mad_atta and Guava - thanks. Great info and reports. Will come in handy as we continue to meander our way throught the possibilities.

mad_atta - thanks especially for the info on NZ. For a moment, your info and reports made me almost want to skip SYD and Oz altogether and head directly for middle-earth. Can you enlighten me on things to do in Sydney aside from the Opera House or climbing the Harbor Bridge? Would Melbourne be a better place to visit? Also - looking for a location that will possibly give us the greatest exposure to the wildlife of Oz (no, not the gay nightclubs) - say National parks, wildlife preserves, etc. I've read about swimming with dolphins in Western Australia, but anywhere to do that on the East Coast? Would also love to hold Koalas, but then again, I'm sure you've never heard THAT before?

Guava - Your trip report was excellent and helpful. For Tahiti OR Fiji (we haven't decided yet), there will be two of us, my partner and I as a couple, so I'll pose the same question as to which, IYO, would be more gay-friendly toward us. I would think if we did Tahiti, we would probably connect immediately to either Bora Bora or Moorea - any better choice there than the other? Also - what about only 1 day at Ayers Rock vs. several?

To give everyone some better perspective on our travel, we tend to balance out the native, wild aspects of locations with the modern era to give us a good mix, variety and overall feel for the country we're visiting. For example, our South Africa trip last year included a camping/driving tour/safari through Namibia (including waking up one day to catch the sunrise hit the dunes at Sossusvlei - breathtaking), a week in Cape Town/Garden Route (Robben Island for its obvious cultural and national significance, Table Mountain, etc.) and a 5-day Safari in Sabi Sands (which we'll never, ever forget). This included being in enclosures and touching both adult Cheetahs and 13-week old white tiger cubs.

Thanks again...much appreciated!