Help!
 

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Australia (10-14 days). We've never visited so we need some help. When is the best time to go? What are the must see places?

Thanks for your imput!
Yaskara

Australia is a big country with diverse weather throughout, and you don't mention where in Australia you think you would like to visit.

Assuming for a first trip you'd like to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns/Pt.Douglas and maybe Alice Springs/Uluru?

We visited end-November/beg-December which is like late Spring on the East Coast of the US (Memorial Day).
Sydney weather was mixed - 70s, 50s & even 100 one day. Up north to Cairns/Pt. Douglas, expect hot and humid. Out to Alice/Uluru (Ayers Rock) temps were over 100 on arrival, but next day because of storm was in 80s. And finally in Melbourne, mild temps between 60s-80s.

You need to browse thru (if not buy) a guidebook so you know what's available as to sights and restaurants so you can decide what interests you.

In Sydney there's the Opera House, the entire area around the Quay, the Rocks, maybe a "bridge-climb", the Aquarium, lots of shopping and restaurants; can rent a car and drive out to the Blue Mountains; you can bus or ferry to the various beaches (Bondi or Manley), or the Zoo.

In Cairns/Pt. Douglas - there's always a day out on the Great Barrier Reef, the Kuranda Rail, Daintree/Cape Tribulation day-trip.

You can fly to Alice or to Uluru and spend a day in each.

In Melbourne, you can go out to Wine Country, drive the Great Ocean Road; and enjoy Melburne - the Victoria Market area and the city is easy to navigate.

There are lots of choices, but it also depends on what you enjoy. Once you have a better handle on what you would specifically like to do, I'm sure you can get input from other posters.

WOW! 10-14 days planned and ya have no idea what to do? Do ya expect someone to write a whole guidebook for ya here?

Why doesn't ya crawl over to a library or bookstore and get a guidebook? Start somewhere other than posing such a general and broad question to complete strangers!

>)

It's very easy to get info on the internet.

Go on Google.com and t ype in Australia sights. Lots and lots and lots of sights.

Yaskara,

August was a nice time to visit. The weather wasn't terribly cold in the south and the central & northern parts were beautiful during the day and chilly at night. You don't have to worry about bugs, rain or jellyfish either.

Places to see all depend on what kind of couple you are. Laid back, adventursome, nature loving???

Hope I helped.

Have Fun,

Amy

Greetings from beautiful Kangaroo Island off South Australia.
A great trip would be to fly into Cairns, then Sydney, Kangaroo Island, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and back home. If you want to know more about Kangaroo Island please email.
Regards
Michael

Forget the mainland. Go to Tasmania in their Spring or Fall. 14 days would be perfect. Great beaches, mountains, small and large (not too large) towns, great rain forests, beer and wine. What elese do you need. Plus, the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. Cheers! I spent 33-days there - awesome.

Hi Yaskara,
14 days is really not very long in australia, its such a huge place.Therefore you don't want to waste time in aeroplanes flying between too many places.
As its your first visit, may I suggest you try the famous places that you know of, ie Sydney esp..Opera house, Bridge Climb, Bondi etc etc.
I would probably spend 1 week in one base ie Sydney and 1 week in the Northern Beaches ie Cairns, Port Douglas, Palm Cove is beautiful.
You could spend the first week sightseeing and the 2nd week chilled out snorkelling and seeing some of the rainforest. That will be ample for the 2 week stay.
Not sure where you are from but we went in October last time and it was good in Sydney with not too hot weather just ideal for walking around, Queensland was hot and humid ideal for swimming snorkelling and seeing the reef.
If you need specific information you can search this site pretty much everything is covered.
Have fun planning

Muck

I'm originally from San Francisco, but have lived in Sydney for the past 9 years with my Australian husband.

I would say you want 3 to 5 days in Sydney, depending on how much else you want to do.

I agree with the previous poster...Staying on the eastern seaboard is really the thing to do for your first time out.

You should probably start in Sydney since most of the flights fly through here anyway, and that will give you time to acclimatize to the slower way of life here before venturing to the tropical north.

You could then either rent a car and drive up the coast (about the same distance as driving from California to Washington, I'd say) or you could fly from Sydney to Brisbane/Gold Coast and/or Cairns.

February is traditionally known as the best month generally here, but my parents came for a visit last October, and the weather was good.