New Zealand & Australia: Surf, Sun & Epic Parks — Self-Launched

Land at Auckland Airport and take the Skybus or the cheap AirportLink bus into the city centre (around NZ$20). Check into a central hostel in the CBD or Ponsonby. Spend the afternoon wandering the Viaduct Harbour and Queen Street, pick up a Kiwi SIM or eSIM, and sort your InterCity bus pass online. Sunset at Mount Eden if the weather is kind. Do a quick supermarket shop for breakfast supplies — hostel kitchens will save you a fortune over 29 days.

🚌Skybus from AKL approx £10-12 or AirportLink bus approx £4

🛏Central Auckland hostel (dorm)

• →Skybus transfer into Auckland CBD
• →Mount Eden sunset viewpoint
• →Sort InterCity bus pass and SIM

Take an InterCity coach south towards Hamilton, then a connecting local service to Raglan (roughly 3.5-4.5 hours total, around NZ$35-45). If you'd rather do the waterfall properly, book a shared shuttle or rent a cheap car-share for the day and stop at Bridal Veil Falls near Raglan — a 55m waterfall reached by a 10-minute bush walk, free to visit. Arrive in Raglan, a laid-back surf-and-arts town, and check into a hostel a short walk from the beach. Hire a kayak from the wharf in the late afternoon to paddle the sheltered harbour.

🚌InterCity coach + local connection approx £18-22

🛏Raglan hostel or surf lodge (dorm)

• →Bridal Veil Falls walk (free)
• →Raglan harbour kayak hire

Raglan is home to one of the world's longest left-hand point breaks. Book a beginner group surf lesson directly with one of the local surf schools (Raglan Surf School, Surferhood and others charge around NZ$90-110 for a 2-3 hour lesson including board and wetsuit — book online the day before). The rest of the day is yours: chill at Ngarunui Beach, hike the Te Toto Gorge track for clifftop views, or grab fish and chips and watch the sunset from the point.

🚌Walking / local shuttle to Ngarunui Beach approx £4

🛏Raglan hostel or surf lodge (dorm)

• →Group surf lesson with board and wetsuit
• →Te Toto Gorge clifftop walk

Coach to Waitomo (about 2 hours) and stop for the day. Book a glowworm cave tour direct — the classic Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat trip is around NZ$65-70, or go bigger with Black Water Rafting's tubing experience (approx NZ$190) if you want the adventure version. Continue on the afternoon coach to Rotorua (2.5 hours). Rotorua smells of sulphur and is full of geothermal parks. In the evening, book a Te Puia night experience (approx NZ$95-130) for the geysers, Maori carving school and a hangi-style dinner and cultural performance — book direct on Te Puia's site.

🚌InterCity coach Waitomo–Rotorua approx £20

🛏Rotorua hostel (dorm)

• →Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour
• →Te Puia evening geothermal and Maori cultural experience

Free morning in Rotorua: soak in the free Kuirau Park thermal area, or pay for the Polynesian Spa hot pools (approx NZ$40-60) or a white-water rafting trip on the Kaituna (approx NZ$135, book direct with Kaituna Cascades or Rotorua Rafting). Take the early afternoon coach to Taupo (1.5 hours), stopping at Huka Falls — get off at the falls or walk the 30-minute riverside track from town; the volume of blue water is genuinely jaw-dropping. In the late afternoon join a shared sailing trip on Lake Taupo (around NZ$70-90 for two hours, includes a dip in the lake at the Mine Bay Maori rock carvings).

🚌InterCity coach Rotorua–Taupo approx £12

🛏Taupo hostel (dorm)

• →Huka Falls walk (free)
• →Lake Taupo sailboat trip to Mine Bay carvings

Long scenic coach day south to Wellington (about 4.5-5 hours, NZ$35-50). Arrive with time to visit Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum — free entry, though special exhibitions cost extra. Walk the waterfront and Oriental Parade, or ride the Wellington Cable Car (around NZ$6) up to the Botanic Garden for city views. In the evening head to Cuba Street or Courtenay Place for craft beer and a cheap feed — Wellington has more bars per capita than almost anywhere.

