Feedback on Australia itinerary

[Scuba]

We’ve been selected for a pet sit in Australia, which is a catalyst for our planning a two month visit. Our tentative itinerary with planned activities is below. Would love feedback from those who have been there.

Arrive SYD late December, see Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley for 3 days, then do 10-day pet sit in Sydney. Pet sit location is 3 km from Sydney CBD. The sit is for cats. We have committed to stay there each night but have a lot of flexibility during the days. Have been advised that we do not need a car for this part of the trip.

Two weeks in Tasmania. Fly from Sydney to Hobart, rent car, self-guided tour around Tasmania and depart two weeks later from Launceston. Ideas for things to do include Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Hogarth Falls, Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasting Trail, Tamar Valley, Maria Island and maybe Bonorong Wildlife Park. Basically our goals are to experience the natural beauty/hikes that aren’t too extreme, learn some history/culture, spend some beach time, and enjoy the wine and food of the region.

Fly to Melbourne for a week there before embarking on the Great Ocean Drive. Catch a day or two of tennis at the Australian Open, see the Cricket Field, Queen Victoria Market, St. Kilda Beach, Dandolong National Park, see the penguins at Phillips Island, perhaps visit the Melbourne Museum. Heard no car needed in the city there either. After a week there, rent a car and do the Great Ocean Drive for 3-4 days, ending up in the wine country near Adelaide.

Spend a few days in wine country, then fly from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island. Stay for 4-5 days to enjoy the wildlife and beaches.

Fly to Cairns. Enjoy a few days seeing the rainforest area, then board the Spirit of Freedom liveaboard for a week of SCUBA diving on the outer Great Barrier Reef - Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef.

After the dive boat, fly from Cairns to Brisbane and go to the Sunshine Coast for a few days of beach time to wind down before we go home. Fly back to LAX from Brisbane.

I know we need to get tourist visas, and also my husband will need to supply documentation that he can SCUBA following his heart surgery. His cardiologist has already cleared him for international travel and SCUBA.

Any thoughts about itinerary, renting a car vs not, practical considerations, etc.?

We are super excited. After not traveling for 2 of the last 3 years, it will be awesome to be able to get away. We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in 2023 so we are ok with this BTD trip!

 

[Sunset]

I've seen shows about Australia border guards taking a dim view of people coming to the country to work. I've seen a woman refused entry into the USA by Customs because she said she was going to visit her parents as they needed help, so she was going to help them. The Customs officer stated she was taking a job away from an American by helping her parents.

This trip sounds fantastic.

 

[Scuba]

I've seen shows about Australia border guards taking a dim view of people coming to the country to work. I've seen a woman refused entry into the USA by Customs because she said she was going to visit her parents as they needed help, so she was going to help them. The Customs officer stated she was taking a job away from an American by helping her parents.

This trip sounds fantastic.

We aren’t getting paid. It’s through TrustedHousesitters so we will have a free place to stay for 10 days but no money will change hands.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I would suggest a day in Canberra. Many if not most people skip it but I used to go there for work. Suggestions include the Australian War Memorial (museum) which covers things like WWII and Gallipoli, the aboriginal tent embassy set up in the 70s and still occupied, Tidbinbilla for the wild life refuge and the NASA tracking station that is one of only 3 stations in the Deep Space Network that has tracked all American and many other spaceflights since the 1960s. Canberra is a short flight or ~3 hour drive from Sydney.

 

[luckydude]

We’ve been selected for a pet sit in Australia, which is a catalyst for our planning a two month visit. Our tentative itinerary with planned activities is below. Would love feedback from those who have been there.

Arrive SYD late December, see Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley for 3 days, then do 10-day pet sit in Sydney. Pet sit location is 3 km from Sydney CBD. The sit is for cats. We have committed to stay there each night but have a lot of flexibility during the days. Have been advised that we do not need a car for this part of the trip.

Two weeks in Tasmania. Fly from Sydney to Hobart, rent car, self-guided tour around Tasmania and depart two weeks later from Launceston. Ideas for things to do include Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Hogarth Falls, Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasting Trail, Tamar Valley, Maria Island and maybe Bonorong Wildlife Park. Basically our goals are to experience the natural beauty/hikes that aren’t too extreme, learn some history/culture, spend some beach time, and enjoy the wine and food of the region.

