Where to start with Australia planning - cheaply!!

[Peony1985]

Possibly the worst time to ask in the middle of a fuel crisis but…
need to go and visit a family member in Sydney.Would like to see other places whilst over there but enjoying our stay is more important than ticking off a bucket lust.

No idea where to start looking. Do packages / cruises work out better than DUY ? When is cheapest to visit. I’ll get longer in the school summer holidays but can take time off up to November and the after January.
Any tips appreciated thanks.

I always DIY everything, wherever we go, because I then get exactly what I want and it's usually cheaper. I still like to have a guide book, rough guide or Lonely Planet and use that to plan what I'd really like to do. They usually have some suggested itineraries as a starting point. It doesn't hurt to chat to an expert though, but I wouldn't do this unless you are seriously considering booking with them. We have family in Australia, so we always go in August as our kids are in school and that's when we can take them for longest, but last year it rained endlessly in New South Wales and it's generally freezing inside their houses as they don't have central heating. Some houses have air conditioning that heats and might be a bit warmer. I would probably go March or November. Loads of amazing places to visit in Australia, I like the outback; Bungle Bungles, Kakadu both a huge contrast to anything you might see in Europe, but lots of more accessible and more populated places to see nearer the coast too.

Thank you.
I travel quite a lot and do DIY but I know what I’m doing in the US and in Europe. I know nothing about cheaper flights ( assuming Sydney and Melbourne are the cheapest hubs) or which route sightseeing gives best bang for the buck.

I’ve just had a look at flights and a cruise. If I went next week flights are £998 and a balcony cabin including drinks package is £1600 pp going to Melbourne Tasmania and around new Zealand for 11 days. I mean not very authentic but at £5000 for both of us it seemed a bargain to see a lot. I would stay with my friend in Sydney for a few days after.
I can’t actually go next week ( already booked holiday) but any other suggestions to good routes or bargains.

I go via LA with stopovers in Hawaii which is fun alternatively I’d go via Thailand or Singapore. November is normally cheap May is warm and cheap . My daughter lives in Sydney and loves Tasmania- personally I prefer going north to Brizzy or central to Uluru. The whitsundays are worth looking at and Perth / Bali is definitely on my list next visit.

I think £998 is a good price for flights, we usually end up in the £1500-£2000/person range in August. We usually transit via Singapore, we sometimes do open jaw tickets so transit through different Asian hubs on the way in and out, so last time Singapore on the way there and back via Tokyo. Thailand and Vietnam also are good route options. I have never done a cruise, so no idea on that, but there is quite a lot of sailing to be done between Australia and NZ, I can't imagine you actually would see that much. I am a big fan of Tasmania too, but maybe not in August. If you don't want to go inland I would probably hop my way up the East coast instead, something like Noosa, Fraser island and the Whitsundays. I think it might cost more than the cruise though.

Our son lives in Sydney, and we have visited now on a number of occasions. Have just returned from our latest trip where we visited Perth for the first time - absolutely loved it!

Like your idea of going 'the other way', and stopping in Hawaii - what airline do you use for that?

There's so much to see OP, but it's not a cheap country to visit!

Hi no you stop in LA ( it was Denver on the way back ) and then short hop to Hawaii so virgin / Hawaiian air there’s other us hubs you can do. I’ve also done Heathrow-la-Tahiti-Sydney which was immense but pricy.

not sure if I made it clear though the normal route is Heathrow/ LA/Sydney so 10 hours to LA then 13 to Sydney it’s a fab route. Sydney is my favourite city I’ve ever visited.

Just thinking about it if you’re looking at cruises the whale migration season peaks June / July and would be spectacular then

People are suggesting trips that are about 4000k miles away! Further than London to Egypt. Insanity. There is nothing around the Bungle Bungles apart from them. Are people actually thinking about how huge Australia is...and there is a lot of nothing in between places ?

If you are going to Sydney for family reasons then there is enough to make the NSW area quite interesting if you are there for a couple of weeks. Take ferries, visit different districts, walk on different beaches, go to the "bush".

I think what you have suggested is good. Tasmania is my favourite part of Australia so I'm biased. Sounds relatively good value too.

You can set things on flight scanner so it alerts you to cheaper flights. April used to be the cheapest time to fly- but that was if booked a few months beforehand.

One option you should look into, it flying direct from London to Perth (non stop), then getting an internal flight to Sydney. Jetstar and Virgin Aus fly that route. You can get cheaper flights with China Southern and China Eastern to Sydney, but do check their reviews. Personally, I refuse to fly with them over safety concerns and poor reviews.

West coast has some very sparse areas and very laid back. The East is much more built up and busier- in general. Depending on the time of year, you can swim with whale sharks off the West Aus coast. You can also see other whales on both East and West coasts- humpback/blue etc.

Jun, Jul, Aug is winter in the southern states but a good time to visit Uluru an parts of the north.https://www.wexas.com/travel-article/where-to-go-to-in-australia-season-by-season

Remember that its are large as Europe, so some parts will be skiing, whilst others will have heat and surfing- one the same day!