2 week itinerary in winter?
Apr 24th, 2007, 12:02 AM
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2 week itinerary in winter?
2 of my nature/animal-loving friends and I (late 20s) are planning a 2 week trip to Australia - everyone's first time there. Here is our tentative plan:
Aug 1 AM- arrive in Cairns
Aug 4 AM- arrive in Ayers Rock (to Uluru)
Aug 6 PM- arrive in Brisbane
Aug 8 AM- arrive in Hervey Bay (to Fraser Isle)
Aug 10 AM- arrive in Sydney
Aug 13 AM- fly out of Sydney
A few questions that we have:
1) Does this sound reasonable? We are aware that it's a lot of flying, but we want to see Uluru and Fraser Island. We are flying into Cairns and out of Sydney so those two locations are set.
2) Is there a more efficient path to get in our destinations? We fly into Brisbane only because there's no direct flight to Hervey Bay from Uluru. Should we go to Hervey Bay first and then Uluru?
3) What is your opinion on the penguin parade on Phillip Island? My friend pointed this out and it seems like a great attraction, but I don't know if it is worth cutting out one of our current destinations.
4) Is August a decent month to go see the parade? I am aware that there will be no chicks and that it will be one of the coldest months ... should we skip this?
5) If you think the parade is worth our time, what location should we cut out, or should we shorten our time elsewhere?
6) We aren't too keen on staying very long in Sydney, because we plan to return again when Sydney is warmer and would prefer to do more adventure traveling this time around such as snorkeling, hiking, etc. Should we shorten our time in Sydney and lengthen the time elsewhere?
Thank you all for your input!
Aug 1 AM- arrive in Cairns
Aug 4 AM- arrive in Ayers Rock (to Uluru)
Aug 6 PM- arrive in Brisbane
Aug 8 AM- arrive in Hervey Bay (to Fraser Isle)
Aug 10 AM- arrive in Sydney
Aug 13 AM- fly out of Sydney
A few questions that we have:
1) Does this sound reasonable? We are aware that it's a lot of flying, but we want to see Uluru and Fraser Island. We are flying into Cairns and out of Sydney so those two locations are set.
2) Is there a more efficient path to get in our destinations? We fly into Brisbane only because there's no direct flight to Hervey Bay from Uluru. Should we go to Hervey Bay first and then Uluru?
3) What is your opinion on the penguin parade on Phillip Island? My friend pointed this out and it seems like a great attraction, but I don't know if it is worth cutting out one of our current destinations.
4) Is August a decent month to go see the parade? I am aware that there will be no chicks and that it will be one of the coldest months ... should we skip this?
5) If you think the parade is worth our time, what location should we cut out, or should we shorten our time elsewhere?
6) We aren't too keen on staying very long in Sydney, because we plan to return again when Sydney is warmer and would prefer to do more adventure traveling this time around such as snorkeling, hiking, etc. Should we shorten our time in Sydney and lengthen the time elsewhere?
Thank you all for your input!
Apr 24th, 2007, 12:41 AM
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I'm a big fan of the fairy penguins. I haven't seen them at Phillip Island, I've seen them at Montague Island off the NSW coast near Narooma but I think your trip is already very busy so I wouldn't add in Melbourne. If you are coming back to Sydney when it's warmer perhaps you could take a drive down the south coast and see them then? Narooma is about 3 1/2-4 hours drive south of Sydney.
In terms of nature and animals top of my list would be Tasmania which is particularly good for seeing marsupials.
Perhaps do that next time also.
If you can fly from Cairns to Hervey Bay and Harvey Bay to Uluru then I'd definately shift the order. Also if you want to shorten the time in Sydney spend more time in Cairns, that will also give you time to get over your jet lag. Uluru is really one to two days maximum so don't extend that leg.
In terms of nature and animals top of my list would be Tasmania which is particularly good for seeing marsupials.
Perhaps do that next time also.
If you can fly from Cairns to Hervey Bay and Harvey Bay to Uluru then I'd definately shift the order. Also if you want to shorten the time in Sydney spend more time in Cairns, that will also give you time to get over your jet lag. Uluru is really one to two days maximum so don't extend that leg.
Apr 24th, 2007, 03:30 PM
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I would definitely try and do Cairns and Fraser Is. as one leg.
A suggestion. Cairns (3 days), Fraser Island (2), Brisbane (no need to stay there unless of course for connections), Uluru (2), Melbourne (2) for Phillip Island ( you will love the penguins, the new seal viewing attraction and koalas) then Sydney (2). Allow some time for flying and if necessary you could increase Cairns for a day as you will probably be jet lagged by the time you get there. IMO that would be reasonable and although it seems like a lot of flying, it is the only way to cover Australia in a limited time.
