gerrmack

I find the bulletin board a great source of info . Thanks to all who contribute/.

I am arriving in Sydney Dec 23. We are driving down the coast to Melbourne (dec 25-27), going to Tas (dec 27-30) then back to Brisbane (dec 30 on). We don't leave until Jan 9 so will probably just go north of Brisbane.
Does anyone have any recommendations for places not to miss, accomodations that are reasonable and good, great family style restaurants or anything else that would help us.

Thanks again.

RalphR

gerrmack: The Sydney-Melbourne-Tasmania part seems very rushed to me. Just 3 days in Tasmania seems crazy for all the effort and expense of getting there. I'd borrow 3-4 days from your Brisbane leg.

As for Brisbane, in general, I'd recommend south (not including the Gold Coast) and southwest over north. Scenery and beaches in northern NSW and SE Queensland are magnicicent. Plus there is the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland (including Lamington Nat'l Park) with its rainforests, waterfalls, scenery and wildlife.

JohnInMiami

I second RalphR's suggestion about the Gold Coast Hinterland. It's a spectacular part of Australia. We spent a couple of weeks there in August. You can see our pictures of SE Queensland at http://www.sd4.com/australia04

Tell us specifics about what sort of places & activities interest you and you'll get some really good advice from this board

gerrmack

Thanks John and Ralph.
I appreciate the info. Unfortunately my days in Tas are set already. What with the Christmas/New Years holidays it was getting difficult to find accomodation and flights to Tas so I basically took what I could get.
I have 2.5 days to get to Melbourne from Sydney and coming from Canada, that's not too bad since we are used to long distances.
3 days in Tas is all I could arrange but after that I do have a very open schedule for about 9 days.
We basically like the countryside when we travel. I will have 2 days in Sydney and that's about all I want in a large city. We like the slower pace. I have rented a car for the duration so I just thought it made sense to head up to Brisbane from Melbourne (through Dubbo)as we have to be back in Sydney on Jan 9. There isn't enough time to do some of the touristy-things like Ayrs Rock or the Barrier Reef and it is true, since we will be kind of rushing until after Tas, a slower pace would be nice.

Thanks again and if you have any other ideas, they sure would be appreciated.

tropo

Hi Gerrmack, what city in Tasmania do fly into & out of? It is possible to drive right around Tasmania in 3 days, but that would be rushed, and thats not the way to see Tasmania properly, so with only 3 days in Tasmania, and your desire to travel at a "slower pace", I would suggest "concentrating" on either northern Tasmania or southern Tasmania for those 3 days. In that way, you can really get a good idea of that region.
An example of Southern Tasmania -
base yourself in Hobart, then each day drive to places like Tasman Peninsula & Port Arthur, Huonville, Geeveston, Tahune Forest Reserve & Airwalk, then return via Cygnet, and C626 to Oyster Cove (scenic drive) then back to Hobart. Another day trip could consist of visiting the historic village of Hamilton, Mt.Field National Park & Russell Falls, and Lake Dobson, then enroute back to Hobart cut across to the wineries, and the historic village of Richmond, then a short drive back to Hobart.
Not forgetting that a full day would be required just for Hobart, especially if you are there on a Saturday morning, for the Salamanca markets.

tropo

gerrmack, another question, what do you intend doing from 30th December until the 9th January? Also will you still have the car rental that time also?
What city in Australia, do you fly out from?
What I am trying to say, is that with 9 days, you could quite easily drop off the car rental in Brisbane, and fly to either Cairns or the Whitsundays.
If the car rental is booked for the whole duration of your stay, then why not travel north of Brisbane (nice city, but there is more to see outside of Brisbane)to the Sunshine Coast, then onto Hervey Bay (perhaps a trip to Fraser Island or a day trip to Lady Elliot Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef), or drive as far as Bundaberg or the town of 1770, and take a day trip out to Lady Musgrave Island on the Barrier Reef. Day trips from 1770 allow "more time" on Lady Musgrave Island (approx.6 hours), and cost around $130 Australian (plus $5 environmental management charge), which includes snorkel gear, flotation vest, optical masks and even sunscreen provided, guided walks on the island (loads of birdlife), they also a glass bottom boat, fish feeding, even fishing if so desire, tropical buffet lunch with seafood, plus morning & afternoon
tea. The trip departs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday.
website www.1770reefcruise.com
or when in Australia ring freecall 1800 63 1770 for bookings.
The township of 1770, is only 5 hrs drive north of Brisbane, travelling either through Bundaberg & township of Rosedale, or turn off the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale. 1770 has a laidback lifestyle, and possibly the the last beach with surf as you travel north in Qld. If you like the laidback lifestyle, then you will love 1770 & Lady Musgrave. So with limited time, you can still see the great barrier reef, Fraser Island, Sunshine Coast & hinterland.
PS. there is a Real Estate agent with house/apartment rentals in 1770 called, Endeavour, website www.endeavour1770.com
Regards Leigh.

