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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Those of you with experience of Australia - what would you recommend?

30 replies

hmc · 14/09/2014 20:22

The fixed bits are 23 days (leaving towards end of March 2015 returning mid April)

Four of us travelling including a 10 and 12 year old so we will be breaking our journey with 2 nights in Singapore on way out and 2 nights in Singapore on way back.

I need to visit my sister in Secret Harbour, Perth - plan to stay 3 / 4 nights

Other than that what should we see? (have been to Sydney once before) - happy to take a couple of internal flights to different bits of Australia.

I don't do the sea so won't be diving or snorkeling .....

Ayers Rock worth flying too?

Tasmania??

What did you enjoy?

I really haven't looked into it at all yet so open to suggestions

OP posts:
specialsubject · 15/09/2014 13:37

Tasmania is wonderful for wildlife, scenery and walking - and would easily fill all your free time. Weather not guaranteed as it is so far south but I loved the place and could have stayed for months. 3 weeks was barely enough. Get a hire car.

haven't been to Uluru - I'm sure it is a splendid rock but it is a very very long way from anywhere!

PandaNot · 15/09/2014 13:41

There's some lovely places north and south of Perth to explore without the need for flights.

NecesitoDormir · 15/09/2014 13:42

Early morning hot air balloon over vineyards.

Sydney Harbour bridge climb.
Rainforest stay in the tree cabins in Cairns.
Winetasting.

Original poster
hmc · 15/09/2014 13:42

Thanks specialsubject - when I googled flight times from Perth to Tasmania it wasn't excessive either....

OP posts:
Original poster
hmc · 15/09/2014 13:43

Anywhere in particular that you would recommend Panda?

OP posts:
Original poster
hmc · 15/09/2014 13:44

Rainforest sounds good

OP posts:
Scotinoz · 16/09/2014 09:55

Tasmania is beautiful! There are some fabulous beaches north of St Helens, Wineglass Bay is great to see and the River Gordon is amazing. We went canyoning in Cradle Mountain which was both terrifying and awesome.

The Great Ocean Rd in Victoria is pretty impressive. Actually lots of Victoria is lovely but I'm biased.

Would love to see Uluru. It's a bit Disney-ish though...everything is owned by Mr Uluru and vastly overpriced Hmm

The Margret River is nice.

Suppose it depends what you're interested in

ShanghaiDiva · 16/09/2014 10:12

Tasmania is amazing. We stayed in Hobart ( great Saturday market) and then in a log cabin in port Arthur. Great coastal walks, national parks and the ghost tour was pretty good too.

Original poster
hmc · 16/09/2014 19:32

Tasmania looks like a winner then - that's definitely going on the itinerary

OP posts:
specialsubject · 16/09/2014 19:57

wahey! Give my regards to the devils....

get hold of a Rough Guide from the library, there's a new Aussie book just out. And same as NZ, do not underestimate driving times.

PandaNot · 16/09/2014 20:27

Margaret River area is lovely. We also spent a week in Kalbarri once, very quiet beach place about a 7 hr drive north but gorgeous and quite surprisingly lots to do in the area.

Sazorchard31 · 19/09/2014 23:10

Get yourself to Melbourne, amazing city and you can do the great ocean road, visit Yarra valley wineries. Always loads on in melb too.

Surfers paradise on the east coast would be ideal with your children, it has numerous theme parks they'd love...sea works, wet n wild, warner bros studio to name a few. It's only an hr drive fr Brisbane, so can visit there, and Australia Zoo is about 2 hrs on the train from Brisbane. Obviously surfers has loads to do for families too... Beaches , surfing lessons. Byron bay is only an hr drive south too.

Tasmania is beautiful but is all about the scenery, not sure what your kids would get out of it?

Ayers Rock is amazing to see, you can book on day trips from Alice springs which include watching the sunset (amazing to see the colours ), but it is a long day with about 5 hrs travelling each way from Alice springs. Would your kids cope with the travel? Not a lot else in the immediate vicinity and it'd take up 3 days of your hol when you include the flights there and back.

Love Australia!!

MehsMum · 19/09/2014 23:12

Singapore: the Night Zoo. It's fab, esp with DC. Lots of nocturnal animals out and about. Just lovely.

Not Australia I know...

wundawoman · 19/09/2014 23:17

Melbourne - plenty to see in the city (museums, trams, great aquarium), also further out: Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, penguins at Philip Island...to name a few!

inabeautifulplace · 19/09/2014 23:31

Been 4 times, mostly to east coast.

