Possible Australia Holiday
Discussion
I'm considering going on a holiday of a lifetime to Australia for around 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year 24-25. I would be in Brisbane and Sydney. Any suggestions on things to do? Also, I haven't been on holiday abroad for over a decade, my last holiday was 5 days in Cornwall in February over 5 years ago, so any tips on how to get the best deal when booking?
Start with a look on google flights for your dates as it’s normally the most expensive time to go. You can add multiple start and finish points and do what they call an open jaw booking if you want using the Multi city option so you could for example fly into Brisbane (BNE) and out of Sydney (SYD). Internal flights if you’re planning on them are normally cheaper booked separately.
I’m a fan of Noosa and Byron Bay. You’ve also Fraser Island near Brisbane which is cool.
I’m a fan of Noosa and Byron Bay. You’ve also Fraser Island near Brisbane which is cool.
Been to Oz quite a few times. We have found using a medium size SUV and staying
in motels by far the the most economical and efficient way to tour.
Motor homes and camper vans are a bit of a nightmare, the idea you can park up on
a deserted beach and set up camp is now very much not allowed, they have parks, usually
out of town then only the motorhome as transport. The motorhomes are mainly very basic
and built specially for the market.
Motels however are in towns close to restaurants, most have small kitchens and barbeques if you
want to cook. (we prefer the wide range of restaurants).
All motels can be booked direct and usually you don't pay anything until you arrive.
£ weeks will soon go as you need a couple of days to overcome the time difference - air fares
are high so look at at least 4 weeks.
Our favorite trip is Perth, go north, east or west. Its hot but plenty of AC in motels and restaurants.
Brisbane and South or North is also a good trip - Sydney is very very expensive but well worth a
a few days or so. Definitely ride the ferries, great fun.
(tip - don't climb the bridge - go up one of the Towers for a very small charge)
in motels by far the the most economical and efficient way to tour.
Motor homes and camper vans are a bit of a nightmare, the idea you can park up on
a deserted beach and set up camp is now very much not allowed, they have parks, usually
out of town then only the motorhome as transport. The motorhomes are mainly very basic
and built specially for the market.
Motels however are in towns close to restaurants, most have small kitchens and barbeques if you
want to cook. (we prefer the wide range of restaurants).
All motels can be booked direct and usually you don't pay anything until you arrive.
£ weeks will soon go as you need a couple of days to overcome the time difference - air fares
are high so look at at least 4 weeks.
Our favorite trip is Perth, go north, east or west. Its hot but plenty of AC in motels and restaurants.
Brisbane and South or North is also a good trip - Sydney is very very expensive but well worth a
a few days or so. Definitely ride the ferries, great fun.
(tip - don't climb the bridge - go up one of the Towers for a very small charge)
Personally I would love to go to K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island. But it appears to be several hours from Brisbane, perhaps better for an overnight or two.
https://fraser-tours.com/article/getting-to-fraser...
https://fraser-tours.com/article/getting-to-fraser...
I’ve seen the Great Ocean Road just west of Melbourne, anyone done it as part of a road trip to Adelaide? Worth it, an Aussie equivalent to Route 1 in California?
Also then thinking of taking the Ghan to Alice Springs, but a bit lost from what to from there (once ‘done’ Ulhuru) other than fly to Perth / Sydney and home (will have done Cairns & Brisbane prior).
Also then thinking of taking the Ghan to Alice Springs, but a bit lost from what to from there (once ‘done’ Ulhuru) other than fly to Perth / Sydney and home (will have done Cairns & Brisbane prior).
Dashnine said:
I’ve seen the Great Ocean Road just west of Melbourne, anyone done it as part of a road trip to Adelaide? Worth it, an Aussie equivalent to Route 1 in California?
Also then thinking of taking the Ghan to Alice Springs, but a bit lost from what to from there (once ‘done’ Ulhuru) other than fly to Perth / Sydney and home (will have done Cairns & Brisbane prior).
We did exactly that on our honeymoon in 2019. The great ocean road is beautiful, some of the towns along the way are a little old fashioned but there’s lots of scenery, it does get busy at the key spots particularly with Asian tourists so be prepared for that. As with most group tours though they tend to hang around the visitors centres so walk ten minutes away and it’s all yours again. We spent a few days in Adelaide which I really like, very walkable, good food and some decent wine, what’s not to love. Then we rode the Ghan up to Alice, did Uluru and Kings Canyon then flew to Sydney.Also then thinking of taking the Ghan to Alice Springs, but a bit lost from what to from there (once ‘done’ Ulhuru) other than fly to Perth / Sydney and home (will have done Cairns & Brisbane prior).
Our full itinerary was:
Melbourne
Great ocean road
Adelaide
Ghan
Alice Springs
Sydney
Surfers Paradise
Noosa
K’gari/Fraser Island
Byron Bay
Cairns
Back to Melbourne
That was a month and it was sensational.
Cotty said:
Personally I would love to go to K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island. But it appears to be several hours from Brisbane, perhaps better for an overnight or two.
https://fraser-tours.com/article/getting-to-fraser...
