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

[hellosue]

Travelling in August will be off peak as it is our Winter and out of School Holidays... should be able to pick up cheap tours - also a side note we have the Entertainment Book here for Melbourne and Tas may be worth asking your friends if they have any vouchers for you to use or ask the Disboard Community when closer to the time..

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Everything has just about been said-(says she and she proceeds to ramble on for hours!) I think if you experience a sample of Sydney and Melbourne, a sample of our beaches, a sample of our rainforest, a sample of wildlife in a wildlife preserve/zoo and ideally a sample of the reef you will have gained an appreciation of Aus other than the outback-which is a bit like driving across Arizona or Nevada!

I would suggest you will get the best experiences with animals focussing on a smaller zoo where they are more relaxed about interactions with the wildlife and its quiet to enjoy time with the animals. Healesville in Victoria is one example, Currumbin Bird sanctuary on the Gold Coast is another, as is (well when last there a few years ago) a small zoo, Wildlife Habitat, outside Port Douglas north of Cairns. I agree with the post that, as you no doubt have experienced at home, some of the most memorable experiences are the unplanned ones. Taking the opportunity of a road trip, even short, for a few days, may max your chances of this. A road trip from Cairns down to Sydney or vica versa is great but takes time to enjoy properly and like the US there are long, long, boring stretches. Mixing beach and inland routes probably provides more varied scenery but most people do the classic beach route that I briefly suggest below.

If you stayed a few days in the Cairns area and flew in and out I would suggest you do a one long day trip from Cairns (or shorter to do ex Port Douglas) to Cape Tribulation and an organised 4WD trip is a good option for this as will give you lots of info to add to the experience. A day trip to the outer reef eg with a big operator like *********** is also a not negotiable experience!! Kuranda Skyway is also good and if you had time a day or overnight on the Atherton Tablelands (rainforest, waterfalls) is a good option to round off the area.

If you chose to do a longer road trip I would suggest buying a cheap esky and buying supplies as there are lots of small beaches or park areas to pull into for picnic lunches and cabins in caravan parks are wonderfully better than standard roadside motels. Great spots to overnight in include Mission Beach; Townsville (as its a good break point though a bit your average city for me-Reef HQ is a good aquarium-you don't have time to go offshore to Magnetic Isd-and the foreshore and water park for kids is also good here); detour one hour inland from Mackay to Eungella National park (rainforest and platypus); 1770 (north of Bundaberg); Noosa or somewhere on the Sunshine Coast; possibly Gold Coast (could head south via the hinterland depending on if you have had your fill of rainforests, creepers and fig trees) or skip straight down to northern NSW like Byron Bay; Coffs Harbour and into Sydney. It would be around 7 days driving door to door and that's without long stops at each place and driving each day. We drive Brisbane to Cairns in 3 days but its very long days in the car with just food breaks and its another one very long day to drive Brisbane to Sydney.

The motorway from Sydney to Melbourne is very boring but as others mention a short detour takes to the Australian Alps. Mid winter you will need to include chains with the hire car.

From Melbourne the Great Ocean road for a day as far as the Apostles and back or preferably with a stay overnight, eg at Apollo Bay is excellent. This is another excellent short round road trip coming back possibly via the Grampians and Ballarat to get an insight into the Aus Gold Rush-your daughter would love the historical park, Sovereign Hill, here (allow half to full day).

As a Brisbanite I have to say we have several good wildlife zoos, we have the dolphins off Tangalooma, we have excellent whale watching in Moreton Bay (do take seasickness pills), and Fraser Island just north of the Sunshine Coast is beautiful. But you need to max your time-choosing 3 locations like Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns and planning a few days car hire or combo with some day tour operators around each area will probably work best and give you a full but enjoyable holiday and not so rushed everyone gets overtired and cranky. Tasmania has great wilderness areas and cute Englishy villages but I am not sure you really have the time to spend to appreciate it-ditto Darwin and the NT and the Centre-(which really is more than just a rock but you have all the national parks like Monument Valley, Sedona, Grand Canyon taht are similar in some ways).

My tuppence halfpenny-am leaving city things to others but I would put a plug in for how beautiful the walks around Sydney Harbour eg the north shore are and to suggest you read Bill Bryson's Downunder -hilarious and accurate. Happy to answer any questions. Enjoy the planning-its almost as much fun as taking the trip!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Curious a tour operator got removed and starred but some others I mentioned didn't??

