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What sort of things are you into? That should help you decide where to go.. If you go to the Hunter Valley, there's a fuckton of amazing restaurants to eat at. Shaky Tables, Muse, Tuk Tuk Burgers, and The Mill are my picks. If you have kids, the Hunter Valley Gardens and the Zoo are a good day out. Apart from those, there's not a lot of kid friendly stuff to do around the vineyards. But if you're a foodie or you love wine, you'll have a fantastic time. If you go to Nelson Bay/Port Stephens, there's whale and dolphin spotting cruises (depending on the time of year, June through to about September is best), lots of great walking/biking/horse riding trails, sand boarding, some of the most gorgeous beaches you'll ever see, basically a lot more eco-tourism and outdoorsy type stuff. I've lived in both places, so feel free to hit me up with any questions if you want to know more 
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Jul 1, 2016 11:15
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Awesome, thanks all. We're thinking about hitting both Canberra and Blue Mountains. If we wanted to go along the coast for up to 4 hours one way, should we go north or south? We're going to do the one day touristy stuff tomorrow, primarily the Australian museum, botanical garden and maybe zoo. No kids, but we live in wine country in the States. Sometimes I wish I enjoyed wine the way many folks do, and I've had tasty stuff to be sure, but it never tickled the "I need to know everything about it now" spot in my brain. Are there any street food or similar dishes that are unique to Australia, or even Sydney specifically? We tried a halal snack pack today, and it was good but I feel like there has to be something else. How about charcuterie places, cured, fermented, etc? It is winter, but are there any farmers markets or anything like that?
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Jul 3, 2016 06:55
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Nice work on the halal snack pack but its hardly a culinary wonder. Its what you eat in uni or when you're incredibly drunk/hungover. The thing about Australian food is we have no real history or ancient food culture to pull from. It means we can take things from a lot of other cuisines and build or own with no fear of offending the traditions. One thing that is huge here is coffee. We're pretty pedantic about that. Otherwise there's always new fads coming and going. In the past few years theres been mexican, burgers, american bbq among many others. There's lots of great food here but outside of things like a meat pie or sausage sizzle you're looking at the incredibly high quality of ingredients such as seafood, meat, fruit and vegetables and what people do with them. There's plenty of great restaurants if you want to find something though.
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Jul 3, 2016 12:14
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Australia doesn't actually do Street food. Meat pies, cheap lamb, Lamingtons, pavlova, Espresso flat white, Sausage sizzle and all sorts of multicultural Fusion are largely Australias iconic or signature foods. it's hard to say we have a food identity when we are so young as a nation and formed from worldwide immigration, an aussie family will have Indian one night, Mexican the next, a Lebanese kebab for lunch, a burger, stir fry, sushi and Thai curry and maybe a roast in a week.
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Jul 7, 2016 00:32
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A couple of misc questions: 1- Renting a car. I know I should book this ahead of time (in Cairns, and also likely Sydney). Do I need to do any sort of licensing beyond my American Driver's License? Any companies to avoid? 2- Visa. Do I need to do anything other than show up at the airport as an American? Apply online first? 3- Cell phone. I have a Moto G (2015). Pretty sure it is a GSM phone. Can I pick up a sim card or something like that while we're there for the week in order to use google maps and such to get around without relying on wifi? 4- Cairns/GBR/Scuba. Any recommendations on which company to go with? We definitely want to scuba but we are not PADI certified or whatever it is. How early do we need to book? Thanks!
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Jul 7, 2016 16:50
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khysanth posted:A couple of misc questions: 1. I'm pretty sure if you're drivers license is in english you won't have an issue. You'll probably just end up with one of the big global ones (Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar etc) 2. You will probably need to do an online visa application. Takes a few minutes (similar to the ESTA in America) - https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/600- 3. No idea what type of phone that is but you can get a travel sim quite easily. Probably have them at the airport. Note that if you're going far out from Cairns or away from the coast you might have no reception unless you're Telstra or Optus.
