Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - 10 Day Itinerary - Australia - Suggestions?

My friends and I have planned a 10 day trip to Australia at the end of August. We've already locked in our flights and hotels, but we're still working our way through the rest of the itinerary, so hoping you could offer some suggestions. Looking for commentary on what we've preliminarily chosen and suggestions for other "must do or see" things we should add. Here's what we have so far:

Sydney - 3 Days

Day 1: Arrive Sydney 7am –staying at Circular Quay
Guided walking tour of city (Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, Customs House, Opera House, Botanic Gardens) - $25 pp
Note: we can only find walking tours beginning at 10am which is cutting it pretty close since our plane lands at 7am, but we would really like to take this tour on our first day to get leisurely acquainted with the city.

Day 2: Blue Mountains – debating between 2 tours. Both sound pretty similar except one visits Featherdale Wildlife Park while the other allows some free time in a mountain village. $200-$240 pp

Day 3: 360 Bar and Dining A La Carte at Sydney Tower for dinner – set menu $110

I’d also like to visit either Bondi Beach or Manly Beach – not sure which one would be better or if the beaches are worthwhile to visit in the Winter?

Cairns – 3.5 Days

Day 4: Arrive Cairns in afternoon – staying in the Harbour area
Day 5: Green Island day tour $90 pp
Day 6: Cairns Night Zoo $125 pp
Day 7: Outter Reef day trip $180 pp

Gold Coast – 2.5 Days

Day 8: Arrive Gold Coast in the afternoon
Day 9: Open
Day 10: Open
Day 11: Depart for Los Angeles

The wife and I did Sydney and Cairns last June for just a few days each place. The Blue Mountains tour is very pretty. We did the Grayline tour that stops at Featherdale. Kinda cool. You get to "hold" a Koala, lots of kangaroos basically walking around with you. I would do that over the village personally. Or you could make your own trip to the Featherdale park too, it's not that far from downtown Sydney, maybe a 45 minute drive? We didn't visit the beach because it was kinda wet and rainy when we were there.

In Cairns, we did an outer reef tour with snorkeling which was pretty good, the weather was awful, "the worst day in years", but still pretty good snorkeling. We really enjoyed the Kuranda Rainforest tour that Grayline had. We learned how to throw boomerangs, rode on the scenic train and skyrail...

http://www.grayline.com had package discounts so we got a decent discount for booking 3 of the tours through them. It just made it easier.

Check you PMs for pictures.

My favorite part of the trip was going to an Aussie Rules football game at Olympic stadium in Sydney so you may want to check that out. Was very easy to catch a train there from downtown sydney. (There was a Guns and Roses concert that night too at the indoor arena across the street, too).

The tours to the Blue Mountains sound pretty expensive. Do they include a caviar lunch? We took the train up and there is a hop-on, hop-off bus that stops at the train station and takes you around the area. Seems like the price including both the train and bus was something like $50 pp.

Our favorite parts of Australia were Tasmania and Kangaroo Island but sounds like you are too far along in your planning to include them in your plans.

The Blue mountains tour we took was $100 USD per adult. It was tour number 284.

[QUOTE=daveinsf;9975133]The tours to the Blue Mountains sound pretty expensive. Do they include a caviar lunch? We took the train up and there is a hop-on, hop-off bus that stops at the train station and takes you around the area. Seems like the price including both the train and bus was something like $50 pp.

Yeah, I just recently realized that the two tours we were looking at were significantly more than others I found on the internet. (We were just looking into the tour our travel agent recommended.) I think it's because it's a fully guided tour and they take you to places you can't otherwise get to - so you get better views of the mountains. Not sure if that's worth a $150 premium though...

I would book all my tours when I arrived in Australia - the hotel concierge should be able to give the best advice.
Definitely visit Featherdale.

The trip over to Manly on the ferry is a must - a Day Tripper ticket gives unlimited bus, rail and ferry travel for one day and costs $16 with discounts to Syndey Attractions. Look on http://www.cityrail.info/fares/leisure_tickets.jsp

In Cairns we went with one of the smaller operators to the outer reef and had a ball - the trip was half the price of the big ones with a lot fewer people on board. We didn't feel like we were being herded or part of a tour. I can also recommend Breakfast with the Birds at "The Rainforest Habitat" where they also have a wildlife sanctuary included in the breakfast price if you dont get to Featherdale. Green Island is beautiful for a relaxing day of snorkelling and sunbathing.

