Australia Trip

[AC]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

What I'm thinking as of this moment (subject to change) is spending a few days in Sydney, then heading to ACT (a reasonable day's drive, or should I fly, or is there a reasonable train for that?), then doing what I mentioned above prior to Bathurst.

After Bathurst I think I may fly from Dubbo to Darwin (that means Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef are out, though), then catch the Ghan to Alice Springs (the sleeper seats aren't too expensive, and it's not many more hours than I'll be spending stuck in a plane flying overseas), then go to Uluru (assuming I can find accommodations), then fly to Adelaide, and then drive to Melbourne.

So I lose Cairns and Perth, but I think I see quite a bit, and I imagine Darwin is a bit less touristy than Cairns and the Reef.

Sydney to ACT = 3hrs drive. There is a Countrylink train service as well.
ACT to Bathurst via Cowra = better part of 4hrs drive, longer via Sydney.

Darwin is like a small country/coastal town, nice n sleepy. So I thought.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by AC

Darwin is like a small country/coastal town, nice n sleepy. So I thought.

Do you think something different now?

[AC]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Do you think something different now?

I haven't been there for several years now.
But I'm told it's very spread out, a sprawling town.
Not exactly what youd expect from a states major city center.

I think the military interests up there are helping it along a bit more in recent years.

[phantom xr6t]

Moby Vic if you come to cairns, you can tour the Atherton Tablelands and visit me and check out the best place to live

[vanman_75]

You got the right idea about going to less places but seeing more , personally as above I wouldn't swap cairns for Darwin , but I guess that is a personal thing and probably fits your train schedule .as before driving or training short distance is the go Sydney - Canberra ain't far .your making me wanna pack the cruiser and go for a trip ...lol .I am keen to do the ghan myself in the future looks awesome .

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Yes, I am sure I will be driving quite a lot. But I'd rather not drive through the desert alone! I was thinking one scenic train ride would be nice.

Driving on the other side of the road will definitely be a learning experience.

My two cents , Aussie is by far a fly to major town and hire car kinda country , our trains are slow as are our bus systems ..unlike Europe which has awesome travel options , I travel a lot of aus regular enough on the east side to tell you. Do small trips from big places ie .Sydney bathurst go back to Sydney via any route , and do the same elsewhere, planes up Queensland way have some terrible links / routes so stick with townsville/ cairns you can see the barrier reef its a must and the rainforests up cairns are something else , flights and tours are reasonable out to ayres rock , plenty of tours as well .Melbourne well its got some awesome country side and a drive up dandenongs or great
I ocean road over a couple days is good to .I find most museums a small time filler and try to focus more on location but that's just me .I know a lot of people have already said pm them but do the same for me if you like ..enjoy

[Moby Vic]

I'd like to see the Aviation Museum in Darwin, and the national park. But Cairns is very tempting.

I suppose I could go to Cairns, then fly to Alice or Uluru, then take the Ghan to Adelaide.

It's tricky because I need to set it up in advance, but don't know what I'm doing. Those of you who have been to the US probably know that you can just get in a car and drive anywhere, until you get tired, and if you aren't way out west you can find somewhere to sleep for the night within 5 minutes of pulling off an interstate.

I've read enough to know that if I don't have lodging set up in advance at, say, Uluru, I won't have many options (and I may have waited to long to make a reservation).

No matter what I do, if I can make it to 4 of 6 states pluc ACT, I'd think that's a pretty fair go for a first timer!

I'm thinking of hitting up AAA Travel here this week and see if they can make some recommendations or find me some deals.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by phantom xr6t

Moby Vic if you come to cairns, you can tour the Atherton Tablelands and visit me and check out the best place to live

We're doing the Cairns- Pt Douglas tourist thing again in Oct. Can I come visit.

[vanman_75]

Guessing really as i dont know your timelines , But that sounds like what i would do .Make a set point every few days , and fill in gaps with things like reef trip , tablelands ,etc ...that way if u miss something it doesnt matter .But prioritise 1 or 2 things for first days at the big places , I do a calender style plan write key places in then search for travel - flights etc and book accom to suit .you wont have any probs with accom as its not holiday season yet , And tourism is a little slow at the moment so prices will be low .
just looked flights from cairns to alice are 380 1 way and daily so thats not bad for a remote place flight centre for those . and accom in alice for 100 a night heaps there ,hotels.com.accom.And at the rock 50 dollars for dorm village style accom up to 300 plus so still quite a lot of accom , ( i put in fake dates of next week )
lol i might make this trip myself ..

