Honeymoon - Gold Coast or Melbourne, Australia?
 

I've never been to Australia and I am planning my honeymoon for Feb-2006. I'm not sure which destination is better the Gold Coast, looking at the Sheraton Mirage Resort & Spa, Gold Coast, or Melbourne, looking at the Westin Melbourne, or is Port Douglas okay? Not sure which place has better nightlife, beaches, restaurants. Please help!!! Much thanks!!! :)

Well - no-one goes to Melbourne for the beaches! Nightlife and restaurants, yes.

Gold Coast has beaches - think Miami - and .....nightlife and restaurants - ordinary.

Port Douglas - for Great Barrier Reef and rainforest. Beaches - yes - but inside reef and it may be stinger season, Restaurants, yes - nightlife - dunno!

Sydney offers all you have listed.

I think you need to do some more homework - and decide what you want to see - if you've never been here before.

Thanks so much Margo for the advice! I totally need to do more researching, and every piece of info helps.
Thanks again!!

I agree with Margo, do some more research so your honeymoon is really something special. I would suggest spending a few hours in a big bookshop with a travel section and looking at the sights and activities in each area, say the Gold Coast and Melbourne and see which appeals to you more. Then come back to this forum with more questions.

Melbourne is great but probably not honeymoon territory - maybe that's just because I live here. It's a big city, fantastic variety of restaurants, beaches are good if you travel a bit but not good near the city, nightlife is good. Lots of day trips you can do.

The Gold Coast and Port Douglas are more holiday destinations, very popular with Australian tourists too. Generally good weather and the beaches are good. Not so much choice in restaurants.

One other thing to research is the weather, Feb is in the wet season up north. The far north of Australia has 2 seasons, the wet and dry. The wet is from roughly Nov-Apr and can be humid and wet but still warm.

Hope this helps.
Kay

I must say that, if you want to go to one place only in Oz, require beaches, restaurants, nightlife, then, in February, Sydney is the most suitable.

Depending on how long you're planniing to be here, then a city hotel for a few days, perhaps a beachside hotel for a few days, and, of course, trips to the Blue Mountains, and/or South Coast and/or Canberra, and/or Hunter wineries should fill the time!

But then....I live here :p

Just to throw a red herring - Broome could also be an option. Beautiful beaches there!!

lily 1 - you could consider a holiday in Sydney, and also add on a short break on Lord Howe Island, a beautiful, quiet, romantic island. An island that many overseas tourists just never get to see. I think that only 230 guests are allowed at a given time, so the island is never overcrowded. The island has a small fringing coral reef, great fishing, plenty of walks, birdlife, and most people hire cycles to get around. Its one of those unique places where there is no street lighting, and people carry torches at night. Also it is the home of the Kentia Palm.

I forgot to mention, that Lord Howe Island is off the eastern coast of NSW, about equal distance from both Brisbane & Sydney, and can be reached via both cities mentioned on Qantas flights. Its one of those places, where a local boards the plane when you land, and welcomes you to the island.

Checkout these websites www.lordhoweisland.info or www.lordhowe.visitnsw.com.au

Port Douglas has some great restaurants, as does Palm Cove and the selection in Cairns is phenonomal these days. Many of Sydney's and Melbourne's trendy chefs are constantly appearing in the area, knocked out by the availablity of top seafood and local tropical produce. Plenty of night life other than restaurants in Cairns. However, it will be hot and humid in the area in Feb, as it would be in Broome which was mentioned above.

Far North Queensland's beaches don't hold a candle to those of Sydney and Gold Coast area, there is no surf as beaches protected by Great Barrier Reef. And February is stinger season for coastal beaches. However, you're only a skip from the reef, and except for a slight chance of cyclone reef conditions are usually great.