Australia & NZ: A journey to the antipodes

Nov.-Dec. 2024

When Frida was born, we took a year off work. We used that time for bonding and travelling together. Our first big trip was to Australia & NZ. Why? Endless sunshine, laidback lifestyle and wide-open spaces. All good ingredients for an unforgettable adventure !

In this post you will find our itinerary and highlights of Australia and New Zealand.

Quick facts about Australia & NZ

Australia is vast – roughly the size of Europe – and its landscapes range from bright blue waters and white-sand beaches, to green tropical rain forests and vast red wildernesses. It is also home to plenty of unique wildlife species, including kangaroos, dingoes, emus and the iconic platypus. The journey of human habitation of the Australian continent began more than 50,000 years ago with the migration of the ancestors of today’s Aboriginal Australians by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now South-East Asia. After the last Ice Age, global temperatures increased and sea levels gradually rose, cutting them off from the rest of the world.

It is only recently that the first Europeans set foot in the Australian continent. It was first sighted by Dutch seafarers in the 17th century. Almost two hundred years later, James Cook, a fine British Captain, explored the East Coast of Australia while the French claimed possession of Western Australia. In a race for sovereignty over this new-found land, Britain undertook the biggest colonization effort in history by establishing penal settlements. In total, over 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia. They provided the labour that built the young colony’s roads, bridges and public buildings. At the same time, successive waves of pilgrims arrived, pre-empting a French settlement and claim to the territory.

Conflicts with the Aboriginal Australians were common. It is estimated that there were over 400 different nations, each with their own language, their own culture and traditions. War with the colonists, social upheaval and disease wrongly dispossessed them of their land. Today, many Aboriginal Australians identify with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage, reflecting a complex cultural diversity. The Aboriginal Flag is a powerful emblem of Indigenous identity and unity, and a symbol of pride and resilience for Indigenous communities across Australia.

New Zealand (Aotearoa in Māori) was the last habitable landmass to be settled. The Māoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand, first arrived from elsewhere in Polynesia between 1,000 and 800 years ago. They were keen sailors, navigating by the ocean currents, winds and stars. The Māoris are often called the Vikings of the Pacific but this comparison doesn’t do them justice for they travelled over much longer distances over a huge area almost as big as Africa ! As they explored the Pacific, they began finding and settling distant islands in all directions – Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Hawaii – and even as far as Easter Island. The first Europeans only came in the late 18th century. When reports of the Aborigines reached Europe, they created intense interest. In a wave of religious enthusiasm, missionaries arrived in New Zealand to preach the message of Christ. This evangelism zeal caused the Māoris to convert rapidly and to include Christian ideas in their world view.

Before people arrived in New Zealand, around two thirds of the land was still covered in dense forest. When the first Europeans came in the late 18th century, they began a rapid expansion. They cleared large areas of land for farming and used the wood from native timbers for construction. Deforestation continued through the 19th and 20th centuries until native forests only represented 25% of the total landmass. They now have legal protection and are not allowed to be cut down.

Since then, timber has been one of New Zealand’s main industries. During the second half of the 19th century, the country experienced a short gold rush, drawing tens of thousands of people from afar. Agriculture is now the largest industry in the country. Main agricultural products include dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables and wine, with almost 90 percent of wine produced in the country exported worldwide. New Zealand also has a thriving tourism industry, attracting several millions of visitors every year.

Australia and New Zealand have a close relationship. They are both members of the Commonwealth of Nations — an association of more than 50 states which meet regularly to focus on political, economic and social matters, and are connected through the English language and colonial heritage. The two countries also share cultural icons and compete fiercely in many sports like rugby or cricket.

2-month itinerary