I know it’s been said many times before, but I can’t reiterate it strongly enough, Australia is vast.  Never ever underestimate the size of the country, the time it takes to get there, and the toll the journey will have on your body.  Not only is your flight likely to be in the region of 23 hours, but as soon as you touch down you are in the region of +12 hours on your watch.  In short it’s tiring.
I often get asked can I fly direct.  The answer is yes however, what you must realise is that at present it is not physically possible for planes to fly non stop; they have to refuel en route. This always results in a change of aircraft.  For example if you were to flying Manchester to Sydney with Singapore airlines you would touch down in Singapore, change aircraft before flying on to Sydney.  Some people take this opportunity to break their journey and spend a couple of days, possibly longer to have a look around Singapore before continuing on.  Therefore at this point it’s worth spending time to consider where you would like to visit, because this ultimately determines which airline you fly with.  If you wanted to visit Dubai for example you would fly with Emirates and so on.
Clients often ask me to give them a ball park figure as to how much a flight will cost.  That’s like asking how long a ball of string is!  The cost will depend on when you intend to travel and in what revenue class.  For example if you want to travel mid December you will pay substantially more (as any one who has family there will want to travel at this time for Christmas and New Year) than if you were to travel in November or January. In addition the cost is dramatically more if you were considering travelling in business or first class as opposed to economy.  Please (and this is a common mistake), don’t think that if you leave booking your flight to the last minute it will be cheaper, wrong, if anything it will be more expensive.  In general if you are able to book your flights as soon as they become available, the cost will be less. 
I’ve put together a travelogue with a few hints and tips on the trip I made a little while ago to Australia and New Zealand.  On that trip I flew Singapore Airlines from Manchester to Sydney.

SYDNEY

I arrived in Sydney around 9pm local time and after having collected my baggage, cleared customs and immigration, I left the arrivals hall and jumped (slumped) into a taxi and headed for my hotel and a comfy bed for the night.  Having checked in and deposited my case in the room, I was sufficiently revived by the night lights and the general buzz in the area and was keen to have a quick look around. I decided to head out for half an hour before retreating for lights out.  I was staying in the Darling Harbour area and a quick two minute stroll took me down to the waterfront.  It was early November and around 10.30pm by this time and the area was alive with restaurants catering for all tastes and budgets, cosmopolitan bars and cafes bursting with customers, where your choice was not only what to eat or drink but where you would like to sit, inside or out, under the patio heaters or not.  It was vibrant but never rowdy.  After a couple of drinks it really was time for bed.
The following morning suitably refreshed with no jet lag what so ever (a real benefit of arriving late at night is you can go straight to bed and wake up fresh as a daisy on local time the following day) I threw open the curtains expecting the famous Aussie sunshine I had travelled to the other side of the world to enjoy.  Not only was it not sunny, the sky was lead grey and heavy with clouds and before I had showered and dressed the rain was pummelling the windows.  Ah I had not expected this.  I had no suitable wet weather clothing (note!! always, always, take a cagoule, preferably lined as it can be cold). Never mind, it was Saturday and the shops would be open.  Without breakfasting in the hotel I left in search of said wet weather item, dodging the torrential down pour in the three minute dash down town I ran to the nearest shop and made my purchase.  It seems the Aussies are used to rain (something we have in common then) and there was plenty of choice.  Suitably attired my stomach was growling. I tried to remember the last time I had eaten, but couldn’t.  I headed down to the Rocks, passing several juice bars, breakfast/ lunch bars and cafes.  Really the choice is vast.  I settled on a fruit smoothy, a long black (large black coffee to you and me) and full English (yes it was called that!) with toast.  The cost was similar to what you would expect to pay at home, was tasty and good value for money.
People often say to me they only want to spend a couple of days say a maximum of three in Sydney (it’s a city after all like London or Manchester is the lament). WRONG!!!!
Sydney is unlike any other city you have been to before or likely to go in the future.  Certainly you have the city landscape in the centre, the department stores abound, with the hustle and bustle you would expect from one of the major cities in the world, but step a few hundred metres away and you have at you disposal some of the most famous iconic landmarks in the world.  If time is of the essence and you really do only have a couple of days to spare please spend a few Aussie dollars and take the Hopper bus from down at Circular Quay.  There are various tariffs and tours, but a day pass will take you through some of the suburbs giving you a brief history of each area as you pass through, then out to the coast ending up back where you started.  The benefit is that you can get on and off the bus at designated spots, have a look around the area, then get back on the next bus that passes.  The buses are clean, air conditioned and run on time (certainly not like the UK).  I disembarked at Watsons Bay to visit the world famous Doyle’s seafood Restaurant.