The Gold Coast - I haven't been yet but would love to take our international friends to the Australian Outback Spectacular. Have a look at in on-line.

Enjoy our fantastic country

The walking tour is a good idea. We always go for a long walk when we arrive as it keeps you going after the long flight. If you like zoos then I would suggest you take the ferry across to the Sydney Zoo

Blue Mountains tour sounds very expensive, I would suggest, as others have, that you book these when you arrive. Blue Mountains are OK but I prefer the coast so would typically drive south toward Cronulla or north towards Terrigal

Like daveinsf I love Tasmania and visit every year, my experience with Kangaroo Island was very bad - awful weather and dreadful accomodation. i need to go back and give it another chance

You can also get a ferry across the harbor and visit Taronga Zoo to see and hold a Koala.

Can I ask how many of you are there? Is there a reason why you prefer to join tours than DIY? (No offence intended.)

Depends on where you're coming from, Immigration and Customs can be very busy at that time of day, especially if you don't have an Aus or NZ passport and without any express shortcuts. You should be OK if everything runs on time though. I've landed at 7:30 and be in a hotel room in the CBD before 9, and that's with the train even.

Unless the Sydney guided tour has some special information that you won't get otherwise, I'll just walk around those areas on your own. You can't really get lost in Sydney CBD.

I've never been to Feathersdale, so I don't know what that's like. However, if holding a koala or be among skippys is what you want, there're many other places, including Taronga Zoo (as mentioned), the Wildfire Centre in Sydney and various places in Cairns.

Also, the reason I asked how many of you are there, is I think if there're more than 4 of you, I'd consider driving out to the Blue Mountains yourself. Rent a car and drive out there yourself. I'd think about the bus/train option though, waiting in the cold for a bus won't be much fun...

I'd be interested to know where in the Blue Mountains only special tours can go...

Lastly, I know you said the flights and hotels are locked in... But is there a chance you can skip the Gold Coast altogether? I'd spend that time in Cairns and go up to Port Douglas - much nicer than Cairns.

I would book all my tours when I arrived in Australia - the hotel concierge should be able to give the best advice.
Definitely visit Featherdale.


I was considering this option but was afraid that some of the tours we wanted might be booked already. Although I think we should be pretty safe for the Sydney tours since I don't imagine that it's as popular in the Winter.

Can I ask how many of you are there? Is there a reason why you prefer to join tours than DIY? (No offence intended.)

Depends on where you're coming from, Immigration and Customs can be very busy at that time of day, especially if you don't have an Aus or NZ passport and without any express shortcuts. You should be OK if everything runs on time though. I've landed at 7:30 and be in a hotel room in the CBD before 9, and that's with the train even.

Unless the Sydney guided tour has some special information that you won't get otherwise, I'll just walk around those areas on your own. You can't really get lost in Sydney CBD.

I've never been to Feathersdale, so I don't know what that's like. However, if holding a koala or be among skippys is what you want, there're many other places, including Taronga Zoo (as mentioned), the Wildfire Centre in Sydney and various places in Cairns.

Also, the reason I asked how many of you are there, is I think if there're more than 4 of you, I'd consider driving out to the Blue Mountains yourself. Rent a car and drive out there yourself. I'd think about the bus/train option though, waiting in the cold for a bus won't be much fun...

I'd be interested to know where in the Blue Mountains only special tours can go...

Lastly, I know you said the flights and hotels are locked in... But is there a chance you can skip the Gold Coast altogether? I'd spend that time in Cairns and go up to Port Douglas - much nicer than Cairns.

There will be 4 of us going. The group tends to prefer having things prebooked and arranged. (I'm already pushing it by arranging the tours ourselves versus booking with our TA) I think I might prefer touring the Blue Mountains DIY style though or at least with more flexibility than a fully guided tour. I've seen some tours that pretty much offer hop on and hop off options so I might explore that. That way we can go to Featherdale and spend some time in the Mountain Village.

The expensive Blue Mountain tours sell the fact that they can get to places in their 4WD vehicles that you can't otherwise get to by bus or car. But not even sure if we would like to spend the day chasing down views in 4WD vehicle -especially since one of our party gets motion sickness fairly easily.

