A few things about Australia

Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still have a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-) )
2. I intend to go hiking in Tasmania. Should I bring lots of clothes ? ;-)
3. I kind of understood that March wasn't a good time to go north (Darwin,
Top End, Cairns) because it is a rainy period. Do you confirm there's no
hope for me to hike there in March ?
4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really worth
seeing ?

I know I can find many information on the web, guidebooks .... but I figured
newsgroup could be another good place. :-)

Thanks a lot.

Pierre-Louis

"Pilou" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still have a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-) )

Whilst I don't have the figures for sea temperature, March should be fine -
there's a lag behind the seasons to keep it warm after summer, which is
considered to run from December - February in Australia.

2. I intend to go hiking in Tasmania. Should I bring lots of clothes ? ;-)

You want to be well prepared in Tasmania, much of the walking is in the high
country, where you can get frost and snowfall in March, or any time of the
year for that matter. If you're doing any more than a day walk, be prepared.

3. I kind of understood that March wasn't a good time to go north (Darwin,
Top End, Cairns) because it is a rainy period. Do you confirm there's no
hope for me to hike there in March ?

You could in theory walk there, but it would be darned uncomfortable at that
time of year.

4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really
worth
seeing ?

See below:

I know I can find many information on the web, guidebooks .... but I
figured
newsgroup could be another good place. :-)

Thanks a lot.

Pierre-Louis

A better, more specialised newsgroup for you to post would be
aus.bushwalking, I'll forward this on.

Au revoir

David Bennetts

1. Swimming is great in March. People swim all year round in Sydney area -
but the main season ends around Easter.
2. Yes, especially if wilderness hiking. Not so much lots of clothes as warm
clothes. Otherwise March is early spring in Tasmania, warm and pleasant.
3. In March the wet season is drizzling out. You could strike wet days (but
still very warm too hot), but flooding is unlikely. Walking around Cairns is
OK at this time. I don't know about walks in the N Territory!
5. Cairns - Brisbane (EAST coast) hiking. There is the Mt Bartle Frere
climb - but it's for skilled walkers only. The walks in the many National
Parks are never under the kind of pressure you're accustomed to. Even the
'busy' areas, such as the National Parks behind the Gold Coast, are such
that it is easy to spend a day hiking and meet maybe only 2 or 3 other
people, particularly on the longer, more challenging walks.


Good Luck



"Pilou" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still have a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-) )
2. I intend to go hiking in Tasmania. Should I bring lots of clothes ? ;-)
3. I kind of understood that March wasn't a good time to go north (Darwin,
Top End, Cairns) because it is a rainy period. Do you confirm there's no
hope for me to hike there in March ?
4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really
worth
seeing ?

I know I can find many information on the web, guidebooks .... but I
figured
newsgroup could be another good place. :-)

Thanks a lot.

Pierre-Louis

"Pilou" wrote in message ...
Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still have a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-)

Sydney weather is such that you'll still see people at the beaches
swimming in April. So March should be fine. You can even get lovely
weather during the winter months - perhaps 20C sometimes.

3. I kind of understood that March wasn't a good time to go north (Darwin,
Top End, Cairns) because it is a rainy period. Do you confirm there's no
hope for me to hike there in March ?

The Wet Season is winding down by then, but depending on how wet it
is, access to some areas could still be restricted.

4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really worth
seeing ?

"Busy" is a relative term. Even on the more populated east coast,
there is an enormous amount of open space. It is not hard at all to
get away from it all and there are many superb places for bushwalking.
A few suggestions, based on my own experience:

Near Brisbane:

Mt Barney: quite strenuous, superb view, can be "busy" on weekends
Mt Beerwah: (Glasshouse Mts) very steep but it's worth it!
Mt Warning: Graded track to the top, quite popular
Giraween National Park and Bald Rock (near Stanthorpe, Qld) excellent
climbs on giant granite formations. Less well known than the above.
Lamington National Park. Many miles of walks through rainforest to
waterfalls. Great views. Lamington has the most extensive trail
system in Australia.

Near Sydney:

Blue Mts; many options
Moreton National Park: Pigeon House Mt, Mt Budawang.

Near Canberra:
Mt Gudgenby, Mt Tidbinbilla.

Of course there are many other options, up and down the coast and
elsewhere.

Ralph R in CT

"David Bennetts" wrote in message
...

"Pilou" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still have
a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-) )

It might still be okay for a quick swim, but not worth planning on spending
days and days there at this time

4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really

that is actually the east coast.

I agree with what the other guy said-get out to the reef-if you have the
time do a scuba diving course-its well worth it. Whitsunday Island is
beautiful and is national park as is Fraser Island. Don't forget-You cannot
swim north of about mackay due to stingers (jellyfish) in the warmer months.

Some good places for walking at this time of year:

1. Tasmania (as you have already mentioned)
2. Victorian Alps (really beautiful and almost completely deserted at this
time)
3. Blue Mountains

andy

And at that time of year look out for the Toutorism about 200 Ducatis on
tour BRRRRRRRRRRR
"David Bennetts" wrote in message
...

"Pilou" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I intend to spend one month in Australia (starting march) and yes that
country is BIG... I am not sure about my travel plans and I still
have a
few stupid but unanswered questions (motly about the weather stuff).

1. Isn't the sea too cold around Sydney at that time ? (don't laugh
it's
been cold here in Paris recently :-) )

Whilst I don't have the figures for sea temperature, March should be
fine -
there's a lag behind the seasons to keep it warm after summer, which is
considered to run from December - February in Australia.

2. I intend to go hiking in Tasmania. Should I bring lots of clothes ?
;-)

You want to be well prepared in Tasmania, much of the walking is in the
high
country, where you can get frost and snowfall in March, or any time of
the
year for that matter. If you're doing any more than a day walk, be
prepared.

3. I kind of understood that March wasn't a good time to go north
(Darwin,
Top End, Cairns) because it is a rainy period. Do you confirm there's
no
hope for me to hike there in March ?

You could in theory walk there, but it would be darned uncomfortable at
that
time of year.

4. All the west coast (from Cairns to Brisbane) seems to be busy
place.
Would you share with me 'off the beaten tracks' sites that are really
worth
seeing ?

See below:

I know I can find many information on the web, guidebooks .... but I
figured
newsgroup could be another good place. :-)

Thanks a lot.

Pierre-Louis

A better, more specialised newsgroup for you to post would be
aus.bushwalking, I'll forward this on.

Au revoir

David Bennetts