tomcat007

I'm planning for the first half of May.

bensyd

Then you could definitely head north. Tasmania is a pretty special place though. It feels like the last outpost of civilisation (and it kind of is too).

Mwenenzi

May is great time for the north & red centre
May is getting close to winter in southern states (VIC, TAS, SA) Can be a little brisk.

8th May 2017 is 212 days from now (8th Oct 2016 in Au). So you should be booking the AA ff miles premium cabin award flights now (or yesterday). AA awards are from 330 days out, so you may have missed any award flights on offer.

tomcat007

I was able to get premium inventory. The only economy segment was on QF 11 which is strange because I did get F on QF93

Do you recommend Uluru? A couple of days there should be sufficient I suppose.

Mwenenzi

Good you got premium seats. Not that unusual to find limited availability from SYD (QF11) and better availability from MEL (QF93). Many people only consider SYD

Have never been to Uluru (AYQ), but many like it and the surrounding area (that is within a few hundred km). 2 full days would be OK. Its 200 miles from the nearest town, Alice Springs (click blue marble) Look here for Oz Fest 11

tomcat007

Thanks. The reason I said it was weird was because the LAX - JFK sector of QF11 is in economy and my QF93 MEL - LAX was in first on the same PNR for my return journey

Mwenenzi

OK. Agree its strange, but keep checking if bus becomes available. LAX JFK is a B744 and may not have first class (not 100% sure). QF will fly with empty first, business & PE seats and not just fill them with award or upgrade pax.

Using AA miles to/from AYQ is probably worth it. Cash fares can be high

dddc

I'd spend even less time in Sydney, particularly if you can recover from your flight fairly quickly and hit the ground running. It doesn't take long to see the major tourist sites and depending on where you are staying, it can be rather boring. Don't waste your time with Bondi Beach, there are far better beaches elsewhere. It's been made famous simply because it was at the end of tram stop years ago and had a song written about it. The harbour is nice but after a while it all looks pretty samey. If you want to drop a bundle you can do the harbour bridge climb, but it depends on what's on your bucket list.

Melbourne has, imho, a better vibe thanks to its more joined up feel, with lots of alleyways and ethnic areas to explore and visit, particularly Lygon St area. The only downside to Melbourne is its 4 seasons in one day reputation. I was there one xmas and we had the central heating on! Then a few days later it was bodering 40c!

Brisbane has grown into vibrant city, but one where you need to know where to go depending on what you want to do. The central business district offers a variety of old colonial buildings mixed in with modern and mega skyscrapers. The riverwalks and river ferrys are a great way to get around and see the city. You can end up at SouthBank for cultural and recreational fun. There is a free "beach" there with lifesavers on guard. From there, walk on back to Boundary Street West End for an eclectic mix of food and shopping. There are lots of suburban hotspots for dinning, shopping and coffee all over the place. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is worth a visit, and I think you can take a boat there. However if you are going to Australia Zoo then just do one.

Brisbane is also your springboard to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts (south and north of Brisbane). The Gold Coast has multiple theme parks on its doorstep as well as some natural wonders. The beach is 42 klm of white sandy beaches. You can head on up into the mountains of Tamborine at the back for a different experience. The Sunshine Coast is broken up into towns that all have a different feel to them. Noosa is the most famous. Avoid times when NSW's and Victorians are both visiting as it apparently turns into a bun fight between them for the best tables and hotels.

Two weeks isn't a a lot of time so it will depend on your stamina and budget what you get to see and do.

Have fun!

tomcat007

Right now I'm planning 4 days each in Melbourne and Sydney and deciding between Gold Coast and Uluru or maybe both. Im not seeing a lot of support for Perth so will probably drop that.

Mwenenzi

Forget the Gold Coast & Brisbane. Uluru and surrounding area is part of Australia that is very different from most places.
Australia is large so travelling between places will take time. Plan a full day to travel between destinations that include Uluru, or Darwin or FNQ

bibbju

Completely agree with this! Don't bother with Brisbane etc.

Sydney and Melbourne sound good. Personally I would spend more time in Melbourne as I love the city but there are also lots of good day (or overnight) trips from there such as Great Ocean Road (2-3 days best for this). Philip Island, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, etc etc.

I went to Uluru earlier this year. I hate "tourist stuff" and was reluctant to go but a friend told me it was worth it so I went last minute (when some plans in Melbourne were suddenly cancelled). I'm so glad I took the advice!! It was an amazing experience. I managed to avoid the bigger tour buses and used small group tours instead (and met some really nice people). It wasn't as touristy as I'd expected (but I think I would feel differently if I'd been stuck on the convoy of big buses!) It is definitely worth going to Uluru if you have a couple of days to spare. Note that direct flights can get booked up (as can accommodation at Uluru) so make sure you book in good time (unlike me!!).

tomcat007

The consensus seems to be Uluru then.

travelling.tim

I think it is really important to think about what you want to get out of your trip to Australia. It is a very big country with so much to offer. If you just want 'highlights' and don't try and tailor the itinerary to your interests then you will end up with the masses... it also depends on what standard you are accustomed to travelling at, as this would change what I would suggest to do in the country and where to go. There far more than just the cities, and with two weeks I wouldn't waste too much time in urban areas.

scubaerin

This is great advice.

I, too, am headed to Oz soon (November) and was very overwhelmed with planning. Then I thought about the kind of trip and experiences I wanted to have and I realized that I didn't and couldn't cram everything/place in on this trip-- for me, that meant no Uluru this trip--I'm bummed, but the time and expense to get there and back meant I'd have to skip Taz-- I'll just have to go there another time (maybe on my great pan-Australian train trip )

For this trip, I'll be in Oz for 20+ days, and while I'll be moving around quite a bit, I've built an itinerary that allows me to see the places I wanted to see when I first booked the plane tickets and will also allow for some flexibility.

Lakeviewsteve

The Taronga zoo in Sydney is one of my favorites!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taronga_Zoo

Hunter Valley is a few hours from Sydney and has excellent wine vineyards you can tour and taste.


Have a great trip.