A Travel and vacations forum. TravelBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » TravelBanter forum » Travel Regions » Australia & New Zealand
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Our first visit to Australia: HK - Melbourne - Sydney - Canberra - HK (Feburary)



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old January 15th, 2005, 03:08 PM
ET
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Our first visit to Australia: HK - Melbourne - Sydney - Canberra - HK (Feburary)

Someone suggested this itinery for us (5 adults 1 teen) totally new to
Australia, any addition or subtraction?
Any suggestion for mid-range accommodation? Thanks!

Day 1 Thu Arrival in Melbourne at noon
- Queen Victoria Market - Federation Square - Lyon St Carlton - Little
Bourke Street - Chinatown - Crown Casino

Day 2 Fri Melbourne
- City Tour on Tram - Philip Island - Penguin Parade - Koala Conv. Cntr

Day 3 Sat
- Soverign Hill - Yarra Valley - Farm stay

Day 4 Sun
- Great Ocean Road - 12 Apostles - Captain Cook's Cottage - Rialto Town

Day 5 Mon Fly to Sydney
- Opera House - Harbour Bridge - Harbour Cruise - Monorail - Chinatown -
Darling Harbour - the Rocks

Day 6 Tue
- Sydney Tower - QV Bldge - Paddy'd Market - Fish Market - Tarongo Zoo

Day 7 Wed
- Manly Beach - Royal Botanical Grdn - drive to Blue Mountain

Day 8 Thu
- Drive to Canberra - War Memorial - Parliment or local tour

Day 9 Fri early flight back to HK


  #2  
Old January 15th, 2005, 09:46 PM
Jeff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

As a visitor to Sydney i really love Bondi however the ferry trip to Manly ,
then a walk to the beach and possibly to Shelley Beach is just amazing.


"Peter Webb" wrote in message
...
SNIP that which I am not qualified to advise

Day 5 Mon Fly to Sydney
- Opera House - Harbour Bridge - Harbour Cruise - Monorail - Chinatown -
Darling Harbour - the Rocks


Phew, that will be a busy day. You might drop the Harbour Cruise,
particularly if its not a nice day, as you will be making a ferry trip to
and from Taronga zoo the next day, and potentially going to Manly by ferry
the day after.

Instead, do the fish markets in the same timeslot and have lunch there.
Note there is a light rail system between China Town and the Fish Markets,
sort of like a tram, one stop is the corner of Pitt and Hay (other end of
the city from the harbour), so easy to slot the fish markets in. This free
up time the next day.

Day 6 Tue
- Sydney Tower - QV Bldge - Paddy'd Market - Fish Market - Tarongo Zoo


If by "Paddy'd Market" you mean Paddys Market near Chinatown, it is (a)
closed on Tuesdays and (b) full of crappy merchandise - if you are looking
for souveniers, lots of shops round Chinatown sell them far more
conveiently and probably the same price.


Day 7 Wed
- Manly Beach - Royal Botanical Grdn - drive to Blue Mountain


I would substitute Bondi for Manly, unless you really want another (quite
long - 30 minutes) Ferry ride. Bondi is far closer, and a more interesting
place. Walk around he headland on the path to Tamarama (about 1.5 kms) or
even Bronte. Most beautiful walk I know of in the world. Tamarama is a
full on scene itself. Come back and have lunch at the Royal Botanical
gardens - theres quite a nice restuarant there, not too expensive,
delightful location (I had my wedding reception their many years ago!).

If you want to go to the blue mountains, you need to allow a full day -
its 2 hours each way, and you have to get out and walk to really
experience it. So chill out, or spend more time at the beach, or drive to
Canberra that night..


Day 8 Thu
- Drive to Canberra - War Memorial - Parliment or local tour

Day 9 Fri early flight back to HK


You know, I have been travelling to Canberra on business maybe once per
month for 20 years (and last went and came back yesterday), but I have
never stepped foot inside Parliament House, the War Memorial, or any one
of the other attractions. I would imagine they are well worth seeing,
however.




