FLIP SIDE

40 Breathtaking Photos of New Zealand and Australia

From the moody vista of Milford Sound, New Zealand (pictured), to an Ayers Rock sunrise in Australia, BT readers capture dreamscapes from the Land Down Under and beyond.

Friday, Oct 28, 2011, 2:00 PM | Subscribe to the magazine

"Sunset on the Olgas. At first, I was disappointed that it was a cloudy and rainy night. Then I realized how rare it is to see rain in this dry part of Australia. Had it been a clear night, I never would have captured this beautiful shot."
(Courtesy mshl0357/myBudgetTravel)
"The view looking over Cook's Cove on the east coast of the North Island, where Captain Cook first landed in NZ!"
(Courtesy gmb11/myBudgetTravel)
"The Great Ocean Road. What a breathtaking place."
(Courtesy vetmer/myBudgetTravel)
"Milford Sound, New Zealand, at dawn after a stormy night."
(Courtesy harryvg/myBudgetTravel)
"This is a case where jet lag proved worthwhile! I was at a B&B in the Blue Mountain area and woke up before sunrise. As the sky started to brighten, I grabbed my camera and caught this image."
(Courtesy tsanta/myBudgetTravel)
"Travel around winding roads to reach a scenic drive near Matauri Bay in the Northland region of New Zealand to experience a once-in-a-lifetime 360-degree view."
(Courtesy kristinjbuxton/myBudgetTravel)
"This colorful sunset was taken near Uluru (a.k.a. Ayers Rock), in the Outback."
(Courtesy mshl0357/myBudgetTravel)
"This was a little spot in Auckland near a dormant volcano. It wasn't a tourist location, but just a site by the river near the town of Mangere. A local took me here—this was his favorite place to be alone."
(Courtesy annanaphtali/myBudgetTravel)
"Termite mounds, Kimberley Plateau, Western Australia."
(Courtesy debyholmes/myBudgetTravel)
"Blue Maomao Arch, out at Poor Knights, NZ. Divers really get the best views underwater!"
(Courtesy gmb11/myBudgetTravel)
"The Sydney skyline."
(Courtesy jennie613/myBudgetTravel)
"Mt. Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand, standing at 12,349 feet. We drove right up to the base of the mountain to stay at the lodge there, called the Hermitage."
(Courtesy javaman100/myBudgetTravel)
"Clown fish, Great Barrier Reef."
(Courtesy emgreco/myBudgetTravel)
"Seals in Kaikoura, New Zealand."
(Courtesy Tuckerg/myBudgetTravel)
"The Sydney Opera House."
(Courtesy vivalarock/myBudgetTravel)
"Itty-bitty people on Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand."
(Courtesy jkramb/myBudgetTravel)
"This concert at the Sydney Opera House actually brought me to tears. The organ is seldom used, so this was a rare treat. The organist is the dark figure in the center."
(Courtesy Martrese/myBudgetTravel)
"The morning after I arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand, the rain let up for a beautiful dawn in September."
(Courtesy BizMarquis/myBudgetTravel)
"The Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Adelaide, South Australia."
(Courtesy azlynn/myBudgetTravel)
"Boats at Kaikoura, NZ."
(Courtesy gmb11/myBudgetTravel)
"Sydney."
(Courtesy kdoo24/myBudgetTravel)
"The Champagne Pool, at the Waiotapu hot springs, NZ."
(Courtesy cweir2910/myBudgetTravel)
"My first day exploring Melbourne, I saw this from a distance and thought it was a roller coaster in the middle of the city. But when I got closer, I discovered it was the Arts Centre!"
(Courtesy ammills/myBudgetTravel)
"I took this photo of Lake Matheson during a recent trip to New Zealand's South Island, just as the sun was beginning to set."
(Courtesy lous22/myBudgetTravel)
"The sign for Kulgera in the Outback, stating that we had arrived at the cattle loading station."
(Courtesy strouf/myBudgetTravel)
"This shot is of my husband and I, stopping to stretch our legs outside of Te Anau, New Zealand."
(Courtesy lous22/myBudgetTravel)
"Lovebirds, Thala Beach."
(Courtesy tiggrr0731/myBudgetTravel)
"A kiwi orchard in New Zealand."
(Courtesy Bonnie Gregory/myBudgetTravel)
"Is anything more magical than an unexpected rainbow? This was in Sydney's Hyde Park, in July (their winter)."
(Courtesy dahlmarye/myBudgetTravel)
"Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand."
(Courtesy Tuckerg/myBudgetTravel)
"Cradle Mountain Overland Track, Tasmania."
(Courtesy ozkoalalover/myBudgetTravel)
"The views of New Zealand's Marlborough Sound from the Queen Charlotte Track hiking trail were incredible."
(Courtesy sheriryden/myBudgetTravel)
"Heron Island. To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to Australia."
(Courtesy Jude/myBudgetTravel)
"Auckland, New Zealand."
(Courtesy harryvg/myBudgetTravel)
"Sunset at Uluru. Beautiful Australia!"
(Courtesy loua71/myBudgetTravel)
"Milford Sound, New Zealand, in the wintertime. As the ice melted throughout the day, the waterfalls became increasingly spectacular."
(Courtesy kcook/myBudgetTravel)
"The Great Ocean Road."
(Courtesy mala/myBudgetTravel)
"One very happy looking cow, near the coast in New Plymouth, New Zealand."
(Courtesy gmb11/myBudgetTravel)
"Kangaroo in the wild, near Surfers Paradise, Australia."

(Courtesy hrmunt/myBudgetTravel)
"Middle Earth is a real place here at Hobbiton, on Alexander Sheep Farm in Matamata, New Zealand."
(Courtesy jkramb/myBudgetTravel)