Help an American DISer with advice on a family trip to Australia:LINK to PTR Post 67!

[skier_pete]

Hello all,

I am a long time DISer with no Disney trip planned for 2012. That’s because myself, DW and DD8 are planning a major trip to Australia in 2012. (There may be a stop at DLR involved, though.) My DW has a very good friend that married an Aussie and moved there some 20 years ago. She has been to visit 3 times in her youth, but hasn’t been since 1996. We are not wealthy, but well enough off that we have been saving for a few years to afford this trip. We haven’t been out of the U.S. as a family ever (other than Canada which to me doesn’t count since it is 20 minutes from my house) though we’ve both done international travel in our younger days. I am planning on using all my vacation time next year on this trip which is a total of four weeks, and we are expecting to be Australia about 21-22 days. It unfortunately has to be in your winter (July/August 2012) due to DD school schedule, but since I don’t really like the heat I don’t even mind.

I am hoping that I can solicit from you Aussie DISers some advice. I know what the tour books / tours recommend for me to do, but to me I would much rather hear what people that actually live there think. I’ve already been chatting with Princess In Oz since our trips to WDW overlapped last year and I came across her TR – but I hope more of you good DISers will stop by and help me out!

So, since I am planning this as a “Once in a Lifetime” type trip, we have some serious considerations to make. How do we get the most out of the trip, while still keeping things to a fairly tight budget – about $12 - 15K. We’re doing this partly by using frequent flyer mileage on Southwest for our tickets from Buffalo NY, to Los Angeles, and then 1 of our 3 tickets to Australia we can cover with Delta miles, so I think we can get there and back for < $3000 US, but I am still very nervous because the US dollar is so bad right now.

We know a decent amount of time (we’re thinking 5-6 days) will be spent in the Melbourne area, because that is where her friends and their family live. We certainly will want to spend a few days in Sydney of course. But beyond that we are having a hard time deciding exactly what to do. We are not adventurers, unlikely to go on any backpacking treks or bungee jumping or white water rafting or even probably any camping. However, we do enjoy the outdoors and want to devote a good portion of the trip to seeing the natural splendor of the country. (I also am insistent we spend at least one day to go skiing – one of my life goals is to ski on 5 continents, and I figure this is my chance to get to 3!) But, I keep coming back to the idea “This country is as big as the US…If I were coming to the USA for 3 weeks – how would I possibly narrow it down to what to do?”

We are also still debating about whether we want to do it all on our own, or if we want to go along with some kind of tour for part of the time. While I like the idea of a tour, I am not sure of the cost effectiveness of them, considered they charge almost the same price for our DD as they do for us, when the biggest expense – the hotels – shouldn’t be extra at all for her….however, if there are family oriented tours, perhaps she would have the chance to be around other kids as well. (NOT the ABD tour though - just right out of our price range!)

Anyways…looking into the tour options triggered a conversation with my wife, and my first big question:

A lot of the “highlights of Australia” tours devote some time to flying out to the “red center”, and spending time at Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (as we used to call it here – but now seems to be called Uluru). While I admit for an American this is one of the big “symbols” of Australia that we think of here, I really wonder if it is worth the trip to go there. Is it worth us paying for that extra flight and those extra days to fly halfway across the country to go look at a big rock?

I think of it as the US equivalent to wanting to go see Mount Rushmore. Sure, it would be impressive, but wouldn’t it be better to use that time and money elsewhere to better use? No-one would fly to Mount Rushmore just to see it! The red center seems the same to me, it really seems inconvenient to do versus what you get in return. (FYI – we have never been to Mount Rushmore.)

I see all the stuff available to see along the Gold Coast / Great Barrier Reef / Brisbane and then up towards Cairns and I just wonder whether we should just spend more time there rather than traipse off to the middle of the outback. I know there’s stuff to see in the center, and even along the western coast, but wouldn’t it make a lot more sense for us to focus the trip on the East Coast?

So, that in a nutshell is my question right now…what is your opinion, given a limited time and budget, what parts of your country would you say we should definitely see? And would you include Uluru in your “Australia must do’s”?

Thanks in advance…and if anyone is planning a trip to the US – and especially to the Northeastern portion – I would be happy to share advice as well. And if you are stopping in Niagara Falls, we'll even take you out on the town!

SkierPete

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sounds like a nice trip Pete. Glad to see that you're finally starting to plan Oz!


I personally like going to Uluru - not just to see a big rock - but also because the Olgas are a fantastic place to go for a bush walk and because Kings Canyon is also amazing. (I go walking for at least 3 - 4 hours at each location but you can just do the short walks at both locations that are about 30 - 40 minutes.) Might be worth seeing if DD is up for something like this and weighing it up against your time and budget.