  #3  
Old January 15th, 2005, 10:48 PM
AlmostBob
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

SNIP that which I am not qualified to advise
Day 8 Thu
- Drive to Canberra - War Memorial - Parliment or local tour


Ex RAInf, toured the War Memorial and Parliament houses many times while
stuck in Canberra, Diggers took great pleasure in pointing out my name on
the roll of the dead.
It takes several hours just to walk through the buildings without really
stopping to look at anything.
About 280 Km Sydney-Canberra Traffic Hell getting out of Sydney, worse hell
going into Canberra, 4 Hours each way, you're going to wish you had more
time


  #4  
Old January 16th, 2005, 01:16 AM
Alan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 22:08:30 +0800, "ET" wrote:

|Someone suggested this itinery for us (5 adults 1 teen) totally new to
|Australia, any addition or subtraction?
|Any suggestion for mid-range accommodation? Thanks!
|
|Day 1 Thu Arrival in Melbourne at noon
|- Queen Victoria Market - Federation Square - Lyon St Carlton - Little
|Bourke Street - Chinatown - Crown Casino
|
|Day 2 Fri Melbourne
|- City Tour on Tram - Philip Island - Penguin Parade - Koala Conv. Cntr
|
|Day 3 Sat
|- Soverign Hill - Yarra Valley - Farm stay
|
|Day 4 Sun
|- Great Ocean Road - 12 Apostles - Captain Cook's Cottage - Rialto Town
|
|Day 5 Mon Fly to Sydney
|- Opera House - Harbour Bridge - Harbour Cruise - Monorail - Chinatown -
|Darling Harbour - the Rocks
|
|Day 6 Tue
|- Sydney Tower - QV Bldge - Paddy'd Market - Fish Market - Tarongo Zoo
|
|Day 7 Wed
|- Manly Beach - Royal Botanical Grdn - drive to Blue Mountain
|
|Day 8 Thu
|- Drive to Canberra - War Memorial - Parliment or local tour
|
|Day 9 Fri early flight back to HK
|

Hi ET

I've read the other responses, and endorse everything the others said
with one exception - one thing you must NOT miss in Sydney is a trip to
and from Manly on the Ferry. And take the ordinary ferry, where you can
go out on deck for photos, not the Jetcat. Of course, if you take the
ferry, then see Manly as well. But that ferry ride is one of the
cheapest and best tourist excursions in the world. If you buy an all-day
ticket for around AU$15 it will let you ride on most public transport
(buses, trams, ferries) except for the monorail, jetcat, and light rail.
See http://www.sydneyferries.info/tickets/offers.php

I'd suggest you review your itinerary to allow jet-lag recovery on
arrival. Don't plan anything on day one except relaxation. However, that
can include having lunch or dinner in Little Bourke St (Chinatown) or
Lygon Street Carlton (more Italian restaurants than Rome:-) or even
Chapel Street South Yarra, Ackland Street St Kilda, or South Bank. It
all depends on the location of your Hotel. You can probably do some of
the things you intended for the city area if your hotel is in the CBD.

On mid-range Hotels, check out the following sites. Most of them only
look at prices in the next two weeks, but you can note the ones that
appear to be suitable then contact them direct to get a quote for your
timing.

http://www.wotif.com.au/
http://www.needitnow.com.au/needitnow/needitnow.asp
http://www.hotelclub.com.au/

Make sure that the prices quoted, on these or any other sites, are in
AU$. It can be a bad experience to find you paid on a web-site in US$
without realising it when our dollar is 3/4 theirs.

Also, as you are in HK, check out Priceline Singapore at
http://www.priceline.com.sg/eng/Default_hotel.asp . Don't bid until you
have a good idea of the true pricing from those other sites.

On any hotel site, use the "map" sections of the sites to check location
- some hotels have odd definitions for "central".

