Dawn

I just bought my tickets yesterday to Australia for mid-August through mid-September and I wanted to get some opinions on my tentative plans for my 28 night trip. <BR> <BR>Night 1 - Sydney (recouping from the flight) <BR> <BR>Nights 2-4 - Fraser Island <BR> <BR>Nights 5-9 - Port Douglas Area <BR> <BR>Nights 10-12 - Lizard Island on the GBR <BR> <BR>Nights 13-17 - Darwin <BR> <BR>Nights 18-21 - Red Centre (Alice Springs/Kings Canyon/Ayers Rock) <BR> <BR>Nights 22-24 - Kangaroo Island <BR> <BR>Nights 25-28 - Back to Sydney for the final four nights <BR> <BR>Is this too much, is it doable, should I take something out or add something? I appreciate all comments including specific hotels, tours and attractions suggestions. <BR>

Australian Travel Maps

You are only spending 1 night in Sydney and 4 in Darwin? You might want to swap that around, Sydney has alot to offer and Darwin is quite sleepy by comparison.

Dawn

Aussie Maps - <BR> <BR>I am spending five nights in Sydney. One night at the beginning of the trip and four at the end, when hopefully the weather has warmed up a little.

Australian Travel Maps

sorry Dawn, I missed that the first time. 5 days in Sydney is much better. If you are travelling by car between the Red Centre and Darwin you might also be interested in Litchfield National Park. You might also visit the Olgas in the Red Centre.

LizF

My suggestion is that you skip Fraser Island. I love the island myself but at that time of year you cannot swim in the clear lagoons ( cold) and there really is not that much a tourist can do unless you are into fishing as the beaches are not netted and there are no life-savers around. Of course the biggest form of entertainment on the island is to try and not get run over by the 4 wheel drive vehicles tearing up the sand dunes. <BR>In view of the time of year AND the fact that you are going to some really lovely places up north I would take Fraser out altogether. <BR>A far better destination for you would be the Whitsunday Islands - there are 80 of them with many choices of entertainment and accommodation you could imagine. If you particularly wanted an island that was like a Robinson Crusoe type then I would go for Hinchinbrook Island which is very large and on which they only allow about 20 people at one time. Its off the coast of Cardwell which is about 100 klm north of Townsville. <BR>You DO need 4 days in Darwin as you would be doing trips to Kakadu National Park, Kathrine Gorge and the hot springs. It is a sleepy town but the Northern Territory is the last frontier and there is a lot of things there that you will never see again - take a safari with one of the locals and see the country like it is supposed to be seen and enjoyed. It is certainly an experience worth having. <BR>When I lived up there we used to take a champagne breakfast out to Fog Dam and be there for the sunrise together with the several million birds which took off as the sun came up - that was fun. When I suggest a safari I don't mean by bus - I mean with a professional driver in one of the NT strange overland vehicles which will take you overland to Kakadu and show you things that the other tourists don't get to. One which will set up camp at night and make the meals under the stars and explain the unique aspects of the country up there. <BR>Otherwise your trip sounds wonderful though I can't comment on Kangaroo Island as I have not been there.

LizF

Lichfield National Park is just out of Darwin and is a Day trip destination. There are bus companies that do it but I was disappointed myself when I went on one of the tours, it was boring & tiresome and Litchfield had changed a lot from the times I used to go with the family. Better to have a car if you go there yourself although you MUST check the fine print of car rental in Darwin as when I was there last damage insurance excess of $3000 was over the top and I refused to rent the car because of it. So be warned

Dawn

Thanks to those who gave me input on my ideas. My final itinerary looks like this:<BR><BR>Nights 1-4 Sydney (With a day trip to the Blue Mountains)<BR><BR>Nights 5-8 A Great Barrier Reef Cruise(Northbound)that goes to Lizard Island and several other snorkeling locations.<BR><BR>Nights 9-13 Daintree Ecolodge (With a David Ambrust Tour and a night wildlife watching tour with Wait-A-While)<BR><BR>Nights 14-15 Darwin<BR><BR>Nights 16-18 Camping in Kakadu<BR><BR>Night 19 Darwin<BR><BR>Nights 20-21 Alice Springs<BR><BR>Night 22 Kings Canyon<BR><BR>Nights 23-24 Ayers Rock (Doing the Sounds of Silence)<BR><BR>Night 25 Adeliade<BR><BR>Nights 26-27 Kangaroo Island<BR><BR>Night 28 Back in Sydney for the final night