james318

I'll be in Australia in mid may, flying into and out of Sydney. I would like to visit another city while I am there (understanding I can waste 5+ hours each way flying alone...) The question is... where? Honestly any city could potentially be of interest to me. Surfer's Paradise has always been somewhere I've wanted to check out, but not sure of the logistics of that, seeing I won't drive from Brisbane.

Thoughts?

WiscAZ

Personally, if you are only going to one other city besides Sydney I'd easily suggest Melbourne. It is my favorite place to visit when in Australia. That being said it's really a matter of what you want to do and see and how much time you have to spend at said city. You can fly into OOL (Gold Coast Airport) which would be about a 20 minute drive give or take to Surfer's Paradise if that's what you want. There would be no need to go into Brisbane if you don't want to. Heck for a 5 hours you could even go out to Perth. What are you looking to get out of this side trip?

Mwenenzi

OOL is the airport for the Gold Coast.
Where you go depends a lot on your interests.
Mid May is close to the start of winter, so weather can be refreshing the more south you go.

OOL airport--->https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast_Airport
Routes-->Great Circle Mapper

james318

Ah, I don't know why I thought Brisbane was the closest to Surfer's Paradise.

So really, I am not sure what I am looking for. I like big, safe cities that are very walkable or with good public transit. But I also like sleepy little towns with some good local hangouts. I also like to be close to the beach but not necessarily to play in the water. Good food, some laid back nightlife.

Perth would be fun just to say I've been, and that I've seen the Indian ocean. Surfer's Paradise would be fun because it looks like a place you could stroll along the water forever with amazing beach and city views. I've even considered Darwin because most people from the US couldn't even put it on a map.

Mwenenzi

Flights to SYD-PER and/or SYD-DRW can very expensive. (There is a reason why why people on the East au coast go to Singapore or Bali or Thailand=cheaper) PER & DRW are a ~3 to 4 hr flights (New Zealand is about the same distance)

Great Circle Mapper

james318

Yeah, I just plugged all the cities into GCM, as well as Auckland and New Caldonia. Decisions.

Mwenenzi

How many days have you in Australia?
Been to Australia before?
NZ has a 2 hr time zone difference. Perth, ADL & Darwin are also in a different time zone.

Oz Fest 16 Sydney, NSW, Australia. USA Memorial Day Weekend May 24 to May 26, 2019

james318

I've got 8 days to work with. This does not include the day I depart Sydney. New airports and airlines are put of fun of travelling for me, so spending some extra time travelling doesn't hurt my feelings. I am not the type that needs to cram things in, if I don't see everything I am sure I'll be back. I'm not super active or outdoorsey (with the exception of the beach), and am not afraid to pay for taxis/ride shares when tired. Also, I get very tired of museums very quickly.

I figure 4 days in SYD at the start of the trip, 4 somewhere else, and last night back in SYD.

I am in Australia 15th-23rd of May, so I'll just miss OzFest.

I've never been.

WiscAZ

If you like the travelling part then maybe consider 2 days in Melbourne and 2 days at Surfer's Paradise.

Mwenenzi

A destination that is say 3 to 4 hrs flying time is going to take half to a full day, after allowing time for hotel check out/check in, to/from airport, check-in, security. Unless you fly at night/evening or very early morning

4 + 4 + 1 day on departure would be very reasonable

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secondsoprano

Maybe this https://mysteryflights.com.au?

nancypants

CPMaverick

Melbourne is an absolute treasure (I say without a hint of bias). But in May, I agree with choosing QLD (gasp) due to the weather.

Surfers though, is like Miami without the culture. It's a big, loud party town. The beach is nice don't get me wrong. But you can do better.

Perhaps fly to BNE or MCY, and spend some time on the Sunshine Coast instead. Noosa is nice. Or, an overlooked destination is Townsville and Magnetic Island. Personally I think for a tourist, Townsville/MI tick a huge amount of boxes for a cheap price, and it won't be packed with foreign tourists like Cairns or Surfers. (Nothing wrong with foreigners, I am one myself, but if you want an Australian experience it is nice to avoid places without any Aussies!)

Mwenenzi

May is the best time to visit North Queensland, red centre & Darwin.

Agree Townsville - Magnetic Island would be good for ~3 days (and 1 day travelling)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville_Airport
Great Circle Mapper

JQ have 1 flight a day SYD TSV 11:10 12:50 & TSV SYD 13:20 16:55 in current timetable. Have not checked the other airlines
Edit
https://flights.webjet.com.au/Flight...a-994ba486d6cf

bensyd

I dunno, I'm pretty sure the OP at one point lived in Detroit so Melbourne in May will be a piece of cake. OP every city in Australia is "safe". I'd opt with Hobart or Melbourne. Totally different ends of the spectrum but both great towns. Hobart is my second favourite capital city in Australia as I remind my Victorian friends often.

I agree. The Goldie has its place if you want a big weekend with the boys, but otherwise Noosa etc is much nicer. I'd also consider Darwin, it's an interesting town feels like a real frontier sort of place. But yeah Hobart or Melbourne would be my first choice.