smunky

Here's what I have so far. Any suggestions as to which cities I should spend more/less time in would be greatly appreciated (i.e. I'm not sure if I'm giving Cairns or Darwin enough time):

3 nights in Sydney.
10 nights in New Zealand (going to rent a car, don't need to plan this part of the itinerary yet)
3 nights in Melbourne.
3 nights in Cairns.
3 nights in Darwin.
2 nights in Alice Springs/Uluru.

Alan

Hi, smunky!

Sydney is my home town, so I may be loudly shouted down for bias when I say that if this were my itinerary (otherwise excellent!) I would take a night away from Melbourne -- two nights is plenty there -- and add one to Sydney. Sydney is Australia's one great city, and there is always something to see and somewhere to go. Although I like Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, and Melbourne isn't TOO bad, I don't think they even begin to compare with Sydney. You wouldn't really detract from your holiday if you left Melbourne out altogether.

You might also consider planning a trip to Canberra, which is full of interesting sights -- a bit like a smaller version of Washington D.C.. This could possibly be done by driving from Melbourne to Sydney (or vice versa).

Otherwise, I think your itinerary is very nicely balanced. BY the way, when you DO plan your New Zealand itinerary, make sure you give a little more time to the south island than the north, won't you. It's far more interesting.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>>>>You wouldn't really detract from your holiday if you left Melbourne out altogether.<<<<<<

Smunky, much as I love Melbourne, I second Alan's above mentioned statement. I recommend eliminating Melbourne from your itinerary and reallocating your proposed Melbourne nights amongst Sydney, Cairns and perhaps even Darwin.

In many ways I view Melbourne at a destination that is better suited to a repeat visit to Australia. A first time visitor needs to get Sydney and Cairns out of his/her system.

Just kidding. Sydney and Australia's far north are indeed fabulous. I really do think you would enjoy them more if you spent enough time in them to do them more justice than your intial itinerary would have allowed.

By the way, for the benefit of anyone else who might want to advise you, I notice from another of your messages that you intend to travel in May and June. This could make a big difference to Fodorites' recommendations.

smunky

Thanks for the help, I will indeed be traveling in late May to the middle of June. I would knock off Melbourne, except I'm taking advantage of JetStar's $29/fare to go from Melbourne->Cairns for $58 AUD. I could fly Christchurch->Melbourne (transfer to Avalon airport)->Brisbane->Cairns, but I prefer the stopover in Melbourne to break up the trip. Also, the Great Ocean Road appeals to me. Any other suggestions would be appreciated - thanks!

marg

I live in Melbourne and think the city has a lot to offer but if you will be here in June, that means the weather will be cold and probably wet. You may want to spend more time in the warmer north.
We've visited Alice Springs and Uluru many times and you certainly haven't allowed enough time here. How are you getting to Uluru? If you are driving, then it is at least four solid hours driving. While you are in the area, you should take time to visit Kings Canyon as well. The countryside around Alice Springs has some spectacular gorges. A visit to the Desert Park in Alice is also worth doing.

smunky

So if I were to be traveling in late May - June, would you suggest I spend my time in Melbourne or Brisbane?

Alan

Brisbane!! May/June is NOT the right time to be going "down south" (except, maybe, for wintry Tasmania, which is at its most charming when it's cold, like Scotland).... I understand the need for a stopover with that $29 fare, but make it as short as possible (even to rebooking a day or two earlier... you won't get your money back on the other ticket, but at $29, who would care?)

Did you know that VirginBlue have a similar deal going right now? Maybe you can find a $29 flight that would get you up to the warm north as fast as possible... maybe Sydney-Gold Coast or Sydney-Sunshine Coast. Honestly, smunky, those $29 fares are an all-time low, even for a discount airline (we've had lots of those in Australia in the last few years, and they all, of course, ended up going belly-up as they killed themselves while trying to kill the competition) and if you're smart you will plan your holiday around them. How about Melbourne-Hobart ot Melbourne-Launceston for a couple of days? Or Brisbane-Cairns -- virginblue have that for $29 also!

smunky

Ok, so it looks like everyone is suggesting that I avoid Melbourne. With that in mind, how does this revised itinerary sound:

4 days in Sydney.
10 days in New Zealand.
5 days in Cairns.
4 days in Darwin.
3 days in Alice Springs/Uluru.