Family Itinerary May 2006
 

We are a family of 5 with the following planned for May 06. Nothing finalized as yet but getting close.

We would appreciate any feed back
( positive or not ) especially from others with experience with any of the destinations.

We start with 2 days in Sydney staying at the Rocks. Harbour Rocks Hotel.

Day 3. We travel to the Hunter valley. Pokolbin Hill Chateau. Wine tasting.
Day 4. The Hunter Valley. Pokolbin Hill Chateau. Horse Riding.
Day 5. Byron Bay. Surfing day, Overnight Bundaleer Retreat. Day 6 Hamilton Island to meet boat for three day sail through the Whitsunday Islands.
Day 7 Whitsunday's. Solway Lass.
Day 8. Whitsunday's. Solway Lass.
All day Whitehaven Beach.
Day 9 . Cape Tribulation Lodge with a night walk through the rainforest. Day 10. Full Day Lizard Island for the reef experience. Over night Cooktown.
Day 11. Karumba on Cape York for fishing. Karumba Van Park Day 12. Lawn Hill Canoeing and wild life. Over night Adels Grove.
Day 13. Kakadu National Park. Crocodile hotel. Visit Yellow waters and Nourorlangie National Park. Day 14. Arnhemland. Seven Spirits Bay. Spend a full day with Aboriginal elders trekking through the outback.
Day 15. Seven Spirits Bay. Day 16. Exmouth, Swim with whale sharks.
Day 17. Ningaloo reef, drift snorkel with Manta Rays. Day 18. Mt, Augustus. Hike over the worlds largest rock.
Day 19. Uluru. Day 20. Uluru / Olgas / Kings Canyon. Day 21. Return to Sydney. Mecure Sydney airport.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the above.

I can't help thinking this itinerary is a big unrealistic wish list. Are you joking?
If you are serious, there is no way you could connect between these places in your time frame.

I can't believe this either. Tell us how and when you intend to make the connections and we might be able to help you come up with something more realistic. As it stands - no offense intended - it just looks crazy, unless you're a big fan of Phineas Fogg. Tell us more!

Hi Neil, No Neil we are not attempting to go around the world in 80 days as you have suggested although as seasoned travelers we desperately try to avoid wasting time while on vacation so plan to make the very best of every day.

I was hoping for some feed back on some of the places we have chosen to visit ( or have been advised on )We are unable to find much information on Byron Bay, Karumba, Adels Grove, Cooktown, Exmouth , and no one even seems to know where Mount Augustus is.

Our dilemma is this; we can delete Exmouth out of the Itinerary and do the Prince Regent river followed by 2 days in Far a way bay followed by 2 days in Kalumbaru instead.

We could then do El Questro on the way to Uluru.

The Bonaparte Archipelago also looks great with it’s hundreds of Islands bush camps and Bradshaw artwork.

We have been advised these are very interesting destinations for the children and for us.

Thanks again Neil and any help you could offer would be appreciated.

OK NOW START AGAIN!

