jennyg13

Has anyone been to Australia in january. I hear it's very hot. I am going there for my honeymoon and need a lot of help and ideas. It's high season there and the rates are a bit nuts. If you could suggest anyhting it will be great. I am thinking of sydney, Brisbane, then barrier reeef. thanks.

myaustralia

Jenny, please post more details on your trip and how much time you have there.
Will you spend more time in the south around Sydney or rather in the north around Cairns.
Remember that it is Wet Season in the tropical North (Hurricane Season) so weather is unstable and can be quite wet. It is very humid too. However it is - to me - the best time to visit the Daintree Rainforest NP and the water is calmer to visit the Great Barrier Reef.
I lived in Port Douglas for years and I always enjoyed the wet season.
Around Brisbane you have the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast south of the city. Sydney itself is worth at least 4-5 days, depending what you want to see.

Tassietwister

Sydney will be nice weather except if there is a heatwave and no-one can predict those. However it is more comfortable for a tourist in those conditions as majority hotel accommodation has climate control.

The Sydney festival is on during January and includes free outdoor concerts, harbour events etc that can great value to a holiday for little outlay.

I was up in Cairns in February last and the weather was gorgeous however I am not sure how typical the weather was. I did not notice the humidity much at all.

Georgiamorrison

Australia, and in particular Queensland, is very hot during summer. on the coast around Brisbane/Sunshine Coast/ Gold Coast you can expect temps of around 28-30degC most days (sometimes higher). up north you are looking at 30+degC and it is mostly very humid. you should also be aware that summer is stinger season in the north so most beaches are off limits. out waest the temps are 33+ and very dry (huge drought at the moment. that said the Sunshine coast is lovely, and generally cheaper than the gold coast. Uluru will be packed and very hot at that time of year, as will places like sydney and melbourne as it is at the start of our long summer break. perhaps consider a trip to the snowy mountains (obviously no snow in summer) but it is a beautiful area and will be relativly cheap at that time of year.

pat_woolford

Tassietwister, last Feb in Far North Queensland was indeed a lovely month for weather and its supposed to be wetter than January (which was OK, too). But it poured in July,was quite cold, horrible reef weather with 40knot winds some days and many reef boats had to cancel. And July is supposed to be best month. If anyone thinks FNQ is unbearably humid in summer, they haven't been to Darwin for a while!

jenny, reef conditions are often much better in summer, although late summer brings slight chance of cyclone. Yes, it's fairly humid, depends what you're used to though and does it matter when you're in water enjoying perfect conditions with the best visibility? Beach swimming in un-netted areas is out between November-May or June - stingers are coastal. Stinger suits are available on reef boats and be guided by crew if they feel its necessary to wear one. Its not a bad idea anyway, as will protect you from sunburn.

lizF

For Sydney think of LA in summer and for north Queensland i.e. Cairns think Miami weather.
If you stay near the sea areas the weather will not be a problem and in Queensland and New South Wales the nights are lovely as long as you are not inland. Tasmania in summer is great as well.
I am not sure why the previous poster said that the Sunshine Coast is cheaper than the Gold Coast because the Gold Coast has far more to offer in every tourist respect compared with the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast has so much accommodation that it would not be a problem - the Gold Coast is Australian's top tourist destination ( except for Alan who hates it - even though I have offered to take him around to places that would knock his socks off)
The schools have their long summer holidays at that time of year and the beaches are the greatest attraction. However if you are in Australia for New Year then Sydney is the place to be as it has the best New Year party you will find anywhere.
Summer is great in Australia! It is also the best time to be in the tropics as there are fewer people there at that time and the winds are not about. Wonderful for seeing the reef.

Tassietwister

Pat

I was in Darwin about 2 weeks before cyclone Tracy (I was very very VERY young ok!) and I could not breathe the air was so heavy. I haven't had that experience in Cairns yet but was worried it could get that way. But like I said February was glorious. Sydney humidity coupled with much higher temps is far worse.

pat_woolford

Yikes, tassietwister - Tracy hit in December - its hot and somewhat humid Cairns area then too, but nothing like you describe.

Have lived most of my life on Sydney's northern beaches and Sydney's February humidity can bring just as much mould and mildew as we get here in FNQ. Heatwave days in Sydney are far hotter too, but you do often get that southerly buster to bring down night temperatures, here it doesn't change much. However, with good cross flow ventilation and ceiling fan, in 12 years have never needed a/c for sleeping, which is just as well because I hate it.