A group of 46 players and management will leave for Australia on Friday to play two games in six days against the Brumbies and the Rebels.
The Brumbies match is in Wagga Wagga on Saturday and the Rebels match is in Melbourne on February 5.
Both games are expected to be played at night, in slightly cooler temperatures.
The Highlanders played the Crusaders in Timaru on Saturday, a match the side won 29-26.
The southern team would normally have hosted this match as last year the sides met in Motueka, but Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said the Highlanders wanted a home game next year, likely to be in Queenstown.
The side had entered into a two-year deal with the Brumbies for pre-season games and, with a match in Queenstown last year, was obliged to travel this year for the return match.
The Highlanders had lined up the defending champion Waratahs for a pre-season game in Queenstown but the two sides could not agree on dates.
That had led the Highlanders to look across the Tasman for a pre-season game against the Rebels.
''It is not ideal I suppose but it is what it is. The flip side of playing three games outside the area this year means we are going to have three games in our area next year,'' Clark said.
''We may have to pay a bit more this year but, hopefully, we will be able to get it back next year when we host the pre-season games.''
It would undoubtedly cost more to travel to Australia and Clark said it was always difficult to find pre-season games.
''But the coach has made it clear the side needs at least three pre-season games and especially with us having the bye in the first round we need to play some games.''
Many of the New Zealand teams do not want to play each other in the pre-season as they play each other twice during the Super rugby competition.
In 2010, the Highlanders were forced to travel to Fiji to play a trial match.
The Highlanders have cut down on expenses in their trip to Australia, bussing from Wagga Wagga to Melbourne - a five-hour trip - and moving the game against the Rebels to the Thursday from Saturday.
There would be 36 players going along with the coaching and management team.
The side's three All Blacks - Ben Smith, Malakai Fekitoa and Aaron Smith - joined up with the team yesterday to officially start training.
The trio will not travel to Australia, concentrating on getting a fitness base as a long season looms.
Clark confirmed Highlanders halfback Fumiaki Tanaka will play his last game in Japan this weekend in the Japan league final.
After that he will link up with the Highlanders, either in Melbourne in the middle of next week or come to Dunedin.
Josh Renton and Scott Eade will be the halfbacks for the Highlanders in Australia.
