Travel within Australia

[Kelly Jo]

I've just booked a flight for my boyfriend and me to Australia for 17 day's in March, It's our first time there. We have some friends who live in Sydney whom we intend to stay with for a few days when we arrive and four days when we leave. The other 10 days we was thinking that we might like to travel to another location. Neither my boyfriend or I want to do too much travelling what with a 23 hour flight there and back again I don't want to be too stressed with all the travelling I don't mind 1 (cheap) short flight but once I'm at the next location I don't want to travel around too much. We were thinking maybe Melbourne? Is there enough to do there for one week, are there nice beaches? � Any ideas where else might be nice?

[lafrancaise]

If I were you I'd go up to Cairns. There's lots to do up there and it'll be nice and warm. There's the Great Barrier Reef to explore on a platform out at sea as well as a morning hot air balloon ride, exploring the rainforest, seeing crocodiles.. Much more interesting than visiting a metropolitan city in my eyes when you're travelling so far. There's also the choice of going to Ayer's Rock from Cairns.
Hope you enjoy it.

[Pomp]

I haven't been to Melbourne for a long time but it is a large city, and therefore not that much different to other cities. If you're spending a week, or so in Sydney, then I would consider that I have done the city thing and look at doing some other things, which can only be done in Australia ie

I would consider doing some of the following:-
Ayers Rock / Uluru - which is about 3hr flight from Sydney. This is about a three day trip, once you have walked round / up Ayers Rock, seen it at sun rise / sunset. And had a seperate trip to The Olgas, this is probably only worthy of about 3 days.

The following are on the East Coast, running South to North:-

Brisbane - Byron Bay is a very nice beach and much nicer than Surfers Paradise, which is nearby. I would recommend Byron Bay. Brisbane is about an hour away by plane. You can swim in the sea here, but you have to be wary of swimming in the sea further north of here, due to jellyfish. Can't remember whether this is seasonal.

Fraser Island - Huge sand island, with some really nice scenery and things to see. Hire a car and drive round

Whistsunday Islands - Sail round these islands on a 3 day boat. Go snorkling / diving. Some really nice beaches.

Cairns - Go diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

Get a copy of Lonely Planet, and see which of the above are most interesting. After seeing Sydney, I would go and see somethings which are Australia specific, which you couldn't see anywhere else in the world.

[Buenchico]

Many people regard Perth as one of the wold's finest cities. It's the only place that you're likely to experience the 'real Australia'. For example, if you take a trip out to the spectacular Red Desert, you'll see kangaroos bounding across the road as soon as you leave the city boundary. (I once met a couple from Sydney, who had never seen a kangaroo up close until they were in their mid-fifties. In Perth they're regarded as a routine traffic hazard!).

Perth is a popular tourist city, so there's plenty to do but, if you just want to relax (or try some watersports), Freemantle (which is effectively a suburb of Perth) has some of the finest beaches in the world.

Admittedly Perth is a long way from anywhere - the distance to the nearest large town or city is about the same as London to North Africa - but its isolation provides it with a unique character and it's well worth the flight.

Chris

[Cathyhuns]

I would suggest a brief trip to Uluru. In March you will still be plagued by flies which will siginificantly affect your enjoyment of the trip. We flew in one day and left 2 days later which was more than enough.

We also did Cairns and the Barrier Reef which was wonderful. It's also worth considering taking the Kurunda railway up to Kurunda and then the cable car back down through the rainforest.