Looking for some Australia holiday advice/sense check

How much carbon and other nasties will your trip be polluting the planet with?

Fly to Melbourne then across to Tasmania.

How much carbon and other nasties will your trip be polluting the planet with?

A lot more than cremating my dad.

Thanks for pointing that out though - I will look into offsetting it.

Don't underestimate the sheer size of the place if you're driving

I raced in Armidale, NSW in 2023. My travelling time from Edinburgh was less than the guy who drove down from Cairns. It took him 25hrs of driving just to get out of Queensland!

There's loads and loads of really nice places there but I would avoid the cities and the obvious tourist traps. Sydney for instance is fine, but a city is a city, go and see stuff you can't see elsewhere - the wildlife, the landscapes and the plants, even if you've no interest in plants it's so different it feels like being in a sci-fi film just wandering around. As does the sky, I know next to nothing about stars, I can recognise the plough and Orion here and that's about it, but it's totally different there, really weird, again like being on an alien world.

I went over the harbour bridge for example as I needed to to get somewhere, interesting as bridges go but found it much less interesting than the one in Arnham, which I made a special detour to see. Much better to just go somewhere pretty and off the beaten track and see what happens. I've been three times (Armidale and also Canberra twice, flew to Sydney all three times) and the things which stick in my mind are things like finding an echidna and it sitting on my foot to groom itself, which was really special or an emu trying to steal my lunch.

If you do have to go to Sydney I would definitely recommend Manly Surf School, excellent. Bondi is OK but I found the sea and tuition both much better in Manly.

Don't do the Perth route. Perth is barely Australian, and more like Brexity-Irony-free-Expats-on-Sea.

July and August will be terrific in Cairns and Townsville. The flooding, while awful, is because it's wet season. And FNQ (Far North Queensland) is a really wonderful and special part of the world. See the reef while you can.

The general cautions about the size of the place and the distance to get there are well-made and bear repeating.

If you didn't have family there and you have been already, I would suggest skipping Sydney.

If you do go to Sydney from Brisbane, I'd suggest driving down instead of flying - maybe going inland instead of by the coast, which is controversial; stopping in the Hunter Valley for your wine experience; drop car in Sydney; and skip skiing entirely.

This is based on my prejudices that: skiing is fine if you get lucky with the snow and you're going on a short trip - but anything longer you go to to Japan or NZ anyway. Don't go to Switzerland for beaches, don't go to Australia for skiing... Even if the flight is only 1-2 hours you basically lose a whole useful day when travelling with kids (yours might be less hassle than mine). Flight costs add up even when theyre LCCs. NSW coast is beautiful but you'll have just done coast time in the Whitsundays. The inland NSW towns and countryside are pretty and weird and have lovely places to stay. And you don't want to overstuff your itinerary so you're just thrashing around all over...

If you haven't been there before leave plenty of time to look around Singapore, very nice city, lots to see and do, very safe, nice helpful people.

We drove down the Princes Highway from Sydney to Melbourne, very nice and did it over 10 days, not sure about doing that with 3 kids in the car though.

Don't get sucked into too much travelling and not enough seeing/doing, leave plenty of time at your stopovers for doing/seeing stuff.

1hr stop over on the way out is harsh, I'd be looking at 3 days stopover in Singapore and maybe another SE Asia destination if possible (Bangkok or Malaysia).
Why go all that way and miss out on visiting two amazing SE Asian cities that are safe, have amazing food, people, food, culture, weather, food...

less is more, the last time i flew down under, A380 dubai to sydney, i got there early morning, went to manly to dump our bags at hotel, 8am ish, they said room was ready, which was amazing, went and got a shower, had planned to have a wander around and sit on bech / cades, instead  sat on the bed, rested ours for head for 5 mins, and woke up 8 hours later. :0)

fraser island is great if you can fit it in, been a few times. whitsundays is worth a few days sale trip

book in some rest days

if you havent booked the flights, passenger duty is going up considerably from April25, so may be an advantage to book now, if its not already priced in

and enjoy.. dont worry about your carbon footprint, that plane is flying there with or with out you..

Obvious thing is that you're missing out on Melbourne which is a brilliant city. I'd also argue that you're travelling a long way to miss New Zealand that is a vastly better country than Australia but that's not really helpful.

As others have said, it's a huge country and travel times are massive, even with flights.

Sydney Harbour bridge is great I used to walk across it every day to get to work. Melbourne is a much better city to live in but Sydney is better for the tourist thing. Manly ferry is a very nice cruise and a lot cheaper than a tourist cruise. If you fly straight over check out getting a shower at Singapore airport it makes the journey a bit nicer.