If we're coming from the United States and landing at 7am and have our baggage checked, do you think it's likely we'll make it our our hotel by 9:30am - to be able to check our bags and get to the tour starting point, which I'm sure must be really close by. The TA has us taking the Sunbus to our hotel, but now I'm thinking it would've been faster and cheaper to take a taxi.

I think it's too late to change the flight intinerary - we didn't know a whole lot about Australia before booking our vacation. I thought if the Aussies go to the Gold Coast for vacation, it must be something worthwhile to explore. But we're not interested in visiting amusement parks and such, so wondering if time would be better spent taking a day tour of Brisbane?

I would suggest getting tickets to the Bondi Explorer Blue & Red bus routes which allow you to get on and off all around the Sydney area. There are lots of great trails you can take walking between bus stops.

If we're coming from the United States and landing at 7am and have our baggage checked, do you think it's likely we'll make it our our hotel by 9:30am - to be able to check our bags and get to the tour starting point, which I'm sure must be really close by. The TA has us taking the Sunbus to our hotel, but now I'm thinking it would've been faster and cheaper to take a taxi.

I think it's too late to change the flight intinerary - we didn't know a whole lot about Australia before booking our vacation. I thought if the Aussies go to the Gold Coast for vacation, it must be something worthwhile to explore. But we're not interested in visiting amusement parks and such, so wondering if time would be better spent taking a day tour of Brisbane?

I should have qualified my last comment. Yes, I did manage to get from airport to hotel in less than 90 minutes several times, but they were all weekends. I've even done it in less than 60 minutes, but I didn't have checked bags for those times. If you arrive on a weekday, you should still be OK, but I wouldn't risk it personally, especially when you may have pre-paid tours (or even a deposit). So, if you land on a weekend, it should be OK. If weekday, I wouldn't try it. Where are you staying and where does the tour start? One thing to do is to ask the tour operator that you can take the tour another day should you be held up at the airport.

One option is to consider moving the tour to Day 3? If there are no mobility issues and you want to do it on Day 1, I'd still do the 'tour' yourself and you can take your time and take in areas like Darling Harbour, Kings Cross, etc.

Unless there's a Sunbus that Google didn't find, the only Sunbus I found operate in Queensland, and not Sydney. When landing into Sydney, take a taxi.

By all accounts, Gold Coast has a magnificant beach. Personally, I find it too touristy and close to tacky. Port Douglas has a more relaxed feel. Anyway, you can still relax at the Gold Coast. Taking a day trip to Brisbane is a good idea too (can easily done by train). There's also a Picasso exhabition on in Brisbane at the moment (apparently first time down under or first time outside Europe even).

I should have qualified my last comment. Yes, I did manage to get from airport to hotel in less than 90 minutes several times, but they were all weekends. I've even done it in less than 60 minutes, but I didn't have checked bags for those times. If you arrive on a weekday, you should still be OK, but I wouldn't risk it personally, especially when you may have pre-paid tours (or even a deposit). So, if you land on a weekend, it should be OK. If weekday, I wouldn't try it. Where are you staying and where does the tour start? One thing to do is to ask the tour operator that you can take the tour another day should you be held up at the airport.

One option is to consider moving the tour to Day 3? If there are no mobility issues and you want to do it on Day 1, I'd still do the 'tour' yourself and you can take your time and take in areas like Darling Harbour, Kings Cross, etc.

Unless there's a Sunbus that Google didn't find, the only Sunbus I found operate in Queensland, and not Sydney. When landing into Sydney, take a taxi.

By all accounts, Gold Coast has a magnificant beach. Personally, I find it too touristy and close to tacky. Port Douglas has a more relaxed feel. Anyway, you can still relax at the Gold Coast. Taking a day trip to Brisbane is a good idea too (can easily done by train). There's also a Picasso exhabition on in Brisbane at the moment (apparently first time down under or first time outside Europe even).

Here's the link to the Sunbus: http://www.sunbussydney.com.au/

I think if we miss the walking tour the first day, it'll be a pass. We'd probably just explore it ourselves. It would just be nice to have someone narrating and providing some insight. Wondering if we could just sign up once we get there so we don't have to sweat about missing the start time- if Sydney's like NYC, then you could pick up a tour anytime, but not sure if they're so plentiful in Sydney.

When you have 4 people, just take a taxi, it'll work out cheaper (than this Sunbus). Unless you know this Sunbus will take you directly to your hotel, you may end up wasting time. Many shuttle buses gather a few passengers and drop them off to their individual hotels, so you may end up touring the CBD while others get off the bus.

