Australia land tours

[pjwaz]

We have a Princess cruise, Sydney to Auckland in December 2019. We are looking at a precruise land tour in Australia, most likely starting in Melbourne, as we wish to end in Sydney.

Tour companies we are interested in are Kensington for 11 nights, or Trafalgar for 8 nights. Itinerary is Melbourne, Cairns/Port Douglas, then Sydney. Another option is planning it ourselves.

Does anyone have any opinions on these tour operators, or suggestions on others? Also, where is the better place to stay, Cairns or Port Douglas?

[Aus Traveller]

I don't know these companies because we travel independently, unless it is a country where we would not feel safe or feel we could get around on our own.

Cairns or Port Douglas? Port Douglas is better for tours to the reef and also the Daintree World Heritage Rainforest (north of Port Douglas). Cairns is good as a starting point for the trip to Kuranda, but if you are short on time, I would not put that as a 'must see'.

You could easily plan a trip yourselves. Air tickets can be booked on line as can accommodation. If you feel confident, you could hire a car because flights will take you to Cairns, not Port Douglas. If you don't want a car it would be easy to get a bus transfer to Port Douglas. Consider whether you want to extend your trip to include the Red Centre, specifically Ayers Rock (Uluru) and the Olgas (Kata Tjuta). Kings Canyon is also superb. Flights to into Yulara, the tiny settlement near Uluru.

[MicCanberra]

We have used Trafalgar tours while travelling overseas and have another booked coming up in September for Europe. They are great value and all you really need to do is turn up at the appointed times. Australia is big and as such there will be a few domestic/internal flights, this will drive the price up and make it look more expensive but they will be attracting group rates so there is value. I suggest that if you feel semi confident, you could easily arrange the flights and accommodation yourself, all it would take is some research to make sure you are getting hotels and transfers and such in the right places. If this is too stressful, book the tour.

[sailco]

We've done Trafalgar tours in the USA and agree they are excellent value for money but I have to agree with others. Australia is an easy place to arrange your own travel especially as it appears you've allowed almost a fortnight. Write a must see list and go from there. Can I ask why you're thinking of starting in Melbourne and flying from there to Cairns?

[Swissmiss6253]

Cairns and Port Douglas are gorgeous places but I find them unbearable in December. Unless you want to hit a lot of highlights I would look at the Great Ocean Road. A paddle steamer up around Echuca. Then Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Maybe not the things you think of first in Australia but beautiful and distinctly Australian

[GUT2407]

Trafalgar are great overseas never used them at home.

 

Too hot for Cairns that time f year for my liking. But if set on it why start in Melbourne?? Why not start in Cairns.

[Toryhere]

Don’t go to Port Douglas or Cairns, try Palm Cove which is in between the two. It has a very good bunch of apartment resorts and many good restaurants, all on an esplanade thatnruns next to the beach but which is cleverly landscaped so as to make the street more pedestrian friendly.

North Queensland will be ok in December. Don’t listen to the naysayers. I’ve been to Palm Cove in early January and the weather has been fantastic, even if that is wet season.

[Swissmiss6253]

https://weatherspark.com/m/144308/12/Average-Weather-in-December-in-Cairns-Australia

[pjwaz]

Thank you everyone for your ideas andcomments. The 2 tours we are looking at start in Melbourne and we can get a non stop flight from the U.S. We also will be flying from Phoenix to Los Angeles first. Living in the Phoenix area, I think we can handle Cairns in early December, hopefully.

 

Each tour has things we like, one includes the great ocean road, but my husband isn't too excited about an all day bus ride. Cairns is mainly for the Great Barrier Reef. (All these great places in Australia!)

I read that Costco offers a discount with Trafalgar, but need to check on that, which could be the deciding factor. After 40+ years driving on the right side of the road, I don't want to start on the left now!

Blue Mountains is definitely on the list. With Trafalgar it would be on our free day in Sydney. I heard it's easy to get there by train, is that correct?

Again, thanks for the advice.

[Swissmiss6253]

Very easy to get to the Blue Mountains by train.

 

There are lots of lovely places in Australia. Meanwhile I would love to see Arizona!

[Gwendy]

Thank you everyone for your ideas andcomments. The 2 tours we are looking at start in Melbourne and we can get a non stop flight from the U.S. We also will be flying from Phoenix to Los Angeles first. Living in the Phoenix area, I think we can handle Cairns in early December, hopefully.

 

Each tour has things we like, one includes the great ocean road, but my husband isn't too excited about an all day bus ride. Cairns is mainly for the Great Barrier Reef. (All these great places in Australia!)

I read that Costco offers a discount with Trafalgar, but need to check on that, which could be the deciding factor. After 40+ years driving on the right side of the road, I don't want to start on the left now!

Blue Mountains is definitely on the list. With Trafalgar it would be on our free day in Sydney. I heard it's easy to get there by train, is that correct?

Again, thanks for the advice.

 

 

 

Heat will be ok, it’s the humidity that gets you. I understand Phoenix is a “dry” heat with low humidity, while Cairns has high humidity. Drink lots of water and pace yourself. I have never driven in US or Europe, can’t get my head around driving on the other side of the road. You can’t see everything, pick the ones that interest you, Research, plan well and enjoy.