edg1

My Wife & I are going to OZ for 2 weeks in late Sept. / early Oct. We are both early 30's and looking for a mix of big city culture and outdoor adventure. We have tentatively arranged the following itinerary and are looking for comments, suggestions, concerns, etc.

Day 1: Arrive SYD 6:30am - Explore - Sleep Sydney
Day 2: Sydney Exploration - Sleep Sydney
Day 3: Sydney Exploration - Sleep Sydney
Day 4: Day trip or possible overnight trip to Blue Mountains or Hunter Valley - Sleep either Sydney or one of the above destinations
Day 5: Either continuation of day 4 trip or Explore Sydney - Sleep Sydney
Day 6: Mid-morning Flight to Cairns - Explore - Sleep Cairns
Day 7: Day trip to Kuranda - Sleep Cairns
Day 8: GBR Dive Boat Trip - Sleep Boat
Day 9: GBR Dive Boat Trip - Sleep Boat
Day 10: GBR Dive Boat Trip - Sleep Cairns or Port Douglas
Day 11: Explore Port Douglas and North(Mossman, Daintree, etc.) - Sleep Port D.
Day 12: Explore Port D. & North - Late night flight to Melbourne - Sleep Melbourne
Day 13-15 Explore Melbourne & Southwestern Victoria. We are not clear on what we are going to do these days as the Melbourne Festival sounds fun and will be in full-swing, but we may also want to see the Great Ocean Road.
Day 16: Mid-day flight home.

Thanks in advance for the comments!

DavidB

Hi

Your itinerary seems to be OK as you are doing it the best way for weather conditions - the later in the year you go to Melbourne the better. Also you are allowing yourself a "reasonable" amount of time at each destination, although you will still only get a small taste of what Australia has to offer.

Your first day in Sydney will be a bit of a problem as you have "lost" a day in traveling to Sydney but you should be OK. The flight from Cairns to Melbourne will get you in about Midnight. You can do the Great Ocean Road on a day trip but it will a rush. Have a look at http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...nses=6&start=0.

Enjoy Australia

David

edg1

David,

Thanks very much for your comments. We are not opposed to an overnight trip to the Great Ocean Road, I just need to research more.

Anyone else have comments?

Thanks

Pumblechook

I think that's a pretty sensible itinerary. My personal preference would be for the Hunter Valley over the Blue Mountains, especially if you like wine.

You've got me worried though. I live in Melbourne and I've never heard of the Melbourne Festival! Obviously, I need to get out more.

edg1

Pubmlechook,

Here is more info on the Melbourne Festival

http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/

The Melbourne Festival is Australia's premier annual celebration of the arts. Staged in a city
renowned for its arts and culture, and its abundance of theatres, galleries and performance
spaces, the Melbourne Festival delivers 17 days of creative excellence in the fields of theatre,
dance, visual arts, opera and music.

First staged in 1986 under the direction of composer Gian Carlo Menotti (1986-1988),
the Melbourne Festival became the third in the Spoleto Festival series ? the first, in Spoleto,
Italy, began in 1957 and the second in the United States in 1977. Melbourne?s Spoleto Festival
changed its name to the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts in 1990 which was
shortened to Melbourne Festival in 1994.