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Well, I had to re-schedule my Aust./ NZ trip for November with less time...14 days now. (gotta love work!).
I am set with the NZ portion and plan to stop over in Sydney for 2 days and see the Blue Mountains one day.
I could fit in Cairns for a 2 night/3 day visit. I am wondering if it is worth it to to go to Cairns? I am going to a rainforest in NZ and that is one thing I really want to do on this trip. I am not much of a beach person -- but I know there is an awesome rainforest outside of Cairns and Port Douglas is also supposed to be great.
Wondering any opinions on if I should pay extra for an add-on flight to Cairns? Thank you!
Alexa

Well firstly the rainforest in NZ is a temperate rainforest and very different from a tropical rainforest, something like a rainforest in the Washington DC compared with the Amazon rainforest in terms of climate, flora and fauna. I do not think that any rainforest in NZ is any different from any other temperate one thoughout the world and I don't think it is noted for anything much at all. For that matter there are rain forests in the Blue Mountains and in areas all over Australia. However as you have very little time available and it is a three hour flight to Cairns then whether you go there or not is really up to you - Cairns IS NOT ABOUT BEACHES BUT ABOUT BEING THE GATEWAY TO THE BARRIER REEF AND THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST REGIONS and World Heritage areas of those tropical regions with unique flora and fauna only seen in a small area of the World but very accessable from there. Also if you have so little time in Australia I would NOT go to the Blue Mountains but see more of what Sydney has to offer. Hope those comments help.

Serious suggestion: If only two weeks, consider only one country. Otherwise, you will be extremely frustrated on what you won't see. Just a thought.

Do you have your tickets yet? If so, it would be helpful to post your itinerary. If not, I would pick one country and either do NZ South Island or do Sydney and Cairns. We saw Sydney and the South Island in 3 weeks and didn't have enough time in NZ!

It sounds as though you have only 2 weeks or so - right? If so I agree with all the other posters. Only one day in Sydney? Forget that, skip the Blue Mountains. But pick one country - 2 weeks is only enough for the briefest of flying visits. You can get a taste, but only a taste, of NZ in that time; or you can see a fleeting fraction of Australia. If you choose Australia, include the Cairns region by all means and several days in Sydney. As each is worth at least 4-5 days you can probably squeeze in one other destination, no more unless you want to remember a blur.

If you only have 2 days in Sydney then become a power tourist and see all you can see and forget the BM. It's nice but not worth one valuable day in Sydney. I would also skip Cairns b/c what happens if your flight gets delayed and you waste a precious day at the airport? I would stay in Sydney-then you would have 4 days and could go to the BMif you still wanted to.

Can you tell Sydney is my fave place to go EVER??? Have fun! Also, you might be thinking you want to see as much as possible b/c it might be the only time you get over there but there is always another trip. I said that in 2001 when i first went to Australia so I jammed it all in, and I've been back 3 times since!

RE liz's comments on NZ forests, I don't think I've ever seen kauri trees or tree ferns around Washington DC. NZ climate ranges from subtropical at the north end of the north island to alpine on the high mountains. I would think she'd be better informed based on her comments to me on other threads.

mlgb: I don't know where you get your information on Geography but I sure would change your methods. If you don't understand what I meant about the difference in DISTANCE and type of topography between Washington DC and the Amazon then I feel sorry for you. Your constant attacks against
Australia and anything to do with us are getting to be too frequent and painful and may I respectfully suggest that you POQ. For your information New Zealand IS NOT and HAS NOT any part of it that could be called the sub-tropics, it is a temperate climate with a temperate geography and that my friend is totally and absolutely different from tropical rain forests in every way. Stick with what you know, however little that may be.

I have a degree in geography. The climate of Northland is warm subtropical and suggest you,liz, look it up and cease your own attacks.

