jssmith1978

I'll have about 14-16 days in Australia when I go in early August. I'm flying into Sydney and I am looking for some suggested itineraries.

Even if you can give me the cities/places that you wouldn't miss and time allocation to each that would be greatly appreciated.

Happy travels.

di2315

Hi jssmith

There is so much you can choose from - perhaps if you gave us some ideas of your interests that may help.

We also need to know if you prefer longer stays in the one place, or if you like to jump from place to place so you can see as many 'tourism icons' as possible. Di

longhorn55

With 14 - 16 days on the ground, I would recommend that you plan for no more than 3 (or possibly 4, if you have 16 days) destinations in Australia. If you do more than this, you'll find yourself spending more time in airports and in the air than actually seeing Australia.

As for destinations, I would remind you that the warmer, drier climates will be to the north in August. Places such as Far North Queensland (Cairns/Port Douglas) and Darwin have very pleasant climates in August which are conducive to outdoor sightseeing and activities.

A popular itinerary for your time frame is the "City, Rock, Reef" combo which encompasses Sydney (City), Uluru (Rock) and Cairns/Port Douglas (Reef).

jssmith1978

Thanks so for your help so far. I am one that liks to be a little on the go and jump from place to place AFTER spending adequate time there. I don't like to feel rushed but at the same time I don't like to stay locked down in one place too long because I feel like I am missing out on everything else.
Interet are: hiking, biking, boating, swimming, sightseeing natural beauty as well as exploring cities and towns. I like to TRY and blend in with the locals by going to places that the locals go for a beer or go for dinner. I love to learn more about the culture of where I am, not so much the museums, but just brushing shoulders with the locals is how I like to learn of the cultures. As for museums type stuff, I just like to see the exceptional ones....so if I were visiting the US, I would go to Smithsonian level museums and not check out every little one. Same goes for art galleries.

I really like to spend my time outdoors--I'm more of an adventurist tourist and have tons of energy to get rid off. I do tone it down for a few days for my wife....she like what I do, but enjoys more time to relax than me.

BUT I agree with longhorn55....I do NOT want to spend too much time in the airports. I do enjoy long scenic drives, so if I have to drive for 4 to 6 hours to get somewhere, I don't mind it so much IF there is pleasant scenery and nice side trips. I tend to break down a 6 hour drive into a day in-a-half drive with numerous stops.

I hope this helps to establish my interests.....

Little_Miss_Flighty

Sounds like you have a great trip in the making!

There is so many places you could visit but without spending all your time in an airport you might be best sticking to the East coast.

You could head to Melbourne and either hire a car or do a tour down to the Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles which are breathtaking. Also you could then spend a day or two exploring Melbourne and maybe even fit in a visit to see the Fairy Penguins!

If you head to Sydney then on the must do is a visit to the Zoo with some of the best views in Sydney, you could catch a ferry from Circular Quay which gives you great views of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the rest of the harbour. You could stroll the streets and also hop on a quick bus out to Bondi or the ferry back over to Manly.

From there you could spend under 3 hours on the plane up to Cairns where you could head out to the reef, no point spending too long there as you cant swim in the beaches. Hire a car and head to Port Douglass, Palm Cove and a few of the other stunning places that surround that area.

If you are wanting to head to either Darwin or Uluru then you may have to pick one or the other. Each are a couple of hours from a main airport and would involve a whole day travel time each way.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for your trip, August will be a beautiful time to visit Australia!

RalphR

Reading your interests, I'd suggest renting a car and doing an intercity drive or two, detouring off the main roads here and there for small towns , hiking and points of interest. Sydney -Brisbane or Melbourne - Adelaide would be my top suggestions. Do the trip over 3-4 days, maybe longer. Stop in for a beers in country pubs to chat with the locals. You wont get much of a feeling like for the "real Australia" sticking strictly to touristy places.