An East Coast only trip might be wiser...there are heaps of things to see and heading up north to Queensland in the winter is exactly what everyone wants to do.

Would you drive?



ps. If your wife and DD are happy to, I'd like to book one of those nights that you're in Melbourne to take the family out for dinner or if you prefer to have a home cooked meal, happy to do that too.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

How exciting for you SkiierPete. I'm sure you family will love Australia. What a great adventure it will be.

Ayers Rock - hehe I still call it that, can't quite get used to calling it Ulluru myself. We haven't been and I don't know that we will because our family hates the heat, flies and dust so it doesn't sound like fun to us.

With that said, everyone who goes says it is a wonderful experience and I must admit I would like to spend some time learning more about indigenous history and culture, that would definitely be a draw card for me.

I'm sure many aussies will jump in with first hand experience on that subject.

I would perhaps suggest you do a drive down the Great Ocean Road to Port Campbell while in Victoria. Perhaps your friends could take you. The 12 Apostles are wonderful and it's a great coastline with beautiful rainforest etc.

Melbourne and Sydney are both great cities with plenty to do but I'll let the locals give you more detail on that.

I am in Canberra which is your Washington DC equiv. Parliament House, Old Parliament House, National Museum, etc are all interesting and free but I really don't know whether it is worth your while making a pitstop here. Snow is only about 2 hours away from here though so maybe you could include it in your itinerary.

If heading over to the West, Monkey Mia http://www.monkeymia.com.au/ to see the dolphins and perhaps up to Broom to Cable Beach, that is all nice areas.

Heading up north to Great Barrier Reef would be beautiful and the weather would still be fairly lovely I would say.

It's really hard to know what to suggest you see . I'm sure so many of the other aussies will have some really wonderful suggestions. I'll think on this some more and come back and add as I come up with stuff.

Good luck with your planning.

 

[platypus67]

Hi SkiierPete. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter what part of Australia you choose to visit.
I have to agree with Princess In Oz regarding concentrating on the east coast.
A trip to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef would be high on my list. Certainly the temperatures will be lovely at the time of year you are visiting.
I came here from Canada in 1988 with the intention to see everything. I ended up staying in Cairns for 4 out of the six months. ( I must confess that is where I met my hubby so one of my reasons for staying so long)
I visited Ayres Rock, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane and loved each one of them.
I came back permanently in 1990 and lived in Cairns for 18 years before moving south.
What ever you decide on. Have a great trip.

 

[shushh]

Skier_pete, the trip sounds wonderful! Like Platypus67 mentioned, no matter where you go, you'll have a great time. My personal opinion is that Australia as a destination is generally very easy to DIY!

Coming from the NE of the US, you will probably find our winter very comfortable! The weather will be lovely in Queensland.

I've been to Uluru, Alice Springs and the surrounds. Outback Australia really is different to the rest of the country and I think very unique. The landscape is just amazing and definitely very different to anything in the US. I know that you are not a backpacker or camper (neither am I) but I camped there under the stars literally and it was a memorable experience. There was literally no one else around us! We swam in creeks, went for walks and had a lot of fun. This was pre-children though! At Alice Springs, you see a part of Australia that isn't always seen and not a particularly pretty. That of a problem ridden rural Aboriginal community. I worked there for 3 months and it was heartbreaking and frustrating.

With such a tight schedule, my suggestions would be Melbourne, Sydney, the east coast concentrating on Queensland, Kakadu National Park, Uluru. Skiing in Australia isnt the greatest nor the cheapest!

Let me know when you're in Sydney, I've got discount coupons for some of the Sydney attractions. Having said that, you can enjoy many of Sydney's natural attractions for free or on the cheap!

 

[battymum]

Maybe you could fit in a ski in NZ on the way back. Some flights from Sydney go via Aukland, so you could get a stopover and then a domestic flight to the south Island or direct flights from Sydney are pretty cheap. Does that count as the "Australasian" continent? I am not a skier, but many people prefer to ski in NZ than Australias high country, where conditions can be unreliable. I havent been to NZ but it is also really spectacular for touring. But do you really want to lug your ski gear around for 3weeks, I am guessing hire gear wouldnt cut it for you?

You would need a coat in Melbourne at that time of year as well as Sydney but probably only for evenings, but certainly not your winter coats that you would be wearing in Buffalo.

