photo by Heaven's Gate
At this point I have done no research. I know nothing about Australia. Don't believe me? I'm under the impression kangaroos and koala bears roam around freely like pigeons do in NYC, everyone looks like Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman (pre plastic surgery of course) and its always sunny there. Am I spot on?
Ok so here is where you come in. Have you been to Australia? Where would you suggest we go in this huge country? What is a must do/ must see/ must experience?
I lived in Alice Springs for a couple years as a kid. So the sights of central Australia come to mind for me, though I know most people stick to the coast when visiting and rarely make it to the center. There, kangaroos and wallabies really do roam around like deer. No koalas though. There are interesting bright red rock formations, Uluru being the most famous, but there are others. I also remember going on a gem hunting trip and my parents found cutting-size garnets and zircons. I don't remember where that may have been. If you happen to be able to go, the event of the year is the Henley-on-Todd Regatta. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henley-on-Todd_Regatta
ReplyDeleteI think that sums up my impression of Australia right there: fun-loving, tongue-in-cheek, friendly, and always willing to make fun of the British. :)
I haven't been, but it's on our short list, too, so I'll be anxiously following the tips you gather!
ReplyDeleteKelly
hmmmm...ok lovey, here is one of your Australian readers...tell me approximately what time of year and what sort of holiday your are interested in...food, urban art, design, 4 seasons in one day - Melbourne, breath taking scenery, yummy food, pure air - Tasmania, beaches, hot, tropical weather, good asian food, upper Queensland, cosmopolitan, shopping, historic sights, good weather - Sydney, scenery from the film Australia, amazing snorkling with whale sharks, ancient & alien landscapes and beautiful gorges -North West Western Australia and Ningaloo Reef check out the following web pages http://www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au/index.location.314.html http://vimeo.com/3712054 http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Destinations/Australias_Coral_Coast/Ningaloo/Pages/Ningaloo.aspx If you do go to Ningaloo, make sure you do a drift snorkle at Turquoise Bay. North West Western Austrlia is isolated, barren and beautiful and pretty much unlike anywhere else I have ever been - guess which state I come from! If you want more info, let me know via post and I'll email you my contact details. Weather patterns are varied and very dependent on seasons in Australia. It can be Summer in Perth (capital of WA) but it will be the wet season up north and therefore not great for travel. Don't believe the hype that Australia has sunshine every day all year (although that can be true in some areas!) Anna
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to go there, too! We should do a bloggers escape there! Or better yet, we should get Australia to sponsor our visit. Ha!
ReplyDeleteWe have talked about heading out there...but actually new Zealand is above Aussie on our short list. Loved Anna's rundown.
ReplyDeleteHey Linda! I am one of those poor buggars that everyone makes fun of over here, my mother is a kiwi and my dad is an aussie! NZ is awesome as well. The landscape is breathtaking. I am a photography teacher and for me Australia is shades of golds, browns and turquoise whilst NZ is all greens, blues and teals. The South island is less populated and truly beautiful xAnna
ReplyDeleteThere is a woman--Sarah--who writes a beautiful blog like yours and she lives in Australia with her husband and two children. They moved there from England and her story is really cool and she does all kinds of cool DIY projects and such on her house, which they turned it around just like you and your husband did, and she writes all about it and Aussie lifestyle. Maybe you could get some good tips from her? Here's the link to her blog: http://www.abeachcottage.com/my_weblog I hope this is helpful!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm from the land they call down under!I have a few tips for you:
ReplyDelete1. If you’re planning to head to oz soon (JUNE-OCT) I would recommend heading the North Queensland ie; the great barrier reef. It’s a huge tourist spot but truly worth it (this time of the year isn't busy either because it’s our winter -which isn't cold at all!)
2. I also recommend camping in the outback/Uluru. The Sunrise at Uluru is so amazing. On most camping safari's they teach you how to make good old Ozzy meals & teach how Aboriginal's lived off the land etc..
3. If your looking a a bit of civilization head to Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane.
Most Tourist fall in love with Melbourne, but Sydney & Brisbane are both wonderful too!
4. I also recommend visiting either of these beach side towns - Noosa/Byron Bay (Many international celebrities buy up in these areas since they are so amazing !)
All in all I recommend you give yourself 2.5 - 3 weeks. You need it, you cannot do just one week! The best airline to fly with is Qantas. Sign up to their Red Emails & to hear about the latest sales. Virgin Aust is ok too! But you definitely can get great sales on economy seats to Aust with Qantas.
I hope this helps!!!
