Sunshine Coast or GBR - which first?

Old Jul 28th, 2002, 11:57 AM
  #1  
Jenny
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Sunshine Coast or GBR - which first?

Hi again,

I have been going over my plans and figured it makes more since to first go to Sydney and then to either the Sunshine Coast or the Great Barrier Reef and then on to Brisbane.

Since I would probably need to fly to both the Sunshine Coast and GBR it doesn't make much difference.

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas to help me make a decision?

Thanks
 
Old Jul 28th, 2002, 05:01 PM
  #2  
Lucy
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Hi Jenny,
I think it does make a difference logistically speaking as if you are travelling back south to Brisbane afterwards you won't need to fly if you go to the sunshine coast as its only around a 2 hour drive or train trip to Brisbane. However given you are already spending some time in Sydney (& assuming you'll be going to the beaches there) then I would suggest you go to the GBR given its more different given it has the reef & rainforest - I would suggest either Port Douglas or the Whitsundays. Cheers...
 
Old Jul 28th, 2002, 05:16 PM
  #3  
Alan
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Hi, Jenny!
If it's an "either-or" between the Sunshine Coast and the Reef, definitely do the Reef. If it's a case of seeing both, do the Sunshine Coast while you are in Brisbane. But the Reef is a separate trip, so if I were you I would be flying there from Sydney.
 
Old Jul 30th, 2002, 06:44 AM
  #4  
Jenny
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What I plan to do is fly from Sydney and either fly to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast and spend time there and then fly to the Reef. I would drive but I don't have that much time and I have heard it is a long drive and not very interesting.
 
Old Jul 30th, 2002, 01:29 PM
  #5  
Liz
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Jenny I think you need to sit down with a map of Queensland. Even if you flew into the Sunshine Coast you would still have to get back to Brisbane to fly north to the GBR.
The Sunshine Coast is only about one hour by bus from Brisbane so you could rent a car in Brisbane and "do" the S.C and then return the car before flying to the GBR.
Previously you have said that you want to see Underwaterworld and the Aussie Zoo - that can be done in one day from Brisbane, if need be. However you seemed to have asked a series of different questions on different posts which makes it hard to amalgamate all your questions and give you the correct answers. Give us an idea on this post of what you want and we will try and answer that completely.
 
Old Jul 30th, 2002, 02:56 PM
  #6  
Jenny
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OK Liz

This is what my plans are and the reasons I have asked so many questions on different topics.

I am waiting to find out when, but I am hoping it will be in October 2002 or possibly April 2003, go to Australia. I have never been there before and I have several questions about where to visit citywise and hotelwise and how to fit in the areas I want to see into 1 trip. After asking the questions I have asked on this site and going over other sites and books I have singled out that I will fly into Sydney from Los Angeles and stay for 5 days. On the 5th day I will either fly to Hamilton Island (2 days)or to Maroochydore. I haven't decided which order yet. I want to stay in the Sunshine Coast for another 5 days and rent a car to drive around and visit Brisbane for a couple of days. From there fly back to Sydney for 1 day and fly home the day after. That is 3 weeks which is all I have, if that.

The questions I have asked have helped me make decisions and answer questions I had. I do know what is within the Sunshine Coast and from other people outside of this site learned a while ago about how long the drive is from say Brisbane or Maroochydore to Cairns or anywhere close to the Great Barrier Reef. Like I said above I have never been to Australia so I don't know the exact lay of the land, but I am trying to with what I have.

The flight back to Sydney (from what the online travel sites tell me) to get from Hamilton Island to Maroochydore or vice versa is not a problem to me since I have the same problem with where I live now.

I like to get other peoples, regular people, opinions about what they experienced going to places I want to go or have heard or read about. I find it better than reading a travel book.

For the Sunshine Coast I want to stay there and go to Brisbane from there. The Sunshine Coast seems more my style and speed. I think I would feel more comfortable there than staying in a large city such as Brisbane and renting a car for 1 or 2 days to go out of the area but otherwise being stuck in Brisbane. There is more I want to see more in the Sunshine Coast than I do in Brisbane.

At first when I wrote my first question at this post I was still forming in my mind as to which airline to take to get to Sydney. I didn't need to ask but I wanted other peoples opinions. Same with asking where to stay in Sydney and Brisbane. I don't know anybody who has been to Australia so I want to hear from people who had.

I want to hear what people who have been to Australia or will be going to Australia and what their plans are and their expereiences. The opinions I have been given have helped me quite a bit. If I had 1 person to talk to and ask all of my questions to I would do so. I am the type of person who likes to have most to all of the trip figured out before I go to my travel agent and pay for my trip. I want to know what to expect before I get there or at least sort of know.

So to wrap this up, the cities I want to go are Sydney, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Brisbane and Hamilton Island (I know it isn't a city). Anyone who has info or suggestions for me I would love to hear from. I will use a travel agent, an Aussie Specialist at AAA and fly Air New Zealand to Australia and Qantas throughout. That is all I have figured as of today.
 
Old Jul 31st, 2002, 02:31 PM
  #7  
Liz
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Sounds good to me except to say that on a scale of 1 - 10 I would have to say that the Sunshine Coast would rate a 2 in comparison to Hamilton Island & the Whitsundays rating a 10.
The Sunshine Coast has a population of about 300,000 and is made up of many small places which have kind of joined up to make it as we know it.
I would certainly not put it ahead of going to Hamilton Island where you will be close to the Barrier reef and all the other islands.
Or to put it another way - the Sunshine Coast is like many areas in Australia close to the sea with a few tourist things i.e. Byron Bay and the Northern NSW coast/ Gold Coast/ NSW Central Coast/ NSW Southern Coast etc etc - nothing really special. I agree with you about Brisbane though as there is really not a lot for a tourist there that you cannot see elsewhere. However it is a nice city - about 1 Million - worth a visit is you have nowhere better to go. 5 days would be far too much though around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
To come to Australia and not go to the Barrier Reef would be a crime.
 
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