Planning to head down under this June with my wife and kiddo. We're planning a 10-12 day trip but haven't decided what to visit, except for 3-4 days in Perth where my wife's grandmother lives.

We we kind of thinking of stopping in Sydney for a few days on the way to Perth and then a few days in Brisbane on the way back, but we'd consider Cairns or Melbourne or any other city that will not be a huge pain to get to.

Any tips or advice on places to go or things to see?

Any advice on the carrier or buying the plane ticket? I priced a ticket on Quantas from LAX-Brisbane-PER-Sydney-LAX for about $1550 including taxes. I'm planning to use air miles on CO to get to LAX from Houston.

TIA.

Tasmania if you are into outdoors stuff

Melbourne is cool for the Great Ocean Road but that is tiring to do as a day trip if you do most of the whole way

Cairns is good if you can take a day trip out and see some of the Great Barrier Reef or some little islands off the coast or you can take a rainforest-type trip into the interior

Sydney for obvious reasons

three places with a kid and spending time in Perth makes me think you should just focus on one other place, not two, unless you are going to stay for longer

I went there for a couple weeks in college with the Singing Cadets. It was amazing. Melbourne was great. We went to an Australian rules football game which was a blast. Their wildlife parks are pretty neat, too, if you like to see different kinds of animals. I actually really enjoyed Canberra. Their war memorial and museum was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. And make sure you drink Victoria's Bitter beer. Good stuff. Wish we could get it here.

Have never been myself, but while in Sydney, you should do a bike tour of the city. I have a friend who moved there several years ago, and started Bonza Bike Tours... http://www.bonzabiketours.com/ ... I've heard great things about the tours, and the best part, he's an Aggie!

Brisbane is a cool city and within a day's drive of Australia Zoo (of Crocodile Hunter fame). I thought the zoo was very well set up, but there are many zoos and/or wildlife parks throughout Australia that are great. I second the focus on maybe just one other city. But with an airpass I realize you can visit a third for the same price. Tasmania as stated is amazing for the unspoiled nature. When I go back I plan on doing Perth, Darwin, and Adelaide as I missed out on those last time. Honestly Alice Springs and the Outback are very neat to see, like no place else I have ever been. Remember you will be there during the winter. I also agree Canberra is fascinating from a history of the nation perspective. Feel free to email me if you need specifics or have other questions. I spent 4 months in Australia, but most of it on the Eastern side. Clplatttravel at gmail dot com

Perth is great, but will take a lot of your time due to travel. If you fly back east, I would recommend Cairns. Every other city mentioned on other posts (no disrespect intended) has a sister city in the US. Cairns will offer you some uniqueness.
If you choose to go south there are lots of great zoos. You'll notice Australia is A LOT like Texas. You'll have a great time! Remember to pack an aggie flag for photos.

I just got back yesterday from a month-long solo trip in New Zealand and Australia.

I also recommend Tasmania, but it will be cold in June (their winter). I rented a car and drove along the east side from Launceston to Hobart over a few days. Wineglass Bay was one of my favorite experiences of the trip, but depending on how old your kid is, that might not be a good idea. The walk to the lookout and down to the bay is pretty steep. Salamanca Market in Hobart (Saturdays only) is pretty fun. I got all my souvenir shopping done that day.

Melbourne is okay. I only spent one day in the city. I did two day tours from there, The Great Ocean Road and St. Phillip's Island tour with Bunyip (www.bunyiptours.com). They were long days, so I was glad someone else was driving. If you go to the Penguin Parade, pay the extra money for the Plus or Private experience. I did the Private tour, and it was worth it. The Great Ocean Road was pretty, but if you have driven Hwy 1 in California before, skip it. CA-1 is way more impressive.

I was in Sydney for New Years and did the typical tourist stuff (Opera House tour, Bridge Climb, Aquarium, IMAX, beaches). If you are in Sydney for a few days, purchase a daytripper or travelpass (www.131500.com.au/faresandpasses/default.asp). They include buses, all ferrys, and all trains and are less than the explorer passes. If you have trouble finding the correct routes, plan out your day at the transit website (www.131500.com.au/newjourney.asp). Oh, pick up a "What's On in Sydney" guide at Visitor's Information. I actually used most of the coupons.

