My husband and I, early 50's, will be travelling in feb. 2003. First time Australia. Planning a week in Sydney, then by car to Melbourne. Any thoughts on including Canberra? Any personal favourites in Sydney and Melbourne? Which areas/hotels?<BR>Beaches? National Parks?

Marijke,<BR><BR>I asked the same question re: Canberra a few weeks ago and got several excellent responses, most saying it made for a great couple of days. Try doing a search for "Canberra" on the message board.<BR><BR>I didn't get to stop there (my time was more limited than yours), but I wish I had.

Hi, Marijke!<BR>Canberra is not what you'd call a "typically-Australian" town -- it was built as a mini-Washington (designed by an American who had studied the US capital), and, like its inspiration, is often accused of being a little formal and soul-less. But I always think it's a pity that so few overseas tourists bother to visit it, as it is really very easy to get to from Sydney or Melbourne, and it is (once again, like Washington) full of interesting civic buildings, including a fine Science museum, the National Gallery, and a rather-impressive Parliament House. In addition, there are two interesting war memorials (the Australian, worth a half-day, and the American, a much smaller but nonetheless impressive one), an observatory, a pleasant lake, and three or four lookouts which provide photographic opportunities which would be the envy of just about any city in the world. So, I would definitely recommend an overnight stop and two days there.<BR>Personal favourites in Sydney? You should really spend at least one day, preferably two, in the Blue Mountains --<BR> you can get there by fast train in two hours (or, of course, you can drive, if you have your hire car by this time -- in this case, don't fail to stop off on the way at Euroka Clearing, near Glenbrook, where you can "breakfast with the kangaroos"... wild ones, not ones in a zoo), and there's lots of accommodation in all price ranges.<BR><BR>There is a fantastic "harbour walk" which goes from the Spit Bridge (a short bus ride across the Harbour Bridge from central Sydney) all the way round the foreshores to Manly, showing you on the way some of the best scenery in Australia. Well signposted, it takes about four hours, is free, includes such little "extras" as a host of aboriginal carvings, and at the end you get to ride back to Sydney on the Manly ferry, which will give you some great photographic opportunities. This is really a "must-do", but, alas, hardly anyone ever does. <BR>Hotels? Depends on your price range, but try and choose one around the Rocks area, as it is far nicer -- and closer to everything you will want to see - than most of the alternatives (such as the Darling Harbour area). Some hotels often mentioned on this site which you might like to investigate are the Russell (tiny, very old, best location in Sydney) the Holiday Inn at the Rocks (close second for location), Lord Nelson Brewery (the oldest hotel in Sydney), and (if money is no object) the Hyatt, which looks straight across the water to the Opera House. Do not let your travel agent talk you into a hotel at Kings Cross, as it is an unpleasant area and not close to anything much except some nice eateries.<BR>Have a wonderful time!

In 2000 we drove from Sydney to Melbourne. Our original plan was to go along the coast until we found that you couldn't actually see the coast as you drove along -- you had to make special efforts to drive out to a section of the coast and then return pretty much by the same road and then go out on the next road. So it was by "accident" that we decided to go to Canberra. We absolutely loved it -- so much history to learn, an easy city to get around in, beautiful buildings to visit. Later we took the train from Sydney to Melbourne during the day. Loved it! Very easy traveling for our family which also included our grandsons -- 8 yrs. and 2 yrs. at the time. This past trip inlcuded a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and then a leisurely drive (4 or 5 days) along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. Whatever you do, have a great time!

Thank you John, Alan and Priscilla. We definitely include Canberra. Would it be better to skip the Sydney-Melbourne drive, go by train to Melbourne and drive the Great Ocean Road? Is Adelaide worth a visit or should we stay around Melbourne? Thanks for helping us.

Hi,<BR>I visited Melbourne and Adelaide a few months ago and enjoyed Adelaide much more. It's a small city but the surrounds have much to offer. You may want to consider staying in N. Adelaide as well--you can walk to the the cute shops and numerous tasty restaurants. Outside of Adelaide is the wine country of the Barossa Valley. The drive is scenic and it's fun to go to stop in at all the Cellar Doors! In addition, Kangaroo Island is a quick 30min. flight away(There's also a ferry service available which is less expensive but takes longer). KI was a wonderful place to see wildlife in their own habitat. It's a quiet place--read, no nightlife--but KI is beautiful! Besides seeing tons of kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas and other animals, I loooved it because it's not touristy. KI was one of the best stops on my month-long trip!<BR><BR>Enjoy!<BR>Debbie

