Hi, live in Bombay, India and just back from a 16 day trip to Australia and wanted to post a trip report. This forum has been so useful everytime we plan to go somewhere and its our turn to put out some information that can be of use to other travellers. I am going to try to include as much factual information as possible, and if I make any gross errors or typos, apologies in advance. Also if anyone needs any other information please feel free to email me on the above. <BR><BR>Firstly a word on getting there. There is a lot on information on ticketing options on this forum, all of it useful. Our experience has been that booking domestic flights in conjunction with the international one on Qantas is the most economic option as you get something known as the One World voucher fare which was cheaper than the internet deals as well as the rates on Virgin Blue. Worth checking out with the travel agent. We did have to fly one sector on Virgin Blue and the thing here is to book as far ahead as possible, as the date draws nearer and the bookings fill up, the rates increase and pretty soon any discount that you might get is out the window.<BR><BR>We started our trip in Sydney where we spent three days. There is never enough time to spend in a city like Sydney and although it was my second trip there, I still felt I could have done with a couple more days. I want to thank Alan on this forum for mentioning the Lord Nelson Brewery, where we stayed, just five minutes from all the action in the Rocks and Circular Quay. We opted for a room with shared bathroom for $ 120 a night including continental breakfast, but they upgraded us to a room with ensuite facilities for the same price, so we had a really good deal. The hotel is clean, comfortable and cosy and the bar is just down below and gets quite lively in the evenings, not noisy though. One thing of course is that the accommodation is on the 2nd and 3rd floors so you do have to lug your bags up and down. They are on the web. <BR><BR>From the airport, there are two types of shuttles. One is a regular airport shuttle, which drops you off at certain predetermined hotel stops. If your hotel is not on their list of stops, you can pay a little more and opt for a hotel shuttle which will drop you at the door of your hotel. If my memory serves me right the regular shuttle is $ 13 one way and $ 26 return. The special hotel shuttle is $ 16 one way and $ 32 return. For the return they give you a number to call in advance ( we used to call 24 hours in advance) and schedule a pick up based on your departure flight time. The ride into the city is not very long but can take upto an hour while you wait for the shuttle to fill up at the airport and because you are dropping people off at various stops. <BR><BR>This is getting to be a long post so I'll continue in another.<BR><BR>

Continuing where I left off in the last post. <BR><BR>The day we arrived happened to be a Saturday, so we spent some time in the weekend rocks market, which was certainly good fun and a decent market with nice arts and crafts, not very kitschy. Thereafter we took a ferry to Taronga Zoo. Someone on this forum had mentioned a VIP Gold Tour that we had liked the sound of, and we had opted for it. It basically covers entry to the zoo, unlimited rides on the cable car at the zoo, as well as a guided tour of the main features of the zoo with the keepers acting as a guide. You get up close to the animals and can feed and touch some of them. The ferry to and fro is still your expense through. The cost is $ 55 per person, and there is more information on this on their web site. You need to book this in advance as they only have two tours a day with a maximum of 6 people in each tour. You do not get to touch or hold koalas, but we got to touch and feed echidnas, wallabies, an owl and a snake, a blue tongue lizard, and an absolutely delightful little field mouse called Pud who loved to get his cheek massaged ! The keepers are very informative and you learn a lot about the animals as well as the zoo.You get taken to the kitchen and storage areas and get a behind the scenes look on the workings of a zoo. After the tour you can spend as much time as you like browsing around on your own. The Zoo is pretty exhaustive and you get to see a lot. The setting is absolutely beautiful too. The cable car does get halted everytime there is a strong breeze which is what happened when we were to leave but you can take a bus down to the ferry if you do not want to walk. There are refreshment cafes and a shop as well.<BR><BR>On our return, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in the Rocks area, browsing through the various shops and cafes. In the evening we took a ferry to Darling Harbour. On the week end, the regular ferries are cut back in terms of time and you have to take smaller ferries. Also, the last ferry back is at 9.30 p.m. which does not give you too much time out but if you’re staying in the Rocks area, a taxi back from Darling Harbour will cost about the same as a ferry, which is about $ 9.00 for two people. There is a taxi rank just outside the Harbourside shopping Center in Darling Harbour. We had dinner at the food courts there which are quite good, and there was a concert going on outside with fireworks which made for a good time. <BR><BR>One other thing, most people are going to be like us and will not be able to stop clicking away those photographs. If you are using a digital camera like we were, the 256 mb card is going to be exhausted fairly quickly. What we did all through was find camera shops and transfer the images onto CDs, allowing us to use the card again. In Sydney, there is a Fujifilm camera shop in the Circular Quay building which will do this in a couple of hours and they charge about $ 30 for the 256 mb card. <BR><BR>Will get on with the rest in another post.

