travel627

This is what I have so far for an itinerary: Sydney 3 days, 4 nights (one day in Blue Mtns.), next day early flight to Uluru for 2 nights, Darwin, 3 nights, 2 days in Kakadu, Cairns or Port Douglas for 4 nights, Cape Trib, Daintree, Mossman. I have 3 more nights available before leaving.

Some questions: Is this a doable itinerary or too little time/too much time in certain areas? Other ideas instead of something in my itinerary or for those 3 nights is to go to Heron Island/diving, do a sailing trip in Whitsundays or cruise in GBR. Any comments? Is Alice Springs worth a detour, or just go directly to Uluru? How bad is visiting Australia during the 2 wk. school holiday the end of June/July? Any opinions on going through airbrokers.com? Thanks!!

SnRSeattle

Travel627, what activities do you like to do? How many of you and what ages and fitness level? That kind of information can help the experts help you better. That being said, my 50-ish husband and I did almost that same itinerary in July of 2004. We flew in to Sydney and went immediately to the Blue Mountains, staying at Jenolan Caves. Then into Sydney for a few days, off to Uluru for 3 nights, into Kakadu (didn't stay in Darwin itself) for 3 nights, and off to Cairns and Port Douglas, doing day trips to the Daintree and Mossman. Then finished up in Sydney. It depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend whether or not to go to an island. We couldn't afford it. Our trip planned for this October includes Sydney, day trips out of Airlie Beach, a 3 night live-aboard out of Cairns, days on the Atherton Tableland scouting animals and scenery, and a trip to Cooktown for the Aboriginal art there abouts. We also hope to go south of Sydney to Narooma and Canberra unless we get our tickets changed and fly home early. We decided that we really like the GBR and animals and instead of going all around Australia, we'd concentrate on Queensland. Now, next time . . . .
Sally in Seattle
p.s. have you done any searches on this site--there is a TON of information ready to be gleaned.

Susan7

I'd recommend spending 3 days in Alice Springs as a detour as Yulara/Uluru is an isolated tourist resort and you get no sense of what that area is like. Alice Springs is also a lot cheaper and the food is more varied, cheaper and better.

If you hire a car from Alice Springs there are some great places to visit like Hermannsberg, as well as Simpson's Gap, Standley Chasm and other parts of the ranges. Alice itself has some great places to see and buy Aboriginal art, Papunya Tula is perhaps one of the most famous. There's also an interesting Desert wildlife park, Araluen the cultural centre with an interesting permanent collection of works by an Aboriginal artist, Albert Namatajira. Olive Pink Botanical Gardens is also worth a look.

chimani

Hi,

I don't think I'd plan on adding another destination to what you already have - just make the stays in your chosen destinations longer.

June/July is a great time for the Centre. I partly concur with Susan7. There are some fabulous day trips you can take from Alice Springs. In particular along the East Macs which is perfect territory for hiring a car and doing your own thing. There is also a fabulous 4WD organised trip you can do out to Chambers Pillar on which you get a huge variety of experience, and learn something about the history, flora, fauna from the guide/driver. One of the best trips I've done in Oz.

Kakadu deserves 3 days. And June/July is a good time to be there too. or stick with 2 days Kakadu and go to Litchfield too - wonderful.

Of course, it does depend on your interests. Personally, I find swimming in natural plunge pools (East Macs, Litchfield, Kakadu) absolutely divine. And the landscape is vintage Australia.

If it were me, I would try and fly into Uluru, spend a night; see the rock, then fly to Alice and spend 2 or 3 nights there. Then up to Darwin and spend 3 or 4 nights there.

If it appeals then you could even travel by train from Alice to Darwin if the timetable worked for you.

The other thing to consider is that the Centre and Darwin are places you will most likely go once in a lifetime so why not spend more time there? The East Coast of Australia is far more accessible, and June/July is not the best time to be out at the reef (IMHO - I found it cold and windy).

Leave the Whitsundays (I am a great fan) for next time.

Happy travels.

longhorn55

If you're going to be in the Top End visiting Darwin and Kakadu, I'd add my 3 nights there, staying in Katherine. As chimani said, it is much easier to travel to the East Coast of Australia, so this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in this part of Australia.
There's a lot to do in and around Katherine. We enjoy hiking and canoeing in Katherine Gorge National Park; we love picnicking, hiking and swimming in the deep natural pools of Edith Falls National Park; we spent a great day in and around Mataranka in the hot spring pools and canoeing on the Roper River; we arrived early at Cutti Cutti Caves and had a personal tour; and we had such a fun evening on the Crocodile Night Adventure in Katherine.
While in Darwin, plan on day trips to Litchfield NP (the natural pools there are great), Territory Wildlife Park and Berry Springs Park (more natural pools).