michael_sv

Hi Fodor's members!
After reading few posts and trip reports, I've decided to post this and hopping that you can help me decide on my final trip itinerary.
First, a bit about myself - I'm 27 year old guy, like to dive, like to explore the city and nature. I will be traveling alone (and light) and my primary accommodations will be hostels.
I will arrive to Sydney on the 5th of August and my flight back home is on the 4th of September.

Items on my itinerary:
Sydney (5 days)
Melbourne (5 days)
Cairns (taking Pro Dive Cairns 4 day liveaboard trip from there)
Great ocean road (2-3 days)
Byron Bay
Noosa (not sure about this one)
Brisbane (Maybe taking route of Byron Bay -> Gold Cost -> Brisbane -> Noosa?)

The last 3 items on that list probably will take anywhere between 7 to 10 days easily.


Few questions:
- I understand that August is winter in Australia and not the most popular traveling season, and since I don't want to book all my hostels up in advance, is it safe to assume that I will be able to do it just few days in advance?
- Are places like Noosa, Byron Bay, Gold Cost are suitable for August? Plus, I'm not the guy who like to lay on the beach all day. Would you still recommend me seeing these places?
- Would you add/remove any destination?


Thank you all,
Michael

stormbird

You've not included the Red Centre in your travel plans - Uluru & Kings Canyon are beautiful places. Byron bay is fine I suppose - personally I don't particularly like it. If you're a surfing,hippie, alternate you'll fit in fine. Is that too harsh fellow Fodorites?

Noosa is not my bag either but places like Mooloolaba for example appeal to me more. I live on the Gold Coast so what can I say - I've always preferred the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast.

I would urge to consider The Outback it really is some of the most beautiful country out there. Which city are you flying home from?

michael_sv

Hi stormbird,
thanks for the reply.

Yes you are right, I totally neglected the Red Centre. Uluru doesn't appeal to me that much (sorry if I'm hurting anybody's feelings ;-) ) but I guess it will be a shame to waste the relative cold weather and not to visit in that part. I will read more about Kings Canyon, thank you.

Regarding Noosa, Moolooaba, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast - is there anything that set apart these places? From reading and looking on photos it's just one paradise after another... Will I feel the difference?

I'll be flying back from Sydney as well.

Thanks again,
Michael

Bokhara2

Hi Michael
Have you booked your flights? Where's home?

With that itinerary, I'd like to see you open jaw into Brisbane or Cairns & out of Melbourne or Sydney. Why? It will be warmer in the north and it's a more logical sequence.

I'd give Byron Bay a miss,too.

With the caveat that I haven't looked at flight schedules, my month would look like this ( and I've been to all the places on your itinerary many times).

* Cairns ( or Brisbane & connecting flight if your carrier doesn't fly to Cairns)

If you want to go to the Gold or Sunshine Coast, fly into Brisbane & take a few days to explore. People who think Gold Coast= Surfers Paradise often bag it. There's a lot more to it than that. And an interesting hinterland.

I like the Sunshine Coast too. Noosa not so much, but lots of other lovely areas. Choose one. You don't need to do both. Allow 3 or 4 days.
Australia Zoo is a worthwhile detour if you're interested in our wildlife. Allow 1/2 day.

I like Brisbane too. Underrated IMO, which probably contributes to its charm.

Dive & explore hinterland & rainforest - 4-5 days. Sensational area with great contrasts between rainforests & the "outback" colours & textures of the Atherton Tablelands. I could easily spend a week here.

Cairns - Uluru. 2 nights. See sunrise on Uluru, walk around it; do one of the Kata Tjuta walks. Note: on flight schedules it's Ayers Rock. Name changed to Aboriginal name Uluru years ago - airlines still haven't caught up.

Go to the Cultural Centre at Yulara when you get there. Lots of info that will inform & enhance everything else you do.
I'd rent a car here, but you can get bus transfers/tours. Book ahead if you decide to take a car - supply<demand.

Thought : an alternative to flying out of Uluru/ Ayers Rock might be to take a one way bus trip to Alice Springs, exploring Kings Canyon on the way.