🚌InterCity coach Taupo–Wellington approx £20

🛏Wellington hostel (dorm)

• →Te Papa Museum (free entry)
• →Wellington Cable Car and Botanic Garden
• →Cuba Street evening out

Book the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry across Cook Strait (around NZ$55-75 walking passenger) — stand on the outside deck as you enter the Marlborough Sounds, it's one of the great ferry journeys. From Picton take the InterCity coach to Nelson or Motueka, then a short local shuttle to Marahau at the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. Settle into a hostel or lodge in Marahau for two nights.

🚌Ferry approx £30 + coach and shuttle approx £20

🛏Marahau hostel or lodge (dorm)

• →Cook Strait ferry crossing through Marlborough Sounds
• →Marlborough Sounds deck views

Take the water taxi (Aqua Taxi or Abel Tasman AquaTaxi, approx NZ$45-60) from Marahau up to Anchorage, then walk the coastal track back to Marahau at your own pace — about 4-5 hours through native bush with stops at golden beaches like Apple Tree Bay and Anchorage. Or extend it and get dropped at Bark Bay for the full day walk. Book the water taxi online the night before and check the tide tables. Carry water and lunch; there's no shop on the track.

🚌Water taxi approx £25-30

🛏Marahau hostel or lodge (dorm)

• →Water taxi to Anchorage
• →Coastal track walk Abel Tasman National Park

Head south down the wild West Coast. InterCity coaches run Motueka/Nelson to Westport (around 4-5 hours). Break the journey at Cape Foulwind near Westport to see the fur seal colony on the Tauranga Bay walkway (free, 20-30 minutes each way). Arrive in Westport, a small former coal town with a good surf beach and craft brewery. Dinner at a local pub.

🚌InterCity coach approx £25-30

🛏Westport hostel or basic lodge (dorm)

• →Cape Foulwind seal colony walk
• →Westport town and beach

Coach south with a stop at Punakaiki to walk the Pancake Rocks and blowholes track (free, 20 minutes). Continue down the coast through Hokitika and on to Franz Josef village (total roughly 5-6 hours of travel). Franz Josef is a tiny village at the foot of the glacier with a handful of hostels, bars and tour desks. Book your next day's activity tonight.

🚌InterCity coach approx £28-35

🛏Franz Josef hostel (dorm)

• →Pancake Rocks and blowholes walk (free)
• →West Coast scenic drive

Pick your glacier day. The cheapest real option is a guided glacier walk with Franz Josef Glacier Guides (around NZ$180-220) or a heli-hike combining a flight with an ice walk (approx NZ$450-550) — book direct online a day ahead as spots go fast. On a tighter budget, walk the free public tracks: the Franz Josef Glacier Valley walk (1.5 hours return to a viewpoint), the Tatare Tunnels walk and Peters Pool for reflection shots. Kayak the glacial lake or soak in the Glacier Hot Pools (approx NZ$35) in the afternoon.

🚌Walking in the village

🛏Franz Josef hostel (dorm)

• →Guided glacier walk or heli-hike (optional)
• →Free glacier valley viewpoint tracks
• →Glacier Hot Pools

Long but spectacular coach day over Haast Pass to Wanaka and on to Queenstown (about 6-7 hours, NZ$50-65 with InterCity). Stop in Wanaka for the #ThatWanakaTree photo and a lakeside coffee. Arrive in Queenstown — the adventure capital — and check into a central hostel. Queenstown is expensive, so book your adrenaline activities online in advance and pick two or three rather than all of them.

🚌InterCity coach approx £28-35

🛏Queenstown hostel (dorm)

• →Haast Pass scenic drive
• →Wanaka Tree photo stop

Take your pick, all bookable direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook: Kawarau Bridge bungee (NZ$205), the Nevis bungee for the big one (NZ$350+), Shotover Canyon Swing (NZ$249), jet boating on the Shotover (NZ$179), or the Skyline Gondola and luge (NZ$66). Cheaper thrills: hike the Queenstown Hill Time Walk (free, 1.5 hours) or the Ben Lomond track for big views, and swim at the free Lake Wakatipu beach. Evening: Fergburger (approx NZ$18) is a rite of passage.

