mickinspain55

Hi Everyone,
Im planing a trip to Australia, next July 2013. for 4/5 weeks. as its such a long journey we want to take in as much as possible. Plan one which is just aplan at the moment is to Fly to Perth. spend a few days there 4/5 fly to Adelaide, 4/5 there. Then hire a car and drive to Melbourne,4/5 there on to Canberra 2/3 there on to Sydney 6/7 there, Up to newcastle (I have a sister that lives there). from there up to Brisbane, then up to Cairns for the GBR.
Finally flight from cairns back to Perth, fly home (London) Any views on as to if this is possible ideas etc would be a great help.

Melnq8

It'll be winter, so keep that in mind. I rather like Perth in July, but most of the locals find it quite cold that time of year. Days are short, there's a good chance of rain and the water is entirely too cold to swim in...even for someone like me who like cold weather!

There's alot more to WA than Perth - it's a massive state and the best bits are down south, about 3-5 hours from Perth, but the further south you go that time of year, the colder the weather.

July would be primo time to go up north along the NW coast of the state, but you'd really have to want to go there, as it's a serious trek, and 4-5 days just isn't enough to do much.

I don't know where you're from, but keep in mind that WA is about 4-5 times the size of Texas - it's a third of the Australian continent, so there's lots of ground to cover.

You can get a nice taste of Perth and Fremantle in that time frame, but that'll be about it.

mickinspain55

Thanks Melnq8 Thanks for the reply, I live in Spain, but am originaly from UK. Thanks for the information about WA. as I said this trip is just about getting a taste, of things which is what we try and do, before making a specific visit. The time frames for each stop over are just general. Any specific, info on places to visit would be great. Thanks

AlanJG

As your flight from Cairns to Perth will take you through the centre why not spend a bit of time there too?

This could be a great trip if you are well organised. What do you want to get out of your visit to each area?

Melnq8

Some specific spots to visit in Perth:

Kings Park - easy to get to via bus and/or walking from a Perth CBD hotel - it's a gem and not to be missed - lovely year round

Some people like the Perth Mint and the Perth zoo, both easy to get to via public transport from the city. There's also the Perth aquarium, but you'd need a car to get there.

I highly recommend taking the ferry from Barrack Street jetty near the CBD down to the port city of Fremantle - it takes about 90 minutes and is a great introduction to Perth. Once in Freo you can poke around the markets, visit the Maritime Museum and prison, have lunch along the foreshore (Little Creatures is a popular spot) then take the train back to the city (takes about 30 minutes). In Freo there are a few shops that sell Australian made artwork and other items and beautiful timber products. You can also have a try at playing a didgeridoo at a shop called Didgeridoo Breath.

Enroute back to the city you might get off at Cottesloe, walk down to the beach and poke around the center of the village for a bit. It's an attractive beachside village.

I'd also highly recommend a day in the Swan Valley - Perth's closest wine region. Here you'll find Caversham Wildlife Park, where you see various Australia animals up close. I'd suggest arriving when they open at 9 am, plotting your course based upon the various show times, and leaving around lunchtime. Then you can head further into the valley for a nice lunch at one of many wineries. The Swan also has honey producers, a chocolate factory, a nouget factory, a speciality coffee roaster, a distillery and various art galleries. It's very easy to spend a full day in the valley. There are a few walking options in the valley too, let me know if interested and I'll post further details.

To get there though, you will need a car or some sort of tour, as public transport doesn't serve the Swan Valley well.

If you'd like to see a few beaches, I suggest you rent a car and drive west - all you need do is drive along the coast road and you'll encounter beach after beach. You might pop into Hillary's Boat Harbor for lunch and a poke around or arrange to take a whale watching trip, as you'll be here during the whale migration. An alternative would be to drive the 2.5 hours down south to Busselton and do whale watching from there.

Penguin Island off of Rockingham is an interesting day out too, but you'll need to check their operating hours as they close during breeding season, which is sometime during winter.

There are at least a dozen national parks and gobs of nature reserves within about a hour's drive of Perth. July is prime walking season for those of us who enjoy the cooler weather and the near absence of snakes. I can make some specific suggestions if that appeals to you.

Other options near the city - Whiteman Park, Rottnest Island (probably not the best option in July though), the Perth Hills....the options are endless. I've lived here four years and I'm still discovering new things to see and do.

livewhistler

If I can suggest 1 thing, do NOT use Greyhound (bus company) for your travel - I used them because I was in a remote part of Australia, and when I asked the driver about my connection, he told me to get off at the wrong city and left me there... So I had to spend the night there and wait for the next bus the day after, and the company doesn't even want to refund my ticket or the price I had to pay for the room ($50)...

Since flights are quite cheap, I would definitely go by air, especially if you don't have too much luggage to carry - try Jetstar, Virgin Air, Quantas. They always have "last minute sales" and you can usually get around for less than $100 per flight If you do have to use a bus company, use Murray's coaches. You can also hire a van (wickedvans.com.au) or a car, but petrol costs quite a lot.

Melbourne is a great city with lots of personality, and the Great Ocean Road is very scenic, if you do come down south in Victoria.

Have an awesome trip!