Best spots to go to in Oz & NZ
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bartbridge
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Have you tried the lonely planet or rough guide websites? Also if you ring trailfinders they might suggest some good websites?
I found this other one when doing a search recently:
I found this other one when doing a search recently:
Z
Z100
Guest
Couldn't agree more, the most soulless, lifeless, artificial, God-awful city I've ever been in.
Melbourne is magnificent, Sydney not far behind.Oh I forgot... Atherton Tablelands... inland from Cairns... stunning area...
OnTheWallaby Hostel Yungaburra... out in the sticks - platypuses playing/swimming in the local river at dusk.
Beautiful crater lakes in the wilderness for swimming, amazing flora and fauna..
Easy 1-2 days out of Cairns with a hire car doing a 300-400km loop....
Re Perth, glad I'm not going crazy and it isn't just me!! ;-)
OnTheWallaby Hostel Yungaburra... out in the sticks - platypuses playing/swimming in the local river at dusk.
Beautiful crater lakes in the wilderness for swimming, amazing flora and fauna..
Easy 1-2 days out of Cairns with a hire car doing a 300-400km loop....
Re Perth, glad I'm not going crazy and it isn't just me!! ;-)
Going to Aus and Oz in October and November myself on honeymoon.
Our plan is to drive from Cairns to Sydney over 5 weeks.
Then drive from Christchurch to Auckland over another 5 weeks, this time in a camper van.
Here are a few useful sites that I have come across while researching the trip.
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/driving-routes/driving-routes-home.cfm
http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=30333
[broken link removed]
Our plan is to drive from Cairns to Sydney over 5 weeks.
Then drive from Christchurch to Auckland over another 5 weeks, this time in a camper van.
Here are a few useful sites that I have come across while researching the trip.
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/driving-routes/driving-routes-home.cfm
http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=30333
[broken link removed]
Would agree distances in WA are vast but there is more to see than around Alice.
We did trip from Perth upto Moneky Mia and back and that was not very interesting drive apart from Port Denison area.
The part of WA that is interesting is Albany across south coast and then up west through Margaret River wine area. The trees are huge and you are driving right between these giants.
You will find really quiet beaches with no one on them. Maybe the locals know something but also distances are big so not a lot of people.
Perth has nice small centre, sprawling suburbs and it is very quiet at night.
Melbourne I though was flat and featureless whereas Sydney is magnificent from point view of sights. I know people say that Melbourne better quality of life but I didn't see it?
It is a lot like how poeple compare Wellington with Auckland.
Regarding NZ.
Spend wayy more time on South Island, it is way better, less populated and less developed.
Do not bank on fine weather on west coast, it has the rain forest for a reason.
Bring plenty of moneey because there are a lot of activities you will want to do.
We did trip from Perth upto Moneky Mia and back and that was not very interesting drive apart from Port Denison area.
The part of WA that is interesting is Albany across south coast and then up west through Margaret River wine area. The trees are huge and you are driving right between these giants.
You will find really quiet beaches with no one on them. Maybe the locals know something but also distances are big so not a lot of people.
Perth has nice small centre, sprawling suburbs and it is very quiet at night.
Melbourne I though was flat and featureless whereas Sydney is magnificent from point view of sights. I know people say that Melbourne better quality of life but I didn't see it?
It is a lot like how poeple compare Wellington with Auckland.
Regarding NZ.
Spend wayy more time on South Island, it is way better, less populated and less developed.
Do not bank on fine weather on west coast, it has the rain forest for a reason.
Bring plenty of moneey because there are a lot of activities you will want to do.
@ jmayo:
What did you make of Monkey Mia itself? Was thinking of doing that later this year but flights are expensive. If you can recommend dolphin-ing anywhere else in WA, please do so.
@ OP:
You could do worse than reading Down Under for some tips. If nothing else, it's a chuckly read.
What did you make of Monkey Mia itself? Was thinking of doing that later this year but flights are expensive. If you can recommend dolphin-ing anywhere else in WA, please do so.
@ OP:
You could do worse than reading Down Under for some tips. If nothing else, it's a chuckly read.
