Need Honeymoon advice!
 

My fiance and I are getting married July 2006... we were really planning on taking a 2 week honeymoon to Australia but when researching we found out that it's winter over there.. Can anyone tell us what parts of Australia are warmer? and what the weather is there!? We were really looking foward to visiting Sydney but I heard it's really cold there in July. Is this true??
If anyone can give us any advice on what to do it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Hi there,

Yes, it will be cold in the southern states during the winter months. The best places to visit is Queensland, especially the Tropical North (Cairns & Port Douglas) and the Northern Territory. I would highly recommend to visit Queensland. Lots of wonderful areas and beaches, especially in the north. Port Douglas is a wonderful place to visit with the Great Barrier Reef (snorkelling and diving) and the Daintree Rainforest (bushwalking, swimming in clear freshwater creeks and beautiful beaches) nearby. Cairns is also home to the famous Kuranda Train and Skyrail. Palm Cove is another nice place between Port Douglas and Cairns. The weather is usually great and it doesn't get too cool in the night. There are some of the most beautiful beaches north of Cairns. For more info you can visit www.wonderfulaustralia.com
Hope this will help

Yes, we do things differently in the Southern Hemisphere.

What's your idea of "really cold"? "Cold" is a relative term, and by much of the world's standards Sydney's July average range of 44-62degF could be considered balmy. Having said that, it's not the best time of year to be splashing about in the surf, which is probably what you were thinking of.

Easy problem to solve: spend a week in Sydney, then fly north for a relaxing week in the tropics. Don't try to fit in more than one other destination, if that. My 2c worth.

I suggest you search on this forum for previous threads on what to do, where to stay and eat in these two regions, and definitely invest in a guide book on Australia. You could also check the official tourism website www.australia.com.

Australia lies significantly closer to the equator than the USA and Europe. Roughly one third lies north of Tropic of Capricorn. Snow is unheard of in most of the country and during winter is found only in the southern Dividing Range and in Tasmania. As Neil says, Sydney has a mild winter by most standards. Sunny days in the 70s are not that rare in Sydney in July.

As you go north from Sydney it gets progressively warmer. At places like Byron Bay and the Gold Coast (mid-east coast), it is common to see people in swimsuits (well sometimes not even that) sunbathing on the beach in July. In those places, water is a bit cool at that time of year and not that many people actually swim. However, by the time you get to northern Queensland, air temps are regularly in the 80s and water temps are noticibly warmer.

Darwin and surrounding areas in the "Top End" could almost be considered hot in July. The tropical coast of Western Australia, e.g. Broome, also enjoys superb, warm winter weather.

All told, July is not a bad time at all for most of Australia. It is also a very good time to visit the outback - warm days, cool nights and very few of the infamous flies that are so bothersome at other times of the year.

Thanks everyone for your responses!
Can anyone tells us nice romantic hotels in Queensland? Cairns?
Also, do these places have any type of nightlife? My fiance and I like to try different restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.
Thanks

jm - Cairns city has plenty of night life, casino, bars (Johno's Blues Bar is probably the best known), nightclubs, cafes and a for such a small city a vast array of restaurants. Barfly Magazine is available all over town, that will give you up-to-date info on what's happening where. There's also a large choice of hotel/apartment accommodation within walking distance of Cairns' night spots from 5 star Sofitel Reef Casino down, Hilton and new Shangrila are on waterfront, and there's many others with Esplanade frontage, all have harbour views from front rooms.