16 days to Oz
 

My wife and I are looking to go to Austrailia leaving in the Mid Nov timframe returning at the end of the month for roughly 16 days. Will stop over in Hawaii on the way back. We have a Fodors book that we are researching but the country seems so vast with much to do (like Italy). Need help pairing dowwn the trip. General interests are: Like to go to the wine regions, like to see some wildlife, and like to do the Great Barrier Reef. Would welcome any and all help!!!! Thanks.

Firstly, this country is not vast like Italy, but rather vast like USA - it's roughly the same size as mainland USA, but nothing like the population.

With your time frame, start at the Reef first, and head south - Sydney - (and then wine regions), or Melbourne (and surrounding wine regions), or Canberra (and surrounding wine regions) or Adelaide (and surrounding wine regions) or Hobart (and surrounding wine regions!) or Brisbane (and.....)

You need to focus on what's iomportant to you.

If you're coming to Great Barrier Reef in Cairns/Port Douglas area, November is a good time for both reef and wildlife,as this is when the native birds and animals are nesting and breeding. There are many different types of reef trips available - have a look at www.divethereef.com to find the ones to suit you. For wildlife spotting you couldn't go past Jonathan Munro - www.wildwatch.com.au

Although Im from Melbourne Id agree with most posts and start up north in Cairns- some time in Port Douglas to see the reef, wildlife parks and ?Crocs in the Daintree forest and the Rainforest hinterland. From there it depends how you will travel.If you have air passes or just a cheap flight You could fly from Cairns to say an area near Fraser Island on the Queensland coast or straight over to Ayers Rock- Uluru for a bit of desert and then on to Sydney - plenty to do there and wine regions in the Hunter valley are supurb along with the Blue Mountain ranges west of Sydney. You could then fly out to Hawaii. This is a pretty typical East coast scenario.

We spent 16 days in April "down under" and we would have not wanted to miss two highlights:
driving along the Great Ocean Road from Adelaide to Melbourne and seeing the Fairy Penguin parade on Phillipps Island.
Had a great time tasting wine in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney and in the Clare/Barossa Valley near Adelaide.