Australia Trip

[Markola]

Two American friends and I will be spending much of November in Australia. I’ve wanted to go for as long as I can remember and can hardly believe it’s finally happening.

Itinerary is a week around Cairnes and environs enjoying ecotourism sites in the jungle. The second week is based in Hamilton while exploring the Whitsunday Islands on a friend’s power boat. Final week is Sydney at two different locations, Millers Point then Bondi Beach.

We’d welcome advice about must-do sites, live music, great food, and all the adventures three 50-something fellows can manage!

 

[pacergal]

Enjoy your trip, it sounds like a great one. I have never been there.
It is a place my Dad always wanted to see, but never did.
Do those bucket trips if you can!

 

[skyking1]

Bravo! I have nothing to offer beyond encouragement. There is too much to do there, so your choices are as good as any IMO.

 

[bearkeley]

Sounds like a great itinerary....nice mix of jungle, water and city. People try to see everything in two weeks so seeing three areas in three weeks is great. You will enjoy it. If you get a chance, look for cassowaries in Cairns and take a ferry ride in Sydney and if you havent seen parrots in the wild, a walk around the local gardens would be good.

 

[2017ish]

The ancient rain forest outside of cairns was mind boggling (we were there in 1990).

Sydney zoo is quite nice. And, if it is up your alley, we found a fun, albeit jarringly anachronistic, speakeasy downtown (Palmer & Co.). At least in 2018, they had dress up flapper nights, which were a hoot.)

Diving on the GBR is nice, but nothing like the coral triangle destinations.

Enjoy!

 

[nwsteve]

OZ is one of our favorite places and as others have remarked there is lots to do there. We will be going again in Dec for our fifth trip. Things we have enjoyed on prior trips: Sydney Zoo, beaches, took train to Blue Mountains for day trip--you can use your transit pass. Sydney has a fabulous light rail system. If you enjoy botanical gardens, you can't go wrong with Sydney's. Look over Trip Adviser's "Things to Do" if you need ideas.

 

[Markola]

I appreciate all of these ideas!

We are looking for interesting Sydney night life, and Palmer & Co. is worth some research.

Regarding the itinerary, my stateside friend and I were completely mystified about how to tackle a continent in 3 weeks. It was a major relief when my Aussie-based friend decided to join the trip and said, “We’re gonna do this, then this, then this.”

OK! Much simpler.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Want a great view of Sydney Harbor? The Bridge Climb is one of the most fun things I have ever done.

https://www.bridgeclimb.com/

 

[Midpack]

Never been there, so no advice. But I’m jealous, hope you have a great trip.

 

[tmitchell]

Haven't been there since before the pandemic, but it's such a great country to visit. The coffee is some of the best in the world, so if you're into that you won't go wrong. The restaurant scene is excellent as well. Can't remember a bad meal. Mr Wong in Sydney made for a really good lunch as I recall.

Whitsunday's are gorgeous. We didn't have the luxury of a friend's boat but did cruise around a bit on a tour. The Hamilton Island resort itself was a bit weird as it's owned by a single family and pretty locked up. But the views make up for that.

I'm sure if you're with locals you'll be in good hands as all my contacts there have been incredibly hospitable. Have a great time!!

 

[38Chevy454]

The exchange rate is in your favor currently at .63xx, so your US $ will go farther. Just a little help to offset the trip costs. Have fun, I've always wanted to go there and have not made it yet.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My mom liked New Zealand better than Australia so maybe try to see both.

 

[Earl E Retyre]

My mom liked New Zealand better than Australia so maybe try to see both.

It is a matter of opinion, but I agree with Teacher Terry's mom. It sounds like your itinerary is probably already set since it is next month. But if not, I would suggest adding a jaunt to New Zealand. Maybe fly from Sydney to Queensland. We are not big city people, so we would rather cut the Sydney part of the trip shorter and spend some time in Queensland. Or if you are able to, keep Sydney and just add a side trip to New Zealand while you are all the way out that way.

 

[2017ish]

I appreciate all of these ideas!

We are looking for interesting Sydney night life, and Palmer & Co. is worth some research.

...

If you are whiskey lovers, when we were there in June 2018, the staff at Palmer & Co. tipped us off to a "hidden" whiskey bar in the Central Business District--"J&M." DW's notes indicate that the top floor is the place to be. The Scotch menu alone ran to 6 pages. We would have gone there again that trip, but we went there on our last night in Sydney. (Trip advisor indicates it is still in operation.)

 

[Scuba]

Want a great view of Sydney Harbor? The Bridge Climb is one of the most fun things I have ever done.

https://www.bridgeclimb.com/

We did the bridge climb and loved it. It isn’t that difficult so don’t worry if you aren’t in tip top shape.

 

[Scuba]

A few other suggestions - when in Cairns, take a trip up to Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation. The Daintree Rainforest is up there and has some really beautiful hikes/walks. We didn’t see any cassowaries in the wild but still really enjoyed the area.

Also between Cairns and Port Douglas, there is a place where you can go and actually hold a koala. You can’t do that in many areas of Australia. It’s called Karunda Koala Gardens. There is also a really great park area called Barron Falls. Beautiful waterfalls there.

In Sydney, the walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach is very scenic and enjoyable. We also loved the bridge climb and a performance at the Opera House (not an opera, we saw a musical). We also loved just walking around different areas of Sydney. It’s very safe and a beautiful city. If you like wine, a day trip to the Hunter Valley is fun. A day trip to the Blue Mountains would also be beautiful. We spent 3 days in the Blue Mountains. The glow worm night hike was one of the highlights for us.

I would not try to squeeze New Zealand in. Sounds like you have a great itinerary planned. We spent 2 months in Australia and weren’t ready to leave. Enjoy!

 

[dt123]

Agree with above, except I would skip Cairns city and go straight to Port Douglas, and spend all your North Queensland time there.

 

[Morricol61]

Be warned that we (I am an Aussie) are currently experiencing bush fires over most of the east coast from Cairns to Sydney. You may not enjoy yourselves due to the amount of smoke in the air.
Also please be patient when out and about in the tourist towns because we are experiencing labour shortages due to a severe housing crisis in all major cities, regional cities, country towns and rural and outback regions. There simply isn't any affordable housing (for rent or purchase) in or near the popular tourist areas which means less workers and those who are working are doing their best to serve customers, but you might have to wait a while for that service. Most disappointing situation but at least you have been warned. I hope you have an enjoyable holiday despite any difficulties you may experience.

 

[Markola]

^^^^^^. I appreciate the insight. We are all seasoned travelers and will be gracious to anyone who assists us. Thanks!


I can’t respond to everyone’s suggestions but I’ve read and captured them all. I fly this afternoon!