We have done North Qld, you definitely wont need any winter clothes there, and it was really beautiful, there is lots of things that your daughter will enjoy, lots of wildlife, and beautiful rainforest, although as it is surrounded by "the reef" the beaches are not that great, if you like surf. But take a trip out to the reef, it is a boat ride of about an hour to get to the reef from Cairns, there are lots of companies that offer this (we got a really windy day when we went, so snorkelling was a real battle, especially for the kids, but I am sure it would be lovely in better conditions) There is a cable car that takes you from Cairns up the mountain to a place called Kuranda and a lovely old train that you can get back -We drove north through Port Douglas which is a lovely drive and further to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the sea, this is as far north as you can get without a 4WD -There are lots of boat tours on the Daintree river which is great for wildlife spotting.

We have also done the "red centre" which was spectacular, we did a Contiki tour, many years ago that went from Alice Springs to Darwin, we loved it, but we were 20years old and on a contiki tour but I agree probably not high on the list for your once in a lifetime trip.

I would suggest starting your trip in Nth Qld, (dont know if flights land here direct from USA) then Sydney, then Melb and possibly NZ or even Tasmania

 

[jacs1234]

Well then you absolutely must do some skiing and July and August is a perfect time for it, though as Shushh said, it's not cheap but as it's on your bucket list it can't be missed. July and August is also a perfect time to visit the Great Barrier reef and islands. Perfect. We have these horrible little jelly fish called Irukandji. You have to wear special swim suits to go swimming, but they are only around in months with an R in them, so May June July and August are all good When I was 9 my parents took me to Cairns and we took a day trip on a catamaran out to the reef, we snorkeled and went on a glass bottom boat, ate seafood and had the most amazing time. I remember so much of that trip so clearly. I think your daughter will love that. I recommend staying on an island for a couple of nights. The whitsundays are also worth a stay at. We stayed on Hamilton Island and did some daytrips from there to Daydream Island and to the best Island in the world - Whitsunday Island. It's beyond beautiful. Even half a day there is worth it. There is a lot to do at Cairns, There is an aboriginal cultural centre that is pretty good, a cable car going up to Kuranda http://www.skyrail.com.au/ and also I remember very clearly doing the Kuranda railway. It was awesome.http://www.ksr.com.au/Pages/Default.aspx

In all honesty, I think you could skip Brisbane. I live here though, and LOVE it, but I wouldn't say there is that much to see that is different from over there. KWIM? We do have the gold coast which has seaworld, dreamworld, movie world and the Australian outback (sit down meal while you watch outbacky horseriding and stuff). But my opinion is that our funparks are nothing compared to yours. Yes most Australians love them, but most Australians haven't been to disneyland. haha. So flying staight from Melbourne to Cairns or Airlie beach (Whitsunday's) would save you a lot of time and Money. Also close to Brisbane and the Gold Coast is O'reilly's, which is very beautiful, and all rainforesty and you can feed birds, but you'd get to see that at Kuranda.

I can't give an opinion on Ayers rock as I haven't been. I will go one day but I'll go when I'm older and all the kids have moved out. I'm in no rush. People do love it though.

Also from Cairns my hubby and I did a day tour on a four wheel drive and it was called the rainforest meets the reef. It was a pretty cool day and another option for you.


To sum it up, I think if you do Melbourne, the great ocean road would be amazing, and then do Cairns, you'll get a pretty good feel for Australia. If you added Uluru You'd get to feel Australian City,snow(Melbourne) Australian Rainforest (Cairns) Australia Beaches and reef (Cairns, Whitsundays) and Australian outback (Uluru, Alice Springs). You'd have it all covered.

 

[Anne_Aus]

Hi Pete,

It sounds like an amazing trip you are planning. I agree with the ladies that have suggested sticking to the east coast.
I myself have not been to the red centre but everyone who has been has said it is amazing and such an experience - but I think given your time restraints I would put this on another trips to do list.

Sydney and Melbourne both have a lot to offer, I would even try and get out of Sydney for a day or 2 and to the blue mountains region, it is a lovely area and there are many things to see - the three sisters, Jenolan caves as well as some nice little towns. - its also a nice escape from the city.

If your looking for something unforgettable to do I would recommend climbing the sydney harbour bridge - it is a little pricey but extremely worth it. It is one of those once in a life time things that give you such an amazing view and insight into the city.

Hiring a car and driving the great ocean road would be good, but it also depends on how you are going for time - flying will obvioulsy be more costly but give you more time in each place.

Melbourne - my favourite city (even though I live closer to Sydney) there is so much to do, that time of year you will be able to catch some sporting events - AFL, NRL or Rugby Union if it interest you. Spending time just catching the trams and exploring the city, getting out to St Kilda and possibly a trip to Phillip Island.

I think I would bypass Brisbane as well - though maybe some people from Brisbane can offer more insight into this. I was going to suggest either some time on an island in the whitsundays or heading to Port Douglas and seeing the daintree rainforest and exploring that area.

