Kangaroo Island
May 30th, 2005, 05:33 PM
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Kangaroo Island
VERY interested in wildlife. It is worth the drive from Sydney to Kangaroo Island in August?
We will have 3 1/2 weeks in Australia and will be checking out the Great Barrier Reef down to Sydney and perhaps Uluru if we don't do Kangaroo Island. My reservation is the distance (of course) and the fact that it will be the dead of winter. Not sure if the wildlife will be out and about - is this a stupid question???? Any advice is appreciated!!!
We will have 3 1/2 weeks in Australia and will be checking out the Great Barrier Reef down to Sydney and perhaps Uluru if we don't do Kangaroo Island. My reservation is the distance (of course) and the fact that it will be the dead of winter. Not sure if the wildlife will be out and about - is this a stupid question???? Any advice is appreciated!!!
May 31st, 2005, 03:35 AM
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newlywed, IMO it would definitely NOT be worth it to take such a long drive to see wildlife that for the most part can be seen elsewhere. From memory you're looking at about 1400 km (say 900 miles). That's the short way, and much of it is unrelieved tedium.
Asking whether the animals would be out and about is not a stupid question, BTW. To be honest I'm on shaky ground there myself, but I'm assuming they are - most of them can't really go anywhere, as they're on an island, and they don't hibernate - although bear in mind that most marsupials are nocturnal. Not sure about the sea lions, but I thought them unpleasant, bad-tempered beasts at the best of times.
There are previous threads on tracking down wildlife if you have a play with the search box above. I recall some very enthusiastic reviews of wildlife tours in the Atherton Tablelands (outside Cairns) in particular.
You're not considering driving all the way from Far North Queensland to Sydney, are you? I know you have 3-1/2 weeks, but even so I suspect that you could find better uses for your time. Much of the way down through Queensland is also pretty damn boring. It's a pity that August isn't the best time to visit Tasmania. Depending on finances etc., Kakadu might be worth considering.
Asking whether the animals would be out and about is not a stupid question, BTW. To be honest I'm on shaky ground there myself, but I'm assuming they are - most of them can't really go anywhere, as they're on an island, and they don't hibernate - although bear in mind that most marsupials are nocturnal. Not sure about the sea lions, but I thought them unpleasant, bad-tempered beasts at the best of times.
There are previous threads on tracking down wildlife if you have a play with the search box above. I recall some very enthusiastic reviews of wildlife tours in the Atherton Tablelands (outside Cairns) in particular.
You're not considering driving all the way from Far North Queensland to Sydney, are you? I know you have 3-1/2 weeks, but even so I suspect that you could find better uses for your time. Much of the way down through Queensland is also pretty damn boring. It's a pity that August isn't the best time to visit Tasmania. Depending on finances etc., Kakadu might be worth considering.
May 31st, 2005, 05:51 AM
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Hi newlywed,
I have to agree whole heartedly with Neil on this. Also it will be as cold as a fishermans butt on KI in August.
Don't get me wrong I like KI but not at that time of year, you can definitely see the equivalent fauna in the warmer areas of Australia.
Oh and definitely forget driving there if your only here for 31/2 weeks it is just not good time management.
Cheers
Paul_S
I have to agree whole heartedly with Neil on this. Also it will be as cold as a fishermans butt on KI in August.
Don't get me wrong I like KI but not at that time of year, you can definitely see the equivalent fauna in the warmer areas of Australia.
Oh and definitely forget driving there if your only here for 31/2 weeks it is just not good time management.
Cheers
Paul_S
May 31st, 2005, 05:23 PM
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Thanks to you both for the invauable advice. I think I will be skipping Kangaroo Island and looking elsewhere for wildlife. If no Kang Isl, We're thinking of driving from Cairns to Uluru, and then to Toowoomba (where I have family) and down past Sydney in NSW where I also have family. We're looking to move at a leisurley pace. Perhaps we're over ambitious. I definitely DO want to scout out wildlife and your advice has been very helpful (and even made me chuckle - fisherman's butt!!hahahahaa).
May 31st, 2005, 08:00 PM
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Hi newlywed,
I really do not want to put you off driving in Australia but driving from Cairns to Ayres Rock is imo a total waste of time with very little of worth to see along the way. Mostly arid country that is currently gripped by drought. You would undoubtably see a lot of wildlife in fact you will be dodging them on the road. The kangaroos are terrible on our country roads at the moment and will be for a long time mostly due to the drought. When we have normal rain seasons there is enough feed for them in the outback that you do not see so many of them but when it is as dry as it is at the moment they tend to migrate towards towns and roadways.
I would suggest that if you really want to do a drive in the outback then fly from Sydney to Alice Springs and hire a car here and drive to Ayres Rock taking in Kings Canyon using the Mereenie loop road. I have taken the liberty to suggest the following itinery for you to compliment your holiday plans.
http://www.thrifty.com.au/ShortBreaksNtTour4
You have the opportunity to amend the above so that instead of coming back to Alice Springs you could leave from Ayres Rock and go to Cairns. Spend some time checking out the GBR from Cairns then fly down to Brisbane and hire a car to do the Toowoomba to Sydney drive taking in the many coastal and hinterland areas on the way down.
Hopoe this gives you some ideas to work on.
