My Travels Down Under: Places to Go, Things to See! Tourism of Oceania!

Hey Guys! So I wanted to do a run down on all the great attractions and sights of Australia and New Zealand. First off, Australia and New Zealand could by far be my two most favorite places in the world… there was always something to do.

New Zealand’s biggest export is its tourism, with approximately 2.5 million visitors per year. During my stay in New Zealand I took advantage of the options online at the Official New Zealand website. The number of tours is crazy. There is something for everyone including sail boating, to cultural tours, dive tours, film and themes tours, garden tours, and sporting tours. It is marketed as a “clean and green” playground because of all the outdoor activities. One specific tour that I loved was a tour through Active Earth New Zealand where I spent 10 days with a tour hiking and trekking through rainforests and active volcanoes. The group was small, consisting of 11 members, but it was an experience of a lifetime. My journey started in Auckland where I flew into the Auckland Airport, the major airport in New Zealand. This major airport caters to the some 11 million passengers per year coming to and from the island. From Auckland airport one can easily get to Rotorua, Waitomo Cave, Milford Sound and Queenstown.

Australia accounts for 1.1 million visitors to New Zealand with a 12.2% annual growth rate, while countries such as USA visitors have declined by -6.2%. Of the 2.5 million visitors, 1.2 million tour New Zealand during the Holiday seasons with an extended stay of about 20 days. I myself stayed for 30 days in New Zealand and then another 30 days in Australia. The first 10 days of my stay in New Zealand I spent on an adventure hike through Northern New Zealand.

Day 1

The first day of hiking was easy going from Auckland to Whirinaki Forest Park. Whirinaki Forest Park was incredible! It is 55,000 hectare of beautiful indigenous forest. Just think about walking into a tropical dream where you hear birds calling from the trees above and a waterfall right outside your hut. The most amazing thing about Whirinaki Forest Park, and what it is most known for are the amazing trees. My favorites were the totara, kahikatea, matai, miro and rimu.

Day 2

The second day of the tour was a little more tiring. We did about 6 hours of trekking through a beautiful gorge to remote hut. We also were on a lookout for rare New Zealand birds. I was lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of the North Island Kaka and the blue duck!

Day 3

The next morning I was a little sore from the 6 hours of hiking. Nonetheless we continued our hike through gorgeous and lush Whirinaki rainforest where we make camp at one of Rotorua’s many beautiful lakes.

Day 4

Day four was a five hour kayaking day on an ancient crater lake. Some members stayed behind at camp. It was a little extra money but well worth it. The lake was really calming and quiet… until one of the younger guys on the tour decided he was going to show off to his girlfriend and ended up tipping his kayak over.

Day 5

The fifth day we did a short hike to Lake Taupo. The shape of the lake was really interesting… it looks like Africa! Afterwards we went to visit the thermal area and then hiked across the alpine grasslands to make camp in volcanic Tongariro National Park. It sounds like we did a lot but we really only hiked for about an hour and half.

Day 6

Day six was the first time I got to see active volcanoes! We also got to see turquoise lakes which were pretty cool.

Day 7

Day seven was grueling. We did a total of eight hours of hiking uphill to the Emerald Lakes and across a plateau that was some 1900m. Although it wasn’t on the itinerary, our tour guide Brent let us climb a volcano.

Day 8

After the great day of volcano hiking we actually got a ride to Waitomo. Needless to say from the 7 days of hardcore hiking and wildlife I was passed out during our drive. When I woke up we arrived at a secret river cave that we got to explore. We did this for about an hour and then make camp on the beach. Brent the tour guide had arranged for a hangi to be prepared for us which was incredible. A hangi is a Maori earth oven that uses hot stones or an underground oven to cook food. We had an underground oven. There were various meats and vegetable such as sweet potato and kumara wrapped in leaves. They were then placed into a hole in the ground.

Day 9

The ninth day was easy going. We got to relax on the beach and explore historic Maori pa (village). After we hiked to a hut in Mt Egmont National Park.

Day 10

I was really sad when the tenth and final day came. We climbed early in the morning to the peak of Taranaki's Fanthams for a spectacular view of the sun rise. The tour ended in Wellington.