  The view is wonderful, the food sublime and the company was great (well I had to say that the wife was with me on the trip)  As I sat there only inches from the sandy beach with its up turned fishing boats and the ocean gently lapping the jetty, a large ferry docked and a flock of visitors landed.  In no time at all, the people vanished into the bars and restaurants and the waiter arrived with my seafood platter.  Soon I was transported to seafood heaven; even the sun danced from behind the iron clad clouds and melted the sky to reveal its lapis lazuli coat.  (A note!! always always take sun screen out with you, the seasons can seem to change in the space of a few hours and if you don’t want to seriously burn you’ve got to slap it on)
After paying the bill (again, it wasn’t cheap) I set off on foot (I couldn’t justify falling asleep) and walked the beautiful scenic path along the coast between Bondi beach and Coogee.  With my cagoule around my waist and camera in hand I saw sights that no picture could ever hope to capture.  I finally hopped back on the bus and sometime later arrived back at Circular quay.  A point worth noting is that Circular Quay is the spot where you will find the opera house and the ferry terminal.  Take a wander and look back at the beautiful sky line set in relief against the water front.  The ferry terminal has several large ferries leaving every few minutes to lots of different destinations, they are cheap and clean and yes do run like clock work. 
Manley is worth a visit with its Art Deco buildings and pine clad beach with beautiful clean white sand.  The eating is good here, relaxed and plentiful, ( note! they do have unusual licensing laws in Australia, so if you want to drink alcohol check with the establishment whether you can be served without food or indeed where you can sit).
Another must (if the budget and stamina are willing) is the bridge climb.  The climb is something you’ll remember for the rest of your lives, and well worth the cost. It takes the best part of four hours in total, but some of this time is spent teaching you how to use the equipment you are fastened on to and to talk you through the climb. (Please note you will have to take a breath test, so please no alcohol before) My wife is not too keen on heights and was terrified at the thought of having to climb Sydney Harbour Bridge, but she came along.  The worst part of it for her was the ladder climb right at the beginning where you ascend to the top of the bridge, but only because her leg muscles ached, but boy was it worth it.  We were fortunate to have good weather and the views were spectacular, the guide was very informative and you get to have your photo taken at various points along the way (you leave everything behind in secure lockers even your watch until you return) which you can purchase later when you receive your certificate.  The climb is open day and night, and in most weather conditions.  You book your slot either by telephone, over the web or simply just turn up, but if you are short of time it would pay to arrange it in advance to be guaranteed the climb at a convenient time for yourself.
For a day out why not take a trip to the Blue Mountains, another must visit place.  The sheer size of the area is awesome, plus you can travel there by public transport (we went by train) or by organised tours (check the tourist office or your hotel).  You can get around the Blue Mountains by tour bus, in a cable car or on foot (or as we did a combination of all three). 
Woolloomooloo wharf is worth a visit, even if all you do is visit Harry’s pie and pea van,(almost a legend), a trip up the Sydney tower is also worth considering, as is a journey on the overhead mono rail to get a different perspective of the city.  The Hunter Valley is the wine growing region of New South Wales and day tours can be arranged (we can help with any excursion requirements).
All too soon you realise that you have said goodbye to five or six days and yet you feel you have only just scratched the surface, Sydney and its surrounding areas will never disappoint.