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Jul 8, 2016 05:00
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Yeah I'm here in Sydney now, and rented a car with budget. I got it with drivenow.com.au, ended up being a few bucks cheaper than anywhere else, including direct with budget. You just need a driver's license in English if you aren't here for a super long time. For visa, yes you need one. You can get it online here http://www.eta.immi.gov.au It's $20 AUD and tied to your passport, we didn't need to provide any other documents on entry. For phone stuff, if you have T-Mobile or AT&T you have a GSM phone. Call them to get it unlocked before you leave and you should be set. I'm traveling a lot this year and bought a Fi phone, and it is working flawlessly so far in Australia. We'll see about Taiwan and Hong Kong. I like turtles fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Jul 8, 2016 |
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Jul 8, 2016 12:29
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khysanth posted:4- Cairns/GBR/Scuba. Any recommendations on which company to go with? We definitely want to scuba but we are not PADI certified or whatever it is. How early do we need to book? I did my Advanced Open Water on a 3-day live-aboard on the GBR with Cairns Dive Centre (CDC), and I'm SSI certified. They were fine, but they are also the only ones I've used in Cairns so I can't compare them with anyone else. It was years ago so I've no idea how far ahead I booked. A few weeks maybe?
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Jul 8, 2016 14:59
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Thanks again for all the advice so far, this thread has been incredibly helpful in planning our first trip to Australia. Got our visas handled, booked our Brisbane <--> Cairns flights, looking for just a little bit more advice. When we get back to Brisbane we are entertaining a few ideas: 1) Stay in Brisbane area and rent a car for a day or two. See what the city has to offer and make a day trip or two to somewhere nearby. 2) Rent a car right away and immediately start a 2-3 day drive (with stops at interesting places [if they exist and are worth going to] to Sydney ($400ish to rent the car in Brisbane and drop it off in Sydney when we fly out, +fuel costs). 3) Fly to Sydney right away ($200 total for both of us) and screw Brisbane/everything in between. Either way we will be leaving ourselves with 2-4 days for Sydney/surrounding day trips. Thoughts?
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Jul 14, 2016 20:19
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khysanth posted:Thanks again for all the advice so far, this thread has been incredibly helpful in planning our first trip to Australia. The best option is definitely 2. But you'll need to make sure you have unlimited km's on the rental or you'll get smashed on cost (10c a km). In total, Brisbane to Sydney is about 12 hours uninterrupted driving. Stopping at Coff's Harbour, Port Macquarie, Nelson Bay and Newcastle would all be worthwhile to do. If you've never visited a wine region before, it can also be worth booking a wine tour in the Hunter Valley as those are always good fun. If you do stop in Newcastle, I recommend staying the night and enjoying what it has to offer before you hit the bedlam of Sydney. If you are considering that option let me know and I can post some ideas up for stay/eat/visit.
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Jul 15, 2016 01:18
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Yeah, I'd go Brisbane -> Byron Bay and spend a night there, then I don't know what's further down. But at least spend some time at Byron.
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Jul 15, 2016 01:45
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So we leave this Sunday for our epic flight over to Australia, and of course I am rethinking everything I had planned for our trip. We start and end our trip in Brisbane (with a week of campervanning around north of Brisbane - up to Rockhampton, over to Emerald and back down to Brisbane) but I am wondering if we should spend a day or two south of Brisbane. Are there any day trips to islands around Brisbane that we can take three small children on?
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Jul 18, 2016 20:42
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HookShot posted:Yeah, I'd go Brisbane -> Byron Bay and spend a night there, then I don't know what's further down. But at least spend some time at Byron. Seconding this. Byron Bay is the best thing between Sydney and Brisbane. You could then stop at a much quieter coastal town (of which there are many) or even somewhere just with a small beach and nothing else. Or you could go all the way to the Hunter Valley for another stop. Im guessing thats about 5-6 hours from Byron to the Hunter.