Sign me up for the blogger's retreat! I want to go to Sydney so very very badly, but I think the husband has other, more European ideas. Please do share anything your research turns up.
ReplyDeleteWe are going in the fall and couldn't be more excited (we don't get to travel much). We didn't know a whole lot either, but knew we were mostly interested in the coast and Great Barrier Reef.
ReplyDeleteIn talking through the options with our travel agent we picked this itinerary: Darwin and camping safari in Kakadu national park, then onto Cairns with a catamaran cruise to Michaelmas Cay and a rainforest tour, then a few relaxing days on the seculded Heron Island out in the great barrier reef, and finally a stop in Brisbane.
We're going for 2.5 weeks and still weren't able to cram in everything we wanted. Would have loved to get to Uluru/central Australia but just couldn't make it work without spending a month there!
There is a gret book about Australia, written by Bill Bryson called "In a Sunburned Country". It isnt a travel guide - more like travel literature. An awesome read.
ReplyDeleteAnother good book I read recently is Songlines by Bruce Chatwin. It focuses more on Australian Aboriginal culture than travel. But also amazing!
Thanks so much for the feedback!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to spend weeks there but that is not possible. We can only get away for a little over a week so it will have to suffice. I know I won't be able to see it all but if we love it maybe we'll be able to return?
No definitive plans yet but we are thinking next Spring. Im not much of an outdoorsy person so I don't scuba or camp. I guess I'm more interested in the city life if I had to choose one side of it.
Hubby and I went to Australia for our honeymoon & moved back about 3 years later to live in Sydney. Here is a list of suggestions that I've recently typed up for a friend...
ReplyDelete10 tips about Sydney:
1) http://www.pazzorestaurant.com.au/ We ate here for my b'day last year & loved it. Surry Hills is a GREAT neighborhood in Sydney that many "tourists" probably wouldn't get to. Check this place out.
2) Aria (http://www.ariarestaurant.com) across from the Opera House; famous chef, Matt Moran's place. AWESOME!
3) In King's Cross, go out to Hugo's for drinks! Interesting neighborhood with late night action.
4) Breakfast at Bill's in Surry Hills.
5) My blog at http://courtneycraig.blogspot.com/2008/10/hunter-valley-wine-region.html for info on our trip to "The Hunter" as it's affectionately called to Ozzies! Check out the dates around this time to see our other Sydney adventures
6) Pancakes on the Rocks in "The Rocks" near Circular Quay = yum!
7) Kayak or Whale Watch in Sydney Harbor
8) The bridge climb is expensive; we did it on our Honeymoon. It's pretty hokey!
9) Definitely do the Bondi to Coogee beach walk. We lived in Coogee right next door to the beach!
10) Randwick Race Track is pretty cool...the Ozzies get way more dressed up than us for horse racing.
All I really know about Oz is that their season is the opposite of ours. Hence when it's winter here it's summer there.
ReplyDeleteOh and that the flight is very expensive and takes 24 hours.
We didn't know a whole lot either, but knew we were mostly interested in the coast and Great Barrier Reef.
ReplyDeletePPC Advertising India
I haven't been, but my husband went there on a business trip a few weeks after we started dating. He climbed the bridge in Sydney (great views), and took a coastal drive that I believe went from Sydney to Melbourne. My boss took a snorkeling/scuba trip there to experience the Great Barrier Reef and had a fabulous time.
ReplyDeletehi, i was in australia four years ago and in new zealand last year ( i live in europe). a bit over a week sounds really short, considering the loooong and expensive flight. if you can extend that, you won't regret it. but if you can't, that's just what you have to work with. if you want to see the city life, i'd recommend melbourne, it is BEAUTIFUL, but Sydney is great too. If in Melbourne, definitely visit the Great Ocean Road (east of Melbourne along the coast). It was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen (we were there early in the morning, before the crouds). Australia is so diverse, too bad you don't have a lot of time...
ReplyDeleteWe travel a lot as well and brought our two girls to Australia a few years ago. We loved it! We did spend a couple days in Sydney, but the highlight of the trip was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef - not to be missed. Would highly recommend the boat company we used for the trip. Also visited Brisbane, (lovely) and stayed right along the beach. Visited the rainforest in Kuranda as well. As for Kangaroos hopping around wild, yes you do see them! Koala Bears were seen in the many zoos, where you can pet them (they sure do smell!) and beautiful birds are everywhere! You can see cockatiels in the trees in Sydney. As you can tell, I can't wait to return.
