Travelling to Oceania

So you want to travel to Oceania? Our advice? Plan to be here for a LOOONNNGGGG time, because there is NO WAY you'll have enough time to see all the things you'll want to see!! We were in this part of the world for almost 5 weeks and we are trying to figure out a way to come back for at least another 2 months to see just SOME of what we missed! BUT! Here's our advice for the things we WERE able to see and do!

Australia:
It's amazing. And we only saw 3 cities. We would love to be able to come back and explore a lot more of it - we missed so much this time around! But here's what we can tell you...

Melbourne:
It's the best city. It just is. Seriously. I'm in love. Plan to spend at least 5 days here. In that amount of time you'll be able to hit a lot of the really great restaurants, while also having plenty of time to take advantage of its various free public spaces. These include: Federation Square (a large meeting area), St. Paul's Cathedral (beautiful church next to Fed Square), the ACMI (movie museum - spend at least 2 hours here - awesome hands-on exhibits), LANEWAYS (find a laneways map and explore them all - they are amazing!), and then all of the public parks such as the botanical gardens and Birrarung Marr. There's also a free conservancy near Cook's Cottage (Cooks Cottage costs a few dollars to enter but the park it's in is free). Overall, just enjoy the atmosphere, revel in the (mostly) free public transportation, and eat lots of delicious things. Don't forget to devote at least a day (preferably a sunny one) to driving the Great Ocean Road and exploring the southern coast and its beaches. And also, bring me with you when you go :).

Cairns:
March is not the time to be in Cairns as it is PRIME box jellyfish season (aka the deadliest creature on the planet. No bueno.) The jellyfish aren't around in Australian winter (aka July and August), so this is the suggested time to head to Cairns. Basically only plan to go here if you want to scuba dive and don't plan to be here for longer than you'd like to dive. Don't forget that you shouldn't fly within 24 hours of a dive, so plan accordingly. While we only did one day of diving, there are LOTS of options for 3 or 4 day live-aboards. If you are certified (or want to get certified) SERIOUSLY CONSIDER this option as it will allow you to go to the inner part of the Great Barrier Reef, aka where less people have the opportunity to go, it's more untouched, more pristine, and I've heard is better overall. Unfortunately we didn't have the time (or money) to do a live-aboard, but next time I will BE there. As for the city of Cairns, there's REALLY not much to it - only explore if you have some time while waiting to be able to fly out of there ;-p. As for the Daintree Rainforest, while very pretty, it wasn't something we felt too strongly about. Instead, drive up to Cape Tribulation and enjoy some time there, but honestly, you can skip the Daintree...

Sydney:
Sydney is really lovely, but it's also basically just a big city. Two to three days here is plenty and will allow you time to visit the Sydney Opera House (I think the tour is a must - quite fascinating and beautiful), as well as to head to the beaches - Manly and Bondi. Bondi is more touristy and Manly is where the locals go. We only went to Manly as we'd heard it's the better overall beach. Until that point, it was by FAR the nicest beach we'd been to on this trip. Manly Beach is highly recommended. As far as things to do, we'd also recommend climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge if your budget allows for it. It is VERY expensive, but it is honestly one of the best "go-climb-this-tall-structure" experiences we've had (and we've had a LOT of them!) We had SO MUCH time on the bridge to just relax and enjoy the view - we never felt rushed at all while climbing (which is not something you can say of most of those experiences) AND our tour guide was SUPER knowledgeable about the bridge and the surrounding harbor. Overall a pretty great experience. Also, if you like eating dessert for breakfast, check out Pancakes On The Rocks - DELICIOUS.

New Zealand:
IS AMAZING. GO. JUST DO IT. GO NOW.

We went to FAR too many cities, so instead I will just say this - while it is definitely possible to see both the North and South Islands in 2 weeks, it is NOT possible if you actually want to enjoy yourself and SEE the country. We spent 2 weeks driving around the North Island and it was a good amount of time. We were never really rushed, we saw about 10 different cities, and went to almost every section of the North Island. If you want to really cover it extensively I would say 2 1/2 - 3 weeks is the right amount of time. As for the South Island, I've heard you need at least 3 weeks to cover just the South Island alone. Also, everyone says the South Island is much more beautiful, so if you only have time for one, consider doing the South. Or, you could be like us, and do the North in one trip, and South in the next so you're even MORE pleasantly surprised when you get there :).

As for our favorite places in the North Island, we LOVED Taupo - beautiful area, lots of green spaces, hiking trails, etc. and the lake is gorgeous. We also loved Napier on the East Coast, a quaint little town (much like Northport, where we grew up), and on a beautiful black pebble beach. We were also a big fan of the Northern section of the island up near Whangaray, although we wished we could have spent a bit more time in the Bay of Islands.

But like I said - New Zealand is amazing. Just book your trip now :-p.

Fiji:
Where we were in Fiji was amazing and DEFINITELY relaxing. We recommend going for as long as you're cool with sitting on a beach with a drink in your hand :). With Fiji we were a little concerned that if we stayed on the mainland we'd run into the same problem we'd had in Bali - the place had been overrun by tourism and was NOT what we were actually looking for. As such, we decided to head to one of the outlying islands (one of the 330 that comprise Fiji) and we were FAR from disappointed. The Octopus Resort, located on Yawa Island, was incredible - clean, nice amenities, great pool, and right on a gorgeous and pristine beach. A few years ago it was ranked as one of the top 10 beaches in the world, and it's easy to see why. Crystal clear water, amazing staff, great rooms, and a beautiful coral reef just FEET from the shoreline. Not only that, but we appreciated the opportunities to interact with the local staff, as well as to explore town. The town was located only a 15-20 minute walk from the resort and everyone there was quite friendly and welcoming. We really enjoyed our time in Fiji and look forward to going back when we find ourselves on that side of the world again :). When we do come back, if we don't stay at Octopus again, we will most likely look for a similar experience on a different, smaller island. It really was a little slice of paradise.