Dimple,<BR>I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for the helpful information. I will check back to read more about your trip.<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Keri

On the next day, we had decided on a trip to the Blue Mountains. We went with a company called Oztrails, where the biggest advantage is smaller numbers, we were 7 people in the group. That has been our experience all across, the smaller groups make the difference, so wherever possible, do you day trips with smaller groups. We had a great time, covered a lot of ground and our guide was hilarious and gave us a great introduction to Oz humour. We stopped at the Olympic Village before heading out into the mountains. We stopped again for breakfast on the banks of a river and then again at a table top for a view of the valley from a spot where bigger buses do not go. After that we reached Katoomba, took the train down which is fun, had an enjoyable walk in the rainforest for about 40 minutes before returning on the Scenisender cable car. Lunch was in Leura, a lovely little village. Ask for the sweet shop, your kids will appreciate the mind boggling array of sweets and chocolates. After lunch we had a short walk to Wentworth Falls before returning to the city, stopping to see wild kangaroos and wallabies which was great. On the whole it made for a very enjoyable day. They are on the net and the trip cost us $ 95 per person. <BR><BR>We spent the evening at the Aquarium, which is a good productive use of an evening when most other attractions are closed, as the Aquarium closes at 10.00 p.m. with last entries at 9.00 p.m. The same ferry that goes to Darling Harbour goes to the Aquarium. Well worth it and can take upto 2 hours. There is a free guidebook available at the airport called Discover Sydney or something like that, and the back of the book has coupons for discounts for various attractions, one of which is the Aquarium. If you have booked tours with some of the bigger companies such as APT or Aat Kings, sometimes they throw in a free city tour or a free entry to an attraction like the Aquarium here or even in Melbourne so it never hurts to ask. The Cockle Bay Wharf adjoining the Aquarium spoils you for choices regarding restaurants and cafes. <BR><BR>Our final day in Sydney saw an early start with a visit to the Opera House. While there, we booked seats for the evening performance in the Concert Hall. There was also an opera – Tosca, but we decided to go in for a lighter performance by a male Welsh Choir. The Opera House shop is worth a look. After spending some more time at the Harbour, we went in for the Bridge Climb, which I'll cover in my next post.<BR>

Dimple Shah<BR>Thanks for your trip report. Someone has asked me about a trip to the Blue Mountains, and I looked at the OzTrails website, so I'm glad to hear a report on their tours. I live in Sydney, and often find it quite difficult to suggest things for tourists - although I think Bridge Climb is a winner - I await your report.

The Sydney Bridge Climb is a fun thing to do, and if you want those coveted twilight spots where you climb in the light and come back in the dark, you should book in advance. The day we climbed, the twilight slots had been booked out in advance. We wanted to climb during the afternoon though and that was no problem as there is a group that leaves every 10 or 15 minutes. The afternoon also makes for clear and nice pictures. You are required to report for your climb at least 15-20 minutes before your allotted time. Once there, the first thing they do is make you sign a release form, and take a breathalyser test to make sure you have not been drinking before the climb. Thereafter, you are issued your bridge climb suits. After you change, you are given lockers to put away all your other things, and that includes just about everything. One lady in our group was told that she would have to take down her hair as hairpins were also forbidden, and to use a scrunchie that they provide. She refused and had to forfeit her climb. You have to remember that there are no refunds and you cannot change your time slot once you have booked. You are walking over moving traffic and they are absolutely hell bent on ensuring that nothing you have can become a projectile for the cars down below. While on the climb you are hooked by a cable onto a railing all through the climb, so the next few minutes are spent on hooking on the apparatus and figuring out how it works. Thereafter, you are taken to the odd bins to pick up things like gloves, lanyards for sunglasses, etc, as well as packs with a fleece for when it gets cold up there. All this gets clipped onto your suit. The climb involves a stretch of straight walking, climbing a set of 4 ladders to get to the arch, and then the ascent up the arch itself. The only real climbing bit is the 4 ladders, and in the base station, they give you a practice run on a set of ladders. After that you get a radio hooked on to you with headphones so you can hear what the climb guide is saying, after which you are off. The Climb is not hard at all, and the views are stunning. You do not traverse the whole arch, but go halfway, cross over and come back down on the same side. Plenty of stops along the way as when a group reaches the top they spend some time there taking pics etc so following groups wait till they can move on. On the ascent of the arch you get the Opera House in the background. Since you are not allowed to take your own cameras up there, they take pictures for you. You get a group picture taken on top for free, and throughout the climb, they take five other pictures for each person or couple or whatever. The thing to remember is that you are on the cable going serially at all times, so if you want pictures with your friends or relatives in the group, you must make sure that you are behind one another in line right from the start itself as the order cannot be changed later on. You can choose to buy these additional pictures when you return. Each additional picture costs $ 15.00 or you can have a single picture with a montage of four pictures put together for the same price. You also get a climb certificate and the chance to spend more money in the shop for T-shirts and other paraphernalia proclaiming that you did the climb. <BR><BR>I'd better continue in another post.