[vanman_75]

just looked also instead of booking your accom at ularu , try this site it has packages that leave alice and return with set dates in mind

http://www.ntstandby.com.au/index.cg...=tour&d=8&d2=2 .

,sorry for hyjacking.

i see its only 200 for a trip from alice to adelaide ...not bad

http://reservations.greatsouthernrai...let/rail/fares.

have fun .

[Fantome]

Moby, noticed you said a couple of posts back that you were considering flying Dubbo to Darwin. That would entail flying back Sydney then Darwin. The only airline flights out of Dubbo are to Sydney or Broken Hill, and from Broken Hill the only other option is Adelaide. Dubbo to Darwin via Sydney is about $A800 return depending of course when you book. My son undertakes this journey regularly as he is a butcher in Katherine NT.

For him it is cheaper to fly to Bali or Singapore than fly home.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by vanman_75

just looked also instead of booking your accom at ularu , try this site it has packages that leave alice and return with set dates in mind

http://www.ntstandby.com.au/index.cg...=tour&d=8&d2=2 .

Nice find! Thanks.

Regarding flying from Dubbo, I'm just looking for a decent airport that's not too far from Bathurst. The day after the race I need to head somewhere else. I looked at Qantas' site and they listed a flight from Dubbo to Darwin (didn't think to look for stops) as cheap as $A357.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by AC

Sydney to ACT = 3hrs drive. There is a Countrylink train service as well.
ACT to Bathurst via Cowra = better part of 4hrs drive, longer via Sydney.

Darwin is like a small country/coastal town, nice n sleepy. So I thought.

Is Countrylink train a good, bad, or neutral thing?

OK, so one does not simply walk into Darwin. But how does one typically get into and out of Darwin?

And is it easier to get to Darwin from Cairns? (And what is the best way to get to Cairns from Bathurst?)

Maybe I skip Adelaide. I haven't seen many comments one way or the other about it.

Maybe after Bathurst I go to Cairns, then to Alice Springs and Uluru, then take the Ghan up to Darwin (gotta look at the schedule, but it only runs certain directions certain days, and the day it runs from Darwin to Alice is 10/10, so I'd have to go there right after leaving Bathurst on 8/10) and then fly to Melbourne.

[vanman_75]

Hmmm well that could work , Sydney - cairns - Alice / uluru / Alice - ghan - Darwin - to ? Are you flying out of Sydney to home .

Sorry don't know much about tourism in Adelaide only been in south aus once .If possible you should give cairns a few days , gods country up that way .

Glad I got aff on nightshifts to keep me busy .

[Moby Vic]

Darwin to Melbourne. I'm flying out of Melbourne to home (but the plane stops in Sydney, dammit!).

Yes, if there's an easy way to get to Cairns from Bathurst I'd give it a few days. At least a day for the Reef and a day for the forest, eh?

[AC]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Is Countrylink train a good, bad, or neutral thing?

OK, so one does not simply walk into Darwin. But how does one typically get into and out of Darwin?

And is it easier to get to Darwin from Cairns? (And what is the best way to get to Cairns from Bathurst?)

Maybe I skip Adelaide. I haven't seen many comments one way or the other about it.

Maybe after Bathurst I go to Cairns, then to Alice Springs and Uluru, then take the Ghan up to Darwin (gotta look at the schedule, but it only runs certain directions certain days, and the day it runs from Darwin to Alice is 10/10, so I'd have to go there right after leaving Bathurst on 8/10) and then fly to Melbourne.

Your probably best off going back to Sydney then getting a flight Sydney - Cairns then to Darwin or how ever you want to spin it.
Will be much easier to get a flight out of SYD than Bathurst.
Bathurst airport would only do small regional aircraft. At least out of SYD you'll get on a bigger, faster jet like a A330 or something and more frequently.

[Moby Vic]

Sounds like I need a full day's travel after Bathurst to get to a plane!

Maybe this would work:
8 October--Drive from Bathurst to Sydney

8 or 9 October--Fly to Cairns

12 October--Fly to Alice Springs (take day tour to Uluru)

15 October--Take Ghan to Darwin

19 October--Fly to Melbourne (is that easy to do in a real plane from Darwin?)

22 October--Fly home!

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Sounds like I need a full day's travel after Bathurst to get to a plane!

Maybe this would work:
8 October--Drive from Bathurst to Sydney - I think this is your best option

8 or 9 October--Fly to Cairns

12 October--Fly to Alice Springs (take day tour to Uluru) Understand that the drive to Uluru is about 5 hours from Alice Springs

15 October--Take Ghan to Darwin

19 October--Fly to Melbourne (is that easy to do in a real plane from Darwin?)Yes, but if you want the cheap flights, they leave at about 2.00 am

22 October--Fly home!

see red bit

[Moby Vic]

Yes, I know about the distance between Alice Springs and Uluru, but vanman_75 posted a link for tours that leave from Alice Springs, so that would save me driving through the desert myself.