I'm a bit late to the party and you've already had lots of good advice but ...

1. Take the ferry to Manly from Circular Quay. When it drops you off, take the main drag (the Corso?) out to the beach. Have breakfast/coffee/lunch (depending on the time of day) at one of the restaurants opposite the beach.

2. Take the Explorer Blue and Red buses. Two different routes, hop on and off etc. and depending on whether you do one or the other or both and how much of the route you do, you'll see a fair amount of Sydney, with some commentary thrown in. The Blue Bus goes to Bondi (though I think Manly is nicer and I would certainly do Manly over Bondi if it was one or the other). The "Sydney Explorer" is the red bus, the "Bondi Explorer" the blue bus.

http://www.sydneybuses.info/tourist-services/sydney-explorer.htm

3. Climb the Harbour Bridge. Not to be missed. It's not cheap but you won't regret it. (Can't believe nobody mentioned this yet or did I miss it?)

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

4. Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo.

5. When you're in Cairns, do the Kuranda train/skyrail trip - well worth it.

http://www.kuranda.org/

6. Gold Coast - great beaches. Not sure where you're staying. However, Surfers Paradise is a totally overbuilt concrete jungle. Some good restaurants on Tedder Avenue in Main Beach.

7. If you go up to Brisbane for the day, go for a ride on the CityCat - fast, catamaran ferry on the river. Once it gets outside the immediate CBD area and they hit the gas a bit, stand out the front to blow the cobwebs away.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityCat

A few more suggestions to confuse you even further:

Do not go to the Blue Mountains. It is a long way, boring and not much to see. Yes, it is pretty and everything but you didn't come to Australia to see pretty. You came here to see spectacular. If you have plenty of time, great. But since you don't, Australia has nicer things to offer.

I would also cut my time at the Gold Coast.

And what would I do with those 2-3 extra days? See something of the great things in between Cairns and Brisbane! A 4WD Tour on Fraser Island comes to mind (which is a fantastic experience). Or the Whitsunday Islands (easy to reach from Cairns and Brisbane).

Just my two cents.

A few more suggestions to confuse you even further:

Do not go to the Blue Mountains.

I would also cut my time at the Gold Coast.

And what would I do with those 2-3 extra days? See something of the great things in between Cairns and Brisbane! A 4WD Tour on Fraser Island comes to mind (which is a fantastic experience). Or the Whitsunday Islands (easy to reach from Cairns and Brisbane).

Just my two cents.

I mostly agree with this advice - that the Whitsundays are a must-see if you can get flights (if flights haven't already been cut completely).

If you can get there, it would be a good use of time.

If you are going to Featherdale then you have enough to make a trip to the Blue Mountains worthwhile. If you have enough to do, it's probably an okay use of your time. I'd avoid bus tours as you'll probably be with a big group and the tour will be tailored to their needs (like when our honeymoon's GC tour was basically a 'Japanese tour' of the canyon!). :D

You could probably do the CDB tour by yourself and spend the money (and some extra ;-) on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb (http://www.bridgeclimb.com/). It's not as extreme as it sounds but it's an excellent way to see the city from different angle and quite unique experience.

Opera house is much better from the outside than inside.

On the Blue Mountain tour I'd rather do the Featherdale Park visit than the village visit unless you're the type that wants to buy a lot of souvenirs from a trip.

If you are into diving or snorkeling, you may want to do two day trips to the outer reef. It's an experience that changes every day and at it's best with sunshine.

No offence to any Gold Coast residents reading this.... but I would really skip it. There's not much to do outside of amusement parks. It is a popular holiday destination for Australian families as there's lots of stuff to do with the kids. It's also big with Asians who come for the surf and sand.

I've been to most parts of Australia and, while a pleasant place, it would be one of the last places I would recommend for a tourist coming from the states without kids.

[QUOTE=DownUnderFlyer;9991203]
Do not go to the Blue Mountains. It is a long way, boring and not much to see. Yes, it is pretty and everything but you didn't come to Australia to see pretty. You came here to see spectacular. If you have plenty of time, great. But since you don't, Australia has nicer things to offer.

I would also cut my time at the Gold Coast.