We had a well deserved dinner and headed off to the Opera House for our performance. I would highly recommend that everyone visiting Sydney do at least one event there. The acoustics are wonderful and there is something about enjoying a performance in a setting of that kind. The Concert Hall is the biggest hall, followed by the Opera Hall, and they raise the roof for the performance allowing for even better acoustics. <BR><BR>That pretty much was Sydney for us. As I said, we would have liked more time, but then we have a good reason to go back to discover Manly, Watsons Bay, etc. If you can though spend more time here, you will absolutely love this city. <BR><BR>We left the next morning for Cairns by a Virgin Blue flight, which we had booked on the net. On arrival in Cairns, we took the Coral Coaches shuttle to Port Douglas. The journey takes about an hour and cost $ 25 per person one way. We were staying at the Portsea Resort in Port Douglas at the rate of $ 150 per day for an unserviced apartment. First off, I underscore everything said on this forum about staying in Port Douglas, it is a really pretty and quaint place, and a good base for the Reef, as compared to Cairns and its surrounding spots. Most people in Cairns and Palm Cove etc bus down to Port Douglas anyways. The Portsea Resort for us represented good value. It’s a nice clean comfortable place with a large lagoon pool and all amenities. Its about a 7 minute walk to town, and a 2 minute walk to the beach. We were satisfied with our choice. The distance meant that we could easily walk to the centre of town without any great difficulty. The Mirage is situated further away, and the Thala is really far away. There is an option of taking a shuttle into town. This is basically the same Coral Coaches shuttle that plys up and down the coast and you can hail it down on the road to take you into town as it stops at the Marina Mirage, which is the point of departure of the cruises and the site of a shopping complex. This costs $ 2 per person one way, but its good to know that there is an option. There is a detailed timetable available at all the resorts for the shuttles. <BR><BR>The town is basically a one street affair with shops and cafes lining both sides. The cafes are all pretty good and some of the shops are worth a browse. There are chemists which stay open till 7.30 p.m. and the main supermarket is Coles which stays open till 9.00 p.m. There is also an IGA supermarket on the road leading down from the Portsea to town. While Port Douglas has photo shops, none of them have the equipment required to transfer images from cards to CDs and we had to rack our brains to find a solution to this problem.<BR>

