Looking for some itinerary advice on our trip to Sydney as well as where to stay. We are looking to fly in and out of Sydney February 8th and returning February 22nd. We'd definitely like to see the Great Barrier Reef and Melbourne as alternate destinations.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
Kristina

Can you clarify the sentence "We are looking to fly in and out of Sydney February 8th and returning February 22nd."?

What does this mean? You'll touch down in Sydney and fly out again the same day, Feb. 8?
To go where?
And what happens after Feb 22 -are you then staying in Sydney, and for how long?

Sorry for the confusion. We are flying from Chicago to Sydney on February 8th. We will plan to fly back home to Chicago from Sydney on February 22nd.

February is the wet season in northern Australia so it may not be the right time to visit the reef. Perhaps you could divide your time between Sydney (side trip to the Blue Mountains), Canberra and Melbourne.
We usually prefer to stay in the Darling Harbour area of Sydney - ten minutes walk into the CBD or take the ferry. Novotel is our preferred hotel there - good location, ask for a room overlooking the harbour.

Thanks for clarifying.

Don't let the fact that summer (February) has more rainfall than other times stop you from going to Cairns. It's not like it rains constantly every hour of every day. Tropical downpours clear the air and can be fun. See more about that at http://www.great-barrier-reef.com/gr...f-weather.html

From Sydney to Cairns and then to Melbourne - you'll be doing a lot of flying - same as if you started in Denver, went to Cleveland, then to Los Angeles... Don't let that stop you, it's a big country...

I highly recommend Tasmania, definitely Hobart for a couple of days and a day-trip to Port Arthur. The history of it all will impact you, especially if you read, in advance of your trip, The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes. Your library is bound to have it. Then you'll really know what Australia is all about.

You can fly into Hobart, then drive over to Strahan and Queenstown and past Zeehan to Cradle Mountain, north to the Devonport-Burnie coast region, and through lovely agricultural areas to Launceston where you can return the car and fly back to the mainland.

A great trip from Sydney (that I have described elsewhere before) goes like this: Get wheels (Bayswater car rentals in William Street), then drive down the coast to Batemans Bay (stop at a Shoalhaven area winery along the way), then inland to Canberra (stay in Queanbeyan if Canberra hotels are overly expensive), check out the city, its layout, the War Memorial.

Then drive via Goulburn to the Jenolan Caves, then to Katoomba, and via Putty to Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, maybe out to The Entrance, and back down to Sydney.

Look all these names up and check a map, it would be a great four- or five-day loop.

thank you! Any good hotel recommendations in Sydney for around $150-$175 a night that are centrally located? Looking to stay by the Harbor if possible.

Is that 175 US dollars or 175 Aussies? $175 = $239AUD.

Either way, you have slim pickings at that rate.

And you need to specify the "Harbor" - first, the Aussies adopted the British tradition of adding useless vowels to their "or" words, so you're talking about harbours. Second, the meaning of "the harbour" in Sydney could refer to Darling Harbour, which is a district that contains various entertainment, shopping and lodging choices, or the Harbour Bridge, which is notably lacking in hotels and restaurants. The areas from which you can see the Harbour Bridge most easily are The Rocks or Circular Quay, each of which has lodging, entertainment, tourist and shopping offerings, and neither area is known for being inexpensive.

Third, Sydney is physically very large (technically its area is 4755 square miles, or more than SEVEN times the size of Houston and nearly four times the size of Rhode Island) but the central city is fairly manageable. You're more likely to find value in the Central Business District than within sight of the water. If you have points plans with any chain, investigate their offerings.

See if this helps and go from there: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocalMap...dney-Area.html

Also look for apartments, which may be available for decent rates.

Russ, it was harbour long before the Yanks dropped the u...

If being by the harbour is important (and it's a good idea - it can add a whole different and memorable dimension to your trip!) consider staying in Manly or nearby.

Manly is a suburb that straddles the landmass between the harbour and the open ocean. The Manly ferry terminal is on the harbour side. A short walk along the pedestrianized Corso gets you to the open ocean, with the iconic Norfolk Pines behind the Manly beach.

I used to live just a bit uphill in North Balgowlah, and fondly remember the hole-in-the-wall seafood take-out (Australian for "to go") place that still exists, near the beach-end of the Corso, across from the pub where you get your liquid libations. Yummy!

You're in Sydney long enough to warrant the extra ferry rides - you'll grow to love that commute, and coming around the Opera House with the Harbour Bridge in full view while arriving at Circular Quay will never cease to take your breath away.

On arrival you would take the airport train to Central, change to a Sydney "City Circle" train for Circular Quay, and hop on the next Manly ferry.

You're lucky - schools start on Jan. 30 or Feb. 6 (depending on districts), so if you google "Manly NSW Accommodations" you might get something nice for the kind of money you wish to spend.

Use google maps with street view to "walk" around the neighborhood of any address, and get a sense of the lay of the land from the satellite view.

Renting an apartment (VRBO, Housetrip.com) can make you feel at home more than a hotel can.

If all that doesn't work out, and if the area around The Rocks and Circular Quay is too expensive, look at the Eastern beaches - Bondi and south from there. You'd become bus commuters - a trade-off for sure. www.sydneybuses.info/

From Bondi it's by bus to Bondi Junction station then the train. www.sydneytrains.info

The harbour-side communities east of Potts Point (which is next to Kings Cross, the sometimes raunchy entertainment area) - Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay (known as Double Pay...), Rose Bay and - even more exclusive - Vaucluse are ritzy, offering little chance at budget accommodations.

Happy hunting!

Also have a look at Airbnb. And Kirribilli, Milsons Point, Balmain, McMahons Point,

Close to the CBD, accessible by ferry or train ( K & MP) or ferry or bus

We like the Darling Harbour area. Last time I stayed in the Ibis Darling Harbour which was fine and I paid more for a view. We had a family trip another time and stayed in Oaks Goldsbrough apartments which were very good but $$$. However it was spacious and had a full kitchen.
Harbourside Mall has a good choice of food places from restaurants to fast food.

Thanks everyone!

Does anyone recommend Airlie beach? Will I have the same problem with the rain for the reef here? It was recommended to us so wondering if it's worth it.

Thanks!

I spent the whole month of Feb. 2016 in Australia. Sydney area can be warm to hot. I spent a week of that time in Airlie Beach. (I have visited Cairns/Palm Cove area three times.) The weather in Airlie and the Whitsunday Islands was hot/humid. It did rain a few times, but it was brief or at night. Loved the vibe in Airlie Beach. We flew in and out of Hamilton Island and took the ferry to the mainland. As we where with friends who have a vacation home there, they took us to great restaurants, etc. Take a day sailing tour to Whitehaven Beach. It is breathtaking. You will have to wear singer suits while snorkeling at that time of year.

Personally I love the Cairns area better. More diversity...reef, rain forest, animals.

We also spent 10 days in Tasmania. What a beautiful place! I liked it better than our visit to Melbourne (been twice) and Canberra/Snowy Mountains. Loved seeing the Tassie devil, holding a wombat, hiking to Wineglass Bay and past Cradle Mountain. The weather was perfect in February. Even visited a few wineries.

Wherever you visit have a great time. I never tire of visiting Down Under!

Thanks! Where should I stay when we are on Hamilton Island? For example, is there a specific area on Hamilton Island that is best to stay? Also, we are spending a couple days in Brisbane. Is there a particular area that's good to stay there as well?

Hopefully putting the finishing touches on our trip this week! Thanks for all the advice!