Australia trip

[Summersoul]

We are planning to do Australia next summer. We have never been long haul before mainly just Europe so its a big trip, once in a lifetime kind of thing. Does anyone have any advice on where to go? It will be next July for 3 weeks and we need to factor in Sydney to see family in the Blue Mountains. Which airlines are best? Is a few days in Singapore on the way out a good idea? Where to stop on the way back? Il have my MIL DH and my girls 17 and 15 any guidance very welcome

It is bloody cold in July. And miserable. I would do sydney and the blue mountains, then a week in cairns or the whitsundays, it will be mid 20s there and nice enough, but not really swimming weather (for Australians!).

We did 3.5 weeks last October. We flew into Melbourne via the LHR to Perth non stop flight, spent 5 nights there before flying to Adelaide for 3 nights. We then flew to Alice Springs for 2 nights, got a bus to Uluru for 2 nights. We then flew to Cairns for 4 nights before ending our trip in Sydney for 6 nights.

We did spend quite a lot of time in airports but it did mean that we were able to see quite a lot of Oz as it was a once in a lifetime trip.

3 weeks is fine, obviously longer is better but that is what we did and had an amazing time. The weather in Sydney / Blue Mountains that time of year isn't great so I would keep that to a minimum. We flew British Airways into Sydney and then up and back from Cairns using multi-city option, went via Singapore but we did not stopover as it would be taking time out of Australia.

We did Sydney just briefly to see breakfast with koalas on day at zoo, the bridge and boat and a quick trip to Blue Mountains saw kangaroos there but 10C, drove to Port Stephens there and did whale watching and saw about 150 whales and dolphins and got lucky that day as was about 20C. But most of holiday was spend in Queensland due to weather were it was around 27C , we went in August. Stayed at Lumholtz Lodge were the lady rescues tree kangaroos and there were saw tree kangaroos, possum, pademelon, bettong and she told us where to find platypus and cassowary so we saw those as well. Stayed in a treehouse with wallabies, possum, pademelon etc by there too Canopy Treehouses. Then Seastar Great Barrier Reef trip saw reef and turtles on a small boat. Daintree rainforest and saw crocodiles. Kuranda as well. Wonderful trip and good time for Great barrier reef. Wish we'ld had time to do Magnetic Island and see koalas there but a bit tight of time for that.

Agree with most. I wouldn't use up time with staying anywhere on way or way back.
If you need to be in Sydney and the Blue Mountains, I would add 3 days in Cairns to go out to the Great Barrier Reef. Absolute must see place. Just incredible. As this is a 'once in a lifetime trip' then you have to include one of the Wonders of the World while you are there.

But you won't really have time for much else.

Singapore Airlines are great.

Have a fab time

When I went I asked on Australia TripAdvisor and they were great, lots of Australians and some regular visitors who planned the whole trip. Do check the weather in places though - I would spend bulk of time in Queensland due to weather.

in 3 weeks I would spend one week around Sydney and the blue mountains. Fly to Gold Coast for theme parks, wouldn’t bother with Brisbane and then fly to Cairns for a week, hire a car and see Great Barrier Reef. There is lots to do in each place for at least a week. I think you can fly Cairns to Singapore. Have a lovely time.

We did trailfinders and it was brilliant. We had just under 4 weeks in Oz as we had stop over either end in Hong Kong, it was much cheaper that way.

We did cairns, Uluru, Sydney, blue mountains, then drove up the east coast stopping in differing places- port Stephens, Coffs harbour , Byron bay- ( although I didn't think that was worth a night!). Then ended up in Brisbane. Trailfinders sorted it all! Such a good holiday

Yes we did Brisbane due to having friends there but I wouldn't feel it necessary to visit again!!

definitely try to spend time in Queensland, it’ll be much warmer than Sydney and there’s plenty to do in and around either the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or further north somewhere like Cairns. We went to Cairns several years ago then hired a car and drove about an hour north to Port Douglas from where we went out to the Great Barrier Reef to snorkel, absolutely stunning. There’s also the Daintree rain forest and Kuranda to visit.
Noosa, which is a bit north of Brisbane, is a really pretty town with gorgeous beaches and then south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast and Sunshine coast for beaches and theme parks.

with just 3 weeks, I wouldn’t do a stopover anywhere but agree with the pp who mentioned Changi airport, it’s amazing and worth a few hours transit time there.

Few days in Singapore is always a good idea IMO. But it won't be summer there and will be freezing- partic the Blue mountains. Can you go heading towards the summer- November-december maybe?

We did the blue mountains in august and it was fine- we just wore a coat 🤣🤣

Oh and laughed at our friends who had emigrated and now think that 20 degrees is chilly 🙊

I did the reverse - walking around Sydney in July in a T shirt and cotton trousers (weather was in the low 20s) while everyone around me was wearing coats.

Yes when we were in Port Stephens in August it was 20C and sunny and Australians were questioning us on why we did not have coats on. Had to point out that would be almost a heatwave here. Blue Mountains was 10C, needed a coat, and Sydney was 14C and windy, Queensland was around 27C and sunny.