On the day we arrived, we ambled into town and spent the rest of the day checking out the place. Our barrier reef cruise was the next day, and we went with Quicksilver, even though it meant a bigger boat and more people as my husband does not swim and they offer the opportunity of seeing the reef through the semi submersibles as well, which meant that he could see the reef as well while I was in the water. However, it turned out to be a good thing that we were booked with them, since the weather was fairly rough for those few days, and a bigger boat does make for a more comfortable ride. I am prone a little to motion sickness so I visited the chemist, who gave me Travelcalm, which is the same compound as the Kwells people have mentioned on this forum. You should take one tab with breakfast on the day of the cruise so that by the time you board, it is already taking effect, and there will be no problems whatsoever. It has drowsiness as a side effect, so you need to take just one, and maybe one in the afternoon for the journey back if you think you need it, I did not. The chemist told me that the mistake most people do is to wait till they are on board and start feeling uncomfortable, you should have it in your system before you board. <BR><BR>Also bought an underwater camera. There are a few different types. The first is a Kodak disposable one which costs around $ 20, gives you 27 exposures. You click away and then give it to the shop for developing, end of story. This kind can be used for taking pictures when you are snorkelling but does not work if you are diving. The second kind is one called Snapshot, it can be used for diving, gives you the same 27 exposures, uses 800 ASA film, and after you develop your underwater pictures, you can load regular film in it and reuse it like a regular camera. If you can put it back in its acrylic outercase and seal it tight with a good sealant, you can also probably use it underwater again. This to me represented better value at $ 32. Also a word of caution with regards to where you buy cameras from. I found the above prices to be the cheapest and they were at the Tourist Information Office in the Marina Mirage. The other shops were selling the Kodak camera for $ 26, and the price for the Snapshot camera on the cruise is $ 40, if you decide to wait to buy it on board.<BR>

Great trip report. I look forward to hearing more. Thanks for taking the time to post.

We were up early on the day of our cruise and after a light breakfast met the Quicksilver shuttle that took us to the marina. We boarded the catamaran that would take us to the Outer Agincourt Reef, and like I mentioned, even though it was a big boat, the wind made for a fairly choppy ride. Most times we could not stand erect without keeling over if we did not hold on to something. Not uncomfortable at all though, plus my Travelcalm held me in good stead. I had signed up for an introductory dive so about 30 minutes after departure from the marina, I went to the dive crew station in the boat for my briefing. The first thing they do is make sure that you are fit to dive, which means they ask you questions like have you been sick lately, or do you have asthma or other symptoms that may compromise your safety. You have to sign a release. They also provide you with the option of taking insurance for the dive if your travel insurance does not cover it. It comes to about $ 11. The dive itself costs $119. All the prices etc are on their website. Thereafter, the crew gives you a general briefing and introduction to the apparatus, after which you are slotted into time slots for your dive. There are three slots, the first is at 11.30, the second at 12.30 and the last at 1.30, since the boat has to leave the reef at 2.30. I understand this is because post 3.00 sharks enter the reef for feeding and naturally we don’t want to be around when they are. The first slot is fairly quickly filled up by people who want to get things over with quickly and then spend their time snorkelling and over lunch. The second slot is normally filled up by people who may decide to do a second dive after their first. I was in the third slot, which gave me time before to snorkel as well as have a small bite. There are about 3-4 people in a group with one instructor, and if there are more people there are more instructors. If I had to do things over, I would finish the dive first by opting for the first slot, leaving me free for the rest of the day. If this is your first dive as it was mine, it does tend to hang over your mind till you’re done with it. <BR><BR>Before we arrived at the reef, people started changing into their swimwear. There are washrooms and toilets only on the boat, not on the floating pontoon where the boat docks, so its advisable to do this early before the rush. This is also a good time to talk about the generous use of sunscreen, this is not being blown out of proportion, it is really important to cover all exposed areas, especially shoulders and the back of the thighs which are often neglected. The water is not very cold, and you can opt to swim with a t-shirt over your swimwear as added protection from the sun. <BR><BR>As soon as we docked I made my way on the pontoon to the odd bins area, where there are bins to pick up your snorkelling tube, mask and fins. Once that was done, I had a good hour plus of snorkelling. The water is really clear and you do get to see a lot of fish and coral of all shapes, sizes and colors. It does get pretty crowded in the water though and you do bump up against other people, so if you want a more isolated and exclusive experience, this is not for you. In terms of the quality of what you see, I’m not any sort of authority, as a first time experience it seemed all right to me, as I said could have done with fewer people though, but that is something we went prepared for and there was no option, given my husband’s situation. Next time, I will definitely go for a smaller group. My husband tells me that the semi submersible rides were very good, very informative and you do get to see a lot even staying dry. They even saw a shark. The commentary is good and each ride stays out for about 25 minutes. I had no time to take any of these rides but I was happy just seeing things for myself snorkelling.<BR>