Cheers
Paul_S
I really do not want to put you off driving in Australia but driving from Cairns to Ayres Rock is imo a total waste of time with very little of worth to see along the way. Mostly arid country that is currently gripped by drought. You would undoubtably see a lot of wildlife in fact you will be dodging them on the road. The kangaroos are terrible on our country roads at the moment and will be for a long time mostly due to the drought. When we have normal rain seasons there is enough feed for them in the outback that you do not see so many of them but when it is as dry as it is at the moment they tend to migrate towards towns and roadways.
I would suggest that if you really want to do a drive in the outback then fly from Sydney to Alice Springs and hire a car here and drive to Ayres Rock taking in Kings Canyon using the Mereenie loop road. I have taken the liberty to suggest the following itinery for you to compliment your holiday plans.
http://www.thrifty.com.au/ShortBreaksNtTour4
You have the opportunity to amend the above so that instead of coming back to Alice Springs you could leave from Ayres Rock and go to Cairns. Spend some time checking out the GBR from Cairns then fly down to Brisbane and hire a car to do the Toowoomba to Sydney drive taking in the many coastal and hinterland areas on the way down.
Hopoe this gives you some ideas to work on.
Cheers
Paul_S
May 31st, 2005, 11:30 PM
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Cairns-Uluru-Toowoomba-Sydney??? Paul's right - don't even think of it -you're contemplating a drive of thousands of kilometres through some pretty appalling country.
When I used the words "unrelieved tedium" to describe the bulk of the drive from Sydney to South Australia I had no idea that you were also thinking about something on this scale. Unless you get excited at the thought of watching a ribbon of road with nothing either side of it for hour after hour after hour, day after endless day, I believe treks on this scale would make for a ghastly vacation.
My advice, keep it manageable - for instance, you could drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba and then down to Sydney and experience a variety of natural environments depending on which route you took. When it comes to travel between Cairns, Uluru and Brisbane, fly.
When I used the words "unrelieved tedium" to describe the bulk of the drive from Sydney to South Australia I had no idea that you were also thinking about something on this scale. Unless you get excited at the thought of watching a ribbon of road with nothing either side of it for hour after hour after hour, day after endless day, I believe treks on this scale would make for a ghastly vacation.
My advice, keep it manageable - for instance, you could drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba and then down to Sydney and experience a variety of natural environments depending on which route you took. When it comes to travel between Cairns, Uluru and Brisbane, fly.
Jun 1st, 2005, 02:55 PM
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Interesting advice. I will take it all under consideration when we "map" out our itinerary. I am certainly not keen on "unrelieved tedium". I do have reservatins about flying because as it is we'll be flying from New York, so being on an airplane even longer than necessary is a little daunting. I have lots to think about.....
Will check out itinerary, Paul - thanks!
Will check out itinerary, Paul - thanks!
Jun 1st, 2005, 07:55 PM
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Fly! FLY!!!
Bear in mind, Oz is about the same size as mainland USA, but without the population. Once you get outside the cities, tehre's nothing to see/do. We're in the middle of an horrific drought - so everything will be dry, and while you may see kangaroos, they are a real hazard on the road.
Neil's "unrelieved tedium" is a pleasant way of describing what you'll experience. This isn't USA - there's nothing to break your journey. You'll spend a good part of your time here, driving along, going slowly mad!
Bear in mind, Oz is about the same size as mainland USA, but without the population. Once you get outside the cities, tehre's nothing to see/do. We're in the middle of an horrific drought - so everything will be dry, and while you may see kangaroos, they are a real hazard on the road.
Neil's "unrelieved tedium" is a pleasant way of describing what you'll experience. This isn't USA - there's nothing to break your journey. You'll spend a good part of your time here, driving along, going slowly mad!
Jun 1st, 2005, 11:35 PM
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Just to join the chorus, you're talking over 6,000kms of mainly outback driving. Even so, there'll be plenty of 4WD'ers doing the outback at that time of year, but with only 3 1/2 weeks in the country, you don't need to spend most of it behind a wheel.
Jun 2nd, 2005, 06:14 AM
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And behind the wheel is exactly what we originally intended (albeit without having done research). We thought it would be a cool road trip stopping off in interesting towns and sights, and visting family along the way. I have now reconsidered our "road trip" approach.
Jun 2nd, 2005, 06:31 AM
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Hi Newlywed,
You might find the following website of use for your road trips, it will give you an idea of distances and time to complete. I have always found the time to complete calcs to be a little off but if you were to adhere strictly to the speed limits it does come close.
http://www.travelmate.com.au/Home/Home.asp
cheers
Paul_S
You might find the following website of use for your road trips, it will give you an idea of distances and time to complete. I have always found the time to complete calcs to be a little off but if you were to adhere strictly to the speed limits it does come close.
http://www.travelmate.com.au/Home/Home.asp
cheers
Paul_S
Jun 3rd, 2005, 04:29 AM
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Apologise for being so presumptuous, newlywed, its just that the trip you described, ie, Cairns, Uluru, Tooowoomba, Sydney is a far cry, distance wise than Sydney-Kangaroo Island which was your original idea. But all the best, you'll be doing something most Australians have never done and August is about the best time to do it.
