Itinerary around Australia - advice

[tombar]

Starting planning a trip to Oz for a couple of years time. Will probably have 3 weeks, maybe 3.5. Trouble is, I want to visit a lot of disparate places - partly to revisit places I loved when I was there in 1990 (!) and partly to see the places I missed out on.

Ideally - a week in Perth and the Southwest but I'd love to revisit Denham/ Monkey Mia (a highlight all those years ago and still seems unspoilt). Tasmania - we have some friends who now live in Hobart and my son would love to visit his old school friend. Then Barrier Reef - a week ideally - scuba/ away from it all. Inexplicably I missed out on anything north of Brisbane in QLD last time.

Whilst it would be fun to travel around by Deluxe coach llike last time and wake up in the morning with drool on my chest, I think my wife may disagree! It looks like the only way to do this is internal flights and car hire. Any tips or will we run ourselves ragged over a relatively short break. And do Quantas do any offers for internal flights if you fly to Oz with them (sorry I know I could Google this!).

Can't wait to go back to this magical place. Too long!

[David Beer]

Just got back, but Sydney down the coast road to adalaide ,through barosa back to Sydney over 23 days .My god ,fly, the roads are so boring. No wonder there is a sign every mile saying you are asleep take A break . I looked into internal flights, my they are expensive though. Glad to hear you want to go back, enjoy.
I did New Zealand 25 years ago and went back 2 years ago, it certainly changed !

[Don]

Internal flights are the way to go. Just no fun otherwise.

Many years ago the wife and I flew into Cairns, then over to Uluru, then Sydney then out and it wasn't too bad.

[smack]

There are lowish cost carriers these days in Oz, so you can get around for reasonable prices, with Jetstar Qantas's low cost business, and Virgin Australia. I haven't flown either, so can't comment what they are like

If you collect Avios points, Qantas is a good carrier use them, good reward seat availability, as the taxes are quite low (unlike their standard ticket prices). Just checking Adelaide to Sydney is 7500 points + £14.60 for Economy, 15000 points + £14.60 for business. Looking at London to Madrid with BA, it is 7500/£17.50 economy, 15000/£25.00.

I have flown Qantas domestically a few times the last few years, and their business class beats BA's Club Europe short haul business class hands down, with good food and IFE - unlike BA with has hit and miss food, and no IFE.

[Don]

Skyscanner has Emirates deals at under a grand stopping in Dubai on the way out and doing internal flights between Perth and Adelaide and Sydney. I reckon you might be at £1200 to do Hobart and Cairns as well.

[GT03ROB]

smack said:

There are lowish cost carriers these days in Oz, so you can get around for reasonable prices, with Jetstar Qantas's low cost business, and Virgin Australia. I haven't flown either, so can't comment what they are like

If you collect Avios points, Qantas is a good carrier use them, good reward seat availability, as the taxes are quite low (unlike their standard ticket prices). Just checking Adelaide to Sydney is 7500 points + £14.60 for Economy, 15000 points + £14.60 for business. Looking at London to Madrid with BA, it is 7500/£17.50 economy, 15000/£25.00.

I have flown Qantas domestically a few times the last few years, and their business class beats BA's Club Europe short haul business class hands down, with good food and IFE - unlike BA with has hit and miss food, and no IFE.

Beat me to it, was just about to say the same!

[tombar]

Thanks guys, most helpful. I like the Emirates idea in particular, good airline.

I reckon Perth will have changed immensely since 1990.

It is a toss up between Oz and NZ, NZ more practical to tour but I miss the big country...

[Don]

tombar said:

Thanks guys, most helpful. I like the Emirates idea in particular, good airline.

I reckon Perth will have changed immensely since 1990.

It is a toss up between Oz and NZ, NZ more practical to tour but I miss the big country...

I keep meaning to get back to both of them. Very different, of course. A two week tour of the South Island was Amazing!

[hairyben]

Don said:

Internal flights are the way to go. Just no fun otherwise.

Yeah, australia has a wonderfull rugged beauty but it gets boring quickly when driving.

OP, internal flights in oz arent cheap even budget airlines, do some calcs/enquiries and see if a round-the-world ticket can work out as we got internal oz flights included when we did our wedding & honeymoon (which was an airmiles gift from the inlaws)

[Norfolkit]

OP, depends a lot on when in the year you're intending to go. Their summer in the Northern Territory and North Queensland can be very wet and intensely humid, Road closures due to flooding are commonplace, January-March (roughly) is cyclone season, that's a bit hit and miss though obviously, realistically got be a bit flexible if planning a road trip at that time of year. Uluru will probably be scorching (40+) at that time of year, having said that we were in Alice Springs on NYE 2015, it was 16 degrees and pouring with rain (!!!!!), that only lasted 48 hours though then it was business as usual.

Winter in the centre has hot days but very cold nights with frosts not uncommon, coastal Queensland has lovely days (mid-high 20s) but cool nights, temperatures don't usually drop that low actually (12-16 ish) but because it's so dry in winter it feels really cool, jumper needed.

Also if driving (and I'd say don't if going any distance) the roads once north of Brisbane aren't brilliant, usually single carriageway and the traffic police are hot on speed limits and those limits can be surprisingly low considering you can be pointing the car at something 1000K away.

Normally we find Virgin Australia a fair bit cheaper than Qantas for internal flights but Qantas has a bigger network.

We've done the Oz flights on Emirates but do remember the Gulf to Oz is a bloody long flight and it's the second leg on the way out, we've also done it via Singapore and Bangkok, both are preferable (IMO).

Brilliant country though Oz, daughter lives there and we're off there again tomorrow .