New Zeland and Australia

mo5

Wed, Aug 24 2016, 10:22 pm

Don't know about New Zealand but there are no lack of places to hike, see nature, go boating and more in Australia.
You can go up north to the tropics (inland, or off the coast from the Great Barrier Reef, starting from cairns, daintree national park)
All the aay south, Tasmania has beautiful national parks and has popular hiking areas but really there's beautiful hikes everywhere. Depends what you want, how hard, what type, what season you're coming, etc.
You can go boating in so many places too. You can come to Melbourne or Sydney or any other big city and just drive out a bit for the day and spend the time doing what you said.

MitzadSheini

Wed, Aug 24 2016, 10:35 pm

Your question is very broad. I mean why are you going to Australia, when are you there, how long for, what time of year, how big is you budget? I doubt quite understand why you would go just to hike and boat, because while that is great in Australia, I'm sure you can do similar for much cheaper wherever you are now. Not that Australia is expensive, but getting there is.

amother

Crimson

Wed, Aug 24 2016, 10:50 pm

Yes, some more info would help us give you better advice.
Where would you be flying to? How much flying do you want to do? How long to do you want to travel for?
I can't tell you about New Zealand because I've never been there, but I live in Australia.
I'm in Melbourne, if you come and base yourselves here for a bit, you will have access to kosher food and within 1 - 3 hours drive in every direction there are beautiful things to see and do.
Mornington peninsula, great Ocean road, the grampians, the Dandenong ranges, the Yarra valley, Phillip Island, etc etc
The same is true for each capital city. With Melbourne and syndey having the biggest Jewish communities so you have kosher restaurants. Smaller communities in Brisbane and Perth and chabad shluchim in Adelaide, Tasmania and far north Queensland - if you want to go to cairns and see the great barrier reef.

Good luck!

tichellady

Wed, Aug 24 2016, 10:51 pm

amother wrote:

I don't know yet, but I know it takes time to travel there.
Have you been there tichel?

We might be going this year so I have started researching. Everyone tells me you can not fit in Australia and the north and South Island into one trip ( unless it's a month plus). New Zealand is supposed to be more spectacular in terms of extreme nature- glaciers, geysers, mountains, etc. Australia has great beaches and cool animals and more kosher food and snorkeling. If we go I think we will go to New Zealand bc it just seems cooler to me but obviously Australia is a great destination and might be a better fit for you. I would not go for less than two weeks.

spring13

Thu, Aug 25 2016, 12:13 am

The only real source of kosher food and Jewish life in New Zealand is in Auckland, so keeping to North Island might be smart if your time is limited. I'm dying to go there, it seems really beautiful and interesting, and I like that it's off the beaten track, far from everywhere. If you're interested in cultural stuff, Maori (and Polynesian in general) is really cool.

Going by books I've read and what I've seen online, I'd want to visit Rotorua (an area with geothermal springs, among other things), Waitomo caves (glowworms!), and whatever beaches I could get to. Plus a rugby game, because they look like fun Smile

You can hike around places that were used in the Lord of the Rings movies - there's spectacular scenery all over the place.

But I haven't been yet, just dreaming for now Smile

amother

Slategray

Thu, Aug 25 2016, 10:30 am

You may want to call a rav who's an expert in zemanim like Rabbi Heber of Baltimore to find out if you will have any shailos in New Zealand. Not that you should avoid New Zealand, just schedule with some basic guidelines in mind.

Enjoy!