 

[roger_ramjet]

Hi there skiierpete, I thought I'd chuck my two bob in as an ex-Melburnian (born and raised there, live in Atlanta now). I saw you talking about a day trip to the skifields, and I would caution against this unless you wanted a really, really long day or only want to go to the 'kiddie' snowfields at lower elevations. If you are coming from Melbourne, Hotham, Buller and Falls Creek are probably at least five hours' drive, so unless you want to drive a fair chunk of the way in the dark, you would want to consider an overnight stay (which can be expensive). I would not even bother with a day trip from Sydney - the Snowy Mountains are a long way from Sydney.

I second the city circle tram - it's free, from memory, so you can just jump on and off whenever you want to have a gander at something around the city. The Eureka tower offers views of the city from 800 feet - not sure if you can deal with the height factor there, but at least it's not over water and it's enclosed! If you are a sports buff, I would suggest taking a look at the MCG - either by taking the tour they have there or attending a game of Aussie rules. That is the heart and soul of Melbourne

Also something to consider for your daughter in particular is a day trip to the Dandenong Ranges and Puffing Billy, which is a narrow gauge steam train that goes through the forests and rolling hills east of the city. Most adults find it very enjoyable, too. It's a peaceful pace and the smells and sounds of the steam train isn't something you can find everywhere. There are also some nice cafes and shops and the like in some of the small towns like Olinda and Mt Dandenong, though they can be a little bit on the 'quaint' side.

If you are driving to Sydney from Melbourne, I would suggest the Princes/Pacific Hwy instead of the Hume. While it may take a little longer, it is far more picturesque. If time is of the essence, though, then flying is probably the better option.

These are my thoughts of the time being - hope they help, and enjoy your time down under

 

[hjd0411]

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.
I live in Brisbane and I kind of agree - there isn't a lot to see and do. The theme parks are definitely nowhere near the calibre of Disney parks!! That said, Australia Zoo is great and I'm sure your daughter would love it.


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.)



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.)



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".
Wow! I agree right up to #4!! That is a looooong drive! I would hire a car in Cairns and stay there for a few days. Also staying in Port Douglas is lovely too - have a bit of R n R in the sun! You can rent apartments right on the beach or "main street" of Port Douglas quite reasonably, and that cuts some of your food costs too. From there it is an easy day trip to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. There is also a place there called Wildlife Habitat which covers off the animals! (Saves going to Australia Zoo if you don't have the time to stop here.) If you would like further info about this area let me know!!


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.



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.



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 you do drive between Sydney and Melbourne, you could stop one night in the ski fields. I don't think Thredbo is much further on from Canberra. I would recommend a stop on the way - although the drive can be done in a day, you wouldn't get to see too much. Not sure though about chains etc that you would need for the car - I'm definitely not a skier - there are others much more qualified than me to answer that one


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



Please do!



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...

I have replied in red above - I hope it helps!! Good luck with the planning, and as others have said, keep on asking - we are all happy to help!

 

[becpee]

I have read the thread but can't remember if anybody mentioned the St Kilda Sunday market on The Esplanade, definitely worth a look.
Also a cruise across the bay from outside Crown Casino to Williamstown, a great skyline view from way across there

 

[skier_pete]

Hey everyone, thanks again for all the great advice posted so far in this thread last summer - it was a huge help for me and DW.

The planning of this trip had taken a bit of a back-stage through the fall with our Disney vacation and the Christmas holidays. I have already booked the airfare from Los Angeles to Sydney, but nothing much else.

However, I am now returning to it in earnest.

My question though is more related to DIS etiquette. I want to start a Pre-Trip Report, but I am not quite sure where to put it. My thoughts are either.

1) Put the Pre-Trip Report in the Disneyland Trip Report forums (since it IS technically a Disneyland trip) and continue to post in this thread with any questions I might have.

OR

2) Use this thread (or start a new one) right here on the Australia section of the board.

I'm leaning towards doing the first one because I feel this section of the board is more for Australians to post about their trips and questions then for us Yanks to post. But, I thought I would try and get the opinions of the "locals" before I did either.

Thanks again, I hope to be down there in just a little while. (I also realized I have to read through this thread again.)

 

[australiankaren]

hey there,
chiming in..re cheap transport in Sydney on a Sunday.

http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/which/funday

You don't have to spend a lot on a fun day out for the whole family on Sundays.

For $2.50 per person, your family can enjoy a great value day out anywhere in Greater Sydney with unlimited travel on all trains, buses, ferries and light rail.So you could go to the blue mountains, manly, bondi beach, cronulla beach (which is a must, so much better than bondi in my opinion).

