Hello... this is a bit of an unorthodox trip report, in that my visit to New Zealand and Australia over the past few weeks was mainly a work trip, punctuated by several days of sightseeing. Regardless of my limited time, I had a blast! I thought perhaps some of my experiences might be of interest to fellow travelers, so here are some thoughts and recommendations.

Basically, all I had was 1 day off in Auckland, 2 days in Cairns, 2 days in Sydney, 1 day in Perth (Fremantle), and 1 day in Melbourne (over a 20-day period). Brief as my free time was, I immensely enjoyed myself and managed to see quite a bit!

I've posted pictures online, if you want to take a look:

http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u...a223/Australia


AUCKLAND -- I stayed at the Hilton Auckland, and this hotel was fantastic. Since it's situated right on the harbor, the views from the bar and restaurant were gorgeous. The rooms are comfortable and very modern, and they've got a wonderfully attentive staff. Having just arrived to NZ (from Florida via L.A.), I needed a somewhat low-key day, so I spent my time at the Auckland Museum... it was fantastic. Their huge collection of Maori artifacts was impressive, and all the displays in the museum were extremely well-done and interesting.

CAIRNS -- I simply loved Cairns. To me, it felt a little like a cross between Key West in Florida (dive shops, souvenir stores, palm trees lining the streets) and Costa Rica (tropical, hills covered in rain forest). I stayed at the Cairns International hotel, which I highly recommend... it had all the comforts, a great staff, and the rooms had a somewhat laid-back, tropical feel -- and gorgeous views from a nice-sized balcony. I enjoyed my visit to the Tjabukai Aboriginal Cultural center, expecting it to be a bit touristy. It was, in some respects, however it wasn't crowded when I was there, and so my encounter had a very casual feel to it -- a few of us sitting around for a didgeridoo demonstration, got to experience throwing spears and a boomerang, learned about bush medicines, etc. I definitely felt as if I learned a little something about the Aboriginal people that I hadn't known. By the way, they've got a great gift store there, with some beautiful Aboriginal art prints, calendars, etc.

Possibly the highlight of my entire time in Australia was a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef! Prior to leaving home, I had emailed various companies, and didn't get any responses to my inquiries. I have to say a HUGE "thank you" to Patty (on this forum) for recommending Skysafari! (Patty, if you're there... I'm so lucky to have been in touch with you!) Skysafari was great -- they returned all my emails promptly and arranged a perfect tour for me. I was picked up by my pilot, Jacynta, who was just awesome. I absolutely loved the flight and highly recommend it to anyone. I was a little nervous that I might get airsick (this has happened to me on small fixed-wing aircraft before), but apparently flying in a helicopter is totally different -- a great sensation too! Once we got out over the reef, I saw the most brilliant blue and turquoise water I'd ever seen in my life; you can see straight down to the floor of the ocean and see the chains of coral reef lying beneath. We passed Green Island, and saw a couple of other small sandy islands. Then Jacynta landed briefly on a small island (Vlasoff Cay, I think?), then taking off again from the little island was an amazing experience. Anyway, this was definitely one of the coolest things I've done in my life... it took hours to wipe the grin off of my face Only a half hour after being dropped back at my hotel by Skysafari, I had arranged to be picked up and taken to Skyrail for the cable-car ride over the rain forest. (I didn't have time to do the Kuranda Scenic Railway; instead I had to do Skyrail both ways). This is an absolutely beautiful ride, and I'm surprised it isn't even more world-famous! The sheer length of the ride was surprising to me (what an engineering feat to have built such a long cable system). You can get out at a couple of stops to do some walks in the rain forest, but unfortunately I was on a bit of a time crunch and couldn't fully enjoy this. I also had very limited time in Kuranda, and only got to see some basic souvenir shops before having to head back.

SYDNEY -- I happened to arrive in Sydney during a very cold snap... record-setting low temperatures for October, plus rain and REALLY strong winds (like 40 mph!). Given the weather, it was perfect for exploring Wildlife World and the Sydney Aquarium (next to each other on Darling Harbor). Wildlife World wasn't in my original plans, but was recommended to me by people in our Sydney offices... and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! Some might say it's touristy, since the animals aren't in their natural habitats... but I have to say that I thought it was very nicely done! Apparently it opened in 2006 so it's really nice, clean and modern; it features only Australian animals, and was easy and convenient to visit (especially for someone like me with limited time). They had excellent exhibits of koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, nocturnal animals, snakes and reptiles, a cassowary, etc. Then right next door was the Sydney Aquarium (you can buy a "combo" ticket to visit both places). I really enjoyed the Aquarium... the highlights for me were the Oceanarium (long tunnels extending out into the harbor where you're surrounded by 360-degree views of sharks and rays, etc.) and also their stunning displays of coral reef life (I especially enjoyed having the music of Saint-Saens' "The Aquarium" being played over the speakers).