2 Days in Sydney is not neally enough. The Hunter Valley is only for those with heaps of time on their hands as its not particularly beautiful and you can buy the wine anywhere else and it will be cheaper! There are many, many things to do in Sydney which you will find when you get there.
Byron Bay - do a Google search on Norther New South Wales and you will get the "feel" of Byron Bay. However I feel that if you want surfing there are many other places that offer that which are easier to get to from your point of view and probably better surfing too. Although there are direct ( infrequent )flights to Byron Bay as they are not on a major route they are expensive then you have to either go back to Sydney OR get yourself to Brisbane to fly to the Whitsunday Islands - Byron Bay to Brisbane is either by bus or by bus to Gold Coast and then by train to Brisbane Airport and will take approx 3 hours as it again is not direct but through the Gold coast.
Once in Brisbane you are OK. there are direct flights to Hamilton Island.
It is not that easy but is doable to get from the Whitsundays to Cairns then onto Cape Trib. but again this will take at least half a day if not more.
I presume you will drive to Lawn Hill National Park ? If so that will take at least one full day of driving but you could get there by flying from Cairns - Townsville - Mount Isa then rent a car and drive and that would cut your trip down to half a day. Worth visiting though. From there back to Mt Isa where you "should still be able to" get a flight to Darwin. Darwin to Kakadu is best done with a small 4 wheel drive operator as you will see much more that way and camp overnight with them.
Are you intending to drive from Darwin to Exmouth? I expect you are as that is about the only way to get there from Darwin although there maybe some small operators who will fly you there - expect to take about 2 days full driving.
Mt Augustus is about twice the size of Ayers Rock and the only reason people are not treking there in droves is that it is very expensive to get there and of course unless you are the most hardy person is too darn hot most of the year. The Bungle Bungles should not be missed if you are in that part of the world so I would be heading for El Questro Cattle Station which is a 5 star + accommodation and destination and they do also offer some really good treks around the NW particular by helicopter I think.
If you are going to go to that area then I would leave out Ayers Rock as you would have to fly to Perth then Perth to Alice Springs then drive from Alice to Ayers Rock and it does seem like a lot of duplication really.
Perhaps a stop-over in Perth and a trip to either the Swan Valley wineries or the wonderful Margaret River wineries would be a great end to the trip to my way of thinking.
Hope this helps somewhat but your ideas, although great ones and fantastic destinations are not as easy as looking at a map!
Cheers Liz

Hi Liz, Thank you so much for all of that. Your advice is welcome.

We have the itinerary all worked out in terms of time. We were more interested in finding out about the actual destinations.

We were offered a nights camping in the bungles bungles and can easily fit it in.

Do you think the two days in Kakadu at the Crocodile Hotel would be worth while or is this a bit of a tourist trap.

Thanks again.

I can understand your need to cover as much ground as you can during your holiday but perhaps you misunderstand the long distances in Australia.
For example on day 18 you are talking about hiking at Mount Augustus and then being at Uluru the next day. Mount Augustus is at least 300 km by dirt road from Carnarvon in West Australia, so you would have to drive back to Carnarvon, fly to either Perth or Broome or Darwin, then to Alice Springs and then connect to Yalara. From Cooktown to Karumba is over 600 km, most of which would be on 'developmental road' which means one narrow lane of bitumen shared by cars, motor homes, trucks and road trains (which can be up to 50 metres in length. So you can see why Australians are doubtful about your itinerary.
In the time frame you have, I'd suggest you concentrate on either WA plus NT, or the east coast and NT.

Five for fun, This is an interesting itinerary which includes many of the very best destinations in Australia.

You have chosen some remote parts of Australia that few ever get to visit.

Not entirely sure of your mode of transport to all these exotic locations but I guess there are aircraft involved.

I have done most of the East Coast of Australia and much of the Top end but you are talking about places I can only dream about.

Im not sure why you have chosen Byron Bay. You mentioned surf for the children so on that basis I suppose that’s as good a place as any to stop off for a couple of days in the surf. The coastline and hinterland in the area certainly showcases some of the most beautiful rolling hills and beaches in Australia.

You have obviously done your homework. I am particularly interested in your couple of days up in Kalumbaru. I have been trying to get there for years.
From what I gather it is one of the first Aboriginal communities established in the North West of Australia. The district is well known for Bradshaw art the oldest rock art in Australia. Some of the art is reported to be over 20 000 years old.

Regard the swim with whale sharks make sure you are there at the correct time of year as they are only off Exmouth for a couple of months. I have been to the Bungles and think it is a must for you to visit, even for a half day. A camp there over night in such an ancient place would be very rewarding indeed.

Your walk with the aboriginals through Arnhemland will be an unforgettable experience. I would like to know how you organised that.

