Trip IdeasFodor's Australia 2009
Free shipping with any guidebook purchase
About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Australia!
•Updated annually, Fodor’s Australia 2009 provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.
•Fodor’s Australia features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Australia.
•Experience Australia like a local! Fodor’s Australia 2009 features information from local experts.
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Crisp, clean maps with more depth and detail to make it easier than ever to sail in, out, and around town.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Australia!
•Updated annually, Fodor’s Australia 2009 provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.
•Fodor’s Australia features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Australia.
•Experience Australia like a local! Fodor’s Australia 2009 features information from local experts.
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Crisp, clean maps with more depth and detail to make it easier than ever to sail in, out, and around town.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
Be a Fodor’s Correspondent ............ 3
About This Book ............ 7
What’s Where ............ 8
Quintessential Australia ............ 14
When to Go ............ 17
If You Like ............ 18
Great Itineraries ............ 20
Chapter 1: Sydney ............ 27
Exploring Sydney ............ 28
Beaches ............ 60
Where to Eat ............ 66
Where to Stay ............ 79
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 87
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 93
Shopping ............ 96
Sydney Essentials ............ 102
Chapter 2: New South Wales ............ 113
The Blue Mountains ............ 115
The Hunter Valley ............ 130
The North Coast ............ 136
Lord Howe Island ............ 149
The Snowy Mountains ............ 154
Chapter 3: Canberra & the A.C.T. ............ 163
Exploring Canberra ............ 164
Where to Eat ............ 172
Where to Stay ............ 177
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 179
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 181
Shopping ............ 181
Canberra Essentials ............ 182
Chapter 4: Melbourne ............ 185
Exploring Melbourne ............ 187
Where to Eat ............ 199
Where to Stay ............ 206
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 212
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 216
Shopping ............ 218
Melbourne Essentials ............ 223
Chapter 5: Victoria ............ 229
Around Melbourne ............ 231
West Coast Region ............ 244
The Gold Country & the Grampians ............ 255
Murray River Region ............ 264
Chapter 6: Tasmania ............ 273
Hobart ............ 278
Side Trips from Hobart ............ 287
Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula ............ 291
Freycinet National Park & East- Coast Resorts ............ 293
Launceston ............ 296
The Northwest & Cradle Mountain— Lake St. Clair National Park ............ 302
The West Coast ............ 307
Tasmania Essentials ............ 310
Chapter 7: Queensland ............ 315
Brisbane ............ 317
The Gold Coast ............ 342
The Sunshine Coast & Airlie Beach ............ 358
Fraser Island ............ 374
Townsville & Magnetic Island ............ 380
Cairns ............ 391
North from Cairns ............ 407
Chapter 8: The Great Barrier Reef ............ 423
Mackay—Capricorn Islands ............ 427
The Whitsunday Islands ............ 436
North Coast Islands ............ 452
Great Barrier Reef Essentials ............ 460
Chapter 9: Adelaide & South Australia ............ 465
Adelaide ............ 468
The Barossa Region ............ 489
The Clare Valley ............ 498
Fleurieu Peninsula ............ 502
Kangaroo Island ............ 506
The Outback ............ 512
Chapter 10: The Red Centre ............ 517
Alice Springs ............ 520
Side Trips from Alice Springs ............ 530
Uluru & Kata Tjuta ............ 532
The Red Centre Essentials ............ 540
Chapter 11: Darwin, the Top End & the Kimberley ............ 545
Darwin ............ 550
Kakadu National Park ............ 565
The Kimberley ............ 569
Chapter 12: Perth & Western Australia ............ 581
Perth ............ 585
Fremantle & Rottnest Island ............ 607
The South West ............ 617
Monkey Mia & Ningaloo Reef ............ 631
Chapter 13: Adventure Vacations ............ 637
Travel Smart Australia: 654
Transportation ............ 655
On The Ground ............ 662
Index ............ 675
About Our Writers ............ 688
Maps
Australia ............ 12—13
Distances and Flying Times ............ 26
Sydney Harbour ............ 31
Central Sydney ............ 36—37
Greater Sydney ............ 57
Sydney Beaches ............ 63
Where to Stay & Eat in Sydney ............ 70—71
Where to Eat in Greater Sydney ............ 79
New South Wales ............ 116—117
The Blue Mountains ............ 120
The North Coast ............ 137
The Snowy Mountains ............ 156
Canberra ............ 165
Where to Stay & Eat in Canberra ............ 175
Melbourne City Center ............ 189
Melbourne Suburbs ............ 196
Where to Stay & Eat in Melbourne City Center ............ 201
Where to Stay & Eat in the Melbourne Suburbs ............ 204
Victoria ............ 232—233
Around Melbourne ............ 234
West Coast Region ............ 246
Tasmania ............ 276—277
Downtown Hobart ............ 279
Queensland ............ 318—319
Brisbane ............ 322
Where to Stay & Eat in Brisbane ............ 327
The Gold Coast ............ 343
