Hello out there.
I am planning a trip in Australia for about
2 weeks in March. I have already booked the Swisshotel in Sydney for 5 nights and
and need ideas for the remainder of the vacation. I'm thinking a resort in qeensland by the barrier reef? or what would be the most intriguing/gratifying area to visit for another 5 nights in OZ? Thank you for your suggestions. Mark

With only 2 weeks you don't want to hurtle about all over the place- the country is just too damn big! I feel it's more satisfying to explore a smaller area in depth.
How about a few nights in the Blue Mountains- an hour out of Sydney= walking trails, fantastic views and interesting little towns like Katoomba and Leura. Or take a trip up to the Hunter Valley for wine-tasting. or up the coast to somewhere like Port Stephens.

With two weeks, I agree that you don't want to try to do it all, but you probably have time to pick two destinations and so them. We are going to be in Australia for about 10-11 days of a 3 weeks trip that will also include New Zealand. We tend to be "Type A" travelers, but we still felt that we need to just focus on a couple of locations in each. For Australia we chose Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef for our two. Some people might choose Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, but we are snorkelers and I can't imagine missing the reef. We plan to stay 4 nights in Sydney and then do an overnight trip down to Jervis Bay and Ulladulla before flying to Cairns. For that part of the trip we plan to stay 5 nights in Port Douglas and do all of our sightseeing from there: 2 days out to the reef, one day to Daintree and Cape Tribulation, and one day to Kurunda. Then we will spend a night in Cairns before flying out at the crack of dawn (or before) to Christchurch. Hope that helps a little.

Hi Wizshark1
I agree with bellini - just concentrate on small areas, and get to know them; after all, there's always 'next time' to see some different areas.
I gather from your title that you are a water-lover, and as a resident of Port Stephens, I can highly recommend a trip to our little bit of paradise!
Plenty of detail about what to do, where to go, where to stay is available at www.portstephens.org.au
Good Luck!

Mark, we've just got back from a very enjoyable few days in the Port Stephens area and I agree that it has a lot to offer. Having said that, I don't think it even begins to compare with Far North Queensland and the GBR. Forget resorts, though - with so much to fill your few days you don't want to be lounging about missing the action, or paying big dollars for a room taht you won't see much of (well, I wouldn't). Stay in Cairns or somewhere close by (Palm Cove, Port Douglas if you must) and use your time to see the Reef, the Daintree Rain Forest, etc etc (check any guide book or run a search on the forum).

Of course you could spend the whole 2 weeks exploring the area in a radius, say, of 300km from Sydney. You could make a big road trip up to the Blue Mts, and over to the other side; check out some of the old gold mining towns; then Mudgee for wine; Barrington tops (world heritage listed) for flora and wilderness; Port Stevens (dolphins), the Hunter Valley, and back again.

But I really agree with Neil. If you have never visited the GBR then that's the place to go. There's the reef, and the rainforest, and the hinterland, and you could even take a trip to Cooktown - I loved the journey up the Bloomfield Track and loved the sleepy but historic town (though I am talking a few years back) or even fly to Lizard Island for a day if your budget stretches to that. Thinking about Lizard (never been) there are also 3 day cruises out of Cairns that go there, or go south. That's an option too. Or a dive/snorkel liveaboard if that appeals.

Cheers.

I would highly recommend either Cairns or the Whitsundays. Both areas are pretty and have access to the GBR. Cairns you can visit the reef, take a trip to the daintree( world heritage and backs onto the reef, so only place on earth where you hae 2 world heritage areas next to each other) and Cape tribulation (highly recommended), catch the train upto Karranda a mountain town inland of cairns.

The Whitsundays is a beautiful area with Airlie Beach the coastal town and a large group of islands (74 in fact) with resorts to suit everyone, one of the nicest beaches on earth in Whitehaven beach (set on an island with no development and pure fine white sand that squeeks when you shuffle your feet on it).

Both places have nice resorts and easy access by plane. Look up these websites to find flights , www.virginblue.com, jetstar.com.au or qantas.com.au, search sydney to Whitsunday coast or sydney to carins.
good luck enjoy your trip

THANK YOU EVERYBODY!

Based on these suggestions, I chose Port Douglas (Radisson) for 7 nights.
We plan to hire a car and take in as much as possible. Best Regards and thanks for the helpful advice! Mark