Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - help my brother with planning a honeymoon in OZ

hey, my brother is going to OZ from late dec to mid jan (13 days). they are flying from the states in and out of sydney.

right now, all they really have planned is the first 5 days in sydney.

orig, they were planning to do kakadu for a few days but it seems that its too rainy then...

also, they wanted to do port doug and cape trip but also read its very rainy that time of the year

i suggested ayers rock but they werent into the idea...

they r thinking about doing a few days in the whitsundays, anyone know some nice luxury options there?

does anyone have any suggestions on good places they should go? they r most interested in seeing wildlife, a little bit of diving/snorkling on the reef, outdoorsy stuff, and anything else very oz-like. however, they are also looking to stay in more upscale places...

thnx for the help,
r

At that time of year I would prefer to go south into cooler climates, and visit Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide. All very charming cities with lots of interesting countryside nearby. I wouldn't even think of going to the outback or the tropical parts then (best to do that when it is cooler and the weather is better).

My wife and I just did a trip. Here is a brief summary.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=615919

One thing they might like is the Great Ocean Road drive out of Melbourne.

If they plan to do Melbourne they may want to check on their flights - if UA you can usually book the SYD - MEL segment as part of the trip even if you take the SYD-MEL leg on a different day than LAX-SYD because the flight from LA to SYD continues to MEL same plane.

Also, Hunter Valley ~ 2 hours north of Sydney is one of their wine regions which has a large number of B&B wineries, although i think it can get quite hot up their which i did not expect given that it is a wine region.

There are several pricey resorts that are actually out on the Great Barrier Reef. Those tend to be $500+ per night. They would generally need to fly from Syndey up to Cairns and then either go out to a resort on the reef or stay in one of the towns in / around Cairns like Port Douglas or Palm Cove, etc.

the trip report above is focused on Melbourne. If you want more detail on teh rest of our trip, let me know.

I would say head to Tasmania. It is generally overlooked by alot of overseas tourists but is truly amazing it is all about nature and wildlife down there so they will really like it. There are a few Tassie locals here who I'm sure will tell you all the places he should goto.

He may also want to consider having a few days in Melbourne/Great Ocean Road.

AFA the Whitsundays go the better places are Hayman Island and Lizard Island. Herron Island is also meant to be quite good if your into nature but I have heard there isn't much else (but I guess on a honeymoon thats a good thing;) )

If I were him I would portion my time as

Fly into Sydney 5 Days
Upto the Whitsundays 3 days
Down to Tasmania 3 days
Melbourne GOR 3 days

My 2 cents.

Oh and I assume your Brother has already booked his accom in Sydney for NYE? Otherwise he may be out of luck...

anyone know anything bout noosa head in general and also specifically about going there in dec (weather, etc)

r

anyone know anything bout noosa head in general and also specifically about going there in dec (weather, etc)

r

Yeah Noosa isn't bad the weather will be warm/hot but not excessivley wet, perhaps afternoon storms.

Noosa is a bit less pretentious than other spots up around there (Gold Coast, Byron) but does draw an older crowd, not retirees but familys on Holidays. Byron would get a younger crowd but they are all pretty much from yuppies from Sydney trying to be hippies.

Having said that Fraser Island is just next door to Noosa and if your Bro is after nature Fraser is fantastic.

Tassie, Tassie Tassie!

It is far and away the very best of Australia. If Flyertalk hadn't been so darn good to me, I'd never even post this marvelously well guarded secret.

We're talking 90 minutes from Sydney. Get a car. See the parks, the towns, and the spectacular beaches (and I say that living on Kaua'i).

Tassie, Tassie Tassie!

It is far and away the very best of Australia. If Flyertalk hadn't been so darn good to me, I'd never even post this marvelously well guarded secret.

We're talking 90 minutes from Sydney. Get a car. See the parks, the towns, and the spectacular beaches (and I say that living on Kaua'i).

Thats a 90 minute FLIGHT mind! Tassie at that time of year is wonderful. HOWEVER - accomadation is at a premium due to the SYD-HBA race and the summer festival. Flights are also really expensive UNLESS you book a fair way ahead.
I live down here - and having lived in London LOVE the lifestyle. Its wonderfully laid back. If they prebooked accom etc they could have a wonderful couple of days exploring the south of the state. If they want luxury type stuff - The new Tarraleah (http://tarraleahlodge.com.au/)Lodge looks spiffy and Cradle Mountain is always lovely.

Tassie, Tassie Tassie!

It is far and away the very best of Australia. If Flyertalk hadn't been so darn good to me, I'd never even post this marvelously well guarded secret.

We're talking 90 minutes from Sydney. Get a car. See the parks, the towns, and the spectacular beaches (and I say that living on Kaua'i).

Thats a 90 minute FLIGHT mind! Tassie at that time of year is wonderful. HOWEVER - accomadation is at a premium due to the SYD-HBA race and the summer festival. Flights are also really expensive UNLESS you book a fair way ahead.
I live down here - and having lived in London LOVE the lifestyle. Its wonderfully laid back. If they prebooked accom etc they could have a wonderful couple of days exploring the south of the state. If they want luxury type stuff - The new Tarraleah (http://tarraleahlodge.com.au/)Lodge looks spiffy and Cradle Mountain is always lovely.