And what would I do with those 2-3 extra days? See something of the great things in between Cairns and Brisbane! A 4WD Tour on Fraser Island comes to mind (which is a fantastic experience). Or the Whitsunday Islands (easy to reach from Cairns and Brisbane).

[QUOTE]

I think it's too late to cut our flights to the Gold Coast - I think the only thing to remedy the situation would be to take a day tour somewhere close to the Gold Coast - What are our options for an hour or two's drive from the Gold Coast?

By the way, we're staying in Surfers Paradise so we'll be in the concrete jungle as someone else put it. Now that I read all your posts, I see that there are much better options than the Gold Coast, but I'm sure if we stay at the GC, it will still be somewhat worthwhile. The beaches are supposed to be spectactular, right?

3. Climb the Harbour Bridge. Not to be missed. It's not cheap but you won't regret it. (Can't believe nobody mentioned this yet or did I miss it?)

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

4. Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo.

5. When you're in Cairns, do the Kuranda train/skyrail trip - well worth it.

http://www.kuranda.org/

6. Gold Coast - great beaches. Not sure where you're staying. However, Surfers Paradise is a totally overbuilt concrete jungle. Some good restaurants on Tedder Avenue in Main Beach.

7. If you go up to Brisbane for the day, go for a ride on the CityCat - fast, catamaran ferry on the river. Once it gets outside the immediate CBD area and they hit the gas a bit, stand out the front to blow the cobwebs away.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityCat

Thanks for all the tips. I just looked at the bridge climb - I don't think it's a good idea for someone who is afraid of heights! I think I'd freeze and hold up the rest of the tourists.

Which brings me to the Blue Mountain tour - was wondering if there are lots of winding mountain roads where it looks like you might fall off the side? Another reason I might want to avoid the 4WD tours that take you to places other vehicles can't get to.

With regards to the Taronga Zoo - if we're going to Featherdale Wildlife Park and also the Cairns Night Zoo, do you think the Taronga zoo would be redundant or does it offer more than we would experience at the other two places?

Are there any must see or experience things to do in Brisbane besides the CityCat? I would be interested in checking out a city if the culture is different from the other cities we're visiting. Is it a very different feel from Sydney? Guessing it's different from the beachy places like Cairns and Gold Coast.

Taronga Zoo:
If you have a morning free, it would be a very pleasant morning ferry ride to Bradley Head and the zoo.
- there are several primate infants at the gorilla and chimp enclosures if you're into that.
- the new sea-lion / acquatic section, newly-opened this year.
- the Asia section is also quite new and features a great elephant section and a few gibbons (they're not as energetic or audience-oriented as I'd hoped)
Featherdale might be better for marsupials, I guess.
Taronga Zoo features spectacular Sydney harbour and skyline views from the ampitheatre where bird shows are held. You'll probably see all of this from the zoo website and you can buy a Zoopass ferry/zoo ticket at the Circular Quay ticket stands. It would be worth your trip just for the photos, IMO.
Taronga Zoo website (http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/taronga-zoo.aspx)

GC:
With the rise of Schoolies Week tourism and the huge number of beer barns, my impression of GC is that the bar and club scene is a binge drinking paradise and not much else.

Given the GC is a pretty large city, there must be more options than this.
Maybe check if eatability.com.au has a GC section, for bar and restaurant reviews. Good luck!

From the Gold Coast take a tour about an hour south to Byron Bay,and the inland town of Bangalow.
Lots of nice shopping bars/cafe's and beautiful beaches
The Gold Coast really is only good for drinking/nightlife,theme parks and tacky souvenir shops.

Not sure how you would get there but just inland from the Gold Coast are places like Mt Tambourine etc, which are lovely to visit. Also there is a Golden Door somewhere around there (not sure exactly WHERE though).

Mt Tamborine is a nice drive from the GC. I remember visiting a winery there (hard habit to break :D) although after a few years' cellaring the wine wasn't worth writing about. ;)

The advice to visit Byron / Bangalow and Tamborine (and the rainforests nearby) would be my preference to staying on the GC but fortunately you can try them when you're sick of the GC bars and clubs. ^

I must be getting old. :p

Thanks for all the tips. I just looked at the bridge climb - I don't think it's a good idea for someone who is afraid of heights! I think I'd freeze and hold up the rest of the tourists.

