mcbg1

I will be making a quick visit to Northern Australia next month, stopping in Darwin and Cairns. My initial plan was to fly to Bali after for 10 days but I was wondering if it would be worth adding Brisbane or Perth to my itinerary?

Brisbane is a long flight to Bali so I'm not sure about that one... I probably won't be back in Australia for a couple years after that so this is why part of me wants to see as many cities as possible but at the same time, I don't want to travel too much between places.

I've already been to Sydney and loved it.

Any input is appreciated.

Mwenenzi

Forget BNE & PER: just concentrate cities like many many other cities.
The best part of BNE is the airport, as that is where flights leave from. Not the most inspring city.
The far north (DRW & CNS) is a lot better, but does depend on dates of travel.
How many days in DRW & CNS?

mcbg1

Right now, I have 4 days in DRW and 6 in CNS. I arrive in Darwin on May 30 and then move on to CNS.

bensyd

I'd go to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast over going to Brisbane. It's not a particularly interesting city, although it's about 100x better than it was 15 years ago.

Mwenenzi

4 days in Darwin is not a lot, more so if it includes travel time. The attractions of the area are not in Darwin or close. Like http://www.parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/

Likewsie Cairns city is not the greatest, other than departure point for the reef. Head a little more north to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daintree_Rainforest

Exec_Plat

I just spent 4 days between Mossman and Cooktown (Silky Oaks Lodge, Mungumby Lodge) and had a 4x4 to drive through Daintree. Feel like I just scratched the surface. I could come back and spend a month above Cairns and still not get it all.

(after 4 days around Kangaroo Island and 4 days driving around Uluru and Menerrie, Cairns made our skin crawl a bit with the people and the city. It was also the only place we got screwed by a merchant during our month in Australia. Fly by night car rental place)

Bloomfield track, Cape Tribulation and the daintree national park was very cool.

As posted above, Kakadu was/is on my list. A month ago was in the wet, so I didnt do it. My plan had been 5 days/4 nights - and still seemed like a rush for that much territory. My tentative plan had been 2 nights at Cicada Lodge; 2 nights at Wildman Lodge...(Bamurru Plains was only a fishing lodge during the wet, not our thing) but never got past the looking phase

mcbg1

Would Uluru be a more worthwhile addition? I could add it in between Darwin and Cairns.

number_6

Uluru is a once in a lifetime experience but quite expensive compared to your other destinations (day there costs more than a week in Bali ). Its also kind of the opposite of Sydney that you mentioned loving.