OT: Australia - Melbourne/Sydney

[weisan]

We are visiting families living in Australia sometime in April/May. Our time there is limited to two weeks. We will be flying straight to Melbourne first, spend about a week there before driving to Sydney.

There are tons of info on the web but we all know the best info is right here on the Serotta forum, right? RIGHT! :banana:

What are some of the "must-see" places along the way. We have children travelling along ranging in age from 12 to 10 months.

We are also looking at the different options for accommodation and transportation. With the extended famiy members thrown in, there are at least 9 adults + 8 kids + 2 infants. :eek:

[Climb01742]

when i went to sydney on business, i enjoyed a tour of the harbor by boat. boats leave all the time, so it's quite convenient. the tours stop at the aquarium. that could be fun for the kids.

i didn't get a chance to see a lot due to work but one thing is true: the aussies are great people. very friendly, helpful and unpretentious. wherever you go, whatever you do, weisan, aussies will make you feel welcome. and as an american who travels abroad a fair bit, feeling welcome as an american is getting more rare.

have a great time, pal.

[Guacamole]

Find one of the vendors that take people sailing. It's big there! ;)

[Russity]

There are a few of us forumites who live down here in beautiful Australia. I'm actually a POM (Prisoner of Her Majesty) which means I'm an Englsihman living here in Melbourne and have been for over three years now.

The place is fantastic. The people are welcoming and friendly, the city is clean and easy to get around, so long as you're used to taking trams. Melbourne isn't a huge city but has all the usual museums, galleries etc.

The beaches are clean, the water is clear and they stretch for miles. April/May isnt the best time to be sitting on the beach however, we'll be just coming out of winter. But when I say winter, I certainly don't mean snow and a chill factor of-10.

A starting point might be to visit the site below and see how you go.

http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/info.cfm?top=259&pg=3059

Hope this helps.

[Simon Q]

Originally from Sydney, we were living in Europe for quite a number of years and as our kids were approaching school age we decided to settle back in Melbourne a year ago.

We have been very pleasantly surprised/reminded at how much there is to do in Melbourne and Sydney.

Although there is plenty of culture on offer, in Sydney it is mainly about the views and the Harbour, it is a most stunning setting for a city. Take cruises/ferries, check out the beaches, the Bridge, the Opera House and the Taronga Zoo.

In Melbourne is more about culture, eating and drinking which it does extremely well by any standard (see link below). That said, the kids may cramp your style on that front and there is plenty to do indoors and outdoors.

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2004/may/16/travelawards2004.australia.melbourne

Heading down to St Kilda for a stroll is a must. There are many restaurant and shopping areas in the city and just outside it. The new Museum is very good, especially at showcasing Australian flora and fauna.

There are some trips not too far outside the city (an hour or so). You could combine a vsist to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary with the wineries of the Yarra Valley. A trip down the Great Ocean Road is IMO at least as good as Pac Hwy in North Cal. The evening penguin parade at Phillip Island is also popular with tourists.

Accom and transport: It is probably easier to get around in Melbourne but public transport in both cities should get you to where you need to be. Harbour trips are easy to sort from Circular Quay and out of town in Melbourne you will have the option of hiring cars or organised tours.

These is just a few suggestions off the cuff, please feel free to PM me if you want any other tips or thoughts.

By the way, the other day I was getting my aching old muscles rubbed by a French ex-soigneur who has settled here. He also rubs down some of the visiting women's teams, some of which (such as Nicole Cooke's team) base themselves in Melbourne to train between Christmas and the Geelong World Cup. He said that they are all staggered at the extent of the cycling scene in Melbourne and they have seen nothing like it anywhere. As Russity may be able to attest to, it is cycling mad here so if you could borrow a bike and ride along the Beach Rd early on a Saturday morning and finish with a coffee with hoardes of other cyclists at Cafe Racer in St Kilda that could also be fun, local thing to do. Maybe we could hook up for that ride?

