Accomodation in Sydney & Canberra
 

Hi everyone,

I will be travelling to Australia in January 2004 and will be in Canberra and Sydney and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on places to stay (not too fancy,as I'm travelling solo)and some cool things to see and do?.. any help would be great!!

Thank you

D

Hi, Daisyrose133!

You don't tell us your age or your interests, but assuming that you're young and wouldn't mind a bit of young company occasionally, I think you might be wise to join YHA and stay at the Sydney central Youth Hostel (very nicely located near transport and cheap eateries) and perhaps a night or two at the Katoomba Youth Hostel in the Blue Mountains, a two-hour train trip west of Sydney. I guess Canberra would have it youth hostel as well, but I don't have any experience of this.

Cool things to see and do? Well, I'll see what everyone else says, and then maybe post a follow-up. Have a great time!

Hi Alan,

Thank for resonding so quickly.. and oops sorry.. I'm 29 years old and my interests are seeing the major attractions to getting off the beaten track.. to about seeing and trying anything... thanks for the hostel info...

In Canberra I stayed at the Forest Inn which is within walking distance to Parliament and a nice shopping village (Canberra is really spread out). It is clean,friendly, most rooms have equipped kitchens, and reasonable.

In Sydney there are a number of Medina hotels. I stayed in the Medina Grand in a good location near Darlington Harbour.
They have kitchenette units for a fair price. It is clean and new with good views from the upper levels.

Both these places have web sites or are at least available via Aussie travel sites.

Bon Voyage.

As a resident of Canberra I'm probably the worst choice to advise on accommodation, so I won't try - but log on to www.canberratourism.com.au, which will give you a good rundown on places to stay in all categories as well as things to see and do. As the national capital, Canberra is a good place to learn about Australia's people, history, institutions etc., if that appeals - you'll find all the national institutions, and more, on that website. There's also plenty of outdoor activities and a developing wine industry. Yes, it's a spread-out place, but most places of interest are within a few klicks of the CBD ("Civic"). The best places for restaurants, cafes etc. are the Manuka and Dickson shopping centres - Manuka mostly European, Dickson mostly Asian. (By tyhe way, "Manuka", unlike the NZ flower after which it's named, is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, "mahn'eka". Today's useless information.) Enjoy your visit.

Daisy,

Don't miss the Toronga Zoo - some may say it is just a zoo, but it surpasses even the San Diego Zoo. The views, layout and ferry trip to get there are all a part of the magic!

If you get further out past the Blue Mountains, the Jenolan Caves are spectacular. We drove from Sydney and got a late start - we hit the cave road at dusk and it couldn't have been planned more perfectly. Again, they are magical. Check the drive times, and see if you can't get there just before dark! The Jenolan Caves House is nice, but the dinner is a bit stuffy after a long drive.

Enjoy!