Milford Sound is home to the stunning Mitre Peak mountain. Photo / Getty Images
Having spent much of his life in these far-flung countries, Mark Chipperfield compares the rivals across seven categories.
At the age of 19, I was working as a kitchen-hand in a Brisbane hotel. My fellow pot washer Stuart, a cheerful Kiwi with huge forearms, encouraged me to “cross the ditch” and visit Aotearoa – the home of the All Blacks, Mt Cook, Steinlager, whitebait fritters and 23 million sheep.
The six months I spent in New Zealand were the happiest, most adventure-filled and convivial of my young life. Kiwis have a knack of making you feel like a long-lost cousin. I eventually settled in Australia but my infatuation with the Shaky Isles grew over subsequent years as I hiked its Great Walks, shivered in Dunedin and bungee jumped in Queenstown.
Despite their geographic proximity and a shared colonial ancestry (New Zealand rejected an offer to join the Australian federation), the two countries could not be more different.
With a population five times that of its snow-capped sibling, Australia is a continent of formidable size, containing cosmopolitan cities, vast deserts and tourist icons such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House.
New Zealand’s charms are equally beguiling but focused on its Māori heritage, alpine landscapes and eccentric pastimes. Given their competitive spirit, Australia and New Zealand would relish going head-to-head in the tourism stakes.
Our survey suggests the two destinations are divided by the smallest of margins. So how do they stack up? Which should be top of your travel wish list?
Since the Sixties, Australians have been overwhelmingly urban, while New Zealanders cling defiantly to their rural ancestry. “Every Kiwi hunts, shoots and fishes,” one local told me. With a population of 1.5 million souls, Auckland is no match for Australia’s mega-cities (Sydney and Melbourne) and their dynamic food and bar scenes, big cultural drawcards and packed sporting calendars.
While Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour holds its own against Sydney’s famous waterway, Wellington cannot rival the Victorian splendour of Melbourne’s boulevards and parks.
New Zealand’s smaller regional cities, such as Rotorua, Dunedin and Nelson, seem old-fashioned and provincial. Like the English, New Zealanders revere their history, scrupulously preserving old buildings and monuments; some of the old villages are straight out of a Katherine Mansfield short story.
For sheer zing and crackle, there is nothing in the Land of the Long White Cloud to match the likes of Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, cities that combine great food, a vibrant nightlife and natural beauty. Even Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, feels rather sleepy in comparison. Outside Auckland, daily life moves at an unhurried pace – which suits the average Kiwi just fine.
The scores
One has mountains, fjords, temperate forests, stinky geysers, manicured farmland and storm-battered coastlines, while the other has red dirt deserts, mangrove swamps, sugar cane fields and vast coral reefs. Between them Australia and New Zealand tick off just about every type of landscape category.
Choosing a favourite is deeply subjective. Do the imperious Southern Alps outscore Uluru (Ayers Rock)? Can we really compare New Zealand’s dreamy Bay of Islands with the tropical charms of Far North Queensland?
When it comes to winter sports, New Zealand clearly has an edge with the likes of Wānaka, Queenstown and Aoraki/Mt Cook, while Australia faces little opposition in the beach department.
Names like Cottesloe, Bondi, Bells, Whitehaven and Surfer’s Paradise are justly famous. By contrast most of New Zealand’s beaches are the preserve of “trampers” (bushwalkers) and birdwatchers. The water is usually arctic.
But New Zealand does have a few unexpected geological delights, such as the thermal pools and geysers at Rotorua and the flawless beauty of Milford Sound, the jewel of its Fiordland region. And where else can you hike across an ancient glacier?
The scores
Until recently New Zealand’s luxurious lodges ensured that well-heeled travellers bypassed Australia in favour of a chic hideaway overlooking Lake Wakatipu, Marlborough Sounds, Lake Taupo or the Bay of Islands.
Pictures of Huka Lodge, Otahuna Lodge and Kauri Cliffs graced the pages of every travel glossy. But Australia is now a serious rival in the lodge department. Properties such as Southern Ocean Lodge in South Australia and Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania have brought a new level of sophistication to Australia’s wilderness.
