I am so excited! I am finally planning my dream trip to Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have been on the top of the list of places to visit for years but they seemed out of reach budget-wise for so long. Finally a flash airfare deal came along and now my dream vacation is within reach and also affordable!

One immediate problem is both counties have so much to do and see that I really have to narrow the focus down to a few main interests and cities.  I am going with a couple of friends so we all agree that beaches, hiking, caving, rainforests, bars and nightlife are a must for the agenda!  The initial thoughts on some of the attractions to see are the  Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest in Australia. Then for New Zealand we are focusing on the North island. Main highlights there are the Mud spas in Rotorua, hiking in Tongariro crossing, the Waitomo Cave tours and Auckland.

So going to two countries in one trip poses a number of challenges. There are too many cities and places to visit!  Narrowing down what we want to see in the time we have is essential. We decided to focus on beaches, hiking and some city breaks.

Here is the initial plan: