East Coast Australia in October

[FizzyPink]

Hi everyone.

My friend is getting married at the end of October in Caberita beach near Brisbane and I’m keen to make a 2-3 week holiday of it and am utterly stuck on where to start.
Friends of ours are going to Melbourne following the wedding which I will do but I’m also keen to see Sydney/Byron Bay etc.

If anyone has good route suggestions, where to fly to/from I’d be most grateful. Happy to do a week either side of the wedding or two weeks following and I’ll be travelling alone if that makes a difference.

Thanks :)

I would do NSW if I were you. Byron bay is hip. Blue mountains are also great but often over looked. Skype is nice if a bit crowded. But Australian cities have little to offer (apart from food) to be honest. I would do a week max in Sydney. Hunter valley is good if you are keen on wine.

Alternatively the area around cairns is very interesting ((but very under developed).

You could fly into Cairns travel down the coast doing the whitsundays, Byron bay, blue mountains etc. Stop for the wedding en route. Fly home out of Sydney.

October the weather will be perfect too. Springtime.

The drive from Brisbane to Sydney (either inland or by coast) is lovely and you’ll see some great places on the way.

I disagree with PP on Australian cities - but 3-4 days in each would do it.

I’d fly into Brisbane a couple of days before the wedding, get over your jet lag and wander round a bit, then hire a car and drive to Sydney (stopping once or twice on the way for the night), then two or three nights in Sydney (more if you can squeeze in the Blue Mountains), then fly to Melbourne for the rest of the time.

Perfect time of year to go!

Love that idea @JassyRadlett

I think my friends were planning to go straight to Melbourne following the wedding as they’re quite precious about annual leave but hopefully I can persuade them to have a bit of a road trip first!

Fraser Island and the Whitsundays are amazing and, in my opinion, unmissable - have a google!

Actually thinking about it would this work -

• Fly to Sydney, few days there
• Drive to Brisbane via Fraser Island, Whitsundays, Byron Bay
• Wedding
• Fly to Melbourne
• Few days in Melbourne
• Fly home

Just bear in mind that the Whitsundays are about 12 hours’ non-stop drive north of Brisbane

Fraser is about halfway between and is amazing. Whitsundays are brilliant but I’d fly, not drive.

Some people should maybe have a look at a map before making itinerary suggestions...

Melbourne will be cold in October. Sydney could be cold so be ready to include all weather options. We have lived in Sydney for the last 4 years. Some Octobers were great, others were wet and miserable.

I wouldn't spend more than 3 days in Melbourne, and make sure to have super warm clothes if you plan on going to see the penguins at St. Kilda.
Sydney has a wider experience to offer. You might even see the last whale migration in Palm Beach or Collaroy

Goldcoast, Noosa are also options to include and not very far from Byron Bay (at least for Australian standards!) . All depends what you want to do.

Australia is not cheap, and if found accommodation to be limited compared to Europe. Also driving to places takes a lot longer than a similar distance in Europe. Motorways are a lot slower and you should avoid driving at night because of animals on the road. Don't estimate a journey time based on km, but check on google maps. It can easily take you more than 4 hours to do less than 200km.

@Turnedouttoes - apart from Byron Bay - none of your 'on the way to Brisbane' places, are actually on the way from Sydney to Brisbane

How about driving from Sydney to Brisbane via places like: Central Coast, Port Macquarie, Nelson Bay area or head inland via places like Armidale - there is a lovely route called the Waterfall Way

Or give Sydney a miss completely (it's not mandatory!) and head up the coast from Brisbane and then to Melbourne. Or skip Sydney AND Melbourne and just spend your time in places like the Whitsundays or Cairns and Port Douglas.

Some of the itineraries being suggested here involve huge amounts of driving (multiple days). I've done Sydney to Townsville by car and wouldn't recommend it. Lots of the towns on the way are tiny too, with nothing to see or do