Hi Guys,

Some of you may remember me posting up before before about me and my girl coming to Oz for december, well theres only 4 weeks until we hit your east coast and i am almost p*ssing myself with excitement! I hope to take in some drag meets on the way ad get my petrol head fix.

So come on i want to hear some must see sites weather its car related or just for taking in the view! List them here

Cheers guys,
Rob.

Well in Sydney about 5pm they close the Sydney Harbour Bridge so the kangaroo's can cross over..........:P

Which city's are you actually going to ?

And be careful walking under tree's as the (koala) drop bears may attack.

also don't go swimming after lunch..................LoL

dont forget the hoop snakes

How are you planning on travelling? that affects what you will see between the cities. Remember its a bloody long way from Bris to Cairns (I think it may be close to the distance from Bris to Melb, but am not sure).
My suggestions..................

Sydney: Touristy things - Bondi (very New Zealandish), Coogee (lots of drinking), the Rocks (our version of historical), can walk over/climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge (with your exchange rate the price probably isn't too bad), got to go on the ferry to Manly and just flake out on the beach over there.

Bris: Southbank is good to visit and see the markets, don't swim in the water there though (Unless you have no regard for bacteria and other things), can reach either the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast easily from here.

Cairns: Go up to the falls up Kuranda way, the markets up there are a wee bit touristy, but not too bad last time I was there. Bungy jumping in the hinterlands behind the town, not bad, good view or head up a bit towards the cape (You won't get far as it hopefully will be very very wet there) and go on a boat trip to see some Crocs (No swimming........... unless of course you are a member or reserve for the English Rugby Team)


Anyone else got any hints??????????

How long are you staying for ???

Well the holiday so far is 5 nights in sydney to do what we want nothing planned. then get a flight up to Bris, got 5 nights with a hire car, no accommidation booked so was gonna go down the gold coast and down to Byron bay as we've heard thats spot on???

Then we pick up a contiki tour bus from Brisbane and do an 11 night tour up to Cairns, taking in Fraser island, 2 nights on a sail boat on the whit sundays, cape trib etc etc. sort of feel its a cop out doing a organised tour thing but thought what with being clueless poms on our first trip to oz, it would be good to get a guided tour as we might find more out?!?!?!
We have 1 night in Cairns to do what we like before flying out to Auckland for a 1 night stop over and then on to Fiji for 7 nights.

So its mainly stuff to do around Sydney and Brisbane that we will be able to do, as I think the tour will be full on up from Bris to Cairns.


Rob.

Southbank is right on the Brisbane river but it also has beaches there for ppl to swim in but as penguin says its fairly unhygenic.
Put it this way.... all the little kids who haven't been toilet trained just love going in there get my point?? :P

Its got a sort of an onshore beach,/pool thingy.
http://www.south-bank.net.au/ 
Even though its chlorinated, I wouldn't swim there, I've seen what goes in there and bathes......... not impressed.
The contiki isn't a cop out, good way to get to the places and not drive. Not sure how much driving you have done in long distance terms, but even driving hard, Bris to Cairns is about two days driving. Thats not stopping to see anything along the way. Fraser Island is great.
When you drive from Bris, I'd head south mostly as you will be north for the Contiki tour. and even though its really touristy, Sea World is a good day or so stuffing about, especially if you want to see some reasonable sized sharks (there are a lot bigger ones about, but this is just handy)
Cheers

Sounds like a full on tour you have planned there.
Do not forget to get vaccinated against stone fish,fly blight,western taipans,redbacks,blue ringed octapuses,great white sharks,dingoes,funnel webs,sea stingers, scorpions,tassie devils, sun stroke,cold beer,and hsv drivers. Just use lots of local lingo,cobber,mate,drongo. Soon as you hope off your flight jump in a cab/taxi a say "Struth mate I'm as dry as a dead dingoes dongo, lets fang it over to the nearest waterhole for a soothing tube of piss,my shout. Thanks cobber!"
Enjoy your holiday in our wide brown land. :thumb

lol...southbank

i call it the pee pool for the people for a reason.

:sandrine
Driving around Australia is quite different to your side of the world where you can drive across Holland & Germany in 24hrs or so.
Here its not like that.
The miles between states here is so far...it takes days & days...to get to across.
A contiki tour is a great idea for your first time over as you get the main tourist places to visit.
Hope you have a great time....had a friend come here to Brisbane from London on the weekend...he couldn't get over how hot & sunny (blue skies) we have here.
He loves it here....a little too hot for him but loves it anyway.
Have fun guys
Judy

Quote:

Originally posted by dodge Southbank is right on the Brisbane river but it also has beaches there for ppl to swim in but as penguin says its fairly unhygenic. Put it this way.... all the little kids who haven't been toilet trained just love going in there get my point?? :P

Quote:

Originally posted by penguin Its got a sort of an onshore beach,/pool thingy. http://www.south-bank.net.au/  Even though its chlorinated, I wouldn't swim there, I've seen what goes in there and bathes......... not impressed. The contiki isn't a cop out, good way to get to the places and not drive. Not sure how much driving you have done in long distance terms, but even driving hard, Bris to Cairns is about two days driving. Thats not stopping to see anything along the way. Fraser Island is great. When you drive from Bris, I'd head south mostly as you will be north for the Contiki tour. and even though its really touristy, Sea World is a good day or so stuffing about, especially if you want to see some reasonable sized sharks (there are a lot bigger ones about, but this is just handy) Cheers