Another tour I had pre-arranged was a trip to the Blue Mountains. I had originally booked with OzTrek, but apparently they were under-booked for the day, so I was put with another tour company called Wildframe (www.wildframe.com). I definitely lucked out, since this was actually more of a nature-oriented eco-tour, run by a biologist / zoologist. It was fantastic because it was a small tour group (probably 15 people) and he took us to places a little off-the-beaten-path for some short, beautiful hikes. The tour started off by going to a clearing to see Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the wild (which was a trip for me!), then we headed out to various lookouts for some beautiful scenery. My favorite stop was "Pulpit Point," which had breathtaking views! Our guide, John, also led us to this very interesting wind-eroded cave, and talked all about the trees and plant life, found a blue-tongued lizard, insects, pointed out various birds, etc. (I was personally thrilled to see a kookaburra in the wild.) In addition to some other stops, one of the last places we explored was a "closed forest" which was much denser than most of the bush we'd seen during the day. We did a short hike into this area with its lush vegetation and tall tree ferns... very beautiful. At the end of the day, we stopped at Scenic World; our guide John pretty much warned that this was an overly expensive, touristy place, but I had asked to go... I'd read about the steep railway to the bottom of the valley, and wanted to give it a try. Turns out John was right, and I felt this was largely a waste of time and money -- the railway ride took approximately 45 seconds, and the large, crowded cable-car ride back up took a whopping minute -- so overall, I could have easily skipped this, having already seen so much of the beauty of the area. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend Wildframe tours.

For my last morning in Sydney, thankfully the weather cleared up and was perfect for seeing the Circular Quay. I got there in the morning before the big crowds hit, and took a 1 hour ruise around the harbor (I went to Jetty 6, I think, for Captain Cook cruise line). It was a nice ride with fantastic views of all the sights. Then I had lunch at Rossini's (great food) and discovered VB! (Victoria Bitter beer).

By the way, I was booked to stay at the Medina (corner of Kent & Bathurst) and this is the only hotel I stayed at that I do not recommend; their restaurant was only open for breakfast, no room service was available, the beds were terrible, and I was told that the heat had been turned off a couple weeks earlier, so I was freezing for 3 nights!

PERTH / FREMANTLE -- I walked to the Barrack St. jetty and took the ferry down the Swan River to Fremantle; I was happy once I realized you could walk out onto the bow of the ferry for the best views. It was a nice, relaxing ride. Once in Fremantle, I checked out some shops (I loved the store "Didgeridoo Breath" for all the beautiful musical instruments and hand-painted boomerangs), had lunch outdoors at a small restaurant, then headed towards the markets, which I heard were supposed to be great. I have to say, I was extremely disappointed with the markets, which I likened to an "indoor flea market" -- very crowded, with lots of cheap souvenirs, etc. It was too claustrophobic for me, so I headed back outside and figured I'd go have a beer at Little Creatures. Again, I was disappointed because it was just overrun with people... noisy, overwhelming, not relaxing. (This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and people were out in droves.) Had I been with a group of friends, it would have been fun, but it wasn't the kind of place to hang out alone. So I kept walking and came upon a nice stretch of beach (Bathers Beach, I think) and I was just thrilled to be able to put my hand in the Indian Ocean (having grown up on the Atlantic Ocean). Afterwards, I headed up High Street and shopped a little, then -- while I was in a bookstore -- I heard a marching band and cannon fire... I ran outside to see a huge parade moving down the street. It turns out, I happened to be in Fremantle for the 60th Annual "Blessing of the Fishing Fleet" ceremony. It was great -- marching bands and hundreds of people representing numerous churches carrying colorful banners and statues -- and so I followed the parade all the way to the harbor, where each group boarded a different fishing boat with their statues in tow. It was one of those great, serendipitous travel moments

ADELAIDE -- I didn't have any free time here, but I wanted to quickly mention a terrific hotel -- the Medina Grand Treasury in Adelaide. These rooms were spectacular! HUGE rooms with very high ceilings and beautiful modern decor. I got lucky and had one of only 3 rooms with a gigantic balcony overlooking the courtyard. This hotel looked more like a palace, and I just loved my brief stay here.