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Jul 18, 2016 21:40
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VorpalBunny posted:So we leave this Sunday for our epic flight over to Australia, and of course I am rethinking everything I had planned for our trip. We start and end our trip in Brisbane (with a week of campervanning around north of Brisbane - up to Rockhampton, over to Emerald and back down to Brisbane) but I am wondering if we should spend a day or two south of Brisbane. Are there any day trips to islands around Brisbane that we can take three small children on? Be aware. By going north of Brisbane and inland you are going to see whole lots of nothing. Emerald -> Rockhampton is mining country and you can expect to see a lot of people wearing yellow and orange shirts continually. I worked in Moranbah for about 6 months and I can honestly say there wasn't anything I would want to see in the area. If you're doing this to see something specific, feel free to disregard my comments. I was always more interested as a foreigner in Western Australia's inland given the actual history and stories involved. The coast will be awesome; I just would worry about going inland and being awed at the vast swathes of nothing but landscape and the odd kangaroo. Fists Up posted:Seconding this. Byron Bay is the best thing between Sydney and Brisbane. You could then stop at a much quieter coastal town (of which there are many) or even somewhere just with a small beach and nothing else. Or you could go all the way to the Hunter Valley for another stop. Im guessing thats about 5-6 hours from Byron to the Hunter. Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Nelson Bay make for worthwhile stops on the trip south. Nelson Bay having lots of boat tours and touristy poo poo to do. For the Hunter Valley the best option is always to stay in Newcastle and get a booked wine tour with someone experienced in the area. That is unless you want to play golf and instead should book to stay in the Crowne Plaza Hunter. Pinball Jizzard fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Jul 19, 2016 |
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Jul 19, 2016 00:39
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VorpalBunny be sure to stop at Australia Zoo in Beerwah.
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Jul 19, 2016 02:48
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CrazyScot posted:For the Hunter Valley the best option is always to stay in Newcastle and get a booked wine tour with someone experienced in the area. That is unless you want to play golf and instead should book to stay in the Crowne Plaza Hunter. Heh, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza a fortnight ago for our anniversary and I can confirm that it does indeed have a nice golf course. It's also a very kid friendly place to stay, they've got a kids club, carousel, and the fine dining restaurant on site (redsalt) is super accommodating for parents dining with their kids. It's also close to the Hunter Valley Zoo, which is a pretty kid friendly way to spend half a day. But it is definitely expensive, so look for a lastminute deal if you're planning to stay there.
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Jul 19, 2016 02:58
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HookShot posted:VorpalBunny be sure to stop at Australia Zoo in Beerwah. It's on the list, that and the aquarium in Mooloolaba. I'm hoping to chat up some locals or pick up a brochure or something to find a decent day boat trip for the kids, I just want them to see some part of the reef before it all dies off. (Sorry guys  )CrazyScot posted:Be aware. By going north of Brisbane and inland you are going to see whole lots of nothing. Emerald -> Rockhampton is mining country and you can expect to see a lot of people wearing yellow and orange shirts continually. I worked in Moranbah for about 6 months and I can honestly say there wasn't anything I would want to see in the area. If you're doing this to see something specific, feel free to disregard my comments. I was always more interested as a foreigner in Western Australia's inland given the actual history and stories involved. My husband and I actually did this trip back in 2008, we blazed up the coast in a campervan stopping to dive in Mooloolaba and ending in Cairns for a few days of diving. We did a side trip to Emerald to see all the fossicking stuff. I know what to expect - we were fascinated by the tiny little "towns" and the road trains, and the endless rail trains full of coal and the controlled burns along the road. It's the closest we'll get to Mad Max, and it's probably the easiest way for my kids to think they've been to the outback, plus you have all those giant anthills and the random rivers with crocodiles... I just hope the kids love it as much as we did. They're pretty nerdy, at least the oldest one is, so all the fossicking stuff should be neat for him. And it might feel like a real adventure going places not many other tourists would bother to go. It's kind of why I'm bugging everyone so much about stuff for kids, since last time we did this trip we were a young childless couple. We live in SoCal, so I don't know how much of the coast my kids will be impressed by since we live in the same kind of climate and landscape. I'm giving us a few days to explore and whale watch, but I anticipate the kids might get a little restless. We're going as far north as the Capricorn Caves in Rockhampton and as far west as Emerald. I gave ourselves a week to putter around north of Brisbane. The tempo is all up to the kids - my husband and I are well aware these kids dictate our trip. There is a chance we never leave the Brisbane area and find an air bnb rental for the whole of our trip, eating the cost of the campervan. C'est la vie.
