We are going to Australia in August....we have to be in Brisband from the 20th to the 24th we are planning on staying for an additional 12 days and are looking for some recommendations on places to visit. We were thinking of leaving Brisbane for Cairs to do the GBR and then Melbourne and then Sydney...thoughts or other recommendations.

Heather1551 - with only an extra 12 days, I would concentrate on Nth Qld & the Great Barrier Reef and perhaps a few days in Sydney.
August is still winter in Australia, so the further north you go, the nicer the weather.
Melbourne would be miserable in August, cold & wet.
Of course, with only 12 days extra, you would have to fly to each destination, to gain the maximum time there.

Heather,
When in Cairns do not forget the hinterland. Within a day one can get to the Daintree, the outback or the Atherton Tablelands. there is so much on the Tablelands that it might be worth while making that a base for a couple of nights. Check out this forum for ideas or search for Atherton Tablelands or Cairns Highlands. In August you might still need a light coat for the nights at altitude but the days will be warm.

I agree with Tropo about Melbourne--cold and rainy in August. Why not look at the Northern Territory? My personal favorite destination there is Darwin and the environs, but you might want to give Uluru a try instead. It's all good.

Thanks...okay I think we'll leave Melbourne for a different time then. Okay so great spots in the Northern region are definitely welcome.

Should we still make a trip to Sydney and is Cairns the better place for the GBR or Townsville....

Heather, definitely plan a few days in Sydney. It's a beautiful city with lots to see and do. Even though it will be winter when you are there, you are likely to have mild weather. (On our last visit to Sydney in August 2005, we had one chilly, rainy day and three glorious, sunny, spring-like days.)
As for the GBR, I would suggest Port Douglas rather than either Cairns or Townsville. It's got a lovely beach (Four Mile Beach), good restaurants and shopping, and is close not only to the Reef but to the rainforest (Daintree National Park).

Townsville is a regional city, considered the "capital" of Northern Queensland, although the true capital is way further south in Brisbane. Townsville is not without its attractions, nearby Magnetic Island has some beautiful beaches, much wildlife including a large colony of koalas. To be quite honest I find the beaches at Magnetic far surpass those of Cairns and Port Douglas. Mass tourism has yet to come to Maggie, as its locally known, so there's some lovely quiet spots and some stunning bush walking hikes.