Need help with 17-day itinerary. Any suggestions?
 

I have decided to go to Australia in mid-December, for a total of 17 days. I need to be in Sydney for a few days, but other than that, I am looking for advice on where else to go at that time. Would Alice Springs be too hot? The Great Barrier Reef sounds unbelievable, but where do you go, and how long do you spend there? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Sara, you will find lots of info on here if you type in great barrier reef on the search box. Good luck!

Sara! <BR>Lucky you, going to Oz in their summertime! I've only been during fall and spring. I'd suggest Sydney for 3 days (Manley Beach is a must!), then to Airlie Beach/Whitsundays for a few days, Great Keppel Island, and then to Cairns, for at least 3 days, taking in the Reef (try the Passions of Paradise day-trip: amazing fun!)& the Daintree/Rainforest. You may even want 2 days for the Reef. It's a MUST. Email me directly for more. I could go on forever!!! [email protected]

i recommend cairns anytime. refer to my posting on Brisbane or Cairns or email me. <BR>besides grt barrier reef, there's kuranda and the scenic railway and the Carrowang sanctuary for a 'night safari', horseriding at port douglas, undarra lava tubes. my friends thought i was mad to spend 3 weeks there with my 3 young sons (husband back home at work), but they were wrong. just hire a car and go! <BR>

Just some advise about Alice Springs if you're still thinking of the outback... The outback is really great to visit, because it is so different than any place you could experience, but honestly skip Alice (unless you know someone there)and fly directly to Ayers Rock. You waste a lot of time going to Alice in a 17 day trip because the main attraction is Ayers Rock and it is a 6 hour drive from Alice (each way) and the trip can be expensive and uncomfortable. It is the same price to fly right to Ayers Rock, stay the night in the resort for 2 nights, and then fly back to the coast where the temperature is more kind to human existance. On the east coast of Australia, I found Cairns to be too touristy and overrated, and there are better places to go out from to see the Great Barrier Reef. I think the best places to see on the east coast are the following: <BR> <BR>- From Airlie Beach, you can reasonably go on a 1-3 day sailing trip throughout the Whitsunday Islands. These are easy to book when you get there and there are a lot of choices. As for accomodations in Airlie Beach, stay in a backpackers hostel (they are really nice and clean here - "Beaches" or "Magnoms" are both good ones, but book early, they will be full in the summer. <BR> <BR>- From Gladstone take a helecopter or catamaran out to Heron Island for a night or two. A nice way to do this is to fly out, and cruise back. The flight is worth the extra $50 because you get to actually "see" the Great Barrier Reef from the air. The food, lodging, and exberience will be one you will never forget (very nice). Great snorkling too! <BR> <BR>- If you like adventure, with lots of tourists, pay a visit to Surfers Paradise (about two hours south of Brisbane). Not a real fan of Brisbane itself because it is just a big city, but in Surfers you can find just about anything to do from beaches to bungee jumping to amusement parks. <BR> <BR>Hope this gave you some pointers. E-mail me if you have any questions. I lived in Australia for a year in 1992, and have been back 4 times since. I,ve been to every state and territory and all the major cities. Perth was my favorite, but it is a long trip from the East coast, where most the action is.