ReplyDeleteWell...there aren't roos bouncing around in Melbourne, but you can come stay with me where we have huge mobs of them bouncing across our hills! People find it quite exciting but my partner is not a huge fan (they wreck fences something chronic) Actually I have a resident wallaby down at my washing line that has a love hate relationship with my dog Tessa...and lots of wombats digging big holes under my house and keeping me up at night grrrrr! If you are interested in the cities you need to go to Melbourne - best cosmopolitan city in Oz (not that I'm biased...), eat at Movida in Hosier Lane (tricky to find but worth it) shop in the laneways, go to the footy at the G (although in Spring the season would have finished) have fish and chips at St Kilda beach, breakfast on Fitzroy Street. Basically the shopping in the city in Melbs is quite good if you know where to go ;) And only a bit over an hour away is my little cottage! Let me know if you want any more advice.
ReplyDeleteYou almost have it right. Just this morning I was in my office and saw three kangaroos bounding down my street. I only live 30 minutes from the centre of Perth but am right next a paddock where about 100 wild kangaroos live.
ReplyDeleteIt’s magic.
During summer it’s very hot and very sunny.
If you visit Western Australia I’ll take you to the paddock and a wildlife sanctuary around the corner from my house and you can feed native animals there.
Oh how I envy you! We honeymooned in Australia for 3 weeks in 2007 and have been dying to go back ever since. If you want to splurge and indulge for a few days (or longer), you must visit Bedarra Island. It is our sanctuary and the place we dream and talk about when we're having a bad day or there's 3 feet of snow outside. Gorgeous, fantastic service, exquisite food, amazing accommodations - heaven on earth. That was our first stop. Then we went to the Daintree rainforest and stayed in an awesome cabin and did lots of exploring - amazing. We then flew back down to Sydney, rented a car, and drove to Hunter Valley - smaller of the wine countries in Oz, but some great wineries and amazing people. After that we spent a few days in the Blue Mountains - not far outside Sydney - gorgeous waterfalls and great hiking. Cute towns with delicious restaurants. We ended our trip with 5 nights in Sydney - I love every inch of that city. Don't just tour the opera house (which we recommend), but see a performance. We went to the symphony and it was amazing. Blu Bar at the top of the Shangri-La hotel has amazing views of the harbor. Visit the beaches, take a harbor tour, explore the neighborhoods, and enjoy the cuisine. Most of all, meet the people - I love Australians! So friendly! If you visit my blog I have links to all the places we stayed - all of them come highly recommended. ENJOY and TAKE ME WITH YOU! :) http://planninginbloom.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-wedding-october-27th-2007.html
ReplyDeleteOh and I forgot to mention that while at Bedarra we went to the great barrier reef and it is a MUST SEE. If you do nothing else in Australia, SEE THE REEF. It is truly the most amazing and spectacular sight you will ever see. Absolute beauty. We're not divers, but had an amazing experience snorkeling. LOVED every second of it.
ReplyDeleteI spent about a week off the coast of Australia while in the Navy - traveling back and forth across the reef, and had no idea of the beauty that was beneath the hull until I actually visited the reef on our honeymoon. While in the Navy I stayed in Cairns for 3 days and that's where you fly into to get to Bedarra. A nice beach city with some really nice resorts/hotels.
Oh, and I read someone elses comment about Bill Bryson's "A Sunburned Country" - LOVE IT. Have read it twice - hysterical. I love all of Bill Bryson's books. Take it on the plane with you - you'll finish it before you get there :)
Top picks of mine so far -
ReplyDelete*Great ocean road! Absolutely beautiful.
*Melbourne. Very hip and trendy. You must go to the Queen Victoria Markets.
*Sunshine/Gold Coast in Queensland. Sunshine coast is above Brisbane and Gold Coast is below. Gold Coast tends to be more glitzy and touristy where as Sunshine coast is more relaxed.
*I agree with whoever said go to Aria in Sydney. The views of the opera house and the harbour bridge are beautiful and the food is just as good. It's on the pricey side but well worth it. If you don't wait to pay the price tag but want the views, go for a stroll around Circular Quay anyway.
*Hamilton Island, Daydream island and the whitsundays are the places to go on the Great Barrier reef.
I live in Brisbane and would not recommend coming here. It's just your run of the mill larger city. Nothing really spectacular about it.
No kangaroos though! The only one I've ever seen was in the Zoo... speaking of which, head to Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The bird show is spectacular and the ampitheater has a great view of the harbour.