MELBOURNE -- I booked a day-trip (through Viator) to the Dandenong Ranges. Our first stop was near Sherbrooke Forest (at Grant's Reserve). This area is a temperate rain forest full of these very tall, white Mountain Ash trees (I think as tall as California redwoods) and lots of tree ferns. My tour stopped for morning tea, lamingtons, and to feed the birds (crimson rosellas, cockatoos, galahs) but I took off across the street (to where I'd seen some hikers), and just walked a little ways down a trail to soak in the beauty and listen to the unusual bird calls. This was probably my favorite part of the day (but sadly, it was very rushed)... I wish I'd just taken the day to spend hiking and bird-watching around the area. Afterwards, we did the Puffing Billy steam train ride (nice, but really for kids... not a long ride -- maybe 15 minutes total). Then we went to Ferguson's Winery for an overpriced, tasteless lunch... this was just a total waste of time for me... no tour of the winery, no real wine tasting or anything; a real disappointment. After this, we headed to Healesville Sanctuary which was a very nice wildlife park. I was put with an extremely SLOW group of people headed by a tour guide who was equally slow, so I excused myself and took off to explore the park on my own. They had a wonderful variety of animals, and I was happy to see the echidnas, a Tasmanian Devil, koalas... everything. Interestingly, I came across two young keepers who were taking the dingoes for their afternoon walk! A bit later, I ran into them again in the platypus exhibit, and it was cute to find out that the dingoes go here every day on their afternoon outing because they love watching the platypuses! (It was then that I realized I was truly in Australia... here I am, watching a dingo watch a platypus) Back in Melbourne, as the tour bus driver delivered people back to their hotels, I kind of got a mini-tour of the city, since I was one of the last people to be dropped off. Unfortunately, I sense that Melbourne is the type of city where you really have to spend some time to truly get a feel for it (lots of culture, shops, restaurants, etc.) I enjoyed seeing some of the architecture and all the modern outdoor sculpture around town. I had a business dinner in the Southbank area, and really loved this part of town.

So, this trip was kind of like eating at a "salad bar" for me -- just a little taste of lots of things, so now I know where I'd love to spend more time when I return! Thanks for reading!

Carol

I'm so glad you enjoyed the helicopter ride! You managed to fit in a lot in your limited time. Thanks for your report and pics!

Hey Patty, I'm so glad to hear from you! I thought about you after that helicopter ride... you were totally right that it was worth it! Thanks again!

I enjoyed your trip report. Sounds like an amazing "work trip"!

Great trip report, you sure got to do a lot with your limited time. Lucky you to get to go on business to all those parts of Australia! And with free time inbetween business! What company does that??? I want to work there. . .
Sally in Seattle

Thanks!... I figured since I had limited time, I'd better make the most of it (so I ran around like crazy)! I'm very lucky indeed. I work for a music publishing company and was basically on a book tour to promote my stuff, so I had speaking and performing engagements to do in lots of different cities. I'll tell you, the travel was exhausting (sometimes it was one city a day); in addition to the places in which I had free time, I was also in Townsville, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide! I had a great time, though, and got to meet many wonderful people. The good news is that I'll probably get to go back (not 'til January 2010) but I'm already thinking about where to take some vacation days on my return! I'm thinking I'd like to take a week and see more of New Zealand (having only spent one day in Auckland).

I think the key to making the most out of limited time is doing plenty of trip research... reading a lot, and definitely going on these forums. I'm someone who likes to jam-pack my travel time and can't sit still for long... I guess I was on an adrenaline high for 3 weeks

Sounds like a great experience, Carol. Work on that January 2010 trip but see if you can squeeze a bit longer out of the bosses. There is plenty to see and do down here in the South Island as well as in the North.

Sounds like you had a blast with the time available Carol, and yes Sherbrooke Forest is a great spot - my old Scout Hall is at Ferny Creek, opposite end and we would ogten be in the forest.

And re the Blue Mountains and "I definitely lucked out," is that how it is said in the US?, for here that means you didn't have luck and yet you wrote of the wildlife tour as though your luck had been in!
An alternative could be "I was kissed on the D........well, you might guess the rest! - it's said there are fairies and hobgoblins about in Sherbrooke Forest.

Your wonderful report came at t perfect time for me. I've been thinking of booking a trip to Australia for the past few days, but am a bit daunted by the long flight. I would be leaving from Florida also. Can you please provide some info on your flights? Time from LA? Airline? Service? Comfort?

Congratulations for making the best of your time while on a business trip. Everything you did appeals to me.

Thanks for the report.

Great report, Carol...come on back!

I do hope you can come back to Melbourne to explore it and its environs in a more leisurely customised tour as I think from reading your excellent report that you would enjoy it .

So glad you liked Cairns as it is a wonderful place and what you did is ,I agree , underrated . I once did a helicopter flight to the reef to snorkel further south flying out of Hamilton Island and it is still a great memory .

