Australia - must dos

[Ukka]

I have managed to get a great deal to Melbourne and fly out of Sydney for February next year. I know it’s quite far away but I literally have no idea where to start when it comes to planning! I’m going for 16 days

What do you recommend to visit in Australia? I want to see wildlife, natural beauty and recommendations for what to do in Sydney/Melbourne. Thanks!

From your Melbourne base, the best place to visit for wildlife is Healesville Sanctuary. You could combine this with a half-day wine tasting in the Yarra Valley if you like wine as they're near each other.

Also from Melbourne, take a trip to Philip Island for the 'penguin parade'. Sounds touristy but it's amazing! I hate tourist stuff but I always go to this when I'm in Melbourne as I love seeing the penguins so much. The first time I went, over 1,000 little penguins came in from the sea to their burrows. It's just incredible. Worth paying the extra for a ranger tour.

If you drive, you must do the Great Ocean Road drive (over 2-3 days) starting from Melbourne. It is stunningly beautiful. The first time I went on a small group day tour of the GOR (very long day but worth it) and the second time I hired a car and drove myself staying 2 nights along the way. It is still one of the most incredible experiences I've had in Australia. There's a reason why it's one of the world's most scenic road trips/drives. Driving along the GOR you'll most likely see wild kangaroos and koalas.

Melbourne is my most favourite city in Aus. Amazing coffee - I did a coffee tour (group of 4) one morning and it was so much fun and we went to some great coffee shops that would have been hard to find ourselves. I stay in either the CBD or St Kilda using AirBNBs (or with friends in Brighton until they moved to Sydney). Great cafe culture, very chilled city.

16 days is a reasonable time so you could fit in a weekend trip somewhere else in the middle if you fancy it. Like Uluru? Uluru for 2-3 days is the perfect amount of time. I thought it would be tourist hell and only really went because I felt I should see the rock. But OMG it was mesmorising. It blew me away. Just incredible.

As for Sydney, I'm less of a fan (the irony being that 2 weeks from now, I'll actually be in Sydney). But you have to visit the main attractions like the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge (you can do the bridge walk/climb even), get a ferry to Manly (my Melbourne friends moved to Manly so I will be spending a lot of time on this ferry in 2 weeks lol), visit the zoo, Darling Harbour, botanical gardens etc. Take a day trip (or longer) to the Blue Mountains, which are beautiful. Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley if you live wine.

(You may notice a theme in my trips - wildlife, scenery, nature, wine, food, coffee)

Lots for you to start Googling to see what you might like.

16 days is too long for Melbourne/Sydney. With that amount of time go north as well and fit in the reef and Daintree (1 day Karunda tour and a full day reef platform, 1 day Hartleys croc farm and general Daintree including Mossman Gorge if self-driving or whatever day tour including Hartley’s).

When in Sydney make sure to do a full day, prob overnight is best, in Blue Mountains. Easy to catch the train out from Sydney and then there is a self-tour hop on/hop off ‘explorer bus’ that does a circuit all day including major attractions. I’d also do a harbour cruise in Sydney, get fantastic views of the bridge/opera house that way whereas on land they are very blah.

I second Philip Island and penguin parade, that’s always great. GOR also worthwhile but really depends if you are comfortable driving longer distances or not (I say this as what Brits generally class as a long drive is pretty much a short drive for us🤣). .

I second the ferry to Manly and a Blue Mountains trip, also Taronga Zoo. Not been to Oz in 20 years though. Can I ask how you found a cheap flight deal, I'd love to visit again and take the kids!

From Melbourne Great Ocean Road, Philip Island for Koala Sanctuary & Penguins, bike tour. From Sydney Bridge Climb, Bondi Beach, bike tour, open bus tour and drive out Jervis Bay for a few nights and do a Dolphin & Whale watching cruise.

I loved Melbourne - wish we'd stayed longer.

We did a Melbourne by bike tour on the first day. Got to know about loads of great hidden bars and restaurants. Seems to be a thing in Melbourne to have great stuff with no sign outside.

We did the neighbours tour and old goal as well.

Philip Island was a nice trip, hired a car and stayed one night there.

We then flew to Cairns and did the Great Barrier Reef. Finally went to Sydney and flew home from there.

