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Australia or New Zealand?

The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.

Places written up here 432 414
UNESCO listings among them 37 8
Cost level Very high High
Busiest month in our write-ups April January
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Plugs and voltage I - 230 V I - 230 V
Everyday languages English English, Maori
Driving side left hand side left hand side
Region Australia and New Zealand Australia and New Zealand
Capital Canberra Wellington

Australia

Informal to a fault and proud of it; mateship, sun-safety and vast distances shape all.

What we have written up

All 432 places in Australia

Worth knowing before you go

  • Cards and contactless are universal - cash is nearly retired
  • Coffee culture is elite - flat whites are a birthright
  • The Working Holiday crowd keeps hostels social and lively

Full customs and practicalities

New Zealand

Understated competence outdoors; Maori culture is living context, not performance.

What we have written up

All 414 places in New Zealand

Worth knowing before you go

  • Cards everywhere; cash is rare
  • Sandflies rule the fjord country - repellent is strategy
  • The i-SITE visitor centres are genuinely useful

Full customs and practicalities

Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely (plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026); check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.

One place a week.

A short Friday email about one place worth knowing.