August is chilly, but not too bad. July is usually the worst month in the south. You should be able to fly from Cairns to Hervey Bay for FI. And then Hervey Bay to Brissy for Uluru.
A suggestion. Cairns (3 days), Fraser Island (2), Brisbane (no need to stay there unless of course for connections), Uluru (2), Melbourne (2) for Phillip Island ( you will love the penguins, the new seal viewing attraction and koalas) then Sydney (2). Allow some time for flying and if necessary you could increase Cairns for a day as you will probably be jet lagged by the time you get there. IMO that would be reasonable and although it seems like a lot of flying, it is the only way to cover Australia in a limited time.
August is chilly, but not too bad. July is usually the worst month in the south. You should be able to fly from Cairns to Hervey Bay for FI. And then Hervey Bay to Brissy for Uluru.
Apr 26th, 2007, 06:07 PM
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Definitely worth considering combining a trip to Fraser Island with a visit to one of the islands on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef for fantastic diving and snorkeling (Heron Island or Lady Elliot). Only a few hours drive north from Hervey Bay. You don't have to fly all the way up to Cairns to see the reef and you could save a flight that way. We did a Heron Island-Fraser Island combination trip in August 1998.
Apr 28th, 2007, 06:39 PM
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Whilst I love Fraser Island, I once worked there for a few months in summer - do you really want to be there in winter? August avg temperature is min 11C- max 22C
I'd be heading straight to tropical Cairns and area where its still winter, but temps are warmer with daily August averages of min 17C-27C and water temperature about 22C.
Agree with Saltarius that three days in Far North Queensland is not enough, by eliminating Fraser Island and adding that time to tropics, you'd at least have some time for landbased activities such as wildlife spotting as well as the Great Barrier Reef. Atherton Tablelands are a "must" as well as world heritage rainforests in FNQ.
Wouldn't change Uluru, you've picked a good time of year for that.
I'd be heading straight to tropical Cairns and area where its still winter, but temps are warmer with daily August averages of min 17C-27C and water temperature about 22C.
Agree with Saltarius that three days in Far North Queensland is not enough, by eliminating Fraser Island and adding that time to tropics, you'd at least have some time for landbased activities such as wildlife spotting as well as the Great Barrier Reef. Atherton Tablelands are a "must" as well as world heritage rainforests in FNQ.
Wouldn't change Uluru, you've picked a good time of year for that.
Apr 29th, 2007, 03:23 PM
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Sure, southern Queensland (where Fraser Island is) is not as warm as Cairns is in winter. But in absolute terms, the "winter" weather is still awfully nice there. Why discourage people from visiting at that time if that is where they want to go? It's not like they would be visiting Chicago in January. And one should keep in mind that Fraser Island is only just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, a lot closer to the tropics than say, Florida or San Diego. We visited Fraser Island in August and had a great time.
Apr 29th, 2007, 05:43 PM
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I am a travel writer and tour organizer specializing on Australia of course and Queensland in particular. I will not give any specific information on accommodation places or tours as such but will help with destination information if I can. I decided to write here as I have been lurking around for some time and thought that I just had to chime in on this one so that jplanet is not given some incorrect or misleading information.
Fraser Island is a recreation island mainly used for fisherman and families in the summer months i.e. December - March. It has no roads as such, there is no infrastructure for tourists, there are no patrolled beaches and it get darn cold in winter and there is little to do other than walk sand dunes which you can do on larger ones with easier access on Morton Island - off Brisbane. Hervey Bay is a retirement community and swimming is out of the question in winter there as the water is cold.
If the poster was going in summer they could swim in the lakes there but in winter you would not do so. There are no special particular species of animals on Fraser that you cannot see elsewhere and probably not as much as you could see elsewhere.
In comparison to the North Queensland area it has little to offer and in my opinion is not an International destination for people with limited time or less than 3 months to spend. Cairns is of course a jumping off point for many, many other fantastic areas in North Queensland. It does not propose to be anything else. I could find at least 2 weeks of fun in North Queensland with still more left to see for another time than further south. It is one of the World Heritage areas and if you look up the defination of World Heritage then you will get some idea of the importance. From there you can get some wonderful experiences of the "Outback" as well by either taking the Savanna train, seeing the Undara Lava Tubes or going out to Lawn Hill National Park which is magnificent.
