Best of Down Under: Self-Launched Australia & New Zealand

Land at Adelaide Airport and take the public J1/J2 bus to the CBD (~AU$6) or a taxi (~AU$25). Check into a hostel in the East End or West End, then wander the Botanic Gardens, Rundle Mall and the Central Market for a cheap dinner or a bakery lunch. Sort out a SIM/eSIM and a metro card; plan to rent a car or join a small-group trip tomorrow.

🚌Airport J1 bus ~AU$6

🛏Adelaide CBD hostel dorm (~£22)

• →Central Market food crawl
• →Rundle Mall & East End wander
• →Botanic Gardens (free)

Greyhound/Firefly buses run Adelaide–Melbourne with stops; easiest self-launch option is a one-way hire car from Adelaide to Melbourne overland (~£35–45/day shared) or a bus to Stawell/Ararat then local coach to Halls Gap. Settle into a hostel or caravan-park cabin; kangaroos roam the town at dusk.

🚌Hire car one-way or bus ~£30 shared

🛏Halls Gap hostel/caravan-park cabin (~£26)

• →Drive or bus ~5hrs to Halls Gap
• →Evening kangaroo spotting in town

Free day-hiking straight from town: walk to The Pinnacle and the Balconies lookout (~2.5–3hrs return), then drive or shuttle to MacKenzie Falls car park for the short steep walk to the falls. Pack lunch — town food is pricey. Afternoon watching emus and kangaroos on the valley floor.

🚌Walking + local drive ~£5

🛏Halls Gap hostel/caravan-park cabin (~£26)

• →The Pinnacle / Balconies hike
• →MacKenzie Falls walk
• →Wildlife spotting at Halls Gap oval

Drive or bus south to Tower Hill, a volcanic crater reserve with koalas, emus and wetlands — free entry, 20-minute walk from Warrnambool buses. Continue along the start of the Great Ocean Road to Port Campbell and stay in a hostel or motel.

🚌Hire car or V/Line bus ~£18

🛏Port Campbell hostel (~£30)

• →Tower Hill crater walk (free)
• →Koala & wildlife spotting
• →First stretch of Great Ocean Road

Walk or drive the short coastal paths to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Razorback; the Gibsons Steps and Thunder Cave are a bonus. Return to the Apostles for sunset photos. All viewpoints are free — just bring layers and a windproof.

🚌Walking / short local drive ~£4

🛏Port Campbell hostel (~£30)

• →Twelve Apostles boardwalk (free)
• →Loch Ard Gorge & Thunder Cave
• →Gibsons Steps
• →Gorge Chocolates or local pub dinner

Continue east along the Great Ocean Road past Torquay and Bells Beach surf breaks, then hike the Otway rainforest boardwalks (Maits Rest, free). Ferry across Port Phillip Bay from Queenscliff to Sorrento on the Searoad ferry (walk-on ~AU$15) and bus/drive to Mornington Peninsula.

🚌Car + Searoad ferry ~AU$20

🛏Mornington Peninsula hostel or caravan park (~£30)

• →Bells Beach & surf-beach stops
• →Maits Rest rainforest walk (free)
• →Queenscliff–Sorrento ferry crossing

Bus or drive to Cape Schanck for the clifftop boardwalk to Pulpit Rock, then an afternoon of your choice: a cellar-door tasting at a peninsula winery (~AU$15–25, bus 788 links towns), the free-ish beaches at Sorrento/Portsea, or the Peninsula Hot Springs (book a value session ~AU$60).

🚌Local bus ~£6

🛏Mornington Peninsula hostel/caravan park (~£30)

• →Cape Schanck boardwalk (free)
• →Optional winery tasting
• →Beach afternoon

Train from Frankston or Mornington line connections into Melbourne, stopping at Brighton Beach station to see the famous colourful bathing boxes (free). Check into a hostel in Fitzroy or the CBD and get your bearings with a free city tram loop.

🚌Metro train ~£4

🛏Melbourne CBD/Fitzroy hostel dorm (~£24)

• →Brighton Bathing Boxes (free)
• →City Circle free tram
• →Fitzroy evening food crawl

Do it yourself: walk the laneways (Hosier, Degraves, Centre Place) for street art and hole-in-the-wall coffee, cross to Federation Square and Southbank, then the Queen Victoria Market for cheap lunch. Optional free walking tour (tip-based) through the CBD, and the NGV gallery is free.

