re Australian visit by Sheryl (was news sources)

Sheryl,
To get around in Sydney it may be prudent to get a "Sydney Pass"
see www.sydneypass.com.au
This pass gets you on all transport and includes a morning,
afternoon and evening sydney harbour cruise.
Each is different and worth doing, especially the night cruise
with all the lights on various structures and buildings.
Red Sydney explorer bus and blue Bondi explorer bus
Manly jetcat (catamaran) and Parramatta jetcat.
Go to Manly using the slow normal ferry and return using the "Cat"
Pass includes the railtrip from aiport to city also
(The trip from Airport to city doesnt use one of your days
likewise with trip city to airport.)
If you want to get a good look around then use those with
the pass as it includes multiple trips on the three explorer buses
and they are usually $30 each per day.
Pass is available in various days strting from 3 days
If you were only staying 2 days it would be worth the cost so
long as you get and use the explorer buses and ferries etc.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
When in Cairns try and get up to Kuranda going up on the train
and returning on the skyrail getting off at the stops and doing the
boardwalks in the rain forest.
The skyrail is about 7-8kms over the tops of the rainforest
see www.skyrail.com.au
(Why I say go up in train and down sky rail is that it is a very steep
& winding rail track and the trains brakes screech "all the way down"
but not on the way up).
If you go out onto the reef, take a day trip (better value for money
overall)
as they include meals and other stuff like snorkelling glass bottom
boat etc., whereas the trip to Green Island is only the boat ride out there
and back.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Have a great time in Australia.
regards
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheryl Jones"
Newsgroups: rec.travel.australia+nz
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 12:32 AM
Subject: News sources


Alan--
Thanks for all your sources. I realize Australia is a vast and varied
country and there's no way I can get an accurate picture of every part of
it. I suppose I'm interested in day-to-day small town life, since that's
mostly what I'll be seeing. Also, somewhat interested in the political
climate and social system as a whole. I'll be spending a big chunk of my
time with relatives in a former coal-mining town about 150 km southeast of
Melbourne (Wonthaggi). I will be having very brief visits to Port Douglas
and Cairns (those days have pretty much been taken up by tours). Local
history--or history of any kind--is always the most fascinating to me. I
often worry about not getting a balanced enough picture, i.e. I like to
try
learning from several sources and not all white European sources. I will
also be in Sydney for about three days on my own. I can't say my
interests
in what to do in the brief time are very unique--the opera house, the
bridge
and convict history. (I do realize that before Austrlia, a lot of British
convicts were sent here--to Georgia and Maryland). Australia has always
been fascinating to me and I'm just looking forward to actually being in
the
place. I wish I had more time!