CAIRNS

From the airport at Cairns the journey into town is short so we chose to take a taxi.  The weather here is tropical so even on a dull wet day it can still be very hot and sticky.  The seafront has many restaurants and bars, and down on the jetty you can take various trips out onto the Barrier Reef.  The sea can get choppy in this region, so the crew tend to issue you with ginger sweets as you board (they help with sea sickness).  We spent the day on Green Island where you can hire snorkelling equipment, so you get to see up close the spectacular fish that swim through the corals just off shore.  The day we went was so hot it was almost impossible to walk on the beach in bare feet, and it’s not really sand you’re walking on but ground coral shells so it’s sharp as well.  The Aussies talk a lot about ‘slip, slap, slop and boy, at your peril ignore it.  You will need to use a very high sun factor, much higher than you would use in Europe, and try to cover up with a T-shirt and for youngsters a hat, even on dull days you can still burn.
Take a trip on the Kuranda scenic railway up into the tropical rainforest. The scenery en route is certainly spectacular and the train stops at various points so you can take advantage of the breathtaking waterfalls and gorges and the all important photo opportunity. Once you arrive you are free to wander the shops and visit the crocodiles, koalas and kangaroos in the outback zoo.  If I had one criticism of this, it was just a bit too touristy for my liking, but it was still worth the trip.  The return journey to Cairns is by the sky rail cable car, so you do get to view the rainforest from the air as well. 
Cairns is known to be a backpacker’s paradise and consequently there’s lots of accommodation to suit.  We stayed at the four/five star Sofitel Hotel in Cairns.  The service from the hotel was superb.  Having been away from home for almost three weeks by this time, my clothes were in need of a little washing.  No sooner had I replaced the receiver when there was a knock at the door and there stood a lady with a laundry bag.  When I returned at the end of the day my clothes were washed, dried and ironed for next to nothing.  The bedroom was enormous, with a large hallway, a super king bed, sitting area with sofa, table and chairs and the bathroom spectacular if not a little bizarre.  The room had double sinks encased in beautiful marble with a whirlpool bath aside louver shutters on the wall.  These opened out into the bedroom, so you could be sitting in your Jacuzzi whilst having a conversation with some one in your bedroom.  The shower/sauna in was in a separate glass cubicle at the opposite end of the bathroom, complete with bench so you could sit down to take a sauna if you wanted! 

HAMILTON ISLAND

We flew from Cairns to Hamilton Island, one of the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, and on our descent into land I was privileged to view some of the most spectacular mini islands in the world.   Some were no bigger than a Christmas pudding, I had visions of Robinson Crusoe sitting on the beach lighting a fire, they were so lush and green and totally unspoilt.  You land on the small runway and walk 20 metres to the terminal building.  Actually, to call it a terminal building is incorrect (even though in theory it is) it’s more the size of a bike shed.  After locating your luggage off the baggage cart, you board a mini bus and are taken to your hotel (your luggage follows in a trailer).  There are only a handful of hotels on the island and are all of a high standard.  If you are a lay by the pool or beach type you’ll love it here, but I’d travelled to the other side of the world and just had to venture out.  Hamilton Island’s very hilly and your legs would be in for a shock if you did too much walking, and in that heat!  So may I suggest you take advantage of the only mode of transport on the island (other than the one mini bus I saw all week), golf buggies which seat up to 4 adults and are a great wat to see Hamilton.For a few dollars, on production of your driving license you are given a two minute induction as to how they operate, then off you go.  The native birds (feathered kind) on Hamilton are pure white Cockatoos with bright yellow plumes (no grey pigeons here mate!) and they’re everywhere.  Down at the waterfront in Hamilton there are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops; and when you check into your hotel (we stayed at the Reef with an eye watering view from the bedroom balcony of the Coral Sea) you are given a key card necklace with which you can shop or eat in any of the retail outlets on the island and it all gets charged back to your room, so there’s no need to carry much cash.  The steak house is definitely worth a visit, but book early to avoid disappointment as it’s very popular.
 You can take numerous ferry rides to neighbouring islands, or to Schute Harbour on the mainland. 
The crystal clear azure sea in the Whitsundays is very tempting and there are plenty of water based activities to enjoy, including sea Kayaking and catamaran yacht sailing, in addition to the glass bottom boat, scuba diving and snorkelling.  But if in the water, or on the water, is not your thing then how about above it.  Book early as they are very popular and take a seaplane out over the islands to get a roof top view of this magnificent area of stunning natural beauty.  Some will take you out on the Reef to pontoons where you can swim up close to marine life.
Sunset on Hamilton must not be missed!! And it’s free.  The same mini bus runs a shuttle service between hotels and drops you off at the highest point on the island.  An outdoor chargeable bar operates at sunset each evening serving unbelievable cocktails, beers and soft drinks.  Canapés and mini bites are also available as you sit and marvel the 360 degree view of a heart stopping fireball sunset. 
A note on the weather, it wasn’t hot in late November when we were there, it was beyond hot; it was brick kiln hot, even the tropical grass was scorched despite water sprinklers. Take plenty of cotton or natural fibre clothing, remember ‘slip slap slop’ don’t be fooled by the cooling sea breezes you wont just burn you’ll ignite.