I'm a Melbourne girl living in Sydney. Both are great but Melbourne is better for food, bars and markets and Sydney is beautiful for the water. As you have so little time most of the places already mentioned are great. The lane ways of Melbourne are fantastic to wander. If you had longer the Centre, Kakadu and the reef are a must. The Great ocean road is defiantly the place to see.
ReplyDeleteThere are just so many different things to do and see in Australia - it's such a HUGE country. My picks (and I'm from Adelaide, South Australia) are:
ReplyDeleteNOOSA, NOOSA AND NOOSA!
Avoid the cities - unless you really are interested in touristy things like looking at big harbour bridge, an opera house, etc.
Great Barrier Reef is spectacular. Port Douglas is very nice.
Great Ocean Road (Victoria) is fabulous.
Most people tend to forget Tasmania (that small island off of Australia). It is an absolutely beautiful part of Australia. Cradle Mountain, Freycinet/Wineglass Bay, Tahune Forest Airwalk ... the list goes on!
Flinders Ranges in South Australia is very special too!
I could go on - it really depends on what type of holiday you are after. Action/Adventure, Relaxtion, Sight Seeing. It's all here!
Good luck and enjoy. Jane from Adelaide!
One of my best friends is Aussie, and would be happy to share info with you. She is going this August with her family, she is so wonderful!
ReplyDeletepve
I used to live in Sydney but once I moved to Melbourne, I never looked back. The city has a strong cultural hear which sucked my in big time. (Note: there is on ongoing rivalry in this country: Sydney vs Melbourne). I couldn't recommend one single place here, like others have said, the country is SO big and there are so many places you could visit. All I can say is I love living here, good luck planning your trip and I hope you enjoy your time in Australia
ReplyDeleteThere are some great pieces of advice here. And when you do come to Brisbane to see Queensland you can visit us!
ReplyDeleteWe of course,otoh, have fallen in love with NYC and made 2 visits there in 09.
Oz is very different from US and is significantly a land of contrasts. More time would work. How do you deal with jetlag?
Cheers
Wendy
Thanks for all the great information. Sounds like I could spend a lifetime there and not see it all. Not being a very outdoorsy person makes it a bit easier to narrow it down though. Would love to spend more time but we can only be away from work for so long. I'd rather go for a short trip than for no trip at all.
ReplyDeleteWendy: Of course we do get jetlag but we just muddle through it with bags under our eyes :)
I am a Perth girl (Western Australia) but if you only have a week or so, I would hit the East Coast, either Sydney or Melbourne with a quick sojourn into the rural areas.
ReplyDeleteI went last summer and stayed with family about 1 hr north of Sydney. My stay was two weeks, so since your trip is shorter, like mine, I would stay in and around Sydney...this time :)
ReplyDeleteAround Sydney there is much to do...
-The Blue Mtns. are a 2 hour drive away or so, and very beautiful with lots of fun towns along the winding road.
-New Castle (again couple hours away) and take the scenic route along the coast where you can pull off and bring a sandwich to enjoy on the vacant beach (granted I went in winter season, but 70 and sunny for me is practically summer-I live in MN.)
-Canberra is the capital, only a 3 hr drive south. I am definitely not a history buff, but I liked seeing this part of their country.
-Sydney has much to see/do downtown-of course. The Rocks, the Botanical Gardens (ugh, the bats!), the opera house etc...
We did the easy tourist-y thing as well and bought a Sydney pass which led us to many fun yet typical touristy spots. For us, knowing we'd only be in Sydney really, this made the most sense. I did unfortunately miss seeing Bondi Beach. We did do the bridge climb too, which I personally loved-not scary at all and included beautiful views.
Can't wait to see where you visit and what photos you bring back! Have a great time!
Kristine
I've never been, but you should totally read Bill Bryson's In a Sunburnt Country.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a big competition between Melbourne and Sydney, but having been to both as a tourist I think I'd recommend Sydney more. It's incredibly beautiful and (I think?) older and has a little more history to it, if that interests you. I'd definitely recommend a boat trip down the harbor and even though it's totally touristy, the walk across the sydney bridge is actually very cool-- plus, they give you really snazzy outfits to where while you're doing it. I'm also not an outdoorsy person, but Uluru (aka Ayer's Rock) is really, really beautiful just to see. I don't really recommend climbing it because despite that it's a big tourist draw, it's actually very disrespectful of aboriginal culture and quite challenging. But the area is cool and is a totally different landscape than the cities will be. And if you're more of a city person, don't be swayed into New Zealand-- VERY VERY cool in its own right, but I'm not sure Auckland will exactly stand up to Shanghai (having also been there). Can't wait for the pictures when you do go!
