Help w/ trip to Sydney , Reef, and Rainforest
 

12 day trip arriving in Sydney for 3 1/2 days; planning some tours in and out of City (ideas?); 3 nights in Gold Coast while daughter is in class at University (Sheraton vs. Versace?) 2-3 nights Whitsunday Islands ( ideas for hotel? or boat?), then up to Cairns 2 nights (stay in Port Douglas?, visit Daintree/Kuranda Rainforest? and Cape Tribulation?)...Thank you for any ideas which are very much appreciated as have air to/from Australia but not around yet.

If you really want to see the rainforestS of north Qld then you need to stay longer than a day.

I would suggest that you take the reef day and the rainforest day and use them to explore the Gold Coast hinterland. Hopefully your daughter can act as guide or at least do your research for you.

When you have more time, come up to north Queensland and spend a week visiting the rainforest with a knowledgeable guide or two. There are lots of things to see in the area besides the rainforest and the reef also.

This looks incredibly rushed to me, when you factor in the travel time between your 4 locations you will lose quite a lot of hours getting to airports, in the air, waiting at airports and so forth. With only 12 days, I'd limit yourself to 3 locations.

Take AlanJG's very sound advice. I have spent two weeks looking around the Cairns / Tropical North and still need another one or two weeks to "finish" looking around.

If it was my trip I would concentrate on Sydney and the Brisbane/Gold Coast area, and leave the Tropical North for another time.
Where is your daughter in Uni, and for how long is she going to be in Australia?

Of course you could not visit your daughter and the Whitsundays, coming to north Qld instead. ;-)

She might even join you in Cairns and the Tablelands if you time it right.

Hey!
I read your post and agree to Alan that you could not visit your daughter. You should go for maximum 3 places if you wish to enjoy your trip.

Thanks, appears unanimous to cancel something. Coming in and out of Sydney so that stays (4 days), and Gold Coast stays (daughter at Bond for semester and loves it so wants to show it off!), so maybe 5 days Cairns/ Tropical North (ideas on places to stay and sights to visit?); was told Reef trip with wave_length is best as a smaller group with marine ecologists?

If you want to learn about the reef then I suggest ReefTeach
http://www.reefteach.com.au/ as a good experience and a means to extending your enjoyment of the experience by knowing more about what you are seeing.

When up on the Atherton Tablelands I would suggest you base yourself in Yungaburra. It has the best restaurants around and a wide range of accommodation. www.yungaburra.com

Really ssarw..you must stay for some more time there to really enjoy your trip...you are going to have lots of fun there. Have fun.