Bushranger, I guess the differences in slang is funny... yes, saying "I lucked out" means "I got lucky" here! I guess it makes sense the other way around.

Luisah, I totally understand your hesitation about the flying... ask any of my friends how anxious I was about the long flights!!!! I was so surprised to find that it really wasn't that bad. At first I simply couldn't imagine being "stuck" on a plane for so long, and I was really worried I'd be claustrophobic, etc. However, all my fears turned out to be for nothing, since it really was easy!

I flew American Airlines, which is in partnership with Qantas. First I flew Miami to LAX (approx. 5 hours). Flights leave L.A. for New Zealand and Australia at night usually (mine departed at 9:30 pm). That was the hardest part, 'cause in my mind it was after midnight and I was really tired and about to get on a 12 hour flight. I actually flew to Auckland, NZ first, so it was 12 hours (flying to Sydney from LA, for example, would be a couple hours longer). After I boarded, I got my second wind... and here's what I recommend: force yourself to stay awake for a few hours! I divided the trip into being awake/sleeping/being awake. I stayed awake for 3 hours, then slept for about 5 hours, then was awake for 4 hours. The last couple hours of the trip they'll serve you breakfast, and you arrive when it's morning at your destination. So I found it rather easy to adjust, and managed to stay awake my entire first day.

Most models of the 747 now offer "On Demand" video, which means you can choose from dozens of movies and TV shows, pause it, rewind, etc. These are the 747-400 series. It should be noted that the 747-300 series does NOT have this feature, but instead offers a handful of movies that are looped. The flight from L.A. to Auckland didn't have "On Demand," but my return flight DID have it (Melbourne to LA). To check out which type of plane is used for different trips, you can go to the Qantas website.

Initially I thought the only way I'd make it was to fly business class; then I found out a business class ticket would cost $17,000 U.S. dollars (yes!). (In contrast, my coach seat was about $1,850). I think it's important to mention that Qantas does not guarantee your seat assignments; you can request a seat (for example, I have to have an aisle), and they will most likely honor whether you get an aisle or window, etc., but you will often get a seat other than the one you chose. Lots of people I know check out the website www.seatguru.com to choose their seats, but beware that this doesn't make a bit of difference if you fly Qantas (I'm not sure if Air New Zealand is different or not).

My friend had an interesting idea... she said I should buy the seat next to me, so I'd have more room (2 coach tickets is WAY cheaper than going with business class!) I got lucky in that the seat next to me was empty on the way to NZ, and this was great... I leaned both seats back and slept really well (I also took another friend's advice and brought a full-size pillow with me for the flight).

I thought the service on Qantas was fine... lots of snacks, ok food, free alcohol, etc. And I took one Air New Zealand 5-hour flight, which was fine too. My main priority in choosing Qantas was that I could fly home with less legs (Melbourne - LAX - Miami)... I think Air New Zealand had to stop in Auckland. I highly recommend only one stop in between, if you can.

I'm sure I've given you more information than you bargained for, but the bottom line is that I really encourage you not to worry about the length of the flights and just GO! I would seriously get on a plane next month and do it again, if I could. And I was REALLY dreading the idea initially. I think a lot of it is your "mindset." When you get on the plane, you think to yourself, "Ok, here's where I'm gonna spend my day," and have lots of different activities with you (laptop, book, iPod, audiobook, crossword puzzles, etc.) You'll be surprised how quickly it goes, especially if you grab some z's

Carol,

Thanks so much for your prompt response and all the info. I'm up to about 90% on doing the trip now.

Staying awake on a plane is not a problem for me,it's being able to sleep for a few hours. But if it's a night flight I'll be able to doze off and on.

I have to ask: Did you shop? See anything special that we wouldn't find in Fla?

Thanks again.

Luisah, I have a hard time sleeping on planes (most people do, I think). It will definitely be night and FEEL like night. I took a Lunesta sleeping pill, but I take them on & off in my everyday life, so I knew I'd be okay with one. It did the trick for me!

Regarding shopping, I didn't have a lot of time, since this was a work trip, and my main purpose was sightseeing. However, I think everyone will tell you that Melbourne is a shopping mecca. There's all kinds of great stuff to get throughout Australia, including amazing Aboriginal art, painted boomerangs and didgeridoos, other crafts, lots of wool clothing, etc.

As far as fashion goes, I was even drooling over the clothings stores in the Sydney airport (really great women's clothing)... and I'm a bit jaded, living in the Miami area and spending lots of time in NY city. So if you're a shopper, you'll be happy!

