2dogs

3 days and counting.....we arrive in Sidney Saturday and then a flight up to
Surfers Paradise where we will be staying at the Radisson Resort for 8
days....a long flight on Qantas 747-400...never have flown such a long
distance....not sure of protocol concerning carry on luggage...can we pack
stuff and retrieve items during flight, say warmer clothing or DVD player
and medications....also is there some type of 12 volt outlet at
seats...flying economy .....stupid questions but am a newbie....have Bose
noise canceling head phones....anything else I should prepare for on this
long flight ? any good suggestions for jet lag...will be flying from Dallas
TX time zone.....am not nervous of flying just aware of recent no no's of
banned items carried on....

Surfers Paradise, any good suggestions on things to do...we plan to take the
whale sight seeing boats out.....we are not interested in the big theme park
stuff...been there done that here in the states...more interested in
culture, art, animals and nature.....we are 50 and enjoy cultural
things...any must dine at places ?....we know that we may never again visit
the land of OZ, it was a quirk we even are able to do this adventure ....we
cant see everything I know but seek to enjoy Aussie life as much as we
can....heard there are good beer brewed, looking forward to that....

Guess my only fear is driving on the wrong side of the road.....and maybe
too excited to sleep well on the long flight....thanks to all and sorry for
the silly questions.....I look forward to cool days, we have been in the
100's for 30 some odd days here in Texas....just a couple of Native American Indians in Australia, imagine that!!

Phil

oliverandharry

Phil, Had a flight to CA just after the new restrictions went in - and as usual when the rule changes, the TSA folks aren't fooling around. Make sure you've checked the tsa.gov website for prohibited items and DON'T TAKE THEM. They will just take them away from you at security. Can't imagine that long flight without my moisturizer, hand cream, and Vaseline lip gloss, but I'm a wimp. Yes, you can get things out of your bag during the flight. No, there's no electricity at your seat. Bring enough battery power for your DVD player. Please write us a trip report when you return - would love your perspective! You'll have a terrific time!
oliverandharry (who, as it happens, are also 2dogs!)

Betsy

LOL! Have been addressing you as Oliver and Harry in previous posts. Couldn't figure out who was who, as in your (wonderful) trip reports, you're obviously male and female.

Betsy

How exciting!

Suggest you go to the Qantas website and read up on what to expect on your flight.

Note: You will be driving on the left-hand side of the road, not the <i>wrong</i> side of the road.

bluestructure

Looking forward to your trip report from the flight experience to driving on the left side of the road! Have fun, I share your excitement!!

Bokhara

Hi 2 dogs,
The &quot;carry on&quot; rules seem to be pretty fluid at the moment, so I'd suggest you call Qantas tomorrow or the next day to get the latest. Would be worth checking on your internal carrier too, if you're taking intra-country flights.
Sometimes there's a variance between international &amp; internal regulations &amp; allowances.

The best tip I've been given is: Pack lighter than you think you can &amp; don't put anything in a &quot;book through&quot; bag that you care if you lose.

Re the G.Coast - there are some lovely areas in the hinterland - Mount Tambourine is one that comes to mind.
I'll have a look for a few links for you.

Don't worry about the driving - you sound like a pretty switched on guy - you'll be fine. The roads are good and once you get your bearings, it's a breeze.

Enjoy your trip - you're coming at the perfect time! Positively Spring weather today!

marg

We go to the Gold Coast often for holidays. Last time we visited the observation deck of the Q1 building in Surfers Paradise. Great views over the whole area and worth doing.
If you want a bit of evening entertainment, the cabaret at Jupiters Casino is quite good and fairly inexpensive. And if you like Thai food, the Chiang Mai restaurant on the highway at Broadbeach is highly recommended.
There are some great Sunday markets - check with your hotel for dates and locations.
Have a great holiday.

tru2my2

Oy! from Surfers now...it's lovely and warm to mild.

I highly recommend the Hinterland Trail (we went today), there are nice wineries to visit.

Bring a very good, detailed map. Or use this site:
www.street-directory.com.au
The roads are not well marked, and the round-abouts are everywhere!

Do go up to the Q1 Observatory - it's glorious!
I think it cost about 10AUD (we have a year pass)
At night it's also nice to have a cocktail there.

We have not seen any whales pass the last week....perhaps you'll get lucky.

I've been cooking most nights, but did eat at Chiang Mai last night. Very good. Try to sit outside in the private covered seating - it's cute!

During the week we are going to South Standbroke and Tangalooma - a short drive, and ferry to the island. Each evening, dolphins come into shore, and can be hand fed. You must make a reservation a day or 2 in advance. tangalooma.com

Yes, the flight is long, but definately well worth it!
Have a lovely time - Cheers!

Neil_Oz

Phil, my 2c worth, based on driving on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the road in the US, is:

1. it's a little disorienting at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly.

2. The main thing to watch out for is when turning on to an empty road - with no other traffic to provide a reminder, it's easy to forget which side you should be on. Try to get into the habit of reminding yourself &quot;stay left!&quot; in those situations.

3. When you stop at red lights, you can proceed to turn left only when the lights turn green OR where a sign explicitly allows you to execute your turn while the lights are red. This might sound like stating the obvious to Australians, but I noticed that the situation is generally the opposite in the US - i.e., you may proceed to turn right against a red light unless a sign tells you you can't. I hope I haven't confused you with the tortuous explanation...

4. When you hit a roundabout (traffic circle) remember to bear left, not right.

5. When on foot and about to cross the road, first look RIGHT for oncoming traffic! This I've found harder to get used to than driving on the right.

Have a great trip.

Neil

oliverandharry

Besty,
Actually no, we are two male West Highland White terriers, and we let our mom use our screen name to write here. It is she, after all, who travels.

wally34949

You will love Qantas. They are the best. Free wine in economy, too.

Check their website to find out what movies they are playing and then visit www.imdb.com and find out a little information about the movies. This will help you decide which ones to watch.

I'm flying from Miami to London to Sydney during Christmas, which is nearly 30 hours. The flight from London to Sydney is sooooo long, they have to stop in Singapore for fuel and change the flight attendants and pilots. Next time I will let them change me with a stopover!

Betsy

Dear O and H, you are so lucky to have such interestng &quot;parents&quot; whose Australia trip report inspired me to rearrange our October itinerary to include five days in Tasmania. We're even staying in the Cherry Tree cottage at Woolmers!

oliverandharry

Betsy,
That's BRILLIANT! If you want to email me off the board, I'll send you some photos.
[email protected]

(Sorry, I know we're hijacking this thread.)

Betsy

Thanks a bunch, O and H's mom! I've emailed you at your AOL address and am looking forward to the photos. If the message didn't reach you, please email me at betsy at speakeasy dot org

Sorry for the hijack. We'll quit it right now.