Sydney/Cairns August trip advice needed
Jun 26, 2007, 4:29 pm
#1
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Sydney/Cairns August trip advice needed
I'll be crossing off one of the highly ranked to-do's from my 100 things to do before I die list by flying into Sydney in August and snorkeling the great barrier reef in Cairns. I'll have 8 days in total and thought a few in Sydney a few in Cairns and back again for an overnight in Sydney. I'm hoping to use some Hilton points - currently converting them from AA miles. So FT gurus my main questions are?
What is the best airline to book a flight from Sydney to Cairns? (Actually I should phrase this are there any to avoid?)
If the Hilton isn't available any recommendations of a solid 3 star or better hotel with a nice location that has a reasonable price too? On my return leg perhaps a nice hotel near the airport would be good too.
Any recommendations of good snorkeling companies that operate near Cairns? I've snorkled many many hours so I appreciate a really well run outfit and have my own equipment.
Any other must do's near Cairns?
Any other hotels if the Hilton isn't available on the beach in Cairns?
I have my heart set on the Sydney bridge climb too so if you need to book in advance or anyone knows what it costs (I keep finding the term pricy) I'd like to know too.
Thanks for your help in advance.
msv
What is the best airline to book a flight from Sydney to Cairns? (Actually I should phrase this are there any to avoid?)
If the Hilton isn't available any recommendations of a solid 3 star or better hotel with a nice location that has a reasonable price too? On my return leg perhaps a nice hotel near the airport would be good too.
Any recommendations of good snorkeling companies that operate near Cairns? I've snorkled many many hours so I appreciate a really well run outfit and have my own equipment.
Any other must do's near Cairns?
Any other hotels if the Hilton isn't available on the beach in Cairns?
I have my heart set on the Sydney bridge climb too so if you need to book in advance or anyone knows what it costs (I keep finding the term pricy) I'd like to know too.
Thanks for your help in advance.
msv
Jun 26, 2007, 4:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,062
Just came back from Sydney and Cairns. Stayed at the Hilton in Cairns. Clean hotel, decent location a 2 minute walk from the Reef Terminal in Cairns. Not on the "beach". Cairns seems more of a harbour than a beachfront locale. Have heard from many sources that the best snorkeling is out of Port Douglas farther north. Supposedly you can get companies to bus you up there. I got the Hilton for around 150 AUD on wotif.com. Also, consider a live aboard reef trip.
Also, be wary of Jetstar and Virgin Blue for airlines if you have a lot of luggage. They limit you to 44 lbs per person and they actually do weigh your carryon to limit it to 7kg. Their overweight charges are pretty steep. Jetstar was 7AUD per KG. We went over by 2kg. We had several flights booked on Qantas in Business on this trip. I casually mentioned this to the agent with no effect. She had already said the magic word "exit row", so I didn't force the issue.
Also, be wary of Jetstar and Virgin Blue for airlines if you have a lot of luggage. They limit you to 44 lbs per person and they actually do weigh your carryon to limit it to 7kg. Their overweight charges are pretty steep. Jetstar was 7AUD per KG. We went over by 2kg. We had several flights booked on Qantas in Business on this trip. I casually mentioned this to the agent with no effect. She had already said the magic word "exit row", so I didn't force the issue.
Jun 26, 2007, 5:01 pm
#3
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Just came back from Sydney and Cairns. Stayed at the Hilton in Cairns. Clean hotel, decent location a 2 minute walk from the Reef Terminal in Cairns. Not on the "beach". Cairns seems more of a harbour than a beachfront locale. Have heard from many sources that the best snorkeling is out of Port Douglas farther north. Supposedly you can get companies to bus you up there. I got the Hilton for around 150 AUD on wotif.com. Also, consider a live aboard reef trip.
