rgoel

Going to Australia for the first time ever as part of my honeymoon (we'll be heading there from Hawaii). We are using Starwood awards and plan to stay 3 nights in either Melbourne or Sydney and 5 nights in the other (5th night is free when paying for 4 nights).

Which city has more stuff to do and see, both within the city and within a day trip's distance? Trying to figure out if I should spend 5 nights in Melbourne and 3 in Sydney or vice versa.

We will be there in late August 2003.

Thanks!

Sweet Willie

No contest, stay 5 nights in Sydney

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number_6

I also think it is no contest, but vote for 7 days in MEL and 1 day in SYD. On a serious note each city has advantages and disadvantages, have a bitter rivalry and maybe the best American analogy is LA (Sydney) versus San Francisco (Melbourne). Weather isn't a consideration for your trip (often Mel weather is a bit miserable), otherwise Mel is cheaper, has better shopping, better food, better hotels (hard as that is to believe given the stellar quality of Sydney hotels) and better touring nearby (everything from penguin watching to winery tours). I've lived in Sydney so I can honestly say that Melbourne is better (most Sydneysiders consider that a lynchable offence).

Sweet Willie

God I love Flyertalk!, the opinions never cease

rgoel

I love it too but now I'm thoroughly confused!

Anybody else have some insight?

Sweet Willie, maybe you can mention a couple of the activities/sights you think would make Sydney the better place to spend 5 days.

Thanks again!

Sweet Willie

The off the top of my head list:

Climb Harbor Bridge
Ferry or Jet cat to the town of Manly to frolic on the beach or make the trip to Bondi (think of being able to decompress lying in the sand by the ocean).
Walking along the harbor/Opera House
Try and see an event at the Opera House
The Rocks Market
The Australian Wine Center (you’ll want to ship home some cases of the good stuff you can’t get here)
Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains

And IMO better and more varied choices for dining.

That being said, the fact that FT’er number_6 has actually lived in Sydney, one has to give weight to his statement.

Help you out!?!?

Truthfully, for us being able to spend a full day at the beach just goofing around while we were go go go elsewhere was a huge plus for us and that is why I choose Sydney.

number_6

It doesn't matter how you split the time. 8 days is insufficient time to see either city (and these are 2 of the top 20 cities to visit in the world), so you are left with a subset. Pick a schedule that works from a logistical and/or pricing standpoint. Weather can be a consideration, but it depends what you like (it is an LA/SF kind of difference). Sydney is brasher and maybe better publicized and commercialized in its attractions, while in Melbourne it helps to know someone who can show you around. Some of the best parts of the city are well hidden, though a good concierge will help you quite effectively. I recently stayed at the Westin Melbourne and for a honeymoon their corner rooms are ideal (huge room, 15 windows including 2 floor to ceiling bay windows in the bathroom, spa bath and separate shower big enough to hold a party ni, a bathroom that is bigger than most hotel rooms, high quality furnishings, Aveda toiletries, great ambience and a block from any shop you could ever want (including the best barber and beauty shop in the city). Sydney has comparable but cost more and a bit less convenient (but you get the famous harbour view, depending upon where you stay).
You will wind up coming back to both Sydney and Melbourne, so don't try to overplan.

Feebster

I'm a Sydney girl born and bred..but I also like Melbourne a lot.

I agree that 8 days is not enough to really do any one place justice, so just toss a coin and choose. Whichever way..you won't be disappointed.

One other thing to do in Sydney, especially if time is limited is the Explorer Bus. It's route covers some of the main tourist things and you can get on and off as you choose. And I agree with Willie a trip out the the Blue Mountains is great. When I lived in Sydney it was my favourite place to go to just chill out for the afternoon. Unfortunately the organised daytrips just tend to take you to the main tourist places in the Mountains and you miss some of the best places..but it's better than nothing.

Melbourne has some great dining. The only place I know with a 24 hour greek restaurant A day trip along the Great Ocean Road is also something not to be missed. If you feel so inclined there is the Penguin Parade. The Old Melbourne Gaol is also interesting. And dinner on the Tram Car Restaurant is also a must. Wonderful food while seeing Melbourne by tram. You can also do day trips to Sovereign Hill and Ballarat.

