We are planning a trip in mid-july. My itinerary is 4 night at 4 season- Sydney , 3 night in Hayman Island resort, 2 nights at Silky Oaks while there doing the David Armbrust tour, 2 nights at Sebel Reef Resort and 2 nights at Wanderer's Rest in Kangaroo Island. What do you think of this itinerary?<BR>

Kangaroo Island is a long, long way from both Sydney and the Barrier reef. I feel that after you have been to Sydney and the Barrier reef and the David Armbrust tour it would not be &quot;worth it&quot; to go to Kangaroo Island. You will get close up and personal with the animals with David anyway and also there are other places where you can play with animals up near the GBR OR en route i.e. Currumbin Bird Sanctuary ( they have much more than birds) Fleay's Fauna Sanctuary, Olsen's Bird Sanctuary, the wild fauna of the hinterland National parks all around the Gold Coast which is between Sydney and the GBR and easy to do a stop over. <BR>In mid July you could find that you go all the way to K.I and it is cold, wet and wild.

I agree with Liz that the final leg to Kangaroo Island looks impractical. It'll take the best part of a day just getting there from the GBR. You'll probably need 2 flights to get to Adelaide from cairns, then another flight over to K island.

I appreciate your opinion on my itinerary. If i skip Kangaroo Island what would you suggest I do in its place. Should I stay longer at Silky Oaks and Sebel Reef House. I have found these message boards to be very helpful and informative. Keep up the good work

I sort of disagree with the other folks about KI. We went in August and just loved it! We also went to Sydney, Palm Cove &amp; Adelaide, but still nothing compared to the actual natural encounters with the penguins, sea lions, fur seals, kangaroos, koalas, whales, birds, echindas (sp?) etc..<BR><BR>Kangaroo Island was such a pleasant place too. The people who lived there are so nice and very closeknit. We really enjoyed chatting with them. <BR><BR>For us it was truely a great part of our Australian experience. Another option would be to fly into Adelaide &amp; then take a day tour to KI. It's a VERY long day (6am - 9pm ?) but then you can be based out of Adelaide and still get the same, although shorter, experience.

It is still too short a time to factor in a visit to KI Alliegator and when you look at the cost factor for one day it is over the top! It would take the best part of a day to get to Adelaide from GBR then you would only be able to do the next day as a day trip then off again the following day. It will be winter and usually you won't find as many animals about at that time of year. <BR>If it were me I would take a flight from Cairns to Brisbane, rent a car on the Gold Coast and do the Gold Coast - Border ranges and National parks and Sanctuaries then get another plane from the Gold Coast ( Coolangatta) to Sydney whereby you are not spending any more time travelling.<BR>However I will be in Adelaide and KI this weekend so if its really, fantastic and different from what it used to be then I will let you know.

I will look forward to hearing Liz's review of her visit to Kangaroo Island.<BR>When you say it is a long plane ride, how long is it from Cairns to Adelaide by plane? I have heard such mixed reviews about KI, some love it and say it is the best place in australia to see wildlife in their natural surroundings.

There are many places in Australia to see wildlife in their natural habitat - different places - different wildlife. However I am factoring in that it will be winter on KI and the weather in that area at that time of year could effect the number of animals that are around.<BR>You would have to take a plane from Cairns to Brisbane then get another from Brisbane to Adelaide. Total flying time is then about 5 hours but I don't know what the connections are like. It is then quite a way to K.I out of Adelaide so you can see what I mean about taking the whole day to get to Adelaide. Alternatively Cairns - Sydney - Syd to Adelaide but its still the same flight time. Adelaide is not on the top most regular routes

Way too many airport transfers with such short stays in between. I would actually skip the Sebel Reef Resort. You'll get plenty of beach, reef activities and quiet relaxation at Hayman Island. Sebel is the only place without an &quot;attraction&quot; on your list. Sydney is a great city, Hayman - beach,reef and relaztion Silly Oaks is Rainforest, KI is wildlife. Although Palm Cove is nice you're not going to miss much compared to the other places on your list.

