Vercillo

We are two couples in our late sixties and will be taking a cruise from Aukland to Sydney. What sightseeing suggestions does anyone have for a couple of days in Aukland before boarding the cruise ship as well as a couple of days in Sydney after disembarking? We have also been told that an additional side trip to Cairns to see the Rain Forest and Great Barrier Reef is a must. Any ideas on where to stay and the best way to spend our time in seeing these cities and sites?

di2315

Hello Vercillo

Are you considering a trip to Cairns during your Sydney stay, or are there extra days you can spend there?

Also, if you can let us know the kinds of things you are interested in doing and seeing, it will be easier to offer some advice.

There's much more to do here than you can possibly cover in a couple of days, so we need to narrow down the choices for you.

Di

Vercillo

We are planning 2-3 days at each of the three stops that I mentioned - Aukland, Sydney & Cairns. We are not active athletic individuals but love to see the sights - things like the Great Barrier Reef & Rain Forrest out of Cairns and of course Sydney's Opera House, Harbor/Bridge and we heard of an area called the "Rocks." We are not sure about things that can be seen or done in the few days that we would spend in Aukland before boarding our ship.

osteorach

Auckland - a little depends on the weather:

Good weather options:
1.take the ferry to devonport and walk to North head / narrow neck beach. Also quaint shops in devonport to look around. North head has excellent views back towards the city
2. Take the ferry to waiheke island and spend the day there
3. Head along the waterfront to mission bay. Beautiful walk along the sea front with different views of auckland / harbour
4. Head up Mt Eden - this time you are looking at auckland with the harbour in the background
5. Piha beach - don't know if you can get out there but AWESOME black sand beach.
6. Sky tower - if its clear head up for a meal in the revolving restaurant.
7. Auckland zoo - one of the best in the world (better than taronga IMHO)
These are options within auckland. there may also be day trip tours to locations like:
waitomo glow worm caves
hobbiton - if you're a LoR / Hobbit fan

Bad weather:
Auckland war memorial museum
Auckland Art gallery


Sydney
Sydney opera house / rocks / darling harbor - all CBD sydney - take the ferry from circular quay to darling harbor. The opera house and the rocks are both accessible from circular quay - most cruise ships dock here.
Take the train / taxi to Bondi beach and walk from bondi to coogee
Taronga zoo

Hope this helps

osteorach

Gosh: where to stay.
Auckland - somewhere near the viaduct / sky tower or between the two (viaduct ideal)

Sydney - close towards circular quay / rocks / CBD

sharkwhite

hope i have a chance to go Pacifics.

already visit singapore,malay,thailand and UAE....
looking forwarding to ride....

Susan7

Other Sydney possibilities: a day trip to the Blue Mountains, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art, a ferry trip to Cockatoo Island (convict and industrial site), Hyde Park Barracks Museum (another convict site), Museum of Sydney. If you are interested in modern architecture, Rose Seidler House. The bar at the top of Australia Square, also designed by Harry Seidler, gives you an amazing view of the city. It rotates so you get a 360 degree view over about an hour.

Also don't miss the recently acquired Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller audio walk around Millers Point--you can pick up an iPhone to do the tour from the public library at Customs House at dusk. It's free and a legacy work acquired by the city from this year's biennale. Comes with a high recommendation from the Lord Mayor Clover Moore, she said it really showed her Sydney in a different light.

Depending on the time of year, a trip to the beach as Osteorach suggests, for a swim or a walk. For Bondi, the train only goes as far as Bondi Junction, but plenty of buses go all the way from the city to the beach. You could also get a ferry from Circular Quay to the beach at Manly.

regina_mari

I'm going to Cairns in August for a wedding and will be travelling with my Mother and Aunt. We booked this package to see the reef and Kuranda rainforest from Cairns, http://www.visitcairns.com.au/store/...0-f3b0886e1ddc . Some of us are going the reef and pontoon option while the non swimmers are only doing the Green Island bit. It's really good because even though we're doing different tours we'll be on the same cruiseboat.

marg

Your cruise ship may dock at White Bay terminal which is away from the CBD and has no public transport. Our ship offered shuttle buses to and from the Opera House which is a good start to wandering around Sydney. There were some taxis when we docked but they went rapidly.
I'd suggest you visit the Queen Victoria Building - very impressive building with lots of very nice (and expensive) shops. The Strand Arcade is another quaint old building to walk through. For lunch, try the café on the top floor of the Museum for Modern Art at Circular Quay - great views over the harbour. Walk around the Rocks. You can take a ferry from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour - lots of restaurants, the Maritime Museum, more shops.
If you just want to sit and look, take a Captain Cook cruise around the harbour, or take a ferry to Manly for lunch.

longhorn55

If you are not "active, athletic individuals", then I would recommend one of the following boats for your trip to the Outer Reef--Reef Magic if you are in Cairns and Quicksilver if you are in Port Douglas. Both of those are large boats which go to a fixed pontoon on the Outer Reef. At the pontoon, you can snorkel and dive if you want, but you can also experience the Reef without getting wet. They have an underwater viewing platform, glass bottom boat rides and semi-submersible rides.

dottyp

When in Sydney I would recommend a day at Darling Harbour. My DH and I are in our mid to late 60s, and spent a day there a year ago. Wandered around the Maritime Museum, looked at all the boats outside (interesting) then across to Wildlife Sydney - a mini zoo with an interesting collection of Australian animals and reptiles, and then on to the Sydney Aquarium.
I would endorse the other suggestions for Sydney although some of them I have not visited for some years.

Susan7

There is public transport from White Bay, it's just a short walk up to Victoria Road to the bus stop where there's lots of buses going into the city.