Hi - I'm looking to spend either 2 or 3 weeks in Australia in January. I'm not the athletic type, so snorkeling etc. is not what I'm looking for; more of the guided tour type!! Also will be travelling alone. Any andall feedback would be appreciated.

Hi, you should not miss the Great Barrier Reef. One doesn't need to be athletic to snorkel but if you really choose not to, you still should take a boat out to the reef. They will have glass bottom boats that allows you to see the fish & reef but nothing will compare to seeing GBR in the water. One note, Cairns gets hot & wet Jan-Mar. Sydney is a pretty city and you can visit sites without difficulty. You shouldn't have problem travelling alone. People are great and there's something for everyone.

Hi there, if you dont wish to snorkel, then Quicksilver would be the best choice for you as they have glass bottom boats. Snorkelling generally is not that strenuous, if you feel that you would enjoy floating around with the fish then try it. You dont have to be an athlete to snorkel. I have seen lots of old people (like 80 yrs old) have a great day snorkelling. January is WET season in the tropics, so expect the weather to be around 30 deg celcious with about 80%humidity. It usually rains during the night and is nice during the day. Wear cotton clothing and u will be fine<BR>Cheers

G'day Me, <BR>at the risk of contratiction from previous poster believe me, Cairns, in fact anywhere north of Sydney is the worst part of the country to be during January. <BR>Anybody who knows the country will tell you that the southern states, Vic., SA and Tasmania is where you want to travel during our summer. <BR>Even in SA it can get pretty hot, but it's a dry heat and much easier to live with than the humidity up north. <BR>I would even go as far as Ayers Rock and Alice during January rather than North Queensland and even with temperatures there reaching 40C and more it's still easier to handle than the humidity up along the North East coast. <BR><BR>Do you have a choice regards the timing of your visit? <BR>If so try for March - April or August - October. During those months you'll find it pleasant whereever you decide to go. <BR><BR>There are plenty of tours you can take and many you can book once you are here. <BR>Would be much cheaper than pre-booking, especially if you are coming from the States as the US$ still buys almost 2 AU$'s. <BR>The exception would be if you are looking to travel with small groups rather than on a coach as such tours are often booked out many months ahead. <BR><BR>Hope the above is of help with your planning. <BR>Enjoy, Mike.

A great place to tour is the southwest of Western Australia, I recently took a 3 day tour in that region and it is just beautiful and so much to see! Wow, was amazed at Wave Rock! And the Tree top walk was fabulous too!