It's a tough call to please all those ages and I'm not sure a bus tour or a campervan holiday would be a winner for those kids in particular. If the weather turns sour you might have a mutiny on your hands. Big-ship cruises tend to work well for multi-generation holidays.

On a big vessel you have a wide choice of activities, dining and entertainment, the older children can be let off the leash and allowed to roam by themselves and most vessels have kids' clubs that work for all those ages.

Many of the cruises out of Sydney are destined for Pacific islands but since some of your group have just done Fiji this might not be such an attractive option. What you could do is take a cruise around New Zealand. This is a great way to sample both North and South islands and get a close look at some of the natural wonders such as Milford Sound and the thermal region around Rotorua.

While you could start your cruise from Sydney you might consider flying to Auckland and joining your cruise there, which would give you the option of more time to explore the city and its islands, and you're well within budget.

Contact CruiseCo on 02 9929 4500, and Cruise Express on 1300 766 537.

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