any anyone any positive/negative comments about Go Touring??

Welcome to Holidaytruths, medicine man ... we have a topic about Go Touring in our Tour Operators forum ... please click here.

David

Hi medicine man

Welcome to HT

I believe someone posted earlier on this year about taking a Go Touring tour of New Zealand I remember them saying it was pretty hectic.
I have visited both Australia and New Zealand and didn't have problems anywhere finding veggie food, sometimes a bit limited but I could always find something. In the major cities the choice of food is excellent.
My first visit to Aus and NZ was during march and the weather was hot and sunny most of the time, just a couple of days with showers. The south island of NZ has an alpine climate so can be cool and damp.

Judith.

HI Judith
Thanks for that, i have conflicting views especially as go tours who said it will be much colder than if we went in Jan 2010 -so you have eased our minds as we would think its warm its fine
I expect it to be hectic
as there seems a lot packed in this 31 days
Hopefully we will be fine

Hi
I live in Australia and have been to NZ a few times
March should be ok to travel down here in NZ you will get some days it will rain no matter when you travel in the Alice Springs area it will not be to hot and in Cairns area it will be over the wet season
The Veg meals they might not be on the menu in some places but just ask for a plate of veg and they all ways will have them
Your trip will be on the go alot the only thing that I can see that it is a pity you can not do the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne as it is a must see
hope you have a good time down under

HI CHUBBY
Thanks for the info,we only spend one full day at Melbourne but do a city sights inc Captain cooks cottage and old melbourne gaol and stroll round the botanical gardens / rememberance of Kings Gardens the afternoon is free for us to explore so would you suggest a taxi drive along this area or any other suggestions would be welcome.
Also when we reach Alice springs we have free day or optional excursions to Mcdonnell ranges -do you have any suggestions and if so how can we do it?
Also in Cairns we have free dayand (half Day) next morning /or optional excursion to Kuranda any suggestions here .
Likewise there is city tour of sidney with a day and half of optional tours -any suggestions would be welcomed
Thanks

Hi medicine man

I'm sure Chubby will be along with some ideas for your trip, but just thought I would give you details of some of my ideas and web sites you could look out to check out day tours from the various places you will be visiting.
Melbourne you could ride the tram, you can even have dinner on one of the trams. The fairy penguins on Phillip Island are worth seeing. http://www.melbournetours.com.au/
Alice Springs you may be feeling like relaxing a bit after a some hectic touring and taking a half day tour out to the McDonnells may be better than the full day one. The Desert Park is also worth a visit. http://www.alicewanderer.com.au/
Cairns. I see you have an included day out to the GBReef so I won't include that. I was a bit disappointed with the small town of Kuranda, lots of tourist tat shops, but the journey up and down make the tour worth taking. I would advise going up on the train and returning on the skyrail, the train takes two hours which I think is best done in the morning, not the end of the day. http://www.downundertours.com

I would advise having a look at the websites I have listed and you could get some idea of what is on offer. Your hotel reception will be able to book any tours for you as will your tour escort.
Do give yourselves some time to relax, your tour looks very intense so you may need to just chill out for a few hours at some places.

Enjoy your holiday (and the planning which I always enjoy) Australia is on of my favourite holiday destinations and I loved my visit to New Zealand so much I tried to emigrate there.

Judith

Hi again
Judith has given you some very good advice and web sites to look at
In Melbourne the Great Ocean Road trip is a full day trip your trip takes you to the shrine and captain Cooks cottage and an old jail where they hung our bush ranger Ned Kelly I would brake your tour for the day and take the day tour along the Ocean road google and look up ocean road Australia you will get some idear on what you will see
Alice Springs I would take a trip out of Alice Springs for a day as there is not much to see walking around the streets
Caines the trip up by train to Kuranda and you come down by chair lift over the tree tops is very good the town of Kuranda is a town of small shops wanting your dollar but the trip up and down is very good
Yes most hotels have places to book these trips ask at the front desk
if you want more info just ask only to happy to give it to you

Thank you BOTH FOR ALL THE INFO
as you know we are going with the tour company and i am tempted to miss their half day tour and do the whole day ocean drive if we arrive to melbourne the day before early afternoon -maybe catch the tram (free-i believe) and do our quick tour of city-as the ocean drive has rave reviews would you say this is better than cit tours and would some of the sights still be included in that -I will look at the websites next few days-and if you guys dont mind -"pick" your brains later if need be
Thanks -I really appreciate the time taken out by you to reply

Just ask and I'll help if I can.

