Holidays in New Zealand & Australia

New Zealanders, commonly known as “Kiwis,” and Australians, or “Aussies,” are famously friendly, welcoming, and easygoing.  You’ll likely find it effortless to meet warm, talkative locals who add to the overall experience.  Both countries are known for progressive values, with several openly LGBT politicians and long-standing marriage equality laws, reflecting broad acceptance of diverse people and cultures.  This diversity is visible in daily life, with vibrant Indigenous, immigrant, and queer communities contributing to a rich cultural mix.  The result is two countries that feel open, united in spirit, and wonderfully welcoming to our groups.

Both New Zealand and Australia are very open-minded, and the vast majority of people are accepting of homosexuality.  We have never encountered negative reactions from locals regarding our sexuality and don’t expect to in the future.  That said, it’s worth noting that very public displays of affection or “enthusiasm” are best kept to private spaces, as social norms tend to favor a slightly more relaxed, low-key approach in public settings.

In most cities and towns, you’ll find that the cuisine in New Zealand and Australia is similar to the international fare common in North America and Europe (especially the UK), with strong influences from many cultures around the world.  Because agriculture and fresh produce play a major role in both countries, expect exceptionally fresh, locally grown ingredients and high-quality meats and seafood, you’ll taste the difference.  While traveling, be sure to try traditional cuisine such as Otago lamb and Green-lipped mussels in New Zealand, and Indigenous Australian–inspired dishes that highlight native herbs, spices, and bush ingredients.  Travelers with varying dietary restrictions generally find it easy to locate suitable options in both countries, especially in major cities, where vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-conscious menus are widely available.

Our advice is simple.  Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough.  Even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive in New Zealand.  Just make sure to review the climate section above and remember that our trips are run in a casual style so you can leave your tuxedos at home.  We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.

New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and Australia uses the Australian Dollar (AUD).  We suggest arriving with a small amount of local currency to start, along with your regular bank card to withdraw cash from widely available ATMs along the way.  Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere in both countries, so bring at least one; traveler’s checks are no longer recommended.

Large bills can sometimes be difficult to use in shops and restaurants, so request smaller denominations when possible.

If you can, travel with a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees — the savings add up quickly.  When paying by card overseas, you may be asked whether to charge in your home currency or the local one; choose the local currency to help avoid extra fees.

While tipping isn't a native custom in these countries, those working in the tourism industry all over the world have come to expect gratuities when providing good service.  This extends to local guides, restaurant wait staff, bus drivers, and your Detours trip leader.  Of course the actual amount is left up to your discretion, if you've been provided excellent service we suggest leaving around 10% for restaurant/wait staff as well as the local equivalent of a few dollars to bus drivers and luggage porters, as well as around $10-15 USD per day for local guides and your Detours trip leader.

We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, bed-jumping and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots.  To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a hotel/guesthouse should: be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the hot spots), and be gay-friendly.  We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves.  Clean and comfortable and approximately 4 stars, you can count on that!

All Detours trips are led by one of our own Detours trip leaders.  They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to New Zealand and Australia for.  Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you.  All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!

We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening.  A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in New Zealand and Australia should come from the excitement of what the coming day holds.  However, sometimes due to current flight schedules we are required to make early departures, but we do everything we can to minimize this.

Our Detours groups are run with maximum of 16 travelers.  Ages of group members vary but almost all our travelers are in their 40's, 50’s and 60’s.  Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country!  Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!  We welcome both men and women onto our trips although it’s important to know that most groups are 100% gay men.

No problem!  Don’t worry, at least half our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solo travelers.  As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices.  We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a very reasonable surcharge. 

New Zealand and Australia use only one plug shape so it's important to bring a "Type I" plug shape on your trip here.  The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency.  These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its accetable range.

To ensure you don't lose connection along the way, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available.  We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling.  Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.