If visiting Sydney, I recommend taking the train or ferry to Olympic Park, and bring your swimsuit for the Olympic Pool. There's an entry fee (less for non-swimmers), but it has an impressive kid area. The lap pools were open as well. I'm 26, and I had a good time there.

If you are confused or need ideas on what to do, find the Visitor Information Center in your area. There are tons of brochures, and you can book tours and accommodations there as well.

For carriers, check out V Australia. They were cheaper than Quantas for my LAX-SYD and return flights. My flights with them were pretty comfortable (I was in coach), and the first alcoholic drink was free.

[This message has been edited by rc_ag (edited 1/6/2010 1:11a).]

Going there for my honeymoon! So excited!!

we were in Tasmania in August and while it was definitely sweatshirt-type weather it isn't really frigid or anything

How warm does it get in February?

This is a link to an average temp chart for major cities (easy to read as it is in Fahrenheit :

http://library.thinkquest.org/28994/temp.html

The coldest places that I went in September were Canberra, Port Arthur (Tasmania), and when we did the penguin parade. Canberra, and the trip to it through the blue mountains, was usually in the 40's during the day and a little below freezing at night. Its weather though and there are always anomalies.

And February is obviously summer so it just depends on where u are at. The more tropical states (Queensland, Northern Territory) will always be warmer than the southern states (Victoria, NSW, Tasmania).

[This message has been edited by cplatt (edited 1/6/2010 12:14p).]

You definitely should check the current weather before going. I went during July after my fish yr. in college, and it rained every day for a month. It was pretty cool too.

See everything outdoors while you're there...zoos, parks, etc...all beautiful. I visited a koala park in Perth and actually got to hold one.

rc_ag has some great advice.
BTW - we almost got run over by the Bonza Bike Tours guys last week when I was at The Rocks with my parents.

I've been living on Sydney's Northern Beaches for over two years now. I've been to Perth, Brisbane and Canberra (and Auckland, NZ) since I've been here.

Perth is interesting. The Black Swans were fascinating. It's a 4 hour flight between Sydney and Perth. When I went to Perth in late 2007, the mining boom was in full effect. I paid $350/night for the Sheraton. A co-worker had paid as much as $625 for the same hotel. I think the prices are more reasonable now.

A former co-worker moved back home to Cairns about a year ago after his first child was born. He said that Cairns has become much more touristy than it was 20 years ago, but I'm sure it's still nice. His perspective would be quite a bit different from mine.

There's plenty to see and do here in Australia. Just don't get hung up on what you don't have here compared to America.

Unfortunately, my trips to Brisbane have been fly-in, go to meeting, fly-out. I finally got to spend the night last month. Be sure to check out The Breakfast Creek Hotel for a steak and try some XXXX "Off the Wood" (QLD's most famous beer served from a wooden keg).

I don't know how old your kiddo is but check out Questacon (www.questacon.edu.au) when you're in Canberra.
In Sydney, spend a day at Toranga Zoo (www.taronga.org.au) and see the baby elephant and other creatures. The sea lion show is pretty cool. If it's raining, try Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife parks - they are indoors. I've also heard good things about the Maritime Museum and Powerhouse
Museum. The Manly Corso is right next to Manly Beach and is a nice place to just hang out and walk around. Bondi Beach is another place that you can go just to enjoy being at the beach and people watch.
Qantas would be my best bet for getting to Australia.

The kiddo is going to be around 14 months when we go. Should make for fun flights.

We'd wait a little longer to go but my wife's grandmother is 106.

leaning toward just doing Perth and Brisbane at the moment - 2 cities means more time to see stuff and less hassle with travel and logistics. Of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney - leaning towards Brisbane because it is the warmest in June and Fraser island looks pretty cool.

Trying to find fights at the moment.