🚌Walking / local bus approx £3

🛏Queenstown hostel (dorm)

• →Bungee jump, canyon swing or jet boat (choose one)
• →Queenstown Hill Time Walk (free)
• →Fergburger

Book a Milford Sound day trip with coach and cruise combined (Go Milford, Jucy or Southern Discoveries, roughly NZ$199-260 depending on operator and cruise type) — it's a very long day (about 12 hours with 4 hours each way through Fiordland), but the scenery through Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel is extraordinary. Book online a few days ahead. Alternatively self-drive a rental car if you're in a group to split costs. Return to Queenstown in the evening.

🚌Coach-cruise combo included in activity cost

🛏Queenstown hostel (dorm)

• →Fiordland scenery coach journey
• →Milford Sound cruise

Coach through the Mackenzie Basin to Lake Tekapo (about 3.5-4 hours, NZ$35-45). The lake is absurdly turquoise from glacial rock flour. Walk to the Church of the Good Shepherd, then hike Mount John (1.5 hours up, free) for panoramic views over the lake and Southern Alps. In the evening, book the Dark Sky Project stargazing session or simply head to the lakeshore — Tekapo is an International Dark Sky Reserve and the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye on a clear night.

🚌InterCity coach approx £20

🛏Lake Tekapo hostel (dorm)

• →Church of the Good Shepherd
• →Mount John summit walk (free)
• →Stargazing at the Dark Sky Reserve

Take the InterCity or GreatSights coach up to Mount Cook village (about 1.5 hours each way) or join a day tour. Walk the Hooker Valley Track — 3-4 hours return, mostly flat, with swing bridges and a glacier lake at the end looking straight at New Zealand's highest peak. It's the best free walk in the country. Stop at the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre if the weather turns. Return to Tekapo for the night.

🚌Coach to Mount Cook and back approx £30-40

🛏Lake Tekapo hostel (dorm)

• →Hooker Valley Track (free)
• →Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park viewpoints

Coach to Christchurch (about 3.5 hours). Spend the afternoon exploring the rebuilt city centre — the Transitional Cathedral, Riverside Market food hall and the street art around the container mall. Cheap eats at the market and a wander through Hagley Park. Early night before a flight tomorrow.

🚌InterCity coach approx £18-22

🛏Christchurch hostel (dorm)

• →Riverside Market food hall
• →Street art and Transitional Cathedral walk

Fly Christchurch to Sydney on Jetstar or Air New Zealand (book well ahead — one-way fares can be as low as NZ$180-280/£90-140 with hand luggage only). Land at Sydney Airport, take the Airport Link train into Central (around AUD$20) or a cheaper bus combination. Check into a hostel in the Rocks, Surry Hills or Kings Cross. Evening walk around Circular Quay to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge lit up — free and unbeatable.

🚌Flight approx £110 + airport train approx £10

🛏Sydney hostel (dorm)

• →Circular Quay evening walk
• →Opera House and Harbour Bridge views

Do a free self-guided walk: the Rocks, the Botanic Garden, Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic Opera House and bridge shot, then the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee (about 2 hours, free, with ocean pools at Bronte and Clovelly). If you want the big-ticket items, book the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb (from AUD$350) or an Opera House tour (from AUD$45) online in advance. Cheap dinner in Chinatown or Newtown.

🚌Opal card travel approx £8

🛏Sydney hostel (dorm)

• →Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (free)
• →The Rocks and Botanic Garden walk
• →Optional Opera House tour or Bridge Climb

Take the early NSW TrainLink XPT or Casino train north from Central Station towards Coffs Harbour (about 9-10 hours, roughly AUD$60-90 booked in advance) and get off at Grafton or Coffs Harbour, then a local bus or shuttle to Arrawarra. Alternatively, fly Sydney to Coffs Harbour on Rex or QantasLink (AUD$120-180) and shuttle the short distance north. Check into Spot X Surf Camp or a similar hostel at Arrawarra Beach — the standard budget arrangement is a dorm plus surf lessons package.

🚌Train approx £35-50 or flight approx £70-100 + shuttle

🛏Spot X Surf Camp or Arrawarra hostel (dorm)

• →NSW north coast train journey or short flight
• →Arrawarra Beach sunset

Book surf lessons directly with the camp (usually around AUD$60-80 per lesson, or a multi-lesson package that's better value if you do two). Arrawarra Beach is a gentle, sheltered break — ideal for beginners. Spend the afternoon in the water, on the beach, or walking the headland to spot kangaroos and dolphins. Camp dinners are cheap and communal.

