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#11
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Agree with you Jeff and David
And to save confusion the original poster further, the shoulder period around Autumn (In Oz thats March - May) is the best average calm weather over the Eastern Seaboard. If travelling from the tropics to good ole Melb late April would be a good time to do it. Big Kev -- Email - drop the second "s" in "travsubs". "Jeff" wrote in message ... who cares about the weather, you will have a great time depending on your adventurous spirit. cheers Jeff "David Bennetts" wrote in message ... "Ross" wrote in message ... Think about this. It is summer in Oz now! 1st February Melbourne's max. temp. was 36º 2nd February was max. temp. 13º 3rd February was the wettest day in over 150 years. Official fall was 155 mm i.e. 155 litres per square metre. Wild weather with much flooding and damage. Are you sure you want to visit Melbourne? Ross You should base your decision on averages rather than extremes. Average annual rainfall for Melbourne is 653 mm. By comparison Sydney is 1217 mm and Cairns 2003 mm (see www.bom.gov.au) .. So are you sure you want to visit Cairns? Regards David Bennetts |
#12
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I'd like to thank you all for your input and information.
Now I know more than when I started planning this vacation, but still undecided. I am trying to arrange the best first trip to Australia in 12 nights, chosing from Quantas vacations. Ross asked: Are you sure you want to visit Melbourne? The answer is: No, I'm not sure. It may be more attractive to use those 4 days to visit Adelaide with it's vineyards and Kagaroo Island to see indigenous wildlife instead. And David Bennets asked: Are you sure you want to visit Cairns? And no, I'm not sure. But I think it would be a shame to go to Australia and not to visit the Great Barrier Reef (my wife and I enjoy snorkeling). Deadly jellyfish and weather extremes (plus kids vacationing) are good reasons not to go in December, but April instead. The trip as planned by Quantas is: Arriving at Adelaide (2 nights), then ferry to Kangaroo Island (2 nights); plane to Cairns (4 nights); plane to Sydney (4 nights); return home. Hotels and transportation are included in the package and there are optionals such as 1/2 day sightseeing in Sydney; full day rainforest visit in Cairns; etc. I'll appreciate any opinions on this new, revised itinerary. Many thanks! Paul "Big Kev - Melbourne Australia" wrote in message ... Agree with you Jeff and David And to save confusion the original poster further, the shoulder period around Autumn (In Oz thats March - May) is the best average calm weather over the Eastern Seaboard. If travelling from the tropics to good ole Melb late April would be a good time to do it. Big Kev -- Email - drop the second "s" in "travsubs". "Jeff" wrote in message ... who cares about the weather, you will have a great time depending on your adventurous spirit. cheers Jeff "David Bennetts" wrote in message ... "Ross" wrote in message ... Think about this. It is summer in Oz now! 1st February Melbourne's max. temp. was 36º 2nd February was max. temp. 13º 3rd February was the wettest day in over 150 years. Official fall was 155 mm i.e. 155 litres per square metre. Wild weather with much flooding and damage. Are you sure you want to visit Melbourne? Ross You should base your decision on averages rather than extremes. Average annual rainfall for Melbourne is 653 mm. By comparison Sydney is 1217 mm and Cairns 2003 mm (see www.bom.gov.au) . So are you sure you want to visit Cairns? Regards David Bennetts |
#13
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One great thing about Melbourne is that if you don't like the weather it
will usually change either in the next hour or next day (february 3rd was an exception ... I waited all day for the rain to stop ... didn't happen!). Statistically, it is highly unlikely that there will be another 155mm rainfall day in the next 20 years (assuming not due to enhanced greenhouse effect). There are also a lot of great places to visit within 4 hours drive of Melbourne. Main issue with the city? Very difficult to get public transport OUT to some country areas in the morning - the PT system is designed for people coming in to work in the city, not tourists heading out of the city on day trips. Anyway, have fun in Adelaide! Cheers, Lyn "Ross" wrote in message ... Think about this. It is summer in Oz now! 1st February Melbourne's max. temp. was 36º 2nd February was max. temp. 13º 3rd February was the wettest day in over 150 years. Official fall was 155 mm i.e. 155 litres per square metre. Wild weather with much flooding and damage. Are you sure you want to visit Melbourne? Ross "Paul" wrote in message ... Best time of the year to visit Australia? We live near Los Angeles and are interested in a combined package flying Quantas and staying 4 nights in Sydney, 4 in Melbourne and 4 in Cairns-Great Barrier Reef. |
