2006 trip to Australia

Hi all! OK... I need some input... my best friend and I will be traveling to your great country next year. We are thinking October is a good time to travel???

We are talking about spending a week in Melbourne and a week in Sydney...

I am looking for suggestions on things to do, things we should NOT miss, what not to waste our time on, areas to stay etc...

we both want a place that is clean, but frankly we won't spend a bunch of time at any hotel... just a place to put our stuff, shower and sleep between outtings!

My friend does NOT cycle...

so load me up please... if you were visiting what would YOU go do? And are our two city destinations good ones? I don't want to just see city... and I love places that are historic... thanks all! :)

Sydney is lovely, and I hear Melbourne is pretty good too. Should be a great trip. I'll let the natives fill you in on the specifics though - the last time I was in Sydney I was only there for the weekend, so I didn't manage to do a whole lot of different stuff in that short an amount of time. :)

Thom will be in Melbourne working next month - yes the whole month. :mad: I'll fill you in on anything cool he sees or does.

V.

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Originally Posted by bikerchick68

Hi all! OK... I need some input... my best friend and I will be traveling to your great country next year. We are thinking October is a good time to travel???
We are talking about spending a week in Melbourne and a week in Sydney...
I am looking for suggestions on things to do, things we should NOT miss, what not to waste our time on, areas to stay etc...
we both want a place that is clean, but frankly we won't spend a bunch of time at any hotel... just a place to put our stuff, shower and sleep between outtings!
My friend does NOT cycle...
so load me up please... if you were visiting what would YOU go do? And are our two city destinations good ones? I don't want to just see city... and I love places that are historic... thanks all! :)

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bikerchick68 - October will be a nice time of year to go (spring) not too hot yet but in Melbourne be prepared for any type of weather (its the four seasons in one day sort of place). Sydney and Melbourne have plenty of lovely historic areas and out of the city plenty of lovely scenery close by. The blue mountains are a lovely area not far from Sydney and a must see for tourists. Will you have transport? The beaches in Australia are beautiful if thats your thing although the water may be a bit chilly still at that time of year and watch out for the Noahs.

Melbourne is very multicultural with lots of yummy eating spots and plenty of things to see and do.

I am not originally from either of these states but I like both of these places. Tasmania is another place that is very beautiful and somewhere I would recommend visiting if you have the time. You can take a ferry from Melbourne or fly (about 30 mins flying time). Tasmania being a main area for convicts it is steeped in history and small so getting around from place to place does not take very long.
It has great hiking and the scenery is wonderful. Cradle mountain is a spot most tourists head to and is lovely.

Sydney and Melbourne are great places but they are big cities and Im sometimes sad that this is all most tourists see of Australia. Perhaps fly into Sydney and do the power tourist tour and then head down to Melbourne and then on to Tasmania. You really will see a lot of great stuff there and perhaps a better glimpse of what Australia is really like.

The top end of Australia is great but our Winter is the best time to see these parts as the weather is nicer (way to hot and humid heading into summer).

In case you were wondering Im not from Tasmania either. Im from Perth in Western Australia I just love the wildness of Tasmanian scenery and all the history.

Hope this helps some if you have any other questions please send me a private message anytime and I will try help you out. My husband is originally from Cairns (Queensland) Great Barrier Reef country and we have lived in many states with his job so we have a bit of knowledge about most areas. :)

Victoria Mather, Tatler magazine - LAND OF CREAM AND HONEY

"There is a God. He created Tasmania. It is a land of cream and honey - thick King Island dairy cream and honey from the leatherwood trees. The crayfish are as big as cats, the mountain streams so pure that the women come to collect the water like modern-day Rebeccas at the well. To those of us living on the frowzy, lousy side of the world, a wonky sign on Mount Wellington saying ’Water may be tainted by wildlife’ is endearing rather than threatening. Who gives a stuff about wombat wee? Wildlife in Tasmania is unlikely to stab you for your mobile telephone; there’s bracken so benign you can eat it; and a walk through the Walls of Jerusalem National Park leads to a place called Paradise.
April 2002

J Humphrys UK Radio Presenter
"If there is a more wonderful and magical place on earth, I have yet to see it.....I breathed the cleanest air and swam in the purest waters with Dolphins playing alongside. If paradise exists on earth it is in the wilderness that is the southwest corner of Tasmania."