The comments others have made on times are valid. Don't try to do too
much or it will become a nightmare. Have a good look at a map - some of
those items are diametrically opposite (for example, Sovereign Hill is a
couple of hours North-west and Yarra Valley an hour or two
East-north-east subject to traffic and you have them on the same day).
Possibly you could list the things that are "must-see" and "must-do" for
you, and the rest in descending priority and we could suggest a better
timing.

No matter what you choose - you're going to enjoy it:-)

Cheers, Alan
--
  #5  
Old January 16th, 2005, 06:05 AM
ET
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Million thanks to all for taking the time to review and reply our itinery.
We should have done our homework more carefully.
Just returned from the library with a few more travel books but still, none
of them offers as such good suggestions as yours.
I will to come back for more ideas.


  #6  
Old January 17th, 2005, 02:35 AM
Peter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article RcgGd.83932$nN6.20650@edtnps84, AlmostBob says...
It takes several hours just to walk through the buildings without really
stopping to look at anything.


A walk through the entire building will take no more than half an hour.
The problem is that you'll want to stop frequently to look at the
exhibits, see the sound and light shows, and if you are there at the 5pm
closing, the Last Post is played for the visitors assembled at the
entrance. Spine-tingling.

A great place and it never fails to move me. Allocate at least an
afternoon to it.

About 280 Km Sydney-Canberra Traffic Hell getting out of Sydney, worse hell
going into Canberra, 4 Hours each way, you're going to wish you had more
time


Actually, it's freeway every inch of the distance now, or at least a
tollway to Liverpool and freeway after. Take the trip in the morning and
you can laugh at the commuters going the other way. I've done the trip
city centre to city centre in just over two and a half hours, but
admittedly that was early in the morning. Three hours is a reasonable
time so long as you aren't mixing it up with commuters.

Pre-freeway, it used to be a solid four hour trip with the worst part
being the Hume Highway and Parramatta Road in Sydney, which was just
awful. All that's bypassed now, and even the killer Lake George stretch
is just a pleasant drive.

Peter
  #7  
Old January 17th, 2005, 03:24 AM
Geodyne
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Peter Webb" wrote in news:41eb183a
:

297 kms / 2.5 hrs = average speed of 119 Kms per hour.

Naughty, naughty, naughty

That's the requisite 1 km/hr under 10K over. ;-)

Perfectly fine and for that matter normal on that road, even round the
enthusiastic Police Officers at Goulborn.

Geodyne
  #8  
Old January 17th, 2005, 07:00 AM
AlmostBob
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I used to like the Goulburn police, every night for 6 months, after the
first time, when they did stop me and spend hours checking my story with my
Unit CO, they let me speed (slightly) through town going to see my girl, coz
I had to be back at Jervis Bay for reveille at 05:45.

You can be really dumb at 19,
really really dumb
--
Ever wonder why evian Water
is $3 for a half litre,

spell Evian backwards
_
"Geodyne" wrote in message
...
"Peter Webb" wrote in

news:41eb183a
:

297 kms / 2.5 hrs = average speed of 119 Kms per hour.

Naughty, naughty, naughty

That's the requisite 1 km/hr under 10K over. ;-)

Perfectly fine and for that matter normal on that road, even round the
enthusiastic Police Officers at Goulborn.

Geodyne



  #9  
Old January 17th, 2005, 09:02 AM
ET
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks for all the suggestions and here's our revised plan.
Must arrive & leave Sydney at dawn (5 am!).
Skipped Canberra & Yarra or Hunter Valley winneries or split group... can't
possibly please all!
Further comments welcome.

Day 1 Thur Arriving Sydney at dawn
- taxi to city centre (hotel); leave baggage at city centre hotel
- Sydney Explore Bus - whole day city tour - major attractions
- dusk - Sydney Tower
- evening - dinner - back to hotel

Day 2 Fri Sydney
- morning: Darling harbour, monorail, Chinatown, etc.
- noon: Ferry to Torango Zoo (or Manly Beach only if time allows)
- evening - dinner - back to hotel

Day 3 Sat Blue Mountain
- early morning: pick up car, drive to Blue Mountains
- whole day at Blue Mountains
- lodging in Blue Mountains (any suggestion?)