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Jul 19, 2016 05:58
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Fists Up posted:Seconding this. Byron Bay is the best thing between Sydney and Brisbane. You could then stop at a much quieter coastal town (of which there are many) or even somewhere just with a small beach and nothing else. Or you could go all the way to the Hunter Valley for another stop. Im guessing thats about 5-6 hours from Byron to the Hunter. Yeah and Brisbane goons are cool. Goony as heck but there are a few cool goons there
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Jul 19, 2016 07:55
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I'm a Rockhampton girl. Sorry about the roads, they just got a buttload of rain and poo poo got hosed up.
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Jul 19, 2016 16:20
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Anidav, Bifauxnen and iajanus in the auspol crew byob thread want to organise a goonmeet, when are you in Brisbane?
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Jul 22, 2016 23:13
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We'll be travelling in Australia from August 25 to September 25 (so 28 days). We are flying in to Cairns and flying back home from Sydney. Could use some help with the planning of our trip. Our goals are to go scuba diving on the great barrier reef and visit Uluru (i guess we have to fly here?), see the some outback and drive along the coast. For the rest of it we were thinking of renting a cheap(ish) campervan and roadtriping from Cairns to Sydney or maybe from Brisbane to Sydney. How much time is needed for Uluru / Ayers Rock? We thought of maybe renting car/camper? Anyone have any recommendations for good company to rent a cheapish campervan from? The price range seems to be huge, for say three weeks anywhere from ca. 1000 AUD to 3500 AUD? What are the coolest don't miss sights on the coast, especially those that aren't in the guidebooks?
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Jul 26, 2016 13:58
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I am likely to be going to Australia for a month to do a project with work. Within a short email exchange it was suggested the opportunity to stay over would be on the table if I wanted to. I am currently in the UK but I have no idea where to start researching as it's not something I've ever considered. However, I am curious. I'll be working my way through the thread tonight but any advice on where I should start researching would be appreciated. The project will be in Perth and Sydney so presumably I'll be flying about. I'm sure I will be back with more questions as I find out more!! Even if it doesn't appeal once I get there, I will miss some of the bad weather here in the UK 
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Aug 3, 2016 16:26
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Which months specifically? And yes, unless your work hates you, you'll be flying.
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Aug 3, 2016 19:56
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Also what type of work. For a lot of industries "Perth" can mean "back of bumfuck nowhere" which raises new things to mention.
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Aug 3, 2016 22:10
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Depends on what you are interested in. If you like your food and drinks, head south from Perth, through Margaret River and down to Albany. Some spectacular scenery, amazing food and racists as far as the eye can see. If you like scuba diving / snorkeling, head north out of Perth and go to Exmouth and the Ningaloo reef. Better than the Great barrier reef. Its just a pity you need to drive for 10 loving hours through a wasteland of dust and racists to get there. If you like really big holes in the ground, head east to Kalgoorlie and check out the super pit. its a big hole in the ground, surrounded by racists.
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Aug 4, 2016 06:11
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What if I want to see racists in a big hole in the ground, froglet?
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Aug 4, 2016 06:21
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Lizard Combatant posted:What if I want to see racists in a big hole in the ground, froglet? Froglet is a different perth based IT person surrounded by racists, thank you very much. And I would suggest hiring a bulldozer, dig a big hole, and then put a sign next to it saying "Free Southern Cross Singlet at the bottom."
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Aug 4, 2016 06:34
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Frogmanv2 posted:Froglet is a different perth based IT person surrounded by racists, thank you very much. Hah! Sorry, autocorrect on my phone.