Ok how can you resist that. :D

A couple of sites to check to see if you like the look of Tassie
www.tased.edu.au/tot/

www.atn.com.au/tassi.htm

www.tasmania.visitorsbureau.com.au

I thoroughly enjoyed melboure...i went when i lived in Auckland and i was overjoyed by the shopping...so much more variety.

Right..might i suggest getting away from the big smokes...If you're only on a short trip why not see something different..For example, instead of sydney and spending all your $$$..why not byron bay..a few hours north.

I'm here in perth and would suggest staying south...QLD, NT and the north of Western Australia are wayyyy too hot at this time of year already....In broome last week temps were up to 36c and summer hasn't started yet...

In regards to Tassie..if you can't get to nz..Tassie will do i've heard.

Cheryl

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Originally Posted by crazycanuck

In regards to Tassie..if you can't get to nz..Tassie will do i've heard.
Cheryl

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Aaahh good to see that rivalry across the Tasman still exists. :D

NZ is definitely beautiful - the mountains on the South Island are breathtaking. Tasmania though similar in some ways (its green in parts) is still very uniquely Australian. Oh and I forgot not nearly as many sheep. :D

WOOT! This is SO what I need... keep the ideas coming gang...

I will definitely check out Tasmania then... I absolutely want to see more than big city... heck I have that here where I LIVE!

We will most likely rent a car... which side do you drive on by the way??? I did Europe last year and everyone drove on the left side except Paris which was on the right side... I cycled Ireland... it's hard remembering to look the opposite way from what you're used to so you don't get hit by oncoming traffic! Of course, we mostly saw sheep and they hog the whole road so... :D

Um, they actually drive on the right in Europe... I'm pretty sure they just drive over the whole road in Paris. :p Oh, and they drive on the left in Aussie and NZ (and Britain and Japan), so, yeah, it'll be the opposite of what you're used to.

:)

OK... so we'll have to work on the car rental thing then... LOL... if she was a cyclist I'd just rent bikes and tool around that way!

When in Europe I visited Ireland (6 days cycling), Scotland and London who all drive on the left... Paris, LOL... yeah I actually commented that the driving reminded me of Tijuana, Mexico! Whoever fits gets to go..technically they're supposed to be on the right... a minor technicality to be sure! LOL :D

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Originally Posted by bikerchick68

OK... so we'll have to work on the car rental thing then... LOL... if she was a cyclist I'd just rent bikes and tool around that way!
When in Europe I visited Ireland (6 days cycling), Scotland and London who all drive on the left... Paris, LOL... yeah I actually commented that the driving reminded me of Tijuana, Mexico! Whoever fits gets to go..technically they're supposed to be on the right... a minor technicality to be sure! LOL :D

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Yep it sure makes driving interesting and even crossing the road when you have cars coming from a direction you are not use to. My Husband and I agree that driving a car is not too bad because you know the driver stays nearest the middle white line but on a motorbike and push bike it easy to forget. No visual clues to prompt when you are daydreaming. Yikes :eek:

If you hire a car and decide to visit Tassie you will have a great time zipping around everything is so close.

Driving in Melbourne can be challenging though if you are already coping with driving on the wrong side. They have trams thru the city and a few bizarre rules apply when driving near them (not bizarre for Victorians but definitely for girls from Western Australia).

