Brisbane Area 11 days need comments
 

This is a revised post for this portion of the trip early in March 2007. After much research I have settled on the following and would welcome comments before I finalize everything. I am confirmed with reservations in Brisbane and Mt. Tamborine but still open at the other locations.

Day 1. Arrive from Auckland and settle in hotel.
Day 2. Sight seeing in the city
Day 3. Sight seeing in the city
Day 4. Pick up a rental car and drive to Mt. Tamborine check in at B&B and spend some time exploring Mt. Tamborine area.
Day 5. Binna Burra in Lamington Park, do some hiking, Return to BB in Mt. Tamborine.
Day 6. Green Mountain walk return to Mt. Tamborine B&B
Day 7. Drive to Lismore for overnight via Natural Bridge, Murwilumbah, and Nimbin, do a bit of sight seeing along the way
Day 8. Drive to Inverell for overnight via Gibraltar Range and Glen Innes
Day 9. Drive to Toowoomba via Glen Innes,Tenterfield, stop at Girraween NP for a walk, continue to Stanthorpe and Toowoomba
Day 10. Spend a day in Toowoomba
Day 11. drive to Brisbane to a Hotel near airport
Day 12 fly to my next stop in Perth

Many thanks for any fine tuning suggestions.

Inverell???? Toowoomba?????Glen Innes?
Staying in Lismore???

Z...you are travelling halfway round the world..and wasting days in forgettable country towns just like you have on the prairie.

The Tweed/Byron and hinterland (Mt Warning caldera)is one of the best combinations of weather/lifestyle and geography on the planet.

I think Z is going to the saphire regions around Glen Innes - if that is not the case then I agree with JohnJ but if saphires are your thing then apart from the mining areas in Queensland that is the second option. When at Tamborine Mountain call into the Distillery where you can try lots of lovely things that have won World awards and say G'day to Mike and Alla the owners if they are there. Also you can see the Gloworms are the Cedar Creek Winery where an artificial cave has been made for them there - this is for people who are unable to drive to the Natural Bridge and see them in their natural environment at night under the waterfall cave. If going to Natural Bridge take your swimming gear as the water is fantastic there. While in Tamborine Mt or going to or from there have a look in at Canungra Winery which has resident platypus in their stream at the back of the property and can usually be seen later in the afternoon or early in the mornings. Also check out Stanthorpe's wineries as well seeing you are going that way.

Thank you for your comments. Some time places like Lismore are not a destination but a convenient place to stop for the night, or a place from which to take day trips. This is my third trip to Australia and I have been to the coastal area south of Grafton all the way down to Sydney. I am trying to prioritize the back country routes. I do have another option and that is to stay an extra day in Lismore and go for the day to Channon Market on Sunday March 11, 2007. I think that might be a good experience. This change still permits me to make a stop in Inverell for the day to check out a sapphire mining area. I can come back next day through Byron Bay, and stop overnight and then return to Brisbane on the final day via the coastal road with a leisurely drive with stops along the way. I will have to think about both options but I am beginning to like this alternative.

Z

Z...my apologies..I should have realised as Liz points out that you had a fossicking element to your trip.

I would recommend your second option...
make a dash to Inverell for the saphires and spend more time around Byron and Hinterland.

one day is enough for Brisbane.

I highly recommend the Channon market and a beer at the pub in the old buttery after.Find somewhere more interesting to stay rather than Lismore.There are B&B's everywhere scattered throughout the byron hinterland.

Climb mt warning...visit the rainforest centre at Murwillumbah...stay at the Mt Warning caravan park.Have a swim at the natural pool beneath minyon falls...and a bbq at rummery park in the nightcap national park after.

stay at the Broken Head leisure resort and have a look at Byron Bay from there.Walk around the headland thru the littoral rainforest.

Check out the charming hinterland town of Bangalow.

and for a genuine aussie country pub try the family inn at Eltham.