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Planning first trip to Australia - input requested. :)

Planning first trip to Australia - input requested. :)

Old Apr 4th, 2014, 01:42 PM
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Planning first trip to Australia - input requested. :)

Hello!

I'm planning my first trip to Australia and am starting to feel slightly overwhelmed. I'm hoping that your wisdom will help me.

I'll be flying from SFO to SYD. The trip dates, right now, are May 12 through May 22. I've also looked at May 28 through June 7.

Where your input is requested:

1. Would you secure your hotel and flight separately or book them as a package? I do realize that cost is a factor, but I'm curious to find if you've done either option and your satisfaction with said choice.

2. Based on my research, it seems that staying in the Sydney CBD area is the better option (at least for me). I'll be traveling solo. Am I wrong in this assumption?

Thank you in advance for providing your input.

Travelribbon
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Old Apr 4th, 2014, 03:35 PM
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In answer to your second question, you could also consider the Rocks (on the fringes of the CBD), some parts of Darling Harbour (when the hotel is actually on the Chinatown side of the harbour), Potts Point, Paddington, and Surry Hills. The last three are inner city areas close to public transport and restaurants, the hotels are often a bit cheaper. Although as you are coming in winter, prices should be lower than high season. Potts Point is close to the red light district, which may be an issue, it's also where a lot of the backpacker hostels are situated.

Wotif could be useful for comparing prices and locations, as well as lastminute and expedia.
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Old Apr 4th, 2014, 05:01 PM
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Are you planning to spend all your time here in Sydney? Any other wishes?
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Old Apr 4th, 2014, 09:45 PM
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We've travelled a lot and generally speaking I've found booking flights and hotels separately give us a better choice and suits our budget more. We stay in budget/moderate places.

Have you got plans to travel outside of Sydney - either day trips or flying to another part of Australia for part of your holiday? Queensland is very popular but Central Australia could be good, to give you a feel of Australia outside the big cities. It depends on what you fancy doing on your trip.

If you are considering staying in two different areas, you could fly into one city and out of another, to save backtracking.

Kay
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Old Apr 5th, 2014, 10:09 AM
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Thank you for the responses!

Yes, I have thought about doing day trips from Sydney. I would like to experience as much of the area as I can. I've only looked at flying in & out of Sydney, but will investigate flying back to SFO from another city.

If at all possible, I don't want to rent a car. However, if this will prevent me from really seeing the other parts of the country, I will reconsider not renting a car.

As far as my wishes- I'd love to see kangaroos, see & hold (if possible) a koala bear, and just enjoy the culture. I do like museums, shopping, and walking around to experience a place.

I will update as I continue to research. Please keep suggesting things! I love learning about tips from other travelers!

~Travelribbon
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Old Apr 5th, 2014, 02:44 PM
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I think the only option for holding a koala in Sydney is at Taronga Park Zoo where you pay to have a photograph taken with a koala. Generally in NSW, koala handling is not possible. I seem to remember someone saying here that the law is different in Queensland.

The Biennale of Sydney will be on while you are here, I'm assuming your dates are for 2014? If your interest in museums extends to contemporary art, then this could interest you;

http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au/19bos/

Other museums that could be of interest include: Museum of Sydney, Hyde Park Barracks, Art Gallery of NSW, Museum of Contemporary Art.

Tours of the Opera House are very popular.

Paddington and Surry Hills are good for shopping. These downloadable maps might be useful as some of the more interesting places are not in the main streets.

http://www.urbanwalkabout.com/sydney/
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Old Apr 5th, 2014, 04:54 PM
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Hi there, if you haven't already booked you flights vivid sydney is on end of May beginning of June. Check it out as it was awesome last year! http://www.vividsydney.com/

I don't think you need a car, the ferries and train are sufficient to get you to the main attractions.
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Old Apr 5th, 2014, 06:44 PM
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and koalas are not bears!
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Old Apr 6th, 2014, 03:44 PM
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You might be able to hold a koala at Lone Pine Sanctuary near Brisbane. Otherwise have your photo taken with a koala at Taronga, where the koala sits on a branch set up near you. Very popular with visitors. There are also kangaroos at Taronga. I believe there are some at Wildlife World also (Darling Harbour) but I've not been there - and Taronga has the fabulous views of the city and a pretty setting. Plus you take the ferry there - another reason to visit, because you should definitely fit in one or two ferry rides on the harbour. Destinations you might consider are Watson's Bay and Manly.

You don't need to hire a car. Even if you spend a day in the Blue Mountains, there is a hop-on, hop-off bus when you get there to take you to the best bits.

Susan as usual gives good advice about areas where you can get accommodation in addition to the CBD. The Rocks is very popular as it's the historic part of town and there is quick access to ferries, but all the areas she names are quite convenient.

Good luck!