Also, be wary of Jetstar and Virgin Blue for airlines if you have a lot of luggage. They limit you to 44 lbs per person and they actually do weigh your carryon to limit it to 7kg. Their overweight charges are pretty steep. Jetstar was 7AUD per KG. We went over by 2kg. We had several flights booked on Qantas in Business on this trip. I casually mentioned this to the agent with no effect. She had already said the magic word "exit row", so I didn't force the issue.
Also, be wary of Jetstar and Virgin Blue for airlines if you have a lot of luggage. They limit you to 44 lbs per person and they actually do weigh your carryon to limit it to 7kg. Their overweight charges are pretty steep. Jetstar was 7AUD per KG. We went over by 2kg. We had several flights booked on Qantas in Business on this trip. I casually mentioned this to the agent with no effect. She had already said the magic word "exit row", so I didn't force the issue.
Jun 26, 2007, 5:05 pm
#4
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Excellent heads up for me! I only looked at the Hilton website in Cairns and noticed it looked kind of beachy. My luggage weighs quite a bit empty so I'd probably be in trouble. I'm bring a decent sized carry-on too because there is only a little over an hour in my LAX connection and it's too bit to big to incorporate in a suitcase for future flights.
msv
msv
Last edited by msv; Jun 26, 2007 at 5:11 pm Reason: spelling
Jun 26, 2007, 5:47 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 438
You can book a roundtrip ticket with Qantas for about AU$440/US$375 or Jetstar for about AU$355/US$299. I'm not sure what the Jetstar extra baggage fee is though.
FWIW, I'd go with Qantas. I think that you can earn AA miles and I always had great service when i flew with them.
Consider Calypso for your trip to the Reef. They offer snorkeling and scuba. I decided to snorkel, but if i had to do it again, i think I'd do their Intro to Scuba dive instead.
And you said you have your heart set on the Bridge Climb. It's anywhere from AU$200 - 250 (US$170 - 210) depending on the time of day. But it is worth it! If need be, save money elsewhere. But find a way to squeeze this into your budget.
Reserve your spot soon though as they do tend to book up.
FWIW, I'd go with Qantas. I think that you can earn AA miles and I always had great service when i flew with them.
Consider Calypso for your trip to the Reef. They offer snorkeling and scuba. I decided to snorkel, but if i had to do it again, i think I'd do their Intro to Scuba dive instead.
And you said you have your heart set on the Bridge Climb. It's anywhere from AU$200 - 250 (US$170 - 210) depending on the time of day. But it is worth it! If need be, save money elsewhere. But find a way to squeeze this into your budget.
Reserve your spot soon though as they do tend to book up.
Jun 26, 2007, 6:00 pm
#6
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You can book a roundtrip ticket with Qantas for about AU$440/US$375 or Jetstar for about AU$355/US$299. I'm not sure what the Jetstar extra baggage fee is though.
FWIW, I'd go with Qantas. I think that you can earn AA miles and I always had great service when i flew with them.
Consider Calypso for your trip to the Reef. They offer snorkeling and scuba. I decided to snorkel, but if i had to do it again, i think I'd do their Intro to Scuba dive instead.
And you said you have your heart set on the Bridge Climb. It's anywhere from AU$200 - 250 (US$170 - 210) depending on the time of day. But it is worth it! If need be, save money elsewhere. But find a way to squeeze this into your budget.
Reserve your spot soon though as they do tend to book up.
FWIW, I'd go with Qantas. I think that you can earn AA miles and I always had great service when i flew with them.
Consider Calypso for your trip to the Reef. They offer snorkeling and scuba. I decided to snorkel, but if i had to do it again, i think I'd do their Intro to Scuba dive instead.
And you said you have your heart set on the Bridge Climb. It's anywhere from AU$200 - 250 (US$170 - 210) depending on the time of day. But it is worth it! If need be, save money elsewhere. But find a way to squeeze this into your budget.
Reserve your spot soon though as they do tend to book up.
Where does Calypso leave from? Do you need to book in advance?