My tour of volcanoes and rainforest in northern New Zealand was amazing. It was definitely a once in a life time opportunity. Although I loved hiking and climbing every day it was nice to get back so that I could experience the other sights that New Zealand had to offer as well. Wellington was great. I had made it back just in time for the annual Spring Festival. I got to experience Wellington’s Botanic Garden and Otari-Wilton’s Bush at its best. The festival has over 40 different activities and events which include, workshops, tours, concerts, spectacular floral displays and more.

There a ton of garden festivals in New Zealand which include; Heroic Gardens Festival in Auckland, Ellerslie International Flower Show in Christchurch, Dunedin Rhododendron Festival in Dunedin, Hunter’s Garden Marlborough in Blenheim and more. There are incredibly farmer’s markets that bring the country people together were they sell their fresh produce and meets, as well as crafts. Everyone that I met was super nice and always had a smile on their face. These people are some of the nicest people around… hands down. Some famous Farmer’s Markets to visit are in Whangarei, Bay of Islands, Matakana, Oratia, Parnell, Blenheim, and Hawke’s Bay.

Now I did do a lot of other great things in New Zealand but now I want to talk about Australia… my favorite place on earth. Growing up I’ve always had a fascination with Australia. Who doesn’t though? We’ve all watched our fair share of animal planet and discovery channel, watching good ole Steve Irwin talk about this zoo and doing crazy things in the bush. Well I got to experience it all first hand. Maybe not the capturing animals part, but you get what I mean.

Australia is a unique country in that it is the only country that governs its entire continent and its surrounding islands. In size it’s about the size of the United States but somehow has the smallest population density in the world. There are only about 2 people per square kilometer. However this wonderful country has so much to offer.

As a tourist I had to visit Sydney. The city receives about 22.6 million domestic visitors with about 2.7 million international visitors. Of the countries that visit Australia, the top 10 are: New Zealand, Japan, US, UK, China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Germany. Port Jackson is a natural harbor and is best known for the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House is one of the most famous and distinctive performing venues in the world. Along with the Sydney Harbor Bridge and surrounding area, this area is the icon of Australia. During the 2000 Olympics held in Sydney Australia, the Sydney Opera House was part of the opening ceremony by being a segment of the Olympic Torch route to the stadium.

I started my journey of the harbor out in The Rocks, which is considered the historic precinct where Sydney started. It is often times referred to an “outdoor museum”. It’s located at the food of the Sydney harbor bridge and is one of the most visited places in Sydney. The Rocks are the oldest areas of Sydney and have recently undergone a change into a more vibrant atmosphere of cafes, restaurants, shops and stalls. However this has all been done without destroying the integrity of the area due to conservation programs.

Within the Rocks I was able to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Merchants House, Susannah’s Place, Discovery Museum and Cadman’s Cottage. I’m a huge museum/gallery junkie so this was a real treat for me. After touring the Rocks I hitched a ferry ridge to see the ferry. I was told that taking a ferry was the best way to see the harbor because they were easily accessible and fairly cheap. There are also private cruises that can be taken around the harbor but that just doesn’t seem right to me. The Sydney Ferries are government run and depart from most parts of the harbor. After the ferry ride I tackled walking across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and went to the top of the Pylon Tower. When I got to the top I payed a small fee and got to see a breathtaking view of the skyline, the Opera House, The Rocks, and Darling Harbor.

Another great attraction of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. This was perhaps the highlight of my visit to Australia. It truly is a masterpiece that stretches more than 2,000 kilometers along the Queensland coast. It is considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and it’s no wonder why they say that. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and is said to be the only LIVING thing of earth visible from space… now that is impressive. The tourism brought in by the Great Barrier Reef and just the Marine life in general is a huge contributor to the Australian economy that generates around $4.228 billion per year. The Great Barrier Reef is the major player in the Marine tourism industry. The industry employs around 730 vessel operators that control 1,500 vessels. Tours are given during the day and at night which include, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing charters, long range roving tours, aircraft and helicopter tours, sail boating, glass bottom boat viewing, cruise ships, passenger ferries, whale and dolphin watching and more. Of the 1.6 million tourists that visit the Great Barrier Reef each year, 85% of them visit the Marine Park located offshore of Cairns and Whitsundays.