Defo on Port Douglas!! Went snorkelling off Low Isles with Fantasea? Excellent day well worth the money.North Queensland 1 week min. Sydney 3-4 days but make sure you then head out to Blue Mountains for 2days. Melbourne fab city and loads to do around it...lots of day trips, Wilsons Prom and Phillip is. Perth we based ourselves is great for families but as others have pointed out pretty dull. But if you want Great Barrier Reef without the hordes head for Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth. Amazing...especially Turquoise Bay and Lakeside. We loved WA and its National Parks are exceptional esp. Cape Le Grand near Esperance.
You can swim with Dolphins south of Perth at Rockingham? Only hour drive from Perth.
We were in Oz for 16 months but didn't get to NZ as too much to see? Are you sure you want to try and see both in one holiday?
You can swim with Dolphins south of Perth at Rockingham? Only hour drive from Perth.
We were in Oz for 16 months but didn't get to NZ as too much to see? Are you sure you want to try and see both in one holiday?
Sydney is a great spot with some fantastic restaurants...try Cafe Sydney with outside terrace and amazing views of harbour... also Hunter Valley wineries are > 3 hrs drive away, some nice spa type hotels there which include chauffeur driven wine tours. Frazer Island was a must see (for me!!)
S
S
Check out www.dolphins.com.au and you will find out that it is Rockingham WA and not Rockhampton QLD. Yes there are Dolphins in Bunbury but Rock is closer to Perth and trip includes transfer from Perth.
K
KalEl
Guest
Try and get to Whitehaven beach...we stayed for 10 days in the Whitsundays and did quite a bit of sailing. It was unforgettable.
Decani
Monkey Mia is a resort about 30kms or so from small town called Denham.
They are both on penisula, it is one road, one road out.
Denham itself is 120km or something from North Western Coastal highway on road to Broome.
Not sure at moment but I can check the exact distances we did.
Unless you are passing on North Western Highway up or down coast be prepared it is a bloody long way from anywhere.
The resort itself offers differing levels of accomodation like Uluru etc.
There are couple of restaurants, again aimed at different price ranges.
The cheaper backpacked accomodation we got was 4 bed with shared bathroom with another room. It was clean with fan, no aircon but not so bad since on coast.
The dolphins come in around 8am and then upto 10am.
The reason they know the times is because they come in to be fed.
They make them hang around until they each get a fish. It is bit orchestrated really.
You cannot touch them but you can get close and some people get to actually feed them.
Personally speaking if we had known what the trip involved we would'nt have bothered.
Not sure about where else to see Dolphins in WA?
I know Rottnest Island off Perth does offer some wildlife.
Would recommend visit to Yanchep National Park north of Perth. Very nice with Koalas, Kangaroos, Cockatoos etc.
See link:
http://www.colonialvoyage.com/viaggi/australiasharkbay.html
you can recommend dolphin-ing anywhere else in WA, please do so.
Monkey Mia is a resort about 30kms or so from small town called Denham.
They are both on penisula, it is one road, one road out.
Denham itself is 120km or something from North Western Coastal highway on road to Broome.
Not sure at moment but I can check the exact distances we did.
Unless you are passing on North Western Highway up or down coast be prepared it is a bloody long way from anywhere.
The resort itself offers differing levels of accomodation like Uluru etc.
There are couple of restaurants, again aimed at different price ranges.
The cheaper backpacked accomodation we got was 4 bed with shared bathroom with another room. It was clean with fan, no aircon but not so bad since on coast.
The dolphins come in around 8am and then upto 10am.
The reason they know the times is because they come in to be fed.
They make them hang around until they each get a fish. It is bit orchestrated really.
You cannot touch them but you can get close and some people get to actually feed them.
Personally speaking if we had known what the trip involved we would'nt have bothered.
Not sure about where else to see Dolphins in WA?
I know Rottnest Island off Perth does offer some wildlife.
Would recommend visit to Yanchep National Park north of Perth. Very nice with Koalas, Kangaroos, Cockatoos etc.
See link:
http://www.colonialvoyage.com/viaggi/australiasharkbay.html
you can recommend dolphin-ing anywhere else in WA, please do so.
There's an Ad on the telly at the moment for Australia....at the end of the Ad there's a rather attractive gal on a desert-sand island...I was on that very one (island that is!). AAAnyway, it is in the WhitSundays and we went on a big Maxi yaght called Siska - had an amazing 3 days there and easily the highlight of the trip. Flew into Hamilton Island.
Firefly
Firefly