Australia & New Zealand 360°: Hobbiton, Sydney, Whitsundays

This trip starts in Auckland. On the first day, we’ll meet at 18:00.

Your Group Leader will add you to the WhatsApp group for your trip about 15 days before departure.
It’s a great way to start getting to know your travel mates, receive more details about the first day’s meeting point, and ask any pre-departure questions you might have. If you expect to arrive later, let the coordinator know through the group: we’ll make the necessary arrangements so you can join without any issues.

This trip ends in Whitsunday Coast. The trip officially ends at 09:00 on the last day, so we recommend planning your return transfers accordingly. For example:

• if you need to book a flight, consider the time needed to reach the airport and complete check-in procedures;

• if you need to book a train or continue your journey independently, consider the time required to reach the station or your next destination.

 If you have any doubts, you can contact the coordinator assigned to your departure for advice.

For this itinerary, traveling with a backpack is mandatory for logistical reasons and the convenience of the entire group - including yourself! Trolleys, bulky suitcases, or hard luggage are not allowed. The Travel Group Leader will provide guidance on the ideal baggage before departure via the WhatsApp group.

Return international flights are not included on our trips because we want to give you full autonomy and flexibility. You can choose your preferred airline, fly from the airport that works best for you, and decide how many stopovers you want to make along the way.

As flights are not included, you also have more flexibility with your travel dates: you could arrive at your destination a few days early or return home a bit later – or even continue independently to a nearby destination!

Yes, you can change your trip directly from your MyWeRoad personal area, up to 31 days before departure. If you purchased Flexible Cancellation, to give you maximum flexibility, you may cancel your trip up to 8 days before departure and receive a refund, whatever the reason.

How to change your trip from MyWeRoad

• Enter your booking
• Scroll to the “Change your trip” section at the bottom right
• Select a different date for the same trip or a completely different trip

Things to know

You can change your trip up to 3 times from your MyWeRoad personal area. Further changes must be requested by contacting our team at hello@weroad.com.
The new trip must depart within 12 months from the original departure date.
If your original booking included a private room, Flexible Cancellation, discount codes, gift cards, or vouchers, we will notify you before confirmation if they cannot be applied to the new trip.

You cannot switch to sold-out trips. For “On request” departures, we will check availability. For “Last spots” departures, availability in rooms of your same gender may not be guaranteed.
If there is a price adjustment: if the new trip costs less, we will refund the difference; if it costs more, you will need to pay the difference.

PLEASE NOTE: before cancelling, keep in mind that you can move your booking to another trip or a different date. Find out how!

In some cases – for example when a departure is not yet confirmed and it is your first unconfirmed booking – you can book without paying the €/£/$100 deposit upfront.

This means that you can secure your spot at zero cost: nothing will be charged until the departure is confirmed. Once the departure is confirmed, the €/£/$100 deposit will be automatically charged within 48 hours according to the terms agreed at the time of booking.

Yes, but first consider changing your trip: from MyWeRoad you can move your booking to another date or another trip up to 31 days before departure, without losing what you've paid. Find out how!

If you still want to cancel

• Confirmed trip: you cancel directly from MyWeRoad, in the trip management section. Amounts paid are non-refundable, unless you bought Flexible Cancellation.
• Trip not confirmed yet: cancellation goes through our team. Write to hello@weroad.com with your booking code.

Please note: if it's your first unconfirmed booking, you will only be asked to provide a credit card, PayPal, or Revolut as a guarantee, but nothing will be charged. From the second unconfirmed booking onwards, a mandatory £/$100 deposit will be required.

You'll find all the details in Can I cancel my booking directly from MyWeRoad? and Can I get a refund if I cancel?

We offer several payment methods to fit every need:

1. Credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express);
2. Instalment payment with Klarna (you’ll pay for the trip in three equal amounts);
3. PayPal (for selected destinations);
4. Revolut Pay to pay even faster straight from your Revolut account.

