I'm trying to finalize my November 3 week honeymoon and would really appreciate some advice:<BR><BR>Leaving from US East coast via LA<BR>Day 1: Arrive Sydney, hotel by 2:00. Would it be too much to do the bridge climb at 3:00?<BR>Day 2: City tour & harbor cruise<BR>Day 3: Blue Mountain Trek<BR>Day 4: Open<BR>Day 5: Fly to Adelaide<BR>Day 6: Barossa Wine Country Tour<BR>Day 7: Fly to Kangaroo Island, Day Tour. Nocturnal Tour, night at Wanderers B&B<BR>Day 8: Day tour<BR>Day 9: Fly to Adelaide, board Ghan for Allice Springs<BR>Day 10: Arrive Alice Springs, Take a Camal to Dinner<BR>Day 11: Fly to Ayars Rock<BR>Day 12: Uluru, then fly to Cairns (Reef House)<BR><BR>Question: Should I save a day or two by cutting Kangaroo Island by a night and/or skipping the night in Alice Springs (going strat on to Ayars Rock)? I'd use the extra day or two around Cairns or Lizard Island...<BR><BR>Day 13: Bloomfield Rainforest Safari<BR>Day 14: Fly to Lizard Island<BR>Day 15, 16: Lizard Island<BR>Day 17: Fly to Cairns to Melbourne<BR>Day 18: Melbourne<BR>Day 19: Fly back to US.<BR><BR>QUESTION: Should I skip Melbourne and spend more time elsewhere (Cairns)?<BR><BR> <BR>

Leaving from US East coast via LA<BR>Day 1: Arrive Sydney, hotel by 2:00. Would it be too much to do the bridge climb at 3:00?<BR><BR>ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH - YOU WILL FEEL LIKE SLEEPING FOR A WEEK - LEAVE FOR DAY 2<BR>Day 2: City tour & harbor cruise<BR>Day 3: Blue Mountain Trek<BR>Day 4: Open<BR>MOVE EVERYTHING UP ONE DAY SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A DAY OPEN BEFORE LEAVING SYDNEY<BR>Day 5: Fly to Adelaide<BR>Day 6: Barossa Wine Country Tour<BR>Day 7: Fly to Kangaroo Island, Day Tour. Nocturnal Tour, night at Wanderers B&B<BR>Day 8: Day tour<BR>Day 9: Fly to Adelaide, board Ghan for Allice Springs<BR>Day 10: Arrive Alice Springs, Take a Camal to Dinner DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE TO EAT <BR>Day 11: Fly to Ayars Rock<BR>Day 12: Uluru, then fly to Cairns (Reef House)<BR><BR>Question: Should I save a day or two by cutting Kangaroo Island by a night and/or skipping the night in Alice Springs (going strat on to Ayars Rock)? I'd use the extra day or two around Cairns or Lizard Island...YES<BR><BR>Day 13: Bloomfield Rainforest Safari<BR>Day 14: Fly to Lizard Island<BR>I THINK YOU GO BY BOAT ACTUALLY FROM PD OR CAIRNS<BR>Day 15, 16: Lizard Island<BR>Day 17: Fly to Cairns to Melbourne<BR>Day 18: Melbourne<BR>Day 19: Fly back to US.<BR><BR>QUESTION: Should I skip Melbourne and spend more time elsewhere (Cairns)?<BR><BR>YES I WOULD TAKE OUT MELBOURNE AND SPEND IT EITHER IN CAIRNS OR SYDNEY<BR><BR>

Hi Chuck<BR>We left November 3rd I think in 2000 for 3 weeks. Most planes get in either early morning (8am) or later day 8pm. If you are getting in early morning, reserve the night before you arrive so you can go directly to the hotel and shower and change. Make the first day easy. We were in our 50s and felt better than we thought. It was a Sunday so we did craft markets, ferry to Manly Beach, walking around the Quay, had an early dinner and were dropping in the sack by 8pm. Get a good guide book if you do not have one Frommers has an excellent one with suggested day itineraries. The rest of ours went as follows:<BR>Day 2 Darling Harbour, Rocks and Harbour Cruise<BR>Day 3 - Opera tour , Botanic gardens, and shopping<BR>Day 4 - Blue Mountains package tour with Olympic area and zoo<BR>Day 5 - All our loose ends and Bridge Climb. Never made it to Bondi Beach.<BR>The climb is 3 hours from preperation to finish and fantastic, we really enjoyed it.<BR>The only other places we went were for a night in the Rainforest and 3 nights Palm Cove/Cairns for the great barrier reef. We then did 11 nights in NZ which were fantastic.<BR><BR>From friends who have gone, really read up on Ayers Rock to see if you really want to spend the time and deal with the bugs. Assuming you are from the USA, Sydney is like Jacksonville Florida, Cairns Like Maine and Ayers Rock like Kansas City - you are moving around alot. Friends loved Melbourn and Brisbane (Much like Miami).<BR>What ever you decide slow it down a bit so that you can enjoy each area.

