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Hi everyone!
I'm planning a 2-month trip to Australia next summer (July and August). I'm collecting ideas but my main destinations include the classic Sidney, Melbourne, Cairns, Perth and Alice Springs.
Do you have suggestions on attractions or things to do in those cities?
Also, I'd like to visit some parks to see wildlife, such as koalas, penguins and kangaroos and wallabes. Which is the best?
Do you recommend Kangaroo island or Phillip Island? How about Tasmania?
Finally, since I'll be there for 2 months I was looking for some work volunteer jobs, too. Do you have any websites or ideas about that?
Thank you!!!!
2 months in Australia
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Hi, here is a website that will help you organise some volunteer work with accommodation to recompense your efforts:
http://www.wwoof.com.au/
There would have to be other schemes - I think the Lonely Planet website (the Thorn Tree) has more for the backpacker-type traveller so you might try posting a request there.
Lavandula
With that much time you can afford quality time (at least a week) in top areas like Far North Queensland (Cairns, etc) and the Red Center (Alice, Uluru, Kings Canyon). At that time of year, I'd add the Top End (Darwin, Kakadu, Litchfield, etc.) to the list. Weather-wise, not the best time of year for Tasmania. Melbourne can be dreary and cold in the winter, and it is the rainy season in Perth. I wouldn't rule out Adelaide as a possibility. We visited the city in early Aug and had cool but very pleasant weather. Spent 10 days touring the wine country, the gorgeous Flinders Ranges to the north, as well as the very interesting, if somewhat bizarre opal town of Coober Pedy, deep in the Outback.
The Grampians is a good place to see native wildlife and there is some great hiking there. Halls Gap is the small town where most accommodation is. You would have to hire a car to get there I think.
If you don't mind the wildlife not being 'in the wild' then Healesville Sanctuary would be a good place to visit. It's about an hour's drive out of Melbourne and is similar to a zoo, but with only Australian animals.
I think the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne is worth a visit and the Visitors Info Centre offers guided walks with various themes.
Fruit picking has traditionally been the sort of job that backpackers do for a month or so then move on. You could check out Gumtree for job ideas.
http://melbourne.gumtree.com.au/
Make sure you have the right sort of visa for working, even volunteer work can be against the rules depending on the visa and country. You don't want to get stopped at immigration and sent home.
Also you say you are visiting in summer, I suppose you know July/August is our winter, so the southern states will be quite cool and rainy while the northern part of Australia will be warm and sunny.
Kay