We had 3 weeks.
Sydney - major tourist bits (with kids)
Flew upto Cairns and had an amazing week based in Port Douglas from where we did the reef and rainforest.
Then flew to Uluru for a couple of nights, before going onto Melbourne (you've had loads of suggestions for the cities).

I think all 4 places might be too much for 2 weeks, so would suggest one of the Port Douglas or Uluru trips.
Port Douglas would be my top choice.

Totally agree about Phillip Island & the Penguins, and the Great Ocean Rd. When in Melbourne itself - go to the War Memorial. They have a ceremony there every day at 11am, re-enacting the Remembrance Day service. Very moving.

Sydney - we just hopped on the water ferries one day - saw loads of dolphins and is a great city to see from the water. DP did the Harbour bridge climb

In 16 days I would try to visit three places. If you are flying in/out of Melbourne you will want to spend some time in or around the city and some other places in Victoria.

Next I would definitely fly to Alice Springs to spend 3-4 days in the red centre. Aside from Alice itself, you can see the Olgas, Kings Canyone, and of course Uluru. The red desert is spectacular. There may be nothing there but that's the point really.

Then I would fly onto Cairns and spend some time in Queensland. Again - totally different environment, it's much more tropical. The most obvious attraction is the great barrier reef, but after that there is Atherton Tablelands, the Daintree or if you have enough time take a trip up to Cooktown. The road through the rainforest is amazing.

But that's just me. And that assumes you will be hiring a car. Depends what you want to see really. if surfing is your thing go to the Gold Coast. If you like cities go to Sydney, I thought it was much more interesting than Melbourne. Australia is a massive country and the options are endless.

First of all, how exciting!!!!

I third the Philip island trip, we loved it! Also the Yarra valley and Healesville were gorgeous and fab food.
we drove once from Sydney to Melbourne over a week and went to some amazing places including lakes entrance, Wilson’s prom etc, lots to see and do but if you’re by yourself maybe not!

as others have said you could do an internal flight to Alice springs, Uluru is incredible, the Olgas walk was fab and if they still do it, the sounds of silence dinner in the desert under the stars was unforgettable.

you could then fly to port Douglas and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and go to fainter/ cape tribulation, again amazing!

or another option is flying from Mel to Brisbane and going to noosa and Fraser Island. Fraser Island is stunning, you can stay overnight and Noosa is possibly one of my favourite places in the world! Amazing food, nice shops and lovely headland walk where we saw dolphins and koalas!

sorry don’t know whether I’ve helped at all!! Key is that wherever you go it will be wonderful!!!

Oh and sorry the great ocean drive was incredible, we loved port fairy!
we did the blue mountains on our honeymoon and loved it but went again a couple of years ago and weren’t as wowed. We drove from Sydney down to Huskisson booderee National park and Jarvis bay and the beaches are stunning. We saw lots of wildlife and it’s not too far. We came back the country way through kangaroo valley, Fitzroy falls, Bowral etc.

in Sydney the coogee to bondi walk is great and we loved the bridge climb. Australia is amazing! Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help!

All great advice! My concern is that Alice Springs will be too hot in February!

People suggesting Cairns/Port Douglas, OP is planning to travel in February so it will be the wet season still in these areas. Maybe not ideal (although still interesting) so @Ukka make sure you take this into account when you plan. In February, you're probably better off in NSW or Vic or even Tasmania unless you like the heat/rainy season. Saying that, it was 37 degrees in Sydney earlier this week (whereas parts of Tassie had snow) so the weather is all over the place right now (just like the UK weather is!). Also, same comment re February for the person who recommending whale watching. There won't be any whales to watch in February (OP will need to travel June - Nov if she wants to see whales in Australia).

I just noticed this thread on TripAdvisor that might also be of interest for you @Ukka as they are also going to Australia for the first time in February.

www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g255055-i120-k14309471-Australia_Virgins-Australia.html

Sydney Bridge Climb. Unless you don't like heights!

Queen Vic Market in Melbourne. A walk along the South Bank at dusk. Go out for breakfast! Get the circle tram. The Melbourne Museum is interesting and the Exhibition gardens are nice. You are spitting distance to Lygon St from there which is a bit touristy but worth a gelato and a wander. You'll be too early for footie season which is a shame. Yarra Valley is lovely. Tassie would make a nice side trip but depends on how you'd feel about driving maybe. If you go, fly. Don't get the ferry!

I'm not a huge fan of Sydney but the bridge climb is pretty cool.