Easiest Australia & New Zealand cruise ports to explore on your own

Ranked: easiest first

1. Airlie Beach (Whitsundays) Australia Easy
   From Port of Airlie, Main Street and the lagoon are 5–10 minutes' walk. · Tender
2. Hobart Australia (Tasmania) Easy
   Salamanca Place is a 5–10 minute flat walk.
3. Tauranga (Mount Maunganui) New Zealand Easy
   Mauao (the Mount) is about 1.2 km away.
4. Auckland New Zealand Easy
   Queens Wharf is in the CBD, a short walk from Britomart station and the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
5. Bay of Islands New Zealand Easy
   Free shuttles run about every 20 minutes to Paihia and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. · Tender
6. Melbourne Australia Easy
   Tram route 109 runs from Beacon Cove near the pier into the city.
7. Sydney Australia Easy
   The Overseas Passenger Terminal is about 5 minutes from Circular Quay station, the Opera House and The Rocks.
8. Wellington New Zealand Easy
   Use the cruise shuttle to the city (drop-off near Lambton Quay).
9. Brisbane Australia Moderate
   From Luggage Point, use a taxi, rideshare or cruise-line shuttle; there is no public transport.
10. Dunedin (Port Chalmers) New Zealand Moderate
    Take the cruise shuttle to Dunedin (15–20 minutes), or local bus Route 14 (about 30 minutes).

How we rank

Ports are grouped by our rating (Easy, then Moderate, then Book a tour). Within each group, the shortest walk to town or the main sights that our guide states comes first, then the shortest stated distance. The quote under each port comes from its guide; check your pier, because some ports have more than one. How we rate ports.