I was so tempted to fly AA and Quantas out but narrow planes were only offered to the west coast for me. Many with multiple connections. This is my first experience on United - sigh I know they haven't exactly been popular with the FT people.
I guess I just want a few really good knock-your-socks off Australian experiences and a lot of walking and vegging on the beach for the remainder of the the time. I'm sure I'll snorkle more than once though so trying two different experiences would be great.
Thanks ALL!!
msv
Jun 26, 2007, 6:16 pm
#7
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msv, regarding BridgeClimb, the twilight one was the best one to do, IMO, but the pricing has been adjusted accordingly! Quite a premium now. Pricing is in the link - see the second set from July 07.
Perhaps you can e-mail the company to find out the actual time that the last 'day' climb gets out onto the bridge. Check the bom.gov.au website for the Sydney weather forecast, which also gives the time of sunset.
A slightly cloudy day is fine, for a more interesting sunset; August is probably going to be okay for weather, but if there is too much rain or cloud the week of your visit, maybe try to book the second day of your stay, with the option to defer/raincheck to the following day if necessary.
My wife (gf at the time) and later I have both done the walk and really enjoyed it, but would recommend you go at the earliest or latest walk of the 'day'. Night view is OK, but better to do that from the Blu Horizon bar!
Perhaps you can e-mail the company to find out the actual time that the last 'day' climb gets out onto the bridge. Check the bom.gov.au website for the Sydney weather forecast, which also gives the time of sunset.
A slightly cloudy day is fine, for a more interesting sunset; August is probably going to be okay for weather, but if there is too much rain or cloud the week of your visit, maybe try to book the second day of your stay, with the option to defer/raincheck to the following day if necessary.
My wife (gf at the time) and later I have both done the walk and really enjoyed it, but would recommend you go at the earliest or latest walk of the 'day'. Night view is OK, but better to do that from the Blu Horizon bar!
Jun 26, 2007, 6:48 pm
#8
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,648
msv, regarding BridgeClimb, the twilight one was the best one to do, IMO, but the pricing has been adjusted accordingly! Quite a premium now. Pricing is in the link - see the second set from July 07.
Perhaps you can e-mail the company to find out the actual time that the last 'day' climb gets out onto the bridge. Check the bom.gov.au website for the Sydney weather forecast, which also gives the time of sunset.
A slightly cloudy day is fine, for a more interesting sunset; August is probably going to be okay for weather, but if there is too much rain or cloud the week of your visit, maybe try to book the second day of your stay, with the option to defer/raincheck to the following day if necessary.
My wife (gf at the time) and later I have both done the walk and really enjoyed it, but would recommend you go at the earliest or latest walk of the 'day'. Night view is OK, but better to do that from the Blu Horizon bar!
Perhaps you can e-mail the company to find out the actual time that the last 'day' climb gets out onto the bridge. Check the bom.gov.au website for the Sydney weather forecast, which also gives the time of sunset.
A slightly cloudy day is fine, for a more interesting sunset; August is probably going to be okay for weather, but if there is too much rain or cloud the week of your visit, maybe try to book the second day of your stay, with the option to defer/raincheck to the following day if necessary.
My wife (gf at the time) and later I have both done the walk and really enjoyed it, but would recommend you go at the earliest or latest walk of the 'day'. Night view is OK, but better to do that from the Blu Horizon bar!
MSV
Last edited by msv; Jun 26, 2007 at 6:52 pm Reason: spelling
Jun 26, 2007, 7:21 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: BNE
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msv, regarding BridgeClimb, the twilight one was the best one to do, IMO, but the pricing has been adjusted accordingly! Quite a premium now. Pricing is in the link - see the second set from July 07.
I've done the climb 3 times (with friends visiting from o/s) and still think it is good value for money. Listening to the guides explaining the bureaucracy involved in the operation and be thankful that the price isn't higher
Cairns Hilton is a clean, well run hotel. Although I switched to mainly IC properties, I have spent many a night there and always had excellent service and the staff have always been friendly.