A few months ago my wife & I drove the Princes Hwy from Sydney to Adelaide via Melbourne. Many folks thought that missing Canberra was a mistake, however we enjoyed the numerous small villages along the way, such as Central Tilba & Port Fairy, & the Great Ocean Rd. The latter is after Melbourne so you could do Canberra & still do the Great Ocean Rd. Such a big land with so much to see & do, it's difficult to work everything in. We heard Adelaide was Australia's best kept secret and after visiting there, I agree. In my opinion less time in Melbourne & more in Adelaide would be preferable. We allocated 3 full days in Melbourne & that was more than enough to see its attractions. Australia does a great job in honoring their war veterans & the Shrine of Remembrance & surrounding parklands were very impressive in Melbourne. Debbie hit on several features of Adelaide which I will second. We stayed in N. Adelaide with its many fine eating establishments while the CBD was only a short walk away. From our hotel there was a walk through some nice parklands, across the Torres River, and then the city. The city is nice itself but you must take the old trolleys from Victoria Square to Gleneg which is Adelaide's beachside community. Debbie mentioned the Barossa Valley & the vineyards. If you do it, take a tour. You don't want to get catch drinking & driving. I must mention if you have been to Somona or Napa Valleys in California you will be disappointed in Barossa Valley. However Australian wines are excellent. The restaurents in Australia don't mark up the wines like most places do in the U.S. so having a bottle or two with supper is quite common & not expensive for some very good wines. Kangeroo Island is a must & again I would recommend a tour since they know where the animals are located on the island. Hahndorf is a German settled village that is very attractive. It is touristy but we enjoyed it. It's an easy bus ride from the CBD. Alan mentioned the foreshore walk from the Spit Bridge to Manly. We did it & it was very enjoyable. It's, I believe 7 miles. By all means ride the ferry back. I would also recommend the ferry to Watson's Bay. I don't know if you have any interest in zoos but Sydney has a very nice one with a terrific backdrop of the Sydney skyline & you can take the ferry to it. Other features in Sydney is the Rocks area with the bridge & opera house. Just past the opera house in an entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens which were the nicest we saw in Australia. I could go on & on but I think I have rambled enough. You will enjoy Australia. If you have not done it, the next time you go (and you will go), go north from Sydney to the Gold Coast & Port Douglas.

I read my response to your post & I was not very comprehensive. I know Alan recommends hotels in the Rocks area & that is an excellent location, however I have another location that in my opinion is just as good. We stayed at the Rydges Wentworth, 61-101 Phillip St. It is a 5 minute walk to The Rocks, it is one block from Macquarie St (many historical Bldgs), only a couple of blocks from Hyde Park & the Queen Victoria Bldg, there is a fabulous cathedral (can't remember the name) just down the street, & the middle part of the Royal Botanic Garden is only one block away. In Melbourne we stayed at the Rydges Melbourne, 186 Exhibition St, which was in the CBD, right in the middle of all the action. It was located right around the corner from Chinatown, close to the shops on Collins St, & within a couple of blocks of the Parliment Bldgs. In Adelaide the name of the hotel was Hotel Adelaide Int'l, 62 Brougham Place on the corner of O'Connor St, 1 easy mile from city center (ask for a room looking out over the city skyline). I would recommend all of the foregoing hotels. We booked the hotels through the website www.travelmall.com.au, an Australian outfit that provided us very good service - everything went very smooth. Check it out - the rates are very good. If I may I would like to add another consideration to your trip. If you have any extra time you may want to try to include Hobart or Perth into your itinerary while you're in that area of Australia.

Just a note for information - the Wentworth Hotel now belongs to the Accor chain and will be undergoing refurbishment and be closed from after Xmas for a month when it will re-open as a 5* hotel.<BR>I would also recommend it highly - stayed there last week whilst on business in Sydney and could not fault the service or meals. It is also extremely conveniently located.

Perth or Hobart too in just 3 weeks? You've got to be kidding!<BR><BR>Australia is a HUGE country.<BR><BR>Trying to sqeeze Adelaide in as well will be pushing it, unless you fly from place to place.<BR><BR>Marijke, your origianl plan sounds ideal. Feb is warm (hot in Melbourne) and kids are back at school. You'll be able to take each day as it comes and not need to book everything along the way. Just prebook hotels in major cities.<BR><BR>

It is wonderful to get all this information from you all. I realise we can't do everything in just 3 weeks, we just have to come again and travel another part of Australia. Getting into the ? from others is also helpful info.<BR>We haven't booked yet, but I'll think we more or less stick to our original plan, include Canberra, do a few trips from Sydney and Melbourne. Will keep following all the ? and info.