🚌Walking

🛏Spot X Surf Camp or Arrawarra hostel (dorm)

• →Surf lesson at Arrawarra Beach
• →Headland walk for kangaroo and dolphin spotting

Take a local bus or Premier/TrainLink combination south to Byron Bay (about 2.5-3.5 hours, roughly AUD$25-40). Byron hostels book out fast in summer — reserve well ahead. Afternoon at Main Beach or Wategos, then walk up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse for sunset — it's the most easterly point of mainland Australia and you'll almost certainly see turtles and dolphins from the headland.

🚌Bus approx £15-20

🛏Byron Bay hostel (dorm)

• →Cape Byron Lighthouse walk (free)
• →Main Beach afternoon

Morning surf lesson or board hire at The Pass or Main Beach (lessons around AUD$65-75 with Mojosurf or Black Dog). Afternoon options: the Byron Bay Ocean Kayaking half-day tour (around AUD$99, book direct — includes the chance to see dolphins and turtles around Julian Rocks Marine Reserve), or simply walk the coastal track to the Tea Tree Lakes and hang out at Clarkes Beach. Budget-friendly dinner from the weekly farmers market if you're lucky with timing.

🚌Walking / local bus approx £4

🛏Byron Bay hostel (dorm)

• →Surf lesson or board hire
• →Optional Byron Bay ocean kayaking at Julian Rocks

Day trip inland to the quirky village of Nimbin by local bus (about 1 hour, AUD$10-15 each way) or join a shuttle tour — a window into the alternative-culture history of the region. Alternatively hire a bike and ride the hinterland rail trail to Mullumbimby, or take a morning whale-watching cruise from Ballina or Byron in season (June-November, around AUD$95-120). Back in Byron for sunset at the Wategos Beach end of the lighthouse track.

🚌Local bus approx £10-15

🛏Byron Bay hostel (dorm)

• →Nimbin village day trip
• →Hinterland bike ride or optional whale watching

Take the Premier Motor Service or TrainLink coach/train north to Brisbane (about 2 hours by coach from Gold Coast, or around 3.5 hours from Byron with a connection, roughly AUD$30-50). Check into a hostel in Fortitude Valley or West End. Afternoon at South Bank — free lagoon pool, riverside walk and the CityCat ferry is a bargain way to see the river (about AUD$5). Evening in West End or the Valley.

🚌Coach approx £18-28

🛏Brisbane hostel (dorm)

• →South Bank lagoon and riverside walk
• →CityCat ferry ride
• →Fortitude Valley evening

Head out to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre south of the city (free entry, reachable by train to Daisy Hill then a walk or bus) to see koalas and learn about conservation. Alternatively book a Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary day trip (entry around AUD$54, including the bus from the city). Back in town, walk the Story Bridge and climb the Kangaroo Point Cliffs for sunset views over the river, then catch a free city loop bus around the sights.

🚌Train and bus approx £8

🛏Brisbane hostel (dorm)

• →Daisy Hill Koala Centre (free)
• →Kangaroo Point Cliffs walk
• →Story Bridge views

Take the train south to the Gold Coast (about 1 hour 15 minutes, AUD$11 each way on a go card) and spend the day in Surfers Paradise or better, Burleigh Heads — the Burleigh headland walk is free and full of whales and dolphins in winter. Swim, surf or just walk the beach. Return to Brisbane in the evening for a cheap dinner and final hostel night.

🚌Train approx £12-14 return

🛏Brisbane hostel (dorm)

• →Gold Coast train day trip
• →Burleigh Heads headland walk and beach

Free day exploring the city properly: the Queensland Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art are both free and excellent, and GOMA's APT exhibition is world-class. Wander the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and the riverside at Kangaroo Point. If you're here on a weekend, hit the Riverside markets or the Rocklea markets. Pack up and sort your airport transfer for tomorrow.

🚌Public transport approx £5

🛏Brisbane hostel (dorm)

• →Queensland Museum and GOMA (free entry)
• →Brisbane Botanic Gardens walk

Check out and take the Airtrain or a public bus to Brisbane Airport (Airtrain around AUD$20 from Central, bus cheaper if you have time). There's no guided group to hurry you along — if you have an evening flight, leave your bag at the hostel and do one last coffee and walk along the river.

🚌Airtrain approx £10-12

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airtrain to Brisbane Airport