Help! Honeymoon in two weeks in Australia and Need Advice on Where to Go
 

We were planning on going to Paris and Italy in late May for our honeymoon, but when we saw the great deals to Australia last week decided to change everything. The problem is we are now going to Australia in two weeks and have no idea where to go. We are flying into Sydney on Saturday evening (5/29) and leaving Sydney on Sunday morning (6/6). I have reserved and paid for a hotel room at the Sydney Harbor Marriott through Priceline for five nights (Saturday night through Wednesday night). I am starting to think that we should go somewhere else beginning Wednesday and just eat the money for one night. Where do you think we should go besides Sydney? Would you recommend New Zealand? the Barrier Reef? Any recommended itinerary would be greatly appreciated. We live in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S.A), and would like to see somewhere beautiful and different. Thanks for your patience in reading this and any advice you may have.

Do you mean you've booked to stay in Sydbney for a week - the entire lwngth of your trip.

Or have you booked a week in Sydney and then want to go somewhere else. The usual second destination is the Great Barrioer Reef. Fly to Cairns, and then stay in Cairns, Palm Cove or Port Douglas.

Check the threads here for accommodation suggestions.

Sorry for the confusion. We will only be in Australia for a week and want to go somewhere else besides Sydney. We booked a hotel room from Saturday night to Thursday morning in Sydney but are willing to leave earlier if we are wasting our time staying in Sydney.

Hi, Atlhorn. Well ... the Reef (along with Sydney) is Australia's premier travel destination, for good reason - but it's a long hop from Sydney (think from Atlanta to Boston?). If you leave Wednesday morning you could be in tropical Cairns for 4 nights and maybe 3 days in aggregate, which would allow you (say) a reef excursion, a day tour to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rain Forest, a trip to Kuranda via the skytrain on the Saturday before flying back to Sydney, airlines permitting. (Check the threads for more info on these attractions). You'd certainly enjoy the experience, but you might end up frustrated that you couldn't spend more time there. NZ is a whole interesting country and you'd be selling it way short on that timetable. As for Sydney, you'd definitely not be wasting your time if you spent the whole week there - it's a great city, with a wealth of indoor and outdoor things to do and great eating. Again, check the threads for the list of usual-suspect activities, which usually includes a day trip in the nearby Blue Mountains. In fact, an overnight in a suitably cosy B&B there would be worth considering. If you also run a search on sydney +tourism you should get a few ideas.

I'd suggest my home town (Canberra, the national capital) but it's a 3-hour drive, and as you're already investing a lot of flying hours just getting from Atlanta to Sydney and back in a week, and you'd end up too knackered to do whatever honeymooners like to do (at my age it's all a bit hazy). That's the only question mark I'd put against the North Queensland idea.

On balance I think I'd suggest getting a taste of Australia in and around Sydney, and who knows - maybe deciding on a return trip to see the other good things in Oz and NZ one day when you have more time. However, if you want to squeeze as much as possible into your trip and don't mind the idea of a flying visit way up north, don't be deterred by my comments.

Palm Cove, I can't think of anywhere better to spend part of a honeymoon


;-)

Muck

I'll add my vote for Sydney plus the Barrier Reef. You might be worn out by the time you are done, but it will be an unforgetable honeymoon!

(I also like Adelaide, but since you will be in Sydney, your best option is to try something more nature-oriented than another city) Enjoy! OZ is a great destination.

Well, Atlhorn, I don't really know what I'd do if I were you, but I do agree that you should try to see more of Australia than just Sydney.... as lovely as this city is, you really don't need more than four days here to see it (you could even do a one-day Canberra trip and a day iin the Blue Mountains in the Saturday-Wednesday leg). At the same time, I really don't think I would be so rash as to write off a pre-paid night at the expensive Marriott. Maybe the Reef would be nice, but there's a lot of running around attached to a return flight to Cairns, and, as someone suggested above, you may be quite worn out at the end and feel rather cheated that you only scratched the surface of this beautiful area, while you spent quite a bit of your precious time getting from your accommodation to the airport and back again.