Fly to Melbourne for a week there before embarking on the Great Ocean Drive. Catch a day or two of tennis at the Australian Open, see the Cricket Field, Queen Victoria Market, St. Kilda Beach, Dandolong National Park, see the penguins at Phillips Island, perhaps visit the Melbourne Museum. Heard no car needed in the city there either. After a week there, rent a car and do the Great Ocean Drive for 3-4 days, ending up in the wine country near Adelaide.

Spend a few days in wine country, then fly from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island. Stay for 4-5 days to enjoy the wildlife and beaches.

Fly to Cairns. Enjoy a few days seeing the rainforest area, then board the Spirit of Freedom liveaboard for a week of SCUBA diving on the outer Great Barrier Reef - Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef.

After the dive boat, fly from Cairns to Brisbane and go to the Sunshine Coast for a few days of beach time to wind down before we go home. Fly back to LAX from Brisbane.

I know we need to get tourist visas, and also my husband will need to supply documentation that he can SCUBA following his heart surgery. His cardiologist has already cleared him for international travel and SCUBA.

Any thoughts about itinerary, renting a car vs not, practical considerations, etc.?

We are super excited. After not traveling for 2 of the last 3 years, it will be awesome to be able to get away. We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in 2023 so we are ok with this BTD trip!

Looks like a great itinerary!

Some ideas for Tasmania (I was there a decade ago so some things may have changed):

Nature World in Bicheno (https://www.natureworld.com.au/): get to see kangaroos, the devils, tiger snakes and other unique OZ wildlife up close.

There's a penguin tour in Bicheno: not on the scale of the Penguin Parade on Philips Island but smaller and more intimate.

"Ghost Tour" at night at Port Arthur: walking the ruins in the dark listening to stories of ghost sightings is fun.

Tasman Peninsula has some very interesting rock formations.

When in Hobart, drive up to Mt. Wellington (1,000 meter) above the city for a stupendous view; very cold up there but there's a large, enclosed cafe to keep warm. Also if you're into road biking, rent a bike and ride up there. Great workout.

Try Tahune Airwalk in the Huon Valley.

Nelson Fall: an impressive waterfall in the forest; 20 minutes drive outside Queenstown (I found Queenstown to be a depressing mining town but things may have changed since then).

Climb the "Nut" (a volcanic plug) right outside the little town of Stanley. Great view of the coastline.

Finally, avoid driving at night in Tasmania. Roadkill is a huge problem in Tasmania. Between sunset and sunrise, tons of wild animals such as the Tasmanian devil, wombat, possum, kangaroos and wallaby come out, and they get run over with alarming regularity. It’s such a problem that the government has mandated a speed limit of 65 km/h from sunset to sunrise to minimize the killing.

 

[Sunset]

We aren’t getting paid. It’s through TrustedHousesitters so we will have a free place to stay for 10 days but no money will change hands.

Hopefully the subject won't even come up, for the Customs officer to interpret the value of house sitting.

That lady refused entry to the USA, wasn't going to be paid by her parent either.

 

[brett]

We’ve been selected for a pet sit in Australia, which is a catalyst for our planning a two month visit. Our tentative itinerary with planned activities is below. Would love feedback from those who have been there.

Arrive SYD late December, see Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley for 3 days, then do 10-day pet sit in Sydney. Pet sit location is 3 km from Sydney CBD. The sit is for cats. We have committed to stay there each night but have a lot of flexibility during the days. Have been advised that we do not need a car for this part of the trip.

Two weeks in Tasmania. Fly from Sydney to Hobart, rent car, self-guided tour around Tasmania and depart two weeks later from Launceston. Ideas for things to do include Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Hogarth Falls, Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasting Trail, Tamar Valley, Maria Island and maybe Bonorong Wildlife Park. Basically our goals are to experience the natural beauty/hikes that aren’t too extreme, learn some history/culture, spend some beach time, and enjoy the wine and food of the region.

