Kiwis favour Sydney

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 33

Kiwis favour Sydney

NZPA Sydney Sydney has come out tops by far as the most popular place in Australia for New • Zealanders to visit, according to the Australian Tourism Commission’s latest International Visitor Survey. The survey shows that 60 per cent of New Zealanders who crossed the Tasman spent at least one night in Australia’s most populous centre during 1985.

Second on the list was Melbourne, where 24 per cent of New Zealanders said they stayed for at least part of their journey, and third was Brisbane (20 per cent). Heading the tourist attractions was the revamped Sydney district known as the Rocks, situated beside the city approach to the harbour bridge. A total of 24 per cent of New Zealand visitors said they had a look around the area that is regarded as the birthplace of Sydney.

Second on the list was the Sydney Opera' House (22 per cent) and third were Sydney’s beaches

(19 per cent).

Outside the New SouthWales capital, the most favoured attraction was the Victorian Arts Centre, in Melbourne, which 8 per cent of New Zealand visitors said they visited.

The Commission designed, co-ordinated and funded the survey, and the New Zealand section involved interviewing 380 short-term visitors as they were departing from Australia’s major airports.

The results also showed that most New Zealanders (66 per cent) were either on holiday or visiting relatives and the average length of stay was 10 days.

More than half (54 per cent) stayed at least part of the time in friends’ or relatives’ homes. About half of those interviewed (51 per cent) said they enjoyed their trip to Australia about as much as they expected, while 32 per cent said it was more enjoyable than expected and 14 per cent described it as much more enjoyable. Only 2 per cent said they were disappointed.