I can't help out with the skiing sorry I have only been to the snow once when I was in school, but hopefully there are some avid skiers or families that travel to the snow that can help you out here.

Hopefully this helps a little - and I may take you up on your Niagara offer, or at least some handy tips on what to see and how long to spend there.

Happy Planning

 

[cola]

Since Melbourne is in there, definitely do the Great Ocean Road, it's sort of like the Big Sur coastline. Any locals will think you're crazy because it is the middle of winter, but relatively speaking you shouldn't find it too bad compared to your winters, though the wind coming up from the south can have an Antarctic chill to it. The Great Ocean Road can be a very long day daytrip from Melbourne, or you could stay away one night. You need to go as far as The Twelve Apostles (Port Campbell National Park is the easiest landmark to find on Google Maps). You can drive west on the coastal road and then come back inland which is faster (no point doing a winding coastal road in the dark). If you are foodies and want a splurge meal, you could go up to Dunkeld from the Twelve Apostles and stay at/near The Royal Mail and have dinner (an expensive dinner), widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in Australia, asnd you'd get to see around the Grampians National Park.

Uluru, yes, you would be spending a lot of time in airports, and it's not cheap to get to/stay at, so I'll say don't worry about it. The Red Centre is very different to anywhere else, but it's a long way to go for something different when all the rest of it is different too.

The biggest problem you'll have with the weather in Victoria is sometimes it's wet in winter, sometimes it's dry, no way of knowing what it will be until you're here really, so I would try and make the scheduling as flexible as possible, though you're friends will probably expect you around on the weekend, you could do the Great Ocean Road Mon, or Tue or Wed or Thurs depending on the best weather. Phillip Island penguins might also be interesting if you've got any penguin fans in the family, but you're again at the mercy of the Victorian weather, and any locals will think you are crazy doing it in the middle of winter

The Grand Pacific Drive is Sydney's answer to the Great Ocean Rd, but the spectacular coastal bit of the drive is a pretty small portion of it, even so it is still worth checking out because it goes through some lovely quaint little seaside towns. It's an easy day trip from Sydney. The Blue Mountains west of Sydney is another well known day trip from Sydney. North of Sydney is the Central Coast, but it's pretty similar to the quaint little costal towns south of Sydney on the Great Ocean Road, UNLESS you have a local taking you to the spots locals take you to. Longer easy trips from Sydney (stay overnight ) are the Hunter Valley (wine and food) and Port Stephens area, more quaint costal.

The theme parks on the Gold Coast will probably be a bit so so compared to the US parks, BUT the polar bears at Sea World are amazing, better than anything I've seen in America (the underwater viewing area is fantastic), and Dreamworld is a theme park with a more Aussie angle which you could find interesting.

Far north Queensland will be beach weather, and you have to see the Barrier Reef.

As for skiing, Australian snow fields are pretty minor, if New Zealand south Island can be stretched into the trip it would be proper skiing, otherwise, just do a long daytrip from Melbourne, there is are day tours for less than $150 per person that take you to Mt Buller from Melbourne. Or you could drive yourself, though it makes it a looooooong day. Again do it mid-week and it will be pretty quiet. www.skivic.com covers all the snow info.

Note the Australian winter school holidays are mainly the first 2 weeks on July in 2012, so many tourist things will be cheaper from 16 July 2012 or at least less crowded.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

And the Australia Zoo is a must visit for your daughter. It really is wonderful.

 

[kylieh]

Most things have been said...

+1 to Great Ocean Road, Great barrier Reef, north Qld. Love Blue Mountains for a Sydney Day Trip. Will be cold.

I'd skip Brisbane too, our theme parks are pretty poor compared to the US parks, though Australia Zoo is pretty good north of Brisbane.

Skiing I can't comment too much on, though most people I know go to NZ to ski!

I think Continental fly via Guam into Cairns if you wanted to start up north and make your was down going hot to cold!

 

[Sugarglider]

well - here are my votes!

I am a voter for Shush's version of Uluru. It is WAY better than one would imagine. I too was thinking "big rock, middle of no where" but discovered soooo much more. June/July is desert wildflower season too.

Anyway - I think this entire thread has agreed that on your timeframe and budget the east coast is the way go - and I am with them (however sad for Uluru).

+1 vote for Daintree/cape tribulation; the Great Barrier Reef is astonishing and very much should be on your list. I like it best from Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands area.
+1 for the Blue Mountains
+ 1 Pacific Ocean Road / Great Ocean Road (although in winter - not so good)

if you want my new suggestion - fly into Darwin and go to Kakadu/Litchfield/Katherine Gorge. Some of the most amazing world heritage listed landscapes you'll ever see. heaps of aussie wildlife, indigenous culture, rainforest and deserty bits, yellow waters cruise with crocs (Litchfield also has a similar cruise), July is dry season so no rain.