Which brings me to the Blue Mountain tour - was wondering if there are lots of winding mountain roads where it looks like you might fall off the side? Another reason I might want to avoid the 4WD tours that take you to places other vehicles can't get to.

With regards to the Taronga Zoo - if we're going to Featherdale Wildlife Park and also the Cairns Night Zoo, do you think the Taronga zoo would be redundant or does it offer more than we would experience at the other two places?

Are there any must see or experience things to do in Brisbane besides the CityCat? I would be interested in checking out a city if the culture is different from the other cities we're visiting. Is it a very different feel from Sydney? Guessing it's different from the beachy places like Cairns and Gold Coast.

The beaches aren't really what I would call "spectacular" on the Gold Coast. The GC is like a smaller tackier version of South Beach. I would definately go to the Blue Mountains the sweeping views are incredible and I would give the meal at Centrepoint a miss you can't really see much toward the harbour from there these days. I remember when I was younger from my grandparents house in Kirribilli centre point was the tallest thing around, now its blocked by Governor Phillip Tower and I think Chifley Square? Try Horizons at the Shangri-La for a great view.

Yes Brisbane has a different feel to Sydney, in Queensland they talk slower and try to avoid multi-syllabic words also I'm not sure its grammatically correct to use "Culture" and "Brisbane" in the same sentence.:p:p

Thanks for all the tips. I just looked at the bridge climb - I don't think it's a good idea for someone who is afraid of heights! I think I'd freeze and hold up the rest of the tourists.Don't be afraid of it - you'll be fine.

Mrs. tt7 and I spent a very sleepless night before doing it. My daughter was gung-ho to do it so we couldn't chicken out. We were concerned about (a) how strenuous it might be and (b) the height. For us it was really fear of the unknown - just not knowing what to expect or what it would be like. Neither the height nor the climbing were an issue. They spend an hour getting you organized (and breath-tested). You wear a special suit and are latched-on to the structure at all times. The walkway is fairly wide so you're never really that close to the edge. Sure, it's a fair way up .. but the views are fantastic.

We did it first thing in the morning (8 am). No real time to think about it too much beforehand that way. Believe me, you won't regret it.

Are there any must see or experience things to do in Brisbane besides the CityCat? I would be interested in checking out a city if the culture is different from the other cities we're visiting. Is it a very different feel from Sydney? Guessing it's different from the beachy places like Cairns and Gold Coast.You should be coming to Melbourne - the food/fashion/culture/sporting capital of Australia. Sydney has the harbour, the bridge, the opera house and the views - Melbourne has everything else....

http://www.visitmelbourne.com/

Melbourne is a great city and there's plenty to see and do but you should really be visiting Tasmania

http://www.discovertasmania.com/

Day 1: Arrive Sydney 7am –staying at Circular Quay
Guided walking tour of city (Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, Customs House, Opera House, Botanic Gardens) - $25 pp
Note: we can only find walking tours beginning at 10am which is cutting it pretty close since our plane lands at 7am, but we would really like to take this tour on our first day to get leisurely acquainted with the city.

Day 2: Blue Mountains – debating between 2 tours. Both sound pretty similar except one visits Featherdale Wildlife Park while the other allows some free time in a mountain village. $200-$240 pp

Day 3: 360 Bar and Dining A La Carte at Sydney Tower for dinner – set menu $110

I’d also like to visit either Bondi Beach or Manly Beach – not sure which one would be better or if the beaches are worthwhile to visit in the Winter?



Bondi and Manly are both worthwhile. You'll need to take a ferry to get to Manly which is a bonus. The 30 min trip across the harbour is iconic.

If you decide on Manly, you might want to consider walking the track (http://www.manlyaustralia.com.au/information/what_to_do/walks/walkway.asp) from Manly to the Spit Bridge. Even going part way and then doubling back is worthwhile. If you cross the Corso and go to the ocean side of Manly there's another pleasant (and shorter) walk to Shelly Beach (http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/Cabbage-Tree-Bay-Coastal-Walk-(Shelly-Beach).html). This is basically a pavement but the view is great and it has the additional benefit of going right past the door of one of my favourite spots for breakfast (or lunch), The Bower (http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurants/the-bower/2005/08/04/1123125839619.html) restaurant.

On the other hand, Bondi has its attractions. It's quite different from most Sydney beaches, southerly facing and with a very distinctive character. You can take a great walk here also, along the cliffs from Bondi to Bronte (http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/council/parks/parks/coastwalk.asp). My favourite eating spot in Bondi is the "Tratt (http://www.bonditrattoria.com.au/)", just up the hill on South side of Campbell Parade.