Fly to Melbourne for a week there before embarking on the Great Ocean Drive. Catch a day or two of tennis at the Australian Open, see the Cricket Field, Queen Victoria Market, St. Kilda Beach, Dandolong National Park, see the penguins at Phillips Island, perhaps visit the Melbourne Museum. Heard no car needed in the city there either. After a week there, rent a car and do the Great Ocean Drive for 3-4 days, ending up in the wine country near Adelaide.

Spend a few days in wine country, then fly from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island. Stay for 4-5 days to enjoy the wildlife and beaches.

Fly to Cairns. Enjoy a few days seeing the rainforest area, then board the Spirit of Freedom liveaboard for a week of SCUBA diving on the outer Great Barrier Reef - Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef.

After the dive boat, fly from Cairns to Brisbane and go to the Sunshine Coast for a few days of beach time to wind down before we go home. Fly back to LAX from Brisbane.

I know we need to get tourist visas, and also my husband will need to supply documentation that he can SCUBA following his heart surgery. His cardiologist has already cleared him for international travel and SCUBA.

Any thoughts about itinerary, renting a car vs not, practical considerations, etc.?

We are super excited. After not traveling for 2 of the last 3 years, it will be awesome to be able to get away. We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in 2023 so we are ok with this BTD trip!

I think your itinerary is spot on. We have had three trips to Australia and you are hitting every place that we have been to. We especially liked the Gold Coast area and Melbourne/Great Ocean Road. We did a similar trip to Tasmania last time, but only for a week.

We rented a car each time but did not keep it whist in any cities.

Our Oz friends gave us a heads up when there were good Jestar Australia flights on offer. We paid 37AUD for Brisbane-Hobart and 50AUD for Launceston-Sydney. More from Perth-Sydney. We typically do one way rentals. We might rent a car at Gold Coast Airport and drop it off two weeks later as when we arrive in Sydney. Then rent a car as we are leaving Sydney and drop it off at Melbourne airport after touring the Great Ocean Road.

The other thing we did was grab a bargain 21 day Aus/NZ cruise from Sydney. Booked it direct with RCI in Sydney. It was 30 percent less that the pricing from our on line TA in the US.

We both love Australia. Two of our trips were made whilst we were snowbirding in Thailand and Malaysia.

To return home our practice has been to buy a one way Jetstar ticket to HNL.
Last time it was a Qantas code share. Then we stay in HNL for a day or two before flying home.

I envy you. We are planning for Thailand this winter and my spouse is already asking if we can grab an inexpensive flight to Gold Coast Airport!

 

[Lewis Clark]

Sounds like fun!

Sydney:
I recommend the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb for a great experience not available in many places.
https://www.bridgeclimb.com/
We did not take a tour of the Opera House, but we did see a performance there.


Adelaide:
The Migration Museum is excellent.
https://migration.history.sa.gov.au/
We also loved Cleland Wildlife Park.
https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/

Melbourne:
Lots of penguins congregate on the breakwater at St Kilda Pier around sundown. Check to ensure it is not a seasonal event before you go. A trolley ride from downtown.

Cairns:
Kuranda Village was an excellent day.
https://www.kuranda.org/

We did not need a car in any of these cities. Cairns is particular is pretty small and easily walkable if your lodging is near the downtown area.

Have a great trip!

 

[Badger]

I've seen shows about Australia border guards taking a dim view of people coming to the country to work. I've seen a woman refused entry into the USA by Customs because she said she was going to visit her parents as they needed help, so she was going to help them. The Customs officer stated she was taking a job away from an American by helping her parents.

This trip sounds fantastic.

Offering more information than what is asked is not necessary. She was going to visit her parents. That was all she needed to say. Just based on the information that Customs officer needs to be transferred to a desk job.

Cheers!

 

[Helen]

I wouldn't even mention Trustedhousitters.

Two weeks in Tasmania might be a bit much, it's not very big. The wildlife preserves are excellent. Dress warm for Tasmania, it's quite a bit cooler than the mainland. There is a great Greek restaurant in Hobart - https://urbangreek.com.au/

We spent two winters traveling around AU and loved it.

