Starting to plan

[kenish]

I suddenly have time to take a trip of up to 12 days in late March. I'm strongly considering Australia and have a few questions to help guide me in the right direction. Some background...I will be going solo, am very active, and like to plan and travel independently. This trip will not involve a cruise. :mad:

 

- I am looking at Melbourne, Cairns, Alice Springs, and Sydney. Any other suggestions? What are the "must see" places or activites?

 

- Is March weather good?

 

- Any special events or holidays that I should try to see (or avoid?)

 

- Is it getting too late for good availability and prices on popular tours, hotels, etc?

 

- Am I better off renting a car at any of these cities vs. taking tours or using public transit?

 

Last year at this time I was reading the HAL and Alaska boards and asking lots of questions. I've spent the past months paying it back and helping others there. Hope to repeat it here! I promise to read the posts on this board but have to buy tickets by Sunday when some fare sales expire.

 

Thanks in advance!

[mochuck]

That is a lot to try and do in 12 days. A work colleague of mine just had her son here from Norway and he had a similar itinerary but he was here for almost 4 weeks.

 

If you only have 12 days I would possibly leave out Alice Springs. I know everyone is keen to see Uluru (Ayers Rock) but it is the only thing there and it is a long way from anywhere. In fact, Uluru is a 5 hour drive from Alice Springs.

 

As for hiring a car, I wouldn't bother in Sydney or Melbourne. Even in Cairns a lot of the tours will pick you up from your hotel.

 

March weather is pretty good - just starting to cool down a bit. It will still be hot in Cairns though.

[kenish]

Thank you for the info, I am also getting comments about Uluru on the Cruise Air board....all recommending *against* it. I guess it's so iconic I presumed I just had to see it. I will definitely re-think it. And I always overplan and over-research trips, but didn't know Uluru was so far from Alice Springs. (Many visitors to the US assume Grand Canyon is a short distance from Las Vegas).

 

A few more questions if you don't mind:

 

Someone commented March is a "no" month for Great Barrier Reef due to jellyfish. Is that an overstated hazard which a competent tour company can avoid, or is the water definitely off-limits to snorkeling?

 

What areas should I focus on for mountain biking?

 

Is March a busy time for tourists? How will availability of domestic flights, hotels, and tours be?

 

Unfortunately, 12 days in March is a window I have and probably can't make any other time work this year. I really can't extend the visit any longer; one could probably spend a lifetime in Australia and never see it all!! If I could visit any month of the year, what would be the best?

 

Thank you again!!

[mochuck]

March is a good time of year. Its not peak season so not too busy. About the jellyfish, I think if you go on a tour that takes you out a bit to snorkel its OK just don't snorkel near the shore. Probably others can give more info on this.

 

I think with your 12 days you need to allow 2 days for travelling between cities. So probably 3 days in Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns and 2 days flying from one place to another.

 

It will still be a good trip, in 3 days you can cover a lot.

[kenish]

mochuck- Thank you for the suggestions. I convinced my employer to let me go in June. Unfortunately that's mid-winter, but now my teenage son can go! I can extend a few days to get 12 days "in country" excluding flying to/from LAX.

 

Any different suggestions with the change of month? Is June a busy tourist month? Suggestions of things an active (but culturally aware) teenager will enjoy?

[mochuck]

You won't need to worry about jellyfish / stingers in June. May to October is OK. If you have time to do Uluru then do it. I don't know about mountain biking I'm sorry.

 

Around Cairns and Port Douglas there are lots of things to do for an active teenager - surfing, sailboarding. diving etc. Don't forget to do the Daintree Rainforest.

 

If you have a few days in Melbourne - the Great Ocean Road and stay overnight. We just did the GOR at Xmas and there are numberous signs reminding drivers to stay on the left hand side of the road. So obviously a lot of tourists drive there.

 

Also don't forget the penguins at Phillip Island. Its about a 2 hour drive from Melbourne - so maybe hire a car.

 

Sydney - Bridge Climb here are the prices. If your son is under 16 he still gets a child's rate. Ferry to Manly or Watson's Bay. Opera House tour - or even see a show there. Taronga Zoo.

 

There are heaps of other things - these are just some that come to mind.

[Aussie Gal]

June is a great time to visit Uluru. The days will be warm but the nights will be extremely cold. We are spending a week there in July and are hoping for great weather. There shouldn't be many flies around either at that time.

 

Cairns will be perfect. You will be able to swim at the beaches as well as making sure you do a trip out to the Outer Reef from Pt. Douglas and perhaps visit Mosman Gorge and the Daintree whilst you are there.

