Luxury South Pacific Vacation Review: Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Moorea, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne Golfing,

All of it.  The hut over the water in Moorea and swimming in the lagoon.  The unbelievable geography and beauty of New Zealand and especially its people.  They were helpful, engaging, and fun to be around.  Great attitude toward life.  The food in New Zealand was outstanding.  We never had a bad meal and we dined in every type of restaurant and pub.  As for towns to visit, we liked Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, and could live in Lake Wanaka.  If you travel to New Zealand, we liked the South Island best but both have wonders to explore.  You really need to drive down the West coast of the South Island to see some incredible beauty and diversification of geography. 

In Australia, which we have traveled to several times, and have relatives in Sydney, we spent about a week in Melbourne.  A fascinating city with exceptional architecture, art, muraled alleys and arcades filled with shops of all flavors, intimate restaurants, and cool coffee shops.  The museums, botanical gardens and war memorial are a must to see as well as lunch on the Colonial Tram Restaurant that moves through the city as you enjoy an elegant lunch, or dinner, on a tram dining car.  Sounds tacky, but it was the surprise of the trip.  I’m partial to golf, and you have to play a few rounds in “the sand belt” for a memorable golf experience.  Finally, we love the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney, and this time, we got access to the lounge on the 31st floor….with perfect weather.  We just love that city and its harbor.