Day 4 Sydney - Melbourne
- early morning: drive to Sydney Airport; return car
- fly to Melbourne
- noon: Arriving Melbourne Airport; pick up car
- drive direct to Phillip Island
- Koala Conservation Centre & Penguin Parade, etc
- lodging in Phillip Island (any suggestion?)

Day 5 Melbourne
- morning: drive to Melbourne city centre - hotel
- City Tour by tram / walk (should we drive around or leave car at hotel?)
- evening: Italian dinner in Carlton or dinner on tram or Crown Casino
- lodging in Melbourne

Day 6 Great Ocean Road
- morning drive to Port Campbell Nat Park, 12 Apostles, etc
- afternoon - evening in Port Campbell Nat Park (helicopter tour
recommended?)
- lodging in Port Campbell Nat Park nearby hotel

Day 7 Ballarat / Soverign Hill
- morning drive back Great Ocean Road up to Ballarat / Soverign Hill
- day tour + evening light spectacular
- lodging in Ballarat

Day 8 Melbourne - Sydney
- morning drive to Melbourne Airport; return car
- fly back to Sydney Airport; check in airport hotel
- still time to go to Bondi Beach by Bay Explorer Bus (or Manly Beach by
ferry)?
- evening return to airport hotel

Day 9 Sydney - Hong Kong
- dawn: fly back to HK


  #10  
Old January 17th, 2005, 11:58 AM
Peter Webb
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"ET" wrote in message ...
Many more thanks for excellent advice. I could never imagine what the
traffic conditions is like there. I should perhaps give up driving from
Sydney if public transport / tour transport is more reliable. Jetlag
shouldn't be a big problem for us coming from HK but your flexibility /
weather factors are excellent reminder.

Not sure how to fit in the Melbourne trips. Phillip Island seems too far
off.... does it worth the trip or better spend more time in the city?
I'll
check if there is any special events going on there.

Yes, I notice there's a road going north from Otway NP to Colac to
Ballarat,
cutting some time.

Any comment on anything to do on my last day in Sydney. I expect arriving
from Melbourne in mid-morning and have rest of the day free. Is there
enough time for a winery tour (which tour) or Bondi Beach or Manly Beach
or
what? Can return airport hotel late night.


Sydney driving isn't that bad. The bigger problem is navigation; what's the
misses like at reading maps?

You haven't got time to do a winery - the nearest real ones are 2 hours
drive away (in the Hunter Valley), and unless you are wanting to buy a ton
of wine, why bother - you can buy Austrtalian wine in bottleshops in HK, and
I can't see that having grape vines outside changes the flavour.

You must really see Bondi and do the ocean walk around to Tamarama. You
might well find on your last day that there is something that you missed and
really want to do - but if this doesn't happen, and its a nice day, relax on
Bondi Beach. There are public showers available free in a big building right
on the beach, so you can clean up a bit before your flight. What a great
(and authentic) way to finish an Australian holiday - soaking up the rays in
Bondi.



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Driving from Melbourne to Sydney on Dec. 25th... Darryl Australia & New Zealand 33 December 19th, 2004 05:08 AM
Hong Kong one-day visit on the way to Australia Laura Jarvinen Asia 17 January 1st, 2004 05:16 PM
Rural Myanmar Asia 0 December 3rd, 2003 08:00 AM
Bago- Mandalay - Monywa - Bagan, Popa - Kalaw - Pindaya - Inle -Yangon Asia 0 November 14th, 2003 09:09 AM
Bago - Mandalay - Monywa - Bagan - Popa - Kalaw - Pindaya - Inle Asia 0 November 11th, 2003 04:12 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:55 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 TravelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.