I get really sad when I see people spending money on seeing second rate things in Australia. Perhaps they don't have the chance of several trips to Australia or time on their hands and getting a bigger boom for your bucks is the prime object in this exercise.
Fraser Island is a recreation island mainly used for fisherman and families in the summer months i.e. December - March. It has no roads as such, there is no infrastructure for tourists, there are no patrolled beaches and it get darn cold in winter and there is little to do other than walk sand dunes which you can do on larger ones with easier access on Morton Island - off Brisbane. Hervey Bay is a retirement community and swimming is out of the question in winter there as the water is cold.
If the poster was going in summer they could swim in the lakes there but in winter you would not do so. There are no special particular species of animals on Fraser that you cannot see elsewhere and probably not as much as you could see elsewhere.
In comparison to the North Queensland area it has little to offer and in my opinion is not an International destination for people with limited time or less than 3 months to spend. Cairns is of course a jumping off point for many, many other fantastic areas in North Queensland. It does not propose to be anything else. I could find at least 2 weeks of fun in North Queensland with still more left to see for another time than further south. It is one of the World Heritage areas and if you look up the defination of World Heritage then you will get some idea of the importance. From there you can get some wonderful experiences of the "Outback" as well by either taking the Savanna train, seeing the Undara Lava Tubes or going out to Lawn Hill National Park which is magnificent.
I get really sad when I see people spending money on seeing second rate things in Australia. Perhaps they don't have the chance of several trips to Australia or time on their hands and getting a bigger boom for your bucks is the prime object in this exercise.
Apr 29th, 2007, 09:01 PM
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I'm glad you said that AustraliaOne; I've been looking at jplanet's itinerary & trying to work out a time/value effective way for them to go
Cairns-Hervey Bay- Cairns- Uluru-Sydney, and there just isn't one, unless someone does a feeder flight Cairns - Hervey Bay.
I kept coming back to the thought that I wouldn't do that loop just to go to Fraser Island when, IMHO and if it were me, the time would be much better spent around Cairns/hinterland/GBR.
As a matter of interest, do you know if anyone DOES do a feeder flight Cairns-Hervey Bay?
Cairns-Hervey Bay- Cairns- Uluru-Sydney, and there just isn't one, unless someone does a feeder flight Cairns - Hervey Bay.
I kept coming back to the thought that I wouldn't do that loop just to go to Fraser Island when, IMHO and if it were me, the time would be much better spent around Cairns/hinterland/GBR.
As a matter of interest, do you know if anyone DOES do a feeder flight Cairns-Hervey Bay?
Apr 29th, 2007, 09:46 PM
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No one does a Cairns - Hervey Bay flight so the flights would have to be back to Brisbane and then another to Hervey Bay which is quite expensive. Then of course you have the trip over to Fraser Island. Just for a point of information, Morton Island off Brisbane and where you can feed dolphins is second to Fraser in size as a sand island. Morton of course is much easier to get to but again I do not see any point in going to either when you have such a wealth of wonders in North Queensland. If the poster really wants to see an island then the one that I would suggest would be Hinchinbrook Island which is off Cardwell ( south of Cairns). It is the epitome of eco tourism and also has the dugong feeding grounds very near there. The water will be warm enough to swim in ( without wet suits) and the island is a hikers delight.
Apr 30th, 2007, 06:11 AM
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Please, AUSTRALIAONE, Fraser Island is not a "second rate thing" in Australia. It is unique in many ways, most notably for it's incredibly beautiful perched freshwater lakes. It is also the only place in Easten Australia where dingoes are free to roam without being trapped or hunted. It is the only place in Australia where I have seen them in the wild. Its stands of rainforest are stunning, as its sand dunes and beaches. I've never been anywhere where the main highway is the beach, complete with traffic signs.
I'm not saying that Cairns is not a good base and that North Qld is not a great place to go. The Hinchinbrook suggestion was good. But, just because a place is not on the well worn path of international travelers does not mean it is not well worthwhile or second rate.
And it is not cold on Fraser in August. Eighty degree F is not an unusual high temp then. I dont think that's cold in anybody's book.
I'm not saying that Cairns is not a good base and that North Qld is not a great place to go. The Hinchinbrook suggestion was good. But, just because a place is not on the well worn path of international travelers does not mean it is not well worthwhile or second rate.
And it is not cold on Fraser in August. Eighty degree F is not an unusual high temp then. I dont think that's cold in anybody's book.
