summer there. Australia's position closer to the equator puts it at the outer edge of typhoons, the Southern Hemisphere's equivalent of our hurricanes. Typhoon season runs from December 1 - May 30, affecting ports of call such as Brisbane and Cairns more than Sydney. New Zealand, lying south of the cyclone belt, is not as affected, but the warning above still applies.
Summer temperatures differ by about 10 degrees, with Australia's high-temp averages in the low to mid 80s. Statistically it would seem that both countries experience the same rainfall patterns, with rainy-region annual totals in the 100-inch range and dry-region totals about half that; however, meteorologists characterize New Zealand as the greener and rainier climate, which visitors empirically confirm.
Cruises that call at ports Sydney, Melbourne, Hobar-Tasmania, Burnie-Tasmania in Australia and Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington Bay of Islands major ports of call in New Zealand. Longer Pacific voyages and world-circling itineraries some lines schedule cruise programs focusing on these two destinations, either together or separately. Because they are located in the Southern Hemisphere, summer arrives in December there, but their mild climates make these two destinations attractive cruise venues any time of the year. New Zealand has many natural features and recreational opportunities and activities.
The North Island features the busy metropolis and is home to the world yacht racing capital of Auckland. The South Island offers mountainous terrain and glaciers. Dive in down under at the Great Barrier Reef that covers 80,000 sq miles, tour the Rotorua's boiling mud pools, and dont miss the home of the America's Cup winning Kiwis, Auckland, Bay of Islands (New Zealand) If experiencing New Zealand's natural treasures, forest and water-intensive activities is important to you, this may be the highlight of your entire cruise. This is prime sailing territory, so look for the chance to participate in guided sailing excursions.
If your ship offers charter-fishing trips, and you're so inclined, this is (according to Zane Grey) one of the top deep-sea fishing locations on the planet. Forest and shoreline hiking will expose you both to evidence of the first Maori communities encountered by Europeans and to what was once the booming, swashbuckling whaling and maritime center of life in New Zealand. Princess and Holland America, which run the itinerary annually each winter. For the most part, itineraries pretty much stick to "greatest hits" ports of call on the Auckland - Sydney run, with stops in cities such as Melbourne, Dunedin and Christchurch along with a visit to Tasmania. P&O Australia, which operates three ships in the region, gears most of its marketing efforts to travelers in the Far East and in Australia and New Zealand ffers a wonderfully "local" experience for North Americans.
Other cruise lines that offer summer cruises there include U.K.-based P&O and Cunard. Clipper Cruise Line and the aforementioned Orion Expeditions represent the second group, the small-ship/expedition niche. A local small-vessel line like Captain Cook Cruises. They do three-, four- and seven-night cruises to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. The upscale Luxury cruise lines are all well represented in down under, including Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn ships. They typically stop in smaller, more unusual ports of call than the bigger, mass-market vessels. Plan your Australia & New Zealand cruise today! A great cruise vacation begins "down under".
