We will (hopefully) be in Fiji in September and are looking for someplace to sit out the hurricane season. I want to spend it in New Zealand but my wife prefers Australia. So we are wondering about the feasibility of splitting our time between the two. Does anybody have any advice/opinion on sailing from Fiji to Queensland in October and from there to NSW and then sailing from NSW to NZ in December/January? What kind of conditions should we expect on the east coast of Australia in November/December and is a Tasman Sea crossing in late December/early January something to be recommended? Or does anyone have alternative itinerary (one that doesn’t involve arm-wrestling yet again)?

Normally it would be better to go Fiji – New Zealand first, then cross to Oz in Jan/Feb. Conditions at that time of year are usually fine. Otherwise, January is generally ok to cross the Tasman in either direction. If you want to continue from Oz to Vanuatu then it makes more sense to stop in NZ first.

Jimmy Cornell, noonsite