Definitely don't do Melbourne in July. I'd probably not try skiing either as it's a bit hit or miss. Not a fan of Sydney but can't deny that the Manly ferry and the opera house are spectacular. So, I suppose I'd spend most time in QLD and just explore it thoroughly. There are great hikes inland of Brisbane. Never been to FNQ (only to Townsville, which I'd not recommend staying in), but it sounds great. There's mountain biking in the Atherton Tablelands, Indigenous guiding the Daintree etc. Depends on how long you've got - three weeks would fly by.

Getting there, I like the London to Perth direct route but it's more expensive. Singapore is a good stop but I'd allow more than 1hr if changing planes (less stress). Talking of expensive, be aware that prices in Australia are higher than ever and budget for that...

Ignore the haters, Sydney is a great city (consistently in the top 5 best places to live globally) - would be happy to do you a "local's" itinerary for however long you are here.  It's super-dependent on weather though:  as has just been demonstrated in Queensland, when it rains here, it REALLY rains - it's the same in Sydney: there is no such thing as drizzle.  September is the sweet spot for Sydney.

Don't bother with Canberra (freezing shithole in August), or skiing (crap if you are used to European resorts, and pretty unreliable snow-wise).

I really liked Cairns - depending on how long you have there, it's a great place to explore the reefs and forests.  I would maximise that phase of your trip - although I notice you are going to Brissie - we stay at a place called Perigian Beach when we go up there.  It's an hour and a half from Brisbane, but that whole area (which includes Noosa/noosaville) is great for beaches.  The sea will be pretty chilly that time of year though..... not like Devon-cold, but you'll need a 2mm wetsuit for surfing.

1 hour is not long enough for a transfer, even in Singapore - just missed my 2.5 hour connection in Dubai because of a late departure from the UK - one hour is insanity.

For car hire, my go-to is "east coast car rentals" - I've used them loads - they are consistently the cheapest and the most pleasant to deal with.  Make sure you book with them direct - particularly if to are doing a point-A-to-point-B rental.  Apparently people have an issue with that when booking through a third party.  I've always booked direct and have always had a very positive experience.  In Sydney, "no-birds" car hire is pretty good, or you can just get Ubers/public transport, depending on where you are staying/what you are doing

Oh.... and bring lots of money.  Although having just been to the UK for Christmas - you're not that far behind anymore with cost of living!

Edit:

only to Townsville, which I’d not recommend staying in

Yeah, nah.  Townsville is best avoided IMO.

Talking of expensive, be aware that prices in Australia are higher than ever and budget for that…

Agreed – we had family back over in the UK (they have lived near Surfer's Paradise for the last ten years) and they couldn't believe how cheap the UK is compared to Australia now.

You'll have an epic time wherever. But it depends what you value IMO. Personally I'd be avoiding the big cities as they're not very interesting to me. There's enough bush to last you a lifetime though.

Cairns will be hot AF but slightly less than the rest of the year and also less humid. The city is small and you can't get in the sea. Probably the best time to go though. I'd be heading to see the Daintree rainforest.

Whitsundays will be splendid.

Townsville? I've had to go there a few times for work...definitely not somewhere anyone chooses to visit unless they're in the army.

Brissy is alright. Very clean. Much bigger than you'd expect because of the traditional 1/4 acre property. It goes on forever.

From Noosa to Eden is about 1500km of mostly beautiful coastline that will blow you away. Wandering around between that and the Great Dividing Range would be great.

Sydney is in the middle. Obviously scenic...and has a bridge and stuff.

I've lived in Melbourne. I'm glad I tried it. Gladder I left. It's flat and it's up itself. It has good entertainment but I think that's needed because the natural environment is less impressive than Sydney.

Hobart is my favourite city of all. But if you're seeking sun Tassie is surprisingly cold in winter because the housing is so bad. When I lived there I met people from Munich that said they'd never been so cold. But I do love Tassie.

Thanks for the advice folks.

In no particular order, friends who've emigrated said the short stop in Singapore is not really worse than a 2 day break, then resuming the journey.

Me and her have done Singapore and there's not masses to do, so we thought get out there and break the journey on the way back.

Thought about Malaysia but the flights onwards are to Sydney, and that seems a bit backwards. Was what I was told about weather there correct? (July rubbish, August better?)

Don't really fancy Dubai (plus, July).

Brisbane is definite. Sydney may not be, but as Mrs_s said it's a must-do for the kids. And when me and her went, we didn't do the bridge and it's a bucket list thing for me. Also, might be nippy to get in the water at Manly!

We got to see some ostriches and wallabies care of her family, so hoping to do that again in the wild.

NZ would be great, but she can't get long enough off work.

Noted about skiing. It was a quirky idea from me

"What did you do when you went to Aus?"

"Skiing'. ?

Sounds like the Cairns-Whitsunday bit is worth it. Whitsundays have to be in there, as when I first thought about this last year and googled a picture I cried buckets! That's got to mean something.

Perth is barely Australian

Once had to ring the law in Perth for work related reasons. The person who answered the phone and both police officers I spoke to were all from the north of England.

