Eastern Australia (camping, cruise ship, cost, rentals)
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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.
Where to stay...
For us... Hospitality Guest homes (of course for last 30+ yrs) - Free to $20 ./ night Worldwide. The Aussies INSISTED it was always free (including meals / lunches, events...) but we always gave then something to pass onto others in need. Several have come to visit us (in USA)! and we have met them in Europe and Asia. Very fun bunch (which you will not get to experience stuck in a hotel! SO... if you can't hack a guest home... use Hostels! and rub shoulders with other adventure travelers. https://wikitravel.org/en/Hospitality_exchange
Rental cars or campervans are a good option (but I would BUY one and stay the 2 yrs)
car rentals are CHEAP (get a diesel if available, especially important in NZ). You can also sign up to do rental car relocation (~FREE except for fuel and tolls)
If you are under age 31... get to NZ on a 12 month Work Visa (extendable to 24)... if you are too late (I am very sorry), but... buy a FSC used camper, and get a Campermate app, and have a GREAT time (flying away for a short trip when you need to renew visa). Stay / work on farms... very educational and fun!!! lots of FUN!
Check out the restaurant scene in Sydney. The Chinatown is very good with a lot of regional cuisine to try. Lebanese restaurants are in good supply, and the food is authentic. The wine valleys are easily accessible, and offer good food as well. The Sydney Zoo and Botanical gardens are a must, as is just buzzing around the harbor on any/all water taxis. I did the Blue Mountain tour which was interesting if you are a rock collector.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by atlguy44
... just buzzing around the harbor on any/all water taxis....
Yup, Sundays have reduced rates on Ferries, subway, buses, trains. IIRC, it was a 'fixed cost' like $4 and you rode all day! We would take a 6AM train in from Moss Vale NSW (~1.5 hrs) and spend the whole day on the water taxi's, buses, subway... going to parks. Then catch a free concert / movie in the park and head back to NSW by midnight.
Really enjoyed the Botanical Gardens in NZ as well. Invercargill Botanical Garden was a favorite (as is Christ Church Garden), Fun camping / exploring was Catlins and Curio Bay (you won't get here on a cruise ship, but when you come back... bring a camper / tent and stay a week or so.
Waves crashing 50m high on one side (near Petrified Forest), other side (2 minute walk) swim with dolphins in a very calm lagoon. From our campsite on a ridge ($8) we could enjoy BOTH. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...-porpoise-bay/
NZ and Australia are a nice place to spend Oct - March. LONG sunny days Plenty of flowers, events, adventures. We did a lot of A&P (county fairs), Sheep shearing competitions, field trials for dogs, Steam / antique shows. The time went so fast, and we were sad when it started getting cold and we had to head to Indonesia to warm up. (single small backpack for one yr travel). We bought extra clothes at Op-Shops (Thrift stores), donated them back when we departed.
In Sydney stay in the CBD. The CBD is compact and you can walk to just about anywhere. Once in this area you will not need a car, actually it's a hindrance and expensive to park. Public transportation is excellent, uber and taxis readily available. Use Pitt or George Sts as your main north /south routes, both will provide plenty of interest.
We recently stayed at the Marriott Circular Quay at the beginning of our trip and used this as our base for easy access to Circular Quay, Opera House, ferries, The Rocks and Rotal Botanic Gardens etc...
At the end of our trip we stayed at Rydges World Square. This was a great location for access to Chinatown and the retail district.
A must is to walk over to the Barangaroo Wharf area. Plenty of great restaurants, shops as well as the Sydney Aquarium. Stop at Malaya, it was the best dinner we had, outstanding fresh flavors we cannot get here. This holds true for meals in Chinatown also, the flavors are brilliant!
Haven’t been to Sydney in many years, but there’s plenty to see and do. Especially remember the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Taronga Park Zoo, and national parks such as Blue Mountains, Kur-Ring-Gai Chase, and Royal.
Canberra is the capital. It has a few museums, but isn’t the most interesting city IMHO. It’s a specially built capital city and feels a little manufactured. Been to worse, though.
I don't normally care for big cities as a vacation destination but I looooved Sydney. We stayed near Darling Harbour and would again. Saw all the usual sights, enjoyed the nightlife, and spent a day visiting the Blue Mountains (traveled there by train). Next, we flew to Noosa for three days and enjoyed the beach, hiking, and saw wild koala bears. Then we hit Cairns, where we catamaran'd to the Great Barrier Reef, took a barrier island excursion, along with a shorter river tour.
I'll go back as soon as I can and will repeat Sydney, spend a few days in Darwin, and a few more in Tasmania. Maybe Cairns agin (assuming the GBR is still around....) That will include lots of domestic flights but I'd like to see more wildlife and skipping Sydney isn't really an option, especially when traveling with a first-time visitor.
So much truly helpful info. Thank you, each and every one of you.
Getting SO excited about this vaca. Wahoo!
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