It seems like you wanted to see nature in Australia. Do that! Don’t waste your time on the cities. That is too far to travel not to do what you want.

I think this is too rushed. You can go back!!!

OP again. The dream was the barrier reef and the red rocks but I think that age and the time restraint would make that something we forget about. Our last trips have focused on food and wine which everyone enjoyed along with good tours see the world's beautiful landmarks and scenery.

OP here. My spouse and I can spend as much time as we want on this trip so not concerned about the time traveling to APAC or back. The 10 days is the most family in that region can vacation.

While we could theoritically go for 2 months, we do have medical considerations. One of the meds is injections that have to be refrigerated.
Anyone have any experience with that?

Anonymous wrote:No it is not. We spent four months in those places. Quality over quantity. 10 days honestly isn’t even enough for just Australia. Plus travel time from the US? Are you nuts?!

Yeah OP, why can’t you just spend 4 months there?

Is it possible? Of course. Is it advisable? Of course not.

We did a month in New Zealand, visited the north and south islands, and still didn't see everything we wanted to see, or do everything we wanted to do.

Pick ONE of those places

Anonymous wrote:In 2011 we spent ten days in New Zealand and it was amazing. We still wish we spent more time there. I can't even imagine trying to do both NZ and Australia in just ten days. I mean, you lose a whole DAY on the flight there.

Worse than that. If you leave here on a Friday, you arrive in NZ or Australia on Sunday morning. When you come back you get to LAX before you left Auckland because of the dateline.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd drop Australia entirely, personally. New Zealand is awesome, and Australia is basically USA 2.0

PP here, and I agree with this.

NP, and I agree with this as well.

Sounds like a nice trip. New Zealand is, generally, super rural. If you're picturing quaint Currier & Ives British-y vibes, but in the Southern Hemisphere, that's not how it is. A lot of it is more like maybe somewhere in Colorado or Utah. Kind of Western US seeming.

Why only 10 days?

We went to South Island but JUST to Queenstown area. Three nights there including Milford and Doubtful Sound day trips..2 nights Wanaka for wine tasting.

Skip Melbourne. Sydney is at least 4 nights.

Singapore is nowhere near.
Australia-NZ-Fiji might work but with like 2 nights that's just near Nadi and that's meh.

Your trip if a lifetime is a rushed hodgepodge. Sorry.

But add time or pare down. Do you know what specifically interests you about those places? What your daily itinerary would be?

In 2011 we spent ten days in New Zealand and it was amazing. We still wish we spent more time there. I can't even imagine trying to do both NZ and Australia in just ten days. I mean, you lose a whole DAY on the flight there.

Anonymous wrote:I'd drop Australia entirely, personally. New Zealand is awesome, and Australia is basically USA 2.0

PP here, and I agree with this.

I'd drop Australia entirely, personally. New Zealand is awesome, and Australia is basically USA 2.0

No it is not. We spent four months in those places. Quality over quantity. 10 days honestly isn’t even enough for just Australia. Plus travel time from the US? Are you nuts?!

In ten days? And if you had to drop something, what would it be? This would be sometime in late September to late November.
We started with a dream trip idea to Australia but friends recommended we add South Island. We are physiaclly fit elders but would mostly walk everywhere instead of serious hikes or biking. I suppose we could also spend the entire time in New Zealand.

Also, The 10 day restriction would not include any place, before or after. Thinking Singapore or Taiwan before and then at the end a quick 2 days in something like Fiji or similar (if we flew west starting in the USA)

It's unlikely that we'll be back to that part of the world.

Thanks for any guidance. I'm also following the Austalia thread.