You can fly in from Sunshine Coast or Hervey Bay airports. The former being a tad costly. Pretty cool as you land on the beach. If there are time or budgetary constraints you can do short scenic flights for relatively little money.https://fraser-tours.com/article/getting-to-fraser...
Flying into Brisbane and out of Sydney is a good idea, though it does mean if you want to dive the Great Barrier Reef or sail around the Whitsundays then you’ll need to fly an hour or two north again - Cairns for GBR and Airlie Beach/Proserpine for Whitsundays.
Internal flights are easy and usually plentiful - check Qantas and Virgin Australia
Just north of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast of which Noosa is v nice and also hellishly expensive. There’s also Australia Zoo set up by Steve Irwin and the area is generally lovely.
Just south is Gold Coast - fun parks, water parks, lots of high-rise and a big f
king beach. I’m not really a fan.
Just south of Gold Coast, about an hour or sos drive, is Byron Bay and that’s where I’d go - and indeed we’ve been there lots for family holidays.
If you want to travel down the coast, it’s an easy drive - Brisbane to Sydney is about 900-1000km depending on route, and there are many towns and beaches to stop at on the way - Yamba, Coffs Harbour (though we usually stay just north of there at Korora, Sapphire Beach or Emerald Beach), Southwest Rocks, Port Macquarie. Maybe try Forster/Tuncurry and Elizabeth’s Beach or Boomerang Beach.
Hunter Valley is for wine and countryside, Port Stephens for more beaches, Newcastle if you need a city.
Sydney - lots to see/do and not much of it cheap but I kinda like it.
As others have already said, it’s an expensive country to visit and it’s much bigger than you think, and you’ll also be going at peak season - school summer holidays - so maybe have a think about what you want to see or do and go from there.
Internal flights are easy and usually plentiful - check Qantas and Virgin Australia
Just north of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast of which Noosa is v nice and also hellishly expensive. There’s also Australia Zoo set up by Steve Irwin and the area is generally lovely.
Just south is Gold Coast - fun parks, water parks, lots of high-rise and a big f
king beach. I’m not really a fan.Just south of Gold Coast, about an hour or sos drive, is Byron Bay and that’s where I’d go - and indeed we’ve been there lots for family holidays.
If you want to travel down the coast, it’s an easy drive - Brisbane to Sydney is about 900-1000km depending on route, and there are many towns and beaches to stop at on the way - Yamba, Coffs Harbour (though we usually stay just north of there at Korora, Sapphire Beach or Emerald Beach), Southwest Rocks, Port Macquarie. Maybe try Forster/Tuncurry and Elizabeth’s Beach or Boomerang Beach.
Hunter Valley is for wine and countryside, Port Stephens for more beaches, Newcastle if you need a city.
Sydney - lots to see/do and not much of it cheap but I kinda like it.
As others have already said, it’s an expensive country to visit and it’s much bigger than you think, and you’ll also be going at peak season - school summer holidays - so maybe have a think about what you want to see or do and go from there.
As mentioned, be aware that is peak season locally.
QLD might not be hot, low 30s maybe, but it will be very, very humid.
If you want to see Noosa then I recommend using the ferry from Tewantin (although it is expensive these days). Noosa itself (well the bit at the beach) gets stupidly busy and parking is a nightmare. I think the buses are free during school holidays.
You could easily spend a week on the Sunshine Coast.
If you wanted to see Fraser Island then I’d recommend a guided tour. Either stay in Hervey Bay or I think they run them from Noosa and drive up the beach.
QLD might not be hot, low 30s maybe, but it will be very, very humid.
If you want to see Noosa then I recommend using the ferry from Tewantin (although it is expensive these days). Noosa itself (well the bit at the beach) gets stupidly busy and parking is a nightmare. I think the buses are free during school holidays.
You could easily spend a week on the Sunshine Coast.
If you wanted to see Fraser Island then I’d recommend a guided tour. Either stay in Hervey Bay or I think they run them from Noosa and drive up the beach.
AW111 said:
In my opinion Byron Bay is overrated - a pricey tourist trap.
The weather and beaches are the same for hundreds of km north and south of it.
I don’t entirely disagree, but as a place to stop with kids, a rented house on the beach front is hard to beat - park up and you don’t need to drive again until you leave. Surf, walks, sheltered beach, cafes, supermarkets, all within a short walk. The weather and beaches are the same for hundreds of km north and south of it.
Granted it’s usually rammed midsummer and no way could I live there, but I do enjoy a week or so every now and then.
A rented house at Broken Head, just down the road is also a good place, or further down at Lennox Head.
Could then skip the next 700km and fly out from Ballina to SYD if time is short.
Sounds like you're set on Brisbane and Sydney so I'd speak to a travel agent for the flights (and compare against what you can find yourself online) and book your own accommodation from the various things an internet search will throw up. There are lots of great B&B, self catering type places in more favourable locations. Unless money is no object then ask the agent to find hotels as well.