Definitely do the Queensland coast. Port Douglass and surroundings were my favourite bit.

Also, look at flying in and out of different cities.
We went into Sydney, and out of Melbourne (for the same price as a Sydney return). Then did internal flights to Cairns, Uluru and Melbourne.
We started quite a lot closer tho so went straight there.

Your choice of stop over is likely to determine, or at least limit, your airline.

I'm going to share our 3 weeks.

Singapore airlines hands down, worth the price.
We flew to the golden coast via Singapore 3 hour changeover.

Spent 2 week in Australia seeing relatives ( that's your Australia bit)

Then we flew back to Singapore 1 night and got the ferry to Bintan (Indonesia) having booked the banyan tree hotel and spent 5 nights relaxing and and chilling, eating amazing food, simply stunning.

Singapore is great for teens BTW if you can stay around orchard road or China town area.

Back to Singapore ferry (45 minutes) and home via 6 hours in Changi airport.

We were visiting friends and to be honest didn't love oz in the slightest, so we're super grateful we had added in the relax chill part at the end.

We were visiting friends and to be honest didn't love oz in the slightest, so we're super grateful we had added in the relax chill part at the end.

If you mean the Gold Coast when you say the golden coast then I'm not surprised you didn't love Australia. It's like coming to the UK and only going to Blackpool and then saying you don't know what the fuss about history is.

Gold Coast could be something you find in Miami or Las Vegas. It's much less representative of Qld than i.e Canungra or Montville or the Glasshouse Mountains.

When we went four four or so weeks we did something like:
1)flew with a short layout in Dubai to Perth
2) 5 or 6 days in Perth - beach and city, Fremantle, Rottness, kayaking and biking, vineyard hopping
3) fly to Melbourne and arrived late. Stayed in an airport hotel and picked up a car the next morning
5) great Ocean road for a few days
6) back to Melbourne for few nights. Did bike tour, explored the city etc
7) flew up to Airley beach - one night
8) cameraman tour of the whitsundays - three nights
9) Airley beach again - one night
10) flew down to Brisbane - drove Gold Coast, glasshouse mountains, Sunshine Coast, more ton island, explored the city - maybe five or six nights
11) flew down to Sydney and spent about six nights there

July is winter, so the southern states will be cold. Normally I'd suggest you spend some time in Melbourne, but the weather might not be the greatest. Maybe do what you need to do in Sydney, then head up to Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Noosa beach is a must just to see the beautiful sand and water. Farther north (Cairns, Port Douglas etc) is also stunning (and warm). If you've got the time (and money) Hamilton Island with a trip to Whitehaven is amazing. I love Oz...currently back in England on hols and seeing family, but looking forward to going back home. Re stop overs....I wouldn't bother, just get the journey over and done with. However, if you need to stopover, Singapore is lovely (factor in a trip to Sentosa Island).

Sorry typo on my part.

And yes I totally understand the Gold Coast not representing the whole of Australia, but having lived in Asia and having family and friends in Australia it really isn't our favourite place, that's why in my post I offered up the idea to the OP of a week in Indonesia potentially as another view point.

Please don't waste your precious holidays on the Gold Coast!

Sydney/Blue Mountains then up to Far North Queensland (Cairns or Port Douglas) for the reef OR the Red Centre (Uluru) depending on which you are more interested in.

I live in a different part of Australia and there are loads of places that are wonderful to see but those 3 are the absolute must sees of this country.

Hello from Australia.
It will be cold. A week in Sydney and the remainder in Queensland sounds good. The Gold Coast is nice, also look at far north at the Daintree forest and port Douglas. There are a few spots that aren’t great to visit at the moment like Alice Springs and Darwin. Just look in to that before you book.

I'm in Melbourne right now. It's a bit cold, rainy and windy this weekend. Everyone wearing coats and puffer jackets and it is dark at 5 pm. If you want a beach holiday go to Queensland.
I wouldn't do a stopover. Just push on through to Australia. I don't think stopovers help much with jetlag and just draws out the whole travel experience.

With 3 weeks if you’ve never been to Aus before I’d pick a few “highlights” of quintessentially Australian places very different from the UK. Here’s what I’d do - a week in Sydney/surrounds (and don’t underestimate how cold Sydney can be in winter) then fly to Cairns, hire a car and drive to Port Douglas. You can do Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforest from there. Don’t go to the Gold Coast it’s awful - theme parks and skyscrapers. Sunshine Coast (Noosa) is nice enough but I’d head further north to the tropics (Cairns is the gateway airport) in winter if you have limited time.

Then I’d fly from there direct to Uluru (skip Alice Springs) and spend some time exploring indigenous culture and the outback. It’s different to everywhere else on earth.

I would fly Singapore Airlines and have a couple of days in Singapore on the way over both to break the trip and see a different place. Singapore is an easy interesting place to spend a few days.

Also whichever airline you choose check what type of plane is used for the flight you’re contemplating and book one flown by an A380 if possible. It’s a much nicer experience.