2:00 in the morning for a flight? What time do the pubs close?

[AC]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Sounds like I need a full day's travel after Bathurst to get to a plane!

Probably half a day, 3hrs or so by car.
Bare in mind, Sunday at Bathurst weekend is a big day on it own.

Just checking flight schedules, last one out of Sydney is at 7.20pm, you'd never make it in time unless you left Bathurst before the race finishes(Defeats the purpose of even going to the race). Upside though, still travel back to Sydney that afternoon, get a cheap hotel in Sydney, get the first flight out at 6am, Be in Cairns about 8am. WIN

[Moby Vic]

No, I was planning on driving to Sydney on Monday.

But that makes me wonder—will they kick me out of Bathurst Sunday afternoon? I'm hoping to be drunk.

[AC]

No, you'll be right. A lot of people make it a 3 or 4 day weekend event and go home on the monday.

[Moby Vic]

Whew!

Now if only I could get Ticketek's site to work....

[XR6TCraig]

FWIW I would go to Adelaide before Cairns.

Both very different regions of Aus but Adelaide and its surrounds has lots to offer. Love the coastline, the wine regions and what the Adelaide hills has to offer.
Cairns is very tourist driven and other than the reef ( which can be accessed from further south in places like Airlie Beach or Townsville), I have no interest in returning.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by AC

No, you'll be right. A lot of people make it a 3 or 4 day weekend event and go home on the monday.

Bathurst is a 8 hour drive for us, we are leaving early Thursday morning, very early and we are driving home Monday

[Moby Vic]

Thanks, Trev. You guys will teach me yet! Now I've got to see if my camp will still be set up over Sunday night (I imagine it will).

Originally Posted by Craiginmackay

FWIW I would go to Adelaide before Cairns.

Both very different regions of Aus but Adelaide and its surrounds has lots to offer. Love the coastline, the wine regions and what the Adelaide hills has to offer.
Cairns is very tourist driven and other than the reef ( which can be accessed from further south in places like Airlie Beach or Townsville), I have no interest in returning.

Well, I'm glad someone has defended the honor of Adelaide. What's your view of Darwin?

The problem is that I'll be a tourist, and in a touristy area I'll do touristy things, especially traveling on my own. But I live in the tourist capital of the galaxy, so I'm certainly interested in something different.

I was thinking that if I ever return to Australia, I'll probably take a standard tour, and that will most undoubtedly include the Reef. But then everyone here told me I must visit it!

I suppose it's a good problem to have—too many interesting options.

[XR6TCraig]

Never actually been to Darwin mate. Its the only capital I have never been to and I have no desire to do so. The furtherest north I have been is just north of Port Douglas in Nth QLD.

By touristy I mean that Cairns is very much set up for the Japanese tourism market, so there are lots of touristy type shops, etc in town. Its not typical of the real Australia I suppose is what I am trying to get across. I just prefer Adelaide. Its like a big country town. Its clean. Its only 850klm from Melbourne so isn't too hard or too expensive to get to. I could spend a week in the wineries around Adelaide alone without doing much else! LOL In fact I would do Tassie before Cairns too.

[vanman_75]

I think your plan looks the goods , with the best time frame.ask any silly question, your gunna enjoy it note also if you have accommodation already you can get entry to bathurst at the gate no worries at all .

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by vanman_75

I think your plan looks the goods , with the best time frame.ask any silly question, your gunna enjoy it note also if you have accommodation already you can get entry to bathurst at the gate no worries at all .

Yes! It was an incredibly good idea for me to sign on this forum prior to my trip. I was invited to stay with a group of seasoned campers, so about the only certainty for the whole trip is that I should enjoy the race! (Unless the weather turns sour.)

Tomorrow morning I'm going to my local AAA Travel office to see if they can give me any advice/discounts for car rental and lodging, and I'm hoping they can give me some maps, too.

But Cairns, Adelaide, and Darwin are still at a standoff for me.

[Uncle Niceguy]

Do Cairns mate you might regret not doing it in the future with Darwin all they have are massive Zoo's and lots of crocodiles and all Adelaide has is the wineries and the flinders ranges. Cairns has Kuranda, great barrier reef, world heritage forest & ocean, and award winning beaches plus the tablelands and epic mountains. (plus i'll be there on those dates and i'll be able to advise you to the best places. (lived in Cairns 7 years and Darwin for 5 years if your wondering).