🚌Trams & walking ~£4

🛏Melbourne CBD/Fitzroy hostel dorm (~£24)

• →Laneway & street art self-walk
• →Free walking tour (tip ~£5)
• →Queen Victoria Market lunch
• →NGV (free)

Book a budget flight (Jetstar/Virgin, ~£75–120 if booked ahead) MEL–CNS. Land and take the airport shuttle (~AU$16) or local bus into a Cairns hostel. Swim at the free Esplanade lagoon and book tomorrow's Mossman Gorge/Daintree transport and the reef/Whitehaven day trips online.

🚌Domestic flight ~£95

🛏Cairns hostel dorm (~£20)

• →Cairns Esplanade lagoon (free)
• →Book Daintree & reef day tours
• →Night markets dinner

Take a booked backpacker shuttle (e.g. Cape Trib Connections, ~AU$65 one-way) up the coast. Stop at Mossman Gorge and join the Kuku Yalanji-run Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk (~AU$40–75, book direct); continue on the Daintree River ferry to Cape Tribulation, a rainforest cabin or hostel. Free afternoon on the beach.

🚌Backpacker shuttle ~AU$65

🛏Cape Tribulation rainforest hostel/cabin (~£22)

• →Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, Mossman Gorge (book direct)
• →Daintree River ferry crossing
• →Cape Tribulation beach walk

Choose your own: a half-day Great Barrier Reef snorkel/dive trip from Cape Trib (~AU$200–230 with Ocean Safari), self-guided Daintree National Park walks to Alexandra Lookout and Myall Beach (free), or a guided night walk (~AU$55). Book through your hostel or directly with operators.

🚌Local walking/shuttle ~£8

🛏Cape Tribulation rainforest hostel/cabin (~£22)

• →Optional Outer Reef snorkel trip (~AU$215)
• →Self-guided Daintree/Marrdja boardwalk walks
• →Optional night walk

Return shuttle to Cairns, drop bags at the hostel and use the afternoon for the free Esplanade, the Botanic Gardens and the aquarium or a lagoon swim. Pre-book your flight south to the Whitsundays (Proserpine) or to Sydney depending on your plan.

🚌Backpacker shuttle ~£36

🛏Cairns hostel dorm (~£20)

• →Esplanade & lagoon
• →Cairns Botanic Gardens (free)
• →Tour booking admin

Cheapest route is a Greyhound/Premier bus (~AU$90, 8–9hrs) or a budget flight to Proserpine (~£70) plus a shuttle. Non-negotiable highlight at the end: the Airlie Beach lagoon. Pick a hostel on the main strip and confirm your Whitehaven cruise for tomorrow.

🚌Bus ~AU$90 or short flight

🛏Airlie Beach hostel dorm (~£24)

• →Airlie Beach lagoon (free)
• →Hostel booking of Whitehaven day trip

Book a full-day catamaran or fast-boat cruise independently (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~AU$150–200) covering Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet lookout and snorkel stops on the fringing reef — self-bookable equivalent of the included boating excursion. Pick the cheaper 'Whitehaven only' option if you don't need to dive.

🚌Walk to marina

🛏Airlie Beach hostel dorm (~£24)

• →Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet day cruise
• →Snorkelling on the fringing reef

Fly Proserpine/Brisbane to Sydney (budget one-way ~£80–110). Sydney Airport train to Central (~AU$20). Settle into a hostel in Surry Hills or along the eastern beaches and do the classic Bondi to Coogee coastal walk at sunset (free).

🚌Flight + airport train ~£95

🛏Sydney hostel dorm (~£28)

• →Bondi–Coogee coastal walk (free)
• →Surry Hills dinner

Free walking tour of The Rocks and Circular Quay (tip-based), then walk the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House forecourt. Optional Opera House tour (~AU$50) or the ferry to Manly for a cheap harbour cruise (~AU$8 with Opal).

🚌Opal ferries/trains ~£6

🛏Sydney hostel dorm (~£28)

• →The Rocks free walking tour
• →Harbour Bridge walk
• →Manly ferry harbour cruise

Cheapest is the NSW TrainLink coach/train combo Sydney–Casino–Byron (~AU$70–90, long day) or a budget flight to Ballina plus shuttle (~£60). Check into a backpacker hostel near the town centre and book a beginner surf lesson for tomorrow (many schools, ~AU$70).

