dreamingofoz

Thank you for everyone's suggestion so far! Please continue to post, they have been very helpful. I do think I could fly into Sydney and out of Melbourne, so I will try that. The only reason I had included Adelaide/Kangaroo Island was because I had read that it was the best place to see lots of wildlife in the wild. I think it would be more exciting to see kangaroos, etc. in the wild than in a zoo. Do you really think I would be able to see them on the Great Ocean Road or outside Cairns? If so, I will just forget about Adelaide altogether. Also, do you think if I have 3 or 4 days in Sydney that I should use one to make a day trip to the Blue Mtns. or do you think that would be too rushed? And finally does anyone have any suggestions for a 2 or 3 day liveaboard that won't break the bank? Thanks again for everyone's help!

Bokhara2

You're very likely to see numbers of kangaroos out of Cairns, possibly some along the Great Ocean Road, too. In Cairns/Port Douglas, you can do some fabulous day trips to find all sorts of wildlife.

Yes, if you have 4 days in Sydney, you could easily devote one to a trip to the Blue Mountains.

Do a search (top RHS of this page)- there has been quite a lot of chat about the Blue Mountains in the last few days. You could incorporate a visit to Featherdale (animal park) & meet some koalas, wombats, kangaroos 'up close & personal',if you wanted. You can either do this independently, taking a train, or with an individual tour operator/guide.

DownUnder

Yes KI has been extremely well marketed in recent years. The Kangaroos you see there are not the "Big Reds" that Australia is famous for, but Kangaroos nevertheless. On the GOR you would be most unlucky not to see Kangaroos at Anglesea Golf Course
http://www.anglesea-online.com.au/wi..._with_roos.asp and Koalas at Kennett River or Cape Otway Light station http://www.lightstation.com/ also www.greatoceanroad.org

Melnq8

We saw plenty of koalas in the trees along the GOR - we saw many around Otway Lightstation, saw one crossing the road very near Apollo Bay, and even saw a few in a tree next to the visitors center in Lorne. Somehow we missed the 'roos on the golfcourse (didn't know about it until after-the-fact), but have since made up for it in WA.

Sand_Dollar

Not that many Kangaroos or wallabies around cairns, though have seen them now and then and my dog likes to chase the odd wallaby. For a tourist who can't wait weeks to see one then maybe head west on the tableland to Granite Gorge for rock wallaby or farther west or north and in the early morning there are hundreds upon hundreds.