Here's another suggestion to use up those last few days without wearing yourself out, and at the same time you'll see a bit of Australia:

On Thursday morning, catch the cheap ($AUD99) 9:45 a.m. VirginBlue flight from Sydney to Adelaide. Only take with you carry-on luggage... surely the Marriott will look after the rest until you return on the Saturday. The Sydney airport is close to the city, and is easily accessible by train, so you won't have to check out of your hotel until 8:30. You can book this flight right here on-line at the site www.virginblue.com.au. It arrives in Adelaide at around 11:15 a.m.

You will have just under twenty-four hours to look around Adelaide, but it's a small city, you'll be fresh as daisies (it's not a long hop), and you could use your day really well.... I am sure some native Adelaidites will write in and suggest how best to use your day and where to stay.

Stay as close as possible to the main railway station. On the Friday morning at 9:30, catch the Indian Pacific train back to Sydney, via Broken Hill... a chance to see some of the outback without having to spend days and days going clear across the country. You will not spend long in Broken Hill, but you will, I think, find it interesting. Once again, you can make the booking on-line at this website:http://www.gsr.com.au/indian/index.htm. It will cost you around $AUD220 each, more if you want a sleeping compartment. The train crosses the Blue Mountains and arrives back in Sydney around 9:15 on Saturday morning, giving you one last day in Sydney and a final night at the Marriott (you might be able to book this at cheaper prices by trying www.wotif.com.au just before you leave Sydney on the Thursday morning) before your final flight out on Sunday.

I don't think you'd find that option too tiring, as the train journey would be quite relaxing (it's expensive, but the impact of this is lessened by the fact that you won't be giving up that prepaid night mid-week).

This option isn't as spectacular as the Barrier Reef, but it is more "do-able", a little unusual, and, perhaps, rather memorable. Get out a map of Australia and check Adelaide and Broken Hill to see where you'll be going... this is the fringe of the desert, an area few tourists see... and you'll be seeing it at a good time of the year (not too hot, no insects all over you).

Whatever you do, I hope you have a wonderful time in Aussie!

Atlhorn, may I add a postscript to what I just wrote above? I realise that bookings made on Priceline are non-refundable and can't be changed, but that doesn't mean that you can't do a bit of talking to the people at the Marriott when you arrive. After all, it IS your honeymoon, and you DID give up a trip to Paris to stay with them! Maybe they'd look at you "swapping" the Wednesday night for the following Saturday, so that you could get away from Sydney on the Wednesday morning. If you decide to do the mad rush to North Queensland, that would certainly make things a little easier! Or, should you decide to do the Adelaide-Broken Hill-Indian pacific triangle, you'd have two days in Adelaide (you can't leave on the Indian pacific a day earlier, as it only runs twice a week). It wouldn't hurt to have a try... although, of course, you might find that by the time you arrived here the cheap VirginBlue fare had disappeared! Ah, the complications of travel! You'll be starting to wish you'd gone to Paris after all!

Thank you very much for the advice. I am paying $115 per night for the Marriott room. In the scheme of things, it is not a big deal to lose $115 since I can never be sure that I will get back to Australia. I am more angry with myself than anything else because I pride myself on being fiscally responsible and knew as soon as I booked it that I shouldn't have included Wednesday night. Based on your recommendations thus far, I am leaning toward going to the Barrier Reef on Wednesday. So I should fly into Cairns to go to the Barrier Reef? How far is the Reef from Cairns?

I'd recommend a stay on a Queensland island for a few days after your Sydney stay. Which one would depend on your interests and budget. Seeing you would like to visit the GBR, you could go to Lizard, Lady Elliot or Heron Island which are situated right on the Barrier Reef and have a resort. Lizard would be the pick if you have the dough. Heron and Lady Elliot are similar islands (small coral cays)...Heron being the more up market. I have been to Heron on multiple occassions and would highly recommend it as a honeymoon destination and a great place to experience the GBR at your doorstep.