I admit I work for the Aust. Dept that manages the Parks on behalf of the indigenous owners, and this week is NAIDOC week - so I have had so many reminders about why these areas are so wonderful and world heritage listed.

Easily the Northern Territory and the Barrier Reef have been among my favourite favourite holidays ever!

 

[battymum]

I love reading these posts and seeing everyones favourite piece of Australia is.
Another recommendation for Sydney, if you do not want the expense and physical exertion of climbing the Harbour Bridge - which is awesome - climb to the observation deck in the South/East Pylon - the view is just as good, there is some interesting history inside, you dont have to suit up and take 4hours to do it and its a fraction of the cost.

 

[skier_pete]

Wow...so many great responses! Thank you everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it. It's so much better to listen to people that live there than a local travel agent or a guide book. I will go through the posts one at a time, but it might take me a little while!

Overall, though, it's not really making the decision any easier. I guess it's really going to come down to time & money whether we can get out to Uluru.

I do notice that quite a few people mentioned the Brisbane area as being skippable...interesting. I saw all the theme parks listed in that area and was wondering about that...I figure they can't be THAT great if you all travel 24,000 miles to go to OUR theme parks. (Though trust me, there are numerous mediocre amusement/theme parks here in the states too.) I was never really thinking of spending much time on those anyways. I think our family would be more appreciative of Zoos and Aquariums, but even there with only two weeks we'll have to limit the # we visit.

Sounds like a nice trip Pete. Glad to see that you're finally starting to plan Oz!

ps. If your wife and DD are happy to, I'd like to book one of those nights that you're in Melbourne to take the family out for dinner or if you prefer to have a home cooked meal, happy to do that too.

I'll answer the last question first...of course we'd love to meet you when we come. We'll definitely save an evening for that! Actually, your son is only a few years older than our daughter I think, and it would be nice for her to have someone close to her age to play with for an evening. Our friends in Melbourne have kids, but they are both quite a bit older. (I think the youngest will probably be 15 by then.)

I personally like going to Uluru - not just to see a big rock - but also because the Olgas are a fantastic place to go for a bush walk and because Kings Canyon is also amazing. (I go walking for at least 3 - 4 hours at each location but you can just do the short walks at both locations that are about 30 - 40 minutes.) Might be worth seeing if DD is up for something like this and weighing it up against your time and budget.

An East Coast only trip might be wiser...there are heaps of things to see and heading up north to Queensland in the winter is exactly what everyone wants to do.

It's good to know there's more to see than just a big rock. While I would enjoy a 3-4 hour walk, my family might not. (DD gets whiny after about 1/2 a kilometer! she is not a trekker.)

Would you drive?

As far as driving...I am not sure how we would handle that. My thought is with the expense of flying THREE people around the country, we would have to do at least some amount of driving. On a very priliminary thought - I was thinking of something like this:

(1) Fly into Sydney.
(2) Drive from Sydney to Melbourne.
(3) Fly from Melbourne to Cairns (Or to "red center" first then Cairns)
(4) Drive from Cairns down coast.
(5) Either drive back to Sydney or fly from somewhere partway.

It's again all about balancing the time/cost. I haven't narrowed it down yet. It's really about budgeting each section of the trip, and then adding it all up.

Another idea in my mind...my mom and step-dad went to Australia for a month when I was younger (without me) and rented a small sleeper/camper for traveling around. Another option to consider as it would combine (mostly) the car rental and the "hotel".

How exciting for you SkiierPete. I'm sure you family will love Australia. What a great adventure it will be.

Ayers Rock - hehe I still call it that, can't quite get used to calling it Ulluru myself. We haven't been and I don't know that we will because our family hates the heat, flies and dust so it doesn't sound like fun to us.

With that said, everyone who goes says it is a wonderful experience and I must admit I would like to spend some time learning more about indigenous history and culture, that would definitely be a draw card for me.

Hmmm, heat, flies and dust...wouldn't put those on top of my list either! And actually the cultural stuff is not a big draw for me either...only find it mildly interesting, though DW would probably enjoy that more than I.

I would perhaps suggest you do a drive down the Great Ocean Road to Port Campbell while in Victoria. Perhaps your friends could take you. The 12 Apostles are wonderful and it's a great coastline with beautiful rainforest etc.

Yes, if we are spending close to a week of our time in Melbourne, we definitely want to see some of the surrounding sites. I think that will be a definite possibility.

