Itinerary set! Any Fodorites up for meeting up in Australia?
 

I've finally booked all of our flights within Australia. I've had the international tickets since June and figured I had all the time in the world. Time started to run out so I've had to sit down and firm up where we are going. If anyone will be around at any of these times and places and would like to meet up, or if you just have some suggestions for the places we will be, please post!

March 13, arrive Sydney, 4 nights at the Sydney Park Hyatt
March 17, fly to Uluru, 3 nights at Sails in the Desert Hotel
March 20, fly to Darwin, 2 nights Kakadu at Crocodile Hotel. Possibility of going to Katherine instead.
March 22, Darwin, hotel not yet booked.
March 24, fly to Melbourne. Flight leaves at 1:20 AM! Really crappy flights out of Darwin. We may not even book a hotel for the night of the 23rd.
March 24 and 25 in Melbourne,
March 26 in Yarra Valley (any suggestions on where, location-wise to stay?)
March 27, back in Melbourne. Melbourne hotel not yet booked.
March 28, fly to Launceston. Probably stay at the Cradle Mountain Lodge the 28th and possibly the 29th.
March 30th--not sure. Suggestions?
March 31 and April 1 in Hobart. Hotel not yet booked.
April 2, fly to Sydney for 3 nights, fly home on April 5.

I've been making some tentative arrangements to meet up with some people who post in the Lounge, but I thought I should post this here.

I'll miss your first visit to Sydney, as I'll be in Sri Lanka. I may well be around for your April return.

Keep us posted.

Hi Laurie,

Turns out everyone is off on Friday the 25th and won't miss me for a while (or more). So if you need an inept guide or a lunchmate or whatever, let me know.

Margo - enjoy your Sri Lanka trip. We were there in 2014 around the same time. Lovely country!

I'm going to Tasmania around mid-late March & will probably work out the dates over the next week or so.

If more Sydney people can make your April dates work for them, we should go for that, assuming either is ok with you.

That was a bit provincial wasn't it?

I should have said "If April works for more Forites who may be able to come to Sydney ...."!

Either is okay with me Bokhara.

Clifton, so far, the 25th looks good.

I've been busy booking hotels. Haven't booked our Melbourne hotels yet. Or Darwin. Did book hotels for Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Claire. I'm getting excited!

25 th is Good Friday and there's lots not open in Melbourne-its a public holiday here. Im also available.

re yarra Valley-location wouldn't really matter though i don't think I'd stay in Lilydale-its a suburb on the edge. Trip advisor has Balgownie as a good one and looks good.I would choose one that is at a winery.

Yeah, not Lilydale. You won't be able to tell you're in the YV. There are two trajectories once you arrive in the valley. Stay on the Maroondah highway to either Healesville or Yarra Glen areas. Or turn off on Warburton Hwy towards Warburton.

The Maroondah highway route has more in the way of wineries and I'd describe Healesville as the main town of the YV (though it's not really big or anything). I like Healesville, the drive there is pretty, the pub is good there. And you're right near Healesville Sanctuary, sort of a zoo of all native animals carved out of existing bushland. It's well done, part of the real Melbourne zoo system (so no animal contact or anything like that)

My in-laws live down the Warburton direction and it's nice and there's a walking trail. But IMO, especially in autumn it's got less to do (big fruit and apple growing area, mostly wrapping up by late March).

Yeah, as far as the 25th, we're on. When you have an idea what you want to being doing and all that, count me in for a little while.

In the Yarra Valley I have stayed here:
http://www.balgownieestate.com.au/
But you really need a car in that area as things are far apart.

In Melbourne stay around the middle of the city if you can.

The Sofitel is a lovely hotel.

Hi Laurieco,
I am arriving in Sydney on the 4th from the states after a LONG flight. If I am not crazy tired exhausted, I would love to meet you.I have never flown so far in that direction so I cannot predict. When does your flight leave on the 5th?

Hi Hotpoet!

Good to see you're coming back to see us again! We were just talking about you at the GTG in Melbourne last weekend.

Hi Bokhara
All good I hope. I'm expecting to see you when I come back. I have a full week before I board my first cruise. I still haven't decided exactly what to do. I hear that the kids are out of school then so not sure whether to stay in Sydney or do a walkabout .
Can you shoot me an email at my screen name at hotmaildotcom so we can organize something.

Ah you know us, ahotpoet ... 99.9% good and then of course I had to throw in the envy .1% about your fiscal & travel smarts ;)
You'll have mail shortly

Hot poet is coming again!

Hi ahotpoet! Our flight leaves in the morning on the 5th so I'm not sure what the plans are for the 4th. If you are flying coach, you will most likely be pretty exhausted when you get in!

What about making it lunch on 4th?

Just thinking that any interstaters who may be able to make it could get home and our Hotpoet probably wouldn't have crashed by then;)

What does everyone think?

If I'm alive, I'll be there. Just tell me where.
My flight gets in at 6:45 AM so it actually is possible.
I'm feeling very jetset right about now. ��

Yes Margo you're going to have to beat me off with a stick.

Sounds like trouble brewing. ;)

Wish I could be there as a witness. Have fun at the GTG, y'all.