For International visitors
Lady Elliot .........NO NO NO

Heron ...............No NO no

Apart from the fact that it is too COLD in the water there at present they do not have the infrastructure nor the surroundings to make the trip worthwhile. Also getting to either of them is more expensive as you have to go through either Bundaberg or Gladstone neither of which are on regular and frequent flight routes. Then you have to get to the islands. Besides Elliot does not have a resort.
Go north to either the Whitsundays - Hamilton or Hayman or to Lizard, Hinchinbrook, and a couple of others further north where it is warmer.
Get on www.webjet.com.au for cheap short holidays or www.qantas.com.au which flies right into Hamilton and has more frequent flights everywhere else.
OR stay in Sydney and do some day trips around when you have run out of things to do there. But it is winter there then and take that into consideration.

Agree 100% with Liz, far too cold on southern end of Reef at this time of year and if you have bad weather there's nothing else to do on either island.

Heron...Yes, yes, YES. Even in the dead of winter (July), it is generally very nice. Daytime highs well into the 70s. Shorts and tee-shirts every day. Water is cool not cold, just rent a shortie wet suit for extended snorkels and dives. May should be really nice, a bit warmer too, air and sea. Of course a bad stretch of weather can always happen and this can go for anywhere along the coast.

As to whether there's enough to do -depends on the visitor. It's a quiet and very beautiful place to relax and get away from it all. Besides the superb snorkeling and diving, there's a semi-sub, the wonderful Wilson Island day trip, reef walking, fishing boat trips, helicopter rides (the reef is awesome seen from the air.), tennis. During winter months humpback whales are frequent visitors.

Been to Heron 5 times (during "winter"-June-Aug) and would surely go back again. We've always gone for 5 nights. Our kids love it too.

We've always driven up from Brisbane - about 5 hrs. Can't speak for the fare, but there is indeed regular air service to Gladstone from Brisbane.

Ralph R, CT, USA

OK Ralph - a CT winter is a vastly different thing to a southern Queensland one but Liz and I are both live in Queensland and to us it's cold! I wouldn't out on reef today even from Cairns without a full wet suit. Even though it is sunny and 78F there's a chilly autumnal wind. But then I think my blood has thinned from living in the tropics!

Ralph, you may like Heron and so do I but it does not stack up against other islands on the GBR. The birds are noisy, it is a very, very small island and there is absolutely nothing else to do if it is raining, as Pat says. You cannot see other interesting things like Daintree, Atherton Tablelands, and the areas that are around Cairns. Gladstone is a dreadful town. The area from Rockhampton to Fraser Island was my stamping ground for 22 years so I know it well and I used to spend a lot of time on the other islands and coastal areas of QLD in all seasons. I have absolutely no vested interest where anyone holidays but as a proud Australian I would rather see people leave having had a great time and not just a good time. That to me is the difference.
If for instance someone asked me if they should go skiing in Tasmania or New Zealand I would 100% go for NZ because it is better - both have snow but NZ is better. Likewise the southern colder end of the GBR v the Northern Tropical end of the GBR, the latter is better but that is not to say that I, you or anyone else would not like the south, probably would, but one would be much more likely to like the northern end best.
As for the flights: sure there are flights into Bundaberg and Gladstone but as neither of those towns are on the regular runs the relative distance cost is far greater than going somewhere that has a bigger and better service. The thought of getting into Gladstone and missing the transport to Heron on a particular day would fill me with dread, I couldn't think of a worse place to be stuck in and that could be the case if someone is getting a flight from Sydney to Gladstone via Brisbane.

Atlhorn, As you are going to so much trouble to come to the land of OZ why don't you have a look at just a couple of special places.

Sydney is a city, thats it, a city no more no less except for the beautiful harbour you might as well be in Minsk.

Sydney 2 days , honestly that is enough to walk on the Harbour bridge.

Gold Coast 2 days to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the country with a little night life as well.

Cairns 2 days, visit Lizard Island one day and then rainforest on day 2.

Then fly back to sydney to connect with your flight out.

At least then you will see and experience some of the most beautiful places on the East Coast.

Not many but some.

fsg

Liz: For one the birds are only a "problem" on Heron during the nesting season Nov-Mar, an important point you fail to mention. Weather would be a problem on any non-commerciallized island in terms of things to do.