ReplyDeleteCould you please take my son with you? He wants to go to Australia so bad! He loves a lot of the places that you have traveled. I told him to go to your blog and read your travel recaps. He is 16 yrs. old and loves to travel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Pages/Home.aspx
ReplyDeleteIm in Melbourne, and the above is a link for a site regarding Melbourne. If you are a city girl
I suggest the East Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. It is a shame you dont have longer because there are some amazing places on all the other coasts. I wouldnt suggest coming to Melbourne in late summer (Jan-Feb) as it can get too hot to see attractions in comfort. We did have a few days over 40 degrees C last summer. March would be a nice month. Im not sure the best time for up north. You dont want to hit the wet season.
Sarah xx
As a biased melbourne girl, I would suggest Melbourne over Sydney! Melbourne has fantastic food, and lots of bars and restuarants hidden away in laneways. If you do come to Melbourne, I recommend heading out to the Yarra Valley and touring the wineries as it is truly beautiful out there. You could also head to Healesville Sanctuary to meet some Australian wildlife!
ReplyDeleteIf you only have a week, I suggest a few days in Melbourne seeing the cosmopolitan side of Australia that is a big juxtaposition to what most of the world thinks of Australia and then a few more days up in Port Douglas! It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and such a beautiful place.
Even though our Winter isnt as cold as the rest of the world, I still recommend trying to come September / October (although if you head up to the barrier reef - find out what time of year is the wet season and when is jellyfish season as you do want to swim in that beautiful ocean!)
The cities in winter can be very grey and drizzly!
Hope we see you here soon!
Oh, Australia! Love Melbourne over Sydney, one touristy thing I loved was watching the penguins come in from the sea at night, it was really quite amazing...the Penguin Parade. We were there in the summer (their winter) so very few people around. Another trip I loved the laid back Sunshine coast, and the next trip will be to the Barrier Reef. It would take a lifetime to see everything this fabulous place has to offer, I could easily move there.
ReplyDeleteI second the comment about visiting New Zealand - we recently returned from a three week trip to Aussie land, NZ and Thailand and NZ was my favorite hands down. Sydney tops the list of coolest cities in the world but NZ is just spectacular. Better yet - plan to see both in one adventure as they're just a three hour plane hop apart!
ReplyDeleteFor Australia, I highly recommend the Great Barrier Reef leaving from Cairns (don't stay in Cairns, head an hour north to the small coastal villages like Port Douglas). Sydney is an absolute must as is Melbourne. I blogged a bit about our adventure back in January with plenty of pics.
Can't wait to hear what you decide!
Morgan @ PepperDesignBlog.com
I'd do a few days in Sydney and then a few days in Melbourne if you want to sample metropolitan city life. You'll have a ball - so much to see and do if you like theatre, art and good food. If you wanted more a beach holiday on the East Coast, try Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Noosa and Sunshine Beach are fabulous spots.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest Sydney over Melbourne, lots of petty crime in Melbourne, it is not a very safe city. If you are only coming for a week Sydney will give you a very good taste of Australia, the rural areas are within an easy drive, the beaches are a very short ferry or bus trip away and the harbour is the most beautiful harbour in the world. There are world class restuarants and cafes in both cities but you can`t beat Sydney for its breathtaking scenery
ReplyDeleteMelbourne is a beautiful (yeah, yeah, I'm biased but so what?) city full of wonderful laneways, fabulous food and awesome people!!
ReplyDeleteCome to Melbourne!!
Sydney is ok too..... well, lets face it, all of Australia is pretty great. It's a shame you can't stay a little longer as a mix of Melbourne, Sydney and up North would be absolute heaven.
You'll have a blast wherever you end up!
Must read In a Sunburned Country!
ReplyDeleteI actually met my husband while on vacation in Australia - he is my souvenir! Although I do regret not getting the creepy kangaroo back scratcher - he'll do!
My two favorite parts of the trip were the train ride from Sydney to Alice Springs (overnight, so romantic) I think it was called the Ghan...and the great barrier reef. It will ruin any other snorkeling or diving you will ever do in your life. Giant royal blue clams - huge orange starfish - it is surreal!
Finally - don't expect multiple kangaroo sightings (I finally saw some about a week in while in a hot air balloon.) There is a place in Alice Springs where you can feed Wallabies at dusk - they hop down the hillside and eat from your hand (it's a place local tourists take their kids - it's a must visit though!!) Camels are the real rats of Australia. I had no idea we would see a bajillion camels there.