Yes, in two ways:

1. From your personal area
Once you've booked, every WeRoader can add their flight details in their personal area, and the rest of the group can see them anonymously. Just log in, open your booking, and you'll find the section there. The more people fill it in, the easier it is for everyone to match up.

2. From the trip messages
Every departure has its own message space on the WeRoad website: the best place to ask your future travel mates directly, or to read what they've already written.

You don't need to have booked to join in. If you're still deciding, you can already ask who's going, when, and on which flight. You can get there from the departures list, from the trip page, or from your personal area once you're logged in.

Your Travel Coordinator is in the conversation too, so if you have a question about that specific departure, that's where you'll get an answer.

And if you can't find what you're looking for, just write to us and we'll share whatever information we have.

If a departure is “Open to book”, it means that the trip is not yet confirmed and we are waiting for a few more bookings… maybe yours!

The good news? If it’s your first booking on an unconfirmed departure, you can book without paying anything! Just. leave your credit card details as a guarantee: no immediate charge, €/£/$0 deposit.
In the meantime, wait for the departure to be confirmed before purchasing your round-trip flights!

It depends on when you cancel, the status of your departure, and how much you have already paid. Here are all the cases.

If the trip is not confirmed
Cancellation goes through our team: write to hello@weroad.com with your booking code.
If it was your first unconfirmed booking, nothing has been charged: no refund is needed. If you paid the €/£/$100 deposit, it is fully refunded. If you bought Flexible Cancellation, the cost of the option is not refunded.
If your booking was moved to this trip from a trip that was already confirmed, the conditions of your original booking still apply: the amount paid is non-refundable.
If WeRoad does not confirm the trip, we'll let you know by email and you can choose between a full refund and using the amount for another trip.

Tour confirmed – you paid only the €/£/$100 deposit
In case of cancellation, the deposit paid is not refunded. However, you can change your trip from your MyWeRoad Account and use the amount for another departure.

Tour confirmed – you paid the full amount
In case of cancellation, the amount paid is not refunded. However, you can change your trip from your MyWeRoad Area and use the amount for another departure.

If you cancel within 31 days of departure – Tour confirmed
You can cancel your booking at any time. However, in case of cancellation within 31 days of departure, no refund of the amount paid is provided, nor is it possible to change your trip, unless you have purchased Flexible Cancellation.
The private room fee, included in the price of your trip, is not refunded under any circumstances within this time frame, unless you have purchased Flexible Cancellation.

If you have Flexible Cancellation
With Flexible Cancellation, you may cancel your trip up to 8 days before departure and receive a refund, whatever the reason. The only amount not refunded is the cost of the Flexible Cancellation option itself.

PLEASE NOTE: before cancelling, keep in mind that you can move your booking to another trip or a different date. Find out how!

For any doubts about your specific situation, write to our team at hello@weroad.com: we'll help you!

Generally, our groups have an average of 11 people. Everyone on our trips speaks English, and travellers join us from across the US, UK, Europe and beyond. Our trips are open to travelers between 18 and 53 years old. The indicated age is meant to give you an idea of the type of group, but it's not a strict limit: it's possible to participate even with a few years more or less, as long as you can keep up with the pace and energy of the group you're traveling with.

Each group will be joined and led by one of our experienced Group Leaders, who’s there to ensure everything runs smoothly and the group feels well-supported. 

If you’d like to know more about our typical WeRoad groups do reach out to us on WhatsApp on +44 7716573700. 

Yes! If you're curious, you can take a sneak peek at the group before booking. 
You’ll find the info in the ‘Group’ section for each trip on the departures page, showing how many WeRoaders have already booked. 

Click the little arrow and you’ll even see their gender and ages – but hey, that’s exclusive info, so we’ll ask you to log in or sign up to see that!

For our trips we usually use locally owned accommodation instead of big hotel chains. It’s our favourite way to really experience the local culture and, whenever we can, support the local economy. Typically, you’ll stay in hotels, apartments, guesthouses and hostels with the same standard maintained across all trips in the same destination.