Oh…. and bring lots of money.  Although having just been to the UK for Christmas – you’re not that far behind anymore with cost of living!

I agree. Looking at prices for accommodation etc in the UK it's more expensive than here or Italy. I don't buy any bike parts from the UK now as they're consistently cheaper here.

And while it seems expensive here our wages are generally higher.

Will people stop talking about the bloody Whitsundays! When we were over there back in 2019, we got to Airlie Beach and even got as far as booking boat trips out to the islands then a massive storm struck and we were stuck there for five days before we could fly back out (by then we had run out of time to visit the islands).

Agreed – we had family back over in the UK (they have lived near Surfer’s Paradise for the last ten years) and they couldn’t believe how cheap the UK is compared to Australia now.

It's always been a difficult comparison.  Houses: Much cheaper in the UK.  Petrol:  Much cheaper in Australia.  Electricity:  Much cheaper in Australia.  Public transport:  Much cheaper in Australia (ridiculously so).  Eating out:  Much cheaper in Australia.  Parking:  much cheaper in the UK.  I would say supermarket prices are cheaper in the UK for sure.

My advice is just not to look at how much anything costs, just boop your card and deal with it later

Eating out:  Much cheaper in Australia.

Ahh true - that's one thing they said was significantly cheaper back in Oz. The kids pretty much emptied the local Sports Direct though - they are both into branded sportswear and they were blown away by how cheap it is here.

In no particular order, friends who’ve emigrated said the short stop in Singapore is not really worse than a 2 day break, then resuming the journey.

Yeah - whenever I fly (even with the kids: 6 and 8) we don't do a stopover.  It feels like you are just extending the journey - I just want to get where I'm going.

Singapore is a good choice - Malaysian airlines is pretty shit in my experience, and I am slightly paranoid after they had 2 incidents within the space of a couple of months a few years back (I had flown with them just before that).

I used to like Cathy Pacific (HK), but I've flown with them recently and they seem to have downgraded all aspects of their service in an economy drive.  They were ok..... but there's not much there to recommend any more, and the HK-London leg seems to have got much longer now they have to divert around Ukraine - although this could just have been my imagination.

I've just flown with Emirates - they we also just "ok" - although Dubai Airport is obviously nice, and seems to be reliable for transfers.  Ethiad was ok - and codeshare with Virgin Australia I think?  They have also just rebuilt Abu-dhabi airport, which was horrendous previously - but now looks quite nice.

On the other end of the spectrum - my sister has just flown on Oman airlines.  Apparently they have a weird arrangement with Thai Airlines - so you stop in Muscat and Bangkok on the way here.  She went with them because you could get business at only slightly more than economy - although I don't know if they are still offering that route/discount.

I also flew "the wrong way" around once (via LA) - because HK airport was closed for the only time in its history  - I wouldn't recommend that, even though its not much longer in the air.

they are both into branded sportswear

Ah.... eshays 🙂

Yeah.  My observation is that there is a far greater range of prices for things in the UK - including budget options like sports Direct.  Here (at least in Sydney), similar items might range between X and Y dollars - but that range is much smaller than in the UK - and usually missing the lower end (ie: sports direct).  But I don't mind more expensive trainers if we don't have Mike Ashley

I also flew “the wrong way” around once (via LA) – because HK airport was closed for the only time in its history – I wouldn’t recommend that, even though its not much longer in the air.

Funnily enough, canadair came up on the flight comparison stuff last night and was cheaper by 2k ish. But, wrong way round and two connections made me discount it.

If you are in & out with Singapore Airlines for the transfer, even if late for the transfer they will wait (we actually landed 20mins after next flight was due to leave and still made connection).

Some of Cairns itself is a bit of a dump (visited 2024) , quite a few massage parlours etc but some great places to visit, I can highly recommend this particular trip to Green Island https://www.oceanfree.com.au/ Also train trip to Kuranda & Skyrail back - Kuranda is a bit of a tourist trap itself but worth a wander round still.

Hope you have a great time.

Townsville? I’ve had to go there a few times for work…definitely not somewhere anyone chooses to visit unless they’re in the army.

I spent four days there thirty years ago. It was to do a PADI course as it was recommended by someone who I had met in Darwin because the dive school visited some of the more remote reefs. The course and the diving were fantastic, Townsville much less so.

I spent two months in Australia Travelling from Darwin to Sydney Via Alice Springs and as far North as Cape Tribulation  all on the Greyhound bus network (!), For what it is worth as it was so long ago,the places I would go back to were Northern Queensland, the Whitsundays and Fraser Island. I saw all I wanted  in Sydney in a couple of days but then I am not a city person

Port Douglas is a possible alternative to Cairns

Manly nicer than Bondi

Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo might be worth a drive out

Noosa can get a bit hectic. nice and quieter waves at Happy Valley and Moffat's (but a 17yo has just been shark attacked at Woorim)

I did see a couple of kin big goannas at the Noosa nature reserve

Fraser Island is a good trip

I've always driven straight through Surfers' Paradise, looks ghastly, but Byron Bay can be nice when quiet

I wouldn't bother with Victoria (or Sydney)

Oh and the Numbeo app is good for price comparisons

Some of Cairns itself is a bit of a dump (visited 2024) , quite a few massage parlours etc but some great places to visit

Actually, massage parlours are, apparently, one thing Canberra is good for, I think because it's where the government ministers all hang they've got slightly different laws on it in the ACT?