🚌Train/coach ~AU$80

🛏Byron Bay backpacker hostel (~£28)

• →Travel day
• →Byron town & Main Beach sunset

Morning 2-hour beginner surf lesson with a local school (walk-in or GetYourGuide). Lunch, then walk the Cape Byron track to the lighthouse — Australia's easternmost point, great for whale-watching in season. Optional skydive if you're feeling brave (~AU$409).

🚌Walking ~£2

🛏Byron Bay backpacker hostel (~£28)

• →Beginner surf lesson (~AU$70)
• →Cape Byron Lighthouse walk (free)

Fly or coach south; from Sydney catch the Blue Mountains Line train to Katoomba (~AU$8, 2hrs). Check into a hostel/YHA and be at Echo Point for late-afternoon light on the Three Sisters.

🚌Train from Sydney ~£5

🛏Katoomba hostel (~£25)

• →Three Sisters at Echo Point (free)
• →Katoomba street food

Buy the Scenic World pass (~AU$55) for the Scenic Railway, Skyway and Cableway, then hike the Grand Stairway and the Three Sisters track down to the valley floor. Alternative free option: the Wentworth Falls and Prince Henry Cliff walks. Back to Sydney by evening train if you prefer.

🚌Train back to Sydney ~£5

🛏Sydney hostel dorm (~£28)

• →Scenic World railway & skyway (~AU$55)
• →Prince Henry Cliff Walk
• →Wentworth Falls hike (free)

Fly Sydney–Queenstown (Jetstar/Air NZ, ~£120–170 one-way if booked early; Auckland connection sometimes cheaper). Land and take the $10-ish Orbus or a shuttle from the airport. Queenstown hostels book out — reserve a week ahead. Evening lakeside stroll.

🚌International flight ~£145

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm (~£30)

• →Lake Wakatipu waterfront
• →Fergburger (a rite of passage)

Pick and book your own thrill: the Skyline Gondola + luge (~AU$66), Kawarau Bridge bungee (~NZ$215), jet boating (~NZ$179) or a Ben Lomond hike (free). Book direct with operators or on Klook/GetYourGuide; hostel noticeboards often have discount codes.

🚌Walking ~£3

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm (~£30)

• →Skyline Gondola & luge
• →Optional bungee or jet boat
• →Ben Lomond track start (free)

The most economical way without a car: an organised small-group day trip from Queenstown including the nature cruise (~NZ$200–320, book on GetYourGuide/Klook), or drive yourself and take a cruise-only ticket (~NZ$100). Bring food — the café at Milford is pricey. Return to Queenstown in the evening.

🚌Coach transfer ~£60

🛏Queenstown hostel dorm (~£30)

• →Milford Sound nature cruise
• →Mirror Lakes & Homer Tunnel stops

InterCity bus Queenstown–Te Anau (~NZ$30–40, 2hrs). Check into a hostel or holiday park and book the Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise for tomorrow (realNZ, ~NZ$200 including the bus across Wilmot Pass) — the fiord version of the Fjordland day you'll remember.

🚌InterCity bus ~£18

🛏Te Anau hostel (~£28)

• →Te Anau lakefront walk
• →Book Doubtful Sound cruise

Full-day Doubtful Sound cruise: bus over the pass, boat across Lake Manapouri, then three hours on the fiord looking for dolphins, fur seals and waterfalls. Book direct with realNZ or via GetYourGuide for the self-launched equivalent of the operator's cruise.

🚌Included in cruise tour

🛏Te Anau hostel (~£28)

• →Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise + Wilmot Pass bus

Depending on time, bus via Queenstown to Dunedin on the InterCity network (~NZ$45, 6hrs) for street art, the Octagon and the free-to-wander Otago Peninsula, or stay around the lakes for a kayak/hike day. Hostels in Dunedin are cheap (~£20).

🚌InterCity coach ~£25

🛏Dunedin hostel (~£20)

• →Dunedin Octagon & street art
• →Otago Peninsula coastal drive/viewpoint

Coach Dunedin–Christchurch (~NZ$35–45). Drop bags and visit the free Canterbury Museum, the transitional-cardboard cathedral and the Botanic Gardens; walk the riverside. Hostel in the CBD.