Hi Chuck...<BR><BR>Please don't take this in bad way, but you want to do this on your honeymoon??? Would you want to take some time to relax and enjoy your new bride? However, to each their own. So...<BR><BR>I think you are doing way too much, regardless. Yes, I know Australia is far away, especially from the East Coast, but I really believe people should travel with the intention of going back. Your itinerary spans a territory that's about 2/3 the size of the US. That's pretty tiring to do. (In fact, your question of asking whether or not do the the bridge climb right after you arrive from what will be a looong flight almost makes me not take you seriously).<BR><BR>I spent 21 days in Australia, and in only three cities (Port Douglas, Sydney, Melbourne). I could have spent more time in each of them. <BR><BR>I have not been to Uluru, but it may be pretty warm that time of year. My choice, especially on a honeymoon, would be to cut that portion out, if anything. Hopefully queensland will not be really rainy yet..I would recommend you spend more time there (Port Douglas, Lizard Island, whatever)...it would be nice to unwind towards the end of your trip.<BR><BR>While I liked Melbourne, I could agree with the last poster to take it out and spend time in Sydney or Queensland (but not Cairns in particular). Not that Melbourne isn't a great city...it really is. However, I think it's best seen with someone who is a local. Sydney is much easier to see, IMHO, for a tourist. I sure the lovely people of Melbourne would disagree.

Thanks everyone, you too Mina <BR>I had a feeling it was a little too busy and the Bridge climb was too much for the first day. I'll scale it back!

Please Mary Ann, <BR>Brisbane is nothing like Miami, in either looks or the fact that Miami is a crime ridden place where you cannot walk the streets. <BR>You don't need to book the hotel room for the previous night either as most hotels in Australia allow you in as soon as you get here ..... unlike US hotels.<BR>Good heavens: this is what Mary Ann said<BR> Assuming you are from the USA, Sydney is like Jacksonville Florida, Cairns Like Maine and Ayers Rock like Kansas City - you are moving around alot. Friends loved Melbourn and Brisbane (Much like Miami).<BR>Jacksonville is nothing like Sydney for heavens sake. Sydney is a beautiful city and J has got absolutely nothing that compares, Cairns like Maine - well this takes the biscuit as Cairns is a tropical laid back village compared to a cool climate small city, they are nothing alike. If the writer of this says Ayres Rock is like Kansas City and she does not know this first hand because as she says she didn't go there then I would put everything of what she said in the " how stupid can you get basket" <BR>By the way I am an American living in Australia and trying to get permanent residency. All I can say about Mary Anns ravings is that she is either blind or has advanced alzheimer's.<BR>Now I have heard everything ..... Cairns is like Maine...sheez

Chuck, as they say down under (and Americans kinda sound stupid saying it..but I think it's OK to type it): No worries.<BR><BR>Whatever you decide to do, your bride-to-be is pretty lucky. Almost three weeks in Australia...now THAT's a honeymoon.

Um..I could be wrong here, but I think Mary Ann meant the Australian cities were like the American cities GEOGRAPHICALLY. (except her comment on Brisbane). Cairns is northeast, Sydney is southeast, etc. <BR><BR>OK, that's enough from me today...I'm shutting up now.

I think Mina is right - about most things here actually and when she points out the geographical situations then that makes sense because it didn't before. <BR>I would tend to spend more time in the GBR area actually and although I don't think that Ayres Rock and Alice have a lot of bugs I think it would be too close to summer to be there for my liking. <BR>You could spend 3 weeks on the GBR actually so take it more easily and enjoy your honeymoon but have a great time. <BR>I also agree with the writer who said that you don't have to book the previous night to get into a hotel early - they will do everything in their power to accommodate you after a long flight. <BR><BR>Cheers<BR>

Hi<BR>Thanks to those who joined in regarding my comparison between Jacksonville vs Sydney, etc. I was speaking geographically!!! Again only to point out how much traveling Chuck had planned, many people do not realize just how large Australia really is, I have had friends going to Perth who mentioned flying to NZ for a weekend. Rather than try to do everything, enjoy each of the unique locations.<BR>Also I apologize for the quick remark on Brisbane. I did not mean it as a slight, I never thought about crime in Miami when I said it. I merely was relating to the beaches and big hotels. I actually meant that it was worth consideration.<BR><BR>Regarding hotels trying to get you in, yes they do try. We ended up waiting 3 hours while they tried (the Marriott). They had been fully booked the night before, it was a Sunday and people were taking their time checking out. We appreciated the effort but would have liked to shower and get going. This was just our experience which I was relating. It is kind of like luggage, the airlines really only lose a few but if it is yours that is lost, you are always on the alert!<BR><BR>