I am sure Hollywood can give you more insight on Sydney with living there and all. they all have their perks. Sydney has some of the best known landmarks around, and some neat historical stuff (granted Australia is only a few hundred years old as we know it English wise). Melbourne (along with Great Ocean Road and the Penguin Parade) are very unique. Melbourne itself is a melting pot of so many different cultures. Brisbane happens to be where I spent the most time so its what I know best. And yes Fraser Island is very cool, keep in mind that its an all day thing though with the ferries and having to be in a four wheel drive or part of a four wheel drive tour. The island itself is a microcosm of many ecosystems. The lake at the center is breathtaking. Particularly if you do Brisbane, feel free to email me at my email in the above post.

As far as flights try using Kayak, and then whatever you find on there go to the individual sites and price check it, you can often save a little by doing that.

Skip Canberra. Sydney for the time adjustment and plenty of Aussie sights, then 2 days in Melbourne, then Perth. The Pinnacles are north of Perth, very cool to see.

Alice Springs and Ayers Rock is well worth it, but you may not have enough time and with the 14 month old, maybe not a good idea.

BEER: Toohey's New and Vic Bitter are the best! And don't ask for a Foster's.....that is mainly exported and you likely will not find it too many places. They'll laugh at you, too! Hahn is another one that is good.

Have fun.

Hollywood - Quick questions about living in Aussie Land. Whats the job market like for eengineers, whats the cost of living such as rent. My brother has his 175 visa to work in austrailia and any information would be helpful.

if headed to Brisbane, make some time to stay down in the Surfer's Paradise/gold coast area. Great beaches. Reminded me of Miami.

We stayed at the Sheraton Mirage. Beautiful hotel within a beach walk of the main Surfer's Paradise area.

oddly, australia has never really appealed to me.

bump

Still working on the itinerary. Now it is looking like ~6 days in Sydney and ~6 days in Perth.

Any opinions on Virgin Australia vs. Qantas?

Not making it to Cairns/Port Douglas would be a mistake. Between the rainforests, Great Barrier Reef and multitude of small islands, it is beautiful. Port Douglas is a neat little city,as well.

6 days in Sydney and Perth is much too long. Sydney and Perth can be done in 3 days each.

ended up booking on quantas - lax-syd-per-mel-lax for ~$1200pp.

we'll have to catch cairns and port douglas later when the kiddo is a little older.

My international flights were with V Australia, and my domestic flights were with Quantas. I didn't have any problems with either one. I will say that their airline food is better than anything I've had on US flights.

Personally, I think 6 days in Syney will be fine. It's more than enough time to take in the sights (and travel between them) without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Are you flying back to the US from Sydney? If so, try to pack only essentials in the carry-ons, get there 3 hours early, do all your business (save some money to shop at the duty free area), and go directly to the gate. Since the attempted Christmas Day bomb plot, Sydney increased security to get on US-bound flights, and it takes a while to get through.

Calculi66 - I've been away for a 10 day trip to Boston so I've just gotten back. I think the job market for Engineers here is pretty good. Of course that could vary depending on what your specialty is. And where you're willing to work. What have you got in mind?

Buddy of mine is probably headed to Australia to work as well, he already has his Visa and is looking for a job to go down there. Something about a big strike with natural gas and lots of jobs.

The folks on the Auto board have been missing your pictures BQ get back to work!

Need some more advice on Sydney.

1) Rent a car or take public transport?

We want to see the usual sights (harbor bridge, opera house, zoo, aquarium, Australia museum, etc). Also will probably take 1 or 2 day trips to the Blue Mountains national park and maybe the wine country. Are we better off taking public transport for the in-town sights and getting to the other sights by tour bus, or is renting a car a better option? Keep in mind we'll have a 1 year old with us. I have no problems driving on the left.

2) Where should we stay?

Are we better off in downtown Sydney or somewhere further off? Budget is approx US$120/nt. Granted this choice is linked to #1 - with a car we can stay somewhere further away and save money on the room and parking; without a car we need to be somewhere central so we can walk/taxi/ferry to attractions.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

I returned from Sydney a little over 2 weeks ago, and I still have a lot of brochures. If you have specific interests, I can probably scan and e-mail them.

You can get around fine without a car within Sydney. Great public transportation! I would go with travel passes instead of the tourist-geared passes. You can get to the same places using buses/trains/ferries, it's much cheaper, and you only have to stand in line for tickets once. Also, the ticket lady suggested I get a weekly airport link pass for the train. It only cost me AU$18 instead of $30 if I had bought the airport to-from tickets separately.