Judith

Hi again
The free tram that goes around the edge of the city and has a recorded history as you go it is an old brown coloured tram you could catch it in Flinders Street the first street over the Yarra river from where you are staying in Melbourne at the Travel Lodge
If you not afaid of high buildings you can get a wonder full view of Melbourne from the Sky Deck it is very close to where you are staying
http://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au
The trip along the Ocean Road will only take you out of Melbourne so you will only see the west side of the city to pick which tour to do the Ocean Road is very good you go along the edge of the cliff face for some of the way and to think this road was made with pick and shove by the returned service men of the first world war for work when they returned back home
The road then goes into bush and hills and then come out near Port Cambell to wonder full cliff formmations you will go along these to near Warrnambool and come back to Melbourne along the inland highway returning about 8 or 9 oclock
This is a very rough idear of the trip

Hi
I have just found out that we only have one full day in melbourne and half of that day is city guided tour as mentioned earlier-would you say just do the half day tour and do something else in afternoon as you previosly mentioned -or do the ocean day full tour ?-
I am bit gutted we only have one day in Melbourne-and not two -as the next day we have morning flight-Let me know what you think
Thanks

hi again

Things you could do after you have done your half day tour
A cruise up and down the Yarra river you catch them at south bank near where you stay
The old tram that takes you around the city
Go up the Sky deck near where you are staying and get good views of Melbourne
You could take a bus trip to Phillip Island and see the penguin parade where they come into the beach at just after dark it is all lit up so you can see them BUT DRESS WARM as it can be very very cold if it is a south wind blowing this trip leaves the city in the after noon an get back about 11 pm if you want I can find the web site for you
To pick which to do about the oceon road trip or the city you have with your trip,well I think it would be best for you to pick both have things to see that are good

hi all,

i'm going on the 31-day tour to new zealand & australia with go touring (december 2009). travelling alone. i have been to australia three times before - so know a little bit about the trips, but have never visited new zealand. does anybody have any recommendations for the trips, are there any must do's ?? also are there any places worth a visit, that are not part of the tour?

any suggestions would be much appreciated.

if i can be of any help, please feel free to contact me direct.

and if your on the same tour - please let me know.

glenn.

Hi Sydney
On looking at the itinerary for your tour it looks pretty full up without much time for individual side trips. I was a bit disappointed with Christchurch, seemed to be full of shops selling souveniers to japanese tourists, but the city was easy to walk round or catch the tram, lots of nice places to eat.
Queenstown is the activity centre of the world and if you are into sports then there is something to suit eveyone, hiking, bungy jumping, some weird sports, ride the gondola up to Bob's Peak, just take a cruise on Lake Wakitupi or take a winetasting tour. It's a pity you can't do both the Shotover Jet boat and the Milford Sound tour. The jet boat trip is a pure adrenaline high. The Milfound sound tour is a fairly long coach ride from Queenstown but the views on the sound even if it's raining(it often does, it rained the whole time we were on the water on my visit) of the scenery and waterfalls is magnificent. If you don't do the Milford Sound the scenery in the rest of South Island is still beautiful and you will see wonderful turquoise lakes and high snow covered mountains. I'm getting jealous just thinking about it.
Auckland like most large cities is very busy, there is a hop on hop off bus which can make getting around easy, you can take a harbour cruise or there are ferries that take you from point to point. Take a trip up the Skytower.
Wellington is a good city for wandering around, lots of nice restaurants, pubs and bars. The Botanic Gardens high above the city can be reached by cable car and you can get some lovely views of the city stretching out below you.
I hope you have a great holiday
Judith

hi judith,

thanks for your quick response.
obviously there is alot to see & do, but your help is very much appreciated.
the tour seems to be pretty hectic, with a lot to pack in, so any suggestions
for tours worth going on are a great help.
(it's much easier planning your tour before you go, rather than trying to decide on the day, what you are going to do).

just counting down the days now..

thanks again for your reply.

best wishes,

glenn.

hi glen
we have the same dilema as you-but we are not going till march to april 10 -as i cant really give you advice and you are doing the same trip as we are -i would love some feedback on any tips you may have on your return-although i believe the weather will be great for you-Thanks
Medicine Man

Havent been to New Zealand part of the tour,we went on a titan tour of Australia in April,The weather at ayres rock and alice springs was touching 90s when we was there,little cooler on a night,not sure if you enjoy bugs or not,but the 3 of us hated the flies which buzz around you all the time,we had to buy a hair net,i would recommend one.In Melborune i wouldnt go on the penguin parade biggest waste of a day we went on,you couldnt really see the penguin's when they come out the water spend the rest of your day in melborune theres a great market there plus where you stopping the crown complex.the weather in cairns will be high 80s as well same all the year round,if you wish theres a massive pool in cairns town centre and shops if you wish to spend your free day there,we went to the kuruda town on the skyrail,was an intresting day but looking at your tour i would relax in cairns.Singapore will be very sticky as well,it was so humid when we stopped there,so i think you will need shorts for start of your days,then maybe jeans and jumpers for part of new zealnad trip....then need the shorts back out for red centre part and cairns...it looks a fantastic trip,its a shame the Aus dollar gone down so much last year or so...may find things a little expensive in sydney espically.

thanks to everyone for their replies.

will take on board what you have said, and now have a clearer idea of places to visit, and trips to
book and possibly avoid.

counting down the days now. only just over 2-weeks til the off!!!

will post details of all the trips and places worth visiting when i get back.

have friends in cairns, christchurch & melbourne, so hopefully they will also know
of places to see & trips to book.

keep in touch,

best wishes,

glenn.

Hi Glen
Hope you have a great time-but i dont know what you are budgeting for a day -as the trip only inc breakfast-assuming you have to get lunch/even meal /extras-also any other trips -what have you budgeted for this??-are you also taking travellers cheques in each of the countries you are visiting in their currency -or in pounds?

could you also give us an idea of additional trips you do whether this be independent or via go touring-and rough costing -if you dont mind on your return?

Thanks
Bimal