Apr 30th, 2007, 08:44 AM
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An afterthought....Fraser Island is also a World Heritage area. Since when are World Heritage areas a second rate places to visit?
http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=630
I've been to Moreton Island a couple of times. It's nice, more accessible than Fraser, and there are similarities. But it doesnt hold a candle to Fraser Island I'm afraid.
And Fraser is not without some infrastructure. We stayed at the Kingfisher Bay resort. Somewhat upscale, but there is cheaper accomodation on the otherside of the island too (Euroa and Happy Valley). And since when is a lot of "infrastructure" necessarily a good thing? Does that make Hamilton Island the top destination to go off Queensland coast, with all it's high rise apartments, restaurants and night life? Some people (myself included) would prefer to get away from that kind of crap as much as possible. I remember when Port Douglas was more or less just a fishing village. Has all its present infrastructure made it a better place to go? I think not. Fraser Island, fortunately, retains a lot of the wildness that I, and I'm sure a lot of other people, want to see when visitng Australia.
http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=630
I've been to Moreton Island a couple of times. It's nice, more accessible than Fraser, and there are similarities. But it doesnt hold a candle to Fraser Island I'm afraid.
And Fraser is not without some infrastructure. We stayed at the Kingfisher Bay resort. Somewhat upscale, but there is cheaper accomodation on the otherside of the island too (Euroa and Happy Valley). And since when is a lot of "infrastructure" necessarily a good thing? Does that make Hamilton Island the top destination to go off Queensland coast, with all it's high rise apartments, restaurants and night life? Some people (myself included) would prefer to get away from that kind of crap as much as possible. I remember when Port Douglas was more or less just a fishing village. Has all its present infrastructure made it a better place to go? I think not. Fraser Island, fortunately, retains a lot of the wildness that I, and I'm sure a lot of other people, want to see when visitng Australia.
Apr 30th, 2007, 02:05 PM
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Do please tell me Ralph how jplanet is going to get around Fraser Island? It is pointless saying that there is accommodation in areas of the island if you are stuck in one place and also if you are extolling the virtues of a place do please tell the poster WHY. If the poster would like to do a comparison then here is a website on Morton. http://www.moreton-island.com/
Sure Fraser Island is nice, yes it is World Heritage Listed BUT it will be winter and you run the risk of getting run over by 4 wheel dune buggies driven by drunken fishermen than anything else.
Sure Fraser Island is nice, yes it is World Heritage Listed BUT it will be winter and you run the risk of getting run over by 4 wheel dune buggies driven by drunken fishermen than anything else.
Apr 30th, 2007, 05:02 PM
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AUSTRALIAONE: Why wouldn't jplanet do what most other international visitors do and hire a 4WD to tour the island him/herself or take a tour? We did a bit of both in 1998 - rented a 4WD at Kingfisher (which, by the way, is easy to get to from Hervey Bay, just a barge trip across the bay) and did a full day tour as well. I believe it is significantly cheaper to rent 4WD's in Hervey Bay (or maybe Tin Can Bay) and take it across on the barge oneself, though this could be a hassle with limited time and being at the mercy of barge launch times. That being said, I am also pretty sure you can do single or multiple overnight tours of Fraser from Hervey Bay, avoiding the worries of vehicle rental, barge departures and high tides (when travel along the eastern beach is restricted). Kingfisher is a good option if finances allow...as I said it's relatively easy to get to, and from there you can take tours or rent your own vehicle.
Apr 30th, 2007, 07:40 PM
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Looking at previous posts of yours Ralph I think I am right in thinking that you have not been to Hinchinbrook Island????????
We Aussies like to see people get the best BOOM for their buck and going to Fraser Island would not do that, particularly in winter, and yes we know that you don't think winter in Australia is winter at all but there is a great difference between the temps in southern Queensland compared to North Queensland. Sorry and all that, I am glad that you enjoyed yourself but may we again point out that jplanet has only 2 weeks and that getting to Fraser is convoluted and expensive in comparison to other places where the poster already is going to, well near by.
We Aussies like to see people get the best BOOM for their buck and going to Fraser Island would not do that, particularly in winter, and yes we know that you don't think winter in Australia is winter at all but there is a great difference between the temps in southern Queensland compared to North Queensland. Sorry and all that, I am glad that you enjoyed yourself but may we again point out that jplanet has only 2 weeks and that getting to Fraser is convoluted and expensive in comparison to other places where the poster already is going to, well near by.