🚌Coach ~£20

🛏Christchurch hostel (~£24)

• →Canterbury Museum (free)
• →Botanic Gardens (free)
• →Riverside Market dinner

InterCity bus north (~NZ$30, 2.5hrs). The Peninsula Walkway is free and gorgeous, with seals at Point Kean. Book tomorrow's dolphin swim with a local operator (Dolphin Encounter, ~NZ$135–190) — the self-bookable version of the optional dolphin tour.

🚌InterCity bus ~£15

🛏Kaikoura hostel (~£24)

• →Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway (free)
• →Seal colony at Point Kean

Morning dusky dolphin swim (book direct or via GetYourGuide) — 20–40 minutes in the water with wild dolphins subject to conditions. Afternoon: optional whale-watching flight/boat (~NZ$175) or a free coastal walk. Evening: crayfish from a roadside stand.

🚌Shuttle ~£6

🛏Kaikoura hostel (~£24)

• →Dusky dolphin swim (~NZ$150)
• →Coastal walk
• →Optional whale watching

Long travel day: bus back to Christchurch and the TranzAlpine scenic train to Greymouth (~NZ$100–150 booked ahead — one of the world's great rail journeys), then InterCity coach down the coast to Franz Josef. If the budget is tight, the full coach route Christchurch–Franz Josef (~NZ$60) is cheaper but less scenic.

🚌Train + coach ~£55

🛏Franz Josef hostel (~£26)

• →TranzAlpine scenic train
• →West Coast drive/bus

Book independently: a heli-hike on the glacier (~NZ$595–795, the premium choice), a cheaper scenic heli flight with snow landing (~NZ$385), kayaking on the glacier lake (~NZ$150), or the free-ish walk to the glacier terminal face and the Sentinel Rock viewpoint. Ask your hostel for local hiking maps and weather conditions.

🚌Local shuttle ~£8

🛏Franz Josef hostel (~£26)

• →Optional heli-hike or scenic heli flight
• →Glacier Valley Walk (free)
• →Optional kayak on Lake Mapourika

InterCity coach over the Haast Pass via Fox Glacier and Wanaka (~NZ$60, 5–6hrs). Stop for the free Blue Pools walk and Thunder Creek Falls. Hostel in Wanaka for lakeside walks and cheap eats, or continue to Queenstown.

🚌InterCity coach ~£30

🛏Wanaka hostel (~£26)

• →Blue Pools walk (free)
• →Thunder Creek Falls
• →Lake Wanaka sunset

Bus or InterCity to Lake Tekapo (~NZ$40) and on to Mount Cook Village. The Hooker Valley Track (~3hrs return, free) is the best-value alpine walk in New Zealand — boardwalks, swing bridges and Aoraki views if the weather plays ball.

🚌InterCity coach ~£30

🛏Mount Cook/Tekapo hostel (~£28)

• →Hooker Valley Track (free)
• →Lake Tekapo & Church of the Good Shepherd

Morning at leisure (optional Tasman Glacier walk or Tekapo hot pools ~NZ$35), then the scenic coach back to Christchurch (~NZ$45). Hostel in town and an evening out in the new Regent Street precinct.

🚌Coach ~£26

🛏Christchurch hostel (~£24)

• →Optional Tekapo Springs hot pools
• →Scenic coach back to Christchurch

Fly Christchurch–Rotorua via Auckland (~£90) or take a direct overnight bus. Rotorua is the best spot for the included Maori experience equivalent: a Mitai or Tamaki Maori village evening (~NZ$130–150 including hangi dinner and performance, book direct or on Klook).

🚌Flight ~£85

🛏Rotorua hostel (~£24)

• →Mitai/Tamaki Maori village evening (~NZ$145)
• →Kuirau Park geothermal walk (free)

Free-ish day: Whakarewarewa Redwoods forest walks (free entry, mountain-bike hire if you want), Kuirau Park bubbling mud pools, then a cheap soak at a public hot pool (Polynesian Spa basic pools ~NZ$35, or free natural springs at Kerosene Creek if you have a car).

🚌Local bus ~£4

🛏Rotorua hostel (~£24)

• →Redwoods forest walk
• →Kuirau Park geothermal (free)
• →Optional Polynesian Spa (~NZ$35)

Fly Rotorua–Auckland–Christchurch (~£90) and finish where the route ends, or reverse the itinerary and end in Rotorua if that suits cheaper flights out. Book onward international flights from Christchurch (or Auckland) in advance.

🚌Domestic flight ~£90

🛏Onward travel

• →Travel day
• →Optional last-minute Christchurch markets