[BBB]

We welcome POMs here? Someone must have changed the rules... :)

And no Lavina Nixon on the that's Melbourne website... :no:

I think Simon Q has pretty much nailed it, except I'd add in a trip to the Blue Mountains when you are in Sydney.

[weisan]

There are some really great ideas thrown in here by my sweet pals, I really appreciate that, will take them all into considerations.

Simon-pal, I would love to be able to sneak out and do a ride or something but with the limited time I had, more likely than not, it probably won't work out, I am sorry. :(

We went ahead and ordered the plane tickets yesterday, and just airfares alone, we had spent $8k! I am sure we are gonna feel the ramifications in the years to come... :D

As I said, this trip is all about family. My mum's 60th birthday, seeing my younger brother's first child born on christmas day last year, check out my older sister's family who migrated over to Australia 6 months ago to see how they are faring.

It's about family....and to be honest, it's also about cost-control. :p
As a single-income family with homeschooling kids, it's not too far from the truth to say that taking the whole family of six on a vacation to Australia is out of our "normal range of thinking." :rolleyes: Why we do it? Well, get ready to take your handkerchief out, the soap opera starts here...it would be the first time all the siblings (4 of us) got together in one place in the last 10 years. The reunion will make mum & dad happy, so we are glad to do it. As much as it depends on us, we would like to keep the costs down, do more of the low-fare-minimum/zero-admissions-children-'sfree activities and spend as time as possible with family members. I think a lot of what Simon-pal suggested would be right up our alley, so thank you!

Cheers! :beer:

[Simon Q]

We welcome POMs here? Someone must have changed the rules... :)

And no Lavina Nixon on the that's Melbourne website... :no:

I think Simon Q has pretty much nailed it, except I'd add in a trip to the Blue Mountains when you are in Sydney.

Thanks BBB, that is a very good call on the Blue Mountains trip.

[andy mac]

sounds like a wonderful trip coming up - your parents will be delighted.

in sydney there's a stunning walk along the coast leaving from the south end of bondi beach.

http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/council/parks/parks/coastwalk.asp

http://www.sydney.com.au/bondi-to-bronte-self-guided-walking-tour.htm


royal national park is an hour south of sydney and feels a million miles away. beautiful beaches, stunning vistas, bushwalks etc.

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/parkContent/N0030?OpenDocument&ParkKey=N0030&Type=xo

http://www.cronullabeachyha.com/tourist-information/royal-national-park.html

the ferry from circular quay in the city to manly is beautiful and cheap way to see the harbour. you can have lunch there, walk on the beach and then enjoy the trip back.

palm beach about an hour north of sydney is another great day trip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Beach,_New_South_Wales

http://www.palmbeachbandb.com.au/palmbeach/


enjoy. take lots of photos. and wear sunscreen!!

:beer:

[jmewkill]

The drive from Melbourne to Sydney along the Princes Highway is very nice. The highway roughly follow the coastline, though you rarely see the ocean.

The last time I did that trip was 92 or so but I don't imagine huge changes. Lots of beautiful forests and stunning countryside. And there are few people compared to the US.

[weisan]

Wow, more great ideas! Keep em' coming. Thank you! :)

[dancinkozmo]

why is everything poisonous and /or deadly there ? (spiders, plants , crocs etc.) :)

[Climb01742]

beer, too. :D

[BBB]

beer, too. :D

We export the poisonous beer.

[vaxn8r]

Bridge climb is pretty fun in Sydney Harbor and you get a great view. All your kids can't do it though. Not sure on the ages.

A hike in the Blue Mountains is gorgeous and isn't too far from Sydney. That is fun for the entire family.

See if there is a show/concert at the Opera House.

Avoid salt water crocs, box jellyfish and funnel web spiders.

[classic1]

Avoid salt water crocs, box jellyfish and funnel web spiders.
and any tiger, king brown, brown, red belly black, copperhead, taipan, fierce, black and any other snake.

