Cairns in March??
 

My husband and I will be traveling to Australia in March for 18-19 days. We have to be in Sydney for 6 of those days for a convention. We can take day trips from there but need to be back by night. The more I read, the more overwhelmed I feel. My questions are:

- What would you recommend in Sydney? Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley Wine Region are two things I have read about.

- I have heard a lot about the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns and the surrounding areas but I have also read that in March it is the rainy season. Worth the trip in the rain or should we go south from Sydney?

- Many have said that if you are in Australia you should see New Zealand. It is unlikely we will get back so would you recommend that? How many days?

- What about the Great Ocean Road and Kangaroo Island? One option is to fly into Melbourne and take 5 days to do the Great Ocean Road, Kangaroo Island and Adelaide and then fly to Sydney. What are your thoughts?

- I would like to experience a true outback destination, not something touristy. I have heard Coober Pedy, Lightening Ridge and Broken Hill. Anything we could do out of Sydney or what would be the best way to do that?
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We like to get a good feel for the true nature of the country, we do not like big group tours. We love to drive and see what there is to see. We are not big snorkelers or divers but love the ocean, wineries, wild life, hiking and dining.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Brenda

Hi Brenda,

You will love anything you come up with. We were in Australia from Jan 22 till Feb 24, '09.

Your description of your likes fits us to a "T"...
"We like to get a good feel for the true nature of the country, we do not like big group tours. We love to drive and see what there is to see. We are not big snorkelers or divers but love the ocean, wineries, wild life, hiking and dining"...
except my knees keep us from much hiking any more.

Look at our trip report and pictures, we visited a lot of the areas you are looking at, plus some. Maybe it will help you get a better feel for what you want to see and do.

www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com

on the right click on Jan and go to Jan 22 continue to Feb 24.

We loved our time in the Adelaide area and on Kangroo Island, the other favorite was southwest Western Australia. I will be glad to answer any question you might have.

Enjoy the planning, that is half the fun.

Carolyn

Brenda,

Cairns was our last stop in late Feb and as I understand the seasons...it was the rainy season. We had sunny to partly cloudy weather. Yes, it rains but all the time. I don't really know if March is any different than Feb. There are some on the board that live in the area and will tell you more I am sure.

Beautiful time for the GBR and if it rains it usually is a quick and heavy downpour then fine ( unless there is a cyclone). As that area has some of the best countryside, the islands, reefs etc as well as some very beautiful and exotic animals the GBR would be top of my list any time of year. It is much, much more than just for snorklers and divers in fact the last time I was there I did not even go out on the reef but preferred to seek out the animals and see the countryside.
I think it would still be too hot for any real outback trips and Adelaide has had a very hot summer this year - likewise Kangaroo Island and Western Australia has not faired much better.
If you want to be sure of pleasant weather then think of Tasmania which has a lots to offer in terms of everything you say you like i.e. ocean, wineries, wild life, hiking and dining. Tasmania is a small island packed full of interesting things to do.

I will be in Australia around the same time. March 21- April 4, and am also overwhelmed by all the possibilities. It's hard, especially if one thinks it may be there only trip there.
Brenda, how you describe your likes is similar to mine as well. I'm 44 and will be traveling solo---my first big international trip from NYC! I had not heard of the Great Ocean Road/Walk until reading your post. And Cairns interests me as I believe there is a great rainforest there. I too would not be interested in snorkeling (bad motion sickness here). But I love animals.
I may be leaning towards Sydney, Cairns, and Melbourne (as a jump off point for the Great Ocean Walk) for my trip. I'm just concerned with all the internal flying time (Sydney to Cairns, Cairns, to Melbourne, and Melbourne back to Sydney). But I guess it's necessary

I was in Cairns and surrounds from beginning of March till beginning of May, last year. I really enjoyed my time there, generally after february it should be right, no more heavy rains, and mostly sunny!!!

If you like travelling by yourself and avoiding crowded places, I recommend you to hire a car or campervan. I rented my hi-top camper from Travellers Auto Barn, really practical to live in and easy to drive, and good value.

