I've been to NZ once for a week and have had 4 trips to Australia. So I'm biased towards Australia. Don't get me wrong, I loved NZ, I just love Oz more.

However, in your post you say you're seeking good food. In that case, it's Australia hands down! Modern Australian food (aka Mod Oz) is THE most exciting cuisine in the world today. The food in NZ was boring and often tastless. Like England, you don't go there for the food.

We spent about a week on the north island in Rotorua. Colorful Maori culture and geothermic wonders.

For 10 days in Australia, I'd recommend Sydney and Melbourne. From Sydney you can do a day in the Blue Mountains (about 3 hours away). If you wanted to visit 3 places, another great spot would be to go to Adelaide for a night, drive through the nearby winery's in the Barossa Valley and then spend 2 days on Kangoroo Island, which is reached from Adelaide via a one hour ferry ride or a small plane. We ferried there and then flew back to Adelaide.

Normally, I'd recommend a visit up to the tropical north, Cannes, but since you're coming from a dive trip you may not want to visit the Great Barrier Reef.

Should you decide on Oz, I'd be happy to give you some restaurant favorites of mine.

Candice NYC