Granted Gladstone is not a holidaymakers dream, but it is not the destination. And besides, Cairns, the city, would hardly be a place I'd want to spend much time either.

I disagree entirely that there are not other interesting things to see in the area, though they a bit more spread out. Quite the contrary...Fraser Island is wonderful - totally different to the reef islands. Inland, there are also some very pretty and, I might stress, non-commercialized places, such as Cania Gorge and the magnificent Carnarvon Gorge, one of the best kept secrets in Australia, in my opinion.

In any case, I was only suggesting to the original poster a great place to go for 2-3 days. So what there is to do on the mainland is immaterial.

Like you, I have no vested interest in recommending a Heron or anywhere else. And in terms of what is "best", Heron Island is unquestionably the best resort alternative to Lizard Island for seeing the Barrier Reef. Hamilton, Hayman, Hinchinbrook, Brampton (which I have been to), etc, etc. are not coral islands - a longish boat ride is still needed to see the reef. Green Island near Cairns (been there too) is a reef island but is unfortunately overrun with daytrippers - not a problem with Heron or Lady Elliot.

As for May temps, how can 70's and 80's be cold to anyone? Yes the water could require you wear a shorty wetsuit but it's a good idea to wear one anyway to avoid coral scrapes.

Our neighbors here in CT did a trip to Aus last year..beside Sydney and the Gold Coast, they spent 3 nights on Heron and 6 nights in Port Douglas. What was the highlight of their entire trip? Heron Island.

Ralph, you have expressed your views expertly and convincingly, and you have taught me a few things I didn't know about the islands on our reef. But, reading your post, and the one from Liz which inspired it, one comment from Liz stuck in my mind, so I went away and did a google search. This is what I came up with re transport from Gladstone to Heron Island:

"The majority of registrants are travelling as a group from Brisbane to Heron Island. The Brisbane-Gladstone-Brisbane flights connect with the daily catamaran service from Gladstone to Heron Island. The catamaran travel is included in the accommodation cost.
It is crucial that registrants arrange to be at Brisbane domestic airport in time to connect with the flight to Gladstone. Failure to do so will mean arriving at Heron Island a day later.

There is only one catamaran service to the island each day. Registrants who are not on the group flight must ensure they arrive at Gladstone marina at least 30 minutes prior to the catamaran's scheduled departure."(http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/kcdc/con.../info-new.html)

I note that the plane to Gladstone goes from Brisbane. So now, poor Atlhorn has an extra set of problems to co-ordinate: plane from Sydney to Brisbane; plane from Brisbane to Gladstone (and it must be the RIGHT flight); connecting catamaran to Heron. And exactly the same going back. One mistake and a whole day has vanished, which would be a disaster on the return journey, as Atlhorn has to connect with a flight back home! All of these connections, with the "in transit" times to account for, add up to very little time for sightseeing, even if everything goes smoothly. But, if it were me... I wouldn't be in it. In fact, the ONLY north-Queensland airport I would fly into from Sydney if time were so crucial (as it is in Atlhorn's case) is Cairns, because there are so many flights in (at least four a day)... and out. Now, Liz, if Atlhorn flies to Cairns, what's the easiest GOOD island to get to, with no hassles about "one launch a day, and if you miss it, wait till tomorrow"? Surely this is more important than choosing the "best" island, which, as is quite evident from the above posts, is a very subjective matter!

Cairns is, I think, a four-and-a-half hour flight from Sydney. Gladstone, with its change in Brisbane, would be significantly more. Either way, is the prize worth the journey? With all the good points being made about the Reef, no one has yet convinced me that this is the best option for Atlhorn's last few days in Australia. Frankly, I think a honeymoon couple may have more fun just hopping on the train to Lithgow, then hiring a car and driving around some of the inland towns, around Forbes or Wellington, or Parkes. No traffic to worry about, plenty of interesting old hotels to stay in (some over 120 years old), and lots of unique characters to meet (some almost 120 years old)! And when they return the car to Lithgow, they know there will be a train every hour, and they'll be back in Sydney in under three hours.

Atlhorn: if you do go to the Reef, please make sure you have ALL your transport organised, so you will be in no danger of being stranded. Liz's reservations are always worth looking at twice!