I also agree with the suggestion of a live-a-board if time permits. A day (or two) spent in Port Douglas is also recommended. Nice drive up there and stop in Mossman Gorge for a swim.
Keep in mind that Qantas "N" class fares do not earn AA miles.
Have a great trip!
Jun 26, 2007, 7:31 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 438
If you want wandering on the beach, then I'm not sure Cairns is where you should stay. You may want to look at one of the beach cities slightly north. The good news is that many of the hotels are the timeshare/condo variety so you can save money by going to the grocery store instead of eating out.
Calypso leaves from Port Douglas and I booked the day before. Other good experiences are the rainforest and Kuranda village.
Are you planning on renting a car? I didn't need one in either Sydney or Cairns as every excursion i did had some type of transportation option - which may work out to be less than a car/gas/insurance.
I felt as though I spent a lot of money on things such as the bridge climb, the Reef, etc, but the total at the end really wasn't too bad. Remember that Australia is one of the few countries friendly to the US dollar and tax is almost always included in all rates.
Finally, if you can't use Hilton points in Sydney, then consider staying at the Russell. I had a superior room with a shared bath and would stay there again in a heartbeat. It was very clean, the bathroom felt private (shared with one other room), the location is amazing, the rate is reasonable and it includes a complete breakfast.
PS. I did the last regular tour on the Bridge Climb before the official twilight one and was perfectly happy. We could see some of the twilight glow on our way down and it was a lot cheaper!
Calypso leaves from Port Douglas and I booked the day before. Other good experiences are the rainforest and Kuranda village.
Are you planning on renting a car? I didn't need one in either Sydney or Cairns as every excursion i did had some type of transportation option - which may work out to be less than a car/gas/insurance.
I felt as though I spent a lot of money on things such as the bridge climb, the Reef, etc, but the total at the end really wasn't too bad. Remember that Australia is one of the few countries friendly to the US dollar and tax is almost always included in all rates.
Finally, if you can't use Hilton points in Sydney, then consider staying at the Russell. I had a superior room with a shared bath and would stay there again in a heartbeat. It was very clean, the bathroom felt private (shared with one other room), the location is amazing, the rate is reasonable and it includes a complete breakfast.
PS. I did the last regular tour on the Bridge Climb before the official twilight one and was perfectly happy. We could see some of the twilight glow on our way down and it was a lot cheaper!
Jun 26, 2007, 7:42 pm
#11
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
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If you want wandering on the beach, then I'm not sure Cairns is where you should stay. You may want to look at one of the beach cities slightly north. The good news is that many of the hotels are the timeshare/condo variety so you can save money by going to the grocery store instead of eating out.
Calypso leaves from Port Douglas and I booked the day before. Other good experiences are the rainforest and Kuranda village.
Are you planning on renting a car? I didn't need one in either Sydney or Cairns as every excursion i did had some type of transportation option - which may work out to be less than a car/gas/insurance.
I felt as though I spent a lot of money on things such as the bridge climb, the Reef, etc, but the total at the end really wasn't too bad. Remember that Australia is one of the few countries friendly to the US dollar and tax is almost always included in all rates.
Finally, if you can't use Hilton points in Sydney, then consider staying at the Russell. I had a superior room with a shared bath and would stay there again in a heartbeat. It was very clean, the bathroom felt private (shared with one other room), the location is amazing, the rate is reasonable and it includes a complete breakfast.
PS. I did the last regular tour on the Bridge Climb before the official twilight one and was perfectly happy. We could see some of the twilight glow on our way down and it was a lot cheaper!
Calypso leaves from Port Douglas and I booked the day before. Other good experiences are the rainforest and Kuranda village.
Are you planning on renting a car? I didn't need one in either Sydney or Cairns as every excursion i did had some type of transportation option - which may work out to be less than a car/gas/insurance.