The Sunshine Coast ............ 360
Cairns ............ 392
North From Cairns ............ 409
The Great Barrier Reef ............ 425
South Australia ............ 467
Adelaide ............ 471
Where to Stay & Eat in Adelaide ............ 475
Barossa Valley ............ 491
South Australia Wine Country ............ 499
The Red Centre ............ 519
Alice Springs ............ 523
Ayers Rock Resort ............ 539
The Top End & the Kimberley ............ 548—549
Darwin ............ 552
Western Australia ............ 583
Perth ............ 587
Where to Stay & Eat in Perth ............ 594
About This Book ............ 7
What’s Where ............ 8
Quintessential Australia ............ 14
When to Go ............ 17
If You Like ............ 18
Great Itineraries ............ 20
Chapter 1: Sydney ............ 27
Exploring Sydney ............ 28
Beaches ............ 60
Where to Eat ............ 66
Where to Stay ............ 79
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 87
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 93
Shopping ............ 96
Sydney Essentials ............ 102
Chapter 2: New South Wales ............ 113
The Blue Mountains ............ 115
The Hunter Valley ............ 130
The North Coast ............ 136
Lord Howe Island ............ 149
The Snowy Mountains ............ 154
Chapter 3: Canberra & the A.C.T. ............ 163
Exploring Canberra ............ 164
Where to Eat ............ 172
Where to Stay ............ 177
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 179
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 181
Shopping ............ 181
Canberra Essentials ............ 182
Chapter 4: Melbourne ............ 185
Exploring Melbourne ............ 187
Where to Eat ............ 199
Where to Stay ............ 206
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 212
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 216
Shopping ............ 218
Melbourne Essentials ............ 223
Chapter 5: Victoria ............ 229
Around Melbourne ............ 231
West Coast Region ............ 244
The Gold Country & the Grampians ............ 255
Murray River Region ............ 264
Chapter 6: Tasmania ............ 273
Hobart ............ 278
Side Trips from Hobart ............ 287
Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula ............ 291
Freycinet National Park & East- Coast Resorts ............ 293
Launceston ............ 296
The Northwest & Cradle Mountain— Lake St. Clair National Park ............ 302
The West Coast ............ 307
Tasmania Essentials ............ 310
Chapter 7: Queensland ............ 315
Brisbane ............ 317
The Gold Coast ............ 342
The Sunshine Coast & Airlie Beach ............ 358
Fraser Island ............ 374
Townsville & Magnetic Island ............ 380
Cairns ............ 391
North from Cairns ............ 407
Chapter 8: The Great Barrier Reef ............ 423
Mackay—Capricorn Islands ............ 427
The Whitsunday Islands ............ 436
North Coast Islands ............ 452
Great Barrier Reef Essentials ............ 460
Chapter 9: Adelaide & South Australia ............ 465
Adelaide ............ 468
The Barossa Region ............ 489
The Clare Valley ............ 498
Fleurieu Peninsula ............ 502
Kangaroo Island ............ 506
The Outback ............ 512
Chapter 10: The Red Centre ............ 517
Alice Springs ............ 520
Side Trips from Alice Springs ............ 530
Uluru & Kata Tjuta ............ 532
The Red Centre Essentials ............ 540
Chapter 11: Darwin, the Top End & the Kimberley ............ 545
Darwin ............ 550
Kakadu National Park ............ 565
The Kimberley ............ 569
Chapter 12: Perth & Western Australia ............ 581
Perth ............ 585
Fremantle & Rottnest Island ............ 607
The South West ............ 617
Monkey Mia & Ningaloo Reef ............ 631
Chapter 13: Adventure Vacations ............ 637
Travel Smart Australia: 654
Transportation ............ 655
On The Ground ............ 662
Index ............ 675
About Our Writers ............ 688
Maps
Australia ............ 12—13
Distances and Flying Times ............ 26
Sydney Harbour ............ 31
Central Sydney ............ 36—37
Greater Sydney ............ 57
Sydney Beaches ............ 63
Where to Stay & Eat in Sydney ............ 70—71
Where to Eat in Greater Sydney ............ 79
New South Wales ............ 116—117
The Blue Mountains ............ 120
The North Coast ............ 137
The Snowy Mountains ............ 156
Canberra ............ 165
Where to Stay & Eat in Canberra ............ 175
Melbourne City Center ............ 189
Melbourne Suburbs ............ 196
Where to Stay & Eat in Melbourne City Center ............ 201
Where to Stay & Eat in the Melbourne Suburbs ............ 204
Victoria ............ 232—233
Around Melbourne ............ 234
West Coast Region ............ 246
Tasmania ............ 276—277
Downtown Hobart ............ 279
Queensland ............ 318—319
Brisbane ............ 322
Where to Stay & Eat in Brisbane ............ 327
The Gold Coast ............ 343
The Sunshine Coast ............ 360
Cairns ............ 392
North From Cairns ............ 409
The Great Barrier Reef ............ 425
South Australia ............ 467
Adelaide ............ 471
Where to Stay & Eat in Adelaide ............ 475
Barossa Valley ............ 491
South Australia Wine Country ............ 499
The Red Centre ............ 519
Alice Springs ............ 523
Ayers Rock Resort ............ 539
The Top End & the Kimberley ............ 548—549
Darwin ............ 552
Western Australia ............ 583
Perth ............ 587
Where to Stay & Eat in Perth ............ 594
Check hotel rates and airfares around the world