Uluru - Melbourne. Overnight & sniff the air. Change of pace. Melbourne is a great city. Or you could fly to Sydney - either from Uluru or Alice Springs.

Assume you choose Melbourne (although I'd probably choose Sydney. )

Great Ocean road. Rent a car & set off early in the morning. Find a rental company that will allow you to take the car on the Queenscliff - Sorrento ferry.

Allow -3-4 nights. Or more. Lots to see & you need to get out of your car & walk to see the iconic sights & sites.
Good surfing down there too.

Have a look at Songdoc's great Trip Reports on this region. Actually, have a look at all his Trip Reports - he & his partner are great travellers & have been to lots of your destinations. (Stormbird - cld you post a link pls? I'm on my iPhone)

Go down via Geelong. Lovely wildlife sanctuary at Werribee if you fancy a tiny detour. Maybe take a loop around Portarlington & Barwon Heads.

You'll work out where to stay, how long to stay ...I'm hooing you venture up into the Goldfields Region.

Great Ocean Road - Melbourne.

Here's one of my favourite drives. Back up to Queenscliff. Take the car ferry to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Unless you're dying for a hit of city life at this point, consider a wander around this lovely area. You might go down to Phillip Island,( which has a lots re to offer than the penguin parade - and they are utterly beguiling). Or you might wander back on the sea side, through Dromana, mount Martha or the vineyard side, Balnaring, Hastings etc.

Melbourne - Sydney. Cheapest & quickest is to fly.
Stay at the YHA Sydney Harbour.

I find Google's "get directions" is pretty accurate for distances & driving times.

Have a look at the "what's on" at your destinations. This will also let you know if there are any festivals / events that would suggest traffic delays - and need to pre-book accommodation.

You've allowed a good amount of time to see our beautiful country & I hope you have a wonderful trip.
Flexibility is the key.

Bokhara2

And, unless you live in the tropics, SE Asia, you will very probably find our winter very mild. August is the last month and today, in Sydney, I'm in a short sleeves tee shirt & summer duds on my deck in the sun.

It was 7c when I got up, though. It's now about 20c.

michael_sv

Hi Bokhara2,
thank you for your detailed response.

Yes my flights are already booked. I'm leaving from Tel Aviv (Israel) on the 3rd of August and will arrive Sydney at morning of the 5th.
I'm flying back at morning of 4th September. So it's roughly 30 full days.

Australian winter doesn't scare me, I actually don't mind the cold weather (I'm originally from Russia so it's in my blood I guess ). But I do want to know if there's any action on the beaches during this time.

I definitely plan to see both Melbourne AND Sydney, I don't mind if there's a bit of overlap.
Great Ocean Road - a must on my list. Don't know yet if I'll rent a car or take a bus tour, depends on whether I'll find partners to my journey (prefer not to drive alone).

Now since both you and stormbird recommend the Red Centre so much I decided to reconsider, thinking about taking a 3 day hike tour, for example this one: http://www.emurun.com.au/tours_d.php?ID=22

Now Atherton Tablelands looks amazing from photos and trip reports but I think it probably means I'll need to skip Brisbane and its surrounding.

My draft itinerary
- Sydney (5 days)
- Brisbane and surrounding (5 days)
- Cairns (5 days - 4 days diving trip, another day to get in and get out)
- Alice Springs (4 days - 3 days hike, another day to get in and get out)
- Melbourne (4 days)
- GOR (2 days)
-------------------
Total 25 days, leaving me extra 5 days to take as a buffer and allow to stay more/less in different locations.
What do you think?

RalphR

In my opinion - too much time in cities! If it were me, I'd cut Sydney down to 3 days, Melbourne to 2. Brisbane and surrounding is fine for 5 days as long as its mostly "surrounding", like Lamington Nat'l Park, Noosa, Byron etc. I'd take the time and add it to the GOR (maybe adding on the Grampians Mts), and the Red Center.

michael_sv

Thanks guys.

dreamon

How are you getting between places? The places you've chosen are a long distance apart and you won't have time to drive. Are you flying between destinations? You need to factor in travel time if you haven't already.