I am in Canberra which is your Washington DC equiv. Parliament House, Old Parliament House, National Museum, etc are all interesting and free but I really don't know whether it is worth your while making a pitstop here. Snow is only about 2 hours away from here though so maybe you could include it in your itinerary.

My parents stopped in Canberra when they went. I don't know that it is on our "must-do" list, but we might make a stop if we end up driving from Sydney to Melbourne. (It's sort of in between if my geography is right, correct?)

If heading over to the West, Monkey Mia http://www.monkeymia.com.au/ to see the dolphins and perhaps up to Broom to Cable Beach, that is all nice areas.

Heading up north to Great Barrier Reef would be beautiful and the weather would still be fairly lovely I would say.

I'm thinking the West coast probably won't happen with our limited time, though getting out the GBR is on our must list.

It's really hard to know what to suggest you see . I'm sure so many of the other aussies will have some really wonderful suggestions. I'll think on this some more and come back and add as I come up with stuff.

Please do!

Hi SkiierPete. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter what part of Australia you choose to visit.
I have to agree with Princess In Oz regarding concentrating on the east coast.
A trip to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef would be high on my list. Certainly the temperatures will be lovely at the time of year you are visiting.
I came here from Canada in 1988 with the intention to see everything. I ended up staying in Cairns for 4 out of the six months. ( I must confess that is where I met my hubby so one of my reasons for staying so long)
I visited Ayres Rock, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane and loved each one of them.
I came back permanently in 1990 and lived in Cairns for 18 years before moving south.
What ever you decide on. Have a great trip.

I am so impressed with anyone that has the courage to get up and move half-way around the world. While I consider myself adventurous, I don't think I could ever permanently leave "home".

Cairns/GBR is very high on my list too! Wish we had 6 months. We'd have to sell our house first.

More responses to come...

 

[skier_pete]

Skier_pete, the trip sounds wonderful! Like Platypus67 mentioned, no matter where you go, you'll have a great time. My personal opinion is that Australia as a destination is generally very easy to DIY!

Coming from the NE of the US, you will probably find our winter very comfortable! The weather will be lovely in Queensland.

I've been to Uluru, Alice Springs and the surrounds. Outback Australia really is different to the rest of the country and I think very unique. The landscape is just amazing and definitely very different to anything in the US. I know that you are not a backpacker or camper (neither am I) but I camped there under the stars literally and it was a memorable experience. There was literally no one else around us! We swam in creeks, went for walks and had a lot of fun. This was pre-children though! At Alice Springs, you see a part of Australia that isn't always seen and not a particularly pretty. That of a problem ridden rural Aboriginal community. I worked there for 3 months and it was heartbreaking and frustrating.

With such a tight schedule, my suggestions would be Melbourne, Sydney, the east coast concentrating on Queensland, Kakadu National Park, Uluru. Skiing in Australia isnt the greatest nor the cheapest!

Let me know when you're in Sydney, I've got discount coupons for some of the Sydney attractions. Having said that, you can enjoy many of Sydney's natural attractions for free or on the cheap!

Thanks so much for the opinion. That definitely makes the red center sound more appealing. What to do...I just don't know.

I will let everyone know our plans as they solidify...I will probably keep asking questions on this thread for a while. I would appreciate discount coupons. there is certainly a lot to do and see in Sydney.

Maybe you could fit in a ski in NZ on the way back. Some flights from Sydney go via Aukland, so you could get a stopover and then a domestic flight to the south Island or direct flights from Sydney are pretty cheap. Does that count as the "Australasian" continent? I am not a skier, but many people prefer to ski in NZ than Australias high country, where conditions can be unreliable. I havent been to NZ but it is also really spectacular for touring. But do you really want to lug your ski gear around for 3weeks, I am guessing hire gear wouldnt cut it for you?

Oh, I would so love to spend a few days in NZ skiing, and when I was first thinking about this trip and it was more like 6 weeks we were going to do that, but it was one of the first things to go when the realities of budget & time came into play.

People keep saying how expensive it is in Aus, but is it really that much more expensive than in the US? Two years ago, we were looking into renting a condo with some friends for 3 days of skiing in Vermont. Even splitting the accomidations, it was going to cost $2300 US for three days of skiing + hotel. I almost died. We ended up finding a cheaper (but not as nice) mountain in Upstate New York, and still spent $1500 for three days.

Anyways, I am fine with a single day of skiing, and we would simply rent gear. Again, it's just to say I did it, not because how wonderful it is.

You would need a coat in Melbourne at that time of year as well as Sydney but probably only for evenings, but certainly not your winter coats that you would be wearing in Buffalo.

