Visiting Australia - where to go??
Discussion
Guys,
Looking to use some airmiles to travel to Austrailia over next Christmas and New Year. We will take the kids out of school so we can have a longer stay, about 4 weeks, and will probabaly stop off on the way there and back in Hong Kong and/or Bangkok - as we will be flying with BA so we can use some upgrade vouchers I have - and probably be forced into flying into and out if Sydney if we do use BA.
So the big question is - what are the "MUST SEE" things to do in Australia?? My wife has said she wants to see Ayres Rock/Alice Springs - but I've heard a few people say its a long way to go for not very much? We'd also wanted to do the Great Barrier Reef.....is Cairns a better place to see it from than say Brisbane? Any really nice resorts around there?
As we have the kids with us some people have said to avoid Surfers paradise and Bondi Beach.
We were thinking of spending Christmas on the beach in the Cairns or Brisbane area...and New Year in Sydney. I'm a big wine fan so we were thinking of spending some time around Adelaide doing some wine tasting?? Anything elses to do in Adelaide?
What about Melbourne?...worth a visit?
Thanks for any advice or feedback!!
Looking to use some airmiles to travel to Austrailia over next Christmas and New Year. We will take the kids out of school so we can have a longer stay, about 4 weeks, and will probabaly stop off on the way there and back in Hong Kong and/or Bangkok - as we will be flying with BA so we can use some upgrade vouchers I have - and probably be forced into flying into and out if Sydney if we do use BA.
So the big question is - what are the "MUST SEE" things to do in Australia?? My wife has said she wants to see Ayres Rock/Alice Springs - but I've heard a few people say its a long way to go for not very much? We'd also wanted to do the Great Barrier Reef.....is Cairns a better place to see it from than say Brisbane? Any really nice resorts around there?
As we have the kids with us some people have said to avoid Surfers paradise and Bondi Beach.
We were thinking of spending Christmas on the beach in the Cairns or Brisbane area...and New Year in Sydney. I'm a big wine fan so we were thinking of spending some time around Adelaide doing some wine tasting?? Anything elses to do in Adelaide?
What about Melbourne?...worth a visit?
Thanks for any advice or feedback!!
dealmaker, I'm from Adelaide so can inform you a little. Adelaide makes a great base for exploring wine regions - the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are less than an hour away (in different directions). You can be in the Adelaide Hills in 15 minutes from the city centre. Clare Valley is less than 2 hours and the Coonawarra about 3.5 hours by car.
Sydney is a great place to start any Australia tour. Melbourne is also excellent. I love Uluru/Alice Springs but it is a long way to go - although easily reached by air. The main problem with the outback at your planned time of travel is the heat. The Red Centre is best seen in the middle of the year.
Don't forget Tasmania - if you are driving, it has Australia's best roads and little traffic. January is a great time to visit.
Edit: Some further thoughts...
Not sure why you've been told to avoid Surfers and Bondi with kids. We are off to Sydney soon for a few days and will certainly take the kids to Bondi - it's full of kids. Sydney (like all Australian coastal cities) has endless beaches so the choice is huge. The Queensland Gold Coast (which includes Surfers) has amusement parks galore - just for kids.
Sydney is a great place to start any Australia tour. Melbourne is also excellent. I love Uluru/Alice Springs but it is a long way to go - although easily reached by air. The main problem with the outback at your planned time of travel is the heat. The Red Centre is best seen in the middle of the year.
Don't forget Tasmania - if you are driving, it has Australia's best roads and little traffic. January is a great time to visit.
Edit: Some further thoughts...
Not sure why you've been told to avoid Surfers and Bondi with kids. We are off to Sydney soon for a few days and will certainly take the kids to Bondi - it's full of kids. Sydney (like all Australian coastal cities) has endless beaches so the choice is huge. The Queensland Gold Coast (which includes Surfers) has amusement parks galore - just for kids.
Edited by mhh on Sunday 27th December 21:48
I lived in Melbourne for 2 years a long while back. It's great in the summer (ie now)- there's a lot going on so check with Tourist sites. A trip down the Great Oceon Road was always a particular favourite of mine. Scenery is breathtaking and if you're into surfing it's even better.
Tasmania is like a different country and well worth a visit if you have time.
The main thing to remember is that the various sights are a l o n g way apart; Australians think nothing of driving several hundred miles in a day.
Tasmania is like a different country and well worth a visit if you have time.
The main thing to remember is that the various sights are a l o n g way apart; Australians think nothing of driving several hundred miles in a day.
Edited by 456mgt on Sunday 27th December 21:57
If you are thinking of heading up towards Cairns then I'd suggest a cruise round the Whitsunday Islands. I did a 3 day one this year and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
Wine tasting in Hunter Valley was good - although I have nothing to compare it to.
I also did a day trip round Fraser Island - really enjoyed that as well. You can go 4x4 driving or take a guided tour - i took the guided tour and it was great fun, the guide was nuts and the massive 4x4 truck was amusing.
Since you have kids you could also consider a trip round Australia Zoo.
I went to Oz via Bangkok and Japan on the return trip. It was a great holiday (over 24 days). My only advice is to make sure you build in some time to relax - I was on the move every few days. I was sick of buses and planes by the end of it all.
How are you planning to get around in Oz?
Wine tasting in Hunter Valley was good - although I have nothing to compare it to.
I also did a day trip round Fraser Island - really enjoyed that as well. You can go 4x4 driving or take a guided tour - i took the guided tour and it was great fun, the guide was nuts and the massive 4x4 truck was amusing.
Since you have kids you could also consider a trip round Australia Zoo.
I went to Oz via Bangkok and Japan on the return trip. It was a great holiday (over 24 days). My only advice is to make sure you build in some time to relax - I was on the move every few days. I was sick of buses and planes by the end of it all.
