<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fly co to see the yanks:
i like penfolds, as well.</font>
Excellent. That's probably 2/3rds of my collection - Bin 389, 407, 707, Grange.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">i am flying into australia on december 22 and staying until january 3. i would like to spend the last five days minimum in sydney due to new year's eve as well as maximizing a four day award (for five free nights) at a starwood (probably the westin sydney).</font>
Tinkybelle yesterday waxed lyrical about the Westin Sydney on the phone to me. I haven't stayed there, only Westin Melb. I'll leave it for her or others to comment.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">so, that would give me from december 22 until december 28 to play elsewhere. just trying to split up my trip between wineries and maybe one other place. i was thinking melbourne, noosa, or goldcoast. i guess i have to hit goldcoast if i am all the way there.</font>
Christmas on the beach...that's something to tell your friends about...they won't believe you until they see the photo's. Noosa is smaller than Gold Coast, therefore less accom and probably more expensive. The Gold Coast is FULL of people over Christmas and harder to get around. However it does have the Theme Parks...Wet N Wild, Movie World, Seaworld, Dreamworld...if you were bringing children, then I'd plump for Gold Coast. If not, head to Noosa for some R&R.
Local airport for Gold Coast is Coolangatta - code OOL.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">would you rent cars the whole time in australia or skip the car rental while in sydney?</font>
Public transport in Sydney is excellent...trains, ferries, buses. If you weren't travelling far, I'd almost ditch the idea about the car. You'd need it on Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast (where Noosa is located). OOL airport is 20 miles from Surfers Paradise (the heart of the Gold Coast "strip"), same distance for Maroochydore (MCY) to Noosa.
[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited 06-10-2003).]