Pity you can't spend more time in Sydney and I echo the comments of others regarding the Blue Mountains. Nice place but a long drive ... so much to see and not enough time to do it.

I would ditch Cairns as a destination in favour (:p) of Port Douglas. i.e. fly in to Cairns and stay in Port Douglas.

The best way to see Taronga Zoo is to book the VIP Aussie Gold Tour (http://www.taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo/plan-your-visit/tours--activities/vip-aussie-gold-tour.aspx). Its terrific. ^

I would strongly recommend as others have the Kuranda Rainforest tour. This was a last minute thing for us when we stayed in Cairns and the wife & I still talk about it over 10 years later. Went in 1998.

I would caution you staying in Port Douglas unless things have radically changed as when we were there as I recall the town had very little in the way of shops or other sites. May have changed since then. Just my two cents.

Have a great trip. It is a wonderful place to visit.

Port Douglas is a honeymoon place, stay in Cairns.

I would strongly recommend as others have the Kuranda Rainforest tour. This was a last minute thing for us when we stayed in Cairns and the wife & I still talk about it over 10 years later. Went in 1998.

I would caution you staying in Port Douglas unless things have radically changed as when we were there as I recall the town had very little in the way of shops or other sites. May have changed since then. Just my two cents.

Have a great trip. It is a wonderful place to visit.

I agree - stay in Cairns. Even though it is quite touristy, there isn't much as mentioned above in Port Douglas. Nice place to drive through though! :)

I agree - stay in Cairns. Even though it is quite touristy, there isn't much as mentioned above in Port Douglas. Nice place to drive through though! :)

One of our party will be going to Port Douglas for an Outter Reef trip. I noticed that a lot of Reef tours offer transport form Cairns to Port Douglas but not the other way around - which seems to me means that Port Douglas offers a better Reef experience.

I've never been snorkelling so I probably wouldn't notice the difference between the two places so the rest of our party won't bother taking the hour drive to snorkel in Port Douglas - although I wouldn't mind spending a few hours there.

I would give the meal at Centrepoint a miss you can't really see much toward the harbour from there these days. I remember when I was younger from my grandparents house in Kirribilli centre point was the tallest thing around, now its blocked by Governor Phillip Tower and I think Chifley Square? Try Horizons at the Shangri-La for a great view.



The 360 Bar says it's on the 88th floor of Sydney Tower whereas Shangri-La's restaurant is on the 36th floor - does the Shrangri La offer a better view because it's unobstructed?

You should be coming to Melbourne - the food/fashion/culture/sporting capital of Australia. Sydney has the harbour, the bridge, the opera house and the views - Melbourne has everything else....

http://www.visitmelbourne.com/

We didn't add Melbourne to the itinerary because we heard that it was really cold in August. I'm going to have to make a second trip to Australia to hit all these other suggested places. Wish I had more time!

The 360 Bar says it's on the 88th floor of Sydney Tower whereas Shangri-La's restaurant is on the 36th floor - does the Shrangri La offer a better view because it's unobstructed?

Yes, completely unobstructed. Centrepoint as I said does not have the best views of the harbour although you will get a good view looking East Botanical Gardens, Farm Cove. if you want blow your socks off views of the water then Shangri-La.

One of our party will be going to Port Douglas for an Outter Reef trip. I noticed that a lot of Reef tours offer transport form Cairns to Port Douglas but not the other way around - which seems to me means that Port Douglas offers a better Reef experience.

I've never been snorkelling so I probably wouldn't notice the difference between the two places so the rest of our party won't bother taking the hour drive to snorkel in Port Douglas - although I wouldn't mind spending a few hours there.

No, both experiences are fine. Boats generally had north from Cairns and Port Douglas. Since PD is north of Cairns, some boats pick up passengers there on the way from Cairns to the reef. This is why it is not working the other way round.

Cairns is action, backpackers, city. No beaches in Cairns (only north of the city). Port Douglas is resorts, fine dining and beach.
I personally would stay in PD but this is just me. It is also closer for the rainforest tours.

Do not go to the Blue Mountains. It is a long way, boring and not much to see. Yes, it is pretty and everything but you didn't come to Australia to see pretty. You came here to see spectacular. If you have plenty of time, great. But since you don't, Australia has nicer things to offer.