How are you planning to get around in Oz?
Been out a couple of times now and have only done the east side.
Sydney is ok (a few towers to go up with the kids). Great ocean road and melbourne are good places to go.
Cairns is nice (not sure it actually has a beach, more of a man made lagoon, or was that Melbourne?) best go here for diving or snorkeling trips.
The rock is worth going to but can be hot. I was blessed with sun, rain, lightning, rainbow and then the sun set. the tour guy was amazed and said that will probably never be seen again. we also went to brisbane and drove down to surfers and byran bay (rained the whole time there). while driving down we went to a big water park and Australia zoo. Surfers wasn't that good but I liked the layed back approach in byran.
We did this in 3 weeks.
On my second trip we had a wedding to go to at santry cove and from there we did a whitsundays trip (that was great). I think we went to magnetic island? which was nice. Also did port douglas, another nice place.
I can't speak for the rest of Oz but I don't feel the need to visit the west.
I'm possibly moving out in August to Sydney so may visit that way one day
Bondy
Sydney is ok (a few towers to go up with the kids). Great ocean road and melbourne are good places to go.
Cairns is nice (not sure it actually has a beach, more of a man made lagoon, or was that Melbourne?) best go here for diving or snorkeling trips.
The rock is worth going to but can be hot. I was blessed with sun, rain, lightning, rainbow and then the sun set. the tour guy was amazed and said that will probably never be seen again. we also went to brisbane and drove down to surfers and byran bay (rained the whole time there). while driving down we went to a big water park and Australia zoo. Surfers wasn't that good but I liked the layed back approach in byran.
We did this in 3 weeks.
On my second trip we had a wedding to go to at santry cove and from there we did a whitsundays trip (that was great). I think we went to magnetic island? which was nice. Also did port douglas, another nice place.
I can't speak for the rest of Oz but I don't feel the need to visit the west.
I'm possibly moving out in August to Sydney so may visit that way one day
Bondy
Edited by mgbond on Monday 28th December 22:59
dealmaker said:
Guys,
Looking to use some airmiles to travel to Austrailia over next Christmas and New Year. We will take the kids out of school so we can have a longer stay, about 4 weeks, and will probabaly stop off on the way there and back in Hong Kong and/or Bangkok - as we will be flying with BA so we can use some upgrade vouchers I have - and probably be forced into flying into and out if Sydney if we do use BA.
You are right in saying BA only fly into Sydney but they do codeshare with Qantas, I believe to Melbourne and I would hazard a guess Perth and Brisbane too. I haven't flown for ages but sort of know some of it! Can you use any oneworld stuff? As Cathay Pacific fly into Sydney and Melbourne 3 times a day from Hong Kong. Looking into it a little it looks like most Qantas flights are codeshare with BA. If the BA flight has 4 numbers it will probably be a Qantas aeroplane!Looking to use some airmiles to travel to Austrailia over next Christmas and New Year. We will take the kids out of school so we can have a longer stay, about 4 weeks, and will probabaly stop off on the way there and back in Hong Kong and/or Bangkok - as we will be flying with BA so we can use some upgrade vouchers I have - and probably be forced into flying into and out if Sydney if we do use BA.
You can get to most of Australia from Singapore by Qantas. BA can take you to Singapore and Qantas the rest of the way if you didn't want to go to Sydney first. Come to think of it you can probably get to most of Australia direct from Hong Kong by Qantas too.
I will only be bias when where to choose. In the December/January months most of OZ's weather is fine and starting to ramp up for the heat!
I have lived in Perth for 9 years of my life and personally it is the nicest place I have been. It is very popular with Expats to go and live. Admittedly it is fairly cutoff from the rest of the world 3 hours by plane to the next major city. Stuff to do there would not be as plentiful as the East coast.
I now live in Melbourne and there is enough to do here to easily waste away a week. Hire a car and explore. Ballarat, Ocean road, Phillip island, the city, Healsville.
Uluru- Ayers rock is impressive but as mentioned it is a long way from anywhere. Might be simpler to visit some of the rock formations in the Blue mountains west of Sydney. If you have children with you then you probably will have to visit the Gold Coast where all the Theme parks are. They are down the road from Brisbane.
Both Brisbane, & Cairns do NOT have beaches.
Once you get north of about Gladstone, {tropic of Capricorn latitude}, you do not swim in the sea, without a stinger suite in summer, so not that good for kids. If you do, marine stingers can kill you. Worse than sharks really.
You do need to get out to the "REEF", & the Whitsundays is perfect for reef, & resort island trips, & most accommmodation places in Oz have pools for their guests.
The two beaches you have been told to avoid are great beaches, hence their popularity, but the Sunchine Coast, 100Km north of Brisbane is great for kids, & beaches.
Oz is a big place, 1000Km Melbourne to Sydney, 1000Km Sydney to Brisbane, 2000 Brisbane to Cairns, so be carefull you don't spend too much time traveling, with those kids.
Once you get north of about Gladstone, {tropic of Capricorn latitude}, you do not swim in the sea, without a stinger suite in summer, so not that good for kids. If you do, marine stingers can kill you. Worse than sharks really.
You do need to get out to the "REEF", & the Whitsundays is perfect for reef, & resort island trips, & most accommmodation places in Oz have pools for their guests.
The two beaches you have been told to avoid are great beaches, hence their popularity, but the Sunchine Coast, 100Km north of Brisbane is great for kids, & beaches.
Oz is a big place, 1000Km Melbourne to Sydney, 1000Km Sydney to Brisbane, 2000 Brisbane to Cairns, so be carefull you don't spend too much time traveling, with those kids.
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