My wife and I will be in Australia for 5 weeks on the 1st of February 2012.

We are on a RTW trip and will have spent 2 months in New Zealand prior to arriving in OZ.

We have friends in Melbourne Sydney and Byron Bay who we plan to visit.

Tasmania is a must , but we would also like to visit the North Queensland area but we are concerned that we would be visiting at the wrong time of the year weatherwise ?

Blue mountains are also on our list as well as the G.O.W.

We are both 50 and active hikers and have visited many of the National Parks here in the USA.

We would greatly appreciate in help or suggestions in putting together an intenary.

Mike

Mike,
February in north Queensland is going to be wet. It could just be wet or it could be really wet. However it is not raining all the time, it just feels that way sometimes.

Those of us who live here somehow seem to manage and at least the rain is not so cold. I just take off all the clothes which it is socially acceptable to do and continue.

There are a few threads on Tasmania. If you have specific questions let me know. I have a trip report as well if you want.

Everywhere will be hot in February, Tas, will be the least hot - mid twenties. Probably best to start there and work your way north.

If you enjoy hiking, I recommend that you include Canberra on your trip. Excellent hiking in Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. You might also like to hike to the highest peak in Australia, Mt. Kosciusko. You can do the full route by starting at Charlotte Pass or do the quick route by taking the chairlift at Thredbo to start.

Peter,
While Tasmania is likely to be least hot it is also more likely (as is much of southern Australia) to have a 40 degree day in February than we are here in north Queensland.
As far as I am aware, Yungaburra has only ever had three 40 degree days and they were all in November 2004. I am of course talking about recorded history.

Could have added that the previous record temperature for Yungaburra was 36*C and most years we do not go above 32*C.

Currently it is warm in the sun and cool in the shade. The nights are cooler so I've been using two light blankets.

With 5 weeks you have plenty of time to visit W.A. The wine region south of Perth around Margaret River is lovely, and a little further south you get forest and perhaps more temperate climate than you would find most places at that time of the year. For hiking, check out the Bibbulmun track. http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au We've done a short stretch of it on our own and in December will be doing one of the 3-day "Bibbulmun "breaks" I'll try to find the opportunity to post a trip report.