If you're not there seeing/staying with friends/family then the main thing I'd recommend is to fly into Sydney and do that part of the holiday first. Then fly to Brisbane, do whatever you need to there and then take 4 or 5 days driving from Brisbane back to Sydney, stopping at some of the amazing coastal towns on the way. Stopping for just an hour or so is a waste of time, you need at least half a day (but preferably overnight) to fully appreciate them.
Then have a hotel in Sydney for a final night to relax before flying home.
If you're not there seeing/staying with friends/family then the main thing I'd recommend is to fly into Sydney and do that part of the holiday first. Then fly to Brisbane, do whatever you need to there and then take 4 or 5 days driving from Brisbane back to Sydney, stopping at some of the amazing coastal towns on the way. Stopping for just an hour or so is a waste of time, you need at least half a day (but preferably overnight) to fully appreciate them.
Then have a hotel in Sydney for a final night to relax before flying home.
Oh man, I'm jealous. 
Me and Mrs durbs drove all the way round Australia a few years back. It took a couple of years but we saw a lot of it!
I'm in two minds how I'd do three weeks. Flying is the most practical but Australia is built for travelling by car/motorhome and it's a fantastic way to see the country, even though the huge distances mean it's a lot of your trip spent on the road. But on the other hand, there are some fantastic places between the major hubs. If you want ten miles of beach to yourself, it's pretty easy to find it
I'll reel off some highlights of the east coast that come to mind:
Sydney area
I may be in the minority here and it obviously depends what you're after, but I wouldn't spend long in Sydney or Brisbane. They are lovely cities but after a day of looking around and oohing and aahing at the sights, they aren't really that different to most cities in Europe under the skin. If I'm flying all that way, I want a trip filled with experiences I can't easily get at home.
Me and Mrs durbs drove all the way round Australia a few years back. It took a couple of years but we saw a lot of it!
I'm in two minds how I'd do three weeks. Flying is the most practical but Australia is built for travelling by car/motorhome and it's a fantastic way to see the country, even though the huge distances mean it's a lot of your trip spent on the road. But on the other hand, there are some fantastic places between the major hubs. If you want ten miles of beach to yourself, it's pretty easy to find it
I'll reel off some highlights of the east coast that come to mind:
Sydney area
- Narooma - just a lovely little town south of Sydney
- Jervis Bay - dolphin watching and very white sand that squeaks
- Blue Mountains - great for hiking
- Hunter valley - wine region
- Sydney zoo - a pretty good way of meeting the Australian wildlife
- Byron Bay - it is a cliche but worth a stop I think
- Nimbin - an odd little hippy town in a really beautiful area, inland.
- Noosa - as mentioned already, super-chilled coastal town. We were stuck there for a week when our van broke down (it did that a lot), and what a place to be stuck. We loved it
- Bundaberg - if you're into Rum, you should go to Bundaberg
- K'gari (aka Fraser Island) - backpackery and Instagram-tastic, but a unique place and a good chance of seeing wild dingos
- Tin Can Bay - right next to K'gari. I'm not sure if they still do it but there was a quiet little place where you can feed wild dolphins
- Rainbow beach - also next to K'gari, with fantastic views from the top of the Carlo Sand Blow
- Daintree river - probably the best place to see wild crocodiles
- Port Douglas - great little remote town
I may be in the minority here and it obviously depends what you're after, but I wouldn't spend long in Sydney or Brisbane. They are lovely cities but after a day of looking around and oohing and aahing at the sights, they aren't really that different to most cities in Europe under the skin. If I'm flying all that way, I want a trip filled with experiences I can't easily get at home.
Edited by durbster on Monday 15th April 09:32
durbster said:
Sydney area
Narooma - just a lovely little town south of Sydney
While Narooma is a lovely place, it's about 4 1/2 hours drive (360 km) from Sydney.Narooma - just a lovely little town south of Sydney
So not exactly a relaxing day trip.
I lived 80 km south of Narooma (in a town called Tathra) for nearly 10 years, and have done the round trip to sydney & back in a day, but it's a bit of a slog.
The NSW south coast is beautiful, but if the OP is doing Sydney / Brisbane, best stay north of Sydney - there's no shortage of things to do & see.
A lot of tourists get fooled by the distances here, and try to cram too much travel in a single trip. Much better to potter around, and have time to stop and enjoy places.
AW111 said:
durbster said:
Sydney area
Narooma - just a lovely little town south of Sydney
While Narooma is a lovely place, it's about 4 1/2 hours drive (360 km) from Sydney.Narooma - just a lovely little town south of Sydney
So not exactly a relaxing day trip.
I lived 80 km south of Narooma (in a town called Tathra) for nearly 10 years, and have done the round trip to sydney & back in a day, but it's a bit of a slog.
The NSW south coast is beautiful, but if the OP is doing Sydney / Brisbane, best stay north of Sydney - there's no shortage of things to do & see.
AW111 said:
A lot of tourists get fooled by the distances here, and try to cram too much travel in a single trip. Much better to potter around, and have time to stop and enjoy places.
The scale is mind blowing, especially to somebody growing up in the UK. I do remember flying from Singapore to Sydney, and as we reached the north coast of Australia I looked at the ETA to see there was still something like six hours of flying still to do 
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