We will arrive in Sydney mid July from USA and plan to spend 10 days there before going to Port Douglas for 5 days. Return to Sydney for 6 days and then to Melbourne for a week. <BR>Plan to do a reef trip and skyrail, hope to go to Mossman and Daintree ( do we need to take a tour? we will have a car). <BR>Any day trip suggestions from Sydney and Melbourne? - or should we just hang out and see the cities. Advised that Great Ocean Road is not a good idea in winter. Thanks

If you have your own car, there's no need to book an organised tour around Port Douglas. Just make sure you have a decent guide book so you don't miss anything. Mossman Gorge is a short drive from Port Douglas and its not much further on to the Daintree River. You can pick up a river cruise here if you like. You then get a car ferry over the river and take the fantastic drive up to Cape Tribulation. Past here the road is unsealed and rough. <BR>The Skyrail station is about 45 mins drive south of Port Douglas. A day driving around the Atherton Tableland is also worthwhile. For reef trips from Port Douglas, I'd recommend Poseidon (www.poseidon-cruises.com.au) or Haba Dive (www.habadive.com.au). <BR>From Sydney, the Blue Mountains is a great day trip (but better for 2-3 days). Other options are the Southern Highlands, Nelson Bay, Hunter Valley.

Susie, <BR> <BR>Here is a website that will give you an idea on what is available out of Sydney. I am not associated with the company in any way and I have mo knowledge of their service but they do all the main interest areas around Sydney. Their website is www.wonderbus.com. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps.

Hi, my wife and I spent our honeymoon (2 weeks) in Australia during December and we LOVED it! You must drive to Cape Tribulation and stay at one of the B&B's or at PK's Jungle Village! Cape Trib was the highlight of our trip! I arranged a night bush walk (w/ a biologist), went scuba diving on the great barrier reef, and had a true aussie adventure! I hope you consider spending less time in the touristy CAINS and PORT DOUGLAS and go where the REAL fun is CAPE TRIBULATION! <BR> <BR>ps. The Daintree Rain forest is the oldest in the world...500 million yrs. <BR>

If you are planning to drive north of Port Douglas, be aware that your hire car company may not allow their vehicle past the Daintree River due to the bad roads north of the river, so check before you go. If you are planning to go to Cape Tribulation, there are plenty of tours available. If you want to get off the beaten track, you could try a tour to Cooktown - you would probably need to allow two days for this. <BR>In Melbourne, the Melbourne Zoo is excellent and only a short tram journey from the CBD. Incidentally, there is a free City Circle tram service circling the city - these trams are brown. You can just get on and off as you please. Have a look at the Melbourne Central shopping centre built around an old shot tower and watch the clock as it chimes the hour. The Queen Victoria market has lots of goodies - food, clothes, souvenirs etc and is very popular with locals and visitors. <BR>If you have a car, the Yarra Valley is lovely and has lots of wineries. One of our favourite trips is to Marysville, about 1 1/2 hours drive from the city, through beautiful country (you go through the Yarra Valley to get to Marysville so you could combine trips). The Dandenong Ranges on the outskirts of the city are nice and have lots of small restaurants and craft shops. <BR>Hope you all have a great time here.