Which itinerary would you choose?

[ckck]

Which Virgin Voyages itinerary, Melbourne - Auckland or Auckland - Sydney, would you choose and why? We plan on doing a week or so land travel on each end. Arriving from the US. We enjoy nature, hiking, and smaller towns versus large cities. Debating between these two options. 

[beatleman]

12 minutes ago, ckck said:

Which Virgin Voyages itinerary, Melbourne - Auckland or Auckland - Sydney, would you choose and why? We plan on doing a week or so land travel on each end. Arriving from the US. We enjoy nature, hiking, and smaller towns versus large cities. Debating between these two options. 

Option 2 Auckland to Sydney will meet your requirements. Welcome to OZ.

[Aus Traveller]

I would also choose Auckland to Sydney. Sydney harbour is one of the most spectacular to sail into or out of. Option 2 also calls into Wellington, the capital of NZ. If you choose this option, I strongly urge you to go to the (free) Te Papa Museum in Wellington. It is superb.

[RosieCanberra]

Another vote for Auckland to Sydney. Sailing into Sydney Harbour is fabulous. 

Enjoy!

 

[cruiser3775]

Both look good. Option 1 goes to two smaller towns, Burnie and Picton, that option 2 does not visit.  Agree that sailing into or out of Sydney is a highlight.  Check what time the ship arrives though. If it docks at 6am, you might be coming up Sydney Harbour in the dark, depending on the time of year. If you are visiting Sydney on your trip anyway, you can have a great day just catching the public transport ferries around the harbour, and you will see more than you would on the cruise ship..

[icat2000]

Option 1. More variety in ports. Especially Burnie and Picton (which is beautiful).

[Aus Traveller]

34 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

Option 1. More variety in ports. Especially Burnie and Picton (which is beautiful).

I would prefer Wellington over Picton and Burnie (not much in Burnie!).

[icat2000]

5 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I would prefer Wellington over Picton and Burnie (not much in Burnie!).

I was taking into consideration the OP preferences of smaller towns over cities. 

[cruiser3775]

From Burnie, you can do a shore excursion to Cradle Mountain, one of the scenic highlights of a visit to Tasmania.

[Aus Traveller]

10 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

From Burnie, you can do a shore excursion to Cradle Mountain, one of the scenic highlights of a visit to Tasmania.

Cradle Mountain is one of my favourite places in Tasmania, but it is a very full day with not much time in the park.

[OzKiwiJJ]

26 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Cradle Mountain is one of my favourite places in Tasmania, but it is a very full day with not much time in the park.

True but the drive there and back was very scenic in its own right. The excursion was well worth doing.

[OzKiwiJJ]

My thoughts:

 

Melbourne versus Sydney

Cruising out of Melbourne on a lovely evening is beautiful, especially going through the heads of Port Phillip Bay.

Cruising into Sydney in the early morning is also very beautiful. Where will the ship dock in Sydney? Having an overnight onboard before disembarking won't be as nice if it's at White Bay.

 

Picton versus Wellington.

It's lovely cruising in and out of the Marlborough Sounds. Picton is a small town but quite pretty. It would be worth checking what excursions are on offer here. We went wine tasting which was very enjoyable and a pleasant drive to and from the wineries. Or there might be a boat trip that visits some of the larely unspoilt small bays in Queen Charlotte Sound. 

Wellington is a typical big city on a lovely harbour. The botanical gardens are beautiful but situated on a steep hill - take the cable car up and walk down. Wellington also has Zealandia, a wildlife sanctuary set in a lovely bush-clad valley only minutes from the centre of town.

 

Burnie - if you choose this itinerary and the Cradle Mountain excursion is available do it!

 

It might also depend on what time of year those cruises are. NZ's weather can be a bit variable, especially in November and December. January is school holidays both in NZ and Australia. February and March are best for NZ but if doing land travel it's best to do NZ first at that time of year then cruise to Australia. 

[yes!yes!yes!]

option 1

[Ozwoody]

Both option would be great, everyone has given great points for both options.

Main things to consider I think maybe the timing of your cruise, and how much you wish to avoid time in cities.

Melbourne surrounding areas early summer can be wonderful, late summer can be very hot.

However there area some great walking options, along the great ocean road, or up into the Grampians.

Sydney also offers great opportunities. 

If coming early season, I would do Australian end first, to miss the summer heat while on hikes, then NZ, however if coming later I don't think it would matter which you did first with the weather. Summer in Sydney or Melbourne and their surrounding areas can both be hot. Just my opinion.

[MicCanberra]

It is hard to top both Auckland harbour and Sydney harbour.

[yarramar]

I would fly into Sydney, enjoy your time there taking ferry trips and visit the Blue Mountains. I would then fly to Melbourne, do some day trips to Phillip Island, Yarra Valley or even the Great Ocean Road.

In Burnie you could do a private tour to Cradle Mountain which will give you more time there vs a large bus load of 50 passengers. We are booked for an upcoming VV trip with Tassie Tours to CM It is AUD $360 for the 2 of us.

[LittleFish1976]

Option 1 ; Tasmania (Hobart and Burnie) is known for its beautiful scenery and wonderful walks. You could take a day trip and a short walk/'hike' from both cities/ towns. Picton is also a lovely little town. I found when cruising around New Zealand that choosing the small boat tours in and around the harbours, looking at wildlife and coastal scenery were the nicest ways to experience a place.

[ckck]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. We plan on traveling in late Feb - March. We've decided option 1, with plans to arrive in Sydney to do some touring prior to the cruise. We're looking forward to exploring Tasmania so the two stops are appealing. We can plan to visit Wellington when we spend time in New Zealand after the cruise.

 

I appreciate your touring recommendations, too. Looking forward to getting in some national park and winery visits!

[Over from NZ]

2 hours ago, ckck said:

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. We plan on traveling in late Feb - March. We've decided option 1, with plans to arrive in Sydney to do some touring prior to the cruise. We're looking forward to exploring Tasmania so the two stops are appealing. We can plan to visit Wellington when we spend time in New Zealand after the cruise.

 

I appreciate your touring recommendations, too. Looking forward to getting in some national park and winery visits!

Based on what you're into - you're better off heading to the South Island post cruise and not Wellington; which gives you more of the "nature, hiking, and smaller towns versus large cities" which you're going to miss on the cruise. 

[cruiser3775]

When I disembarked from my NZ cruise in Auckland in March, I spent two nights in Auckland, did some sightseeing, then caught the train from Auckland to Wellington.  It's a very scenic day trip right down the north island, all in daylight.   https://railnewzealand.com/train-services/the-northern-explorer

I was then able to do some independent sightseeing in Wellington before flying from there to Australia.

For your stop in Picton, I recommend a small company called Na Clachan Tours for a winery tour of the Marlborough region.

Edited September 10, 2023 by cruiser3775