My daughter is trying to figure out some travel time in NZ and Australia. She could go to nz from the 18th-24th of February with Kiwi Experience then fly back to Australia and fly to ayers rock and take either the oz experience or adventure tours the
24th/25th-27th/28th in ayers rock
(28th night in airlie beach
29th-2nd of march sailing the whitsundays
3-8--do something like fraser island (leaving from somewhere on the
east coast) or kangaroo island (leaving from adelaide

Does anyone have any comments, suggestion or anything?????
Thanks

Is there any way that your daughter could get to Sydney? If I were in her shoes, that is how I would want to spend that optional time at the end (the time you've mentioned in connection with Fraser Island and Kangaroo Island).

Sydney is an incredibly beautiful place. And, while it is a big city, it includes amazing waterways and natural spaces.

If it came down to a choice I'd certainly sacrifice Kangaroo Island in favour of Sydney. I'm not at all convinced that it's worth the time and expense, unless your daughter is really, really fascinated with wildlife - and for that, there's always the unparalleled Taronga Zoo.

I went to Taronga Zoo last year. Well, it has certainly a fantastic view of Sydney. But the animals were sad looking and the birdshow was cancelled during our visit.I had to wait for the wombat to come out of the hole.
A sanctuary with happier animals would be better.

Leniram, I can't comment on the cancellation of the bird show, but our readers need to know that most Australian natives, especially the marsupials, are either shy or nocturnal, or, often, both; you will certainly wait for the wombat (and the quoll, and the platypus, and the numbat, and the bandicoot, and the bilby, and the ringtail possum)to come out when they feel that the coast is clear. No other sanctuary will have Aussie animals that are any bolder. The best place, in fact, to see these elusive animals (which, by the way, few Australians have ever seen in the wild) is the Nocturnal House at Taronga Zoo. The animals are so at home in there that you will often hear them comment about the "sad-looking humans"!

leniram - as far as zoos are concerned it would be hard to beat Taronga Park in terms of public education, care of animals, breeding programmes etc. But a zoo is a zoo - as David Attenborough said "these are 'sacrifice' animals which at least help educate those of the public with no imagination".

There are numerous and reputable night spotting and birdwatching trips around the country - various animals won't be conveniently lumped together and you'll have to wait just as long as you did at Taronga Park for that wombat to come our of his burrow.

leniram, most of Australia's animals are nocturnal - I bet you would look somewhat sad looking if you had someone trying to wake you up in the middle of the night.

I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't clear enough. She has been living in Sydney for the past 6 weeeks and has done several weekend trips to Melbourne, Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains. She is now finished with her internship there and has the freedom to travel for the next three weeks as stated. Thanks for any advice you may have

Oh cmon guys! Is Taronga Zoo the best wildlife park that OZ can offer? Surely there are other places.

I heard a lot about Kangaroo Island. I hope sumbody would give us their personal experience in this island.

LizF: "I bet you would look somewhat sad looking if you had someone trying to wake you up in the middle of the night. " .--> It depends

oh btw, the wombat came out of the burrow... looking refreshed and wide-eyed.

oooohhhh Leniram you naughty person!