A VISIT TO OZ AND NZ
My partner and I will be visiting Australia and New Zealand for the first time for three weeks from the end of July.
I am a permanent resident in South Africa and will be travelling on my British passport. My partner is travelling on a South African passport.
Please advise on the visa requirements and whether these can be obtained online. My understanding is that I will not require a visa for either country but my partner will.
As for accommodation, we are looking for something reasonably priced in Narrabeen, Sydney, and the Albany district in Auckland.
Also, do you have any ideas on somewhere we and our New Zealand family (two adults, a teenager and two younger children) can get away for a few days, within reasonable travelling distance of Auckland? — Lesley Wright You are correct in thinking that you do not need a visa but South African passport holders do, for both countries. Your partner can apply for an Australian visa on
immi.gov.au. Your partner may still be required to go to a biometrics collection centre but will be advised accordingly by e-mail.
As of November last year, South Africans need a visa for New Zealand. Apply online. See immigration.govt.nz.
There are numerous websites where you can find accommodation to suit your needs and budget. I’d suggest asking your family there for advice as to what is best and most conveniently near to them.
For Sydney, see Tripadvisor, stayz.com.au/accommodation/ nsw/sydney/narrabeen, expedia.com, lastminute.com.au and stayz.com.au. For Auckland, you can search for Albany on expedia.co.nz, questapartments.co.nz and booking.com.
There are thermal baths and outdoor activities at the Waiwera Thermal Resort, 35 minutes north of Auckland on the picturesque Hibiscus Coast. Wenderholm Regional Park is just an hour away across the bridge from Auckland and you could stay nearby.
Tawharanui Peninsula is another reserve just an hour away, with fantastic beaches that are not busy as they are accessed through the park.
The Bay of Islands is about four hours away and may be your best bet. It includes over 140 subtropical islands with undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artefacts. Stay in the 19thcentury whaling port of Russell, the first permanent European settlement and sea port in New Zealand. There is much to see and do in the area.
The west coast is much less travelled and so much less touristy. Helensville is less than an hour away on the Kaipara Harbour, one of the largest in the world by its convoluted shoreline (about 800km).