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello Gerrmack,

I do not recommend driving from Sydney to Melbourne via the inland route.

I think it would be much more pleasant to drive from Sydney to Melbourne along the coast (Bateman's Bay, Bermagui, Merimbula, Eden, Lake's Entrance, etc.). It is a delightful coastline. While covering it in 2 or 2.5 days would involve a fair amount of driving, it is doable.

I would suggest an itinerary broken up something like this:

Dec 25 - Drive from Sydney, through Bateman's Bay, to Bermagui (about 5.5 hours of driving, not counting stops).

Dec 26 - Go inland just a few miles to see the cute heritage village of Tilba Tilba. Then drive south through Tathra, Merimbula to Eden. At Eden, turn SW and drive to Lake's Entrance. This would be about 4.5 hours - 5 hours of driving, not counting stops.

Dec 27 - Drive Lake's Entrance to Melbourne (4 hours).

I haven't been to that area over Christmas, but I'm sure you're aware Australian summer school holidays will be in progress. So I expect that accommodation will tend to be rather booked up. In fact I expect that to apply to several of the places you'd like to see.

I've never eaten in a restaurant on Christmas Day in Australia, but previous posts here at Fodors suggest that restaurant meals are considerably more expensive on Christmas Day than they are on a regular day. That's partly because Australia's labour laws require businesses to pay serious overtime on public holidays. So, as long as you're aware in advance, you won't be taken by surprise, as some other posters have been.

Bon voyage!

gerrmack

Hi tropo and fellow Canuck Judy,

Many thanks for your detailed answers. It sure does help a lot. To answer your questions:
Tropo: Knowing it is a holiday period, I decided to make the accomodation reservations in Tas before I left. We fly into Hobart and pick up a car. We then plan to drive to Deloraine for the night ( a fairly long drive - hopefully just over 3 hours)The next day travel around Deloraine and drive back to Hobart where we stay as a base for the next 2 days doing some of the tours you suggested.
We won't be in Hobart for the Salamanca market whih is a shame as it sounds great.
We fly back to Melbourne on the 30th. Since we are driving down the coast from Sydney to Melbourne I though it would be interesting to drive back north inland (through Dubbo etc). We eventually fly out of Sydney so those 9 days are going to be very flexible.
I appreciate your suggestion about 1770. I think for those days we will just drive north in a slow relaxed fashion and just see how far north we get (knowing we have to end back in Sydney on the 9th.

Judy: I had planned on driving from Sydney to Melbourne along the coast and coming back inland. My son lived there for 2 years and told me there isn't much inland but I thought it would be a change from the drive down. I might reconsider this in light of your post and other things I have read.
I kind of expected that meals would be more expensive on Christmas day but if I am prepared, it won't be a surprise, besides when we are on the road we usually eat at fast family type restaurants.
It's funny, I hate driving here because once I have driven a road, I really don't want to drive it again but when we travel I could drive for hours because of the new sites.
If I had known earlier what I know now I would have taken flights on the 28th and stay in Tas for at least 4 days but I couldn't find much info when I booked the flights.

Thanks again for all your tips. I'm sure they will be a great help and if you think of anything else (great family restaurants or other not-to-miss sites, please post me another note.

Gerry

RalphR

gerry: Thought I'd mention a few good things to see en route to Brisbane from Melbourne via Dubbo. First is the Warrumbungle Ranges outside of Coonabarabran. I've been there a couple of times, most recently in July this year. A great place for wildlife, especially 'roos and koalas. Some excellent, easy walks and some great views, e.g., from the site of the Anglo Australian telescope in the heart of the park.

Two other places worth stopping at are Girraween National Park and Bald Rock, near Tenterfield in northern New South Wales. Climb Bald Rock or the Pyrimid in Girraween - superb walks, not difficult at all. Both are spectacular granite rock formations. Bald Rock is sort of a smaller, granite version of Ayers Rock. Lots of wildlife too.

A very scenic route between Tenterfield and Brisbane is the Mt Lindsay Hwy. It's unsealed for ~20 miles. If you go that way, by all means turn off for the short diversion to the base of Mt Barney...very impressive.