I felt as though I spent a lot of money on things such as the bridge climb, the Reef, etc, but the total at the end really wasn't too bad. Remember that Australia is one of the few countries friendly to the US dollar and tax is almost always included in all rates.
Finally, if you can't use Hilton points in Sydney, then consider staying at the Russell. I had a superior room with a shared bath and would stay there again in a heartbeat. It was very clean, the bathroom felt private (shared with one other room), the location is amazing, the rate is reasonable and it includes a complete breakfast.
PS. I did the last regular tour on the Bridge Climb before the official twilight one and was perfectly happy. We could see some of the twilight glow on our way down and it was a lot cheaper!
For my stupid question of the day. Do you have to convert all money to Australian $$ or do they accept US $ too? I'm really used to the Carribean and Bermuda that don't care.
Thanks
MSV
Jun 26, 2007, 7:50 pm
#12
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No need for an international drivers license - yours will do as long as it is in English!
Car rental is relatively cheap, even if our fuel is a little more expensive.
Grand Mercure is managing a lot of new condos, so it might be worth looking on the accor website (no cleaning fees..e.g. Grand Mercure Palm Cove), along with stayz.com.au (similar to vrbo) and a few others.
Car rental is relatively cheap, even if our fuel is a little more expensive.
Grand Mercure is managing a lot of new condos, so it might be worth looking on the accor website (no cleaning fees..e.g. Grand Mercure Palm Cove), along with stayz.com.au (similar to vrbo) and a few others.
Jun 26, 2007, 7:52 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 438
That said, I'd assume that you'd get the worst possible exchange rate if you offered a business American money so i wouldn't even try it.
Jun 26, 2007, 8:01 pm
#14
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Use VISA Debit if there are no fees on it at your end.
If you offer 1:1 exchange then you'll be able to spend your USD
; it has fallen to a 20yr low against the AUD$, as you've possibly noticed. I think the AUD$ got up to USD$0.8499 in trading yesterday!
If you offer 1:1 exchange then you'll be able to spend your USD
; it has fallen to a 20yr low against the AUD$, as you've possibly noticed. I think the AUD$ got up to USD$0.8499 in trading yesterday!
Jun 26, 2007, 8:03 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Posts: 1,368
My recommendations.
1. Stay a couple of nights in the Daintree Rainforest near Port Douglas. I think we stated at the Coconut Grove Resort -- my wife thought it was marvelous as did on a later trip, my business partner.
2. Go to an island rather than stay in Cairns or Port Douglas. Heron is supposed to be great. Also, Lizard, Heyman. I think Lizard is actually in the Great Barrier Reef. In the wrong seasons, you can't really swim in the ocean at Cairns or Port Douglas due to the lethal box jellyfish. You can swim at the islands. So, you have to take a boat from Port Douglas to the Great Barrier Reef, which makes the day short.
We did spend one night at the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas, which was pretty nice. We had an interesting walk-through of an aviary nearby.
But, the great stuff was in Daintree and on the Great Barrier Reef. Both are extraordinary.
Is this the kind of advice you had in mind?
1. Stay a couple of nights in the Daintree Rainforest near Port Douglas. I think we stated at the Coconut Grove Resort -- my wife thought it was marvelous as did on a later trip, my business partner.
2. Go to an island rather than stay in Cairns or Port Douglas. Heron is supposed to be great. Also, Lizard, Heyman. I think Lizard is actually in the Great Barrier Reef. In the wrong seasons, you can't really swim in the ocean at Cairns or Port Douglas due to the lethal box jellyfish. You can swim at the islands. So, you have to take a boat from Port Douglas to the Great Barrier Reef, which makes the day short.
We did spend one night at the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas, which was pretty nice. We had an interesting walk-through of an aviary nearby.
But, the great stuff was in Daintree and on the Great Barrier Reef. Both are extraordinary.
Is this the kind of advice you had in mind?