Hi Carol,

Well, you talked me into it. I booked the trip. I'll be going with a group and will be in Sydney and Cairns, with excursions to the GBR, Kuranda Village and other places, but not Melbourne, maybe next time.

The tour is three weeks and includes New Zealand and three days in Fiji.

I think I'll be okay on the flight, will take an allergy pill, which helps me sleep and I'm booking a room in an airport hotel the night before since it takes two flights from my North Fla regional airport to get to LA.

I'm not a big time shopper but do like to get a few things on trips that remind me later -- a shirt, jewelry, a watercolor etc. I like the idea of native art and think I'll find something I love.

Thanks for responding to my questions and easing my qualms about the long flight.

Forgot to mention ... your photos are great. Love the aboriginal art, among others.

Luisah... yay! I'm so excited I helped you make this decision... the right decision, for sure! I'm particularly glad I could help lessen your fears about the flight (since that was something that worried me so much, too). You will have a wonderful, wonderful time, and I hope you post a trip report when you get back.

Seeing as though you have to take 2 flights just to get to L.A., good idea on spending a night near the airport. Do you fly to Sydney? On Qantas? Anyway, you'll be surprised at how "ok" it will be

Glad you liked the pictures. Yes, the Aboriginal art is wonderful -- definitely makes for a nice reminder of your trip. Have fun!

Luisha,
You're doing so much in so short a time but that can't be helped, and on soveneir trinklets and the like,
in NZ,they do some beautiful work with the Paua Shells - http://www.paua2thepeople.com/ and http://productsfromnz.com/browse_3434 being a couple of sites and you'll find it just about anywhere - a Visitor Information Centre being one place I bought a bracelet and stuff and if you find any street markets to be on, you'll most likely find a few stall holders with all different kinds of gear, even antique collectables and including hand crafted Paua products.
Also keep an eye out for some Kauri carvings, little letter openers and the like being small, light and cheap.

In Oz., and particularly for Sydney, I'd expect you would be enthralled with the Queen Victoria Building on George Street near Town Hall and pretty easy to find.

George Street and Pitt Street parallel to it are the main shopping streets in Sydney CBD and if you're down at what is called Circular Quay, the Harbour ferry terminal and facing the Harbour, Opera House is on the right and Rocks area and Harbour Bridge will be on left - both Pitt Street and then George St which runs into the Rocks area head off uptown from the Rocks end.

http://www.australiaforum.com/genera...ng-sydney.html is a thread about a trip to Sydney from another forum you may find helpful - The Rocks Markets worth checking out if there over a weekend.

The Kuranda Market will have stuff ranging from imports to that by local artisans/craftspeople and possibly best place for any indigenous gear but it could be fake or price inflated.

If you google up Aboriginal Co-operatives or something like that, you may find some references to get better stuff - I walked through the Central Railway Station Pedestrian Tunnel one time and an aboriginal guy was doing painting on pices of light ply (about 12 inches square) and you could not get any more origimal than that and at $20.

Whatever you buy wherever, be it Fiji, NZ or Oz. make sure that in Oz or NZ you declare anything made of timber/wood, shells or any other natural materials for there are restrictions and by declaring it, the Quarantine guys will most likely have a look and if it is like a finished product etc., they'll probably let it pass - they'll be looking for anything that could hold seeds or bugs etc.

If you do not declare it and are picked for a check, they at minimum will make a big fuss, and at worst confiscate and/or fine you!

If you are heading to NZ after Australia, I'd consider mailing anything made of timber, even a didgeridoo back home because apparently NZ are red hot on timber products.

And you may be given an apple or other fruit as part of a meal on a long flight ex US - DO NOT FORGET IT IF YOU PUT IT AWAY FOR LATER ON -A whole of passengers aboard a flight from US did exactly that and they were all fined $220, and the same can happen in Oz too.

Wow, what great info from both of you.

A $220 fine for an apple? I will either eat any fruit or toss it. How about nuts or raisins? A friend had to pay about $80 for bringing a nut/raisin mix into Chile.

Carol, yes I'll be flying Qantas from LAX to Sydney.

Was the aboriginal art you photographed a painting on wood? Do they also have it on fabrics?

Bushranger, thanks for the web links, love the jewelry, both the silver and the paua, and the advice on mailing wood products and advice on things I'd never think about like declaring shells etc.

I'm not sure what a didgeridoo is but think it's a musical instrument, like a flute?, based on one of Carol's photos.

Yes, I will be flying to NZ from Oz so will heed your advice.

I will also do a search for aboriginal co-ops. Would the aboriginal art be authentic at Tjapukai? I would think so but ...

Thanks again to you both. I'll likely be back with questions. My next task is to get to a book store and research.