[BBB]

Luckily for Weisan and his family that they are travelling to Australia in April/May and only travelling to Sydney/Melbourne. Therefore they will have missed snake season and will not be going near areas where the real nasty snakes live (the king brown and taipan). The salt water crocs and the box jelly fish live up north and I could be wrong, but April/May is not box jelly fish season in any event. Admittedly going to Sydney could lead to trouble with funnel web spiders, while swimming in coastal regions anywhere between Melbourne and Sydney could result in limb removal courtesy of hungry/curious white pointers, but unless they plan on surfing, I doubt they will be swiming as it will be too cold. So yes down under has some nasty wildlife, but I think, spiders aside, they should be okay.

[cs124]

http://www.ceres.org.au/index1024x768.htm

http://www.farm.org.au/

http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps_stations_stops/free_tram_service_city_circle

[vaxn8r]

Make sure you read In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson before you go. It's a great read.

[GregLR]

Some quick suggestions on some scenic places to pass through if taking the coast road (Princes Highway) from Melbourne to Sydney (these can be googled):

- Grand Ridge Road near Warragul (a good quality gravel road through the Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland)
- Tarra Bulga National Park (at the north end of the ridge road)
- Lakes Entrance (on the highway)
- Marlo (Snowy River entrance, though the river is now closed to the sea)
- Eden (divert off the highway)
- Merrimbula (take alternative route off the highway)
- Tathra & Bermagui (take the Saphire Coast Drive backroad from Merimubula)
- Narooma (on the highway)
- Tuross Head (twin lakes, just off the highway)
- backroad from Moruya going via airport, Broulee, Mossy Point, Tomakin, Malua Bay, etc, to Batemans Bay
- Huskisson (& other areas on Jervis Bay)
- Kangaroo Valley (divert off the highway to the West from Nowra, going back to the highway through the hills to Berry)
- Berry (on the highway), then backroad to Kiama through Geroa & Gerringong
- Kiama (off the highway)
- Shellharbour, and then to Wollongong via Windang, Lake Illawarra & Pork Kembla (though PK is an industrial area)
- coast road from Wollongong to the Royal National Park, via Thiroul, Austinmer and (importantly) the spectacular new Sea Cliff Bridge (see the photos here: http://www.tourismwollongong.com.au/nwcv/nw_bridge.html )

I've been to all these places by bicycle at one time or another. And there are many others of interest along the coast if you have more time to divert off the highway. For much of the way, the Princes Highway is one lane each way.

There are also many interesting scenic diversions into the mountains to the north (in Victoria) and west (in New South Wales) of the highway.

Hope this is helpful.

Greg

[jmewkill]

These names bring back great memories.

My great aunt used to live in mallacoota just near the border. some of the nicest beaches i ever went to.

My mum lives South of Nowra. She says it is mostly retirees now. with commesurate driving skills.

My trip: I'd hit Bateman's Bay and head up to Braidwood and go through to Sydney via the southern highlands.

With lots of stops at pubs. One of the things I miss the most about Australia.

[weisan]

Thanks cs-, greg-, jme-pal for the latest suggestions. I have forwarded EVERYTHING that you guys had brought up to my siblings over in Australia to have them taken up for considerations. :D

[SayHey]

Great thread for me too. My daughter will be studying abroad at the University of Western Australia beginning in late July and we're looking at spending Christmas there (Sydney/Melbourne area). Vaxn8r's tip is a good one -- I'm just finishing In a Sunburned Country and it's informative while being really funny.

[The Spider]

Make sure you read In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson before you go. It's a great read.

spot on bloke, it should be made mandatory reading for everyone in the country and visiting!

Down Under by the same author is brilliant too!

[Simon Q]

Saw an ad on the weekend for a free tourist shuttle bus in Melbourne.

http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/info.cfm?top=259&pg=2183&cID=51