After snorkelling, I had a very light bite. I am a vegetarian, which means no meat, fish or eggs, and I must say that though the spread on the boat seemed to be quite good, I did not have much to eat beyond salad and a bread roll, which is probably just as well. The others did have seafood salad and cold chicken, and no one seemed to be complaining about the food so it must have been alright. Can buy icecream for desert. Can also buy postcards with the barrier reef stamp. <BR><BR>After lunch, I suited up for the dive. There is a three quarters wetsuit provided, plus the weight belt and the tank. You can just about stand up with the stuff, it really weighs you down but once you enter the water, you are fine. You put on your fins last, and then after putting the regulator in your mouth, you get a few minutes to get used to things. This is also where they teach you three basic things, first, how to get rid of water if it enters your mask, second, how to remove your regulator and reinsert it while on the dive, and third how to access someone else’s oxygen supply in an emergency by using the spare regulator that every diver carries. It is important to listen carefully to what they say and follow their instructions carefully. They also show you the basic hand signals for communication. The most important thing is to keep your mouth closed firmly around the regulator with the lips in a kissing pose to avoid water from going in. <BR><BR>After this brief instruction, you descend slowly using a rope. Every few feet you have to equalise pressure by holding you nose and blowing hard, it’s the same feeling you get on aircraft. You reach a platform at the bottom, where you spend a few minutes getting used to the water and the breathing. This is where I made my mistake of smiling at something, because the minute you smile, you relax your lips and water enters the mask. This made for a few disconcerting seconds but the instructor was right there and calmed me down immediately. You then descend to the floor by following a set of ropes which are slanting downwards. Once you reach, you are taken to three areas, one to see a sea anemone up close, it feels rubbery to the touch, the second to see a bunch of interesting coral, and the third to see a giant clam. Moving around underwater takes time and effort, and before you know it, its time to move up the slanting ropes back to the platform, where again you spend a few minutes, followed by slowly moving up the rope to the surface. I would definitely do it again, it’s a different world down there, but it is not recommended for anyone who is even remotely claustrophobic. Also, my few seconds of water in the mask made me aware of how fragile we are in this environment. You come back with a feeling of great respect for the sea and all the creatures in it. You are given a certificate for your dive which qualifies as part of the overall Dive Certification should you wish to pursue it in the future. You are underwater for about 40 minutes with 10 minutes each pre and post for prep and you dive about 12 metres.<BR><BR>By the time I was out of the gear and everything, it was time to leave, so we got back onto the boat and departed. The ride back was similar and uneventful, I watched a video of my dive and you can place an order for a copy either on tape or VCD. Tape I think is $ 70, VCD is $91. Also, while you are in the water snorkelling etc, there are crew members in the water taking pictures of you which you can then buy for about $ 18 each, or I think the deal is $ 18 for the first picture and $ 15 for every additional picture. They take credit cards for payment. We redocked at the marina at about 4.30, and the shuttle takes you back to your hotel. Dinner that evening was at Michaelangelos, which is a nice Italian bar and caf&eacute;. <BR>

On the next day, we had booked a trip to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation with BTS Tours which were highly recommended on this forum and I will stand by that recommendation as well. They take a lot of trouble to show you the real forest and explain the ecology and the symbiosis that exists between the flora and fauna of the forest. We were picked up at the hotel, and driven to the Daintree River for the ferry crossing. After that, we picked up supplies for lunch and then headed off for our cruise on the Daintree River which was very interesting as we saw many different types of birds as well as a couple of crocodiles. After the cruise, we were taken to a lunch spot in the rainforest, where they have a permanent tent erected. It’s a lovely spot next to a fresh water hole, and you can have a brief dip in the water, with fish and small turtles for company. They also have a couple of canoes and you can take those out onto the small river for a spin. While you do this, lunch is being prepared on the barbie, usually consisting of grilled fish or steak along with fresh salad, potato salad, bread and fruits. After lunch, we went on an hour long walk in the rainforest and saw many different types of trees and birds while our guide George explained the rainforest ecosystem in great detail. It was most informative. The highlight was seeing two rainforest dragons, which are a kind of lizard found in the rainforest with a head that makes them look like miniature dragons. BTS has a photograph on their website. We were able to get really close to them, and by sticking out our hand, induced the lizard to wrap his legs and tail around our fingers, thinking us to be a tree branch. I never thought I would say this about a lizard but it was pretty cute. After our walk concluded, we drove to Cape Tribulation where there is a scenic look out point and a lovely beach. It truly is a wonderful spot where the rainforest meets the sea. You have about 30-40 minutes here to walk or swim if you want. Thereafter you begin the return journey, stopping at a lookout point for squash and cookies before retracing your steps to Port Douglas. As I said, all in all, it was a pleasant and informative trip and gave us a closer look at the rainforest ecosystem. Details are available on their website. <BR><BR>Our next day was planned for a visit to Kuranda. We had a bit of a bother getting the trip organised though. First off, we called the Skyrail people as they have a package option that includes a pick up from and drop back to Port Douglas. We wanted their first slot as we envisaged getting back in the afternoon so we could relax a bit in Port Douglas. However, the only time they could give us was at about 10.00 a.m. which meant that we would reach Skyrail at 11.00 and then the ride up, time in the markets, the ride down, plus we wanted time to burn our pictures onto CD which we could not in Port Douglas, and catch the return shuttle from Skyrail at 3.00 p.m. to be back in Port Douglas by 4.00. Not possible, so what we had to do was book a Coral Coaches shuttle into Skyrail ( they will drop you off right at the doorstep if you tell them that’s where you are going) and the return was with the Skyrail shuttle, although we had to pay Skyrail for transport both ways, which was a little crappy, its one thing we felt we could have planned better. So if anyone has any plans of getting to Skyrail early etc from Port Douglas or wherever, the lesson is send them an email and book your transportation ahead. <BR>

