Planning 1st Trip to Oz: Cairns + Sydney
 

I checked out a few guide books on OZ and while it looks like a pretty country, nothing stands out as being must-do, except for Cairns (GBReef). Am I missing any sites or regions? I will be there for a week and a half (a lot of great specials from CA to Oz).

I've been to New Zealand before and while speaking to folks who have been to both countries, most prefer NZ for the diversity of sites.

I am looking for a region in Australia that are unique, so any suggestions are appreciated. Into hiking, nature and peace and quiet, relaxation. thanks!

A week and a half is not a lot of time to see a country as large as the lower 48 U.S. states.

<b>Must do's</b> include:
Great Ocean Road
Great Barrier Reef
Uluru
Seeing the Outback, Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House

<b>Runners-Up (IMO)</b>
Taronga Zoo
Little Penguins of Philip Island
Cape Tribulation
Sounds of Silence Dinner at Uluru
Riding a camel at Alice Springs
Kakadu National Park

I'm sure others will add to (or perhaps disagree with) these items. My point is there is a lot to see!

You ask for answers but give little about yourself, time of trip. Do you mean you are from CA ( Canada or California).
I also think that if you have not done much reading about either country and you have preconceived ideas I would stay at home and save your money. Perhaps one of your answers could be given in the fact that a great % of New Zealanders have moved to Australia.

Standing at the top of Cape York you'll see the sun rise and set.

Given that this is a board helpful to those excited by travel to Australia, your post is insulting. You can find what you seek in California, Oregon or Washington state. With only a week and a half, I wouldn't bother flying 15 hours to find your idea of a "must-do".

I'm not too sure who gets insulted O&H but some of us may possibly raise a chuckle out of the thought of such travelling intent.

I've been NZ twice now and to Australia many times (lived there for 3 years) - comparing the two countries is like comparing chalk and cheese - they are both fantastic destinations but are so very different in many ways.

Actually Australia is much more diverse than New Zealand, as you might expect given it is many times larger spanning tropical, subtropical and temperate latitudes. It is wilder with vast sparsely populated regions; it also offers a great deal more to see with respect to wildlife. In my opinion, there are many "must-dos" in Australia, some of which orlando_vic has already suggested. Unlike NZ (which per square mile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world), Australian "must-do's" are much more spread apart. One can get a pretty good feeling for NZ in 10 days; for Australia, it takes a lot more time.

So with a week and a half in Australia, I wouldnt for a second suggest trying to see more one capital city (like Sydney) and one region elsewhere (like Cairns and Far North Queensland). Your choice of Cairns is a great one, provided you take the time to get well out of the city, see the Reef, travel up (or down) the beautiful coast and spend some time inland - the Atherton Tablelands and the Gulf Savannah (Undara, for example).

But if you're looking for an ALTERNATIVE to North Queensland...here's my list of must-do unique regions (no order of preference) - based on where I've been..

1) The Top End - Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge Nat'l Parks
2) Tasmania (reminded me a lot of NZ)
3) South Australia - the wine valleys, the Flinders Ranges, Coober Pedy, Kangaroo Island)
4) The Great Ocean Rd, Otway Ranges, the Grampians (Victoria)
5) Southeast Queensland/NW New South Wales - Lamington Nat'l Park; Fraser Island, Heron Island, the Granite Belt, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast Hinterland
6) The Kimberly (Western Australia) - the Bungle Bungle ranges (AWESOME!!), the gorges of the Gibb River Rd, Broome. Very wild and very remote.
7) The Red Center - Uluru and the Olgas, Kings Canyon, the gorges of the MacDonnell Ranges

correction for clarity: "So with a week and a half in Australia, I wouldnt for a second suggest trying to see more THAN one capital city (like Sydney) and one region elsewhere (like Cairns and Far North Queensland)"

Your plan sounds reasonable. Makeusre that you get up onto the Atherton Tablelands to see the wildlife. There are also some great hikes in the area search for the Tablelands Walking Club for more info than you'll get from a guide book.

When you are here talk to some people, fellow tourists, about what they have enjoyed and plan a proper visit.

I think you can do Cairns and Sydney in a week and a half if you plan on flying in/out of Sydney from North America. A lot of people feel they have to see Sydney if going to Oz, but I would probably spend a couple of days there depending on what you like. The real gems of Australia are outside of the big cities like Sydney.

CAIRNS
-GBR (look at www.oceanspirit.com.au) MUST DO!!
-Kuranda
-Cairns Tropical Zoo - a lot smaller than most zoos, you can get a picture with a koala if you like, and feed roos. I had more fun there than at Australia Zoo in Brissy.
-Daintree Rainforest/Cape Tribulation - one of the only places in the world where the reef meets the rainforest.
-Dinner at Ochre Restaurant, used to be called Red Ochre Grill, it is quite expensive, but you eat crocodile, kangaroo, emu, prawns, pavlova...etc. It is definitely an experience I won't forget from my first time in Australia.
- check out the night markets, it will help you realize the Asian influence in Australia.

SYDNEY
-take the ferry to Manly (great water views of Syd Harbour), Manly has some nice little cafes and you can swim on Manly Beach.
-Darling Harbour - there is Sydney Aquarium, but if you went diving in Cairns, it's always better to see the sealife first hand :)

I haven't spent much time in Sydney, mainly to see in-laws, I am sure some other people will have great recommendations. It is nearly impossible to go to Australia and not have a good time...enjoy!! :)