Planning on a Mileage run in Australia - 6 nights and 7 days. Any suggestions for the trip?? Would definitely like to visit Sydney. Would you recommend any other cities - Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin???

Paging ozstamps ...


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sftrvlr

I've been a few times. My favorite was flying onto SYD, staying a couple of days, renting a car and driving down the coast to MEL, stopping a couple of nights along the way. Saw some great beaches ... even kangaroos on the beach ... and whale watching. A couple of days in MEL and some wine country (around Melbourne) driving/tasting. Or ... SYD then up to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef? I loved Port Douglas and the rain forest up there.


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sftrvlr

[This message has been edited by sftrvlr (edited Dec 10, 2003).]

Hi

Australia is really big. Unless you want to spend the whole time travelling I would stick with one or two areas on the east coast.

You didnt mention when you might be going. This may make a difference, as for example northern Queensland, Darwin and the Top End is very hot and unpleasant during the wet season.

Sydney is almost sub-tropical so pleasant year round. Plenty to see and do nearby - good for several days (or more) for a first time visit.

Melbourne & Adelaide are quite nice and good for a few days too. Further south so cooler in winter - not really cold though. Can occasionally be really hot in summer.

I'll leave it to the Ozzie FTers to suggest the must do's

Good luck with the plans.

KF

I am planning on travelling Feb 16 - 22nd.
Any thoughts on Perth, Brisbane, Darwin?
I am definitely planning on spending couple of days in Sydney.

I expect our FT friends downunder will be getting out of bed any moment ... keep checking back for advice. There's also an FT forum for Australia ...


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sftrvlr

[This message has been edited by sftrvlr (edited Dec 10, 2003).]

that was going to be my first suggestion, there is a ton of info in that forum and it is very active.

FYI, incase you don't know, the search function is in the upper right hand corner of the page.

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Visit FlyerTalk Dining http://flyertalk.com/diningfr.shtml

Without going into specifics, the most memorable part of my trip to Australia was Ayer�s Rock (Uluru), practically in the center of the Outback of Australia.

If you have the time, I highly recommend it.

To offer some perpective to which an American citizen can relate, Australia is roughly the size of the continental 48 United States.

Make your travel plans accordingly.

I grew up in Darwin and personally I would really recommend against visiting in February, unless of course you like 24 hour a day saunas. It is very humid and hot, d@mn hot, and there is no relief at night (although an airconditioned hotel room will obviously take care of that). Beware, the maximum daytime temperature may not look all that high but it doesn't tell the full story.

At that time of year you also cannot swim in the sea because of the box jellyfish (which we used to call sea wasps) - they WILL kill you with their tentacles (from memory the poison shuts down the nervous system and you can't breathe). Even a very minor sting causes unbelievable pain which will revisit every now and then for years (my brother was stung once).

It's also a really long way from anything. It is the stepping off point for a trip to Kakadu and a few other places, but at that time of year (the Wet Season), chances are high that the roads will be flooded and you will either not make it there or not be able to get back.

Having said all of that, it is perhaps worth taking some of what I have said with a grain of salt - I haven't lived there for almost 25 years but I'm pretty sure I still have "issues."

Perth is nice, but again at that time of year it can be really hot - way over 100F at times, and Perth has the same problem of being a really long way from the east coast. Brisbane will also be humid, but not to the same debilitating level that Darwin reaches. It's a good option for that tropical experience with the benefit of being relatively close (in Australian terms) to other significant attractions like the Great Barrier Reef, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Surfers' Paradise, a number of rainforests and the various Queensland islands. It is also only an hour or so flight from Sydney.

With only seven days I would probably stay on the east coast - plenty to do in Sydney, Brisbane and their environs.

Have fun!

Thank you Alan and fellow FT Friends......This really helps me and I will do further research in FT Travel section....

Rajeev

I was just over for my 11th vacation trip last month, visiting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane/Sunshine Coast over 8 days (my shortest trip ever). Photos here

I'd pick your destination depending what you want to see/do. Beaches? Outback? Mountains? City life?

If you are a Star Alliance FF then a good route is LAX-AKL-MEL or SYD on NZ. The MEL route will net you about 300 more miles then the SYD route for the same fare. I use a consolidator in NYC that can book D class for around $4900. Booking this way will net you an additional 25% COS bonus.

I go down under 4-5 times a year and all of the cities you are suggesting are very nice and very different. For a short stay try 3 days in Sydney (acutually reminds me of Chicago except better weather, safer and much less expensive) In SYD Check out the Sydney Aquarium (any closer to a shark and you'll need a flashlight), the ferry ride to Manley (bargain of the century) and of course a walk through the Botanical Gardens. For dining try the Pier in RoseBay. Not cheap but memorable. (count on $100+ AUD + booze and tip PP)

A cheap 1 hour flight to MEL will cost you around $150 AUD return on Virgin Blue. Quantas has competitive fares but they are not available on every flight.

In MEL A walk along the St Kilda's Promenade at sunset is a must. (Sunset is as good as Key West without the crowds), The food court in the South Bank River Center Mall is a model of efficiency and variety. (Cheap eats and very good) Upstairs the retaurants are pricier and not as good IMHO)

In both cities the Starwood properties are wonderful. The Westin Melbourne is my favorite Business Class hotel in the world. Not as opulent as the St. Regis in Rome, but bright, clean and classy. In Sydney the bargain of the century is the Four Points Sheraton on Darling Harbour. It used to be a Nikko that Sheraton took over and maintained in its original condition. If you get any harbour view room, you will be treated with a world class view, and you'll be walking distance from all sorts of neat little cafes and shops.

Enjoy