Tasmania is amazing, felt more wild than the other places I've been. If your kids are into outdoor things then you could do a woods/mountains/rivers/beaches trip with a few days in Hobart in 2-3 weeks.

For me what made it so great is that in comparison to Oz it's really small, so you can drive to distinctly different places in a few hours.

Original poster
hmc · 20/09/2014 08:47

Thank you for all this great advice Smile

Plenty to consider here

OP posts:
PestoSurfissimos · 20/09/2014 08:55

If you're in Perth you must visit Fremantle & take the boat to Rottneest Island. Good beaches in Perth such as Scarborough & my favourite, Cottesloe. You should also visit Hillarys, Kings Park, maybe a trip on the Margaret River. As someone else said, Kalbarri is a nice place to visit, with lots of pelicans. You can probably also go & swim with dolphins in the wild along the coast too. We did it years ago, at Monkey Mia, but I have heard that it is a bit more restricted nowadays.

Loads & loads to do in & around Perth, so don't feel you need'to travel elsewhere in Oz just because you are there.

beccajoh · 20/09/2014 09:02

Rainforest north of Cairns.

I thought Uluru was over-rated, ditto Sydney.

beccajoh · 20/09/2014 09:02

I LOVED Melbourne Grin

Optimist1 · 20/09/2014 09:09

When in Tasmania, Tahune Airwalk is an amazing day out from Hobart. Your kids will love the Swinging Bridges and everything else there - a favourite spot of mine!

skitter · 20/09/2014 09:14

I agree with visiting Melbourne. So many great things nearby. Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, penguins off the St Kilda pier, great food and all easily accessible with a rental car.

Mutley77 · 20/09/2014 09:19

Have to disagree about Perth - I live here and I really wouldn't come all the way to Australia and just spend 3 weeks on the West coast. I reckon you could do a week here with 3-4 days in and around Perth, then 3 days in margaret river / Dunsborough.

Then maybe 3 days going to Alice springs to do your Uluru (and The Olgas) trip.

Then perhaps a week or ten days in and around either Sydney or Melbourne. Both have nice centres with things to see for 2-3 days then plenty of areas within an easy drive to spend time out of the city (personally I think Melbourne would be good - you could do the great ocean road, the Yarra valley, Phillip Island?

Then you could do Tasmania for the rest of the time if you fancy that. The alternative would obviously be Queensland but if you're not really into the sea there's not much point in that! Unless you spent a week on the gold coast doing the theme parks but that's not particularly special to Australia so I wouldn't bother personally.

Oh - or you could go up to Darwin instead of Tasmania. There are really great national parks around there (eg Kakadu) and it might be cheaper/easier to go between Melb/Alice/Darwin than Melb/Alice/Tasmania - although you can get an overnight ferry from Melbourne to Tasmania if you fancy that?

Also, it depends what you want weather wise - I think that Uluru and DArwin would be pretty good temperature wise during your trip. Melbourne may well be quite rainy and cold by then - ditto Tasmania.

saffronwblue · 21/09/2014 04:29

My third attempt at a response here! Perth is at least a four hour flight away from anywhere else in Australia. I would spend a few days in Perth then get over to the East. Melbourne/Hobart is a good combination and you could do some day trips to the bush/beach. If you go to Hobart, don't miss MONA, the new art museum. My DC were completely blown away by it.www.mona.net.au/
I wouldn't bother with the Gold Coast - the most commercial and dreary holiday venue in Australia, IMO.

Surfsup1 · 21/09/2014 04:48

Tassie is v pretty - not sure what the kids would make of it though - I kind of think of it as a retiree driving-tour kind of destination?

When you say that you don't do ocean, does that mean you won't do beaches at all? Won't the kids be wanting to spend time at the beach/snorkelling etc?

I love in Sydney, but I'm struggling to think of non-beach related activities that would interest the kids for a "holiday". Margaret River is stunning but is very focused on wine-tasting and foodie experiences which I would imagine won't be too enthralling for the kids? Ditto other beautiful wine-tasting inland areas.

What about El Questro up in the Northern Territory? I've been dying to go there for years!

Fraser Island is absolutely glorious and has lots of stunning fresh-water lakes. Do you do lakes? Camping in the sand-dunes up the coast of Fraser is just wonderful - you can hire a 4WD car with all the camping gear.

If you don't like beaches then inland from Byron Bay is the most lovely hinterland area (Bangalow, Federal etc) with rivers, creeks and beautiful natural scenery.

Surfsup1 · 21/09/2014 04:50

Agree with Saffron re the Goldcaost - absolutely horrible unless you're into theme parks.

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