The list of accommodation for your trip will be shared with you by your Group Leader 2-5 days before departure, along with other useful details for your adventure!

For some trips, in the itinerary section, you’ll find the number of nights and the location (not the hotel) where you’ll be spending the night(s). The location shown is the one we usually go for on most trips, but in some cases, you might stay in a nearby town. This will depend on logistics or availability of accommodation. 

The list of accommodation for your trip (and therefore also the exact locations) will be shared by your Travel Group Leader 2-5 days before departure, along with other useful information for your adventure!

The WeRoad Travel Group Leader is an experienced and skilled traveler who will be the perfect companion for your trip. They will manage all the logistical aspects of the itinerary like transport, timings, accommodation, restaurant bookings and meeting points, so that you can enjoy the trip without this hassle. They’re there to support the group, ensure everything runs smoothly and will no doubt make the trip a lot of fun along the way too! 

The Group Leader will set up a WhatsApp group approximately 2 weeks before departure. This will be the moment to ask any pre-departure questions and get to know the rest of the group! If the trip you are interested in already has a Travel Group Leader assigned, you can contact them before booking. Their details will be on the trip page, or you can search for their name here. After booking, you will find their contact details in your My WeRoad account, under ‘Bookings and Trips’ > ‘Your Upcoming Trips’ > ‘Trip Details’.

When you set off on a WeRoad trip, you’re officially a WeRoader – and as we often say, 'once a WeRoader, always a WeRoader'. This means that once you’re part of the community, a little piece of WeRoad will always stay with you.

But you’re not just a WeRoader during your trips, far from it! The community is alive and active all year round: you can stay in touch by following and interacting on our social media channels, like the Facebook group or the Instagram profile. You can also come along to one of our many events that we run in different cities worldwide. Check out and sign up to our events by downloading the WeMeet app here. 

Yes, on all our trips you will share a room with other WeRoaders in your group. The bathroom will either be private or shared only with other travelers on the trip. The rooms might be twins, triples, quadruples or multi-share (up to 8 people in exceptional cases), depending on the destination and availability.

You will never share with people from outside of the WeRoad group, except in certain cases for local experiences, which are specifically mentioned in the itinerary or communicated before booking. These typically involve specific nights in unique accommodation like tents, homestays, or camping, offering a more adventurous travel experience in exchange for some comfort.

During the booking process, you can also choose to stay in a mixed-gender room. If needed, only travelers who have opted in to this option may share a room with travel companions of a different gender.

On some of our trips we can offer a private room for an additional cost. Just tick the ‘Private Room’ option at checkout to get this added. For some of our trips if you book as two travelers together you can add this private room free of charge. Look out for this option at checkout. 

Please note that if you do book a private room with a friend/partner this could be either a double or a twin room so please email hello@weroad.com if you have a preference on this. 

To drive in Australia, an international driving permit or a licence in English is required.

Find out the entry requirements for Australia, and, if needed, apply for your visa through our partner Sherpa.

Before traveling, always remember to check the government website of your country of origin for updates on the entry requirements for Australia – you wouldn’t want to stay home due to a bureaucratic detail!

• UK residents: review the FCDO Travel Advice.
• US residents: consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
• Other residents: refer to your government or local consulate's travel advice.

Australia has multiple time zones, and it can get a bit complex due to daylight saving time.

• Australian Western Standard Time (AWST): If it's 12pm in the UK, it's 7pm in AWST, and if it's 12pm in the USA (Eastern Time), it's 1am the next day in AWST.
• Australian Central Standard Time (ACST): If it's 12pm in the UK, it's 8:30pm in ACST, and if it's 12pm in the USA (Eastern Time), it's 2:30am the next day in ACST.
• Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): If it's 12pm in the UK, it's 9pm in AEST, and if it's 12pm in the USA (Eastern Time), it's 3am the next day in AEST.

