Tracy E

We are looking at going to Australia and NZ this Xmas, we have a friend who is backpacking for a year and intend to meet him in Sydney for December.<BR><BR>The earliest we can fly is 20th December and we have 3 weeks.<BR><BR>We would like to see the following: -<BR><BR>Sydney<BR>Melbourne<BR>Great Barrier Reef<BR>Ayers Rock<BR>7 nights in Auckland.<BR><BR>Could someone please advise the best route to this. As you could imagine we would like to be in Sydney for Xmas Day with our friend.<BR><BR>We would like approximately 7 nights in Auckland to see family.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Tracy

liz

I would take out Ayres Rock if I were you unless you are into " Lawrence of Arabia" type stuff seeing that it will be about as hot as you can get. You would not be able to climb the rock or do too much at that time of year. <BR>Also I would look at the reason you want to go to Melbourne at that time of year too as it can be like a desert in summer as well. <BR>The GBR should still be OK and not into the rainly season at that time and Sydney should be nice too. I would be heading to Tasmania at that time and not being to ambitious.

Aussie

I have to question if Liz has been to Melbourne. in Dec/Jan.<BR>This past summer we really didn't get any hot weather. The best weather has been the last month. But we can never forcast on day at a time let alone a year in advance

xxx

Yes Liz has been to Melbourne, yes Liz has lived in Melbourne in winter (urgh), autumn, summer ( urgh!) and spring. Any one of those seasons can be like any other. The one reliable thing about Melbourne's weather is that it is as unreliable as you can get and YES I know that Melbourne had a dreadful summer this year with heating on in the middle of it, winds and rain. <BR>Do you suppose that some of us are stupid enough to answer questions without knowing anything about the places we are talking about? <BR>"generally speaking" Melbourne can be dry and hot in summer and unpleasant and brown ( which is what it was this summer) - is that better? The interior of Victoria in a hot part of the year is unbearable and not at all interesting. <BR>However Victoria is a beautiful place if you are there at the right time of year if they have had the right climatic conditions.

leslie

Tracy - <BR><BR>I also live in Melb, and although it can get hot here - the same goes for Sydney & the rest of the country. However, Dec. usually isn't too bad. I would also assume that if you were going to visit Melb, you probably wouldn't get to the interior of Victoria?? I agree w/ leaving out one of the destinations, and despite the fact I love Melb - I would probably leave that out. I did a similar trip before I moved here (diff. time of year) and we went from Sydney to Ayers Rock to the Reef & back to Sydney. I also spent Xmas in the GBR one year and it poured for the entire week. Others have had great weather. It's just going to be hit or miss in the far north. And despite the fact Ayers Rock will be hot (probably very hot - be prepared) during the day, the sights are amazing. I didn't climb the rock anyway (personal decision for everyone - but the Aborigines ask that you don't out of respect for one of their sacred places, however many do climb) and found that 3 days still provided me w/ amazing sights. Wherever you go, wear a hat & DON'T FORGET YOUR SUNSCREEN.

aussie

Liz, Tracy E is asking for out opinions on her trip, she & others don't need a nasty reply. Thankyou.

xxx

Yes that is right, Tracy is asking for opinions, when someone give them, someone else decides that they don't like the answer and says so. Sorry but I didn't tell you what an idiot I thought you were in that you didn't see what the Daintree was about so I would be happy if you kept your opinions to yourself too. I don't happen to think that Melbourne is worth seeing at any time of the year and I am entitled to that opinion, whether you think I have or have not been there is irrelevent so perhaps it is YOU who should keep your opinions to yourself - thank you

Alan

I always look at replies like the ones immediately above (the American board is full of them, only they come straight out and say things like "you are full of crap") and wonder if these people would talk to each other like this if they were face to face. I think they would probably turn into normal, polite citizens who respected others' opinions. But the anonymity of the internet is a powerful stimulus to our baser instincts... we can hide behind a false email address and abuse people to our heart's content.... like children behind a backyard fence. <BR><BR>Tracey, Liz is right when she says that Uluru is deadly around Christmas.... practically anywhere away from the coast will be too hot, and it isn't just the heat, it's the flies which will use your back for their international airport and fly in your mouth when you're in the middle of a sentence. My advice is to stay with the coast... maybe do Sydney until Christmas Day and then, in that "dead" week between Christmas and New Year, when there are often special last-minute airfares offered (since everyone stays home with their family), see if you can find a cheap flight to the Reef or to Auckland. Queensland will be extremely hot at this time of year, too, but since you will be on the coast, you will at least have the temperature tempered by the cooling breeze. <BR><BR>I have never been to Melbourne at Christmas, but "dry" and "dusty" are words I have heard used to describe it at that time of year, too, so I would listen to Liz. Better to spend that week in New Zealand and concentrate on the areas of Eastern Australia where the heat won't matter much: Sydney and points up the coast to the Reef. Also, by doing it that way, you won't feel so rushed. One word of warning: this is school holiday time, so three-quarters of Australia will be taking their holidays at the same time as you... from January 1 to the last week in January. The popular tourist areas will be full of people, prices will be high, and services stretched to the limit. If you can locate a few stops which the tourists haven't discovered, you'll be streets ahead... but I confess I can't bring any to mind at this moment. Maybe the next few posters, instead of hurling abuse at each other, can suggest some of these to you, based on their own experience. Good luck!

Aussie

And now we have Mr Plod the Fodor policeman aka Alan Jarmanah telling everyone what to do. Isn't that nice?

Aussie

To the person who posted the above in my name. Shame on you. I am a true Aussie, 8th.Generation (not that many can claim that.) & I would never ever be so rude as to post such a dreadful post on a forum as this person has .

Robbo

Ha Aussie, these nasty entries have all the hallmarks of Liz....have a good look through a lot of the forum entries & the nasty pastie always seems to be Liz , ignore her !

Cathy

Serve you right Aussie! you had too much to say, now someone is getting at you. I know who Robbo is and he can have his say and no one wil tough him. <BR>You are all Ar...holes you Aussies

Sally

Tracy E,<BR>Well it looks like a wonderful holiday.<BR>If you have the $$$<BR>I would recommend having Christmas Dinner in Sydney at The Inter-Continental Hotel. It is fantastic.<BR>Accom along the coast is at its highest,<BR>You would have to look at making final plans & booking a.s.a.p.<BR>

kat

I have never used this type of forum and hope I can get some insite on travel to Australia for the first time. We will be attending a club trip in Port Douglas - Sheraton Resort and would like to also travel to a few other places. We are traveling in June and are considering seeing sites in Sydney and somewhere in New Zealand. We would consider 3-4 nights in each place. Any suggestions of what are the best highlights of Australia and/or New Zealand if we only have about a week to add onto the Great Barrier Reef portion.<BR>