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Aug 4, 2016 08:51
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It is likely to be end of October / start of November I think... all TBC It will be IT work that I'll be over for and I don't think there will be time for vast amounts of travelling. Presumably I'll get a chance to get out in Perth. I think if I go to Sydney we have an office we I'll probably just be visiting and going back (or something like that) I'm still waiting to find out where exactly I will be I think I'm on the outskirts of Perth mainly
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Aug 4, 2016 12:14
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angry armadillo posted:
Yeah, that covers a lot of territory. There are plenty of day trips you can do, and weekend stuff. The Swan Valley is nice and close, and there are plenty of places down south that are worth driving down to on a Saturday morning, stay the night and drive back Sunday. Kings Park is worth checking out, and they might have the sunset cinemas back on by then.
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Aug 4, 2016 14:58
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well with Perth you don't have to go far to see bushland. Lesmurdie up the range would be sufficient. In the south west there are about 8 climate zones. They make for a great multi day road trip. the jarrah forests near Nanga mill, are a personal favourite.
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Aug 5, 2016 07:29
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Thanks for the previous bits of advice. My family and I just got home today from our 2-week trip around Southern Queensland. We flew into Brisbane via Delta, who misplaced our luggage for 36 hours. Thankfully I had planned a day for adjusting to the time change, so it wasn't that big of a deal. They returned our luggage in time for us to enjoy a change of clothes, then the free ferry in Brisbane and the waterfront area with the big wheel. We then got the campervan and headed inland to Miles, north to Emerald along an undeveloped road to look for wildlife, did some fossicking in Rubyvale, visited the Capricorn Caves, the Cooberie animal rescue park, and an AWESOME trip to Lady Musgrave Island before heading back to Brisbane. We had some stellar campgrounds and some miserable ones, but the best part was we hit the weather just right. Right before we got there was rain, right after we left was terrible wind. The only thing we didn't plan for was all the damned mosquitoes, and we were eaten alive. We essentially ran out of time to do stuff like the Australia Zoo, and traveling with 3 small kids we decided to ease up on a few driving days and give them time to just run around and play on playgrounds and stuff. I want to personally thank all Australians for generally being the nicest people on the planet. We had no problems, everyone was helpful and curious about our trip, it made everything so much easier to handle.
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Aug 7, 2016 06:44
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Did you go to the crocodile farm (not too far from Cooberie Park)? It's great! Though crocs are pretty quiet this time of year, it's a bit cool for them. You hung out around my area (Rockhampton/Capricornia) - I love the Caves I'm glad you got out there. Sounds like you had a great time. I miss home so much 
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Aug 7, 2016 16:33
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Sharks Below posted:Did you go to the crocodile farm (not too far from Cooberie Park)? It's great! Though crocs are pretty quiet this time of year, it's a bit cool for them. We spent so much more time at Cooberie Park than I expected, so we really only did that on that day. There were crocodiles there, but they just eyeballed us with contempt from their resting spots. The cassowary tried to attack my husband through the fence, but it might have been the red shirt he was wearing. The kids loved the freedom to hang out with kangaroos and wallabys, and since I bought 10 bags of feed we were very popular. We probably spent at least 3 hours there, including the animal show where we held a koala, which was amazing. I love places like that, we even sponsored a kangaroo for my mother-in-law for her birthday. We actually spent 2 days in a campground park between Yeppoon and Emu Park, and on our way out we hit a small brunch place in Rockhampton. When the wait staff asked where we were from, I told them Los Angeles. They both said to me: "What are you doing here?!" "I'd much rather be over there!" "It's a bit of a step down, isn't it?" Cooberie Park and the Lady Musgrave Experience were both recommendations from a local in our campground. We started chatting at the playground, and I am so grateful for helpful Aussies because neither place was on our radar! I cannot recommend Lady Musgrave enough, it is a 2-hour boat trip to get there but it is so amazing - an isolated coral cay with crystal clear lagoon and dozens of coral areas to explore. Turtles galore!
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Aug 7, 2016 19:33
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That is awesome! Yeah don't let your hubs blame himself, cassowaries are absolute bastards and are really one of the only creatures truly feared by most Australians (particularly Queenslanders). Pricks. I haven't been to LMI since I was a kid but I've been to Heron a bunch of times, they sound similar-ish, kind of similar areas of the reef for sure. So awesome.