Personal opinion: Brisbane - not very exciting: Sunshine Coast much nicer than Gold Coast. If it were me, I'd skip this bit as I think you're short on time to cover so much. That would allow you to spread those days over your other destinations or drive one leg (e.g. Melb-Syd). Think about what you want to see around Brisbane that you won't see in other places.

What order are you doing things? I'd leave Melbourne until last as August is the coldest wettest month of the year and the closer you get the September the better the weather (although no guarantees!). I recommend staying in Sydney at least the night before your departure.

michelhuebeli

You say that the winter doesn't scare you. Fair enough, you can have brilliant days, even warm ones, and you can have lousy rainy dark and chilly ones. No beach fun in Sydney or below, of course, and even near Brisbane very iffy.

But have you factored into your plans the short days? No daylight saving in August, so no balmy long evenings - you have to be done with sightseeing early.

lauren_s_kahn

I was going to also ask about transportation between the different areas. If you start flying hither and yon, you are going to pay quite a bit, but driving from one place to another is not realistic either as distances are vast.

I have done 3 home exchange based trips down under and still have a lot of Australia to explore. I have covered the area from Fraser Island to the Great Ocean Road fairly well, but have yet to get to Cairns or Uhluru (there are not a lot of homes for exchange in those places, but it is not for lack of trying).

Cheshirecatt

The Gold Coast Hinterland is stunning with beautiful trails with rockpools, waterfalls, suspension bridges, and antarctic beech trees.

I would highly recommend staying at OReillys Rainforest Retreat and doing the walk to Picnic Rock and Elabana Falls. It is truly magnificent and totally different from anything in Melbourne or Sydney.

I have written about some of the Gold Coast Hinterland with pictures here:

http://www.dreamhorsemedia.com/gold-coast/

Have a look and make up our own mind. I hope this post is not too late for you too miss out on doing the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Cheshirecatt

Whoops, just checked your dates and realised this is too late. But consider the Gold Coast Hinterland for your next trip!
Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef is another option to consider for future trips. I hope you had a great time anyway.

lauren_s_kahn

I am not a fan of the Gold Coast itself, for the record. It reminds me of Miami with all the tall buildings built up to the seashore. Australians also go there or amusement parks. The only one of those sorts of things I've seen was the Australian Outback Adventure--which is about as close to the outback as most people get (myself included). It's a hoot, but based on the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show at Disney adapted for the Australian audience.

I do agree that that the hinterland area is very nice with wineries and Lamington National Park. Lamington has a nice tree top walk, but you will find tree top walks in other areas of Australia as well. I believe the real star of the show in Australia is the flora and fauna. The koala/kangaroo thing pales after a bit, but I never get tired of the flora and fauna. In rainforests I sometimes envision dinosaurs about to emerge to chase me. Just kidding, but the scenery is really prehistoric with those giant ferns.

I have done 3 sets of home exchanges down under since 2008. No immediate plans to return but I am trying to organize something for 2015 that would include a home exchange in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef and then a visit to a friend who has retired to Thailand. We'll see.

janpeter3

August in Victoria is very cold. This is my home state and the weather is the reason I go north to Queensland every winter from July till Oct.

lauren_s_kahn

One month in a continent as large as Australia is very little time. My first trip was 6 weeks and I felt I barely scratched the surface. That was in a Sydney-Brisbane-Sunshine Coast itineary (when to the North Island, NZ, afterwards). I returned 2 years later to spend a month in Melbourne (followed by the South Island of NZ). A year ago I returned again (yes, 3 times in 6 years) to do a Blue Mountains-Tasmania-Canberra-Sydney itinerary that took 11 weeks. I am finally beginning to understand the place.

I did these trips with home exchanges and just take what comes--which is why there so many trips back to back. I wouldn't rule out going again, but I'd want an exchange in Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef to have an excuse to go again.

Even with the decrease in value of the Aussie dollar, Australia is a very expensive destination. Make sure you have enough money when you go. Everything that is not grown in Australia has to come a long distance and the do have a VAT in Australia--which helps support much better services (including universal health care) than what we are used to in the US.