Alan: valid point...timing with the cat to Heron can sometimes mean a night in Gladstone. But there is a helicopter service to Heron...faster, smoother and great views of the reef. And this runs multiple times during the day according to demand, ensuring connections to Brisbane can be made without an unneccessary waste of a night.

Well, Ralph, that's an important point... but I didn't find that helicopter on my Google search, and it may be something that Atlhorn would be wise to "brush up" on before proceeding further. So can you tell us how one can find details on times, costs, departure points, etc?

Atlhorn, Sydney is a stupendous city, and there is way more to it than its beautiful harbour. You need at least 3 full days to do it justice, IMO. You in any case have the pre-paid reservation at the Sydney Harbour Marriott, so that's another valid reason for sticking with Sydney.

I do agree with Alan that, if you decide to go further afield than Sydney, it would be a good idea to ask the Marriott staff ever so nicely if they would let you swap Wednesday night (May 26) for Saturday night (June 5). I think there's a decent chance they'd let you do that.

To state the obvious, this trip is just over 2 weeks away. Would it be too much to assume that your wedding will be taking place between now and then too? If so, you have tons of organising to do! Therefore this situation, more than most, calls for you to keep things simple.

To state another obvious point, you'll be spending many, many hours in planes in order to get to and from Australia. I would think you wouldn't want to spend much additional time in planes over and above that, and you'd want to spend as much of your week as possible actually seeing things on the ground as opposed to flying.

Given all that, I think your best options are some that have been mentioned already:

(1) See Sydney and then places that are within driving distance of Sydney (Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley wineries).

(2) See Sydney and then fly to Cairns. There are two small coastal resort towns north of there that are favourites with travellers. Palm Cove (PC) is about half an hour's drive north of Cairns, and Port Douglas (PD) is about an hour's drive north of Cairns. PD, being the larger of the two, has a little more happening in it, and is perhaps better suited to a return visit to the area. PC, being the smaller, is quieter, more relaxed, and better suited to a honeymoon, I think. Here's a website showing PC's hotels:

http://www.palmcove.net/resort.htm

Plan to go to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) on your first day. If the sea turns out to be too choppy to go out that day, you have a chance of being able to get out the following day.

Two GBR companies that come highly recommended at this discussion board are Wavelength our of Port Douglas and Reef Magic out of Cairns. Both will collect you from, and return you to, your accommodation in Palm Cove. It will take you half an hour to be driven from PC to the boat's departure point. Boat rides to the GBR vary in length from 45 minutes to over an hour, one way. The whole exercise takes the better part of a day, and the trip includes lunch. Snorkeling and/or diving equipment is included.

Snorkeling is said to be the best way to see the reef, from the point of view that coral requires sunlight, so the colourful part of it is at a shallow depth accessible to snorkelers. Some people report that some boats treat scuba divers better than snorkelers. If the boat has both diving and snorkeling passengers, it will go to sites better suited to diving than to snorkeling, and it will get the divers into the water first. Wavelength caters exclusively to snorkelers, and on top of that it takes a maximum of 30 passengers, so its service is said to be top notch.

When my husband and I went to the GBR we knew none of these nuances. We went with Quicksilver on a large boat with a mixture of divers and snorkelers. We were told one of the advantages of the Quicksilver boat was that it was more stable when the sea was a bit choppy, which it was on the July day that we went out. We were too naive to notice if divers were given priority over snorkelers. In hindsight I would say they were. Nonetheless we thought we'd died and gone to heaven, the reef was so stunning.

Plan to take a guided rainforest tour on your second day. As with the GBR tours, the rainforest tour companies collect their passengers from accommodations in PD, PC and Cairns.

Since I've come to Fodors, I've received the impression that the best rainforest tour is the one provided by David Armbrust. It's expensive, but David takes only 4 passengers. Furthermore, he takes his guests not only into the rainforest but also further inland where the landscape is drier and they can get a bit of a feel for the Outback.

Another highly recommended rainforest tour is the Heritage & Interpretive Tour provided by Pete Baxendell. It too is based on small groups (6 people, I think, if I understood the website).

