10 days itinerary

Old Apr 10th, 2014, 02:50 AM
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10 days itinerary

Hi all,

I am planning a trip in early may for 10 days.

arrival: melbourne
departure: sydney

We are three people. me and my wife. age 30 and a kid 2.25 years

we have read a lot about 10 days itineraries from different site. but over here we would prefer to hear from the travellers

a common itinerary would include

arrival in melbourne then to ayers rock then to gold coast and then to sydney

but do you think 10 days would be suitable for the above itinerary? is melbourne worth visiting? i mean the cricket ground and tennis courts sounds intriguing but should we be going there?

another question we are keen on trying skiing for a day. is it really possible in may?

also which is better option cairns or gold coast?

at present our itinerary is:
arrival at melbourne
day2: ocean road
day3: fly to ayers rock
day4: king canyon
day5: fly to gold coast
day6 and day7: gold coast
day8: fly to sydney
day10 or 11: departure

await your reply

thanks
mrali is offline  
Old Apr 10th, 2014, 03:50 AM
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What are your interests? With ten days, I would stick with two places, to give you time to fully enjoy them. Is this your first time in Australia? If so, Sydney would be a must do, and you can easily spend all 10 days there. For something different, perhaps split your time between Sydney and Uluru or the Reef, but not both. You could easily do Sydney and Melbourne too.
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 05:00 AM
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thanks for your feedback tripplanner

yes, this will be our first time.

reef is not attracting because after aus we go to thailand before flying home. so in thailand we can do diving or snorkelling.

how is gold coast btw?
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 08:23 AM
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I have not been to the Gold Coast, but from what I understand, it is a bit like Florida, with the theme parks, entertainment, etc. There are nice beaches, but you can get that in Sydney.

Do you like hiking? If so, Uluru and Kata Tjuta may be a good option for you, especially since it'll be cooler in May. It's also different than other parts of the country. I just came back from a trip there in December; you can find more information about it in my trip report in the Asia forum (you can click on my user name to find the report).

I also like combining Sydney with Melbourne as the two cities are quite different. From Melbourne, you could take day trips to the Great Ocean Road for fabulous coastal scenery, Philip Island for the little penguins, or the Yarra Valley for some good wine (you can do this in the Hunter Valley near Sydney as well).

Hope this helps.
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 11:39 PM
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oh my my .. i read your trip report amazing vacation. but as for me, i can only spare 15 days for family vacation

i love hiking, but the thing is i will have my kid who is 2.25 years old. do you think will it be possible with her? last year we went to japan. we walked a lot there, but the benefit we had was she was on stroller all the time. for hiking, i guess it will not be possible to carry her on stroller. what do you think?

as anyone tried sky dive in australia?
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 11:40 PM
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oh yes, i forgot to mention great tip on Melbourne side trip!
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Old Apr 11th, 2014, 03:58 AM
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Thank you for your compliments. You can see a lot in 15 days. You could do Uluru in a stroller, but Kata Tjuta, which in my opinion is a must, is much harder. I think combining Sydney and Melbourne makes the most sense, would be very easy to do, and there's plenty to keep you busy. Was in Japan in early 2012 myself and loved it.
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Old Apr 11th, 2014, 01:50 PM
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The highlights of Australia are really not the cities, it's the natural environment that is unique. I'd suggest only visiting one city and think about adding in Cairns for access to Daintree and the Reef. The snorkelling is quite spectacular.
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Old Apr 12th, 2014, 07:28 AM
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Here is another option for your short trip; We just returned to the U.S. from Australia. We flew in to Melbourne, rented a car, and drove the GOR to Apollo Bay; you can see wild Koala on the way. Then on to the 12 Apostles, and then Halls Gap in the Grampians. Wild Kangaroo, Wallaby, and Emus abound around Halls Gap! An easy drive back to the Melbourne airport for a flight to Sydney.
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Old Apr 12th, 2014, 03:29 PM
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If you are considering the Gold Coast to get some beach time, then can I suggest The Sunshine Coast which I think is much nicer. The Gold Coast is a bit trashy.
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Old Apr 12th, 2014, 04:43 PM
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May is too early to ski in Australia.