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Aug 7, 2016 21:01
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VorpalBunny posted:Thanks for the previous bits of advice. My family and I just got home today from our 2-week trip around Southern Queensland. We flew into Brisbane via Delta, who misplaced our luggage for 36 hours. Thankfully I had planned a day for adjusting to the time change, so it wasn't that big of a deal. They returned our luggage in time for us to enjoy a change of clothes, then the free ferry in Brisbane and the waterfront area with the big wheel. We then got the campervan and headed inland to Miles, north to Emerald along an undeveloped road to look for wildlife, did some fossicking in Rubyvale, visited the Capricorn Caves, the Cooberie animal rescue park, and an AWESOME trip to Lady Musgrave Island before heading back to Brisbane. You're most welcome, I'm glad you had a good time
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Aug 8, 2016 00:45
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So the good news is I've been told which dates I'm going to Aus - October 27th to November 19th (ish) But the bad news is I think I'm going to be stuck in a room for most of the time and told to work hopefully I get a weekend to myself to pop into Perth.
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Aug 16, 2016 11:55
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Got back from our Australia trip yesterday, thanks everyone for all the advice and tips. This is what we ended up doing: Flew LAX --> Brisbane and immediately hopped on another plane to Cairns. Hung out in Cairns/Port Douglas area for 4 days doing Daintree National Park, diving the Great Barrier Reef, etc. Flew back to Brisbane and immediately rented a car and set off. Met up with a friend in Gold Coast, bought weed in Nimbin, stayed for a night in Byron Bay. Hung out in Byron the next morning before hitting the road again. Drove down the coast with a few hours rest stop in Port Macquarie, then continued on to Newcastle for the night. The next morning we drove into Sydney and spent the day wandering around the city. Next day we drove out to Blue Mountains National Park and saw the sights before heading back into the city for a final night of rest before the brutal flight back home. All things considered it ended up working out pretty well for the short amount of time we had. Also everyone we met was incredibly nice and helpful. Triple J radio was the best station we found for all the driving hours.
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Aug 16, 2016 18:57
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I'm planning a ~3 week trip in late Oct - mid November for strictly vacation. Here's the rough itinerary, but would love some recommendations/suggestions/confirmation that I'm doing it right. It's just me and my SO for the whole trip and meeting up with various friends throughout. We're also planning on driving as little as possible and avoiding car rentals. We prefer the more nature-based activities, so hikes, biking tours, etc over museums since we're from the NYC area. Leg 1 - Tasmania 2 days in Hobart Day 1 - Wineglass bay tour, day 2 is TBD but probably exploring Hobart (would love suggestions) Leg 2 - Melbourne 6 days 2 of those days will be devoted to Cup Week races, 1 day for a beer garden/hanging out, 1 day hanging out around the beaches, hoping to do 1 day on a Great Ocean Road tour. So there's still 1 day to fit in anything else. Leg 3 - Sydney 3 days, very open to ideas. Whale watching sounds like it could be an option? Leg 4 - Cairns 3 days - 1 snorkelling through the GBR (has anyone tried Marine World?) and another taking the skyrail to Kuranda, since Daintree might be a bit of an ambitious goal to do in a day? Thank you in advance!
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Sep 6, 2016 21:32
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RE: Tasmania, on the other day I'd recommend at least a half day in the Huon Valley (just south of Hobes). There are some excellent wineries and cider breweries (Willie Smith's is a must-see, Pagan is also incredible) as well as beautiful ocean scenery. Consider the Bruny Island Wildlife Cruise too if you can, we were supposed to go on it on our honeymoon but there was 6m seas so we couldn't go It's meant to be really spectacular. Hobart itself is great though. A friend lives there and works at the Alabama Hotel which is a cute little boutique place if you're looking for accom recommendations. MONA is obviously also incredible, I feel that you do need a half day to get through it all though and you might run out of time.
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Sep 6, 2016 21:58
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