A similar transformation is taking place in Australia’s bigger cities, with a frenzy of hotel building in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and even Hobart, home to several amazing new properties including the Mövenpick Hotel, Doubletree By Hilton and The Tasman. Sydney’s hotel scene is also in overdrive with several new hotels, including the Waldorf Astoria and Soho House, in the pipeline.
Across the Tasman, Auckland is getting a shake-up, with several bold new openings, such as Hotel Britomart and a Park Hyatt. The post-earthquake reconstruction of Christchurch continues with several new hotel openings, including the Sheraton Christchurch (due in 2027).
The scores
“What is your river, what is your mountain and what is your waka (war canoe)?” This is a question often posed by Māori tour guides to their overseas guests.
While urbanised Britons and Americans struggle to come up with suitable responses, Māori have an innate understanding of their place in the universe.
According to legend, the entire Māori population is descended from a Great Fleet of canoes that arrived from Tahiti around 1350. Every Māori can name the exact waka that carried their ancestors. Pākehā (Europeans), too, can often trace their own ancestry to a particular village in Dorset or Scotland.
By contrast, Australians display a collective amnesia about their own colonial history, and many have little interest in Aboriginal society or beliefs. Visitors to Uluru are often surprised when their tour guide is Canadian or Irish rather than a member of the Anangu, the traditional owners.
While the two nations share a common passion for sport, Kiwi identity is rooted in the Pacific while Australia still looks to the USA and Europe for role models, and approval.
The scores
New Zealand quickly defined its national identity on the rugby pitch but has struggled to forge a distinctly Kiwi gastronomy. Thankfully, its experiment with “Pacific Rim” fare is now over. Its leading chefs now look to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Mediterranean for inspiration.
The result is a more honest cuisine that showcases the country’s fine local produce. No one should leave without trying its green-lipped mussels or grass-fed venison.
Across the ditch, Australia’s elevation to the ranks of the world’s culinary top table is well-documented. Aussies have ditched their stodgy, post-war British diet for lively dishes from every corner of the globe, while also experimenting with native ingredients such as quandong, finger limes, saltbush and green ants.
Visitors to both countries will also be impressed by the range and quality of the wines, spirits and craft beers on offer. Famous for its muscular reds, Australia is moving towards lighter, food-friendly varietals, while New Zealand has carved out a reputation for its pinot noirs, chardonnays and sauvignon blancs. Coffee snobs will also delight in the quality of the cremant in Melbourne and Wellington – and beyond.
The scores
Compact and European in scale, New Zealand is a dream destination with long stretches of well-maintained country roads, cheerful locals, great local produce and a wide range of accommodation (the camping sites are exceptional). With its low crime rate and scenic beauty, Aotearoa is an attractive family holiday destination.
The sheer quaintness of rural New Zealand, its engaging Māori presence and wealth of outdoor adventures add up to a unique holiday experience.
Australia matches New Zealand in terms of friendliness, safety and facilities, but its vast distances are a challenge for those with limited time; hence the need to book internal flights. Many of the country’s bigger attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast, have become quite Disneyfied, but rural Australia still offers plenty of stunning landscapes, authentic Aussie encounters, delicious food and wine and a warm country welcome.
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New Zealand and Australia are both feeling the impact of rising costs, while wages remain stagnant. Housing is expensive and in short supply. Today, neither can be considered a budget destination – although increased competition has kept inbound airfares from the UK and Europe under control.
The biggest surprise for visitors is the high cost of hotel accommodation and dining out. Everyday items are also trending upwards. Sydneysiders now pay upwards of A$6 for a takeaway coffee and A$15 for a glass of beer in the pub. Prices at Australia’s best restaurants are eye-watering – especially with a decent bottle of wine.
Dining out in New Zealand is also expensive, even in smaller regional centres, but prices at the supermarket, roadside stalls and farmers’ markets are very reasonable. Entry to public galleries, museums and other attractions in both countries is modestly priced compared to the UK and Europe. Both offer a good range of well-priced guided tours.
The scores
Based on the above scores, New Zealand (53 points) finishes just ahead of Australia (51 points) as a travel destination – the narrowest of margins.
While the two countries are pretty much head-to-head in terms of accommodation, food and drink and friendliness, New Zealand’s alpine scenery, its accessible Māori culture and compact size give it a slight edge, especially if you favour a self-guided holiday in a car or campervan.