Lizard Island is by far the best selection for your look at the Great barrier reef which by the way I think is far superior to the Ningaloo reef although the Mantas are much more abundant on the Ningaloo. And you do have the whale sharks. So a visit to both is certainly the way to go if you can do it.
I have been lucky enough to visit several spots on the barrier reef off of Cairns and Port Douglas, which are also good, but the Lizard reefs are amazing. And again not many people.

I will watch for your finale itinerary and if you have any spare room I’ll carry the bags .

Best of luck.

Allo again. There is not a lot of accommodation in Kakadu but the Crocodile Hotel is the best of it. I would not call it a "tourist trap" as it is really an essential part of the trip and I think that 2 nights would be much better than one. Kakadu is about the size of Yellowstone National Park but it is expensive for accommodation and food but then so is any other "out of the way" place in the world. There are some amazing things to see there and experience. My two boys were not too keen on seeing two eyes pop up and look at them at the Twin Falls swimming hole and they told me that can actually walk on water but the eyes belonged to a fresh water croc. and they are comparatively harmless. However they regard their trip in a 4 wheel drive camping holiday of Kakadu one of the highlights of their lives. Is is what you make of it I guess. My greatest memory is of seeing fire flies outside my tent in Kakadu and looking at the beautiful sky at night after one of the most wonderful sunsets I have ever experienced.
I was fortunate to have friends who were teaching in an Aboriginal town and I did get to places that most tourist do not and you will feel the same on your trip there. A very enlightening visit I am sure and more rewarding in terms of understanding the culture of some 60,000 years in that most ancient of lands.
If you have the ways and means of getting from A to B on this holiday then I think it will be most rewarding and very, very interesting. You will love Lawn Hill as that is mostly unknown by tourists and I did not hear about it until we rented a house 20 odd years ago which belonged to one of the Rangers who worked there and got some really good second hand knowledge which had to do us until we went ourselves. It is so beautiful to kayak through and so tranquil and just so different.
Welcome and enjoy!

Thank you Liz and Streetsahead.
We thought Byron would be an interesting destination for some surf and fun for all. We have read many famous people live in the area which is usually an indication there is some thing special there.

Does Paul Hogan from the croc show really live there ? we have also heard an other very famous Aussie with a passion for chucking phones also lives just down the road.

The plan is to depart the Hunter at 08.30 arriving in Byron at 09.40. We take off and land from airfields which are within five minutes of our accommodation,so time is not really an issue. I suppose the main objective is for some fun in the surf and a look at the coast in that part of Australia.

Thanks again, From what you have both said Kalumbaru, Kakadu and the bungles should be included.

Are you flying your own light plane?

Hi 5, Yes interesting plan, we have been to a couple of the destinations mentioned. We sailed through the Whitsunday group of islands. You will not want to leave. It's just fabulous sailing. We also visited Lizard for a day which was the highlight of the vacation. So you can not go wrong there either. Best of luck.
And I will also carry some bags.

Wow!

Can I carry some bags too! I make great cappucino as well, almost Barista! Can also bring husband who tells great jokes! So now you have family of 10 lol.

Sounds a great trip, Cooktown is rather beautiful but because the road in is not all sealed not too many tourists head that way. Very beautiful place though. Go up the hill to the lighthouse for a real nice view.

John au / A company in Australia put the itinerary together for us and they fly the aircraft as well. Friends of ours used them a couple of years back and have still not stopped talking about the experience.

Tassietwist, We have 5 spare seats in the plane and your welcome to join us if you are happy to carry the bags.

You might change your mind when you see the bags my wife takes on vacation.

We are now looking at doing Ayres Rock on the way North from Sydney and deleting Byron Bay.

Thanks for your input Liz, seems Lawn Hill and Kakadu are evry thing the operators said it would be.

54fun

Sounds a great trip. Never heard of it before but sounds the way to go, especially for 5 people.

My backs gone out again...about those bags lol

Hi 54fun,
Oh wow! It sounds like a dream trip. I am already looking forward to your trip report, especially the part covering Cooktown, Cape York, Kakadu and Uluru as these are places I plan to visit, too.
I am a really great cook, both meals and baking, if you need someone. Only problem is, I don't fly in anything smaller than a 747!!

