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We have booked a 2-week cruise which departs and returns Sydney. Ports of call will all be in NZ. Much as we want to explore NZ, we have decided to take excursions from the ship and visit for an extended trip at another time.
That leaves us with Australia. Oh my gosh!!! We can easily add 2-3 weeks to our vaca, time is not a limitation but of course budget will come into play at some point.
We enjoy the outdoors and from what we have been able to determine, it is primarily eastern Australia which we would like to explore. Our thoughts are to begin in Cairns and move south to Sydney.
Any thoughts, guidance, tips about where to visit, what to do, where to stay would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Cairns is Great Barrier Reef country and I would make sure I did a side trip there. If snorkeling is a possibility for you than consider doing that. One great island to visit is Green Island.
The harbor in Sydney is truly a scenic place. Make sure you do a harbor cruise and lunch at one of the restaurants there at the harbor. Doyle's is one famous restaurant. Walk around and soak in all the history. Sydney Harbor is literally where the English settlement of Australia began. There should be signs all around. I would definitely tour the fabulous opera house as well if I could.
I don't know whether you are going south to Melbourne. If you are, make sure you do the optional excursion to the Ferry Penguin Island. Its amazing to see all the penguins return from the ocean at night to their nesting grounds.
You didn't mention Tasmania either. I won't comment on that unless you tell me the cruise goes there.
While in Cairns go to the reef or go about an hour north to Port Douglas which is very much like Key West and has great access to the reef. The drive to Port Dougie is EXTREMELY scenic. Halfway between Port and Cairns, stop in Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm. In Cairns take the train up the mountain to Kuranda and take the Sky-Way back down. Flecker Botanical Gardens!
Brisbane is much like Orlando in both climate and its proximity to attractions.
In Sydney we stayed right on Sydney Harbor right down the street from the Opera House and it was CHEAP! (relatively) Out our balcony you could see the Harbor Bridge and the ferries taking Sidney-Siders all over the harbor for work. Across the way (a few hundred yards) is the Rocks, original stone buildings that the original convicts built but now are nice shops and restaurants.
Its not in the east but a side trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock) is unforgettable. A note about the Rock, there has never been any commercial photos of the back side of it because it is sacred. You would be the only person you know who has seen it.
Walking around Circular Quay is a must. So much to see and do.
In Sydney the Rocks area is a must.
Restaurants have great food and service.
We did shopping tours, Blue Mountain tours, City of Sydney tour, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Opera tour, and other stuff. So much fun, so many friendly people.
You can't have a bad time in Australia.
Taronga Zoo is great, but holding/touching a koala is forbidden and against the law. This is strictly enforced in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Photos are allowed but you will only be within a foot to a foot and a half of them. Still, it's a must do.
Taronga Zoo is great, but holding/touching a koala is forbidden and against the law. This is strictly enforced in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Photos are allowed but you will only be within a foot to a foot and a half of them. Still, it's a must do.
Koalas are grumpy animals as I understand it, and decidedly not friendly. Plus they have claws and might bite. Short answer: you won’t catch me holding a koala, that’s for sure.
Things may have changed since we were at the zoo but my wife & I both have photos holding Koalas at the Taronga Zoo. They were very docile, maybe sedated, who knows but everyone in our group got a photo holding a Koala.
The law was changed not long ago due to loss of vegetation, health problems and are becoming endangered.
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