And to further edify the uneducated, the temperate rainforests such as found on the South Island are unique in the world and are akin in climate to Washington STATE, not Washington DC.

alexals, as Liz says, there's no comparison between cool temperature rainforests of NZ (and Australia) to tropical rainforests of NQ. In fact, here you have two World Heritage areas side by side, the Great Barrier Reef and WH tropical rainforest. Too much too describe here, have a look at http://www.deh.gov.au/heritage/world...ics/index.html

As Liz says, the area is not about beaches which you wouldn't have time to spend on anyway, 2nights and 3 days is just enough to take a day reef trip and rainforest tour (assume this doesn't include travelling time). Only scratches the surface, but better than nothing, and November is a perfect time for both rainforest and reef.

In that short time frame, agree with the others about skipping the Blue Mtns.

If you use the premise that anything below the tropic of Capricorn is sub-tropical then you are correct. If you use a premise of weather, climate etc then you are not correct to suggest that anywhere in NZ is sub-tropical. I don't give a stiff s...... what your degree is, I have walked, lived in and was surrounded by more rain forests that you have probably have had hot dinners. I also beg to differ that the rain forests in the South Island are unique in the world - there are similiar ones to those in NZ in 6 other places in the world including Australia. If you insist on being a troll and behaving like one at every opportunity may I suggest that you do it on the US forum but only after you improve on your general knowledge.

*sticking up for mlgb*
I do not think you are a troll, nor do you behave like one! I for one appreciate your posts. Please continue to offer your suggestions and advice.

Tim and Liz, why does it not surprise me that you would stick up for a fellow American like mlbg. The fact that at every opportunity she bashes Australia - a country she has not even been to - to me smacks of being a troll. If I were to make derogatory remarks about the USA if I had not been there I would expect you to be the first ones to tell me to belt up. I don't care what people say, I do care that they are saying it from a knowledgeable point and one that has some basis in fact. Neither of the latter points has happened with the comments from mlgb which were specifically about Australia.

Lizf- It has absolutely nothing to do with her being an American. I don't think that you understand how hostile and negative your posts read-- not just in this thread but many others as well. It doesn't reflect well on Australians.
There is absolutely nothing mlgb said in this thread that "bashes" Australia. Your negativity is a poor representation of Australians, however, especially compared to the Aussies I personally know and others on this board such as Pat.

This is from mlgb, cut and pasted; is this what you would call a positive post?
.....................
But I also can't get my head around visiting Australia, sorry. While no one I know has every said they didn't want to go back to NZ, no one has ever said they wanted to return to Australia.
........................

This is not the first time we have seen things like this from her and I am not the only one who feels that this is less than a positive and an unhelpful post from someone who has not been to Australia - I could understand it if she had been but not so seeing she has not visited this country and therefore has not got anything of value to add to any discussion about it.

I do not think that statement is "bashing." Rather, it is a fact. Her friends that have traveled to NZ wish to return; her friends that have traveled to Australia do not.

Anyway, I will let this thread return to alexals29's question.

Wow! I just got to sign on finally and so many good responses...but gosh- I didn't mean to start a post that led to an argument. Yikes! Peace, everybody, okay?! :)
Anyway, thank you for the tips. For some reason I feel this will be THE only time I make it from NYC all the way to the other end of the world, so I would like to see both AUST and NZ. But I do hear what one poster was saying- that she has actually made it back from the states 3 more times to visit! That could be me but I'm just not sure so want to see both countries now. Who knows if I'll even be alive in another year. (ha! thinking like a typical New Yorker).

I will definitely see Cairns then for the rainforest. And thanks to all of your opinions I will skip the Blue Mountains and concentrate on Sydney.
I've been to the Rockies, etc. Are the Blue Mountains not much more special than that?

Thanks, everyone. And remember- life is short...no time to quarrel. :)
~Alexa

Cairns is definitely about the barrier reef and while the Blue Mountains are interesting, if you have limited time, I would not recommend it. There is so much to see in Sydney.When you come back and you will you can do it then...If you do not want to see the barrioer reef then I would recommend not going to Cairnes.

Have fun! You will love Australia.

Alexals29, I would not put the Blue Mountains in the same league as the Rockies by any stretch of the imagination. They have some lovely hikes, interesting caves, quaint little villages, good views but they are not a "wow" factor. Australia's mountains are just hills in comparison.