I am afraid it would be to short to do NZ too, to my mind you should choose, and do not do both.

Why Cairns??? Queensland has so much to offer, Whitsunday Islands are beautiful. Cairns is a bit like Bondi Beach in Sydney... famous, but not necessarily the best! Blue Mountains can be a day trip from Sydney - lovely. Hunter Valley could also be a day trip, but you'll want to sample the local beverages, so an overnight stay might be best! The hi-top camper idea could be fun way to do a trip from Sydney to Brisbane, just following the coast and enjoying the sights. (Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast/Byron Bay) Camping in Australia is different from US/Canada as the campgrounds often have communal kitchens for people to use... it becomes a great social way to meet people/Aussies... think happy hour :). And if you stay along the coast, the weather at that time of year will be beautiful - not too hot.

Alternately, although I haven't been there much, Melbourne/great ocean road/ & kangaroo island are really lovely too from all reports. As you don't have a lot of time, I would probably skip the 'outback' idea... could be still VERY hot in March, and if you're not used to the heat... think 40 C on a average day.

Enjoy!

March is still classified as "wet" season, however last March virtually all rain in Cairns/Port Douglas area cleared by end of first week. There is still a chance of a cyclone, but you'd have to be unlucky. Right now in February, which is the wettest month of year we have perfect reef conditions, sunny, with only a 5-14kmh breeze. Added bonus is that rainforests are at their best, waterfalls in full flow.

So many seem to judge Cairns by its CBD area alone, after all, Cairns is a regional city, where locals commute to work, not a pure resort town. 4km out of town is the Flecker Botanical Gardens with magnificent tropical street-scaping leading in, the Tanks art theatres nearby, rainforest walks on Red and Blue Arrow track, Cairns' northern beaches include Trinity and Palm Cove with good restaurants and and accommodation. Here's a couple of B&B's in Cairns' suburbs to give you an idea of the tropical environment; Zanzoo Retreat on 14 acres - www.zanzoo.com.au and Billabong Bed & Breakfast on 5 acres - www.cairns-bed-breakfast.com or Kewarra Beach Resort - www.kewarra.com

Cairns, its suburbs, and its beaches make a good base and gateway to Great Barrier Reef, Frankland, Fitzroy and Green Islands, Wooroonooran National Park Rainforest with Babinda Boulders and Josephine Falls, Atherton Tablelands, doable day trip to Daintree/Cape Tribulation Rainforests, Kuranda Scenic Rail and Skyrail, whitewater rafting, hot air ballooning and much more.

"- Many have said that if you are in Australia you should see New Zealand. It is unlikely we will get back so would you recommend that? How many days?"

One full week minimum, so with travelling time that's nine of your available days. Actually few posters here would recommend trying to see two countries in the limited time you have.

It's a bit like me visiting the US and seeing Mexico on the side. Can be done, but both countries get short-changed.

Hi brenda.

I live in the Cairns region and although it is remote, it's one of the most beautiful places. On the Atherton Tablelands (Where i live) it's raining all the time, everyday, but Cairns is much different. It is always pleasant and even on the rare occasion that it rains, there is still heaps to do. If you any spare time, visit the Atherton Tablelands (roughly an hour away from Cairns). It is beautiful, because of the recent rainy weather it is green everywhere and waterfalls flowing. We are delighted to have visitors up in Far north Queensland.

Cairns bit of a lottery with the weather so would not book a reef trip until last minute but unless it is full on monsoonal cycone can be a good time albeit humid.

I would say the Tablelands is good time, lush green if into that thing. Do the Paronella Park and Ma Mu walkway in the rainforest, visit cheese factories, home made ice cream, little rural towns, see waterfalls, coffee plantations, tea plantations, banana etc etc. Also can do animal spotting tours for tree kangaroo, paltypus and more. Not as weather dependant as many areas if weather not too severe and scenery disapperaing in the mist. Not beach time but rainforest and agricultural areas? well just happy, happy plant time all round.

Topping for Feb 2010 info on Cairns.