Hope this helps the budget a bit.....you can just jump on any bus/ train/ ferry and see where it takes you...mystery day

 

[alicia1506]

hi pete,

i just found your post, and i want to say that us aussies do love a good pre trip report/TR so you're definitely welcome to post your trip report here -- at least, i'm cool with it

as a born & bred queenslander, who has lived in Brisbane my whole life, I'd like to offer some insights... Brisbane is a smaller city to Sydney/Melbourne and does have some similar features, however due to it's smaller size it is often overlooked.

our theme parks (especially Dreamworld) are smaller than Disneyland, but they are quite lovely to spend time at, and unlike places like Disneyland and DisneyWorld, due to their smaller size, it means that you can accomplish at lot more in a day. Dreamworld does have rides, a petting zoo, tiger exhibit, koala and kangaroo exhibit and a whole heap of things to do for the family. dreamworld is right next door to SeaWorld which have some fantastic penguin/polar bear exhibits, as well as dolphins/whales & so forth. across the street is warner brothers movie world, which is pretty comparable to Universal studios, and I would therefore recommend skipping that. the outback spectacular show is a performance in an arena of australian horsemanship & stageshow combined with a dinner meal. it's quite lovely and entertaining, and can be fun for the whole family. some tickets you can purchase allow you to experience several of these attractions, and you can stay onsite at the SeaWorld Resort hotel, if you're looking at spending a day or so in the area.

the cairns area, daintree area and noosa area are lovely. noosa has turned into a little bit of a tourist town, but the beaches and local areas are fabulous for swimming/walking around etc. also the area around maleny/montville up the coast from brisbane are lovely to drive through, stop at along the way and stroll the cobblestone streets and have tea or taffy or local delicacies. driving up the sunshine coast from brisbane is a scenic drive, and you can view the glasshouse mountains, which have a pretty aboriginal tale as to how they came into being. this is a really picturesque drive and there are plenty of rest stops along the way for picture taking.

i definitely recommend the GBR as it's just amazing. i recommend whitsunday island over hamilton island for $$ reasons.. hamilton island while a lovely, untapped wonder in the 80s has since become a huge, tourist area and prices have soared. whitsunday is not as expensive, and often you can get quite nice deals on stays in the whitsundays that might involve day tours to the local area.

ayer's rock, or it's aboriginal name of ularu, is a gorgeous area and unlike anywhere else in australia, but it takes a lot of $$ and time to get there and explore, and it is a big detour, especially if travelling predominantly on the eastern seaboard.

we were recently in the usa and while we found that the aussie $ was comparable to the us $, cost of living was also pretty comparable for things like food/accomodation. remember, in australia, the price you pay is the price advertised, it includes all applicable sales tax and tipping is not done, unless for outstanding service, and even then.. not so common. in america, while food may appear cheaper at an initial advertised price, once tax and tipping is included, it may even work out to be slightly more expensive. this also applied to accomodation/tours.. most accomodation rates are as advertised, and include tax. the only thing when staying in hotels is they may require a pre-authorisation or 'security deposit' to ensure you don't trash your rooom, which is then refunded upon check out, and is usually back in your account within a few days. make sure you check with each hotel before booking to ensure you don't get caught out with this. food purchased in a grocery store, and staples such as toothpaste and asprin etc may again appear to be cheaper in the usa, so be prepared for these everyday essentials to be slightly more expensive if you need them.

hope this helps a little

 

[aussietravellers]

Just found this thread. Where have I been

You have received so many great suggestions and recommendations, I don't know that I can add any other destination suggestions that haven't already received.

I'm another Queenslander, so I am kind of bias towards the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast area, so recommend a visit there. Hamilton Island is also one that I can recommend in the Whitsundays. We go up there about twice a year and absolutely love it. It's a great base for exploring the barrier reef with such an enormous range of activities and experiences. It's easy to get to either by plane or by ferry from Shute Harbour on the North Queensland coast (I'm writing about Hamilton Is at the moment in my blog as we have just come home from two weeks there).

About the TR, I will say that we Aussies LOVE a good TR so I'm sure nobody will object to it being put here, but if you don't make sure you post the link here so we can all follow along on your journey.

 

[Mum from oz]

hey there,
chiming in..re cheap transport in Sydney on a Sunday.

http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/which/funday

You don't have to spend a lot on a fun day out for the whole family on Sundays.

For $2.50 per person, your family can enjoy a great value day out anywhere in Greater Sydney with unlimited travel on all trains, buses, ferries and light rail.So you could go to the blue mountains, manly, bondi beach, cronulla beach (which is a must, so much better than bondi in my opinion).

Hope this helps the budget a bit.....you can just jump on any bus/ train/ ferry and see where it takes you...mystery day

Good tip Karen. Though the mystery day might not be the best idea. If he got off the train in my neck of the woods he'd be scarred for life and most likely sans possessions!

