One of the best parts of being a physician is attending medical conferences, where you get to learn about new practices, technologies, and scientific innovations in your specialty. This is especially true when those medical conferences occur all over the world. It just so happened that my top travel destination coincided with the location of this year's International Society for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) Symposium: Sydney, Australia.

Having never been before, I wanted to make the most of the trip and we decided to first vacation in Auckland, New Zealand before hopping over to the conference. End of May, beginning of June was the perfect time to go because it's technically "off-season" or winter down there but winter to them feels like late Spring/early Summer to us (around 60 to 70 degrees F) and the best part is no crowds!

It's hard to summarize the almost 3 week bucket list trip in one blog post so I'm going to list out my top 5 favorite things to do for each place. Of note, we only had time to visit the North Island in New Zealand so will have to return to see the South Island and write another post!

Before I get into the highlights though, here are some fun facts about New Zealand:

1. It was the first country to establish minimum wage and give women the right to vote.
2. The people refer to themselves as kiwis based on their native kiwi bird (more on this later).
3. It is the first country to greet the morning in the world - because of the time difference, they are the farthest ahead in time.
4. New Zealand is known for their medicinal Mānuka honey. Its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-proliferating properties can help treat wound healing, pain relief, digestion issues, and more.
5. It’s basically a second Hollywood - home to directors Peter Jackson (LOTR and The Hobbit) and James Cameron (Avatar), several popular movies and shows have been filmed here.

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New Zealand Top 5 Highlights

1. Hobbiton - if you're a fan of the Lord of The Rings, whether the movies or the books, visiting the filming set of The Shire is a must.

You'll feel completely immersed in Middle Earth, visiting Bilbo and Frodo's home Bag End along with the Green Dragon Inn. You even get to tour inside one of the Hobbit holes. We booked our tour to include a visit to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves after as well.

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2. Rotorua, Wai-O-Tapu, and Te Puia - New Zealand is a stunningly picturesque country known for its geothermal activity with geysers, mud pools, and hot springs. These places did not disappoint when it came to showing off just how beautiful and powerful Mother Earth can be, so much so pictures don't do it justice. But don't take it from me, you just have to visit for yourself.

3. War Memorial Museum - While the museum includes war tributes, it is more an eclectic mix of natural history, fine arts, and other culturally significant exhibits.

From housing the native Maori people's boats and buildings to displaying an array of New Zealand animal life (including the Kiwi bird) and offering Maori performances including a ceremonial haka welcome dance, there is something for everyone.

4. Auckland Zoo - We did not fly over halfway around the world to NOT see Kiwi birds. New Zealand's flightless ground dwelling Kiwi bird is nocturnal and rare to spot in the wild so we did the next best thing and went to the zoo. Fun fact, the kiwi fruit is named after the Kiwi bird because they are both small, brown, and fuzzy.

5. Sky Tower - The best way to see Auckland is from above and the best place to go above the city is The Sky Tower.

The picture above shows the Sky Tower to the left and a typical New Zealand rainbow to the right.

Our last night in New Zealand, we had dinner at the top of the Sky Tower, with its revolving restaurant offering a 360 degree panoramic view of the city. 10/10 recommend.

Honorable Mention: a visit to Waiheke Island (we did a wine-tasting tour, which was excellent)

After leaving New Zealand, we flew to the land of Vegemite just in time to catch the Vivid Sydney Lights Festival (of note, this did make the city a lot more crowded than Auckland but it was incredible to see everything lit up so spectacularly). Fun fact about Australia: it was built by convicts!

We stayed in Darling Harbour but it was really easy to navigate to all the different places we wanted to visit since they have great public transit infrastructure.

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Australia Top 5 Highlights

1. The Opera House - the iconic Sydney Opera House is a must see, whether for photos, to catch a show, sit at the bar, or just walk around (it also affords a great view of the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay). It's as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

2. The Zoos - Both the Sydney Zoo and the Taronga Zoo are a YES in my book. Though if I had to pick one, it would definitely be the Sydney Zoo because they let you feed the kangaroos (including kangaroos with a joey in their pocket) and I had my first koala encounter there!

Can you spot the joey (baby koala)?

...except for when they brought a koala to the ISPRM welcome reception the following night.

Of note, the Taronga Zoo has a duck-billed platypus, which was really cool to see. We learned that while the platypus is a mammal, it actually lays eggs. Also their offspring are called puggles.

3. The Botanic Gardens - Once you've had your fill of the Opera House, you can head into the Botanic Gardens to look at plants from all over the world.

There are several beautiful walking trails. There is also a well-known landmark called Mrs. Macquarie's chair, which is made of sandstone and overlooks the Sydney Harbor.

It was hand carved for the wife of the Governor of New South Wales in the 1800s. Speaking of the governor, depending on when you go, you may get invited to visit the governor's house. We got a tour and were even treated to a jazz performance by the Royal Australian Navy band.

4. The Blue Mountains - Explore the Scenic World of Australia including the unique rock formations, rainforests, and mountains.

5. Sunset Cruise - Sydney itself is known for its ferries, which makes public transportation that much easier. But there is nothing like taking the boat transportation one step further by treating yourself to a dinner cruise on the water and watching the sunset reflect off the Sydney Harbor, Circular Quay, the Harbour Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House.