Remember, during daylight saving time (from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April), the clocks go forward one hour in regions observing it (not all do).

Australia uses the Australian Dollar (AUD). The current exchange rate is approximately 0.52 GBP, 0.64 USD, and 0.61 EUR for 1 AUD. You can exchange currency at airports, banks, or currency exchange offices in major cities. It's a good idea to compare rates to get the best deal.

In Australia, you can pay using credit cards, debit cards, and contactless payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Major cards like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are widely accepted. Cash is still used, but electronic payments are very common. It's a good idea to inform your bank about your travel plans to avoid issues with your cards being blocked. ATMs are readily available for withdrawing cash if needed.

Tipping in Australia isn't as common as in the USA, but it's appreciated for excellent service. Restaurants and cafes don't expect tips, but leaving 10 percent for outstanding service is kind. In taxis, rounding up the fare is a nice gesture. For hotel staff, tipping a few dollars for helpful service is a good idea. Remember, tipping is discretionary, so go with what feels right for you.

Australia is not in Europe or the Schengen area, so using your home SIM for data might be costly. We suggest you buy a local SIM or an e-SIM data plan for better rates. Popular providers include Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, which offer good coverage across the country. Wi-Fi is available in most urban areas, hotels, cafes, and airports, but it might be less accessible in remote regions. For constant connectivity, a local SIM is a good option.

In Australia, the official language is English. While you'll find it's generally the same as the English spoken in the UK or the USA, Australians have their own unique expressions. Here are a few you might hear:

• "G'day" - Hello
• "Arvo" - Afternoon
• "Barbie" - Barbecue
• "Fair dinkum" - Genuine or real
• "Mate" - Friend or buddy

These colloquial terms are common, so you'll fit right in by using them!

Australia uses Type I plugs. These plugs have two flat pins in a V-shape as well as a grounding pin. The standard voltage in Australia is 230V with a frequency of 50Hz. If you're traveling from the UK, the US, or other European countries, you'll need a universal adapter to use your electronics in Australia. Make sure your devices can handle the 230V voltage to avoid any issues.

Australia is a culturally diverse nation with Christianity being the predominant religion. However, the country is known for its religious tolerance and diversity, with many Australians identifying as having no religion. Important Christian holidays celebrated include Christmas and Easter. Due to Australia's multicultural society, you will also notice celebrations from other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Australia is known for its diverse climate and stunning landscapes, so you'll want to be prepared for anything. Here's a list of essentials to pack in your backpack:

• Clothing:
  • Lightweight t-shirts
  • Shorts
  • Long pants for cooler evenings
  • Swimsuit
  • Light jacket or sweater
• Shoes:
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Flip-flops
  • Sandals
• Accessories and Technology:
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat for sun protection
  • Smartphone and charger
  • Portable power bank
  • Travel adapter (Australia uses Type I plugs)
• Toiletries and Medication:
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent
  • Basic toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Pain relievers like ibuprofen or paracetamol
  • Motion sickness tablets if needed

Remember, Australia's climate can vary greatly, so check the specific weather conditions for your destination and season.

Australia's weather varies significantly depending on the region and season, so it's great to plan ahead:

• Northern Australia: Tropical climate with a wet season (November to April) and a dry season (May to October). Best time to visit is during the dry season for cooler temperatures and less humidity.
• Southern Australia: Temperate climate with four seasons. Summers (December to February) can be hot, while winters (June to August) are cooler and wetter. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are generally mild and pleasant.
• Central Australia: Desert climate with very hot summers and cooler winters. The best time to visit is during the cooler months from May to September.

Always check the specific region's forecast before you go!

Find out the entry requirements for New Zealand, and, if needed, apply for your visa through our partner Sherpa.

Before traveling, always remember to check the government website of your country of origin for updates on the entry requirements for New Zealand – you wouldn’t want to stay home due to a bureaucratic detail!

