Tour 'Down Under'

Re the laundry aspect, I tend to take some disposable items 'just in case'. They take up very little space. Also do a good mix 'n' match of your very favourite items. Go for lots of comfort (now called smart casual) and one smart. All bliss. I'm envious of all but your journey. Enjoy the anticipation and then the trip. Bravo!

Been round the world twice (first on honeymoon and second time a few years later). Those travel cubes are really good for keeping your suitcase tidy. Travel wash for smalls and make use of the hotel laundry rooms when you do have a couple of days in one place. Shops like Rohan do travel clothes that are quick drying and crush proof. Quite expensive but hard wearing.

A pair of comfortable shoes - sketchers are great and lightweight for packing. Take 2 pairs so you're not hammering the one pair (as they will start to smell).

Antihistamine cream is a must as nothing worse than an itch (I'm allergic to ant bites and those drove me mad till I discovered Tiger Balm in Singapore). It's not made from tigers thankfully but did cool down any bites or sunburn

A foldable Sun hat and a decent pair of sunglasses.

Copy of any prescription medicine (local name and what's in it just in case you and your medication becomes separated).

If you're going into the outback, a small LEd torch can be useful if you're out walking / looking at the Southern Cross / stargazing etc

Something to settle your stomach (that you know works) just in case!

Take some anti-histamine tablets as well as cream, enough to start you off because some insect bites can get nasty if you react badly like me.

I like wearing cotton trousers tucked into socks in the outback if it's not too hot, just in case, but other people wander around in sandals.

Some hotel rooms are like mini apartments, open a cupboard door and there is a washing machine and tumble drier!

We have been to Australia many times but never done an organised tour although I quite fancy it, and would love to go to New Zealand. I liked the sound of the Ghan trip but DH is not keen.

Australia has a reciprocal health care arrangement with the UK for emergencies, but anything else would have to be paid for (if a small amount) or claimed through travel insurance.
Oh, Maggiemaybe just said that
Also what Maggie said about luggage allowance - our airline from the UK allowed 30 kgs but internal flight was 20 kgs as far as I remember, however a kind airport official helped us to juggle.

GandT Sun 29-Jan-17 11:53:16
Is that today's date?

Check you house insurance. Ours had a limit on how many days the house could be left empty, so when we had an extended tour to NZ we had to get out son to come and stay one weekend to keep the insurance valid. NZ is a fabulous country. The latest earthquake has closed some roads though so check your routes.

Our old insurance stated that CrazyGran so we changed back to one which we had had previously, although DS does come to stay sometimes.

You may come across snakes in the outback but don't make a sudden movement, stand and back away very very slowly. They are usually just crossing a path and will head to the other side.

"DO NOT STAMP YOUR FEET WHEN A SNAKE CROSSES YOUR PATH, this will provoke the snake to bite, stay perfectly still and let the snake move along.You should make extra noise as you travel on foot though grass and snake areas as this will give the snake prewarning that something large is in its area and it will move away and try to avoid you. Snakes' eyesight is not the best of their senses, they primarily work on smell and vibration. So if you stomp your feet in striking range the snake will feel threatened by the large vibration and will strike the large blurry object; your foot/boot."

So envious. We have been to Australia three times, but not to New Zealand.
On the medical theme not all prescription medicines we have here are available in Australia.Taking as many as you need can be important, depending on your medical condition.
DH needed an ambulance twice. Hospital care was free, but the ambulance was not. We had to pay, then claim back our insurance. This took some months, although we did get it back eventually. Hospital care at Cairns Base Hospital was brilliant, by the way. Second visit, in Noosa, good but not as good as Cairns.
Agree about how strict they are at Customs. Unpackaged food and meat products are banned too. You should declare any sweets etc as well.
It can be very hot this time of year. Our friends in NSW reported daytime temperatures of 40 and nighttime 30 plus degrees last week. We have only been in July/August when it is much milder.

Hi currently sitting in Franz Josef township having done a helicopter tour of the glacier which I would definitely recommend. We spent Christmas in Sydney with our daughter and grandson as part of a month long trip (our 4th to Australia). We had 5 days in Tasmaina which was great and wished we had a longer visit. Whilst in this part of the world we thought we would do New Zealand one week in North island and one week in south Island. I disagree with a previous poster that there is more to do in South island I think there is just the same amount to do in bother and a week is not long enough in either. I would also say the food is variable everywhere on Oz or NZ just like the UK.

My tip would be get a Caxton card. It's work a treat just like a bank card in UK and you just top it up from UK account as needed and does both Aus and NZ dollars.

Have a good trip it's been a wet and cold trip to NZ but have fried in Oz!

Load up your Kindle for holiday reading in NZ....books are very expensive.

I'm New Zealand born, (of Scottish/Irish ancestry) and love to hear the tales of people who have come here to NZ from the UK on holiday. I've done the opposite twice, visiting the UK, and all I can say is that I would do it again tomorrow!! If I could afford it. One thing I would recommend regarding prescription medication is - take more than you need. I took an extra week's worth of my daily meds just in case we were held up in London for some reason. It would have given me just an extra bit of time to arrange for more from a UK pharmacy. Apart from my GP's note I had a typed out list of my daily meds and at which time of the day I took them in my wallet too. Sounds a bit 'fussy' maybe but it's sometimes good to be on the cautious side when travelling. Have a grand trip!

