Am I mad to consider going to Australia for a week?

[GearBots]

I've been invited to an old friends wedding in Brisbane. I'm keen to go. I'd like to try to see a couple of friends in Perth and Sydney as well.

Is this a mad idea? Flying to Perth for 2 /3 days then to Sydney for 2/3 days and then to Brisbane for 4 days. I'm half wondering about driving up the coast from Sydney to Brisbane. I think I'd need to fly home from Sydney.

I want to try to fit in as much as possible and catch up with some very dear friends. I've never been to Australia and I'm unlikely to be able to go again for many years.

I feel incredibly guilty going and leaving husband and kids at home. Husband 100% on board and actively encouraging me to go. But it's such a lot of money out of the family pot so I want to make sure I have a good time and making best use of my limited time!

I suppose you could do it, but just be aware of the distances involved. Flying from Perth to Sydney will take you the best part of a day, considering the flight time plus the usual airport waiting times. And don't drive from Sydney to Brisbane - I do that regularly and there is literally nothing to see. The highway bypasses all towns along the way , all you'll see is occasional truck stops . It's just 10 hours of boring driving .

What you've described is a 2 week trip anyway (c 10 days across the 3 cities) and a minimum of 2 days' travel time to and from Australia.
It would take you a good few days to get over the jet lag. Brisbane from Sydney is not like driving from London to Leeds. It's 10+ hours' driving. You can get an overnight train though if you think you'd sleep. Likewise, Perth to Sydney is a huge distance and flying between the two cities would take up most of the day by the time you consider the time at the airport and travelling to/from the cities to the airports. Australia is massive!

I wouldn't, think you'll take a week to get over the jetlag alone! Also wouldn't drive Sydney to Brisbane again, unless it's a slow pace and good weather it's a nightmare. You could probably enjoy it over 2 weeks.

Don't assume you have to fly to and from the same place e.g. long haul in and out of Perth because then you'll be adding an additional internal flight for the return which you might not need.

Kayak is a great website for multi trip options. Have a look including and excluding the domestic leg and see what's best.

I went for less than a week on a work trip a dozen or so years ago. Arrived Sunday and flew back Friday.

When I got back I was so tired and jet lagged for 2 days that I genuinely thought my head was going to explode - never again, unless it was for > 2 weeks…

If it's the thread I'm thinking of, that was about going to Australia for the weekend.

Packed with environment virtue signalling.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3631392-to-go-to-Australia-for-the-weekend

1 week is mad..

I've been to australia twice now for 2 weeks at a time - both times for weddings - and both times stayed roughly in one area. I wouldn't try to fly there, travel about, fly back in one week.

How are you at long distance flights? Because this one is long. After about 7hrs on the first flight you feel like you've traveled... only to get onto the next one for 13hrs!!

Just do it... my friend went for just 3 nights! she was tired when she got home but loved it and was so pleased she went.

She did the direct 17 hr flight to Perth.

I've been to Australia three times and one thing I'd make sure you do is to arrive in Australia in the evening. Being able to pretty much go straight to bed meant I had very little jet lag. Coming home was a different matter...!

I don't think you're mad but I think you're underestimating the distances and overestimating how much you can cram into a week. Possible is one thing, enjoyable is another.

I wouldn't fancy that at all. I'd wait til I had longer or you'll spend the money and the week feeling like shit

How do you cope with jet lag? That would be a key question for me since I don’t manage it well at all.
Dh has far less of a problem with it.,

@MaggieFS Perth is the only city that has a nonstop flight to the uk. If she flies out out of Brisbane or Sydney she'll have to do at least one stop somewhere. So it'll be simpler and cheaper to book return flights from the same airport.

We went to Brisbane recently and I was absolutely poleaxed by jet lag for a week when I don't usually suffer too badly, it didnt ruin my enjoyment though but couldn't have hacked lots more traveling the same week. I think It was being out of practice due to Covid and not flying 3 years. I was totally fine on the way back though. I think it would have been easier and more manageable without DC in tow (even thought they are not young).

Not necessarily simpler and cheaper which is why I said don't assume.

Plus an additional domestic flight back to Perth and changeover could take more time depending on connections and almost certainly will if the OP doesn't use the direct Perth-London flight (because there would then be a further stopover).

The London - Perth direct flight is very expensive, and given the OP won't be returning directly from Perth, it's worth looking at both options.

a) London - Perth - Brisbane & return
b) multi-trip London - Perth - Brisbane - London (with a stopover)

All of which assumes OP is even departing from London. She may be better off flying from a local airport via Dubai, for example.

I would do it all, I've never had jet lag properly though as I've always forced myself to stay awake that first day so I slot into the time zone (I can't sleep on planes) nicely. I have been to Australia a few times.

I was coming to post the same as @hotchocdrinker has - if you can get a morning flight from the UK, you'll arrive in Australia early evening. Time for a catch up with whoever you're staying with, a bite to eat and something to drink, then you can go to bed at your at a normal evening time. By far the best way to cope with the fatigue.