No idea where to find coke though.

(but a 17yo has just been shark attacked at Woorim)

She was killed wasn't she?

I’ve always driven straight through Surfers’ Paradise, looks ghastly

I didn't mind it - we spent the best part of a month there but the Commonwealth Games were on so I guess they'd made a bit of an effort with it – I guess it could look a bit different at night on weekends, but we were staying with family (in Benowa) and didn't really sample the nightlife.

I don't get the hate for Sydney either – it has some great places to see and some of the buildings in the older parts of the city are wonderful (The Rocks).

+1 for Port Douglas. I'd tend to do that at the end of your journey as a chill out at the end of a frantic holiday. Hugely nicer than Cairns. I'd echo what others have said about Sydney vs Melbourne. Sydney is good for touristy stuff, Melbourne a bit better for living in (but I like going back there as I used to live there). I've got a few friends in and around Brisvegas. Quite a different place to Sydney and Melbourne. It's a shame you can't delay to September, the weather is on the up slope then.

Thanks everyone. Great tips in there. Quite a few places mentioned I'd seen advertised so having them name dropped on here is very useful.

Anyone got any tips about Whitsunday cruises? I realise this is going to be pricey! How long to go for, any recommended companies?

Id echo some of the thoughts above. I went about twenty years ago and toured around on my motorbike for a couple of months up the east coast to Cape York and then back round in a loop through the outback

I started in Sydney but although it is a impressive setting, it's still a city. For me the best parts of Australia were all the small provincial towns and hamlets, the bush, the dirt roads, miles of emptiness and the people you meet in the backcountry. I pretty soon made it my number one rule to never go on to my reserve fuel tank, and secondly to avoid like the plague any kind of tourist attraction. For every one that wants to take your money, there are 10 better ones round the corner for free

I did relent and go on a whitsunday cruise. At the last second before booking, I realised that 3 days on a mono hull could be sea sickness hell, and plumped for a trip on a catamaran. It was an experience, some people still go sea sick and I got to share the islands with loads of other punters on many other boats. Im sure there are different cruises but mine was aimed at the 18-30 age group so bear that in mind when booking.

I took a train from Brisbane to Sydney, it was a great experience. I took local buses for something to do of an afternoon, it was great to see areas completely off the beaten track. I got drunk in roadhouses with pig hunters, and slept it off under a tree listening to bees buzzing. I took a freighter from Sesia wharf, around cape york, and then to cairns. Went up to thursday island on a boat, caught fish in the gulf. Slept rough in the bush on my swag. I even managed four days of powder skiing down in the Snowy mountains, it was pure luck I was there at the right time. The resort was good though.

If I went back I would only really be looking at North Queensland, westwards to the NWT, gulf of carpentaria, maybe the Gibson.

You could hire a 4x4 camper and head north up the telegraph track, loads of companies do it and i guarantee youll remember it for ever

July is winter. It’s most likely going to be wet and windy.

Erm it's also the dry season in the tropics and sub tropics hence the suggestions to stay away from Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

South West Western Australia is also amazing but a bit awkward to get to if you are on the east coast.

Have a look at ana for flights,  we managed to get 3 business class returns for not a lot more than premium on emirates. Probably got lucky with timing though.

Sydney is nice but feels like a cross between London and vancouver to me.  We spent too much there but that was due to visiting family.

Whitsundays are lovely,  Noosa is worth a trip for the beaches too.

Don't bother trying to ski,  conditions are shit frequently and when we looked the price was insane

In Perth, I'm on about. It won't be dry at all in July.

The one hour transfer, has that actually been agreed by the airline or is it you just 'stitching' two flights together?

If the former, I'm surprised, but it's the airlines risk, if the latter, YOUR risk...

Ah the irony of not wanting to go to Perth because it's not Australian enough yet recommending 'im so European really Melbourne!' :p But as aphex says Perth and south will be wet in July. it's lovely that way but maybe not the Australia you are looking for. North would be good but it's a really really long way and you don't have long enough sadly.

Id agree with the people saying Queensland, probably the best pick at that time of year. Sydney is a pretty amazing city to visit as well. Tasmania is amazing but could well be a bit horrid in July albeit they actually understand winter down there unlike most of the mainland.

The one hour transfer, has that actually been agreed by the airline

Yes, remarkably. Apparently Singapore and Dubai are shit hot at linking flights.

