My father and I are flying into Sydney on Friday, March 10th. We will be attending a wedding in Pymble the next day (Saturday) and then have the rest of the following week free to do as we please. We fly out of Sydney on Sunday morning, the 19th.

We are very adventurous, active, and fit (yet we do like our fair share of beers and burgers, of course). I already have the Blue Mountains high on my list of things to do, but am hoping for some more recommendations. We would love to visit Cairns and it's surrounding area, but understand that time may not allow it. Would we have time to make a worthwhile trip to Cairns/Great Barrier Reef area? We are both SCUBA certified. Also, would anyone recommend that we rent a car for the trip from Sydney to Pymble, or would public transport suffice? I am in the very initial stages of my research so any advice or insight would be appreciated, including restaurants and/or good local cultural experiences. Thank you!

Renting a car to get to Pymble would make no sense.

Pymble is on the North Shore, on the train line to Hornsby, and you can catch that train at Sydney’s principal station called Sydney Central.

From the airport there is a private train line that takes you to Central, so all that should be a breeze.

The question then is - where in Pymble will you stay? It is a large suburb, formerly quite rural, now fairly built up, and you may need a taxi from the Pymble station to your address.

You can download the map of the Sydney trains here: www.sydneytrains.info/stations/network_map

Just consult with your friends holding the wedding, they’ll advise you.

It sounds to me like you should fly to Cairns - being divers, you’ll have a ball! It's not the optimal time of the year (it's summer, more rainfall than at other times), and it is still stinger season, so your diving guides will have to take that into account. But if I read correctly "between the lies", you're really keen to go, so - I'd say, go! www.cairnsunlimited.com/faq.htm

That’s not to say that a week in and around Sydney would not also be great, but you can’t have it both ways. If you fly to Cairns on Sunday, come back on Friday, look around Sydney on Saturday - that would be a great way of doing it.

I have suggested elsewhere this four-day or five-day loop (that can be adjusted many ways): Sydney - Batemans Bay (with Shoalhaven-area winery visit along the way) - inland to Queanbeyan next to Canberra (cheaper lodgings than in Canberra) - visit Canberra for a day or two - drive to Jenolan Caves - pick the cave according to your fitness level - maybe stay the night nearby in Oberon (Motel Titania) - Katoomba (Three Sisters, hikes etc.) - take the country drive via Putty to Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley (wine country) - then out to the beaches at The Entrance - back down to Sydney.

While in Sydney, make sure to do this: www.pylonlookout.com.au

Oops, I'm not accusing you of "telling lies" - I meant to type "between the lines"...

Haha I understood what you meant, despite the typo! This is all extremely helpful, thank you so much.

I've also heard a lot about Whitsunday- do you have any insight on whether or not that would be just as good as or better than Cairns?

Never been to The Whitsundays Islands.