Lavandula
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 12:44 PM
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Oh My Gosh. I'm so sorry I called the koala a "bear." I'm so embarrassed.

Please forgive me.

TR
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 03:29 PM
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Thank you for the recommendations.

I'm doing a search for airfare and it's definitely cheaper to go in late May than during mid-June and all of July! August is a bit better price wise.

I've looked at visiting Cairns and Brisbane - from a price perspective. I think I may visit Brisbane.

As much as I'd to visit during my birthday month, I may wait until August/September for price reasons.

Again, any additional tips/info will be most appreciated.

Thanks!
TR
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 05:30 PM
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You're forgiven, just how much can a koala bear ?

If you do get to Brisbane, investigate Lone Pine Sanctuary as suggested by Lavendula. Used to be able to take a boat trip up the Brisbane river to get there, which is very pleasant.

Brisbane also has the cultural precinct South Bank with accommodation and restaurants as well as museums and art galleries. It's just across the river from the CBD with footbridges and a local public transport ferry, so easy access to some historical architecture and shopping, plus a fine semi tropical botanical garden.

May is a perfect time to visit Brissie (bit of slang there for you) with usually clear sunny days, temps early 20's.
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 03:53 AM
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I don't believe there is anywhere where you can actually hold a koala. Unless you are super super famous and have a gazillion dollars, then the "don't touch the native animals" rule doesn't apply.

I'd book separately like other's have said. I love the Rocks area or Circular Quay area. Lots of people watching after a busy day and it's fun to just sit there and see what's happening in the great old land of Oz.

If you're driving a rental and it's your first drive on the other side of the road, you won't really see much as you drive along as you'll be too busy concentrating on driving. It's really weird on the other side of the road and takes practice.
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Old Apr 10th, 2014, 08:26 AM
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Regarding holding a koala, I believe Queensland permits it. I am not sure if any other states do. I can confirm that NSW, Victoria, and NT do not.
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Old Apr 12th, 2014, 09:43 PM
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http://www.koala.net/koala-cuddling.html

Lavandula
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Old Apr 14th, 2014, 12:37 PM
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Hi, I took my family to the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary last year, and we were all able to hold, and have photos taken with a koala. To get to Currumbin (which is on the Gold Coast, southern Queensland)there are plenty of tours from any of the places tourists stay on the Gold Coast.
If you are just staying in Sydney for your holiday, you won't need a rental car. The public transport there would suffice. But, just so you are very aware, the distances in Aust are vast, and there are not the many, many, many towns in between like there are around SF, so getting around without a car, if you are going to leave Sydney, is not really an option. You would need to fly from capital to capital, or take the buslines, which would chew up a lot of your time.
You will love Australia, and welcome.
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 04:46 AM
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The train from Sydney to Blue Mountains is a great option as it gives you more flexibility than an organized day trip. You can get a MyMulti pass for Sydney transit which is inexpensive and allows you to use busses, ferries and trains. Once in the Blue Mountains you can use the hop on hop off bus to get around. An overnight stay in Katoomba or Leura would give you lots of time to see the area.

Once you have your itinerary more or less mapped out you may be able to get advice from locals on where you can see kangaroos in their natural habitat. On our first trip to Oz we were taken to a golf course on our first evening, and there they were!
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 07:40 PM
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if you like show caves, an overnight trip just over the blue mountains will take you to some beauties w/ a nice historical lodge hotel

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Old Apr 26th, 2014, 06:10 PM
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Hello

I know that when people plan a holiday to Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are the two most common cities to visit. I live in Adelaide and we have a lot to offer here also. Adelaide is a smaller city and easy to get around using public transport. If you want to hold a Koala we have Gorge wildlife park and Cleland national park where you can hold a koala. The big rocking horse has a free wildlife park where you can feed and touch kangaroos. The Barossa valley and mclaren vale are famous for wine. Victor Harbor is a nice coastal town close to mclaren vale where you can see penguins, seals in the wild. Glenelg is popular for swimming. The city is easy to navigate.

My dad lives on the gold coast so we visit often and i love it - dec, jan, feb are very humid but other months are nice. Beaches are great, theme parks are fun if you like that sort of thing. Brisbane is an easy 1 hour train ride from gold coast. Australia zoo (steve irwin) is great to visit. You can fly home from Brisbane rather than go back to Sydney

hope that helps!
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Old Apr 27th, 2014, 01:30 PM
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Travelribbon,
You can hold a koala in Queensland and we have done it at Lone Tree Sanctuary in Brisbane, for a photo. It is very stressful on the koalas, so they have a schedule of being held (by a succession of people)and then get three days off. Arrive early at Lone Tree before the tour groups arrive or it is a madhouse. As others have said, you can pat one in other places like Taronga and Featherdale, you can also pat a wombat if you listen very carefully to the keepers - wombats bite!!
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