Walk along Sydney’s scenic coast with A South Pacific Odyssey Trip Experience Leader Grant Hyde from Coogee Beach to Gordon’s Bay, and take in the stunning ocean scenery while being regaled with tales from Australia’s fascinating past.
There’s no language barrier. The weather is glorious. The people are gregarious. The style of life is upbeat and informal. Toss in the spectacular landscapes and cosmopolitan cities, and it’s easy to see why Australia and New Zealand are ideal destinations for American travelers. We’ve collected tips and insider advice from Trip Experience Leaders, regional associates, and returning travelers to help make the most of your experience on A South Pacific Odyssey: Australia, the Outback & New Zealand.
Top Tips & Advice
When tea is not tea: If someone in Australia or New Zealand invite you to tea, they mean dinner. "Tea" is how Aussies and Kiwis refer to the evening meal.
Traditional Aboriginal art is a popular souvenir—but take care to purchase the real thing.
Buy real indigenous art: Among the most popular things to buy in Australia are art and artifacts made by Aboriginal people, be it a handmade boomerang, a "dot painting" depicting mythical symbols, or a hand-carved didgeridoo instrument. But sadly, there is a brisk trade in imported knockoffs, and many cases where the local artist is just not fairly compensated. One way to be sure that the item you purchase has been ethically sourced is to ask the shopkeeper who the individual artist is. They should be able to tell you. Look also to see if the store displays the Indigenous Art Code seal somewhere in the store. This is a voluntary organization that seeks to prevent the exploitation of Indigenous artists and promotes ethical ways to buy Indigenous art. It’s considered the "gold standard" among art dealers and gallery owners.
Don’t bring any food into New Zealand: To prevent the introduction of agricultural pests and diseases, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation has strict biosecurity rules. You’ll need to declare all food in your luggage before going through immigration and should be prepared to throw out most edible items—especially fruits, nuts, and plants.
To fully appreciate the beauty of Milford Sound, consider an aerial view.
See Milford Sound by plane: By taking a small propeller plane from Queenstown, New Zealand, to Milford Sound and back, you can see the snow-capped mountains at a much closer range than a larger flight. The captain shares historical facts as you see The Remarkables mountain range and admire the lush greenery from above. Our associates recommend Air Milford, a family-owned company.
Where to eat in St. Kilda, Melbourne: A favorite of the locals is Acland Street, with its many restaurants and shops. There are too many restaurants, pubs, and shops to mention. But Acland is most famous for its cake shops. Wander down the street and salivate in front of the full window displays of pastries, cakes and other goodies. It’s hard to decide, so you may have to sample one from each shop. And the coffee is great in Melbourne, too.
Doesn’t she make it look like fun?
Take the plunge in New Zealand: A popular extreme sport in Queenstown is bungee jumping. If you are 75 or over you can jump for free! Maybe that’s not enough to convince you to strap on a bungee harness and jump off the 141-foot-high bridge that spans the Kawarau River Gorge. (If not, how about a free t-shirt?) But it sure is thrilling to watch someone else do it. The site is in the Gibbston Valley, about 15 minutes from downtown Queenstown. It’s a scenic spot with a café and viewing areas. You can get there via the free Bungy Bus (from the Queenstown Bungy Centre, Corner of Shotover & Camp Streets), even if you are only planning to be a spectator.
What to Eat:
Australia and New Zealand share many of the same national dishes, and also have a rivalry over some of them, such as pavlova—a meringue and cream dessert. Both nations claim to have invented it in honor of the visiting ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Kiwi is the traditional topping, but Australians may use passionfruit instead (just to make a point). Lamingtons are squares of sponge cake covered in chocolate or raspberry sauce, then covered in coconut.
Meat pies—yes, with ketchup—are popular in both countries.
Both nations also love meat pies, flaky pastries filled with minced beef, lamb, or chicken. In New Zealand, bacon and egg pie is a picnic staple. Australians love green chicken curry pie. Meat pies are often served with ketchup (which the locals call "sauce").
For breakfast, have an Anzac biscuit with your coffee or tea. It’s a crunchy cookie (named a er the WWI-era Australian and New Zealand Army Corps or ANZAC) that’s made of sugar, flour, butter, rolled oats, syrup, and coconut.
Green-lipped mussels are among the excellent seafood you’ll find in New Zealand.
Seafood is terrific here. Grilled barramundi (a type of sea bass) is popular in Australia. Try also Tasmanian Atlantic salmon. It’s an introduced species that is now farmed and known for its superior taste and texture. Another Aussie favorite is crisply fried salt and pepper calamari. Yabbies are freshwater crayfish, prized for their sweet meat. In New Zealand try the Queen scallops, green-lipped mussels, and the whitebait fritter—a gourmet version of fish and chips in which the small, translucent fish are deep-fried in a light egg white batter. Both countries have superb oysters, and the Balmain bug—a slipper lobster with no claws and a sweet tail.
You will see emu and kangaroo on some Australian menus. Both are low in fat and flavorful. Be sure to try roasted New Zealand lamb, considered the best in the world.
These tips were excerpted from 101 Tips for Solo Women Travelers, our exclusive booklet that you can view online. Put our advice into practice during A South Pacific Odyssey: Australia, the Outback & New Zealand.