Quote:

Originally posted by ByronBug :sandrine Driving around Australia is quite different to your side of the world where you can drive across Holland & Germany in 24hrs or so. Here its not like that. The miles between states here is so far...it takes days & days...to get to across. A contiki tour is a great idea for your first time over as you get the main tourist places to visit. Hope you have a great time....had a friend come here to Brisbane from London on the weekend...he couldn't get over how hot & sunny (blue skies) we have here. He loves it here....a little too hot for him but loves it anyway. Have fun guys Judy

It's bloody hot most of the time. Go to Byron and spend most of your time there to start with. It's one of the most beautiful places in NSW/Aust/The World, and only about 1 1/2 to 2 hours south of Brisbane. Have a beer at the Beach Hotel and watch the sun go down. Walk up to the lighthouse.. anyone will tell you how to get there. You can see it from the beach to your right facing the ocean. Drive inland to Nimbin and Mullumbimby (hippy towns). You can stay at the Beach Hotel but there are cheaper places nearby. Byron is always packed around Christmas time so try and book something on the net if you can.

For your wife, from Cairns go to Port Douglas and further north to the Daintree Rainforest. One of the oldest and unspoilt forests in the world. Go and spoil it... You can stay at a place near Port Douglas called Silky Oaks.. a beautiful eco tourist type resort in a rainforest. At least have lunch there if you can. Go Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Catch a boat from Port Douglas. she'll never forget it, nor will you.

In Fiji go to one of the small islands off the mainland like Treasure island, or Beachcomber island, or Mana island. Beachcomber is the cheapest and most young couple oriented. Treasure Isl is good if you have kids. Mana is the best of both worlds but more expensive. You get there by boat from the town of Lautoka. i've been there 7 or 8 times for the reef snorkelling. you must go snorkelling in Fiji. Go out on a boat and jump out with a group. It's the most fun. If you arrive late at night in Fiji, walk (i mean literally walk) out of the airport to the Skylodge hotel, literally across the road from the airport road entrance. Cheap and close for a night till you can get a boat off the mainland.

If for some reason you are staying on the mainland, go inland in a 4WD from Sigatoka (pronounced SINGatoka). That way you'll see some beautiful tropical jungle, natural springs, and small villages. they've stopped eating other humans for weeks now :P

I crossed the Sigatoka river on a horse bareback. it was wild! If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Thanks Oasis,

We are staying on the main island in Fiji for just two nights at the Club Fiji resort, then we are off for a futher 5 nights on Plantation island or Malolo lailai as its know by the locals. We can't wait!!!

Rob.

I've been to both. You'll love it. Bill

Do you have your LP East Coast Australia guide...it has all the things to see and do on this side of Oz....

Your missus should do an introductory scuba dive on the sailing cruise your doing in the Whitesundays..... it's brilliant there and will be less crowded than Cairns for diving.....the reef's stunning there...only cost about $70 to do and they come to your boat....

Sydney...get a Daytripper Pass which gets you on and off buses, trains and ferries all day around Sydney.....definitely do the Harbour .... the ferry to Watson's Bay is excellent...easy walk to look at the Heads (opening to the harbour spectacular) ...good food n pub...and a nice walk around a point to a sweet bathing beach if the weather is nice ...again great views and very chilled....Maybe a trip out to the Blue Mountains... Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge if your budget can cope...Bondi Beach is a Sydney icon...there rather than Manly...d zoo maybe...Oxford St Paddington...shopping and cafe culture...

Kirra Beach is a really nice spot to stop for a night on the boarder of NSW and Qld...beautiful beach....near the Twead River in Twead Heads/Coolangatta...great seafood cafe there on river....It's away from the crowds of Surfer's Paradise and places like that....

Visit Nimbin.....it's was our hippy haven years ago...but maybe a bit touristy now....great country side and not far from Byron....worth the drive...

Interested in National Parks? Lamington NP on the NSW Qld boarder is amazing on the O'Reilly side....an has an old historic guest house there...It's a rainforest and the bird life is something....views are to die for across the range especially if an electric storm is coming...wow...

OK my 2 bobs worth

i cant believe none have you have pointed out the two greatest locations to visit in nsw

number 1)
Club Fish - well its not really a club, more like my house, but hey if you wanted to drop in a forum party would be held!

number 2)
NIMBIN - might get in trouble explaining why Nimbin is such a wonderful place, but trust me... go there, stay there, live there until the end of your day and/or australian visa.

Daniel

Byron isnt that nice, too busy and the sharks, watch them they are huge. Dont surf either, the sea lice are bad that time of year, they crawl into every crevice they can find...Gold Coast is nice though...

Nimbin is a terrible place (being serious now) not worth the visit unless you have absolutley nothing to do. It has a real evil feel about it, its no longer a hippy town, but a haven for drug f#$%& bums and people from the cities trying to buy cheap drugs and stuffing up our north coast culture...nothing a huge bush fire and a month long law enforcement operation couldnt fix...Nimbin is a disgrace, dont encourage tourists there, its just a freak parade of stuffed up lives and ruined families