Flgajaja

comments on following Au itinerary;
Day 1-3>Sydney(Opera House,Bridge climb, Manly Beach, blue Mtns)
Day 4-Kangaroo Island
Day 5-Ayers Rock
Day 6-7>Cairns area(Great Barrier Reef, Daintree rainforest)
Day 8-??
Day 9-fly to New Zealand
would love to hear ideas or input regarding this. Was possibly thinking about doing up and staying Day 8 in rainforest? Don't know if it is worth it? while in Cairns area was thinking of staying around Palm Cove to be centrally located.???

thit_cho

Too much too quickly. Day 4 you'll need to fly via Adelaide, same on Day 5, so will have no time on KI. Methinks you need to rethink.

RalphR

This is crazy. I would take the advice given to you on the thread you posted earlier.

Saltuarius

ditto.
\
forget Kangaroo Island and see the wildlife on the Atherton Tablelands or forget Carins and just do KI

Neil_Oz

Agree with other posters. Your itinerary involves such vast distances and a massive amount of flying that I can only imagine doing it to set some kind of record or for a bet. I'm not even sure that it's feasible. With only 8 days I'd suggest limiting yourself to two areas, probably Sydney and Cairns. Under the circumstances I really don't think KI is worth the trek.

margo_oz

I think you've seriously underestimated the distances in this country.

For instance, flying from Sydney to KI, via Adelaide, will probably take the best part of a day. So you arrive on KI at best mid-afternoon, and you need to fly out next morning, taking a day to get to Uluru. Then you hop another flight to Cairns - again several hours.

I can only presume you just love planes but don't really have any interest outside airports!

Orlando_Vic

Flgajaja,
I hope you have a wonderful trip, but I am totally confused why you keep asking for our advice and then disregard it? Everyone is in agreement here. If you want to do it your way, don't ask for our advice repeatedly. You are in control of your itinerary, not us. If you want to do it in the way you have outlined - just do it!

Flgajaja

Ok, I get the message. I thought changing the direction of where we wanted to go and when would be better but I guess not. Thanks for the info. We'll heed your advice.

thit_cho

Days 1 and 2 -- Sydney (cut out one day from your planned three in Sydney and skip Blue Mountains)

Day 3 -- fly Sydney via Adelaide to Kangaroo Island

Day 4 -- Kangaroo Island

Day 5 -- fly KI via Adelaide to Ayers Rock

Day 6 -- fly Ayers Rock to Cairns

Days 7 and 8 -- Cairns area, including day trip to Reef

Day 9 -- fly Cairns to NZ

Even that would be very, very tight, but may be manageable and would give you full day in KI. You can see and climb the rock if you have half-day -- climb very early on departure day

Susan7

Please don't climb Uluru, it's an Aboriginal sacred site and the Anangu, the traditional owners, ask that you don't. Going around the rock is amazing.

The comedy team the Chaser make this point very well here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGNieok3-SQ

Melnq8

Great video Susan7.

Bokhara2

I'd endorse the "please don't climb Uluru" plea. For those who do choose to do so, you need to be aware that if the weather is inclement (too hot/cold/windy/wet) the climb is closed for safety reasons. It is frequently quite windy around the rock itself early in the morning.

Good video Susan7. It's a point well made and one which somehow seems to escape some people. Bit like walking into a Temple in a bikini, from the Aboriginals' viewpoint, I would think.

Peter_S_Aus

Re; Climbing the Rock. A comment from my recent trip report, Road Trip from Perth to Melbourne.

Tourists complaining that the climb up Ayers Rock has been closed. It's 36 degrees in the shade, there's no shade anyway, and it's blowing about 40 knots on top, for God's sake, and they look they have not climbed anything more challenging than a bar stool in decades. 200 pounds of the finest lard. Have they got a death wish, or what. I bet if they went to Jerusalem, they would not try free climbing on the Wailing Wall, so why can't they respect the wishes of the owners and stay off the rock. Aboriginals never, never climb. Except to haul a stretcher up the rock to retrieve people with heart failure or heat stroke.

Walking around the base of the rock, a place with a feeling of great age. Aboriginals have been here for 40,000 years, one of the worlds oldest civilisations, and have left no mark other than some cave paintings. Communities with strong oral traditions, and a story to explain the existence of almost every feature and mark on the rock. Feels like walking through Westminster Abbey, or Chartres Cathedral. Go quietly, you are walking over and through someone's history, disturbing their Dreamtime. Take care.

wlzmatilida

Hi,

Susan - that video was GREAT! Thanks for providing that.

Bokhara - great analogy - "walking into a Temple in a bikini"; I may have to steal that from you and use it in the future to make a point!

Peter = nicely put! Very accurate re: lack of exercise and tourists having heat stroke and heart attacks; this happens more frequently than most people realize (the sort of thing that's bad for business!)

And actually, Aborigines are the world's oldest civilization.

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist