Final Australia Itinerary - any comments or suggestions?
 

Hi everyone,

Well, after lots of planning here is our (close to) final itinerary. This will be our first time to Australia and Fiji and we will be gone mid-August through 1st week of September 2009. We have things filled in for all days but we will be flexible and change things around, if needed, while we are there.

Whenever we move to a new hotel, I have indicated that information in brackets. We haven't made hotel reservations for Uluru yet... hoping to get something at a decent price on wotif or another last minute website.

We have a few restaurants plugged in but are open to suggestions. Hoping not to break the bank while dining out, however.

This will be a first trip without the kids in about 19 years!

Day 1-2: Travel SAN - NAN
Day 3-7: Taveuni, Fiji (4 nights), Denarau Island (1 night)
Day 8: Travel NAN-SYD-CNS (arrive in p.m.) - [Lilybank B&B]
Day 9: (a) South of Cairns self-drive (Gordonvale, Babinda Boulders, Innisfail, Paronella Park, Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walk) or (b) Kuranda RR / Skyrail
Day 10: Board Spirit of Freedom
Day 11: SOF
Day 12: SOF
Day 13: Depart Spirit of Freedom - Drive to Yungaburra, Nocturnal Tour w/ Alan Gillanders [Gumtree on Gillies]
Day 14: Atherton Tablelands Day Tour w/ Alan G., Drive to Port Douglas [Sheraton Mirage]
Day 15: Port Douglas - Rainforest Habitat, Mossman Gorge, Dan Irby's Mangrove Cruise, dinner at Daintree Eco Lodge
Day 16: Port Douglas – Daintree / Cape Tribulation Tour w/ Pete Baxendell
Day 17: Travel CNS-AYQ [hotel TBD]
Day 18: Ayers Rock – Tour Uluru / Kata Tjuta
Day 19: Travel AYQ-SYD, dinner @ the Rocks [Westin]
Day 20: Blue Mountains (weather permitting): train to Valley Heights, Redicar pickup, Euroka Clearing, Leura (lunch), Katoomba / Echo Point, Govetts Leap
Day 21: Sydney – Spit Bridge to Manly walk, lunch @ Manley Fish Market or Bower Restaurant, Ferry back to Circular Quay. Bridge Climb or Pylon Lookout.
Day 22: Sydney – self-walking tour: Sydney Opera House, Botanical Gardens, MacQuarie Street, Hyde Park, St. Mary’s Cathedral, QVB (lunch), Chinatown, Darling Harbour
Day 23: Sydney – Bus to Bondi Beach, Sunday markets, lunch @ Bondi Iceberg Clubhouse. Bondi to Bronte or Coogee walk. Bus to Watsons Bay, Dudley Page Reserve for photos. Ferry back to Circular Quay. SOH Concert Hall - Australian Chamber Orchestra concert
Day 24: Travel SYD-SAN

Let me know what you think!

Carole

I think it looks terrific. I like to be organised especially when there is so much to see and so little time. Well done. You will see some of the best of Australia and then you have Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and Tassie to look forward to on your next trip!!!

I can only comment on the Sydney leg which I think sounds lovely. A few little suggestions -

Day 20 - Blue Mountains. Try to have lunch in Leura, the main shopping strip has some lovely restaurants and a few gourmet delis where you can enjoy a really good meal.

Day 21 - when you have lunch in Manly - look for Hugo's on the pier - lovely food and great views over the water. They serve lovely crispy pizzas plus other menu items. You can't book but it shouldn't be a problem to get a table. The Spit to Manly walk is lovely and offers fantastic views along the way.

Day 22 - The New South Wales Art Gallery is in the vicinity of your walking tour, and has a light, bright cafe that I think is nicer than being indoors at the QVB. Do go to the QVB though as it's a lovely building with good shopping.

To finish your holiday with a concert at the Opera House is a lovely idea. Try to get there in time to have a glass of something lovely at one of the bars on the forecourt so you can enjoy a different view of the Harbour Bridge. Lunch at the Bondi Icebergs is a great idea - good food and fab views.

I hope you enjoy my lovely home town....... Cathie

Don't forget it will be winter here. In Cairns it will be gorgeous, and warm. Sydney can be very cold then. Maybe down to 9 or 10 C at night. Sunny days will be lovely. The center will probably get very cold at night and early morning. The Blue Mtns will probably be freezing cold. I've seen snow up there in early September. Just bring some warm clothing so you won't be caught out. Trip sounds wonderful!

DownUnder - Yes, we'd love to visit the places you mention... and we're sorry to be missing the Whitsundays too!

Cathie - Thanks for the new ideas. We'll definitely look for Hugo's. And the NSW Art Gallery cafe is in my notes but I hadn't looked up its location yet. We'll go there on the day we're in that area.

By the way, I see that the Australian Chamber Orchestra will be performing in San Diego this coming weekend... maybe we will go check them out!

Thanks for your help.

Carole

tinydancer - Yes, we plan to bring warm jackets... and the Blue Mountains is tentative, depending on how cold it is. Maybe we'll bring hotel blankets when we go to watch sunset and sunrise at Uluru!

I think the Blue Mtns is worth it cold or not. It can snow, but not often. We live here and try to go up often just to enjoy the sheer beauty of it. When I was at Ayers Rock, I had on corduroy pants, sweater, down jacket, scarf, hat, earmuffs, gloves. I climbed it, and it was windy up on the rock. Sydney can get cold, but I don't think you'd need the same warmth factor here.

Just an after thought...here is a link to a site about weather at Uluru:

http://www.uluru.com/UluruClimate.html

And one for the Blue Mtns:

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/climat...=site&lc=63039

Also, I wanted to mention that the walk all around the base of Uluru at or immediately after sunrise is gorgeous. Probably at any time of the day actually. It's probably one of the prettiest things you can do on a walk there.

Your trip sounds wonderful. I think if I were there at that time and it was cold (with possible snow) in the Blue Mountains I would still go. It would be a different Blue Mountain experience than many of us get to have. I'm a fan of the NSW gallery too, and of Alan Gillanders. I look forward to your trip report when you get back!

Looks great. I could carry your bags for food and lodging.

Thanks for the new information, tinydancer and Toucan2.

Yes, Saltuarius, we'd love for someone to carry our bags, or even better, just hang out with us! :-)

Carole,
I'll ask the boss for a leave pass.

I am sure you'll meet lots of interesting people and you would not want me cramping your style now you are free of the kids!