Please review pre cruise itinerary: Melbourne, Queenstown, Auckland

We will visit these cities with our two twenty somethings who love outdoor adventures. Arrival in Melbourne is Monday (3 Dec), and cruise departs from Auckland 13 Dec.

My initial plan is this:

3 Dec arrival in Melbourne, visit Victoria Market

4 Dec (not sure)

5-6 Dec two day Great Ocean Road and Phillips Island tour (returns to Melbourne at midnight)

7 Dec early morning flight to Queenstown (choices are 0615 or 0945.. these are the only nonstops)

8 and 9 Dec many activities to choose, including hiking, biking, Dart River funyaks

10 Dec flight to Auckland in the afternoon (might be able to squeeze in a morning activity in Queenstown before departure)

11-12 Dec two day tour from Auckland to Rotorua, including Waitomo Caves, Agrodome, Te Puia, Mitai Maori night experience, Rotorua Redwoods Treewalk, Hobbiton, and return to Auckland

13 Dec Ferry to Waiheke Island for biking; board ship in late afternoon for 2000 departure

Questions:

1. In Melbourne, I would have preferred to do the two day GOR/Phillips Island tour from Tuesday to Wednesday (due to early flight on Friday), but none of the companies seem to offer this. Do you think it would be better to go on two separate tours from Melbourne (i.e., Phillips Island on Tuesday night and a one day GOR tour on Thursday), or is the two day tour significantly superior?

2. Do you think we have enough time in Queenstown? If not, we could forgo the two day tour from Auckland and fly from Queenstown to Auckland on 12 Dec. That would give us from 7-12 December in Queenstown. We will not be renting a car, but there are numerous interesting excursions here. For Rotorua, we would then just do a shore excursion from Tauranga to Te Puia and skip the other activities.

If you mean Queen Victoria Markets I’m pretty sure they don’t open on a Monday.

5 6 and 7th looks a bit crowded.

2 days on GOR back midnight then an early morning flight, why not do GOR 4th 5th have 6th in town fly out 7th

5 6 and 7th looks a bit crowded.

 

2 days on GOR back midnight then an early morning flight, why not do GOR 4th 5th have 6th in town fly out 7th

Sorry missed your explanation about this do the two tours.

Vic Market is not open Monday or Wednesday so perhaps visit on the 4th. Maybe on the Monday visit St Kilda, a beachside suburb just a tram ride from the city or take the ferry to Williamstown on the opposite side of the bay, an old historical suburb. Or perhaps a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground where international cricket and AFL are played or a tour of Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open.

I looked at the 2 day tour of the GOR and Phillip Island sounds good but it will be a very late return to Melbourne. It appears that you will also be staying at a backpackers hostel which for me would be a no-no.

Good luck with your choices and enjoy your time in Melbourne. The GOR is quite spectacular.

Leigh

Queenstown: consider a day on the Routeburn Track, especially for the twenty-somethings who love the outdoors. Spectacular day.

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Have you considered bungy jumping at Kawarau Bridge during your time in Queenstown?

Also a ride up the gondola, great view, there is a restaurant at the top.

Thank you for all the suggestions. Yes; there are too many fun activities in Queenstown for our time allotment, so we'll just have to prioritize.

By the way, the plan for the 2 day Great Ocean Road/Phillips Island tour is to have the younger folks stay in the backpackers' hostel, while the parents pay for the upgrade to the motel!

Thank you for all the suggestions. Yes; there are too many fun activities in Queenstown for our time allotment, so we'll just have to prioritize.

 

By the way, the plan for the 2 day Great Ocean Road/Phillips Island tour is to have the younger folks stay in the backpackers' hostel, while the parents pay for the upgrade to the motel!

Good plan! I'd be doing the same.

Leigh