Greetings-
Hubby and I will be traveling from Ireland to Oz for the first time in Dec 2004. Looking for advice about our three week tentative itinerary:
First three nights Sydney Westin & then fly to Cairns
Four nights Palm Cove Outrigger
Two nights Cairns Colonial Club
Fly to Brisbane to pick up camper for 10 nights & driving to Sydney
Last two nights in Sydney for New Years & staying with friends.

Based on internet research & this websight, we feel good about our choices of lodging but are concerned with our choice of camping for 10 nights. Do you have to camp in designated areas? We prefer private, peacefull settings vs. family oriented camp sites. Also considering just renting a car instead of the camper and 'winging' lodging between Brisbane and Sydney. Good/bad idea? Would appreciate any feedback on our entire trip in general.
Cheers Suzanne

Hi Uptipp04,

The only thing I would recommend is that you consider booking your accommodation in advance for the trip from Brisbane to Sydney. The timeframe that you are doing this is peak holiday period for Australians and accommodation anywhere along the NSW north coast from Sydney up to Brisbane is very tight at this time of year.

Cheers

Paul_S

Hi, Uptipp04!

I would agree entirely with Paul. You can't just pull over wherever you like and camp for the night, and although every main town will have a camping/caravanning centre, as soon as school holidays start (about a week before Christmas) you will find that these will fill up quickly, especially the ones adjacent to beaches.

Of course, you don't have to follow the coast road from Brisbane to Sydney, even though this is the way most tourists (and holidaymakers) tend to travel. Instead, you may find, after Palm Cove and Cairns, that you have seen enough of the beaches of eastern Australia and choose instead to head inland, taking the New England Highway. The pressure on the caravan parks is not nearly so intense in these areas, and this route may provide an interesting new insight into life in rural Australia... you'll pass a lot of sheep farms. Be warned, however, that December is a bad month for flies, and the deeper you go into the farming areas, the worse the little blighters get.

Untipp04 - yes December can be a problem with campervan touring, especially the accommodation side. The NSW School holidays usually start around 11th or 17th December (from memory)
Some of the caravan parks in NSW, must have the 'best' beachside locations one could get, its just knowing which one.
Brisbane to Sydney is a comfortable 3 days drive, so 10 nights would be condusive to a "relaxed" trip.
It does help to have an NRMA Camping & Caravan Touring Book, which describes the park, overnight costs with power, its location, and nearby attractions.
I was going to say, if you want any advice on some suitable parks, sing out, but then, you wouldn't need that advice, its much more fun, just discovering places along the way yourself, and slowly touring down the coast. I always think its best to "discover" places yourself, rather than be told by others, go explore, and enjoy.
Regards LEigh.

Thanks Paul, Alan and Tropo,

Based on your feedback and some discussions with good friends that have traveled to Oz, we are going to skip the camper van and simply rent a car. We will have to research over the next few weeks to see what options we have for lodging along the coast (any suggestions?). We would prefer B&B and small inns for this part of the trip.

Thanks again for your help!
Uptipp

One of the nicest spots to stop en route from Brisbane to Sydney for a totally Australian experience is the Pub at Urunga which will set you back about $50 Au per night. Ask for a verandah room so that you can hear the sea and walk out there in the evening. It is not 5 star but it has great meals, is in a wonderful spot on the convergence of two rivers and the ocean and is 17 klms south of Coff's Harbour just off the highway. They have a website too when you can check out. That is a great area to discover the hinterland from and the 'Waterfall way' up through Dorrigo - which is another nice place to stay except that you will be there in December and it could be a tad hot seeing it is not by the sea. If you stay away from the larger beach towns you should be able to get good accommodation all the way but it would be better if you had at least some booked so that you have a contingency plan so to speak.

Hi, again!

It's been a few years since I have plied this route in the school holidays, but my experience then was that there wasn't really any problem in finding accommodation, as long as you got in early in the day. There are LOTS of motels, B&Bs, and plain old "pubs" (I always think they're the most interesting option) along the way, and people are checking out of them every morning. By early afternoon, however, those rooms are invariably taken. Get into the habit of checking in by lunch time, and THEN seeing the sights around the area. Next morning get up VERY early and move on to the next town, after no more than four or five hours' driving.

Another possibility might be to settle on one popular chain of motel and asking them to book ahead for you at their "next" branch.

Finally, remember that most people nowadays are looking for the glitzy motel-type accommodation, and very often the quiet, traditional old hotels -- the Aussie "pub" -- have rooms that are going empty, simply because they're not so fashionable any more. If you see the "NO VACANCY" signs going up quicker than you thought, try one of these.... you may be pleasantly surprised.

Good luck!

Hi-many thanks LizF & Alan. Think we found the Urunga motel pub website you metion Liz, looks like a grand little place- just what we're looking for during this part of the trip. Thanks Alan for the advice on checking in early as well, smart idea. Cheers-

I am glad you found the site for the Urunga Pub because its a great place to stay and get the "feel" of an Australian Pub which is nothing like an Irish Pub but has its own "charm" if I can put it loosely that way. I have stayed there a couple of times and its great and a good spot too. Quite out of the rush and bustle of Coffs Harbour but with the ocean close by and its clean and comfortable. Spend your money on splashing out elsewhere for something special and travel the way a lot of us in Oz have over the years. If its not too hot then places like Mulimbimbi (sp? ) instead of Byron Bay are great as are The Channon ( top little spot actually ) & Dunoon - these villages are between Nimbin which you HAVE to see and Byron Bay on a very scenic route and one that you really should not miss. If you are driving from Brisbane to Sydney then take the inland route that goes back from the Gold Coast at Nerang - I think its route 97 - through the Numinbar Valley through Chillingham to Murwillumbah ( do that areas there ) then go out to Numbin and see what life was like in 1960 as it has not changed there since then. Follow the road/s then via those villages I have mentioned above and go over to Byron Bay. You will find that area of SE Qld and NSW to be quite magnificent. Actually there is lots to see and do en route that way and so give yourself plenty of time.
When driving down NSW I discovered that there is a stretch that has just been finished sealing and is magnificent too. Its from Grafton through to Ebor on the road the goes from Coffs Harbour to Armidale. This road is one of the loveliest drives I have done in quite some time and also going that way would bring you through the village of Dorrigo and through to Coffs Harbour. Just remember to turn left to the coast at the junction at Ebor - I hope that I have my geography right and the names right as I am not using an Atlas here but the coastal road is boring as.... and this gives a better view of rural Australian life and some very pretty areas and the best bit of all is there are not many other cars and even less trucks on this route.

Hi Uptipp04,
We were in Oz from Wales in Dec 03.
The fireworks in Sydney were spectacular. I hope you have somewhere good to view.
I will watch it on TV with some lovely memories of last year.
If you get the opportunity try to have a beer in the Life guards club in Palm Cove, food is good and cheap, beer is great, its really a casual place to go and quite homely.
Good luck and have a great time.

Muck