This past winter, Patrick and I traveled to the land down under! This was a major bucket list trip for me, and after being delayed for years due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to finally turn this dream into reality. We traveled for 26 days from the end of December to mid-January so that we could visit during their summer season. As anyone in California can attest, it was a very wet winter, so we were happy to pack up our shirts, shorts, and swimsuits for this adventure. We flew from Los Angeles to Fiji, Fiji to Auckland, Auckland to Queenstown, Queenstown to Melbourne, Melbourne to Sydney, and Sydney back to Los Angeles. We also adjusted to “living in the future” with a 17-19 hour time difference. From gorgeous beaches, fun attractions, and delicious restaurants, we explored, drank, and ate our way through this unbelievable vacation. I’ll share our activities and recommended spots below. Good on ya if you’re planning a trip to this part of the world and Kia Ora!
Nadi, Fiji
We stayed at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, and we really leaned into living the resort life. We wanted our time in Fiji to be easy and relaxing, and it was. We pool hopped, dined at the different restaurants, relaxed in our bungalow, listened to live music, and enjoyed the sun and swimming. We also celebrated Christmas in Fiji too! This is a big hotel, and I will note that there were a lot of families, newlyweds, and recently engaged couples. We had to break it to people that we were married in 2017 and not the week before.
Activities:
– We rented a boat for the day (with a captain) through the hotel. Although a choppy ride, and maybe not for the faint of heart or those prone to sea sickness, it was an amazing experience. We had an incredible snorkeling session, visited a true sandbar, saw the beach where Castaway was filmed, and had lunch and drinks on a floating bar (Cloud 9).
– The hotel has activities and event nights, and I recommend catching the fire dancing. I was blown away by the Fijian fire dancers.
Auckland, New Zealand
We stayed at an Airbnb in the Central Business District (CBD). We didn’t rent cars for this trip, so we tried to stay in central areas where we could walk, get Ubers, or use public transportation easily. We also alternated between hotels and Airbnbs for multiple factors like cost, points/miles booking, and laundry access.
Activities:
Drinks & Dining:
Charlie Farleys (Waiheke)
Tantalus Estate Vineyard (Waiheke)
The Heke Brewery (Waiheke)
The Local (Waiheke)
Wild Estate (Waiheke)
Stonyridge Vineyard (Waiheke)
Queenstown, New Zealand
We stayed at The Rees Hotel Luxury Apartments & Lakeside Residences, which had a gorgeous view and direct access to a bike/walking path into town. We also celebrated NYE here!
Activities:
– Queenstown Gardens & CBD trail
– Skyline Queenstown (see video)
Drinks & Dining:
Melbourne, Australia
We stayed at an Airbnb in the CBD area.
Activities:
– Flinders Street Station (Rone Art Exhibit)
– Fitzroy area
Drinks & Dining:
Sydney, Australia
We stayed at an Airbnb in the CBD area.
Activities:
– Capitol Theatre (We saw Moulin Rouge)
Drinks & Dining:
Tropikana (Manly)
The Boathouse Shelly Beach (Manly)
If you found this guide helpful, leave a comment below! This post is not sponsored at all, and I did all of the booking myself (thank you, Virgo-planner qualities). Please share or tag me if you visit any of these spots. Any other questions? Let me know! Wishing you happy future planning, safe travels, and lots of g’days!
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