I am going to Australia for the first time next week and I am beyond excited! We will be staying in Sydney for a week and then in Cairns for another week. So far we have booked the following excursions:

Sydney
Port Stephens (whale-dolphin watching cruise and sand boarding)
Blue Mountains

Cairns:
Kuranda (rail and skyrail)
Great Adventures Green Island + Outer Reef Package (paid extra for helicopter transfers, don't wanna risk getting seasick!)
Cape Tribulation/Daintree River tour
Lizard Island day tour with Daintree Air Services

Does anyone have any last minute tips for me on things I should visit, what I should pack, what the weather should be like next week, etc?

Thank you so much! I'm counting down the days until I'm off!
Dino

If you're an animal and/or bird lover don't miss the Rainforest Habitat in Pt. Douglas. I was in heaven, playing with the kangaroos, wallabys, paddymelons, etc. -- and the birds were incredible ... They all roam free (except for the crocs & koalas) and are very friendly -- especially if they think you have food ;-)

Sounds like a fabulous trip!

we like the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk..
also, we are fans of Tetsuya's which is one of the top restaurants in the world..it is French/Japanese.
Have a great time!

<b>Does anyone have any last minute tips for me on things I should visit, what I should pack, what the weather should be like next week, etc?</b>

You can check temps here:http://www.bom.gov.au/

Have a great trip!

Songdoc,
I am glad you enjoyed the experience and I also like zoos [the Habitat is a good one] but FREE? We have a different idea of that.

If the current windy waether puts you off the reef head up to the Tablelands.

Take the ferry over to Manly, a great way to see the Harbour and hopefully you'll not get seasick though you can get some boat motion up if there's a swell running through the harbour heads.

If you haven't booked all your accommodation and want a close to the animals experience, try http://www.taronga.org.au/taronga-zo...ar--snore.aspx and first elephant ever born in Australia
is just a several weeks old.
and then there's http://www.australianheritagehotel.com/ or to stay an extra day up in BM, http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/

Weather, hard to predict in advance most times but Sydney will still be coolish to mild, maybe starting to get some sunny spring type days but colder at night, not real chilly though unless an icy winterish southern oceans blast comes along with snow bearing weather for southern alps and even BM - but that would be a bonus in some respects to have snow up there.

Best thing is to take layers and even with a lighter weight wind/rain proof parka, layering underneath will still have you warm enough this time of year.

. http://www.sydney100.com/
And at Rocks area weekend markets, a good chance you might find some choc coated strawberries for a decadent breakfast.

And do remember you'll need a visa or ETA - http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/eta.htm and you can apply online.

Make sure you've either eaten any fruit handed out on the plane with a meal or discard it in arrival area bins before immigration/customs and if you want to try for a quicker customs transit, have a chocolate bar and declare food on the arrivals card so you get in the Yes - something to declare Red line as there'll more than likely be many more people in the Green - nothing to declare line.

U suggest that you visit the zoo, aquarium, and botantic gardens in Sydney and Djapukai in Cairns. Reef Teach in Cairns was a useful and fun introduction to what you will see on the GBR.

That was supposed to say "I suggest". Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney gives one a sense about the early years of the colony.

Thanks everyone. Keep the tips coming.

I doubt I'll mind the 'cold' Sydney weather. It was 12 degrees Celcius here in Ottawa yesterday morning and I was still up and about in shorts and a polo shirt.

Another thread you'll possibly get a few ideas from is http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-melbourne.cfm

There's plenty to keep you interested, both away from Sydney and right there, museums and art gallery if interested, Darling Harbour, the Rocks and walk around the waterfront past Circular Quay to Opera House, the Bot. gardens and Finger Wharf etc., walk across the bridge, climb it for ~$200 or just the southeast Pylon for ~$15, a historical display there and good views down the Harbour.

Another ferry over to Watson Bay, lunch at the Doyles Pub end of street id better value than the shore area eateries, and then a good walk around the headland at lower level or shorter walk to upper area for great views up the Harbour.

There's something of an educational pub crawl about the Rocks of an evening - http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Educa...s_Pub_Tour.htm but you could do something similar yourself, there being placards on buildings and in Rocks area, a great visitor information centre for all kinds of info and walking maps - about six different historical themes - they weren't on display last time I was there but found them behind a counter when I asked - http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-Fo...or_Centres.htm

songdoc-have you heard any positive or negative on Trek North's Daintree Explorer tour?

I'm not songdoc, but have heard many good reports on Trek North's D2 trip (I live in Cairns). It does include Rainforest Habitat but be aware that it does not go as far as Cape Tribulation; their CT1 trip does but doesn't include Rainforest Habitat. They'll pick you up and drop off at your accommodation in Cairns city or its northern beaches.

Mcbg, you can go whale watching from Sydney, there are lots of operators leaving from Sydney Harbour. In other words, you don't need to do a day trip to Port Stephens for that.

If you give us an idea of your interests--history, walking, etc--we can give you more tailored recommendations.

Or, mcbg, you can go whale watching from Cairns for about the next 4 or 5 weeks. Two trips a day, morning or afternoon, $80 pp with guarantee of trip on another day if now whale sighting. So far this hasn't happened as humpbacks spotted up close every day - Reef Magic out of Cairns is running the trip. Would book this as soon as you arrive or even in advance, its proving very popular with locals as its the only designated whale watching trip in area, whale spottings on reef snorkel/dive trips are incidental.

that should be no whale sightings, of course.

I heard about the whale watching trips in Sydney and Cairns, but I'm going to Port Stephens to see the sand dunes, do some sand boarding and explore the town, which looks gorgeous. The whale-dolphin cruise that was port of our tour was just a bonus.