I took a train from Brisbane to Sydney

Now, that's an idea! I've been working on the basis that every internal flight basically writes off a day wasted (travel to airport, 2 hour wait, fly, baggage, travel onwards...) so trains might be an answer.

Be warned that trains are very slow here though.

Don't disconnect Victoria. I lived and worked in Melbourne. Every weekend we went out and camped in different parks. Victoria has everything from good surf, mountains with snow gums, temperate rain forest (a bit like tropical rain forest but you sweat less and there are less nasty things), edge of desert stuff. Fabulous, I loved it.

Yep Victoria has much to offer, I lived in Sale for a year, but the weather and sea temp need to be taken into account. I felt I always had to do a lot of driving about, down to Phillip Island, up to Mt Hotham, right across Melbourne to Bell's and Johanna, all in different directions. Queensland is easier because of the weather and it all seemed a bit more accessible and the sea is warm.

Budget dependent, obviously, but Lady Elliot Island ( https://ladyelliot.com.au/) is a cracking getaway spot on the east coast, at the southern end of the barrier reef . Small cabin eco resort style place, birds everywhere, couple of hundred people max. I've done the day trip (short flight from Bundaberg/Hervey Bay) and stopped on there for a few nights. Its pricey upfront, but includes breakfast and dinner every day, with a paid for buffet or bar menu available for lunch. I think in winter the mantas return, and you can hear the whale song while snorkelling off the beaches.

Yes, remarkably. Apparently Singapore and Dubai are shit hot at linking flights.

I flew with Singapore Airlines to Sydney.

Went London-Singapore-KL-Singapore-Sydney going out as I need to work in all 3 places and then just Sydney-Singapore-London coming home.  Upgraded to 1st Class all the way too as they couldn't get me Business Class on the Singapore-Sydney leg 🙂

Buggy across the airport too, straight from the lounge to the gate.

If Singapore are accepting it, crack on - but just understand though that it doesn't mean you'll make the transfer, just that worse-case they'll 'honour' a later flight.

@Rich_s

will the Cairns area be fixed by then?

I lived in North Qld for 30+ years. The infrastructure is built to take the weather. I've sat out at least 10 cyclones, and the State Emergency Services have got things back to normal in no time.

The current bad weather will be almost as if it didn't happen by the time a few weeks have passed. The locals just shrug that sort of thing off.

Cairns is an ideal base because you have access to the outback and it's closer to the Great Barrier Reef. Any time the weather seems too hot, you just nip up to the Tablelands and it's much cooler, but still as sunny.

Ah, that's good to hear. Cairns is just the starting point tbh, but everyone here is saying such nice things about the area I think we may look at stopping and acclimatising for a few days before travelling southwards.

If you can the area around Daintree is great, rain forest and the like. North of Cairns

There are so many amazing areas up there that are completely overlooked and never promoted. No tourists either.

Every time I filled up with fuel, I used to ask the person in the garage what was good to look at for a visitor. It never let me down, they always said oh mate, you wanna go and have a look here or such like. Gorges, rain forest, crocs, Swimming across a river to look at painted caves, termite mounds, fruit bats, massive nodes of copper and crystal. Couple of times I got directed to some incredible look out point where you could see for miles up the coast or across forested valleys. Just got my bivi bag out and slept on the viewpoint, happy days

Several times I camped by a pub in a tiny village, have a few drinks then they would ask if I need a feed - no worries mate, we;ll sort you some grub. Cue delicious meal and another beer.

Some of the incidental stuff is great - I remember walking to a bar from my tent one evening, it was on the front behind the beach.  An A frame chalk board was tied to a post with the message 'CROC SEEN HERE TUESDAY', which kind of took me a moment to comprehend but it was pretty common in that neck of the woods.

If you pop in a roadhouse, no one will bat an eyelid if you have a cup of tea on a hot day, I loved that. I remember sitting under a veranda drinking a cuppa one afternoon, the radio was playing then on came Madness, It must be love. A brew, Madness, in a rainforest. Quality

Incidentally, the flooding is kind of expected. In the outback you come across bridges and the like in the middle of nowhere. It seems mad until you remeber the wet season and the amount of water that comes.

Also how else do the crocs get from the sea to the inland waterholes?!

I went to Australia to visit family about 15 years ago - stopover in Singapore, then Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane.

Australia - flat hot and racist. Singapore was abhorrent up tight consumerism. Once I'd realized I'd prefer a holiday in Scotland I vowed not to fly again and have stuck with it.

Was nice seeing family though.

In your position I reckon I'd go for the following:

In to Cairns, Whitsundays, Brisbane for the family stuff. Get your hot weather/beach/deadly animal shit done here.

Fly to Hobart, do a lap of Tasmania over a couple of weeks. The place is small by Aus standards, pretty varied environmentally and stunning. Culturally it feels like going back in time, but in a good way. Granted it will be relatively cold.