I decided to try my hand at scuba diving. Luckily the Reef offers a range of dive sites depending on your experience level. Naturally I went for the shallowest spots around the island which are clam and protected. The experience was amazing. The water was crystal clear and absolutely stunning. I have never seen anything like it before. There were so many different fish and corals, many of which I had no idea what they were. Our tour guide Gary was really knowledgeable and pointed out some 50 types of fish to us. We also saw a sea turtle!

After the tour of the Reef, I spent most of my time in Queensland checking out the shops and laying out on the beach watching the surfers. The waves were absolutely massive! My last big tourism spot was visiting the famous Australia Zoo is Beerwah Queensland. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bunch of people more passionate about what they do. I don’t say job, because to these people working at the zoo, it’s more than a job to them… it’s everything. Since the tragic death of Steve Irwin the park and his family have kept his legacy alive. Through Steve Irwins many show "The Crocodile Hunter" and efforts, many visitors have taken to environmental conservation. This year is the 40th Anniversary of the Zoo. I have been to my fair share of zoos throughout my life but nothing compares to the Australia Zoo. They have every animal imaginable. Each animal was housed in beautiful areas that were meticulously maintained. Everything was so clean. Some animals that I got to see where, Bettongs, Binurongs, Cheetahs, Dingoes, Echidnas, Kangaros, Koalas, Red Pandas, Tasmanian Devils, Tigers, and Wombats. I also saw a wide array of birds and reptiles.

Not only are there a ton of animals to look at but the Zoo also offers opportunities for guests to interact with the animals. You can play with Binturongs, which kind of look like large badgers that are native to NE India, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Borneo etc., or go on the many animal tours such as; the Giraffe Tours, Cheeky Cheetah Back of House Tours, Ripper Rhinos, Gorgeous Elephant Encounters, Rascally Red Pandas, Leapin’ Lemurs, Australian Wildlife Hospital Tours, Tiger Walk, Cheeky Cheetah Walk, Colossal Komodo Encounters, Dingo Encounter, and so many more. There is something for everyone to enjoy. I made sure to go on the Wombat Walk where I got to stroll through the Zoo with a cute cuddly Wombat. I was really surprised on how big wombats actually are… most are the size of an average sized dog. CRAZY! I also went on all the big cat tours they had. I love exotic cats… they are just beautiful.

Tourism dominates the economy of Oceania, by making it the largest industry in the region. It can be measured in the number of jobs it creates, and the money it brings into the economy and to the local peoples. For smaller strings of islands such as Polynesia, Fiji, Samoa, Tongo, and even the Hawaiian Islands, tourism is critical. The North Pacific destinations market primarily to the Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China, while the smaller islands in the South Pacific Oceania market toward Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and most importantly North America. Unfortunately at least half of the revenue made in the tourism industry is stripped away and flown overseas by foreign-owned hotels and tour companies that dominate the industry. The local islanders are not making as much money as they deserve, especially in the smaller islands where almost all the money trickles to the pockets of the big hotels and tourism groups. I believe that there needs to be a greater local participation in the industry so that the money make through tourism can stay on the island and further help the islands economy. One great way would be to support locally owned hotels or tour businesses when visiting the area.

In all Australia and New Zealand have become two of my most favorite places to visit. If you haven’t visited before, I hope that you get the amazing opportunity to in the future. It’s an experience of a lifetime that I’ll surely never forget!

Works Cited

http://www.tourism.net.nz/

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/USA/

http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/tourism_diving.php

http://www.australia.com/index.aspx

http://www.australiazoo.com.au/

http://www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/Documents/Key%20Statistics/KeyTourismStatisticsMar2010.pdf

http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/great-barrier-reef-info.htm

Images

http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/938/whirinaki-trampers-223.jpg

http://www.thewe.cc/thewei/&/&/bbc7/_38300957_duck_300_iucn.jpe

http://www.adventurekayaking.co.nz/PicsHotel/kayaking/Images/Tarawera.JPG