Aussie Holiday

southofnowhere

I'm going to Australia on holiday in mid January. I have three weeks to play with, maybe more. I'm going on my own and I'll be visiting family and friends in Perth and Sydney. I have no firm plan yet, as I haven't booked the flights, but loosely I'd be looking at going to Perth for the first 5 days or so and then heading east to Sydney and spending a couple of weeks on that side of the country.

Just looking for advice and good ideas really! What to see and do, where to go - and where not to go! For example, I'd be tempted to go up towards the Coral Reef if time and money allowed, but maybe that's pushing it too far. I'm into the great Outdoors and am pretty active. Like taking photos. Advice on flights might not hurt either

d.pop

southofnowhere wrote: »

I'm going to Australia on holiday in mid January. I have three weeks to play with, maybe more. I'm going on my own and I'll be visiting family and friends in Perth and Sydney. I have no firm plan yet, as I haven't booked the flights, but loosely I'd be looking at going to Perth for the first 5 days or so and then heading east to Sydney and spending a couple of weeks on that side of the country.

Just looking for advice and good ideas really! What to see and do, where to go - and where not to go! For example, I'd be tempted to go up towards the Coral Reef if time and money allowed, but maybe that's pushing it too far. I'm into the great Outdoors and am pretty active. Like taking photos. Advice on flights might not hurt either

I live in Perth and like it but would advise minimal time here. Fly in say hello, spend a day or two here and get over east as fast as you can. I say that purely from point of view of a holiday and things to see and do. Perth is remote and you'll spend a day travelling to anything worth seeing. To be honest unless you spend few days in car there is really not a lot over here to compete with over east.
Spend a few days in Sydney and get up to whitsundays, barrier reef and Frazier Island asap. They are worth coming to oz for on their own.
Maybe book a padi dive course and spend few days on a yacht on the reef?
Also bear in mind it will be hot. Expect 40+ in Perth and 30+ and humidity over east.
Any interest in Alice springs and Uluru?
Book flights from home if you can, that way one less expense to worry about. Look at a return to oz with few internal flights thrown in. Maybe perth-Sydney-Cairns-Sydney or similar...?

Gael23

I'd love to do a trip like this at some stage in the future.
I think the advice about Perth is correct, spend a few days there so as to say you were there and concentrate on Sydney.
What about Accommodation for such a trip, are you looking at backpackers Hostels or proper Hotels?

con___manx1

go to fraiser island its the most beautiful place I have ever been to

NZ_2014

con___manx1 wrote: »

go to fraiser island its the most beautiful place I have ever been to

Spectacular, you feel disconnected from the rest of the world there!

massdebater

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Spectacular, you feel disconnected from the rest of the world there!

You get the same feeling in Perth

Peregrinus

Three weeks is not a long time to visit Australia, esp. as it will take you about a week to get over the jetlag. If you have friends and family in Perth and Sydney, I'd concentrate on those two places and not go haring about the continent trying to cram more in. Both are very pleasant places to pass time with friends though, as others have said, there is propably more to attract the visitor in Sydney than in Perth. If you want an island experience Rottnest, 20 km off Perth, is a good deal more accessible from Perth than Fraser Island is from Sydney. If you want a non-urban experience, that's also more accessible from Perth than from Sydney. If going to the country head south from Perth, not north; you'll get better (i.e. cooler) weather. Stick close to the coast, for the same reason.

Go to Perth first. The travelling time is shorter by enough to make some difference to your initial jetlag, plus it's a good chillout city. While in Perth go to Rottnest and/or Margaret River if so inclined. Then head on to Sydney and spend the bulk of your time in and around there. Save the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Melbourne and anywhere else that would require you to get on another plane for your next trip.

irishmover

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Spectacular, you feel disconnected from the rest of the world there!

I went to Fraser long after working in the Strzelecki and Simpson deserts. Trust me, Fraser is not disconnected! Its a great place but certainly not my favourite in Australia.

Anything barrier reef wise is going to be a sight for us Irish. I've been to Whitsundays which was stunning and heading to 1770 to head over to lady Musgrave St Stephens day (refuse to call it boxing day). I'm sure it'll be just as amazing as Whitsundays.

It really depends on what you want to see but you could spend a month in Queensland alone and not experience everything it has to offer.

I recommend trying to get to Port Douglas/Daintree atleast for a day trip from Cairns. Very nice drive to and beautiful beach/rainforest. Eungella national park is also amazing if you want to see platypus.

Bring factor 50 suncream and apply it everyday. January will be a shock to the system for you.

If you're in QLD prepare for tropical storms as well.

Gael23

Is it madness to consider going for somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks?

Peregrinus

For most people in a job, three weeks is pretty much the upper limit of any holiday they can take. So they go to Australia for three weeks, or not at all. Three weeks may not be ideal for a trip to Australia, but it's that or nothing.

Gael23

Peregrinus wrote: »

For most people in a job, three weeks is pretty much the upper limit of any holiday they can take. So they go to Australia for three weeks, or not at all. Three weeks may not be ideal for a trip to Australia, but it's that or nothing.

Absolutely. Ive no experience of jet lag but I think it might help if time so as not to upset your body clock as much as possible. As in arrive at night so you pretty much go to bed straight away when you get there.
I would love to do it sometime, might be 2/3 years away but still hope to get there.

irishmover

ryanf1 wrote: »

Absolutely. Ive no experience of jet lag but I think it might help if time so as not to upset your body clock as much as possible. As in arrive at night so you pretty much go to bed straight away when you get there.
I would love to do it sometime, might be 2/3 years away but still hope to get there.

I've tried all sorts of things and although I prefer arriving in at night because I live in Australia now it really is of no help if you're coming here for the first time. Typically people will be buzzing after a long trip to see the place they're arriving into. I know my parents (in their 50s) just got on with the jetlag because they were so excited about seeing everything they could.

My opinion would be to arrive during the day if you're coming for a holiday. That way youll spend a few hours settling in and losing that adrenaline and then hopefully be capable of getting into bed between 8 and 9.

My parents were pretty amazing with jetlag to be fair! Didn't bother them too much.

Gael23

irishmover wrote: »

I've tried all sorts of things and although I prefer arriving in at night because I live in Australia now it really is of no help if you're coming here for the first time. Typically people will be buzzing after a long trip to see the place they're arriving into. I know my parents (in their 50s) just got on with the jetlag because they were so excited about seeing everything they could.

My opinion would be to arrive during the day if you're coming for a holiday. That way youll spend a few hours settling in and losing that adrenaline and then hopefully be capable of getting into bed between 8 and 9.

My parents were pretty amazing with jetlag to be fair! Didn't bother them too much.

What route do they fly?

irishmover

ryanf1 wrote: »

What route do they fly?

They as in my parents? They flew Etihad so the typical route. Dublin/Abu Dhabi/Singapore(quick stop)/Brisbane

Mantis Toboggan

Folks, I'm going to Sydney for 3 weeks over christmas and new year.

Arriving on the 23rd of December and flying out again on the 9th of Jan.
Staying with friends. Really looking forward to it. While I will probably enjoy a few nights out I don't want to waste my 3 weeks inside in a pub. Definitively want to be in Sydney for crimbo and new year though.

So, any recommendations?