BRISBANE

Brisbane is a city of variety.  We stayed at the Marriott with its jaw dropping floor to ceiling bedroom windows overlooking the Brisbane River.  Brisbane is a cosmopolitan City with lots of café bars and restaurants’ catering for all taste’s and budgets.  Its pleasant subtropical climate is a major draw.  It has a bustling city centre, a lively China Town, a vibrant music scene, art galleries and colourful botanical gardens.  The best way to see it all is from the small river ferries which run every few minutes from the terminal, and scoot you from district to district.
A train ride from the station in town can take you up the Gold Coast to Surfers Paradise, a huge white sandy beach area popular with surfers or to the Sunshine Coast.  What else do I need to say, it’s all there, but if I am to be totally honest, it’s a little high rise for me. 

NEW ZEALAND a whistle stop tour of North Island

WELLINGTON

We flew into Wellington from Sydney and landed to typical British Weather.  It wasn’t just raining; it was pouring down, it was very cold and extremely windy, still I had my cagoule and armed with enthusiasm I checked into the InterContinental Hotel, in probably the best location for taking advantage of the waterfront at Queens Wharf.  After checking in we headed out for dinner.  After walking into a headlong gale for 5 minutes, we plumped on the next restaurant we could find.  The food was unbelievable and really good value, a good start. 
The following morning couldn’t have been so different.  It was very bright, sunny, warm but very windy. Directly opposite the hotel a small street café served us a magnificent breakfast, lots of it and reasonably cheap. Suitably refreshed we set out to explore the area.
It’s worth taking the cable car to the top of Wellington where you get a panoramic view of the area.  You can take the cable back down but we chose to walk.  The walk takes at least an hour without any stop offs.  It takes you through the wonderful Botanical Gardens with wooden lodges serving refreshments should you need them en route.
A walk along Queens Wharf is definitely recommended, not only is the scenery beautiful but there’s even a working micro brewery where you get to sample the drink before making your half/pint purchase.  There are numerous bars and restaurants along the front and some are even BYO.  We ate at ‘Shed 5’ one night which was great, as too was the Dockside Restaurant.  It can get very busy down at the waterfront most evenings, as local people congregate after work so do check if a reservation is needed.
Needless to say there are art galleries a history museum and lots and lots of shops down town.  If you want to see something in particular, check the local tourist office or the leaflets in your hotel.
You can catch the ferry in Wellington to take you across the ‘Cook Strait’ to Picton on South Island, but unfortunately for us time was tight and we couldn’t make it.
A word on the weather, Wellington is known as the windy city and it certainly lives up to its name.  I was amazed how fast the clouds raced across the sky, just like the TV documentary programmes where they fast forward everything, it was awesome.  New Zealand is nearer to the hole in the ozone layer than Australia and consequently you can get frazzled even on very cloudy days.  Expect the weather to change seasons within one day, it can be sunny and hot in the morning, raining by lunch time, sleet falling in the afternoon and back to warm again in the evening.