Ferry back to Melbourne, time in and around the city, then home.

I would avoid trying to cram too much in because you could spend a quarter of your holiday in airports.

Have been to Aus 7 times now, my folks live in a place called Jervis Bay, which is on the south coast of NSW. That's an incredible place, whales, dolphins, stingrays in the bay. Was there last July and it was low 20s most days, perfect for me.

Australia – flat hot and racist

I know the history is pretty bad, bu the only racist I've encountered on my three trips there was the taxi driver taking me back to the aiport on my first trip. He had a lot to say about immigrants.

Which was odd for a white guy in Oz...

The obvious problem with coming to NSW or Victoria in Winter is all the really good mountain bike areas are closed because of the Ski season (Thredbo, Falls Creek, Buller etc) and it might be a bit chilly in Tassie.  I'm surprised no-one has suggested the NSW north coast - from Coffs Harbour Down to Newcastle there are so many great little towns and beaches to stop at.  Newcastle itself is worth a look too with some amazing beaches good bars and restaurants (I lived there for 10 years so a little biased).  I also don't get all the hate for Melbourne -it's a bit like a hipster version of Glasgow.  Great location, night life, museums, restaurants, public transport and a couple of hours drive down to the surf coast to Torquay, Anglesey, Bells Beach and Lorne.

For Cairns, we did white water rafting on the Tully river which I'd highly recommend (you might have to check if there's an age restriction I don't recall any children)

Sydney, as others have said, northern beaches (Manly upwards) are much nicer than Bondi. Palm Beach was really nice, but Curl Curl, Dee Why, Manly etc are all good (eldest sister lives in Collaroy). A day trip out to the Blue Mountains. 

One year we spent a week driving from Sydney to Surfers Paradise for Christmas and stayed on some fantastic beach campsites on route.

Posted by: hugorune

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I also don't get all the hate for Melbourne -it's a bit like a hipster version of Glasgow.

I wouldn't fly to the other side of the world to visit the hipster version of Glasgow!

Again, thanks everyone for the input. I am monitoring everything!

SWMBO announced two days ago, when my finger was poised on the button to buy flights, that she's "always wanted to go to Bali". Cue a day's worth of running around trying to make it fit.

Anyway, Melbourne isn't an option. We need to be Brisbane and Sydney is a good idea for various reasons. I know it'll be chilly, but not cold there. 

Kids have asked about going to Bondi but we know from last time that the locals are at Manly etc. What will the water be like north of Sydney? Just wondering whether to train from Brisbane and stop off en route?

I need to defend Melbourne in this... I lived in Sydney for many years and will retire back Down Under. Melbourne is the top of the consideration list.

Sydney is great as a tourist, but there is nothing that would make me live there again. Melbourne on the other hand - it's beautiful and civilised and easy and all the good things. It has a distinctive character, whereas Sydney would be an anonymous city without the harbour. 

Sydney is shiny, shallow and vacuous. The pretty blond everyone wants to take home. 

Melbourne is enigmatic, warm, interesting. The sultry brunette everyone wants to marry. 

Posted by: Rich_s

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What will the water be like north of Sydney? Just wondering whether to train from Brisbane and stop off en route?

There's one train a day from Brisbane to Sydney, dep 0600. It's a slow and unreliable ancient 125. The only place you could stop realistically without needing to hire another car would be Coffs Harbour, which is not the nicest place in that 1000km strip.

If you've already rented a car in Brisbane, keep it to drive to Sydney. It'll give you more flexibility, will be cheaper, and will let you stop off at tiny beach towns along the way...

...imvho.

Posted by: Rich_s

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What will the water be like north of Sydney? Just wondering whether to train from Brisbane and stop off en route?

There's one train a day from Brisbane to Sydney, dep 0600. It's a slow and unreliable ancient 125. The only place you could stop realistically without needing to hire another car would be Coffs Harbour, which is not the nicest place in that 1000km strip.

If you've already rented a car in Brisbane, keep it to drive to Sydney. It'll give you more flexibility, will be cheaper, and will let you stop off at tiny beach towns along the way...

...imvho.

Posted by: Rich_s

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What will the water be like north of Sydney? Just wondering whether to train from Brisbane and stop off en route?

There's one train a day from Brisbane to Sydney, dep 0600. It's a slow and unreliable ancient 125. The only place you could stop realistically without needing to hire another car would be Coffs Harbour, which is not the nicest place in that 1000km strip.

If you've already rented a car in Brisbane, keep it to drive to Sydney. It'll give you more flexibility, will be cheaper, and will let you stop off at tiny beach towns along the way...

...imvho.

Hahaha...I lived in Melbourne a d there's nothing that would make me live there again. It's flat. It's grey. It doesn't even have the ferry to Devonport any more.