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I don't think "cold" is really a worry down there!

We have done North Qld, you definitely wont need any winter clothes there, and it was really beautiful, there is lots of things that your daughter will enjoy, lots of wildlife, and beautiful rainforest, although as it is surrounded by "the reef" the beaches are not that great, if you like surf. But take a trip out to the reef, it is a boat ride of about an hour to get to the reef from Cairns, there are lots of companies that offer this (we got a really windy day when we went, so snorkelling was a real battle, especially for the kids, but I am sure it would be lovely in better conditions) There is a cable car that takes you from Cairns up the mountain to a place called Kuranda and a lovely old train that you can get back -We drove north through Port Douglas which is a lovely drive and further to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the sea, this is as far north as you can get without a 4WD -There are lots of boat tours on the Daintree river which is great for wildlife spotting.

We have also done the "red centre" which was spectacular, we did a Contiki tour, many years ago that went from Alice Springs to Darwin, we loved it, but we were 20years old and on a contiki tour but I agree probably not high on the list for your once in a lifetime trip.

I would suggest starting your trip in Nth Qld, (dont know if flights land here direct from USA) then Sydney, then Melb and possibly NZ or even Tasmania

Thanks for the recommendation. I have not ruled out a tour, but doubt we would take the time to go from Alice Springs to Darwin. We definitely have to fly into Sydney first, so doing Sydney will either be first or last I think.

 

[hellosue]

Hi Skier_Pete,

As everyone has said before me, Australia is a vast wonderful place to see - unfortunately there is too much to see in a short period of time with everything spread so far and wide.

Like your Friends my town is Melbourne I live in Mernda and to give you my opinion my best visits are:
Ballarat Wildlife park www.wildlifepark.com.au (you can either pat or cuddle a koala here and get up close with Kangaroos my daughters fed them last time we were there) in my opinion this is better than Healesville Sanctuary because you can get so up close with Australia's Fauna. www.sovereignhill.com.au which is a re-created Gold Mining Village great to see our history in gold mining and pan for gold in the re-created creek with real gold to be found.

Phillip Island - www.visitphillipisland.com for penguins, seals & koalas

The Great Ocean Road is fantastic and Port Campbell (12 Apostles - is great to see but there is only 9 left I think and London Bridge did fall down "he he he")

A wonder around the City would be educational "Block Acarde" a ride on a Melbourne Tram; China Town; Eureka Sky Tower; visit our famous MCG (football/Cricket Oval) etc visit web site for more info www.visitmelbourne.com

East Coast of Tassie is fantastic going from Port Arthur - Historical Convict Settlement travelling up along the coast visiting towns as Swansee and Bichineo with blow holes; penguins tours where they literally walk over your feet and get up close with a Tassie Devil. Magestic scenerary and great fun.
www.discovertasmania.com/

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you will be exhausted by the end of your journey.

 

[dabecs]

I live in Melbourne so will concentrate on there:

If you like a Zoo then Melbourne Zoo should be on your list - it is a beautiful place (and on weekends, public holidays and school holidays children under 16 are free at all 3 Victorian Zoos - Melbourne, Healesville and Werribee). And I also recommend Healesville Sanctuary in Mebourne which is all Australian wildlife - so platypus, koalas, emus, kangaroos, Tassie devils etc (and you can have close encounters with some of them for a small extra fee).

Healesville is part of the Yarra Valley which is a wine region - so you could stop and have dinner at a winery after going to the Sanctuary, gorgeous food and views.

Melbourne and Sydney both have aquariums - I have only been to the Melbourne one so don't know which is better. They have penguins, sharks, rays and lots of other interesting sea life.

There is a free tram in Melbourne called the "city circle tram" which stops at major attractions around the city and also tells you about the city as you go around.

I'll come back if I think of anything else

 

[PrincessInOz]

As far as driving...I am not sure how we would handle that. My thought is with the expense of flying THREE people around the country, we would have to do at least some amount of driving. On a very priliminary thought - I was thinking of something like this:

(1) Fly into Sydney.
(2) Drive from Sydney to Melbourne.
(3) Fly from Melbourne to Cairns (Or to "red center" first then Cairns)
(4) Drive from Cairns down coast.
(5) Either drive back to Sydney or fly from somewhere partway.

It's again all about balancing the time/cost. I haven't narrowed it down yet. It's really about budgeting each section of the trip, and then adding it all up.

Another idea in my mind...my mom and step-dad went to Australia for a month when I was younger (without me) and rented a small sleeper/camper for traveling around. Another option to consider as it would combine (mostly) the car rental and the "hotel".