August can still be a bit cool in either city so I wouldn't plan on too many beach activities. Unless you bring wetsuits

ranles

Will you ever go back?

If not split somewhat even with the edge to Sydney.

If yes, spend the whole time in Melbourne, as you can (IMHO) "do" MEL in 8 days. SYD, on the other hand is 3 weeks (IMHO).

If you can afford it, spring for a couple nights at the Hyatt in SYD, it is fantastic.

Take some day tours (Australian Pacific Tours, AAT Kings, or ?). Saves driving and wear and tear on the body. Especially good in SYD, where driving is a bit dicey for most of us. Do some walking.

rgoel

thanks for all of the info. looks like i can't go wrong either way. i definitely do plan to make it back to australia. even if not to see syd and mel, there is so much more to see there. i wholeheartedly agree that you cannot do these cities or the country for that matter any justice in 8 days.

but of course time and $$$ is limited, so i have to get back to work at some point!

can anybody recommend a good guidebook? i'm leaning towards Eyewitness Australia guide, but for all I know it could be full of errors. If there are any better recommendations out there, please let me know.

Thanks again for your help everybody. My honeymoon will be that much better for it.

dannyr

Lonely Planet all the way

kawoh

Definitely Lonely Planet, I swear by it on all my travels. Some say it's a little opinionated, but I like that, and all the opinions are mostly correct, it's quite eerie sometimes actually!

GibSpmuh

I'm also a Lonely Planet fan, and they have pretty comprehensive city guides for both Sydney and Melbourne. They're probably worth looking at instead of going for the whole of Australia guidebook - it spreads itself a bit thin, especially for Melbourne and surrounds (surprising as Melbourne is the home of Lonely Planet!)

number_6

I agree, Lonely Planet is excellent. An alternative is Frommer's (sometimes better than LP depending on the city); but I have used neither for SYD and MEL so I don't know how they compare. I'd be very surprised if the things I really like in each city are listed in either book (and don't ask, I am not disclosing that info, I want to go back myself).

mad_atta

Just chiming in with a few opinions of my own...

On the guidebook question, it really depends what you're after. There is no doubt that Lonely Planet is best for the essential, reliable, practical information. However, they really fall down when it comes to giving you any sense of a city's real atmosphere or character - that's a generalisation of course, and some LP writers are much better than others, but all too often they fall into the bearded-backpacker who clearly would rather be doing worthy things like tribal dances or week-long rainforest hikes, not hanging out in funky neighbourhoods, exploring cool bars and cafes, finding interesting shops etc. Depending on the sort of trip you're planning, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. For city guides, I really like the Time Out series - they're not so prim and po-faced. Another consideration is to look at the publication date, as they do fall out of date quickly.

About which city to visit, you'll probably be happy either way. As an adopted Sydneysider (grew up in NZ, also lived in UK) I have to say that I love both cities, but Melbourne is cooler, friendlier, cheaper, funkier, has better food, shopping and nightlife and doesn't try so hard. Sydney on the other hand has possibly the world's most beautiful setting, vastly better weather at that time of year (August in Sydney is gorgeous; in Melbourne it can be antarctic to say the least) and an appealingly confident, casual beach-city vibe, and has it's own superb dining scene. Speaking of beaches, however, you're unlikely to want to spend loads of time there in midwinter. Sydney has a tangible 'feelgood factor', while Melbourne requires a little more research to seek out the great bits.

This is of absolutely no help to you, but my idea of the perfect Aussie city would be to take Melbourne and put it in Sydney's setting!

It really comes down to what you personally like. If you're a really urban person, love seeking out interesting neighbourhoods and funky shops, spend more time in Melbourne. If you're more outdoors oriented, go for Sydney. Having said that, each city offers plenty for people of both persuasions. At the end of the day, you can't go too far wrong.

Oh, and by the way - don't forget to tell us all afterwards how you got on and whether you made the right decision!

[edited for illiteracy]

[This message has been edited by mad_atta (edited 06-19-2003).]