NZ and Oz with kids

My family of 4 (mom, dad, and 2 kids aged 7 and 9) are planning a 6 week trip to NZ and Oz next Feb/March. We plan on 4 weeks in NZ and 2 weeks in Australia (Sydney and Great Barrier Reef). Are there any must see places or must do activities you suggest? Thanks in advance for the help!

The journey from Sydney up to the Great Barrier Reef has lots of good spots that the kids will enjoy. A few ideas:

Around Sydney - the aquarium, Taronga Zoo, Opera House, a ferry to Manly, etc.

Check out the holiday parks along the way (www.big4.com.au has many around the country) - here many are a mecca for kids, with kids clubs, waterslides, jumping pillows, karts for hire, tennis, etc. You can rent cabins very affordably and your kids will love them.

On the Gold Coast, just South of Brisbane, there are loads of theme parks: Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld, Wet n Wild, White Water World, etc. Paradise Resort is set up for families, and has a kids club and great pool area for kids (although I've not been there), although Surfers Paradise isn't the nicest of places. Burleigh is a nice laid back place to stay, and Broadbeach is good too, with lots of family friendly restaurants. The Marriott at Surfers is our kids favourite place to stay, as it has a lagoon/beach pool with fish in it, and a 'current pool' to play in.

The hinterland by the Gold Coast (Mt Tamborine) has O'Reillys for bushwalking and lorikeet feeding. Also, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast is great for kids, with a train that takes you around, and kangaroos to feed, etc.

Brisbane has a big wheel and a great ScienceCentre at the Queensland Museum, and a ferry called the City Cat to ride on. The Planetarium in the city has good shows for kids your age.

Going North, the Sunshine Coast is a fabulous place to spend some time. I'd recommend Mooloolaba, as it has an esplanade with countless restaurants/shops, and lots of great hotels. There is a wharf with an aquarium and a playground, and you can do cruises, etc. The Sunshine Coast hinterland has some lovely little towns, Montville and Maleny, although not so much for the kids to do here. Of course, there's also the Australian Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

Further North, Hervey Bay is a nice little town to stop at, as is Yeppoon for a dat trip to Great Keppel Island. We always stay at Kelly's Beach Resort on the way, in Bundaberg, which the kids love (pool, bush setting, walk to the beach etc).

Cairns is great, and do make sure you include a trip to Kuranda (gondola ride) and Daintree National Park. There are loads of tour operators offering day trips to these places, as well as to Port Douglas.

Have a great trip!