The drive from Sydney to Melbourne down the Hume highway is pretty boring. If you were considering going skiing, this is time to think about it. You could either ski the NSW snowfields - Thredbo is a very pretty village and has nice wide runs. It's at the foot of Mt Kosciuszko, which is the highest mountain in Australia, a mere 2228 meters above sea level.
The alternative is to ski the Victorian snowfields; which would be about halfway between Syd and Mel. I personally like Falls Creek. But the other option is Mt Hotham.

One day skiing is likely to set you back about $250 - $300 per person, depending on food. Lift tickets are about $130 per day (and discounted for more days). Assuming equipment and clothes hire for the day is about $70; and I'm only going by memory because it's been a while since I've hired ski gear. You'll also have to pay the entry fee for bringing a car in and it is mandatory to carry snow chains in the car when going to the snow. This is irrespective of whether it snows or not. So, you'll have to hire some from the base of the mountains.

If you weren't going skiing, I'd consider flying SYD-MLB.

The drive from Cairns down to Sydney is likely to take 2 days straight driving. But there are loads to see along the coast road.

There are a number of caravan parks along the way that offer cabin accommodation. It is worth checking them out; if that's what you want to do. Hotel accommodation is pricey in Oz; but it is along the lines of what you would pay in the US. The caravan park cabins provide an alternative that is reasonable; plus, you're likely to meet other people either driving in the same direction or have come from the other direction with recommendations for where to go.

If you are driving down, aside from the recommendations already mentioned, take a look at the Sapphire Coast in Queensland. It's near where Bundaberg is and the very small towns of 1770 and Agnas Water. It's less commercial than the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, and beautiful. 1770 is where Captain Cook first landed when he got to Australia....took a look round at the mangrove swamps and decided to keep heading south to Botany Bay, where Sydney is. There are a couple of islands off that coastline - e.g., Lady Musgrave Island and there are charter boats to take you out to sea.

For the GBR, Cairns is considered Upper Reef. The Whitsunday Islands provide access to the Lower Reef. Look at Shute Harbour if you're interested in the Whitsundays.


We'll definitely lock in at least a night when you're here!

 

[shushh]

I concur with PIO about the drive from Sydney to Melbourne. The drive from Sydney to Cairns although long, would have much more to offer.

As much I love the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley, I think that in the interest of time and budget as well as comparing what the rest of the country has to offer, it is better to leave them out and just concentrate on Sydney proper. Around 3-4 days should do it, then you can relax and enjoy the road trip. Unless you are a big wine buff, I personally feel that the Hunter isn't as fun for an 8 year old.

In Sydney, the obvious attraction is the harbour front but there is a free city circle bus (route 555) that does frequent loops. So you can utilise that and stay closer to Chinatown and save a bit of money. http://www.sydneybuses.info/free-shuttles The link has a map and hours of operation to help you plan.

Some of my other free/cheap activities in Sydney include:
-The Bronte to Bondi walk http://www.visitnsw.com/Bondi_to_Bronte_P677.aspx
-Catching the ferry from Circular to Manly or Taronga Zoo
-An alternative is to catch the Ferry to Luna Park and then walk back across the bridge and go on to the SE pylon, or catching the ferry to Watson's Bay for fish and chips and an amazing view of the gap.
-Spending a day at Darling Harbour. Entries to the various attractions in the area I think are optional. I love just sitting with a coffee and people watching. Lots to do for an 8 year old.
-Wandering around the rocks, Circular Quay and the Botanical Gardens
-The Opera House has a children's program which is quite good. Would be more entertaining that the usual adult fine arts! I've been to a few and my children love it. THey have different shows for different age groups. 2012 program not out yet but keep an eye out. http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/About/Program_Kids_At_The_House.aspx

You are in the midst of obsessive compulsive planners! I'm sure we'd all love to help you fine tune...Will come back if I think of any more

 

[areweindisneyyet]

Hi Pete

I have lived in many parts of the country. The distances of driving will eat into your days. From melbourne to Brisbane is 15 hours without stops. I have just taken my girls on a road trip from brisbane to Townsville which is four hours south of cairns and it was a good 13 hour drive. With stops each way was 15 hours and we did no sightseeing in between.

The drive from melbourne to Brisbane is inland. It is a little more scenic this way and as princess in oz I think mentioned passes near the oz ski fields. There are motorhome rental companies that you could pick up in Melbourne and the. Drop off in cairns.

The great ocean road is beautiful, we have done this three times.


Just be mindful of the distances and plan realistic Daily drives. Kangaroos love jumping across the road at sunrise/sunset and also can really damage a car.

We have driven the east coast many ways over the years and also from Townsville over to Darwin. Happy to answer any questions you might have about specific trips and roads.