We went with Trek North (10 passengers if I recall correctly), and were very satisfied. We went on a boat ride on the Daintree River, drove through the rainforest to Cape Tribulation, had a lunch that included rainforest fruits, and visited Mossman Gorge.

Although one can drive through the rainforest oneself, an interpretive tour really is worth it. The rainforest and mangrove swap ecosystems are more fascinating if they're well explained.

Hotels in the area are very good about booking day tours for their guests. Just let your hotel know what you want.

That basically is all you'd have time to do in FNQ.

If you visit the GBR and go on a guided rainforest tour, you don't need a car. Shuttle buses take people from Cairns Airport to their accommodations in PC and PD. We didn't have a car in PD, and we didn't miss it at all. Enquire if your hotel includes automatic shuttle serve from and to the airport. If it doesn't, book the shuttle bus when you book your flights to and from Cairns. If you were to stay in the area for longer, I'd recommend a car. Next time we go, we'll get a car, and we'll venture further afield.

The Cairns / Palm Cove / Port Douglas area has a well developed infrustructure that caters to people who want to see the GBR and rainforest. It doesn't require all that much research.

While the islands off the coast of Queensland are gorgeous, it would require more research to pick the one that was just right for you. While this isn't true right across the board, on the whole accommodations on the islands tend to be more expensive than on the mainland. Transferring from the mainland to an island also would require additional time, which is something that is in short supply for you.

For what it's worth, if you insist on going to an island, I agree with those who have been encouraging you to go to one of the more northerly islands. Here's a websites that provides information on Queensland's islands:

http://www.queenslandislands.com/

Hope this helps.

I am overwhelmed by how detailed everyone's recommendations are. I am still digesting all the information, but very much appreciate the time everyone is taking to help us plan our trip. We actually got married back in February and postponed our honeymoon until late May because we planned on going to Europe and wanted to wait for nicer weather. As mentioned above, a great airfare deal caused us to change all our plans and go to Australia. I have been to Europe several times, my wife has been to Europe and we both always wanted to visit Australia so we find ourself going to Australia at the last second.

In reviewing my post above, I realized that it could be interpreted that I do not find the posts helpful because they are so detailed. I very much appreciate how detailed everyone is in their recommendations. This is exactly what I need.

The Queensland island website Judy posted above is a great one. In there (under Visitor Info) you will find the costs of transfers to/from Heron Island via helicopter as Alan suggested I do. It's expensive (AU$495 round trip from Gladstone), but could be worth it in terms of convenience, making connections and getting a spectacular view of the reef from the air. As I recall pilots circle the island a time or two so you can take it all in.

And I stick to my guns here...Heron Island is typically lovely in May - as seen on the Queensland Isl website, average temp is 72 F.

