Lonely Plant: Top Sydney, Aussie Attractions??!!

[TLCOhio]

Maybe some in Australia had seen this article, but I was very pleased to see this item from the NewsCorp newspapers in Australia earlier this month. Here was their headline: "Sydney Harbour is Australia’s most family-friendly holiday destination".

 

Here are some of their key story highlights: "Lonely Planet has declared Sydney Harbour to be Australia’s most family-friendly destination. The travel bible has released a list of the country’s top ten family holiday spots, headed by the Harbour with Tasmania second, and Darwin and the Top End, third. Queensland managed to land three places on the list including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef but Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth failed to rate a mention. Kangaroo Island in South Australia, Victoria’s High Country, Canberra and Western Australia’s southwest did manage to make the grade. Latest overseas arrivals data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed international visitors continued to flock to New South Wales in May, with figures up 9.2 per cent on the same time last year. Chris Zeiher from Lonely Planet said 'Sydney Harbour has a plethora of things for both kids and Mums and Dads to do; everything from picnicking on Cockatoo Island, to visiting the aquarium.' Tasmania was experiencing a huge surge in interest among domestic travellers, realising how much the island state has to offer."

 

Personally, I feel like we were very smart and lucky with our good choices made for early 2014 to have done the Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island and Sydney, plus our cruise stop doing Tasmania. Pretty good for our first visit to Australia and having only a limited amount of time and money.

 

Australia and New Zealand are too big to do it "ALL" (or even half) in just one, initial visit, but we were happy with our choices and how things worked out for us and those in our group.

 

Full story at:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/travel/holiday-ideas/sydney-harbour-is-australias-most-family-friendly-holiday-destination-says-lonely-planet/story-fnjjv4ya-1227432495280

 

THANKS for the good times in your part of the world! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 111,388 views for this posting.

[robin111]

Would love advice for our solstice cruise for shore excisions! We sail in November. Please let me know how I can reach you! Thx!

[GUT2407]

G'day Terry

 

With Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island and Tasmania you certainly hit some of the high points on the coast, pity you missed the outback but maybe next time.

[TLCOhio]

Would love advice for our solstice cruise for shore excisions! We sail in November. Please let me know how I can reach you! Thx!

 

Hi! Going on the solstice November 2- so confused! Too many choices for excursions! Help! Signed up for overnight in queenstown but that's it so far. Thrilled for any advice! Our main interest is in the wildlife and beautiful scenery! We are a couple 59 and 61 - traveling with 7 other couples from NY and Boca.. It's def time to book excursions so again would love to hear how u liked yours and any advice! Thx soooo much!

 

Have responded on my live/blog. Do any added follow-up there.

 

Glad to get your questions and these details for your interests, size of your group, etc. It looks as if your Nov. 2, 2015, Solstice cruise will make all of the same stops that we did (except Napier). Many good options in these varied ports/locations. Very happy to hear that you are planning to be doing the Queenstown overnight excursion.

 

Wildlife and beautiful scenery are very possible. BUT, wildlife can be somewhat more challenging to find and see. They live in the "WILD" and are not always as visible during certain parts of the daytime periods. Part of the "job" with wildlife is their staying hidden and out of view. Plus, weather can complicate some of these goals/desires.

 

Are all of the couples in your large group sharing the same objectives for excursions and planning to it all together in each port? Have you studied and ranked the ship excursion offerings? Clearly with the size of your group, it is easier to put together and schedule certain private tours that offer more flexibility and better pricing. That is part of what we did in many locations.

 

Have you looked closely at what we did for each of these different ports? My suggestion would be for you post here on this live/blog on the one, two or three top options you are most seriously considering. Then I can react and offered added insights to consider and do.

 

Look forward to hearing more specifics back from you. PLUS, responding to any other questions or needs!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on this ship with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these recent updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 31,931 views for this posting.

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for sharing Terry, spruiking the tourism for Australia is great. With the strength of the USD against our AUD it is making Australia a great destination for the people of the US as well.:D

[TLCOhio]

G'day Terry. With Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island and Tasmania you certainly hit some of the high points on the coast, pity you missed the outback but maybe next time.

 

MicCanberra: Thanks for sharing Terry' date=' spruiking the tourism for Australia is great. With the strength of the USD against our AUD it is making Australia a great destination for the people of the US as well. [/quote']

 

YES, for GUT2407, things worked well for us and on what we did. Hope to do the outback in the future. BUT, it was too much for us to attempt on this first trip. Plus, in January, it can be rather hot and too full of bugs for attempting this scenic area during that timing period.

 

Now, our Jan.-Feb. 2016 plans are focused on South Africa and Botswana. Below you see what we did earlier this year to escape the cold of the Midwest USA.

 

Appreciate MicCanberra's encouragement on the value of visiting Australia now with the USD being strong versus your AUD. Now, however, we have to be saving our moneyfor Africa, etc. Plus, visiting with our two grandsons, soon to be ages three and five, in Virginia.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 25,787 views for these postings.

[MicCanberra]

You will love SA and Botswana especially if you get to some of the better game areas. It is amazing to get so up close and personal and shoot them with your Canon or Nikon,(etc).:D

[TLCOhio]

You will love SA and Botswana especially if you get to some of the better game areas. It is amazing to get so up close and personal and shoot them with your Canon or Nikon,(etc).:D

 

YES, we are looking forward to our first visit to Africa. Appreciate your keen insights. We think for Botswana that we have lined up for three different camps that will work well. Will have my Nikon D7100 ready to shoot lots and lots of pictures. It will be fun!!

 

Plus, will be doing a ten-day cruise before Botswana that will take us all along that South Africa coast to sample added cities and areas there, plus stopping in Mozambique and doing things around Victoria Falls.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 181,405 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[MicCanberra]

YES, we are looking forward to our first visit to Africa. Appreciate your keen insights. We think for Botswana that we have lined up for three different camps that will work well. Will have my Nikon D7100 ready to shoot lots and lots of pictures. It will be fun!!

 

Plus, will be doing a ten-day cruise before Botswana that will take us all along that South Africa coast to sample added cities and areas there, plus stopping in Mozambique and doing things around Victoria Falls.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 181,405 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Sounds wonderful. Brings lots of spare batteries, and cards for the cameras, charging is not always possible. Also, bring your underwater camera for the Falls, it gets very wet, (think torrential rain).

Edited July 23, 2015 by MicCanberra