Swimming in the Ocean in Sydney and north New South Wales in July will be a little bracing - but no worse than the North Sea in Summer 🙂  I'd recommend getting your photos at the Bondi Lifeguard hut then piss off to a nice beach like Coogee about 5kms further south.  Manly is OK but a pain in the ass to get to by road - the ferry trip out there from Circular Quay is pretty cool though and there is a sea life centre and a few other things once you get there.  The Gold Coast is worth avoiding unless you like strip bars, casinos and tower blocks but if you head south a few kms you get to Tweed heads, Kingscliff and Cabarita beaches which are definitely worth stopping for.  Heading north of Brisbane, the Sunshine coast is definitely worth a visit - Noosa and Mooloolaba are both great little towns with beautiful beaches.  

Swimming in the Ocean in Sydney and north New South Wales in July will be a little bracing - but no worse than the North Sea in Summer 🙂  I'd recommend getting your photos at the Bondi Lifeguard hut then piss off to a nice beach like Coogee about 5kms further south.  Manly is OK but a pain in the ass to get to by road - the ferry trip out there from Circular Quay is pretty cool though and there is a sea life centre and a few other things once you get there.  The Gold Coast is worth avoiding unless you like strip bars, casinos and tower blocks but if you head south a few kms you get to Tweed heads, Kingscliff and Cabarita beaches which are definitely worth stopping for.  Heading north of Brisbane, the Sunshine coast is definitely worth a visit - Noosa and Mooloolaba are both great little towns with beautiful beaches.  

Swimming in the Ocean in Sydney and north New South Wales in July will be a little bracing - but no worse than the North Sea in Summer 🙂  I'd recommend getting your photos at the Bondi Lifeguard hut then piss off to a nice beach like Coogee about 5kms further south.  Manly is OK but a pain in the ass to get to by road - the ferry trip out there from Circular Quay is pretty cool though and there is a sea life centre and a few other things once you get there.  The Gold Coast is worth avoiding unless you like strip bars, casinos and tower blocks but if you head south a few kms you get to Tweed heads, Kingscliff and Cabarita beaches which are definitely worth stopping for.  Heading north of Brisbane, the Sunshine coast is definitely worth a visit - Noosa and Mooloolaba are both great little towns with beautiful beaches.  

Swimming in the Ocean in Sydney and north New South Wales in July will be a little bracing - but no worse than the North Sea in Summer 🙂  I'd recommend getting your photos at the Bondi Lifeguard hut then piss off to a nice beach like Coogee about 5kms further south.  Manly is OK but a pain in the ass to get to by road - the ferry trip out there from Circular Quay is pretty cool though and there is a sea life centre and a few other things once you get there.  The Gold Coast is worth avoiding unless you like strip bars, casinos and tower blocks but if you head south a few kms you get to Tweed heads, Kingscliff and Cabarita beaches which are definitely worth stopping for.  Heading north of Brisbane, the Sunshine coast is definitely worth a visit - Noosa and Mooloolaba are both great little towns with beautiful beaches.  

Posted by: hugorune

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Noosa and Mooloolaba are both great little towns with beautiful beaches.  

Noosa's pretty, but it has become a shopping strip overrun (by local standards) with tourists really. There's a good ferry trip you can do down the Noosa River - or if you're more adventurous overnight kayak trips up the river.

You'll also find the places between those places are often a bit quieter but also have brilliant beaches (if that's your cup of tea). But as I said in my first comment, it depends on what you value. I tend to avoid the coast in the more populated areas. Inland trips might be interesting if you like forests - Eungella up near Mackay, Bunya Mountains further south, Waterfall Way west of Grafton. Dorrigo. All great spots.

Finally booked the flights! Gone with a day layover in Singapore each way, which I'm not sure about but it was the cheapest option.

Still arriving into cairns and out of Sydney.

I started looking at things to do round cairns and overloaded pretty quickly! The kids seem interested in getting a train to Whitsundays which has made me smile, 11 hours worth. I think I'd rather drive 😁

Turns out we have friends in Pelican Waters and Woody Point to see. And some recommendations to stay in Palm Cove just North of Cairns which fits in nicely with the info you lovely people gave.

So, the plans are being planned! Probably without bike riding as inevitably I'll end up breaking myself 🤪

Nice one.

I'm pretty close to Pelican Waters. If you fancy a ride while you're there I can source a bike. 

Excellent gravel options and also very close to a fun free mtb park too

Ride the Five - Sugar Bag | Visit Sunshine Coast.

Posted by: Rich_s

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Finally booked the flights! Gone with a day layover in Singapore each way, which I'm not sure about but it was the cheapest option.

If you’re going to have a stopover, then I think Singapore is probably the best choice. I don’t know a huge amount about the region, but a very close friend of mine has family there, her mum is from there, (ethnic Chinese), and she and her husband were out there last year, so I saw a lot of photos! There’s a lot of cultural diversity and great architecture, plus it has a lot of WW2 history, it was overthrown by the Japanese, and the British armed forces there were captured and put into Changi Goal, a place with a very dark reputation. My dad was RAF ground crew, and ended up there. He survived it.

