Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Australia Honeymoon?

Hi, all. I am headed to Australia in May for my honeymoon. Leaving on May 17th from the US arriving in Australia on May 19th early in the morning. We're in Australia until June 4th, when we leave for Singapore, where we stop for three nights before heading back to the US. Used USAirways miles to book award tickets. Unfortunately, coach... The USAirways miles are next to impossible to use, it seems. But that's the subject of a whole different thread!

Here's what we're thinking:

Melbourne for the 19th and 20th
Great Ocean Road May 21st-23rd
Adelaide on the 24th?
Kangaroo Island on the 25th and 26th?
Cairns the 27th through 30th
Sydney until June 4th
We fly out June 4th and stop in Singapore until the 7th

Planning this trip is quite daunting, and I would love some advice. Are there other areas you all would suggest? Am I leaving something out which I should include? Should I drop anything I had mentioned? I have heard yes and no about Kangaroo Island.

I would love any recommendations about places to stay, places to eat, too. I am trying not to do an insane trip, either.

Thanks in advance for all your advice.

fuzz

Don't forget that the seasons are reversed so your plan to visit Melbourne in late May is the equivalent of visiting New York in November ... weather can be nice, or it can be cold and wet. Most Aussies go to Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin or Ayers rock given the weather. Sydney is somewhat warmer than Melbourne. I love to visit MEL, but not in May/June.

Personally I would leave MEL-ADL for another trip and spend a week on the Great Barrier Reef (one of the islands such as Heron or Hamilton, depending on your budget).

Personally I would leave MEL-ADL for another trip and spend a week on the Great Barrier Reef (one of the islands such as Heron or Hamilton, depending on your budget).Or, if you're in that area, sail around the Whitsundays - very romantic.

Fuzz- I just posted a trip report 2 weeks ago which gives detailed info for the exact itinerary (although we did a different order of cities). If you want, take a look at it and PM or post with any questions, since the trip is still very fresh in my mind.

Fuzz- I just posted a trip report 2 weeks ago which gives detailed info for the exact itinerary (although we did a different order of cities). If you want, take a look at it and PM or post with any questions, since the trip is still very fresh in my mind.

Dave,

I saw your report. Thank you so much. I had seen it and was smiling as I thought that we might do a similar trip. Now, if I can only find a way to upgrade my tickets! :)

I was a bit concerned it might not be enough time, but I will also look into the other suggestions mentioned above.

Thanks, all. I look forward to more advice! I have a trip report of my own I have been meaning to write. Will do so soon, I hope.

fuzz

Well, as you can see from our trip report, we crammed in a lot in a rather short trip, so I think your itinerary is workable.

Melbourne for the 19th and 20th- This should be enough time to see the major attractions in the city

Great Ocean Road May 21st-23rd- Assuming you plan on driving the entire way from Melbourne to Adelaide, then I would allow 3 days. However, if you aren't the type of traveler who wants to spend hours at each tourist attraction, you could plan on getting into Adelaide mid-day on the 23rd, and spending the rest of the 23rd tooling around the city.

Kangaroo Island on the 25th and 26th- We did a 2 day/1 night trip on K.I. and found it to be a good length to be there. I would highly recommend flying from ADL-K.I., as opposed to taking the ferry. If you are interested in seeing wildlife and nature, K.I. is a great choice. Plus, you'll be there when it's cool enough to have the nature in full bloom, and for the kangaroos to be out in force.

Cairns the 27th through 30th- I'm not aware of any non-stop flights from Adelaide to Cairns, which is one reason why we went to Adelaide, then Melbourne and then Cairns. Either way, what are your plans in the CNS area, so we can provide some advice.

Sydney until June 4th- While 3-4 days in Sydney won't allow you to see much of the region, it should give you a good overview, and allow you (if desired) to get out of the city for a day.

We fly out June 4th and stop in Singapore until the 7th- Sounds like you have about 2 1/2-3 days in Singapore, which should be more than enough to see the main sights. Be sure to eat at a few of the hawker centers- good food, good environment, and very inexpensive.

Have a great trip.

I've been to Australia three times for a total of about a month, which doesn't make me an expert. With that out of the way, I think you're trying to squeeze in too much. It's do-able, but do you want to turn your honeymoon into a "gotta see this, gotta see that, gotta run to this other place" marathon? I'd cross off a few of the places, probably starting with the southern ones as previously posted, and build in a little time to relax in the others. (One of my trips was the same time of year as yours, Sydney and Brisbane last year. Sydney was OK weatherwise, Brisbane was fine; Melbourne would have been a tad chilly.)

Finally, I'd be ejected from FT if I didn't suggest that you try to rearrange your schedule to fit in OzFest 3 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=465618) in Brisbane. Just get to Cairns a day later - you won't be far away. Still plenty of time for the Great Barrier Reef bit.

fuzz,

Your itinerary sounds perfect!!!! You'll just have share lots of mochas, carry an extra set of hat and gloves, and give extra hugs in MEL-ADL to keep "her" warm!

-supafuzz

Anyone have any thoughts/advice re: staying at Cairns vs. Port Douglas?

We're interested in not only doing some snorkeling/scuba, but also making some day trips to some of the national parks/rainforests in the area...