Will you be able to add New Zealand to your trip? The South Island is amazingly beautiful.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[harllee]

I did a similar trip to Australia several years ago and especially loved Tasmania. The main thing different I did with my trip is that I spent 3 additional weeks in NZ, rented a camper van and drove all over. Personally I liked NZ much better than Australia. To me Australia (with the exception of Tasmania) was just too much like the US. But NZ is totally different, an outdoor wonderland. After that first trip the next year I went back to NZ for 6 weeks. If there is anyway you could add NZ I highly recommend it.

One other suggestion--it is a very long flight. The last time I went I stopped for a few days over and back in Honolulu, made the entire trip more enjoyable.

 

[stepford]

Sounds like a great plan, so I only have a couple of comments:

North Queensland will be awfully hot and sticky that time of year, so I'd plan on spending most of my time up there in the water (careful though, it's Box Jellyfish season).

Flying to Kangaroo Island is a good plan if you're not going to go anywhere other than there and Adelaide while in South Australia. If you're planning on renting a car in Adelaide and exploring around, however, it's pretty easy to get from Adelaide to K.I. via the ferry. I don't recall exactly, but something like 4 hours from Adelaide to the K.I. ferry terminal. I'm very curious how K.I. looks these days with a couple of years to recover after the big fires.

Sounds like a great trip, have fun.

 

[brett]

Since retiring we have only traveled with carry on. One week or three months. It is all the same to us.

Every time we come home after an extended trip we are thankful that we only did carry on. Makes it so much easier. We are in our 70's and only want to take what either of us can physically handle.

If you do book any Jetstar Australia flights be aware that there is a size and a weight restriction for carry on . In some instances it is more expensive to go with carry on, pay an uplift, than it is to check a bag.

On our last two trips through Gold Coast airport we flew in from Kuala Lumper, Malaysia and Krabi, Thailand. It took us all of 15 and 5 minutes respectively to get through customs/immigration.

One mistake we made was renting a car after a 10 hour flight from SE Asia and then driving for two hours or so to our destination. Should not have done that. It takes a little time to get used to right hand drives. I was tired. No accident but I realized afterwards that I should have done this.

 

[Scuba]

Thank you all for your comments and input. We are limited to being gone for 2 months, and we aren’t even seeing everything we wanted to in Australia. If we could take another month, I’d like to go to Western Australia and explore the Ningaloo Reef. Alas, that will have to be another time.

Since we don’t have unlimited time, we are not trying to work NZ into our plans. I’m sure it’s beautiful, but that will have to be a different trip.

Lots of helpful tips from people - thank you! I have some homework to do on detailed itinerary planning.

 

[brett]

Our advice with any trip, and most especially Australia, is never rush about in an attempt to see everything.

You will not....and you will miss out on many things including experiences.

We have had three trips to Australia. Big country, lots to see and experience. We still have a bucket list of areas we want to visit in Australia next time we go.

The same goes for smaller countries like Italy. We have been at least 5 or six times. Still places that we have not visited and want to.

 

[brett]

To give you an idea of how inexpensive some fares can be between SE Asia and Australia if you can get the right flight at the right time.

Four years ago we paid $188 CAD to fly from Krabi, Thailand to Gold Coast Australia. About 11 hours, stop in Singapore. Scoot Air, owned by Singapore Airlines.

We just looked a the same flight for Feb 22/2023. About the same time as we traveled last time. Same price if we book today $188. CAD.

We only do carry on. We skip the meal and have something much better to eat at the airport during our SIN stopover. The highest we paid in the past was $300. from KUL.

It is the same coming back one way from Syndey-HNL Highest basic fare we have paid on Jetstar Australia was $300AUD. Now it is $375 CAD or so.

 

[fosterscik]

We are avidly following this thread. Lots of great information on getting there, what to see, where to eat... We have just started scuba diving but will have around 100 dives in before our dream vacation to Australia. Do you travel with scuba gear when you go on these long jaunts? I would guess we'd take masks and regs at a minimum, but packing restrictions would probably stop us taking BCs and fins. We hope to hit a the great barrier reef and are very interested to hear about other sites. We'll be watching for a detailed trip review from Scuba!

