2 Weeks in Austrailia - ideas needed!

[sarki7]

I just booked airfare for 2 week in Australia for our honeymoon and were looking for sightseeing tips, recommendations, and input. Has anyone had the good fortune of traveling and could provide some ideas?

We're coming out of SFO, and got a pretty great deal on the flights to/from Sydney. We booked Virgin Blue flights to also visit Cairns and Melbourne. We've got 5 nights in each stop, but are considering adding a day in Cairns and losing one in Melbourne.

In Sydney, we'll want the tourist experience, maybe a day trip (provided I can avoid getting a rental car) or two - and definitely a day at Bondi. In Cairns, we want the GBR experience, and a day trip to the rain forest as well. Melbourne will be for culture, museums, maybe a show, cafés, etc.

Thanks!

[BFJen]

You need to find the MiceChat member, Tassie - she lives there.

[PretzelSouls]

Tassie can help you!

http://micechat.com/forums/members/tassie.html

[Evil Step-Mom]

Yep, Tassie is your girl!

[Bryce05]

How dare you visit Australia without New Zealand too?

[NeverNeverland]

Also, the user aussiedave might be willing to help out.

[mister_peterman]

I'll help you out! I've just moved to London but lived in Sydney for four years... before living the rest of my life in Perth. Also had MANY visits to Melbourne over the years too. What time are you going to be there? I've never been to Cairns so I can't tell you too much about what goes on up there... but I bet it'll be hot!

Melbourne is the most wonderful city... easily my favourite city in Australia... but I think for tourists Sydney is extremely fun as well... just not as nice to live in! I would definitely keep the 5 days in Melbourne and 5 in cairns.

What sort of things are you thinking of doing? While in Sydney I will definitely suggest a day trip to the Blue Mountains. You can reach this by either train or bus... it would be worth booking a day tour up there... but it is absolutely beautiful. There is heaps to do around the city in Sydney too, obviously! Lots of activities like Taronga Zoo, visiting the Opera House and walking across the Harbour Bridge. For a fun evening you can head down to Darling Harbour for dinner. Also in Darling Harbour is the Sydney Aquarium, Australian Wildlife World (great for seeing animals you can usually only find in the desert) and the maritime museum... all worthwhile).

One thing I will suggest it to take the ferry out to Manly and get fish and chips! It's a REALLY nice ferry journey out there and fairly cheap. You can also get the ferry across to the zoo. For shopping... most of the stuff is up in the centre of the city. Check out the Queen Victoria Building... it's beautiful and has just completed a restoration so is looking fine!

For some culture and arts there are a whole bunch of museums and galleries around. The Art Gallery of NSW is great, as is the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) which is down in Circular Quay, opposite the Opera House. I believe that both of these are free. If you head down to the MCA, walk up behind it and you get into the area known as The Rocks. This is the oldest area in Sydney and is great for a wander around, shopping (although it can get expensive around here!), but there are some great pubs and cafes and restaurants to eat... and Pancakes on the Rocks... which is delicious and open 24 hours!

Also, I would suggest grabbing some picnic food and some wine and heading into the botanic gardens and the domain... you can enter here near the opera house. Lovely gardens and you can sit down on nice grass overlooking the harbour... perfect honeymoon moment!

And for a bit of a theme park fix... there is Luna Park (Luna Park Sydney - Just for Fun - crappy website though!). It's nicest to catch the ferry here too, it isn't far (you can see it underneath the bridge, across the harbour from circular quay). This is a true old-school style carnival park with a mad mouse style coaster and a whole bunch of classic style rides... not too expensive (half price on friday nights) and is a fun place to spend an evening (do go at night, it's so much nicer with it all lit up!).

Anyway, I'll try post a bit about Melbourne later on... I'm not as familiar with it as I am with Sydney, but that's only because I have lived in Sydney for the last 4 years! Every time I go to Melbourne I fall in love over and over again... there is a lot more theatre and shows down there too, if that's your kind of thing.

Hopefully that's enough to give you some ideas! PM me if you need more info... I know my stuff when it comes to Sydney! Also, if you do happen do decide to head across to Perth, I'll tell you some ideas there too. Another beautiful city, but it's sometimes hard to fit in being so far away!

HAVE FUN!