We plan to do the bridge climb in Sydney as well as the Zoo and Manly by boat.

Is there some thing in Sydney which really does have the WOW!! factor for which we should put some extra days or a day aside for and perhaps cut one of the other destinations.

Thanks again.

54fun

We recently had a guest from the US and only took them downtown twice. Once was a ferry to Manly where we lucked out because it was some anniversary festival that we were not expecting and there was heaps of free entertainment.

On the other day we went early to chinatown, had some yum cha and then the monorail back around to the central shopping district to show them some architecture like Centrepoint tower, State Theatre, Strand Arcade and Queen Victoria Building. They are all close by each other.

The second trip gave them an appreciation of the operational part of the city rather than just the pretty bit down at the Quay.

I think 2 days will be fine considering you will be seeing so much natural scenery during the balance of your trip.

Also depending on the ages of the children a trip to Luna Park maybe an alternate option to Taronga Zoo as you will see many animals on your trip.

Thank you once more Tassietwister you have been so helpful.

We were advised two days in Sydney would be enough unless we wanted to shop and or visit Museums.

What about the blue mountain area ? will we be missing lots if we do not visit Katoomba. I have seen it advertised every where on the internet and am just a little concerned we will not be visiting that area.

Sorry about all the questions.
We just want to get this wright before we go ahead and pay deposits.

The tour company looking after us has been just amazing sending pages and pages of info about Australia which together with the info from this extremely informative forum has been a wealth of information.

The Blue Mountains is a difficult question.

I have taken 2 people from overseas and one was blown away the other was yawning!

The Blue Mountains have long been a popular weekend getaway for Sydneysiders. Having a massive world heritage national park on the edge of a major city is fabulous to get away from it all with only a few hours journey.

But it is hard to compare the weekend getaway experience to the impact the place would have on international visitors on a day trip. They are not mountains at all, rather a plateau with some great bluffs, canyons etc.

It's 1 million hectares are world heritage listed due to it's unique vegetation adapted to a very old landscape. Some plants for example have evolved to survive just on one tiny patch of land. Also about ten years ago they discovered a living fossil, the Wollemi Pine, such is the vastness of the area they are still discovering plants!

Most of the park is not accessible unless you are a avid bushwalker so tourists generally stick to lookouts etc where they have sealed road access. This amounts to such a miniscule part of the park itself.

Still I enjoy going on the scenic railway even though I have long outgrown childhood!

They do have some great footage of the park itself at the Imax cinema at Katoomba but unless you have time to do a walk down to the valley floor where you can see sections of rainforest, waterfalls etc you don't really get the full impact of it's beauty. Though some views from the plateau are outstanding.

A typical weekend for us for example would include a bushwalk, a hot chocolate at The Hydro Majestic, some antique hunting, a nice meal and a show at The Clarendon.

Hope this gives a picture of the area and help you decide whether it is of interest.

I have no idea but it maybe possible to fly over some of this type of landscape on your way to the Hunter Valley. Check with your company.

Tassietwister has described the situation well. I used to live in the Blue Mountains, and while the vastness of the views from Echo Point and the cliff walks are truly impressive I'm hesitant to call the area a must-see for a visitor with such a packed itinerary.

The blue colour is caused by vapours given off by the ubiquitous eucalypts. Personally, I prefer the story told to Mark Twain by a fellow train passenger on the way to Katoomba - that the "mountains" were formed entirely by countless aeons of decomposing kangaroo droppings, the resulting gases producing the blue appearance. This confirmed Twain's long-held opinion that it's a mistake for travellers to rely on locals for useful information.