I finally got a chance to read this (I was &quot;saving&quot; it for a time where I would not be interrupted at work). <BR><BR>What a helpful, informative report! Thank you so much for taking the time out the post about your trip. I'm sure many people will be able to use your information to help plan their trips. It sounds like you had a wonderful time!

Hi!<BR>This report will be a real help to those planning a trip. Thanks for taking the time to post!<BR><BR>Great report!<BR>Debbie<BR><BR>

Before I continue, Keri, Margo, Aussie, Mina, Debbie - thanks for the encouragement and kind words. Its good to know that one's actions are being appreciated and helpful to others. Doing this in a way helps me relive the experience, so may be all my motives aren't necessary honorable ! Anyways, on we go.....<BR><BR>As it was we arrived with the Coral Coaches shuttle just as the Skyrail was opening up and hence could avoid all the rush. The ride over is simply great, you glide over some wonderful rainforest cover. We had decided earlier on that we would do the Skyrail both ways, because that’s the only way you get views all the time, in the train it would depend on where you were seated. On the way back, the driver of the shuttle asked people which mode of transport was better and most people said they preferred the Skyrail. The only selling point for the train for people seemed to be the old world charm of riding a train, but for views it was definitely Skyrail.<BR><BR>Now Skyrail says that it takes about an hour and a half to get there and an hour to get back, totally about 2.5 hours. This is not the ride time, which at best is about 30 minutes each way. The extra time is built into their estimate assuming that you get off at the two stations in between the start and Kuranda and spend time doing the rainforest boardwalks with the rangers or whatever. We found that this changed our estimate of time etc completely, had we known earlier we could have planned things differently. We did not do any boardwalks, one because we did not have the time, and two since we had spent a whole day up close and personal in the rainforest the previous day. I’m sure they must be interesting though. <BR><BR>Once we reached Kuranda, we got off and started walking towards the centre of town to the markets. Once you reach the main streets, the procession of shops does start on both sides, but these are not the markets, they are much further. The shops also do make for some browsing for T-shirts and other souvenirs and there are many aboriginal art and craft shops as well, some kitschy, others not. There is one good shop on the left hand side as you walk from the station to the markets, its more like a large gallery with wooden floors and paintings on the wall, they had some original work. There are also the usual kangaroo/crocodile leather shops and other souvenir shops. <BR><BR>There are two main markets and they face each other. One is called the Kuranda markets, and it is situated within an open courtyard next to a small shopping centre. People put up their stalls and you can browse and buy. The other is opposite it called the Heritage Kuranda markets and that is in the courtyard of the three other attractions of Kuranda, Butterfly World, a zoo and an aviary I think. This was where I made my find that made my whole trip to Kuranda really worth it. The zoo here allows you to take a picture cuddling a koala. The entry fee is $ 13.00 and the picture costs $ 13.00 as well so for $ 26.00, I was able to fulfil one of the things I thought I would not be able to since we were not going to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. I was able to cuddle a 10 kg adorable bear called Hamilton, and it’s the closest you’ll ever come to cuddling a live furry toy. You can also see wombats, feed wallabies etc, but this was the highlight and I got a great picture. <BR><BR><BR>

