Is New Zealand worth adding to an Australia trip?
Yes, if you have at least a week to give it. New Zealand is three hours from the east coast and nothing like Australia — mountains, fiords and glaciers instead of desert and reef. A day trip is $239, a South Island loop $1,940, and two weeks does both islands.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
People often tack New Zealand onto an Australian trip because it looks close on a map. It is three hours by air, which is Sydney to Perth, and the two countries have almost nothing in common geographically. That is the argument for going and the reason not to rush it.
Why it is worth going
- It is completely different country.Australia is flat, dry and old; New Zealand is young, mountainous and wet. The Southern Alps run the length of the South Island.
- Fiordland.Milford Sound and the Great Walks, in country that looks like nowhere else on earth.
- Glaciers you can reach.Franz Josef and Fox come down almost to sea level through rainforest, which is close to unique.
- Maori cultureon the North Island, and geothermal country around Rotorua — geysers, mud pools and steam coming out of the ground in the middle of town.
- Distances are human-scale.You can cross the South Island in a day, which after Australian driving feels like a holiday in itself.
The honest version
- A week does one island, not both.Trying to do both in seven days means spending it travelling.
- The South Island is the one most people mean.Mountains, fiords, glaciers and Queenstown. The North has the culture, the geothermal country and Hobbiton.
- It is a separate countrypassport, entry requirements and its own currency.
- It rains.The west coast of the South Island is one of the wettest inhabited places on earth, and that is why the rainforest and the glaciers are there.
- If you only have two weeks in totaldo Australia properly instead. New Zealand deserves its own trip.
What it costs
| Trip | Length | Route | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Hobbiton | 1 day | Auckland / Auckland | $239 |
| 1 Day Mt Cook & Lake Tekapo | 1 day | Christchurch / Christchurch | $259 |
| 8 Day Southern Crossing | 8 days, 7 nights | Christchurch / Christchurch | $1550 |
| 7 Day Southern Loop | 7 days, 6 nights | Christchurch / Christchurch | $1940 |
| 8 Day North Island | 8 days, 7 nights | Wellington / Auckland | $1264 |
| 12 Day Essential South Island | 12 days, 11 nights | Christchurch / Wellington | $1815 |
Prices are per person and update on their own.
People also ask
- What New Zealand trips are there?
- New Zealand itinerary — how long do you need?
- Where should I go in Australia?
- How much does a tour in Australia cost?
Where this comes from. Each trip's own route, duration and inclusions sheet, as held on its page here. Prices are the current from price and update on their own.