It's interesting to watch the vegetation change as you descend into the valleys and gullies of the BM. The soil on the ridgetops is generally poor and dry (which accounts for the fact that the drive to Katoomba isn't teribly exciting) but by the time you get to the bottom you're into rainforest conditions, with massive tree ferns in profusion.

ummmmmm Kangaroo droppings ah !!!!
Maybe we should stick to the original plan. Only kidding of course.
Thank you both once again.
We are getting close with this.
I will post the new and final
(I hope) itinerary in the next few days.

54fun,
Can you share the name of the company you are using that you mentioned in your comments?

GREAT choice with the Solway Lass for your holiday in the Whitsundays!!!! :)

I went on the Solway Lass... And when I was there a family of 4 was on the boat, some backpackers - including me, as well as some older people. It was a nice mix! The boat itself is awesome... Old (but renovated)... Has history... And the jumping rope is great! Lots of fun for everyone. The crew is also fantastic. I love sitting and looking at the beautiful scenery as we sailed away in the Whitsundays. Food was also great.

I wish I could go on a second trip...!

54fun
I am blown away by your trip plan. I can't believe it, half your luck. Be sure to do some fishing whilst up north - Cape York it's the best.
Cheers

Weddinginitaly, Daintree Air Services from Cairns have planned the entire tour for us. You can locate them on www.daintreeair.com.au

The people there have been very generous with their time. Their patience must be wearing thin as we have changed the itinerary substantially several times since we first started talking with them.

They have tailored the tour specifically for our family.

Molly, did you visit Karumba on your travels to Cape York. We under stand the sunsets are beautiful and the fresh fish is the best in the country.

This is how things look at this point although we have not confirmed as yet.

Day 1. Sydney Zoo, Harbor Cruise and dinner at wild fire on the wharf.

Day 2. Visit Olympic venue, the tower restaurant for brunch and the remainder of the day visiting Manly by small ferry. Dinner on the harbor with Captain Cook cruises.

Day 3. Our guide drives us to Katoomba for a couple of hours viewing three sisters and riding on valley train. Over night at Jenolan Caves.

Day 4. Half a day visiting caves, and then drive to Kanagra walls for a couple of hours hiking. Over night in a farm stay 30 minutes from the walls.

Day 5. Drive to Bathurst to pick up flight to Birdsville for lunch. From Birdsville we fly direct to Ayres Rock arriving just on sun set to view the rock.

Day 6. Early morning breakfast at the rock then fly to Kings Canyon.
Over night Kings Canyon and make a visit to the Olgas.

Day 7. Fly to Kakadu, stay two nights at the Croc Hotel, visit the natural sites like Yellow river, Nouralangie rock .

Day 8. Kakadu. Jim falls, and Twin falls.

Day 9. Fly to Katherine to spend a half day in the gorges in Kayaks seeing Aboriginal Rock art swimming etc. Depart Katherine at 3 in the afternoon for the bungles.
Over night Bungle Bungle bush camp, camp fire, night walk etc.

Day 10. Spend half at the Bungles, then fly to Mount Augustus, arrive in time to wash up and view the monolith at sun set. Bar.B.Q tonight on the cattle station. Apparently the station is just about the same size as England.

Day 11. Hike around Mount Augustus, visit remote Aboriginal community.

Day 12. Fly to Exmouth. Most of the day free to rest or explore.

Day 13. Spend the day swimming with whale sharks.

Day 14. Drift snorkel with Mantas and Turtles over Ningaloo reef.

Day 15. Fly to Mitchell Plateau where we are picked up by helicopter to take us to the bottom of the cliffs for an over night in a coastal bush camp viewing Bradshaw art work.
Catch our own fish and cook them in the open. Can’t wait for that one.

Day 16. Fly to Kalumbaru low level along the North West Australian Coast.
Spend the day with the Aboriginal people fishing in the Timor sea. Over night Kalumbaru.

Day 17. Fly to Arnhemland, arriving in time for lunch with local aboriginal people.

Day 18. Safari by sea and estuary , Arnhemland.

Day 19. Fly to Adels Grove. Over night in bush camp.

Day 20. Canoe through gorges then fly to Karumba late afternoon for a seafood dinner over looking the gulf of Carpentaria. Over night Karumba.