Dimple, thank you for taking so much time to give the details of your trip. I will be going to Australia in Dec. and hadn't made decisions on a few things. In Sydney, I want to do the Bridge Climb but my travel companions don't. How long was it from arriving at the bridge to leaving? I need to figure out when do do this and arrange to meet my family after I'm done. You made it sound like a piece of cake to do the walk. I assume you didn't feel dizzy or insecure. I'm an energetic 50 year old. Were thee people of all ages doing the climb?<BR>Also, we do not want to do a large boat when we snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef. Any smaller boats you heard about that you can recommend?<BR>Thanks for your answers and anyone else who wants to respond.

Ok Debbie, let me see if I can address those queries. Firstly the bridge climb. I would allocate about 3-3.5 hours from the time you report in for the climb to the time you leave. The first hour is all the information and guidelines, etc. then the climb itself which would be about 1.5 hours, then the walk back to the office, selecting photographs, getting the certificate etc. Best to allow 3.5 hours altogether. There certainly were people of all ages doing the climb, there was a couple that looked over 60 in our group itself. No sweat, the climb is really doable. The first part is a straight walk, then come the four ladders, these are to be climbed one after the other, but they are quite small, about 12-15 steps each only. You can take your time, and one of the rules they make you follow, which is really good is that there can only be one person climbing a ladder at one point of time. So if you are climbing, everyone else below you has to wait, till you are at the top and moving on. The ascent up the arch is a very gradual gradient, plus as I mentioned, you are given a few stops along the way to allow for groups before you who have reached the tops to get their pictures taken etc. I have absolutely no doubt that you will be able to do it, and the views are really great. No question of feeling dizzy or insecure, you are attached by cable all through and you are never really suspended over mid air or anything like that. Here’s a suggestion. Why don’t you keep a morning or afternoon free and go down to the office. They have a video of the climb going on at all times that is really detailed and takes you through the whole thing. Watch it, and if you think its doable, then sign up for the next time slot that is free on the spot itself. They have groups leaving every 10 minutes, so should not be too difficult. Or you can arrange to come back another day. As regards smaller operators for snorkelling, I have heard only good things about Wavelength, so I would think they would be your number one choice. If you want to do diving, then there is Calypso, Poseidon and Haba, who all seem to enjoy a good reputation. I hope I’ve been able to answer your queries adequately. Let me know if you need anything else. You are going to have a great time. <BR><BR>Moving on with my report, we found the markets at Kuranda as a whole are a trifle kitschy and its more the fun of browsing around a quaint little village than actually buying something worthwhile, which most people seem to agree on. After spending a decent amount of time, we headed back to the station for our journey down and we still had about 2 hours to figure out what to do about our pictures. Our first plan had been to take a taxi into Cairns to a photoshop, but luckily one of the shops at the market told us that there might be a photoshop at the Smithfield Shopping Centre which is adjacent to Skyrail, about a 15 minute walk. We looked up the yellow pages and called them and they said yes, so we simply walked across, gave the card and browsed and had lunch in the mall till they finished, picked up the CD and walked back to Skyrail for our shuttle back. It saved us both time and money. For any of you who wish to have the same kind of adventure, the Smithfield Mall is a 15 minute walk one way, you come out of the Skyrail terminal and turn left. It is opposite a McDonalds and Hungry Jacks outlet. <BR><BR>

Dimple, Your trip report is good and deatiled and does help plan things. Am particularly keen on the BTS thing ( you seem to have done a cruise as well and seen the crocs) and also the Kuranda trip. And, now am also booking the Xmas concert at the Sydney Opera House! Good writing.

Thanks for the informative report. I hope to go to Australia in Jan or Feb. How many days are ideal for each place if time is not a problem. Did you make all of your arrangements on the web? Safe for a woman alone? Do all the tour groups you mentioned have web sites? Can you share them? I am a novice in planning a solo trip and your details have been so helpful. Thanks so much.Johanna

Johanna<BR><BR>Dimple Shah has done a brilliant job of her trip report!<BR><BR>Australia is generally safe, even for a single woman.<BR><BR>DO NOT HITCHHIKE!