[MANEATINGWREATH]

You should pay a visit to Disneyland Australia while you're there...in about twenty years.

www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/disneyland-australia-open-brainstorming-23405/"]Disneyland Australia, Open Brainstorming - Visions Fantastic

[BrizMarc]

THe good thing with Sydney is that everything worth seeing is all around the same area and if it isnt you can usually just catch a ferry or train to get close to it. Throw in a trip to the Gold Coast on the way to Cains if you can. Gold Coast, Queensland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia You can get very very cheap hotels there and the beaches are great. There is alot for the tourist to do, more so than anywhere else in Australia.

[aussiedave]

you'll have to come and visit me!!! the best advice i can give is make sure you see the great barrier reef while your in cairns. Its the most beautiful place!! sydney and melbourne are ok but Queensland is the best part of the country!! I got married on Hamilton Island (Great Barrier reef) and its the most beautiful place in the world.

I work for a theme park on the Gold Coast which is an hour away from brisbane. In my opinion the best part of the country. Some of you will know it better as Surfers Paradise. Tassie live's a couple of hours from me in a beautiful country town called Toowoomba. Make sure you do some research there's so much more to the country then Sydney and Melbourne.... I'm a surfer and i dont think think very much of Bondi!!

[madoka]

My DH is from Melbourne. We were married there last year and spent our honeymoon at Port Douglas (just north of Cairns) because we wanted to experience the GBR and the Daintree rainforest.

For snorkeling trips, we did two with Quicksilver. I originally booked with a smaller company thinking it would be a more personalized experience and maybe getting to see some more "secret" spots. Unfortunately the day we were meant to go out (the reef is about 1 hour ride out to sea), there were high winds and big waves. Our trip was canceled because the boat was too small and can't make it past the waves. We scrambled and were able to get on the Quicksilver ship which was larger and didn't have trouble getting to the reefs. Once out there, it was calm and lovely. We were so pleased with Quicksilver we booked another trip with them a couple days later when our hot air balloon ride was canceled due to rain. Highly recommended.

I also really enjoyed doing the scenic Skyrail cable car over the rainforest from Cairns to the little mountain town of Kuranda. Kuranda itself has some charming shops and eateries though it can feel just a tad touristy. The Skyrail ride itself though is spectacular. Don't miss the stop at Barron Falls - it is gorgeous! We went in early March and the volume of water was amazing. It was a huge falls. We did the Skyrail both ways to and from Kuranda, but there is also a combo ticket that will allow you to take a scenic train in one direction and the Skyrail in the other. Skyrail Rainforest Cableway: Cairns to Kuranda Rainforest Tour - Queensland Tourism

I would recommend doing a small group tour to the Daintree. Our tour was supposed to be for 6 people, but we were the only ones that day and it turned out to be a private tour for the group price! Our guide was a very knowledgeable lady of Aboriginal descent. She told us about the traditions of her people and how they lived in the rainforest. We also forded streams in our 4-wheel drive SUV (very comfortable) which was a lot of fun.

In Melbourne, I definitely recommend the Queen Victoria Market, the Royal Arcade, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. On Collins Street you can go to the observation deck at the top of the Rialto Towers for a panoramic view of the city. I believe there is even a thrill element if you want, where a mechanized, glass bottomed deck moves out from the building so you can literally look *straight* down to the street below! If you have a rental car and can do a day trip, Dandenong Ranges National Park is really lovely, and the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island is an amazing naturalist experience (you see the little fairy penguins waddle in from the sea and to their nests on the shore).

Have a fabulous time Down Under and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!

[madoka]

Also, if you haven't yet arranged for accomodations, the Langham Hotel in Melbourne is the best in the city and right in the heart of things. The hotels that are part of the Crown Casino complex are another good option, right along the Yarra River. The two Hyatt properties are great too (Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt I believe).

In Queensland, We stayed in Port Douglas instead of Cairns and thought the area was really tranquil and beautiful. It's a little like old Hawaii and doesn't feel super commercialized, but there are plenty of choices of hotels at different price points, and many good restaurants (primary focus is seafood, of course) and some shopping too. We especially loved the Nautilus in "downtown" Port Douglas. The dining area is outdoors (but with retractable clear tarp roof for rain) with elegant rattan furniture, surrounded by rainforest plants. The seafood is excellent (though a bit pricey). The ambience and atmosphere is the best that the tropics can offer (I felt like I was in the middle of the rainforest) and very very romantic as all the tables are candle-lit.