 

Melbourne will be cool to cold. We often get frosty mornings with sunny days in June. If you go to the Penguins you will need to rug up as it is very windy and extremely cold down at Phillip Island at that time of the year. The Great Ocean Road is a great idea, just pick a sunny day as it can be quite miserable if the day is overcast.

 

Sydney should be perfect in June. Cooler than now but not as cold as Melbourne. There are so many things to do up there especially with a 16 year old. There is a great walk from Mosman Wharf around to Neutral Bay and also the Aquarium is well worth a visit though Melbourne now has Emporer/King Penguins at their Aquarium.

 

You should have a wonderful trip even if you only have limited time.

 

Jennie

[mochuck]

Hi Jennie,

We picked the WORST day of the year to do the Great Ocean Road. We went on 29th December. It took us 4.5 hours to get to Lorne from the centre of Melbourne. We couldn't understand why there was so much traffic - I though most people would've left on Boxing Day.

 

It was only when we were about 5km out of Lorne that we saw a sign for the Falls Festival which was starting 29th December!!!!! We sat in a 10km traffic jam for 2 hours. It really threw our plans out.

 

Consequently, I feel the need to do the trip again under normal circumstances.

Maureen

[Aussie Gal]

Maureen,

 

You poor things to have to contend with that traffic jam. We had a beach home at Lorne for nearly 30 years and in those days there wasn't a Falls Festival but there was the big Pier to Pub swim in January and also the Easter break. The trip home from both of those was always a nightmare especially when we got to Anglesea. We learnt our lesson eventually and ended up going the back way through the Otways and Deans Marsh to the Princes Highway.

 

You will have to come down here and do it again. Now is the ideal time, when all the children are back at school and the weather is not as hot as last week!!!

 

Jennie

[Justgottago]

Hi Kenish

 

Both Melbourne and Sydney have excellent integrated public transport systems. For around $17Au you can buy a day ticket with unlimited use. This enables you to visit the things that you wish to see, not the tour company's choice. Sydney also has an excellent "Hop-on Hop off Explorer bus" circling the major tourist destinations.

 

Museum of the Desert at Alice Springs is unmissable. If you are pressed for time things like the telegraph museum could be sacrificied.

 

PS - I have read many of your posts on the Alaska forum. We are cruising there in June

Derek

[Aussie Gal]

Melbourne also has a free City Circle tram which lets you off at most of the popular tourist attractions plus a free tourist bus which you can pick up outside our Arts Centre in St. Kilda Road.

 

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=308&pa=1560&pg=1562

http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Gettingaroundthecity/Visitorassistance/Pages/TouristShuttle.aspx

 

Jennie

[kenish]

All- Thank you for all the advice and recommendations in this and other posts! Until a few days ago I didn't know about the penguins. I'm a motorsports fan and that's what I've always known Phillip Island for. So at least son and I will have a reason to go there, although not for any races which do not run in the winter.

 

The trip is starting to take have more substance...leave around June 23 to Melbourne. Spend 3 days see the city, GOR, and penguins. Then fly into Uluru to save time driving from Alice Springs. Spend 1-1/2 days there then go to Cairns for 3-4 days. Snorkel on hte GBR, drive/hike/bike in the Atherton Highlands and Daintree, etc. Then the remaining 3-4 days in Sydney. I'm starting to get seriously excited and so is my son (although as a teen it's his duty not to act excited)!

 

Derek- You will enjoy Alaska and HAL; it's a very popular destination for Californians and I have never heard any friends say it did not leave them amazed. It's one of the first places I've been where the sights looked like the pictures in the brochures! I also want to visit your NZ but don't have enough time to do it justice on this trip!

[Aussie Gal]

kenish,

 

That is a great plan for the time you have. If you do not want to make the trip all the way down to Phillip Island, you can see the same tiny penguins at St. Kilda Pier which is quite close to the city.

 

Here are a couple of links: http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=188

 

http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/tourism.html

 

Jennie

[kenish]

All- We returned from Oz a few days ago. I'm following up on this very old post to thank everyone for their help and suggestions. It definitely made the trip that much better!

 

Our itenerary was pretty much like my post 2 above this one. We saw many amazing sights, and the people, beer, and wine were all great! Thanks to lady luck, we flew First in both directions using FF miles. We were also lucky with weather...missed a major storm in MEL by a day (July 1). Clouds caused our Uluru astronomy tour to be cancelled, and clouds prevented a good view of 3 Sisters in the Blue Mts. But we aren't going to complain. (It was acutually comfortable at Penguin Parade in a light sweatshirt)!

 

It's difficult to pick the "highlight" but it is probably the Reef, with the Bridge Climb a close second.

 

Anyway, thanks again!