When we went to KI it was the winter and we saw ALL the wildlife I mentioned. It was chilly/windy but that is because 1) It's winter in SA 2)It's an Island. Anywhere in Australia it will be somewhat cold and you risk not seeing animals if you use that excuse.<BR><BR>We went from Sydney to Adelaide, then made a short 30 minute flight to KI. If your worried about all the flights then maybe you can rearrange your route and start in Cairns then go to Sydney. <BR><BR>I'm not trying to disuade/persuade you in any way. I'm just telling you about our experience with KI. Ultimately what do you want to get out of YOUR trip? That is what you have to ask yourself. My hubby and I calculated that we took 20 flight in 21 days (including all connections). It was no big deal for us because we really wanted to see KI and Ayers Rock and Queenstown, NZ. We don't regret the time nor money spent because for us it may have been once in a lifetime trip. <BR><BR>So...good luck with your decision. Either way Oz is a great place and you will enjoy it!

alliegator, thanks for your imput. I really don't mind putting in the flying time, unless they are tiny, bumpy flights. How was the flight from Adelaide to KI? Was it a small prop?<BR>I don't to great with those so i usually take a motion sickness pill beforehand. My husband and I are in our mid 40's and are looking to great a great feel for OZ without being part of a big tour group. We enjoy natures scenery and like an active and interactive vacation where we can meet the Australian people and learn as much as we can about their culture and country.

Hi Elz!<BR>I am like alligator--I absolutely LOOOVED my visit to Kangaroo Island July '02 and saw everything she mentioned (oh, and although it was chilly and damp, it wasn't unbearable, but then again, I lived in NY til I was 18). It was a real thrill to watch all the wildlife, the picturesque landscape in a place not crawling with tourists like me. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Seeing more wallabees, kangaroos and koalas than people made my visit to KI one of my favorite stops on my month-long trip. <BR><BR>Just so you know how I organized my trip, I started in Sydney and from there flew Qantas to Adelaide for 2 nights and took a puddle jumper to KI and stayed 2 days/1 nt. (FYI-The flight was not bumpy at all and lasted all of 30 min max.)I then went to Darwin for a couple of days and headed to Pt. Douglas from there.<BR> <BR><BR>By the way, I stayed at Wanderer's Rest. My room was spacious and very clean but without charm, although the place has a lovely view. I used Adventure Charters and the couple on my tour stayed at a really great B&amp;B. I'm blanking on the name but it was on a farm. The wife is a trained chef and the place was adorable--if I went back, I'd want to stay there. <BR><BR>You're going to love Australia!<BR>Debbie

The B&amp;B I was trying to think of was Stranraer's (sp??)!!

Debbie: thanks for the info about KI, i will look into that b and b. Did you have any favorite sights you visited while there?

Hi again,<BR>There honestly wasn't one thing on KI that I didn't like--Remarkable Rocks stands out in my mind, Seal Beach, Flinders National Park and all the marsupials in between. What can I tell ya--it's a special place ;-)<BR><BR>Just so you know, I'm not a big group tour kind of girl so I'm glad my travel agent found Adventure Charters. The tour group consisted of myself, a couple from NY that are about my age (30's) and our guide. That's it. It was perfect. I think I got more out of this tour than had I opted to sightsee on my own. Debbie, the guide, knew exactly where to find the animals and scenic spots--Even armed with a guide book and a map, I would've missed tons and I wouldn't have gained the insight about Oz and KI without her. It was nice too because although there was an itinerary, it was flexible and we didn't feel rushed. It was a great two days! (Oh and the lunch and snacks were awesome too...and in case you're wondering: No, I don't have stock in the company. I'm just a little happy traveller.)<BR><BR>Definately look into Stranraer's Homestead--the couple from NY absolutely raved about the place. They said the dinner was one of the best they had ever eaten and the breakfast was supposed to be equally amazing. I liked Wanderer's Rest and had absolutely no complaints but it wasn't the kind of place you would gush about. The food was good, owners nice, rooms clean and tidy but it was missing that special something...<BR><BR>If you have any more questions, just email me and I'll do my best to help out.<BR><BR>Debbie <BR>[email protected]

The plane from Adelaide to KI was a prop on Emu Air. I was a little weary at first, but they are very safe, no bumps. There is a weight restriction on luggage, so we locked up the stuff we didn't need on KI and Emu stored it in their back office. It was completely fine! <BR><BR>I agree with Debbie about the tour guides. They will know exactly where to go to see the wildlife. It was way better then what we would have done, plus you leave the driving to them! We took Sea Link tours at the last minute and were very happy with our tour guide. Knowing that you could have a more personal tour like Debbie suggested, I would go that route! <BR><BR>Amy