 

[Scuba]

To give you an idea of how inexpensive some fares can be between SE Asia and Australia if you can get the right flight at the right time.

Four years ago we paid $188 CAD to fly from Krabi, Thailand to Gold Coast Australia. About 11 hours, stop in Singapore. Scoot Air, owned by Singapore Airlines.

We just looked a the same flight for Feb 22/2023. About the same time as we traveled last time. Same price if we book today $188. CAD.

We only do carry on. We skip the meal and have something much better to eat at the airport during our SIN stopover. The highest we paid in the past was $300. from KUL.

It is the same coming back one way from Syndey-HNL Highest basic fare we have paid on Jetstar Australia was $300AUD. Now it is $375 CAD or so.

Wow! Those are incredible fares. Good to know.

I agree with you 100% about not rushing around trying to see everything. We’ve found that one secret to enjoying long trips is to have some down days doing non-touristy things such as laundry, catching up on email/financial things, reading and/or napping. Or just sitting in a sidewalk cafe for a couple of hours immersing ourselves in the day to day, maybe striking up conversations with other like-minded travelers or locals. We don’t get exhausted or sick of sightseeing this way, and we learn more.

 

[Scuba]

We are avidly following this thread. Lots of great information on getting there, what to see, where to eat... We have just started scuba diving but will have around 100 dives in before our dream vacation to Australia. Do you travel with scuba gear when you go on these long jaunts? I would guess we'd take masks and regs at a minimum, but packing restrictions would probably stop us taking BCs and fins. We hope to hit a the great barrier reef and are very interested to hear about other sites. We'll be watching for a detailed trip review from Scuba!

We have always traveled with our SCUBA gear before, but that’s because we were either spending months in a destination where we planned to dive frequently (Virgin Islands) or it was a shorter dive-focused vacation. For this trip, we want to try to take carry-on only because we will be moving around a lot and having huge dive bags would be very inconvenient. We are going to rent all of our gear except masks (we have prescription lenses) and dive computers (small and lightweight). I’m a little nervous about renting a wetsuit because I’m 5’2” and curvy so my wetsuit is custom made. However, wetsuits are quite bulky so I’ve resigned myself to just deal with whatever they offer. Also this time of year the water should be in the low to mid 80’s, so I should be ok without my 5mm full suit that I typically bring. I’m a wimp and get cold very easily, especially with repetitive dives.

 

[SecondAttempt]

We are avidly following this thread. Lots of great information on getting there, what to see, where to eat... We have just started scuba diving but will have around 100 dives in before our dream vacation to Australia. Do you travel with scuba gear when you go on these long jaunts? I would guess we'd take masks and regs at a minimum, but packing restrictions would probably stop us taking BCs and fins. We hope to hit a the great barrier reef and are very interested to hear about other sites. We'll be watching for a detailed trip review from Scuba!

I highly recommend Heron Island. It is an all inclusive resort on the GBR but reasonably priced when I was there about 20 years ago. Great diving near the island.

Having said that, I find the diving in Hawaii near where I live better than the GBR. GBR is obviously on the bucket list for every diver and it is certainly good but I would not call it great. Maybe I am just spoiled. Something you should check off of course.

In terms of taking your own equipment, I personally just take mask, snorkel fins and reg plus computer at this point. There are minimalist travel-friendly BCs you could look into but I'm just not that picky. If you are hard to fit or finicky I would suggest taking your BC. My ex-wife had a smaller frame and would get assigned an oversized BC or childs BC which are actually not safe so we usually took our gear along. I am acertified divemaster and assistant instructor although I have not been active for almost 10 years.

In Australia they will put a computer on your back if you don't rent from them. If you do rent from them they have the computer. I like having my dive history so I take my own. If you have ever seen Open Water the movie, it is a true story. Australia, especially Queensland now holds dive operators especially accountable so they are very proactive about safety almost to the point of being annoying.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I would add that it is a good idea to keep your dive computer with you for a few days after diving because it will record useful information just in case you get decompression sickness (DCS). If you read DAN reports there are usually several unexplained DCS cases every year where divers were entirely within the tables. Your computer can be useful for your treatment.

