Flying in to Sydney in June and out in July...
 

Hi Folks,

My girlfriend and I will be in Sydney in late June and will have three weeks to explore. With adventurous spirits and an eye on the budget, we want to see as many things as possible! Camping sounds great and we will plan on scuba diving on the GBR somewhere in our journey. We are both avid bikers as well. Any information or links to things the locals dig or are not your typical tourist sites but give good Australian highlights of the culture and of the natural wilds would be fantastic! Thanks for your help. It’s a big country, I know, so information on transportation would be most welcome!

Hello Sissy

Perhaps the reason you haven't received any replies is that you are very vague about what you are wanting to do.

You say you are coming to Sydney with 3 weeks to explore, then talk about diving on the GBR.
Have you looked at a map to see how far apart these two places are?

Maybe you need to do some more basic research yourselves with travel guide books, then come back here once you have more definite plans and / or more specific questions.

We can't possibly plan an itinerary for you .; . . after all, that's part of the fun with a travel experience! Di

For biking try Tablelands Adventure Guides www.tablelandadventureguides.com.au

The Atherton Tablelands is a great place for wildlife scenery and walks as well as the biking. www.yungaburra.com

Thanks for the comments.

Has anybody ever used roomarama with good results for Sydney? We will be there for 5 nights and would like a private location with a kitchen, It's at the end of the trip so budget leaps to mind. But a lot of the properties look nice.

Also, what is a good recommendation for a swanky, romantic, eclectic hotel for one night in Sydney?

We are looking at the Whitsunday Islands as a several night stayover as we head north towards Cairns. Are they worth the trip and expense to get and stay there, or are there equal or close alternatives for diving and beautiful scenery that are less expensive?

A marvellous boutique hotel used to be the Observatory Hotel, now the Langham. We went to dinner one anniversary at their restaurant, Galileo. I think you would really like this, if it's in your budget.

http://sydney.langhamhotels.com.au

Also, for cheaper rooms, try the YHA (youth hostels). There are some better hostels that book cheap rooms rather like a hotel. A good one is at Central Railway - there are actually 2 there but the big one on Rawson Pl has good facilities. Sorry, I don't know Roomarama. There are also a number of serviced apartments around Sydney that might fit the bill (i.e. with kitchen) but the ones that I know of are kind of expensive. Check out Medina Serviced Apartments or even York Apartments to see what I am talking about. If you are looking for something with a kitchen I would look to the suburbs surrounding the city (maybe Woolloomooloo).

Lavandula

Not sure if I am a little late but we have used Roomarama and it was pretty good, used it in Paris! I am sure it is just as good in Sydney. We just wrote a post on our whole experience if you are interested in finding out more about the company. I don't think they are any where near as big as Air bnb but a lot of people do both I think - http://www.whoneedsmaps.com/roomorama-in-paris/

I would suggest you check out couchsurfing or meetup events those two companies do some pretty fun stuff for travelers. Or just go to a bar in one of the main districts and you will find some fun people.

All the best,
Jenn

WhoNeedsMaps- yes you are 2 1/2 years too late