Ok here is another line:
Heron Island is in the sub-tropics and the others are in the Tropics which means that the species of fish and marine life is far greater and more diverse in the tropics than elsewhere.
By flying into Cairns from Sydney - getting a cab to the wharf you can take your pick of about 100 ways to get to a coral cay on the reef. There are literally hundreds of different boats waiting to take you either on a tour or by a self operator . Take one that goes to Michelmas Cay ( spelling?????) which is a coral cay in the middle of the reef. Doesn't take long to get there by high-speed cat.
In terms of surrounding geography and things to do in an area like Cairns, I was referring to be able to see many different places in one day from Cairns i.e. cascade gardens, lake Placid, Atherton tablelands, Kuranda, Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Lava tubes etc etc. When surroundings were mentioned in context with Heron Island Ralph did not mention that Carnarvon Gorge is about 900 Klms from Heron Island, and you can't fly there, Fraser Island is about 400 Klms and no direct flights or any other direct method of getting there, and the local countryside is nothing but brigalow, which is about as boring as you can get. Carnarvon Gorge right now is getting sub-zero temps at night though the days are lovely. If you wish to see my previous suggestions of destinations you will see that I have plugged Carnarvon Gorge on many occasions BUT you need a lot of time to get there and out again.
I think I would, if I had a short time in Australia, just stay around the Sydney/Canberra/Hunter Valley/Southern Highlands & Blue Mountains area as there is enough to do in that area without going anywhere else. But do remember that it will be cold inland ( and that means not far inland as well) so dress accordingly. If you like hiking then the Blue Mountains have some wonderful places to go. You could also get the postal boat on the Hawkesbury ( river about one hour from Sydney) which is a fantastic river and beautiful surrounds for a lovely day trip. If you like oysters then there is a bonus for you there. This could be done en route to the Hunter Valley wineries for instance.
Let Margo, Alan, Neil and the gang advise you on wonderful areas around Sydney for your trip to Australia and spend more time on the ground and less in the air and I can guarantee that with their help you will return with fantastic memories of your trip. There are some beautiful B&Bs in the Blue Mountains from which you could base yourself to see that area.
I know what your climate is like in Atlanta as I stay with friends in one of your many Peachtree Streets there when I am in the US, though I think my friends are going to move seeing that their condo home has been invaded with busy celebs like Janet Jackson, Elton John etc and she can't get out the door without going through a dozen body guards.
The Blue Mountains are not like your Smokey Mountains but they are different and they are a "nature" destination, as is a lot of Australia. Our mountains are only hills in comparison to yours.
I think that you will probably be able to talk to the Marriot and have your stay changed. Perhaps Canberra has a sister hotel in which you could spend one of those nights perhaps.
Anyway whatever you do ya'll have a great time!

Here is another thought:
I checked the Marriot hotels in Australia and they are mainly in the main destination areas. So perhaps you could spend some time in Sydney and surrounds and then fly to the Gold Coast where you can stay in a Marriot hotel there ( very nice one too) and take a hinterland tour into the rain forest areas and the like. Many, many things to do in this area and not far from Sydney in terms of time for you. Melbourne too has a Marriot and again not far in time either.

Liz, Good suggestion about the Gold Coast. I don't care for it much but there are a lot of great places within an easy day's drive, including beautiful beaches and rainforest.

In no way was I really suggesting Atlhorn drive out to Carnarvon with just 2-3 days. But someone with time to spare could certainly do it without too much hassle. My wife and went to Heron and Carnarvon Gorge during the same trip with an easy day's drive between Gladstone and the gorge.

Incidently, Gladstone-Carnarvon Gorge is 500 km and Gladstone-Hervery Bay is well under 400 km. Also Heron Island lies right on the Tropic of Capricorn, and so is not sub-tropical at all. Important to get your facts straight as people do use these posts as a resource.

Having read all the great suggestions by Liz, Ralph, Alan and Judy and others, and on the assumption that our friends may not get back to this part of the world, I'm leaning towards that side trip to the tropics. This will cover Australia's two must-see destinations for overseas visitors while keeping arrangements reasonably straightforward.

Alan, as a former resident I share your enthusiasm for the Blue Mountains, but it doesn't extend to Lithgow, I'm sorry. Still, if it's only to rent a car ...

Yes, Neil, it was only to rent a car. I wouldn't like my reputation ruined by having anyone think I was advocating our Atlanta visitors spend their honeymoon in Lithgow!

Atlhorn,

wow...I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that you were planning to do Paris / Italy for a week from HotLanta and then switched to Sydney! :)

To visit Australia and not see the Reef is almost a "sin"...however, with your limited time, and a long international flight, I wouldn't recommend it. So much packing / unpacking, another trip to the airport, thru Security, Baggage Claim, etc. Very draining. It basically comes down to plunking yourselves down in Sydney and enjoying all the city has to offer (an environs) or getting a taste of that and then another flight / mad dash to Cairns to cram in what you can and then yet another flight back to Sydney. That's alot in a short amount of time.

I don't know if you're interested in wine, but the Hunter Valley isn't far and has some very romantic resorts to stay in. You could split up your time there.

Another option would be to rent a car, head out of Sydney and explore the Central Coast area north of Sydney. It's an area that most tourist don't visit and it would give you a different perspective without spending alot of travel time.

Hope this is helpful!