#14
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Just be prepared to write off the first day, due to jet lag. It's an
unbearably long trip. Can't put it any nicer way. And your interior clock will be messed up, so don't expect to put in a full, energetic day of sightseeing the second you step off the plane. Especially not if you want to drive. Too bad you can't add a few more days to the trip but I understand you Americans don't get lots of paid vacation time off so you have to keep it short. In my opinion, best wine comes from South Australia - Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra. No, I'm not from South Australia, so I'm not biased. Just can't seem to find a wine I don't like when I buy S.A. wines. Maybe take one of your days off of Sydney or Cairns and add it to the beginning of the trip in Adelaide so you can spend more time touring the wineries when you're not so jet-lagged. Yeah, don't give up on the Great Barrier Reef either. Do it. It's spectacular and breath-taking. Same for rainforest tour. It's different, it's interesting. Wear good bug repellent, like Bushman Plus, not the feeble stuff for city bugs. Good luck, and keep asking questions if you want |
#15
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"Paul" writes:
The trip as planned by Quantas is: Arriving at Adelaide (2 nights), then ferry to Kangaroo Island (2 nights); plane to Cairns (4 nights); plane to Sydney (4 nights); return home. Hotels and transportation are included in the package and there are optionals such as 1/2 day sightseeing in Sydney; full day rainforest visit in Cairns; etc. I'll appreciate any opinions on this new, revised itinerary. {It's Qantas--no 'u']. Adelaide is like a country town. The second day, a car trip through Adelaide Hills and some wineries would be nice (unless you're Mormons, in which case you'll see some 19th century housing). Kangaroo Island is interesting enough--lots of bloody koalas eating themselves into oblivion. Cairns itself isn't that interesting, but the Atherton Tableland and rainforest areas are. The Kuranda Skyrail is worth it (cable car skimming over the top of the rainforest). Port Douglas is a much nicer place to stay, about 1 hour north of Cairns. Sydney is a cosmopolitan global city around a magnificent harbour. Do the Opera House, climb the Bridge, travel by ferry, go up the Centrepoint Tower, etc. Fit in a Blue Mountains day trip--spectacular scenery. You haven't even touched the major physical attractions--Ayers Rock, Kakadu, Nullarbor Plain, Gibson Desert, South-western Tasmania, south- western Western Australia, the Kimberley, Lake Eyre, or the Great Barrier Reef [although you might manage it from Cairns or Port Douglas], Gulf Country, Great Ocean Road, Macquarie Lakes or the whole alpine region. But, then, you have to leave something for the next time, don't you? Mike McBain |
#17
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Thanks again for the all info, I really appreciate it.
Yes, we will enjoy Australian wines. We frequently buy them in Los Angeles stores. It will be great to taste them down there. And of course there will be much more to see on a second trip. I just have to set a date and book the vacation, which I'll do this same week. Thanks again Paul "Mike McBain" wrote in message ... "Paul" writes: The trip as planned by Quantas is: Arriving at Adelaide (2 nights), then ferry to Kangaroo Island (2 nights); plane to Cairns (4 nights); plane to Sydney (4 nights); return home. Hotels and transportation are included in the package and there are optionals such as 1/2 day sightseeing in Sydney; full day rainforest visit in Cairns; etc. I'll appreciate any opinions on this new, revised itinerary. {It's Qantas--no 'u']. Adelaide is like a country town. The second day, a car trip through Adelaide Hills and some wineries would be nice (unless you're Mormons, in which case you'll see some 19th century housing). Kangaroo Island is interesting enough--lots of bloody koalas eating themselves into oblivion. Cairns itself isn't that interesting, but the Atherton Tableland and rainforest areas are. The Kuranda Skyrail is worth it (cable car skimming over the top of the rainforest). Port Douglas is a much nicer place to stay, about 1 hour north of Cairns. Sydney is a cosmopolitan global city around a magnificent harbour. Do the Opera House, climb the Bridge, travel by ferry, go up the Centrepoint Tower, etc. Fit in a Blue Mountains day trip--spectacular scenery. You haven't even touched the major physical attractions--Ayers Rock, Kakadu, Nullarbor Plain, Gibson Desert, South-western Tasmania, south- western Western Australia, the Kimberley, Lake Eyre, or the Great Barrier Reef [although you might manage it from Cairns or Port Douglas], Gulf Country, Great Ocean Road, Macquarie Lakes or the whole alpine region. But, then, you have to leave something for the next time, don't you? Mike McBain |
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