I would be happy for you TR to be here. I am really looking forward to hearing about your travels here.

 

[cassi8]

I have to admit I haven't read all the replies so I will give you a few ideas and will come back to read properly later, I am sorry if I repeat anything.

I agree that the east coast is probably the way to go and you could easily see so much in the 20-odd days you have here. I would start in Melbourne and visit DW's friends and spend your first few days there. If you are going to drive, I disagree that the drive from Melbourne to Sydney is boring, it is if you take the freeway! Take the coast road and you can stop at the towns on the way through, Merimbula, Ulladulla, Kiama are all beautiful towns to visit, via the snow fields if you wish. Spend your days in Sydney with day trips with the Blue Mountains, Manly, Bondi, wandering the harbour foreshore ect then continue your drive up the coast to Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, are good places to stop. I am not sure if anyone has mentioned the Gold Coast in QLD. There are a number of theme parks there, Sea World, Dreamworld/Whitewater World, Movieworld, Wet n Wild which your DD would love and more iconic beaches. You can continue up the QLD coast to Cairns or Airlie Beach where the Whitsunday Islands are accessible. You could then fly out of Proserpine Airport back to Brisbane or Sydney for a US connection.

As far as travelling by car (yes I have done a lot!) you can easily do 500 kms per day with stops on the way, possibly more.

I will come back and read properly with some more ideas. FWIW I live in outer Sydney and all our family holidays growing up were road trips!

 

[battymum]

TR Here please!!!!

But
Alicia, I know you are Queenslander - but last time I was there - Dreamworld was not right next door to Seaworld - its at least 20kms -

MumfromOz - the familyfun day Sunday is a great day out - train, bus ferry for $2.50 pp - just dont get off the train in the 'burbs.

 

[skier_pete]

Wow...thanks for all the additional replies. I guess if I continue to get positive feedback, I'll put the TR (and the PTR) right here.

Actually that "Grand Day Out" of Sydney seems like a lot of fun. I suspect there is not much else we will find around for $2.50 a person.

 

[aussietravellers]

Alicia, I know you are Queenslander - but last time I was there - Dreamworld was not right next door to Seaworld - its at least 20kms -
:

You are correct , Seaworld is about a half hour drive from Dreamworld (20 if you get good traffic and no road works ).

Whitewater World (a waterpark) is next to (attached to) Dreamworld and Movie World is across the street and about 5 minute drive down the road, with Wet n Wild (waterpark) and Outback Spectacular (aussie outback dinner & show) next to Movie World and behind Outback Spectacular is Paradise Country (an Aussie Farm, outback type experience, not really an amusement park, don't know what you'd call it )

 

[Sugarglider]

TR Here please!!!!

But
Alicia, I know you are Queenslander - but last time I was there - Dreamworld was not right next door to Seaworld - its at least 20kms -

This reminds me of when I was on a tour and the group was having lunch in Whispering Canyon and I discovered another Aussie in the group. He told everyone he lived on the Gold Coast and then after a few more questions named a town that is up on the Sunshine Coast. In my surprise I called him on it - and he said something like "close enough". But not if you are an American tourist in a hire car looking for something!

 

[alicia1506]

sugarglider, you are absolutely right, seaworld is approx 20kms away.
i meant whitewater world. that's what i get for posting around 2am when i can't sleep and am in huge amounts of pain.

please forgive the mistaken directions!!!!

 

[Sugarglider]

sugarglider, you are absolutely right, seaworld is approx 20kms away.
i meant whitewater world. that's what i get for posting around 2am when i can't sleep and am in huge amounts of pain.

please forgive the mistaken directions!!!!

Oh - I hope you have felt that I was having a go at you! I am sorry if it came across that way.
I just saw it as an opportunity to tell my strange story. And your 20kms is nothing like my chap's 200kms!!

 

[australiankaren]

re distance..I tell everyone I live on the coast....(isn't western Sydney coastal???)

and that I have a pet kangaroo called snappy, and beware of the drop bears as they drop out of the trees onto your head unless you smear Vegemite on your face and around your tent...

but I digress....its 4.30 am, I am on my 9th diet coke for the evening ....so what do you people want from me

now please move along, there is really nothing to see here

 

[PrincessInOz]

re distance..I tell everyone I live on the coast....(isn't western Sydney coastal???)

and that I have a pet kangaroo called snappy, and beware of the drop bears as they drop out of the trees onto your head unless you smear Vegemite on your face and around your tent...

but I digress....its 4.30 am, I am on my 9th diet coke for the evening ....so what do you people want from me

now please move along, there is really nothing to see here

Except to wonder what you're doing up on the Dis at 4.30 am.