Cruising Australia and New Zealand

By Ginger Dingus, updated by Carolyn Spencer Brown

updated 1:11 p.m. ET May 15, 2006

Australia and New Zealand, Aussies and Kiwis: peas in a pod? Clones? Two parts of the same country? Given the fact that in cruise parlance the two are seldom uttered separately, it's hard not to make these assumptions. After all, folks from both places talk in the same funny, almost-Brit-but-not-really accents, drive on the wrong side of the road and, like everyone else below the equator, walk with their feet up and their heads down.

But these are myths. In fact, Australia and New Zealand are about as different as two neighboring countries can be. Starting with geography, Australia is one of the flattest land masses on the planet, its highest point rising 7,310 feet above sea level. New Zealand is extremely mountainous, with Mount Cook towering over 12,000 feet. Australia's land features are best characterized as gentle and regular, with sloping plains and, with the exception of Sydney Harbour, a smooth coastline with few inlets or bays.

In contrast, New Zealand's shoreline, like Norway's, is deeply incised with steep fjords, and in contrast with its neighbor's flat plains and deserts, its terrain tends to be rugged and precipitous, punctuated by permanent glaciers and white water rivers. New Zealand's wintry alpine heights call Alaska to mind. Australia's Great Barrier Reef, its most famous natural treasure, is built from the same Pacific hard corals as the reefs surrounding the islands of Hawaii.

In terms of wildlife, there couldn't be more difference. Australia is home to hundreds of species that exist nowhere else in the world. Some, like the duck-billed platypus, are so bizarre that initial descriptions from explorers were dismissed as delusions or fabrications. Conversely, New Zealand has a tiny handful of indigenous species, including only one class of mammals (bats) and a short list of reptiles and birds, including the flightless kiwi, which lends its name to New Zealand's human denizens.

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Speaking of humans, New Zealand is far more densely populated -- 37 per square mile vs. seven for Australia -- so it may come as a surprise that, of the two, Australia is far more urban. The population of the city of Sydney, Australia, is greater than the entire population of the country of New Zealand. Both countries have substantial commitments to farming and ranching, with sheep being the major cash crop -- though when it comes to lamb, the Kiwis tend to sear 'em while the Aussies are likely to shear 'em, which is why you've never heard, "Throw another lamb on the barbie!"

And, regarding the people, Australia and New Zealand have grown from different seeds and blossomed differently as well. Australia's earliest European settlement was a penal colony founded by the British in Botany Bay, so convicts formed the first wave of immigrants. In 1851 gold was discovered, stimulating a gold rush. The third group to sweep into the country was sheep ranchers. Given a country settled by convicts, ranchers, gold and opal prospectors, and miners, it's not difficult to see the roots of the Aussies' rough-and-tumble, fiercely independent, wild and woolly spirit; it's a version of our own wild west frontier.

By contrast, New Zealand began its independent life in 1852 as a regulated welfare state, and remained so until 1984 when it moved more into a market economy. The country's development has largely caught up with Australia's, though both economies remain primarily agrarian and service-based, with only 15 percent of the GDP generated by manufacturing.

Okay ... so now I know enough to win the Australia/New Zealand category on "Jeopardy!". What does this have to do with my cruise?

A lot. Being familiar with the depth of the difference between the two countries will factor into your decisions on wardrobe, packing, choice of when to cruise, interaction with the locals and what activities best suit what ports of call (See "What to Do Ashore" below).

Who Goes?

It's worth noting that Australia/New Zealand, which has long been considered an "exotic" destination for North American travelers -- one which tended to draw older vessels on super-long itineraries that were usually out of range (price- and length-wise) for most of us -- is getting some serious new action.

For instance, Princess has really committed to a presence here in the Southern Hemisphere's summer -- assigning for the past two years its newest, splashiest and biggest ships -- such as Sapphire and Diamond Princess. Holland America dipped a proverbial toe in the water, sending over the mid-sized Statendam for the 2005/2006 season; it was so successful that early on the line announced the ship would return next year and hinted that, in 2008, it would assign one of its Vista-class ships. These, for HAL, fall into the category of the fleet's biggest and splashiest.

The luxury lines are all well represented here, including Silversea and Seabourn. Expedition-wise, folks who want eco-adventure should check out a new small-ship line. Based in Australia, Orion Expedition Cruises' Orion, custom designed and built in 2003, sails really interesting and offbeat itineraries. The 4,000-ton, 106-passenger ship calls at small ports in Australia as well as ports in East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Antarctica.

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