Australia - once in a lifetime trip. Tips please!

[MrsMigginsCat]

After an unexpected windfall, DH and I are going to Oz for just over 3 weeks in October. The itinerary is already set - we've used a travel consultant so all hotels and internal flights are booked - we have 4 nights in Melbourne, 4 nights in Adelaide, 2 nights in Alice Springs, 2 nights at Uluru, 4 nights in Cairns and 6 nights in Sydney.

We've got a few things we definitely want to do; DH wants to climb Sydney Harbour Bridge - I'm not keen on edges, so I'll watch from a cafe below! A trip to Fitzroy Island and/or the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns to Kuranda on the Scenic Railway so I can cuddle a koala at the Koala Gardens and we already have a sunset BBQ booked for Uluru. I'm a bit of a history buff, so any must see museums are right up my street. We're into nice, but not wildly expensive restaurants, live music bars and good coffee.

All recommendations welcome to help with the planning!

That sounds like an amazing trip! I'm so jealous.

When in Cairns, consider:

-going to Port Douglas, it’s a lovely little town! However if you’re short of time, prioritise the sites of natural beauty because -wow!

• mossman gorge is lovely and there is the opportunity to learn about the indigenous population too

-cape tribulation may be too far… but it’s where 2 natural wonders of the world (daintree rainforest and Great Barrier Reef) come together and it’s lovely

You’re already covered Fitzroy island, kuranda and the GBR. Sitting in the sun having a glass of white wine in kuranda is one of the memories I have of being just randomly happy just because I hope Australia has the same effect on you and you have a wonderful trip!

Also look out of the window on the flight into cairns. It’s like flying over a lush green carpet!

Stay outside of Cairns like Palm Cove or Port Douglas

The zoo in Sydney is great - even for just adults

I absolutely adored the Whitsunday Islands which are near Cairns. White sands and crystal clear waters. Your trip sounds fabulous!

Where ever you go the food and wine is divine, even if your just grabbing something in a food court. Don’t be afraid to try new things, Australia has a wide selection of cuisines.

Personally one of my favourite memories was doing a cruise on Sydney harbour. I did some island trips from the Gold Coast but can’t remember the names. I’ve always dream of going to the Whitt Sunday islands.

Gonna be honest here, reckon you could skip Adelaide. I'm sure other people love it but I think other parts are far more interesting and beautiful.

The Surry Hills area of Sydney is amazing for restaurants and bars. Eating out isn't cheap but the quality is normally excellent.
Second Taronda zoo in Sydney if only for the amazing location.

We’re planning on going in 2023 - which travel consultant have you used?

Immigration museum in Adelaide is amazing and moving. All the museums in Adelaide are free and brilliant.

Kuranda isn't that exciting and not as hippy as they make out.

You must go to the kangaroo sanctuary out Alice springs way you will never see anything like it.

When in Perth get out to the pinnacles.

I'm a bit surprised by the addition of Adelaide too. If it's not too late I'd swap it for Cairns/Port Douglas and do more of the things listed above with a couple of beach/pool days in between.

If you are firm on Adelaide, get out of town (because there is nothing exciting in town!). If you are wine buffs, a day trip around the Barossa Valley vineyards would be nice. Fleurieu Peninsula is gorgeous.

I'm in Melbourne which is a brilliant place to live but what you'd do as a tourist really depends on your interests. The Museum and the National Gallery are pretty good. It's definitely the place for cool cafes and bars, use Time Out or Broadsheet for recommendations close to where you're staying. Many international tourists do two big day trips - one along the Great Ocean Rd to the Twelve Apostles, and the other to Phillip Island to see fairy penguins come in at dusk. You could hire a car and do either on your own, more comfortable as an overnight trip IMO.

Also all the cities are nicer than Sydney. Melbourne and Adelaide and Perth and Brisbane are stunning.

Whitsunday islands are exquisite.

Also Fraser Island but perhaps too far to get to?

Oh and Alice Springs town itself might also leave you a bit flat, so another day trip might be in order. There will be tours out to Standley Chasm and other interesting geographical features with lots of indigenous history and culture mixed in.

Sounds fantastic - what ballpark figure does a trip like that cost?