If the chance presents itself, worth looking at a part of Britain’s history in the Far East that doesn’t really get much attention.

I went to palm cove recently - it's nice, pretty quiet, but with some cafe's, restaurants etc.  It's a good base to see around the cairns area and up to port douglas / see the rainforest / go and see some crocs etc.  We stayed in a apartment rental which was attached to the Pullman "Palm sea cove temple" (ie: not the actual hotel itself) very good value considering you could use all the facilities.  Will try to find a link if I can.

We did a daytrip out to Fitzroy island from Cairns - maybe don;t bother if you are going out to the whitsundays, but the kids enjoyed it, and they had a great day exploring there, and the beaches were better that they were on the mainland.

It looks exactly like this:

+ a million to "I would avoid trying to cram too much in" It's a big place so do one bit well. If you have to visit family, fly between major cities. But also do try and focus your time outside the cities. 

Since you are focusing on the GBR - and as said it is a nice idea to see it while it's still there, and genuinely research where is still alive / well - then maybe stick with the north and north east. There are very deep seated, systematic racist issues in Northern Territory but the area around Darwin, Kakadu is special, fly there and back and try to use indigenous led trips. 

I lived in Tas-lutruwita for 2 years, I do have to laugh a bit at the impression that winter isn't worth visiting south of Brisbane. There is a risk of a storm which would be disruptive - more of an issue around Sydney then Melbourne or Hobart. But temps are nice, it's very rarely frosty and day temps in the mid teens generally around the island. But as per the first point, I wouldn't try to combine it with the GBR in one holiday. 

Posted by: batfink

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It looks exactly like this:

I don't see the big deal tbh. Looks just like Weston-super-Mare 

Yes this thread has provided me much amusement - apparently Sydney is a shithole…. According to some blokes on the internet who live in Bracknell/stevenage

I shall cry about how terrible it is here, during my surf after work tomorrow.

Posted by: Rich_s

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So, the plans are being planned! Probably without bike riding as inevitably I'll end up breaking myself 🤪

 

Rich has previous for this as he broke himself 6 weeks before his wedding in 2006 😖 

Melbourne hosts a GP so it can't be too bad, it takes an awful lot for  me to go anywhere near Glesca coming from the East side of Scotland so I might knock the Melbourne trip on the head

I've been watching the Underbelly on Amazon prime, not as good as the Sopranos but fruitier than anything made in the UK. In Glasgow it's all knifes and fires rather than the guns 

I used to ride along the GP track at Albert Park on my way to work. Past the pits. You could still access it right up until a week or so before the race.

Hello again. We've now booked about 3/4 of the trip, got a few bits and bobs to plan in still.

Just looking for some help for Singapore on the way back - just one night stay. (On the way out we're booked in for a 24 hour hotel room in the airport as we land at 0700 and depart 25 hours later).

It's been 24 years since we went to Singapore and we stayed at the Four Seasons; that ain't happening again! 😀

So, places to stay in Singapore please? Due to arrive 2100 ish and depart about 29 hours later. I'm ok with another hotel room in the airport, but think we may have more fun downtown.

An option that've come up is the Yotel on Orchard Road. But I can't help thinking that somewhere more down by the bay might be better. 

There are five of us, so it's not that easy to find somewhere that fits the bill - but any tips would be great. And any tips about places we can use to recover from before we go back to the airport to fly out at 0200 would be terrific - airport lounges are an option but spendy.

Ta!

Only time I did it there were good deals through Singapore Airlines and we had a decent place near the Indian area...whatever that's called. 

I'm so very envious... I haven't been to Aus in longer than I want to think about, decades, not years, there's zero point me sharing my views about cites, the ones I visited hardly exist anymore. When I'm feeling a bit low and melancholy, mourning my youth I occasionally walk around places I used to stay at in Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns etc on Google Maps. Different places now, different people, just like every other city on earth, change is the only constant.  

One thing I would add, and I know you've mostly booked everything up now, if you can take the time to see rural Aus and a few bits of the Outback (where ever you go an Aussie will tell you that's not the real outback, but still, red soil, massive open spaces and Roos will do). It's very special.   

It's one of those things I want my family to experience with me, even if they have to put up with my giggling to myself about all the stupid shit I did when I was a backpacker.  I've no plans, it's a really expensive thing to do! When the time comes I'm torn between the usual Tourist places, Sydney Harbour, Whitsundays, Barrier Reef etc and going to new places like Darwin for Croc Tours or Outback Camping (as long as they sort out all the creepy crawlies and snakes for me.) For me, it's the geography of Aus that's special, cities are cities, they have their own feel and charm, but they're not that different from LA or London.