We are trying to take advantage of the great QANTAS sale on airfare which has to be booked by 7/22. Hoping we can get some availability over the next month, trying to decide where to fly in to - Sydney, Cairns, Brisbane or Melbourne? Planning on maybe going for a week. Top priorities include hiking, wildlife encounters, kayaking (if poss), and snorkeling excursions in the GBR. We don't necessarily need to see Sydney on this trip -- we live in a big city and try to avoid big cities when on vacation -- and the tickets do include a stopover in Auckland for a few days. Suggestions?

Also, if we flew to Brisbane, how to get to Cairns? If we flew to Sydney, how to get up north?

Check budget flights on Jetstar or Virgin Blue to Cairns from Sydney (approx 3 hour flight), from Brisbane about 2 hours. All of your priorities listed are available using Cairns as a base, and don't forget Atherton Tablelands for wildlife, waterfalls, hiking and gorgeous scenery.

Plenty of choice for reef trips out of Cairns, catering from experienced certified divers to those who don't want to get wet. From July 22 for limited time Reef Magic is using one of its reef boats as a designated whale watching trip, so good chance of spotting humpbacks and maybe minkes. This is not Reef Magic's snorkel/dive trip where whale spotting is incidental, its solely for whale watching, with a guaranteed "free" ticket to travel on another available day, if no whales spotted on first.

Plenty of flights daily from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne for Cairns - www.webjet.com.au .

It'll be cooler to even possibly cold in Melbourne and Sydney so if you want warmer weather I'd fly into Brisbane and you could do a couple of days about there, dolphins at Moreton Island, a whale watch cruise, Irwins Australia Zoo if interested, maybe even a couple of days on Fraser Island and then remainder in north though you can do a few locations of the GBR in the south from travelling a bit further north from Hervey Bay/Fraser Island.

Long way to come for just a week!.

Thanks so much.

Pat - I had looked into the Sydney to Cairns and Brisbane to Cairns, and that would tack on at least $500 on to our airfare costs so it looks like flying direct into Cairns would be the best. Would you suggest just picking one base of operations for the week, e.g., Cairns or Port Douglas, and then just doing things from there? Yes, only one week, but mom gets homesick after a week!

You had better check on whether you can fly direct into Cairns.
And $500 for 2 ea way?, one one way?

tachieblue,unless there's something they haven't told us, international Qantas and JetStar from Singapore and Japan are the only flights landing in Cairns. I think the only international carrier from US(assuming that's where you're from) to Cairns direct is still Continental via Guam. Better check, anyway.

Port Douglas is only an hour by road from Cairns city, and less from Cairns' northern beaches such as Trinity Beach and Palm Cove. All are good bases for area, Port Douglas is closer to Daintree/Cape Tribulation, Cairns has accessible world heritage rainforests just to the south, whitewater rafting, Frankland Islands, as well as Atherton Tableland and of course the Kuranda Train/Skyrail. Reef trips leave from both Cairns city and Port Douglas, there are more from Cairns and prices are mostly significantly lower than from PD.

Tachieblue: I've done quite a lot of hiking ("bushwalking" as the Aussies say) in Australia, especially NSW and Queensland. In North Queensland, my favorite place for walking was at Undara - out on the Gulf Savannah, a half day's drive from Cairns. Unlike most national parks in NQ, it has a system of trails to explore- mostly level walking through open country to rock outcrops with nice views over the savannah. Tons of wildlife, easily seen.

Last year we spent a few days at Cape Tribulation north of Cairns (click on my screen name to link to my trip report and pictures). Most of the walks at Cape Trib are boardwalks - very good, but not really bushwalking. However, we also did the Mt Sorrow walk, a moderately challenging climb with an awesome view over Cape Trib and the reef out at sea. Rainforest all the way - difficult to see wildlife. At Cape Trib, we did an excellent snorkeling trip out to the Barrier Reef as well - this was on Rum Runner.

I dont think you're considering Brisbane, but you might want to know that Lamington National Park, inland from the city, has the largest and most extensive trail system in Australia. It is gorgeous - rainforests, waterfalls, spectacular views, wildlife. Plus some great places to stay on the edge of the park: Binna Burra and OReilly's.

bushranger's suggestion of Fraser Island is an excellent one, especially for bushwalking. We spent 4 days there several years ago and loved it. So one idea would be to spend a few days on Fraser, then a few days on Heron Island, just north of Fraser Island on the Barrier Reef.

A few links for you:

http://www.portdouglaswebs.com.au/ta...ushwalking.htm

http://www.rainforesthideaway.com/ca...rrow_track.htm

http://www.john.chapman.name/qldwalk.html

http://www.john.chapman.name/qld-fras.html

Skip Sydney..Go for Aucklad and Cairns.