Hospital care at Cairns Base Hospital was brilliant, by the way.
It does depend on the condition as sometimes patients have to be airlifted to Brisbane and of course hospitals in the outback may be good but limited in their resources; make sure you have good travel insurance.

But I'm glad to hear your treatment was brilliant there!

Jalima, yes I vaguely remember them telling us that, but in DH's case it wasn't necessary.

What a fab trip! There are so many different things to see in Oz that it's hard to know where to start! If you can, do the Ayres Rock/Uluru sunrise, it really is spectacular. Sydney is fabulous, Melbourne too. Get out of the cities and see some of the countryside too - the Blue Mountains are an easy drive from Sydney. We went to the southern coast with friends when we stayed with them, Albany is the main town and the coast and sea were wonderful. Go to Rottnest Island too if you're in Perth. Go to the Barrier Reef (who knows how much longer we'll have it if the reports are to be believed). Any area that does wine will have great restaurants but we have visited the Yarra Valley many times and love it there! That's just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, all the other things mentioned are important (health etc.) but the most important is to remember to enjoy yourselves!!!!

PS Philip Island, south of Melbourne for the penguin parade at sunset is a must too!

I think from what she's said that the OP's itinerary is already set and booked. It'd be interesting to know just where you're going, granfromafar then we can all look forward to it with you (or in my case, get really jealous).

Take your prescription for your specs and get some new ones in Hong Kong. The amount you save will almost pay for your flight!
We left Sydney to go to the Blue mountains and I only took a pair of jeans because I thought we were only staying overnight before returning to our daughters house en route south. Wrong!
We went south straight to Canberra, oophs. I bought 2 tee shirts, a pair of shorts some cut off trousers and a pair of thongs. They did me for 2 weeks. It was always warm and dry so a quick swish in the bathroom sink did the job! I did look a bit crumpled but who cares.
Have a fabulous time.

Wow - so many brilliant replies from all you lovely people!I may PM some of you for extra info but am already compiling a list of things to take or ask travel agent about.
Struggling2do1 - Our trip is exactly 1 year after yours so will lookout for your post-trip report! We are going with Austravel. It starts in Perth then goes to Alice Springs, Uluru (doing the sunrise trip),Port Douglas, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney. Did the bridge climb in Sydney and trip to Rottnest island off Perth on 1st visit. Fancy seeing the penguins on Phillip Island near Melbourne after seeing it on Martin Clunes' recent programme on Australian islands. Just seen that Magrithea has recommended that.
In NZ it includes Aukland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, Lake Tekapo & Fox Glacier.
Izabella mentioned holiday insurance which I have looking into as would normally book it at same time as the trip. Several companies that I have tried have said that they can't arrange it more than a year in advance. As we are only a few days away from that time frame, I have accepted that it will get sorted then, and hope that nothing happens to either of us in the coming week!
ClaraB - good luck with persuading your DH to retire.
Kim - disposable undies are a brill idea which I had thought of for me. Not sure that DH would be keen to use them though.
Pleas keep your comments coming, they are really appreciated.

We went with austravel I think about 10 years ago. Check that they are not bolting various tours together. For instance we arrived in Brisbane and stayed at a beautiful hotel. The car hire was from another hotel ,a different package and they wouldn't deliver to the one we were in but had to move to a horrid Ibis one. My fault for not going through it with a fine tooth comb. DH thought it was fine but he never packs or unpacks.

Re disposable undies. I bought packs of v cheap cotton ones from Tesco 6 for £5.00. They worked out cheaper than disposables. Packing cubes or clear plastic bags with underwear in one, t shirts in another I find helpful when hopping from place to place.
Thanks for this thread. I'm touring Australia in October so it's been very useful to me.

I'm on a round the world trip with my grand child after GCSE so found some excellent ideas here. I do take packing cubes and start with one for night wear, one for underwear etc. i take a net for the dirty laundry so that as soon as I get a chance I can wash it. Some cubes here though I have some Eagle Creek though they are quite expensive.
www.amazon.co.uk/Packing-Organizers/b?ie=UTF8&node=1769603031&tag=gransnetforum-21

When I am actually moving between hotels I pack a combination of clhes in the blocks so that I can pick up one for the day and one for the night etc.

Don't be put off Ibis hotels, if you are in Sydney the one in Darling Harbour is fine (or was).
There are lots of restaurants for evening meal near the hotel on the harbour.

ps take a light waterproof (not showerproof) because if it does rain, oh boy does it rain!

I have been looking at those packing cubes, they look great and I think I'll send for some.

I usually use zipped net laundry bags to keep underclothes and nightwear separate but the cubes look much better.

I was reminded of th thread in the cinema earlier. My saw Lion some of which was filmed in Tasmania great stuff.

You're right Jalima - about Ibis hotels and the rain. We stayed in an Ibis in Brisbane in 2000 and it was fine. It also bucketed down and I remember buying a brolly there as it caught us unawares!

Izabella We're planning on seeing Lion later this week. Have heard it's a real tear-jerker so will go prepared with tissues!

We were in NSW in 2011 when they had the wettest July for 50 years. It felt just like home. People kept apologising for the rain, and we smiled on, because we're English. It was also freezing down the Great Ocean Road and the leaden skies in Melbourne were just like home. Makes me laugh when people say the sun always shines in Australia.

granfromafar my tip would be have a small suitcase that you can pack with clothes/toileteries/ medication for a couple of days when you are only in a hotel for a night or two as it save you having to rummage through and re pack your big case every day. Have a great time next year