I don't intend to scare you as a new diver, and it is extremely unlikely you will be one of those unexplained cases, but it is very simple to take your computer with you on car drives and in your carry-on on flights within a few days. I suggest 96 hours (4 days). Mine is attached to my reg and yoke and I had one TSA agent try to tell me I could not take it because it was a potential weapon. I got a supervisor and explained the safety aspect and the supervisor overruled. That was almost 20 years ago and I think the TSA addressed the issue.

 

[SecondAttempt]

so I should be ok without my 5mm full suit that I typically bring. I’m a wimp and get cold very easily, especially with repetitive dives.

I typically dive in Hawaii with a 3 mm full or shorty. In Arizona under the blazing summer sun when working with students in pools for hours at a time, I got myself a 5 mm semi-dry suit and still found myself getting cold if I was not moving.

 

[VungTau]

I just got back and loved it as usual. Go yearly or more to visit my kids who live there.

If you have time I recommend Canberra! You can visit the National Gallery, National Library and National Portrait Gallery all for free. Great history and displays there. The old parliament building is cool too. Its a museum now. You can do 5 relatively easy hikes all around the city with great views and tons of bird life to entertain you. Easy 3.5 hour bus trip from Sydney. Just a thought...

Tips:
- You don't need to take much cash, they take credit cards everywhere
- The Sydney Transport System even lets you swipe your credit card at the entry gate at the same rate as their local transport card!
- Don't miss the Sydney botanical gardens, really wonderful spot
- Don't mention anything about pet sitting or work, no pay = no mention
- They are really picky at customs about what you can bring in, especially food, wood, etc. Do your research before you go.

You are gonna love it!

 

[Scuba]

I highly recommend Heron Island. It is an all inclusive resort on the GBR but reasonably priced when I was there about 20 years ago. Great diving near the island.



Having said that, I find the diving in Hawaii near where I live better than the GBR. GBR is obviously on the bucket list for every diver and it is certainly good but I would not call it great. Maybe I am just spoiled. Something you should check off of course.



In terms of taking your own equipment, I personally just take mask, snorkel fins and reg plus computer at this point. There are minimalist travel-friendly BCs you could look into but I'm just not that picky. If you are hard to fit or finicky I would suggest taking your BC. My ex-wife had a smaller frame and would get assigned an oversized BC or childs BC which are actually not safe so we usually took our gear along. I am acertified divemaster and assistant instructor although I have not been active for almost 10 years.



In Australia they will put a computer on your back if you don't rent from them. If you do rent from them they have the computer. I like having my dive history so I take my own. If you have ever seen Open Water the movie, it is a true story. Australia, especially Queensland now holds dive operators especially accountable so they are very proactive about safety almost to the point of being annoying.

Interesting. We definitely plan on taking our own computers. I’ve been ok with rental BCs, but wetsuits are another story. I also would much prefer my own booties and fins. The warm water fins hurt my feet. But bringing my own fins is not possible with carry on only.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Interesting. We definitely plan on taking our own computers. I’ve been ok with rental BCs, but wetsuits are another story. I also would much prefer my own booties and fins. The warm water fins hurt my feet. But bringing my own fins is not possible with carry on only.

It's pretty much impossible to do carry-on only with scuba gear. I don't mind checking bags but if you are opposed to that you could also consider shipping like UPS, DHL, or even the airlines are offering baggage delivery. Obviously you have to offset that cost with the cost of rentals and the thoughts of cooties. The saying is, there are 2 kinds of divers - those who have pee-ed in their wetsuit and those who will. Most with over 10 dives are in the former category because it is just not a big deal.

If you are willing to kick a little harder and get full foot fins you can save a little on space by skipping booties and using shorter full-foot fins. I have always used full foot fins but as a divemaster the shop required me to use booties and strap fins because...more pieces of gear = more sales. So I have that setup but don't use it for personal diving. But my full foot fins are longer and don't fit in a carry-on.