We're going to Ox for 12 days starting April 1, and we're close to set with our plans. I was just hopinjg to get some final encourangment, guidance, or changes to the following plans:<BR><BR>Part 1 - Arrive Melbourne, stay 4/5 days the W Hotel Woomooloo - is this area close enough to things?<BR><BR>Part 2 - Fly up to Cairns, rent a car, and spend 2 nights at Cockatoo Inn in the rainforest, and spend 2 nights in either Port Douglas or on an island - We can't swing Lizard (sadly!), put we were looking at Orpheus (which is also a bit above our budget). Will I be much happier on an island than PD? My biggest interest lies in great snorkeling. I'll also be turning 30 at this point, so I'll need beauty to cheer me. <BR><BR>Part 3 - Fly to Melbourne, and stay cheap. Ibis Melbourne appears to be very centrally located, and my limited experience was that Ibis are clean and fine. Am I wrong? Has anyone stayed here? Finally, we were told to drive the Great Ocean road, and stay at a B&amp;B somewhere along it. Thoughts on this?<BR><BR>One last item, not sure where it fits - someone just recommended we visit Noosa - they were told it's just incredible. Anyone know of this, or have thoughts on this?<BR><BR>Thanks to everyone for any insight you can offer. We simply cannot wait.

Reiley<BR><BR>I do hope you're flying in to Sydney, rather than Melbourne. The W Hotel, in Woolloomooloo is not central to Sydney, but is even more out of town to Melbourne.<BR><BR>Even in Sydney, it's pretty far away from the tourist centre. Nice location on the water - but not easy walking to anything much, except a couple of very trendy (read expensive) restaurants.

Have just done a write-up on our holiday incl Melbourne and GOR. Can recommend Flower Bed B&amp;B in Lorne. See our posting 'Advice on 3 wk holiday'.

Noosa is &quot;nice&quot; its NOT &quot;incredible&quot; and is no better than about 300 other beach areas in Australia and from your point of view it is out of your way a bit - you would have to fly into Brisbane and either hire a car or take a bus/train/car to get there - or fly from Brisbane and then get a bus from the Maroochydore airport which would be costly.<BR>I trust that you mean Sydney too!<BR>Make sure you look at the small boat companies for your diving on the GBR as the bigger the boat - the more used the reef is that they go to and therefore the fewer marine animals.

The W Hotel in Sydney is perfectly located in my opinion. It is a beautiful hotel on the wharf, and outside of the CBD so you don't have the traffic and noise. It takes about 10 minutes to walk into the CBD or up to Mrs. Macquarie's chair, and you walk across the Domain, which is lovely. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk to the Art Gallery of NSW. In less than 20 minutes, you can be at Circular Quay (on foot). Given April will be beautiful weather (ie not too hot) then walking is the way to go. If you don't want to walk, it's about a $5 AUD cab ride from the CBD to the hotel.<BR><BR>I'm pretty confident of the timing noted here, as I live across the street from the hotel!