There are undoubtedly other interesting places to see further south, but I'm not as familiar with Victoria as I am NSW and Queensland.

tropo

RalphR - excellent advice. I to agree that the MT.Lindsay Highway from Tenterfield to Brisbane is a great drive & very scenic.
Gerry....I can't understand why you want to drive to Deloraine and then back to Hobart. Deloraine is a nice little town, but its a long way, are you intending to visit other attractions enroute?
If a Tasmanian thinks you are covering too much ground in a day, they will sometimes say, "Are you trying to see the whole in one day".
Like you, I try to take a different road each time, or at least take the road that is least used by others. My wife & I once headed in our car, with no bookings, drove around the countryside, calling into little villages or towns, and if we liked them, we would stay a day or two, then move on without really knowing our next destination.
Try not to fall into the trap, that a lot of overseas tourists fall into, and that is trying to drive quickly around various parts of Australia, in a short period of time, it is better to slown down, smell the roses, and concentrate on various areas, to get true feeling for that region.
Remember Queensland is a large state, with long distances in between towns/cities. The Bruce Highway north of the Sunshine Coast is a single lane in either direction, the speed limit is 100kph. The weather in December/January will be hot & humid in Qld, so I wouldn't recommend trying to drive extremely long distances in those conditions. I take it the 9 days you mentioned, is to travel north of Brisbane, and later drive back down to Sydney, is that right?
The Lady Musgrave Island cruise, would allow you to see some of the best pristine coral reefs on GBR, without the long distance drive north of Airlie Beach or Cairns. This island tends to be off of the beaten tourist track of a lot overseas tourists, as most visitors, tend to go to Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, and thats it, without knowing there is a lot to see in between these large tourist cities.
IF there is anything else I can help you with, you only have to ask.
Regards Leigh.

gerrmack

Thanks again Leigh and Ralph.
It is very difficult trying to see as much in a short period of time. That is probably the mistake I made in planning Tas. I did want to see as much as possible but I wanted to be back on mainland for New Years Eve for accomodation purposes. Now I think it was a mistake but I've made the plane reservations so I will have to live with it. Why Deloraine? Mainly because it is quite a ways from Hobart so I should see a fair bit of Tas ( trying to see the whole in one day I guess).and the other reason is that I was having problems finding accomodation anywhere outside of Hobart for Dec 27.
At least the rest of the trip will be very relaxed. Once we arrive in Dubbo we have 8 days to just veg. We will try to go north towrads (and mayube past Brisbane ) but we will play it by ear (and temperature). If we find a place we really like, we might just stay there for a few days.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I am printing themup so we can look at them more closey when we get there.

If you think of anything else, let me know please.

Gerry

tropo

Gerry, you say that once you reach Dubbo, you will only have 9 days left on your trip before returning to Sydney. With only 9 days, I wouldn't try to drive all the way to Cairns & back, just too far.
Alternatively, consider what I originally suggested, and only drive as far as 1770.
Example of suggested journey for 9 days:-
Day 1 - Dubbo to Toowoomba (a fair hike, but this road has less traffic than the well worn tourist Pacific Highway)
Day 2 - Toowoomba, stay on the New England Highway, driving through Kingaroy, Murgon (wineries), then to Bundaberg, Miriam Vale, and turn off at Miriam Vale to go to Agnas Waters & 1770 (about 5 kms of good dirt road, rest is bitumen)
Day 3 - "Day trip to Lady Musgrave Island" (stay overnight at 1770)
Day 4 - 1770, drive south to Hervey Bay, via Rosedale, Bundaberg, turning off at Howard/Torbanlea (this back road is better than the highway, less traffic), then stay 2 nights at Hervey Bay.
Day 5 - Day trip to "Fraser Island"
Day 6 - Leave Hervey Bay, driving south towards Brisbane (3.5 hrs drive)without stopping at Brisbane, down the Motorway towards the Gold Coast, and bypass the GC (I know a lot of people will try & shoot me down for not recommending staying at the SC & GC - but there is more to see south of the Qld/NSW border)
then down to somewhere in the Byron Bay region, a long drive, but doable. (overnight stay)
Day 7 - Spend a full day in this region, either swimming, bushwalking, etc.
Day 8 - Leave Byron Bay region, and drive south to a little town called, Nambucca Heads, or alternatively a place called South West Rocks.
Day 9 - Last day, drive south to Sydney.
Gerry....if your not interested in visiting the BArrier Reef at Lady Musgrave Island, then you could use these extra days for Sunshine Coast/Gold Coast/Brisbane region.
As you can see 9 days from Dubbo, really doesn't give one sufficient time to go Cairns, and back to Sydney, unless your going to drop off the car rental and fly back to Sydney.

gerrmack

Tropo,

What a great suggestion. As I said, I haven't planned anything for the last 9 days as I am spending so much time on the trip before and I have no idea how tired we will be, how fed up with driving etc.
I had wanted to see the GBR but definitely did not want to drive to Cairns (too far and too hot), so your suggestion for Lady Musgrove Island was much appreciated.
The itinerary you wrote out looks great to me and I will definitely use it as a bsis for the 9 days.

Thanks again and I really do apprecite the help you gave.

Gerry