I'll cast a third vote, in addition to Bill's and Alan's, for the scenic harbor walk in Manly. I took the stroll on my recent trip to Sydney, and it was a terrific way to get some (nonstrenuous) exercise in the midst of an urban vacation. The views were outstanding, though I missed the aboriginal wood carvings. <BR><BR>You might want to consider taking the ferry to Manly in the morning, walking from Manly to the Spit Bridge, and then taking a bus from there back to your hotel (rather than the reverse, as others have suggested). I rode the ferry both to and from Manly and found it much less crowded (and thus much more enjoyable and scenic) in the mornings, when we were able to sit back on the deck and watch the beautiful city get further and further away. We barely got a seat on the afternoon ferry's deck; and then the only way to catch a glimpse of the skyline was to stand on our tiptoes and peek over outstretched video cameras held aloft by the throng of tourists (all of whom were standing)--not exactly what we wanted to do after spending a long day on our feet.

And one other must-do that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Bridge Climb. Though one might think a bridge climb would be, by its very nature, strenuous and dangerous, it turns out the harbor bridge climb is neither--the bridge climb people have taken every precaution (indeed, some would say, too many precautions) to ensure that the journey is absolutely, 100% safe. And if you get out there on a sunny day, the views will be unlike any you've ever seen. It was the first thing we did in Sydney (arrived at 700 AM, were on the bridge at 0830), and it served as a glorious introduction to one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen.

Re your time in Melbourne/Victoria - definitely do the Great Ocean Road - just as good if not better than Big Sur. Try staying at one of the B&Bs at Port Fairy - delightful little old port. If you want to drive back to Melbourne inland, go via the Grampians National Park - lovely scenery and usually plenty of wildlife. Ballarat is an old gold town with a great folk museum (Sovereign Hill) and lots of nice old Victorian buildings. If you want to try Australian wines without going to the Barossa Valley, the Yarra Valley (about an hour out of Melbourne) has lots of good wineries. If you have time, you could do the Yarra Valley wineries, then go onto Healesville and then over the Black Spur to Marysville through some beautiful mountain scenery. Try www.visitvictoria.com.au for more info.<BR>Hope you have a great holiday.

Just remembered - here's another website for good info on Australian cities<BR>http://citysearch.com.au

Well, we finally got there and are now back home. Had a memorable time and will be posting a trip report soon. Many thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. <BR>Mark and Marijke Smalley.

Thursday 30 January - Sydney<BR>Minibus for A$16 (that’s Australian dollars, about 9 euro) in 30 min to Park Regis hotel on Park Street (A$124 a night). Mauritian receptionist Louis welcomes us and provides us with towels for swimming pool on 45th floor until our room is ready, it now being 10.15. Great views from roof, bridge and opera house are just out of sight due to other high buildings. Room well equipped but nothing special. Room not on the main street, but still plenty of city noises. <BR>CHINATOWN, 15 min walk southwest. Find food court on Dixon Street. Plenty of choice – we go for Chicken Laksa and a Noodle Soup (A$10.50), a wholesome lunch. <BR>Walk around Paddy’s Market, a big warehouse-like building with clothes, household goods etc on stalls. <BR>Walk up George St. to Visitors Information, through QUEEN VICTORIA BUILDING (QVB) then from south side of bridge to ferries at Circular Quay. <BR>Get CAPTAIN COOK’S HIGHLIGHTS FERRY at 16.00, 2xA$20 minus 20% discount from tourist guidebook. Takes 75 min and gives us good views and background info with corny taped commentary that stops mid-sentence from time to time, apparently waiting for the ferry to catch up.<BR>

Friday 31 January<BR>Ferry to TARANGA ZOO (A$26 each incl. ferry) and have a good hour and a half. Cable car down to ferry. <BR>

Saturday 1 February<BR>Ferry from Circular Quay to Manly (2xA$5.40), takes 25 min. Get brochure at tourist office for scenic WALK FROM MANLY TO SPIT bridge and we’re off at 11.00. Good weather, partially cloudy and around 25c. Great walk, took 4 hours. See aboriginal engravings at 4.7km from Manly, on the left of the track. Not particularly impressive but a good excuse to stop for 10 min. Have fish and chips at Harry’s Fish Caf&eacute; close to Spit Bridge, A$69 incl. bottle of Chardonnay. Wonderful. Bus back to QVB for A$6,80, friendly young bus driver gets out of bus to tell us where he’s going. <BR>

Sunday 2 February<BR>Walk around ROCKS WEEKEND ARTS AND CRAFTS MARKET. <BR>KEN DOVE GALLERY worthwhile. <BR>Quick visit to MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, not everybody’s taste but OK. <BR>Walk around OPERA HOUSE. <BR>BOTANICALS GARDENS lovely. Big bats in trees. Fern house. Glass house. Eat vegi-roll and fish and chips. Big birds with long beaks jump onto tables for food as soon as they are vacated.<BR>ART GALLERY OF NSW. Impressive collection. <BR>Walk via Wolloomooloo Wharf to Kings Cross for a quick look-around. Bit seedy, with strip joints and a couple of girls openly soliciting on the street, a few drunks around but nothing threatening. <BR>