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

I was checking airfares tonight and noticed that it was $96 Australian dollars roundtrip to go from Sydney to Cairns so that pretty much made it a no brainer to go see the GBR (it was $400 australian dollars round trip earlier today and yesterday). We are going to leave Thursday morning and come back Saturday evening. Pretty crazy but I figured that I would be upset if I never saw the GBR and we still will have time to spend some time in Sydney (and now we can still use our reservation for the Marriott Wednesday night). I very much appreciate everyone taking the time to tell me about the pros and cons of visiting various places near the GBR and how you all recommended that I spend my time there. I am very excited to be going to a place that I know I will love. I am sure that we will be exhausted when we get home, but will hopefully have great memories of Australia. I will now be reading this forum intently to decide what to do with our limited time in the Cairns area as well as Sydney.

Ralph, if you want to split straws, Heron Island island is just under the Tropic of Capricorn which goes through the middle of Rockhampton, so it is actually in the sub-tropics.

Ninety six dollars return? Forty eight dollars each way? I'll come with you! Where, dear Atlhorn, do you find this airfare? The cheapest I could come up with when I looked for you three nights ago was $99 each way. Obviously, I have a lot to learn about where to find the airfares! Please share!

Hey Alan - me too - that's about a fifth of the price for the bus fare - it wasn't too long ago that Sydney - Cairns was AUD$800 + one way. I know because my husband did it every week for a couple of years. It is at least a 3,000km flight.

I found the fare on the Virgin Blue website-- http://www.virginblue.com.au

I just looked on the site this morning and the $48 AUD was still available, for example, for the 7 A.M. flight on June 5th from Cairns to Sydney.

Damn! Couldn't find a $48 fare!

Liz: I'm sure you do not intend to purposely mislead Fodor's readers and that you have only the best intentions regarding recommendations of where and where not to go, but, for the record I will point out a few other mistatements of yours in this thread:

"Besides Elliot does not have a resort". Indeed it does: See
http://www.ladyelliotisland.com.au/

"Fraser Island is about 400 Klms [away from Gladstone]" Using the same RACQ map I figure it's 301 km by road to Hervey May (the main port for Fraser) i.e. the difference of at least an hour's driving time. As I said above Carnarvon Gorge is 500 km from Gladstone, not 900 km - 4+ hours difference in driving time.

"Heron Island island is just under the Tropic of Capricorn which goes through the middle of Rockhampton". Heron Island lies NE of Gladstone, and so is the same latitude as Rockhampton. My RACQ map of Rocky and surrounds shows the tropic going right across Heron Island.

Obviously the exact latitude of Heron Island is less important, but the other assertions could mislead an interested reader into thinking that there is no accommodation on Lady Elliot and that Fraser Isl, and Carnarvon Gorge are less (or much less) accessible to Heron Island than they actually are.

Hi,

Good 'on ya Althorn for finding such a good fare!

Alan & Pat - Virgin does have some really great fares, but don't beat yourselves up about not finding them!

You pretty much have to have the "luck of the draw", or be lurking on their website, have the timing down and then react immediately and book it.

I constantly hear from clients that they found a good fare, went back a week later...and SHOCKING...it was gone! When you find something good you have to purchase it ASAP without checking with your significant other, your relatives, etc, because by the time you do that, it's over!

I've had fares change while I was in the middle of a booking!

Speaking of which, Qantas is adding a fuel surcharge to EVERY SEGMENT of their flights - both international and domestic that's taking effect by May 18th. So, if you were holding multiple segments, times the number of the people on the reservation, it can add up to some serious money. I contacted all my clients today and they've all opted for paying for the air tickets before this takes effect.

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

As Melodie says, better get in VERY fast for those cheap seats - you have until midnight tomorrow, 16 May (Aust EST, which is GMT + 10) or until sold out.

They're advertised in today's paper and apply from SYD to Alice Springs, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Perth and Townsville for travel between 16 May and 16 June. The ad notes "seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights".

Melodie, apropos your mention of the NSW Central Coast area, have you had the chance to check on the NSW south coast (i.e. as far as the Victorian border)? Much nicer than the Central coast IMO, picturesque and relatively unspoilt. Matter of opinion, of course, but I think many would agree with me.