Whitsundays and Fraser Island are amazing, you should absolutely try to get those in.

Alice Springs itself is crap so make sure it's just a base, do trips.

Sydney - if you don't want to do the bridge climb, you used to be able to go up one of the 'towers' at the end. It had a museum and you can look out of the top to get a good view of the harbour. Worth seeing if it's still a thing. Also take the ferry to manly, the beach in manly is great and it's a brilliant way to see the harbour without doing a full on harbour cruise.

Philip island 🐧

We qant to go (lower budget though) but can't risk it when testing positive there would ruin everything!

to the women's museum in Alice Springs - it's located in the old gaol and is fascinating - and those early pioneers were made of tough stuff. The misogyny even in the 90s totally gave me the rage though... The Flying Doctors museum there is also brilliant, you can sit in fully kitted out plane interior. Alice & Uluru in October will be scorching!

Whitsundays also get my vote.

Sydney - ferry over to Manly Beach; the cliff walk from Bronte to Bondi is gorgeous; Botanic Gardens are lovely to wander through and free; the Maritime museum was good if you like ships etc; Hyde Park Barracks was terrific - all about convict history; maybe take in a concert at the Opera House?

I did a month in Australia for my trip of a lifetime 12 years ago…

Personally I think you’ve got a few too many days in Sydney - it’s a cool city around a spectacular harbour but you don’t have to go as far as Australia for a cool city. If I were you I’d be prioritising the amazing beauty of the country over the cities (because we have cities) and have a night up in the blue mountains which would be great. But maybe you’re more of a city person than me. It would I’m sure be easy to do day trips into the blue mountains from Sydney too.

I’d also add in the Cairns/Port Douglas experience.

You’ll have a great time though!

(We did cairns - Sydney - then drove to Melbourne over a week of sightseeing, including the Great Ocean Road - then Tasmania - then Melbourne).

I'd swap Adelaide out for Tasmania inside. Tassie is just amazing!

I second the recommendation for Great Ocean Road. You can do it as a day trip in a small guided group - long day but saves you all the driving and means you get to stop at all the key points. I did this the first time I went to Melbourne and then when I went back, I hired a car and did it myself over 3 days. It was one of my most memorable experiences in Aus. Most memorable experiences ever actually.

Also second the recommendation for the penguins at Phillip Island. I hate tourist stuff with a passion but this was worth it. So memorable. I did the tour with a ranger. And again, I went back next time I was in Melbourne and did it again. It's mesmerising. I am still obsessed with those penguins (I watch them live in their burrows on an app...sad I know!)

I did a great coffee tour in Melbourne. Me, the guide and 2 locals. We went to some great tucked-away places, stupendous coffee (even by Melbourne standards). And I got excellent food recommendations from the locals too.

Sorry, I am addicted to Melbourne. I used to live in Asia so went to Australia a lot (that's my excuse).

Still in/near Melbourne (sorry!), you can combine a visit to Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary with some wine tasting in the Yarra Valley. Or some wine tasting on the Mornington Peninsula if you're heading to see the penguins.

I'm less of a Sydney fan but visiting the Blue Mountains was fabulous. And of course the classic Opera House-Harbour Bridge view. Friends live in Manly and rave about it (but I haven't visited them there yet due to Covid - and before then because I was sulking that they'd left Melbourne lol).

Uluru was somewhere I didn't really want to visit. Back to that hatred of tourist stuff. I remember seeing it out of my plane window and thinking ok, done it, let's not bother landing. But actually it blew my mind! Standing watching the sunset with a glass of champagne in your hand and good company, that was a good start. And it just got better. I was there for 3 days/2 nights and that felt exactly right. Dawn at Kata Tjuta is also incredible. It's worth the early starts (and the long drop toilet experiences lol).

Shame you won't be in Melbourne for the F1 Grand Prix though.

You'll have an amazing time. and the memories will stay with you forever.

Another vote for tasmania .

Yes Tasmania !

In my experience, too many days in Sydney and not enough in Cairns. The rest is great. When we went, we made sure we had a day pre booked, and then a day for exploring- don’t plan too much. You’ll have an amazing time!

Whitsunday islands are out of this world.