[bigglesworth003]

Just a Quick chime in on Melbourne, It's the best city in Australia!

The tallest building in the southern Hemisphere is here (The Eureka Tower) and that is the one with the glass cube that moves out from it so you can see right down 80-90 stories.

The city is beautiful to wander around and if you are a shopper you will love it, clothing Chapel St is a must.

I'd suggest a day or 2 hire a car and drive down the Great Ocean Rd. It's beautiful stay at a B&B on the way and go see the Twelve Apostles it is stunning.

Not sure when you are coming. But at the Moment Wicked is Running in town at the Regent Theatre, Been for about a year now. Also Avenue Q starts in Melbourne in June 09, then tours Australia, And i think Mary Poppins opens in Sydney late this year if shows are what your a looking for.

Have a great trip!!

[madoka]

Originally Posted by bigglesworth003

The tallest building in the southern Hemisphere is here (The Eureka Tower) and that is the one with the glass cube that moves out from it so you can see right down 80-90 stories.

That's right, the Eureka Tower, not the Rialto. Sorry about that.

Not sure when you are coming. But at the Moment Wicked is Running in town at the Regent Theatre, Been for about a year now. Also Avenue Q starts in Melbourne in June 09, then tours Australia, And i think Mary Poppins opens in Sydney late this year if shows are what your a looking for.

Two thumbs way way up for both Wicked and Avenue Q. I have seen Wicked twice and Avenue Q 3 times. They are fabulous shows and so much fun. Avenue Q was the Tony award winner for Best Musical in 2004.

[JediMelmac]

Hi! I don't post on these boards often but I had to chime in when I saw your post. I just returned from a 3 week visit to Australia. We spent 8 days in Adelaide, 4 days in Cairns and 4 days in Sydney.

Cairns was very hot (usually about 32'C and very humid) but absolutely beautiful! There is a lot to do there and our hotel concierge was extremely helpful in helping choose our day trips. As madoka and aussiedave stated, do not miss the Great Barrier Reef! We took a day cruise out and this was easily the highlight of my trip! The water was warm (it surprised me ... I thought it would be cold that far out into the ocean). We went to two different areas to snorkel and both were different and had their own varieties of fish. It was very neat.

We also did the Skyrail/Scenic train/Kuranda tour - Kuranda is a cool little village and the Skyrail gives you some beautiful views of the rainforest. Also, we went to Tjapukai Aboriginal Park which was interesting and informative - they had movies to describe how the aboriginals settled the land and subsequent wars with the immigrants. Also, there were hands-on activities such as boomerang throwing, spear throwing and digeridoo-playing.

We took a day tour out to the Daintree Rainforest and that was also beautiful. We did a tour that takes you to both the Daintree section and the Cape Tribulation section - two different rainforests seperated by a river. I agree with madoka - try and get on a smaller tour group as you will get more personalized service.

There is a lot to do in Sydney! We went to the Aquarium near Darling Harbour and ate several meals at the restaurants along the harbour there. Good food! The aquarium is really neat - they have a platypus display there (good if you are unable to see them in the wild) as they are really interesting creatures.

We did a tour of the Opera House which was really cool. I wish we would have done the longer, behind-the-scenes tour when we were done so if you have the time, try that! We walked the Harbour Bridge although if you are brave enough (and rich enough, haha), you can try the Sydney Bridge Climb where you can climb to the top of the bridge.

We went to the Australian Maritime Museum which was really neat. They have a perfect replica of the Endevour, the ship James Cook sailed. You can tour this ship as well as another tall ship, a war ship named Vampire and a submarine named the Onslow. We also went to the Powerhouse Museum which was different (my husband is not a huge fan of art galleries so we went here instead). They were holding the Star Wars: From Science to Imagination exhibit while we were there which was ultra-cool for a geek like me.

We also went to the Barricks Museum, near the Botanical Gardens which was a neat little museum.

The Rocks has good restaurants (wish I had seen the Pancake place)!

Also, we walked to everything that I mentioned above - we did not rent a car in Sydney. If there was one thing I wish I had did in Sydney, it would be a trip out to the Blue Mountains.

Congrats on your upcoming marriage! Australia was a beautiful place ... I am sure you will have a good time regardless of what you choose to do!

(Wow, sorry this is so long!)