I agree with your statement about coming to Australia to see the "spectacular." In terms of Sydney, what do you suggest for seeing and doing that's spectacual? I am trying to plan a trip for November and interested in your suggestions. Thanks.

I would skip the blue mountains. I was told that we have more spectacular scenery here in California.

Definitely go to Bondi beach for a day.

As for the gold coast, it depends on what you want. Would be worthwhile if you want more beach time (though personally we liked the sunshine coast better).

However, if you don't plan to return down under for a while then you might instead consider flying across the center to Melbourne, where you can see the penguins march (there are also nice beaches and a more spectacular coastline). This would work well if your final departure is via sydney. If you're flying out from BNE, then it would probably work better to hit MEL before CNS.

Don't miss the ferry to Manly, its a beautiful ferry ride and great spot in Sydney.

And like a previous post, PD is a lot nicer than Cairns are far as beaches and resorts so it depends on what you're looking for on where you stay.

Don't miss the ferry to Manly, its a beautiful ferry ride and great spot in Sydney.

And like a previous post, PD is a lot nicer than Cairns are far as beaches and resorts so it depends on what you're looking for on where you stay.



Definitely go to Bondi beach for a day.

As for the gold coast, it depends on what you want. Would be worthwhile if you want more beach time (though personally we liked the sunshine coast better).

.

I think I'd enjoy a day at the beach at the Gold Coast. Not sure if Cairns has nice beaches or not? Someone's post said Cairns isn't really a beach city so not sure if it's worth the trek from the harbour to the north beaches.

I'm going to add Manly to the itinerary - sounds like a nice beach city with cafes and such -plus the ferry ride in and of itself sounds like an experience.

What makes Bondi different from Manly?

What makes Bondi different from Manly?
The locals and the tourists (incl. those there to 'be seen') ;) make each different, aside from geographical/scenic differences. Each is good in its own way and each is very well located for things to do. The Eastern suburbs has a lot of immigrants originally from central Europe, so there is a European flavour (including Sydney's Orhodox Jewish community) about the place. Plus the old chesnut of all of New Zealand's locals moving to Bondi! Not so much variety or quantity of population in Manly, known outside the area as part of the 'insular peninsula'. Bottom line, different people but more of them at Bondi!

Both are very touristy but it's a case of what comes with the beach.
Both are iconic I guess; Bondi has the cliff walk to Coogee while Manly has the harbour walk. Bondi is busier and is arguably a little tattered and tacky, while Many can hide that better as the outlook is quite different (the tackiness can be hidden behind the Norfolk Pines :p).

If you have time, perhaps visit Bondi early in the morning, do some or all of the cliff walk, then go window shopping on Oxford St, which begins at Bondi Junction and goes into the city as far as the Cenotaph end of Hyde Park. Catch some of the morning action and have breakfast there. Alternatively, if you had time, try to book into Icebergs restaurant on the beach for dinner. Good luck. :)

You could do the same for Manly - as an early morning trip or in the afternoon. Just beware the ferries can be unreliable so don't have a strict timetable between trips, just in case. There are lots of restaurants across the road from the beach, though I've not been there for dinner for years.

I think of Bondi as Sydney's Miami or Venice beach (touristy!) and Manly as a nearby holiday/exec suburb a la OC, California. Not an accurate analogy but kind of city vs. city getaway. :)

I think off Bondi as Sydney's Miami or Venice beach (touristy!) and Manly as a nearby holiday/exec suburb a la OC, California. Not an accurate analogy but kind of city vs. city getaway. :)

Thanks for the information! Hmmm, I was hoping there was a clear-cut better beach to go to, but now I'll have to ponder it a bit more because I don't think we have time to hit both of them.

No offence to any Gold Coast residents reading this.... but I would really skip it. There's not much to do outside of amusement parks. It is a popular holiday destination for Australian families as there's lots of stuff to do with the kids. It's also big with Asians who come for the surf and sand.

I've been to most parts of Australia and, while a pleasant place, it would be one of the last places I would recommend for a tourist coming from the states without kids.

Originally our TA had us booked at a hotel in Coolangatta, but we moved it to be in the center of things at Surfers Paradise. Now just wondering what Coolangatta had to offer? Is it basically a quiet, secluded beach?