NAPIER/HAWKES BAY

After picking up our hire car for the week we headed for Main Road North (yes it really is called that) and our journey towards Napier our next stop.
It was an interesting journey as the scenery’s wonderful.  It came to mind as a cross between the Lake District and Wales, very lush and green, and it rained a lot.  Some parts of the route were a little hair raising; particularly between Lower and Upper Hutte.  Hopefully you won’t get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle as your car climbs the almost vertical ascent, with hairpin bends that would give the Southern Italian Riviera a run for their money.  However several hours later we arrived in Napier. 
Napier was flattened by an earth quake on the 3rd Feb 1931, so almost all the buildings are built in the style of that era, Art Deco.  It was like entering a time warp as we drove into Napier, like entering the set of Heart Beat or Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot with our modern air conditioned car looking a little peculiar amongst the classic automobiles.  There are museums and a heritage centre and a lovely clean beach but you must do a spot of window shopping to marvel at the goods for sale in the hundreds of antique shops.
It was only a quick over night stay and the following morning we headed out to Hawke’s Bay, only a ten minute car ride away.  We visited The Mission, a winery that used to be a Mission.  You can dine in the award winning restaurant and if the weather is kind you sit outdoors to marvel at the surrounding vineyards and scenery, a reservation to eat here in the evenings is a must.  We then headed for Church Road winery a mile or so down the road.  The wine tour is very interesting and you get to sample some of their produce and even make the odd purchase, as currently they don’t export as they manage to sell all their produce within New Zealand.  It was then back to the car to head further north towards Lake Taupo and Rotarura.

LAKE TAUPO/ ROTORUA

We had very little time at Lake Taupo (more’s the pity), as we were heading to our next over night stay in Rotorua.  Lake Taupo is beautiful as is Hukka Falls where we spared an hour or so to do the Hukka Jet Boat ride.  You’re kitted out in a bright blue sou'wester and in the boat you get, where the driver lets it rip, twist and turn drenching you thoroughly until you arrive at the waterfall.  It was well worth the cost and you do get to have your photo taken during the ride.  It was then time to head off to Rotorua.
What can I say about this place? There's no getting away from the smell! We visited a place called Hell’s gate and Wai Ora Spa where you get up close (yes I did heave) to the source of the smell.  It has boiling whirlpools, steam vents, a sulphur lake and much more. The earths crust is very thin in this region and it seems to erupt and bubble to the surface.  There is plenty to learn about the Maori culture in this area and heritage centres are plenty.
We were heading for Auckland so after saying good bye to the stench of sulphur we left and headed north again, taking a slight detour as I’d wanted to visit an area slightly north, a place called Mount Maunganui in the city of Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty.  We had only a couple of hours to spend here but it was well worth it.  It’s supposed to be the area that New Zealanders visit for holidays and I can see why.  The dominant feature is the Mount which in reality is an extinct volcano, rising up above town on the coast.  It’s possible to climb the Mount but it will take you a couple of hours hike to the summit where I believe the views are staggering, but unfortunately we didn’t have time.  It really is a beautiful spot, with its pure white sandy beach, hot salt water pools and warm sea.  It’s the agricultural district of N Z and is famous for its citrus crops, particularly the Kiwi Fruit, so after a much too short a visit it was off to Auckland.

AUCKLAND City of sails

Auckland is a city by the water and just like Sydney its worth taking the ferry ride out to get a different view of the city.  The city is very hilly so much so that some streets have metal handrails bolted to walls to help you climb them, so if this is an issue I would recommend staying in a hotel nearer to the harbour. 
A trip up the Auckland Tower at 328metres high in the glass fronted lifts is a must for the views alone.  For the brave (read stupidly brave) you can take the Sky jump where you jump from the tower attached by bungee style ropes in a body harness or the Sky walk where you are attached to a full body harness and overhead safety lines so that you walk around the 1.2 metre wide platform of the tower.  NB there’s no ledge and it’s a metal grid platform (not for the faint hearted). 
The eating is good down at the quay and all tastes and budgets are catered for.  The Italian is recommended as too is ‘Soul’ but you‘ll need to book this restaurant early.
There’s so much to do in Auckland I wouldn’t know where to start.  You can take a day’s sailing, visit the National Maritime Museum, hot air ballooning, bungee jump, there’s even the Auckland Bridge Climb, similar to the one in Sydney, or simply take a stroll down town and soak up the café culture.
As I’ve said many times before, the weather is unpredictable in New Zealand, and as they say ‘wait ten minutes and the weather will change’ it certainly can and will, just be prepared!