Day 21. Fly to Howlong station for a half day tour of the station and gorge then onto to Lizard Island arriving early afternoon. Over night Lizard Island.

Day 22. All day Lizard Island snorkel the Clam Garden explore the Blue Lagoon.

Day 23. Fly to Cape Tribulation at around lunch time to over night in a private lodge high in the rainforest conducting a night walk through the rainforest.

Day 24. Fly to Hamilton Island arriving at 0900 hrs to join a three day sailing adventure through the Whitsunday Islands.

Day 25. Sailing the Whitsundays.

Day 26. The whitsundays.

Day 27. Return to Sydney for connecting flight.

54fun

My time spent in the Cape was on the east coast so we didn't get to Karumba. The fishing anywhere up north is great. We took a fishing charter just off the tip (cape york tip that is) and as quick as we threw in the line HUGE Golden Spotted Trevally were jumping on. We were catching so many in the end we were kissing and realising. The ones we kept we took back to camp. We popped them on the barbie sat back had a view beers and ate the best fish i have ever eaten in the world.

I see you've decided to do the Blue Mountains, followed by the caves and Kangara Walls - all very nice, but I am not sure if the Blue Mountains will impress - it depends where you come from I guess.

Well happy travels - wish we could join you it sounds fantasic.

Molly the fishing sounds fantastic.
Cooking our own on the beach.
That's very cool.

Could you please be a little more informative on the Blue Mountain’s?
We have been told not to rush with final details as we have lots of time before arriving.
Would you stay with the initial itinerary which included Byron Bay rather than the Blue Mountains.
Thanks so much.

54fun

I think tassietwister has described the blue mountains well. Don't get me wrong I love the blue mountains myself it's a great weekend get away. I had a friend from New Zealand visit the Blue Mountains and she was not impressed because New Zealand has huge mountains - on the otherhand I had friends from the UK who just loved it.

In my opinion I think your time would be better spent in the blue mountains, caves and kangarra over the hunter valley and Byron Bay.

I hope this helps :)

Molly, What did you think of the Jenolan Caves and surrounds. It seems as though no one is really excited about either Byron or the Blue Mountains. Our charter company has also suggested we could meet them in Adelaide in place of Sydney and do Kangaroo Island, the Vine –Yards and then onto Coober Pedy and Ayres Rock therefore by passing the Blue Mountains and or Byron. Where would you prefer to take your New Zealand and English friends Molly.
Sorry to put you on the spot.
Thanks again to all of you.

54fun

I asked an American what he would compare the Blue Mountains to in America and he said the Ozarks. Not sure if you are American but may give you a sort of idea.

If you were just going to see the Three Sisters I would say forget it but by continuing on to Jenolan Caves and Kanagra Walls I think it may turn into a great journey. Please ask your guide to stop by some old hotels for a coffee or a peep to see some of our older architecture, including Hydro Majestic, the Carrington and one at Mt Victoria.

Also not sure of the ages of your family but if it inlcudes kids maybe a stop at the lolly shop at Leura. This is the only shop where I have even seen American brand candy on sale here. Please also try bullets as our Americans friends seem to love these. Small pellets of licorice coated in chocolate.

If you have time, see the short movie at Katoomba Imax theatre that shows where the Wollemi Pine was found.

I say stick to it, it will balance out a bit with the rest of your trip.

Going to Adelaide will really add to your mileage though if keen to visit a wine area I would recommend it over the Hunter Valley.

btw Still jealous of your trip.

You really are putting me on the spot :) I think stick to Sydney and the Blue Mountains combined with the Jenolan Caves and Kangara Walls. If you like nature and the outdoors you will really enjoy it. Jenolan Caves are something really different and the accommodation is really nice (I am assuming you are staying at Caves House). The weather will be coolish and a dinner by the huge open fire place would be a treat. I don't think you will be disappointed.
I hope that assists you. Cheers