Itinerary

Our itinerary while in Sydney, Australia and both the north and south islands of New Zealand (see each day/upcoming blog post for details and particulars and advice...and pictures, of course):

Dec 20--leave Singapore on a Qantas flight straight to Sydney
Dec 21--arrive in Sydney, go through customs, check in at Holiday Inn hotel, explore the Royal Gardens, Opera House Tour
Dec 22--ferry and Tarango Zoo, picked up a rental car from Budget Rental
Dec 23--Sydney Temple, Koala Park Sanctuary, return rental car
Dec 24--Sydney Sea Life Aquarium, Santa Paddle Boats, Darling Quarter playground, Christmas Eve fireworks in Darling Harbor
Dec 25--hotel pool, Manly Beach
Dec 26--Emirates flight from Sydney to Auckland, pick up rental car from Ace car rental, spend night at friend's house north of Auckland
Dec 27--drive to Hamilton, visit temple, drive to Rotorua, stay at Rydges Hotel
Dec 28--gondolas and luge, zorb, Maori Cultural Center, tour and buffet
Dec 29--drive to Waitomo, visit caves, drive to Auckland, spend night at IBIS Budget hotel
Dec 30--leave Auckland on a Air New Zealand flight to Queenstown, arrive and rent car from Ace car rentals, drive to Arrowtown, drive to Dunedin, visit Balwin Street street and visit many historic cathedrals, stay at Best Western motel
Dec 31--Taeiri Gorge Railway, Cadbury World, Otago Peninsula, Royal Albatross Center, Blue Penguin Tour
Jan 1--Larnach Castle, Moeraki Boulders
Jan 2--drive Southern Scenic Route, stop at:  Nugget Point, Purakuanui Falls, McLean Falls, Curio Bay, Porpoise Bay, arrive at Invercargill, spend night at Admiral Court motel
Jan 3--drove to Te Anau (stopping in Robertson), miniature golf, stay at Red Tussock motel
Jan 4--Milford Sound drive (stopping at Mirror Lake, tunnel, and The Chasms), Southern Discoveries Encounter Nature cruise with time at the Observatory
Jan 5--local fiordland movie at cinema, shopping, lake, trampoline
Jan 6--finish driving Southern Scenic Route to Queensland (through Devil's Staircase) stopping in Kingston, Jetstar flight from Queenstown to Christchurch to Auckland, spend night at IBIS Budget hotel
Jan 7--Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Sydney and Qantas flight from Sydney to Singapore
Jan 8--arrive home

Our trip could have been packed with many more adventures and locations, like any trip.  Here's what we did that was just the right amount and not go crazy.  In numbers, it also looked something like:

20 days
5 suitcases
6 backpacks
1 car seat
3 cars
7 airplanes
6 ferries
1 boat
1 train
2 subways
1 house
6 hotels/motels
3 pools
numerous lakes and oceans
unknown kilometers and dollars (and will remain such)
1005 pictures and videos
incalculable memories and experiences