I can't really tell you much about getting around outside Sydney. According to the website, the trains can take you to the Blue Mountains (www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkGetThere.aspx?id=N0004). I know there are many tours that will take you there. Your hotel or the Visitor Center (located in The Rocks) can help you with the Blue Mountains and winery tours. As for driving, if you feel you will be comfortable driving on the left (and using roundabouts), go for it. It is nice being able to stop whenever you want/need to.

I stayed at Glenferrie Lodge, a budget hotel (shared bathrooms) in Kirribilli and right around the corner from the wharf. There are a few hotels in that area if you are trying to avoid higher prices. Kirribilli is across the harbor from downtown Sydney, and the ferry takes you from Kirribilli to Circular Quay. The Opera House and The Rocks are right in that area, and the trains/ferries go from there to pretty much all the attractions. The green line will take you to/from the Sydney airport.

Tips based on my experience:

- I'm a chick, but I do not thing it's gay if a guy wears a small messenger-style day bag. It's very convenient, easier for me to get to than having to constantly take off a backpack, and it was always in my sight. Of course, there are limits. Rule of thumb, if said bag looks like a purse when a girl is carrying it, it's gay!

- Check out The Rocks Market on a Saturday.

- Bring a rain jacket.

- Always carry sunscreen (and use it), water bottle, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer. Not all bathrooms have soap.

- Even if you don't stay in Kirribilli, take that ferry just once. You can get some great pictures of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House on the water, and you don't have to pay for a harbour cruise.

- If you take the ferry to the Zoo or Aquarium, get there EARLY! I was with the New Year's crowd, and there were massive lines for the ticket booths and then to board the ferries.

- I don't know if this is normal for the zoo, but the prepaid ticket line to enter was A LOT longer than purchase line. I also had a 20% off coupon that could only be used at the Zoo ticket booth. The prepaid line for the aquarium was nonexistent.

- Check out the wine bar across from the Visitors Center.

- Take the train to Olympic Park instead of the ferry. The wharf is an easy 30-40 minute walk to the park (if you don't wait for the bus), but the train station is right in the middle of the park. Take the train to the Lidcombe station and transfer to the Olympic Park line.

- Take one of those $1.00 Walmart shopping bags with you to use for shopping/souvenir-hunting days. You can also use it as an additional carry-on for souvenirs or duty-free shopping at the airport.

- If you have never been to Australia before, be prepared for some sticker shock. Just about everything was more expensive than in the US. I ate out a few times, but my room had a fridge so I went grocery shopping for the rest of my meals. My hotel had a free buffet breakfast so that helped as well.

EDIT: Holy crap, I had no idea I wrote so much! And one more tip:
- Open a Capitol One checking account and/or credit card for your trip. It's the only one I know of that does not have a foreign transaction fee. And if it's lost/stolen, the card is separate from your regular accounts to minimize the loss.

[This message has been edited by rc_ag (edited 1/22/2010 5:09p).]

I would look at using hotwire or priceline in Sydney and definitely staying in the center where you can use public transportation.

I would rent a car for part of it, maybe drive to Blue Mts spend one night then spend one night in the vineyard? It has been a long time since I looked at the vineyard stuff so I don't remember the distance. With a child a car will give you the freedom to be a little bit more flexible around your child's schedule in case he is grumpy, tired, or whatever

I'm heading down under in late August, early September with a friend (both will be 24 yrs old). We ended up buying the Quantas Aussie Airpass and will be traveling to Sydney, Ayers Rock, Cairns, and Melbourne.

1. Does anyone have suggestions on hostels or hotels within any of the cities?

2. Does anybody have a recommendation for any bars in Melbourne? We've heard about the deck of cards with bars around Melbourne on the faces.

3. Currently thinking of driving the Great Ocean Road in a rental car, would this be a bad idea or worth it since you can stop on your own time?

We flew Quantas from LAX to Sidney and they had fold down baby cribs on the wall in front of first row seats in coach. Not sure how you secure one or what charge is, but might be worth it on such a long flight. Loved everything I saw there but don't miss the barrier reef! That's the most amazing thing I've ever done in all my travels.