Australia, New Zealand Luxury Vacation Review: Glaciers, Nature, Helicopter Tour, Four Weeks

In New Zealand, we loved Auckland, Rotorua, and the train ride from Christchurch to Greymouth (FYI, you do not need to eat breakfast before the train ride as it is served on the train). One tip when driving from Greymouth to Franz Josef: call the hotel ahead for a dinner reservation.

We also enjoyed Wanaka, Queenstown, and Milford Sound. Since we missed a helicopter hike and flight from Milford Sound, we added a one-and-a-half-hour helicopter ride from Queenstown over the mountains, glaciers, Fiordland National Park, and Milford Sound. We landed on a glacier and another mountain top. It was so worth it and I would recommend it to anyone.

In Australia, we loved Melbourne, Port Douglas, and Sydney.

A suggestion if you are traveling from Adelaide to Cairns: opt for the early, nonstop flight as this gives you an entire day to enjoy in Port Douglas. We were able to go to the beach, have lunch in town, take a hike, go to the pool, and do a sunset cruise that day. Otherwise, you make a connection in Melbourne and don't arrive until evening, missing all that we did.