Not knowing how experienced/ amenable your 2.5 year old is to travelling, it's tricky to give useful info about walking etc.

If you're experienced hikers / bush walkers, you would probably be accustomed to a mix of s/him walking & being carried on your back. Strollers will not cut it at Kings Canyon or Kata Tjuta - but you may be able to use one at Uluru. It's 9-10 kms around the base.

Melbourne would be a good base, with the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island good overnight trips. Longer for the GOR if you can swing it. It's a cosmopolitan, European influenced city and will be colder than Sydney and points North. It has far more to offer than the tennis courts & MCA.

Sydney would also be a good base, with lots to entertain all 3, on & around the Harbour. In May, it may well be warm enough for a swim and the beaches are always nice for a walk. One in particular would be the Bondi to Bronte or a little farther along to Coogee. Take the stroller - there are parts where you will have to fold & carry, but for the most part, you could use it.
Day trips to the Blue Mountains & Hunter Valley & Hunter Valley Gardens may appeal to all of you.

Have a look at www.visitsydney.com.au and www.visitmelbourne.com.au for more info

Other useful links are www.qantas.com.au and www.virgin.com.au
These will show airline routes & schedules. If you join their web newsletters you will have advance notice of special fare promotions.

Google maps are good for showing distances & driving times between various places.
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 01:24 AM
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Thank you tripplanner, Susan, rmgood, cathies and bokhara for your post.

@rmgood: the idea that you suggested is it for a day or two? if its for more than a day, then where did you stayed in between? i'm quite intrigued please elaborate

@tripplanner @ Bokhara: I have no problem in carrying my kid in my arms. question is: is the area safe for walking? i mean if my kid insist on walking for sometime, can i let her do that? I am asking this because the idea of going up to king canyon or Kata tjuta is so so awesome. I am having adrenaline rush just by thinking about it

@cathies: no, we are not that much into beach. we will probably look for some adventure there, like sit on air balloon and sky dive

I read on internet that they give you surfing lesson on bondi beach. are there any other beach where they do this as well? i would love to experience this as well.
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 08:29 AM
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Uluru is safe for your kid to walk as the path around the rock is flat and on ground level. It would not be safe to have a kid on his or her own at Kata Tjuta, especially at Valley of the Winds, which is spectacular and a must-do with a reasonable level of fitness. I have not been to Kings Canyon, so I'll leave this for others to answer.

Re: surfing lessons, I believe it's available at both Manly and at Bondi.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 12:35 AM
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If you allow your child to walk around at kata Tjuta or Kings Canyon, make sure you have him/ her in a harness & lead. It is not safe to allow a toddler to walk around alone. And they are too fast for you to catch if they take off.

There are surf schools at Sydney's two major beaches. How many others do you need?
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 04:23 AM
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@bokhara: yes, i get your point. the reason i asked about other beaches is that i read that bondi beach is very crowded. sometimes its better to avoid too much crowd

anyways i was checking fares from and to ayers rock and it seems that only direct flight is from sydney and even if i take 1 stop flight from elsewhere the overall fare cost is too high. am i missing something over here? please advice?
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 09:44 AM
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You're right that flight options to Uluru are limited. Most flights require a connection in Alice Springs, and even then the prices are usually high.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 01:19 PM
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For the Sydney to Uluru flight, did you check Virgin as well as Qantas? The longer flights in Australia can be pricey, however. You could break your flight in Alice Springs, it has a lot to offer. Plus you would get a much better idea of the Red Centre there, Uluru is just a tourist resort.

The beaches in Sydney won't be crowded in May, it's winter.
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Old May 6th, 2014, 10:01 AM
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Sorry, I have been tied up and probably missed your departure.

For sure more than a day or two. We spent the first night in Apollo Bay, but suggest you go further - at least to 12 Aposles.

The on to Halls Gap; for at least two days (3 nights). We stayed at Baroka Downs - excellent with Kangaroo in your yard guaranteed! Easy drive to Melbourne airport from there.
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