• UK residents: review the FCDO Travel Advice.
• US residents: consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
• Other residents: refer to your government or local consulate's travel advice.

New Zealand operates on New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), which is UTC+12. When it's 12pm in the UK, it will be 11pm in New Zealand. For the USA, if it's 12pm Eastern Time, it will be 4am the next day in New Zealand.

Note that New Zealand observes daylight saving time, shifting to New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT), which is UTC+13, typically from the last Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April.

New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) as its currency. The daily exchange rate is approximately:

• 0.50 GBP
• 0.60 USD
• 0.55 EUR

to 1 NZD, but this can fluctuate, so it's a good idea to check before you travel. You can exchange currency at airports, banks, or currency exchange offices throughout the country.

In New Zealand, you can pay with credit and debit cards, which are widely accepted. Visa and Mastercard are the most commonly used. Mobile payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay are also popular. Cash is accepted, but not as common for everyday transactions. It's a good idea to check with your bank about any transaction fees for foreign cards. ATMs are available if you need to withdraw cash.

Tipping in New Zealand is not a common practice like it is in the USA, but it's appreciated for exceptional service. In restaurants, bars, and cafes, leaving a small tip if you feel the service was outstanding is always a nice gesture. In hotels, you can tip porters a few dollars for helping with your luggage. Tipping taxi drivers is not expected, but rounding up the fare is appreciated. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and is not obligatory.

In New Zealand, you can find good internet coverage in most urban areas, but rural spots might have limited access. Wi-Fi is widely available in cafes, hotels, and airports, but speeds can vary. Since New Zealand is not in Europe or the Schengen area, it's a good idea to buy a local SIM card or an e-SIM data plan for better connectivity. Providers like Spark, Vodafone, and 2degrees offer various plans to suit your needs. You'll easily find their SIM cards at the airport or in convenience stores.

In New Zealand, they primarily speak English, but you might also hear Māori and New Zealand Sign Language being used. Here are some useful colloquial expressions you might come across:

• Cheers: Thank you
• Kia ora: Hello (in Māori)
• Sweet as: Great or no problem
• Chur: Thanks or awesome

These expressions can add a local touch to your conversations!

In New Zealand, they use Type I plugs, which have two flat pins in a V-shape and a grounding pin. The electrical voltage is 230 volts, and the frequency is 50 Hz. Since these plugs are different from those used in many European countries, the UK, or the USA, we suggest you bring a universal adapter to use your devices.

In New Zealand, Christianity is the main religion, but the country is quite diverse with many other religions practiced, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. A significant portion of the population also identifies as non-religious. There are no specific dressing requirements related to religion, but it's always a good idea to dress modestly when visiting religious sites. Important Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter are widely celebrated.

Packing for New Zealand can depend on the season and activities you plan to do, but here's a general guide to help you pack your backpack:

1. Clothing:

• Lightweight shirts and t-shirts
• A warm sweater or fleece
• Waterproof jacket
• Comfortable pants and shorts
• Swimwear

2. Shoes:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Hiking boots
• Flip-flops or sandals

3. Accessories and Technology:

• Sunglasses
• Hat for sun protection
• Portable charger
• Travel adapter (Type I plug)
• Camera

4. Toiletries and Medication:

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Basic first aid kit
• Common travel medication like painkillers, antihistamines, motion sickness tablets

New Zealand's weather can be unpredictable, so layering is key. Consider the season when packing, as summer can be warm while winters are cooler.

New Zealand's weather can vary quite a bit depending on where you are, so it's a good idea to plan accordingly. Here's a general breakdown:

• North Island: Generally warmer, especially in the summer (December to February). Winters (June to August) are mild with occasional rain.
• South Island: Known for cooler temperatures, especially in the inland and southern areas. Summers are warm but can be unpredictable, while winters can be cold with snow in mountainous regions.

The best time to visit is from November to April when the weather is warmer and more stable. Remember, New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere.