My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip to Australia. After looking over the guide boooks, I'm a bit dazed. We were hoping to spend some time in Sydney, Brisbane and perhaps Perth. Any suggestions?! <BR> <BR>Felipe

Hi Felipe, <BR>I live in Melbourne and my personal choice would be Sydney and Cairns/Port Douglas. July will be mid-winter in Aust but should not be too cold in these places. Most international flights fly directly into Sydney, you can then fly to Cairns (also an international airport) and Port Douglas is an hour's drive from there. Cairns has no beach but there are beautiful beaches 15 mins north and the Four Mile Beach at Port Douglas is gorgeous. <BR> There is lots to do in Sydney - it's a huge city, the 'Rocks' area is historic and interesting and a boat/ferry trip on the harbour is lovely. Hope this helps a bit.

which way are coming from. if from the states and then landing in sydney then remember that perth is another 4 hours flying time west of sydney so you will lose part of two days doing another haul there and back. that may not be what you want after a long trip to australia. <BR>because of the time (winter here) I wouldn't recommend melbourne. Probably Sydney for a few days then Ayers Rock/Alice Springs for a look at the desert (no more than a couple of days for an overnight camping tour). From there to Cairns/Port Douglas via Brisbane for the reef and rainforest for a week. You would get a quick look at the different areas in australia from that. that would be about it in ten days. <BR>Note: you will need to fly between these cities as the distances are vast.

You need at least a month in Australia. Perth is definitely worth a visit. It has be one of the prettiest places in Australia. The beaches are incredible, the people are wonderful, it is laid back and easy going. Lots to do over here and if you can spare some time head down to south west of Western Australia and visit the wine country or head up north to see and feed the dolphins.

If you have 10 days, you have 10 days, and you can get a good feel for the country in that time. Remember everything is mostly along the coastal areas. Frankly, I think I would skip Ayers Rock, it's a long distance, and although beautiful, it would put a dent in your travel time. Spend at least 5 days in Sydney, because you can take some great day trips, ie, The Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley. Then decide if you want to go north or south, pick another city and do a little more with day trips. Brisbane was nice, but not terribly interesting, however Cairns has a lot of personality. Perth is very far and again would eat into your actual time there. Maybe you need to see what you like, and then decide what you will do next time. I love Sydney!

I think merriem has posted good advice