palmetto1

My partner and I will be taveling to Australia March 10-26 and would love some help planning our trip. We fly into Sydney and want to stay there for 2-3 days. After that we want to drive along the Great Ocean Road, tour the wine country in Barossa Valley and, last but not least, see a bit of Tasmania. Is this too much to cover in 2 weeks? Also, what is the best travel route for our itinerary? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

longhorn55

I think you can do all the things you want in 2 weeks and you have a variety of options:

From Sydney, you can fly either to Melbourne or Adelaide. If you go to Melbourne first, you can get your rental car and drive towards Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road. Plan on 2 days for this trip. In Adelaide, I would plan on at least 1 day for Adelaide and 1 day for the Barossa Valley. Then fly to Hobart,rent a car and spend the rest of your holiday in Tasmania. Plan on a minimum of 5 days in Tasmania to do it justice.
Things I would not do--drive from Sydney to either Melbourne or Adelaide as it eats up too much of your precious vacation time. Also, while it's fun to take the ferry from Melbourne to Devonport, Tasmania, it also eats up a lot of time.

lizF

If you want to see wonderful scenery like the GOR then as you are going to Tasmania there is nothing that can beat some of the drives down there, particularly along the eastern sea board, Freycinet National Park, Bay of Fires, Wineglass Bay, Maria Island then around the Huon valley driving along the waterfront roads. Tasmania is very different from the mainland that you need as much time as possible there even though it is a small island/state. If you are also wanting to taste wine then there are also wonderful wineries in Tasmania as well, in fact a full 2 weeks just in Tasmania would still leave plenty you would not have seen as it has a lot of historical sites and convict built villages, World Heritage sites i.e Cradle Mountain area which is unique and beautiful.
As you will be here in March I am pushing you into not going the GOR mainly because Victoria and South Australia will be dry and brown after the summer and certainly not at their best. Tasmania will not be as green as it usually gets but it still will be far more interesting from the scenery point of view as it changes to much in a very short distance.
If on the other hand you really want to go to the Barossa Valley then I would fly from Sydney to Adelaide ( not do the GOR) and fly from Adelaide to either Launceston or Hobart in Tasmania. But after you have been to Tasmania you will regret not spending more time there I can assure you of that. Also add another day to Sydney if you can because you will need one of your days to get over the flight.

Pumblechook

One thing to keep in mind: the Commonwealth Games are on in Melbourne from March 12-26 and the city will be bursting at the seams. They've also brought the school holidays forward to coincide with the Games, so many locals will be hitting the beaches and places like the Great Ocean Road. Depending on your likes and dislikes, it may be a good time to bypass Melbourne.

Kathy47

Well, you've obviously looked at the map of Austraila, but have you tallied up how many miles/ kilometeres you'd need to travel to achieve what you hope to do in two weeks? Australia is a big country (like the USA) but the roads ar not anywhere near the quality of those in the US (yes I have travelled in the US & know what I'm talking about). You would need a month to 6 weeks to achieve what you propose. Why travel only to Sydney which, after all, is only the capital of New South Wales? Why not vistit the NATIONAL CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA - CANBERRA - a planned city which is unique in the world & which has all the national institutions endemic to Australia. See these various museums etc & you will get a glimpse of what Australia/Australians ware all about!
Within a half hour's drive from CANBERRA are the cool climate grape growing areas which are unique to AUSTRALIA. If you wish to see some scenery that is also spextacular, drive north from Sydney to Brisbane to see the the MOST SPECTACULAR BEACHES in the world on the way including the Gold Coast (90 kilometeres south of Brisbane & rather glittzy) and 100 kilometrs (about an hour's drive) north of Brisbane to the SUNSHINE COAST (absolutely beyond belief). Forget the Barossa & the Great Ocean Road - booring!!!!!!!! By the way, there are only 11 apostles on the Great Ocean Road now, the 12th one disappeared into the ocean several months ago

fuzzylogic

Kathie has her own ideas and nowt wrong with them. But you seem to have decided where you want to go. And I think 2 weeks is fine. OK you could spend 6 weeks travelling from ADL to MLB and then to Tassie, and to Sydney via Canberra and other place. I did - but I was in all-the-time-in-the-world traveller mode, and you are on holiday!!

Spend 2-3 days in SYD, fly to ADL (2 days). May I suggest an organised trip for the GOR - you sound like the kind of folk who would enjoy the Wayward Bus (3 days), and that way neither of you has to drive. Then Tassie.

I would actually suggest the ferry (but then I am a sucker for boat trips!!). It's overnight so you arrive in Devonport early morning and can pick up a hire car there. Do your 5 days. Leave the car in Hobart and fly back to Sydney from there.

Happy travels.

Karen246

Don't forget to go to Rockfords wine in the Barossa, but if you are a wine buff shoul not miss - their Basket Press Shiraz isto die for...enjoy