Whatever you do DON'T GO ON A CAMEL RIDE. Ass blisters + camel spit and stench + camel sausage served for dinner = worst evening out ever!
Oh my one week ,I am from Sydney so I would suggest staying in Sydney From there you can do a daytrip to the Blue Mountains(might see koala's but probably won't) an over night trip to the HunterValley plenty of country scenery etc drive back by the Entrance a lovley Coastal tourist area ,then another overnight trip to Canberra this is our Capital city also a great country drive ,the rest of the days can be filled in Sydney at Taronga Zoo ,The rocks (lots of History) the Botanic Gardens ,a Ferry trip to Manly Beach a great way to see the Harbour and cheaper than a tour ,Places to eat Bills ,Doyles at Watson Bay ,Wildfire to name a few ,Great place to stay Sir Stamford right on the harbour and they have great packages through www.wotif.com.au
ReplyDeleteNow you definitley will not see Kangaroos or Koalas in Sydney other than the Zoo but when driving in the country you "may" see a Kangaroo they most come out at sunrise or sunset ,as for Koalas I have lived here for my whole life 45 eyars and have never seen a Koala in the wild sorry but they are very shy and try to stay hidden agood place to see them in natural setting is the Koala Park http://www.koalaparksanctuary.com.au/myweb2/default.htm this is located in a lovley part of Sydney (where I live) and a good opportunity to see some local homes ,I don't do a blog but if you would like to visit my home when you are here please email me sfowlerx@bigpond.net.au my family and I would love to show you our typical Sydney family home ,also we could throw Shrimp(prawn to us) on the Barby
Best Regards Sharon
I just returned yesterday from a 13 day stay near Brisbane (Surfers Island). It was quite "touristy" however Byron Bay was the spot to be - very reminiscent of the 60s - surfers, old vans, cute shops, and the most easterly point of Australia.
ReplyDeleteI live in Queensland, Australia. It is sunny here most of the time but we had a rainy day today! I see kangaroos most days even though we live in suburbia, as they graze on the grass nearby - we live near a lot of golf courses and kangaroos looove golf courses. Lots of green grass to feed on all day = happy roos. Hope you have a lovely time visiting Australia - I'm sure you will love wherever you choose to visit.
ReplyDeleteI too live in Queensland and it is the best place to visit! You've got the Sunshine Coast, beautiful little towns all the way north, like 1770, and then the stunning Whitsundays and the Tropics. You'd really be pushing to see much in a week though, so Sydney or Melbourne might have to be it, especially if you're a city girl Sydney is beautiful, but very busy. As a tourist with small children in tow, I found the people a little rude and not at all helpful (sorry Sydneysiders - but it's true!)
ReplyDeleteFrom yet another Aussie, for a short trip definitely recommend a few days in Melbourne (perhaps a short stay in Daylesford aka 'spa country') .. then a couple of days in Sydney. I've also heard that a lot of O/S visitors just loooove Kangaroo Island in South Australia - they have a fantastic looking 6 star resort their called southeroceanlodge.com.au (I hope you've been saving your pennies). SA is also known for their great wine. Hope you have a wonderful trip - Aussies are a friendly bunch!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef... that was my most memorable moment from studying abroad there for a semester. I lived in Melbourne, but the trip up to Cairns was definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteWe want to visit NZ and Australia at some point in the next 3-5 years but like you we've done absolutely no research and don't know a thing. If someone were to ask me WHERE I wanted to go I couldn't even begin to answer. The comments your readers have left on this post is a great starting point so I thank you all! :-D
ReplyDeleteHello, I am Australian, what do you want to know? It is nearly as big as USA is mostly dessert in the middle and beautiful beaches all the way around the outside. Re beaches- Byron Bay relaxed and chic, Noosa upmarket. Broome gorgeous, Port Douglas divine. Tasmania is lovely like England. Blue Mountains gorgeous, Melbourne cosmopolitan, Sydney sensational, Aussie wine, beef, PROPER coffee and seafood is yummy. Natural beauty is amazingly diverse. You can go snow skiing, water skiing, snorkelling, play polo, muster cattle...We have it all amazing mountains ranges, half million acres cattle stations, stunning beaches, fascinating desserts, rainforests, tropical playgrounds, weird and wonderful wildlife, cosmopolitan cities...you name it. Australians are relaxed and irreverent. Come on down!
ReplyDeleteDidee