Melbourne, and then what?
 

I just found out that I will be going to Melbourne for a conference in June. My wife and 11 month-old (then) will be coming too. We will be in Melbourne for about 6 days and then we are free to travel for about 1-2 weeks (on somewhat of a budget).<BR><BR>1. Are there any less expensive ways to get there from NY State?<BR><BR>2. What should we do with the time we have after Melbourne?

We just finished 3 weeks in Australia including 6 nights in Melbourne. Check into both Round The World tickets and Circle Pacific tickets for cheaper airfare. You can check out our trip at www.wanderlust2002.com and see if that gives you any ideas. Our total airfare was $2400 each excluding (flights within Thailand and one flight in Australia we added along the way). Have fun! <BR><BR>

I'm actually from Brisbane Australia and you can't visit Australia without visiting the Gold Coast in Queensland. You will never see more beautiful beaches!! Australia is a really great destination as the Australian dollar is so low at the moment that you will find that everything is as cheap as chips. The weather in Queensland is approx. 22 degrees celsius so it's actually the perfect time of year if you're not accustomed to hot and humid weather. There is plenty of cheap accomodation for families during this time of the year also and there are plenty of cheap places to eat. If you would like any more information please don't hesitate to email me as I am happy to help!

AT present Qantas are offering deals Sydney to NY for $1,495 Aust return - which is about $825US return. Try getting on www.webjet.com.au and see if there is anything there that you can get on and also if you have trouble you could always buy a ticket in Australia for the return trip. Do a bit of comparison pricing and if you need an agent in Australia then let us know - or someone on this board as I will be here for only a couple of days seeing that I am off o/s myself

I would be going to Cairns or the Whitsunday Islands after Melbourne if I were you. The deals are terrific and whilst I live NEAR the Gold Coast and concur with the sentiments of the above poster I still think that a trip to Australia HAS to combine a trip to the Great Barrier Reef

Thanks for all of the advice! We are very excited about our trip!

I am also from Oz. If you were going at a different time of the year then Melbourne would be ideal as from there it is just a 2 hour drive to the breath taking 'Great Ocean Road'. Drive the whole length and visit all the cute beach resorts. Five hours later you will be at the magnificent Twelve Apostles. However, you will be there in the middle of Winter and the beach resorts in Victoria are not the place to be at that time of the year. Like, Florida to the U.S. - Queensland is to Australia and therefore I suggest you head North after the conference. Wheras if you were there in January (mid Summer)you would want to stay away from Queensland. While there you should not miss snorkelling or Scuba Diving around the Great Barrier Reef. June is a great time for that whereas say Jan or Feb there is not much visability due to it being the wet season and the bad weather churns up the waters. I would not suggest the Gold Coast unless you want to hang out in a concrete jungle however North of the Gold Coast is the Sunshine Coast which is much prettier. Whitsunday Islands are lovely especially the famous Whitehaven Beach. By the way, the further North you go the warmer it will be which maybe what you want in Winter. Have fun.

Totally agree with Jane. Skip the Gold Coast (very overdeveloped) and head for Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, and/or the lovely Whitsunday Isles. Avoid Cairns (I've been in Aust for 22 years and it the only place I've been mugged), and opt for Pt Douglas, if you like the Reef. BTW, there is a lovely island off Bundaberg called Lady Musgrave, and it is the southern end of the reef. Nice to stop on an island and snorkel out to the reef from there instead of going off of a boat (good, too, but not as complete an experience). Boat tours from Bundaberg are great and the city is MUCH closer to the Sunshine Coast than Cairns.

Hello Mike,<BR><BR>I'm an Aussie Specialist, and there are several deals going on here on the West Coast, you'll have to check it out to see if it works for you. My suggestion - fly from JFK to LAX, overnight and then take the $898 special to Melbourne. Then I'd do the sights in Melbourne (Great Ocean road, fairy penguins, wine touring if you're into that) and then I'd head for TASMANIA. I just returned a few weeks ago, so I'm kinda "high" on that as a destination.<BR><BR>Melodie

Forget Tasmania in June - it will be freezing. I live in Melbourne and at that time of the year, my thoughts go to Queensland. Both the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast have a lot to offer but for a couple with a baby I'd suggest the Sunshine Coast would be better - not as glitzy, lovely beaches, lots of accommodation choices and some beautiful scenery. You could visit the hinterland, go to the Eumundi market, visit the ginger factory and just enjoy the sunshine.<BR>Wherever you go, I hope you have a great time.