Let me know if you need any other info. Im happy to help and love talking about home. :)

Leslie

trek... thanks! hey, is there a good bus/train system in Melbourne then? Here in CA our public transportation is a joke. Really bad... I was so amazed in Europe at how easy it was to get around! Also easy to get around in New York...one of the few states that has a good system that I know of...

If Tasmania is pretty small, I may opt to rent scooters... that's what I do in Hawaii and I just love it... it's like riding a bike but cheating! LOL

thanks again for all the input! We are getting serious about planning now so we can get everything set up and know what the $$$ will be! :)

Thom brought home the Lonely Planet books for the area yesterday. One of the perks. :D They look pretty good. I'm so envious. I'd love to be taking a month off to go with him right now.

V.

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Originally Posted by bikerchick68

trek... thanks! hey, is there a good bus/train system in Melbourne then? Here in CA our public transportation is a joke. Really bad... I was so amazed in Europe at how easy it was to get around! Also easy to get around in New York...one of the few states that has a good system that I know of...
If Tasmania is pretty small, I may opt to rent scooters... that's what I do in Hawaii and I just love it... it's like riding a bike but cheating! LOL
thanks again for all the input! We are getting serious about planning now so we can get everything set up and know what the $$$ will be! :)

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bikerchick68 - check out www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au if you go to the general information tab it gives a outline of whats available and links for tourists.

Scooters would be a cheap option I would think but just remember it will be a little cooler in Tasmania than Hawaii.

If you go to www.abc.net.au/news/ and go to the weather tab it will give you the weather for all state capitals so you can see what the weather is doing at this time of year in Aust. Dont forget it will be in Celsius. :)

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Thom brought home the Lonely Planet books for the area yesterday. One of the perks. :D They look pretty good. I'm so envious. I'd love to be taking a month off to go with him right now.
V.

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Veronica - I love lonely planet guide books. We have used them for all the countries we have visited. I have a big one for the USA.

bikerchick68 - forgot to add check out the lonely planet guides that V is talking about if you havent already. They always list heaps of good cheap accommodation and I think give good honest reviews about tourist spots. It has helped us out heaps when we have been travelling in different areas of the world. :)

Melbourne has a tram system around the inner city and inner suburbs and then trains further out. I've been the Melbourne a couple of times on holiday and had no problem getting around without a car. Guides like Lonely Planet will tell you how to get to most of the attractions and stuff on public transport

cool thanks! public transport works for me... we are both walkers as well so I imagine we'll be able to hoof it quite a bit too!

I'll check out that Lonely Planet book too... sounds like some good info in there... hadn't heard of them before! :)

Bill Bryson's Down Under is also a good read. Well, I've enjoyed all I've read of his, but that's the one that would be relevant.

Bikerchick-not sure if this would interest you-Why not take the GHAN (train) from Adelaide to Darwin..It spans the length of aus and it's just won one of the top AUS tourism awards...

http://www.gsr.com.au

I've never done it however it's on my list of things to see while living here in oz...

c

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Originally Posted by crazycanuck

Bikerchick-not sure if this would interest you-Why not take the GHAN (train) from Adelaide to Darwin..It spans the length of aus and it's just won one of the top AUS tourism awards...
http://www.gsr.com.au
I've never done it however it's on my list of things to see while living here in oz...
c

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crazycanuck is right this would be a lovely trip. I lived in Adelaide for several years and it is a lovely little historic city. No big traffic jams there. If you were to drive from Melbourne up to Adelaide you could take the Great Ocean Road and visit the 12 Apostles. It is a very scenic drive with lovely cliffs although Im not sure ships thought so as plenty were wrecked on a stretch call shipwreck coast.

The Alice is a great place and so is Darwin but getting a big hot this time of year. :)

thanks crazycanuck! that's another great suggestion we'll have to look into... that might allow us to see more while including some food/accomodation as well... I will definitely want time to explore each stop so will look into this for sure! :)

my advice --- fly into brisbane - get a rental car - drive down the east coast great ocean road all the way to the bottom :)