Last Minute Trip to Sydney and ???
 

I have just booked a last minute trip to visit my son who is studying abroad in Sydney. My niece and I will be arriving in Sydney on 18 Sep and flying back to Boston on 29 Sep. Of course, we'd like to squeeze as much sightseeing into these 10 days as possible. Any suggestions for trying to get the most out of Sydney and perhaps a trip to the Great Barrier Reef? Any advice would be extremely appreciated since I'm feeling a little overwhelmed! Thanks

In terms of day trips out of Sydney the most popular is the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. It's accessible by train. It's well worth an overnight stay if you like bushwalking.

For the reef, there are often cheap 4 day packages to Heron Island (a coral cay at the southern end of the GBR) in August and September. The water is still just a bit cool then. Going out to the reef from Cairns is a popular option.

If you can get a cheap package to Heron Island, take it. It is a fantastic place to see the Barrier Reef, as it is actually part of it. Even in the dead of "winter" (July) it's very do-able - daytime temps well into the 70's/low 80's. By mid-Sept Heron should be noticeably warmer with water temps even starting to climb. Good idea to rent wet suit tops for longer times in the water and to protect against coral scrapes.

Have a look at the package deals and flights available on
www.lastminute.com.au
www.qantas.com.au
www.virginblue.com.au

Often excellent rates for Cairns, Whitsundays and Far North Qld.

Some school holidays begin around your last few days here, so some of the northern areas might have a little less available accommodation than normal.

Wonderful time to come - gorgeous weather in Sydney at the moment.

id say do at least a week in Sydney as there is SO much to see
and maybe 3 or 4 days up north in Queensland

id definitely do a trip to the Blue Mountains/Leura - its so beautiful and worth having a look...its not too far from Sydney so either an organised tour or by train is ideal
In Sydney there is so much to see
if you are based in the city centre it would help as there is a lot to do and see around this area...