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Down Under 2027

Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand · Tue Mar 9 – Sun Mar 21

5 nights in Australia 4 nights in New Zealand 7 flights

ALL FLIGHTS BOOKED

The calendar

March 2027

Flying Australia New Zealand

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

912:13p Leave GSO10:50p LAX → MEL

10Over the Pacific · lost to the date line

119:30a Land MelbourneSettle in at Michael's

12Donna's birthdayHot springs · putt putt & dinner

13Beach for sand & Jean's rock

14Donna's family

15Ship sand · Zoo · Shrine

16Laundry · pack6:30p MEL → AKL

1712:05a Land AucklandRest · Raglan from ~2p

18McLaren Falls · Mt Maunganui5p Te Pā Tū feastNight in Rotorua

19Wai-O-Tapu · 10:15a geyser12:30p Taupō sailHuka FallsKiwi dinner · River Walk

20Waitomo glowworm tubing · carving studio · Ōtorohanga Kiwi House · pack

21~3:15a leave Tania's7:30a Leave AKL10:57p Home GSO

Times are local to wherever we are that day.

Sequence of events

Every flight, every landing

Going out takes 29h 17m door to door. Coming home takes 32h 27m. Times are from American's confirmation and schedule-change emails, the latest dated Nov 5, 2026.

Mar 9

Tuesday

Travel day

12:13 PM ETDepart Greensboro (GSO)AA 5990To Charlotte · 1h 7m · seats 4B, 4C

1:20 PM ETLand Charlotte (CLT)Only 40 min to connect · same ticket, so American rebooks us if we miss it

2:00 PM ETDepart CharlotteAA 2429To Los Angeles · 5h 27m · seats 13E, 13F

4:27 PM PTLand Los Angeles (LAX)6h 23m layover · change terminals to Qantas

10:50 PM PTDepart Los AngelesQF 94To Melbourne · Boeing 787-9 · 15h 40m overnight · we skip Wed Mar 10

Mar 11

Thursday

Australia

9:30 AMLand Melbourne (MEL)Michael picks us up · Mar 11–16 in Australia

Mar 16

Tuesday

Tasman hop

6:30 PMDepart MelbourneQF 157Nonstop to Auckland · 3h 35m · moved from QF 155 (1:55 PM) on Nov 5, 2026

12:05 AM WedLand Auckland (AKL)Auckland is 2 hours ahead of Melbourne · Mar 17–20 in New Zealand

Mar 21

Sunday

Travel day

7:30 AMDepart AucklandQF 142To Sydney · 3h 35m

9:05 AMLand Sydney (SYD)4h layover

1:05 PMDepart SydneyQF 7To Dallas · 15h 25m · we gain the day back

12:30 PM CTLand Dallas (DFW)Clear US customs · 6h 55m layover

7:25 PM CTDepart DallasAA 2738To Greensboro · 2h 32m · moved later on Oct 6, 2026

10:57 PM ETLand Greensboro (GSO) · homeSame Sunday we left Auckland

Day by day

What we're doing

Australia is the easy half. New Zealand is busier: the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and the Te Pā Tū feast on Thursday, a night in Rotorua, then Wai-O-Tapu and Taupō on Friday, and Waitomo, the carving studio and the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House on Saturday.

Mar 11

Thursday

Clyde North

9:30 AMLand, settle in at Michael'sAbout an hour from the airport. Nothing planned after a 15-hour flight.

Mar 12

Friday

Donna's birthday

DayPeninsula Hot Springs with Donna & MichaelTranquillity & Reset: bathe, then a 75-min massage (Peninsula Vine or Yinga) · ~90 min drive · cancel 24 h ahead

AfternoonPutt putt and dinner with Amber & DarrenHoley Moley Frankston, on the way back from the spa · dinner spot to be picked

Mar 13

Saturday

Beach

DayA beach near Michael'sSand and a rock for Jean · Michael picks the beach

Mar 14

Sunday

Family

DayDonna's familyTheir plan

Mar 15

Monday

Melbourne

FirstPost officeShip the sand and Jean's rock home

MorningMelbourne Zoo with Donna & MichaelOpen 9–5 · optional Kangaroo Experience 11:15 AM

AfternoonShrine of RemembranceFree · 10–5 · allow 1½ hrs

Mar 16

Tuesday

Last day

MorningLaundry and packing at Michael'sClean clothes for New Zealand

2:30 PMLeave for the airportBags by 5:00 PM for the 6:30 PM flight

Mar 17

Wednesday

Tamahere

~2:30 AMReach Tania'sPick up the rental car, then about a 1h 35m drive

MorningSleep inRest through the morning and early afternoon

~2:00 PMRaglanBridal Veil Falls, Raglan Mini Putt, Ngarunui black-sand beach via Michael Hope Lookout · ~1 hr each way · home ~7:35 PM

Mar 18

Thursday

Rotorua overnight

7:30 AMLeave Tania'sAbout 1h 10m to McLaren Falls Park

~8:40 AMMcLaren Falls ParkWaterfall Track, about a 20-min walk · until ~9:25

~10:00 AMMt Maunganui Main Beach and Golf 360 putt puttPacific sand for Jean · about 32 min from McLaren Falls · until ~11:45

~12:50 PMLunch in RotoruaAbout 1h 07m from Mt Maunganui

AfternoonOpen in RotoruaCheck in to the night's lodging (not booked yet)

~4:30 PMLeave for Te Pā TūAbout 18 min to the forest site

5:00 PMTe Pā Tū forest feast & showBooked · about 3¾ hrs, ends ~8:45

~9:05 PMNight in RotoruaAbout 18 min from Te Pā Tū · Tania's suggestion, so no late drive home

Mar 19

Friday

Wai-O-Tapu · Taupō

8:00 AMLeave the Rotorua lodgingAbout 28 min to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland · opens 8:30

8:30 AMWai-O-Tapu tracksWalk past the colourful thermal pools · until ~9:40

10:15 AMLady Knox Geyser erupts3 min drive from Wai-O-Tapu · be there by 9:45

~10:35 AMDrive to Taupō MarinaAbout 47 min · arrive ~11:22

12:00 PMCheck in, Kindred SpiritBerth 16/17, Taupō Marina · check-in closes 15 min before sailing

12:30 PMSail to the Māori rock carvingsBack about 3:00 PM

~3:10 PMHuka Falls on the way homeUntil ~3:40 · about 1h 50m to Tania's, home ~5:30 PM

EveningKiwi dinner with TaniaAt Tania's

~7:00 PMWaikato River WalkStarts at Pukete Rd, about 25 min each way · sunset ~7:32 PM, so near dusk

Mar 20

Saturday

Waitomo

7:30 AMLeave Tania'sAbout 1h 03m to Waitomo

MorningBlack Labyrinth cave tubingGlowworms · 3 hrs, until ~12:00 · check in 30 min early · slot not picked yet · Matt offered to drive

~12:00 PMCarving studioMatt's friend's studio · about an hour · place not known yet, so the drive time to it is unknown

~1:15 PMŌtorohanga Kiwi HouseKiwi house and native bird park · about 14 min from Waitomo · until ~2:30

~3:20 PMBack to Tania's, packAbout 50 min from Ōtorohanga · later if the studio is out of the way

EveningEarly nightAirport run ~3:15 AM Sunday

Skipping: Hobbiton, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton Zoo, Skyline Rotorua and Te Puia. The Ōtorohanga Kiwi House covers the kiwis.