Apr 30th, 2007, 07:46 PM
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Ralph, I am not trying to discourage jplanet from visiting Fraser Island, just pointing out that August is about the worst month to do so. With already very limited time in FNQ and no direct flights to Hervey Bay, either from Cairns or Uluru there's even less time for Fraser Island. Hinchinbrook Island would be a far better choice at that time of year and doable from Cairns even though its about a 2 hour drive, and certainly not on the well worn international tourist path.
You may be impervious to cold weather, or you may have been lucky with your August visit to Fraser, and no, I haven't been there in August. As I lived in nearby Noosa through a winter of cold westerlies, I knew what to expect on Fraser. However, a close friend ran the old Orchid Beach resort on Fraser Island for 4 years, and couldn't bear it in August, mainly because of cold August winds - to her it was "winter woollie wearing weather", and she'd virtually come straight there to live from her home in England.
Future of dingoes on Fraser Island is again under discussion. I was called an alarmist for mentioning the death of an 8yo and mauling of the kid's younger brother, just a few years ago. Last week another 4yo kid mauled, the dingo in question has been destroyed but how long before the next attack? Dingoes are the reason there's very little other mammal life on Fraser, although there's plenty of birdlife, reptiles and snakes which can escape into trees.
You may be impervious to cold weather, or you may have been lucky with your August visit to Fraser, and no, I haven't been there in August. As I lived in nearby Noosa through a winter of cold westerlies, I knew what to expect on Fraser. However, a close friend ran the old Orchid Beach resort on Fraser Island for 4 years, and couldn't bear it in August, mainly because of cold August winds - to her it was "winter woollie wearing weather", and she'd virtually come straight there to live from her home in England.
Future of dingoes on Fraser Island is again under discussion. I was called an alarmist for mentioning the death of an 8yo and mauling of the kid's younger brother, just a few years ago. Last week another 4yo kid mauled, the dingo in question has been destroyed but how long before the next attack? Dingoes are the reason there's very little other mammal life on Fraser, although there's plenty of birdlife, reptiles and snakes which can escape into trees.
May 1st, 2007, 04:47 PM
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Well the logisitics of going to Fraser and coupling the trip to visits to Cairns, Uluru, etc. are indeed an issue in planning a short trip. That's why I had suggested omitting Cairns and combining with a visit to the southern Barrier Reef (Heron island for example).
But I just do not buy the weather arguments you make. Water temps will not be optimal but day temps will be fine, most likely. (Sure, you can be unlucky and get a storm or unseasonably cold weather, but that can happen anywhere.) I've spent a lot of time in SE Queensland in "winter" and know full well that our weather experience on Fraser was not exceptional. Our pictures show us in t-shirts and shorts as well as us in bathing suits in the pool at Kingfisher. And we weren't the only ones either.
Your advice related to weather is kind of like advising millions of Americans not to go to to Florida in February because it's too cold and that they should go to Aruba instead. Well Aruba is warmer then, but that doesn't make Florida a bad choice either.
Hinchinbrook. Would really love to go having seen it from the coast a few times. It looks spectacular, jagged peaks, rainforest and all. Not sure it would be the best place for anyone on a short itinerary, however. It is even wilder than Fraser...no roads at all, and the only options for accommodation on the island: the pricey resort on the northern tip or camping. I'm guessing the best way to see Hinchinbrook in a short timeframe, is on one the cruises around the island. I know there are fantastic hikes on Hinchinbrook, though I understand these are multiple overnight camping treks.
But I just do not buy the weather arguments you make. Water temps will not be optimal but day temps will be fine, most likely. (Sure, you can be unlucky and get a storm or unseasonably cold weather, but that can happen anywhere.) I've spent a lot of time in SE Queensland in "winter" and know full well that our weather experience on Fraser was not exceptional. Our pictures show us in t-shirts and shorts as well as us in bathing suits in the pool at Kingfisher. And we weren't the only ones either.
Your advice related to weather is kind of like advising millions of Americans not to go to to Florida in February because it's too cold and that they should go to Aruba instead. Well Aruba is warmer then, but that doesn't make Florida a bad choice either.
Hinchinbrook. Would really love to go having seen it from the coast a few times. It looks spectacular, jagged peaks, rainforest and all. Not sure it would be the best place for anyone on a short itinerary, however. It is even wilder than Fraser...no roads at all, and the only options for accommodation on the island: the pricey resort on the northern tip or camping. I'm guessing the best way to see Hinchinbrook in a short timeframe, is on one the cruises around the island. I know there are fantastic hikes on Hinchinbrook, though I understand these are multiple overnight camping treks.
