but now I don't have a choice - our very close friend in Brissie turns 30 and we are invited. We are thinking of doing New zEALAND FOR A WEEK WITH Globus in Early March, come to Brisbane around March 10th and we have 2 weeks afterwards to explore the land of OZ.
What should we NOT miss on our trip and how much time would we need for
Sightseeings,
Culture,
Wineries
in this particular order?
TIA,
I never been to Australia
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
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Serge Birbrair
JamieBahrain wrote:WTF are you going to NZ Serge?
c'mon, CraigNZ sounds real friendly!
I heard that New Zealand is BEAUTIFUL and I appreciate beauty in all shapes and forms, plus...I only tried New Zealand wine once - time to have more!
"Kiwies", is this a good one or should I look for another trip?
http://www.affordabletours.com/search/it/?t=FIB
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Serge Birbrair
Roo, wonderful ideas!
Tasmania hasn't even crossed my mind, but now I see it's a MUST SEE!
Quick questions:
would I need a car?
How easy to rent a car in Australia with automatic transmission?
(I never drove on the "wrong side" of the road in my life, so this should be an expereince as well
Are there any tour groups we can join to explore Tasmania?
Barrier Reef we'll skip. Leaving in Florida gives us plenty of opps to enjoy the ocean.
Tasmania hasn't even crossed my mind, but now I see it's a MUST SEE!
Quick questions:
would I need a car?
How easy to rent a car in Australia with automatic transmission?
(I never drove on the "wrong side" of the road in my life, so this should be an expereince as well
Are there any tour groups we can join to explore Tasmania?
Barrier Reef we'll skip. Leaving in Florida gives us plenty of opps to enjoy the ocean.
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Serge Birbrair
Well, Serge, given that you think the US already has everything Australia has to offer (Rock, Reef) I am surprised you are even bothering to come here at all. Perhaps you would be better just staying at home and enjoying all those wonders of the US...complete with all those friendly Americans to enjoy it with.
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Serge Birbrair
roo, you are a wealth of information and I REALLY glad you are here to give the helping hand. Our friend in Brissie has a travel agent and he'd probably be able to book it all. I sent her the link to this thread.
I hope I will be able to repay you back for your generosity if you ever travel to the places I am more or less familiar with:
http://nocomments.com/2/
If I can help you in any way,
please don't hesitate to PM me, it sends me e-mail every time I'm PM'd.
I hope I will be able to repay you back for your generosity if you ever travel to the places I am more or less familiar with:
http://nocomments.com/2/
If I can help you in any way,
please don't hesitate to PM me, it sends me e-mail every time I'm PM'd.
Serge wrote:Quick questions:
would I need a car?
How easy to rent a car in Australia with automatic transmission?
(I never drove on the "wrong side" of the road in my life, so this should be an expereince as well
I have lived both in Oz and the US on and off for the last 20-odd years.
Rental Cars - are pretty much universally automatic.
Driving on the "wrong side" - city driving is easy -- just follow the car in front of you. Road rules here are mostly the same except that you cannot turn on a red light like you can in the US.
Country driving is harder. The biggest risk factors is when you turn. You will have a tendancy to turn wide or turn narrow. In the distant country it can be deadly - because the thought process is always.. why is that car coming towards me in the distance on the wrong side of the road... and the instinct will always cause you to drift into the direction the other driver will be shifting to avoid you. A trick is to drive with someone else in the car... It truely helps.. especially on a short trip when you are probably jetlagged anyways.
Then there is the turn indicators / windscreen wipers issue... but that just causes mirth and merriment - they are on opposite sides of the steering column.
Also remember that Australia is the size of the continental US and that unlike the US there are far fewer services outside the urban fringe.
David G
"I'm going to die with a twinkle in my eye cause I sung songs, spun stories, loved, laughed and drank wine"
"I'm going to die with a twinkle in my eye cause I sung songs, spun stories, loved, laughed and drank wine"
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Serge Birbrair
David,
and Roo said driving on the left side was easy....I knew it can't be true!
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF US HIRING SOMEBODY IN TASMANIA TO BE OUR DAILY GUIDE?
Guys, I appreciate all your help and tips. As my English indicates, I was not born in USA and I don't have American self assurance that everything is easy for the Yankee, as long as one can find McD.
Question to Melbournians and Sydneans:
would I be able to reach wineries without the car rental?
and Roo said driving on the left side was easy....I knew it can't be true!
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF US HIRING SOMEBODY IN TASMANIA TO BE OUR DAILY GUIDE?
Guys, I appreciate all your help and tips. As my English indicates, I was not born in USA and I don't have American self assurance that everything is easy for the Yankee, as long as one can find McD.
Question to Melbournians and Sydneans:
would I be able to reach wineries without the car rental?
Serge wrote:Question to Melbournians and Sydneans:
would I be able to reach wineries without the car rental?
I cannot speak for Sydney.. but Melbourne .. Not Really -- you can get pretty close but not close enough.
Both Yarra Valley and Mornington are beyond the last stop on the metropolitan train lines and I am not sure about the bus services beyond.
Don't know about Geelong.
That said, both Yarra Valley and (to a lesser extent) Mornington do have commercial wine tour type services that take you around to the cellar doors by mini-bus. Apart from that I know nothing about them.
I didn't mean to scare you out of driving. Hey if I can drive from SFO through San Francisco, over the bridge and on to San Rafael in rush hour on a friday before a long weekend after crossing the pacific then Melborune shouldn't be too hard for you.
David G
"I'm going to die with a twinkle in my eye cause I sung songs, spun stories, loved, laughed and drank wine"
"I'm going to die with a twinkle in my eye cause I sung songs, spun stories, loved, laughed and drank wine"
You could probably get on an organised winery bus tour from Sydney to the Hunter but I don't think that would be all that enjoyable. They tend to treat the bus tours as leppers.
As good a Cradle Mountain and in fact the whole of Tassie is. I would suggest that the most unique thing that Australia has that you don't find elsewhere in the world is nothing. Get into the outback and really experience what it is like to be in the middle of nowhere and absolutely nothing for 100's of miles in any direction except red dirt and scrub. Truly the Oz experience. I would re-considered Ayres rock. I have been through Arizona and it is spectacular but totally different to the Oz outback.
Glen
As good a Cradle Mountain and in fact the whole of Tassie is. I would suggest that the most unique thing that Australia has that you don't find elsewhere in the world is nothing. Get into the outback and really experience what it is like to be in the middle of nowhere and absolutely nothing for 100's of miles in any direction except red dirt and scrub. Truly the Oz experience. I would re-considered Ayres rock. I have been through Arizona and it is spectacular but totally different to the Oz outback.
Glen
Winner of the inaugural RB cork-count competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition
Runner up TORB TN competition
Leave of absence second RB c-c competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition
Runner up TORB TN competition
Leave of absence second RB c-c competition
serge serge serge
if you are interested in Australian wine and decent restaurants you should definitely be taking in adelaide - nothing spectacular geography-wise but the greatest concentration of decent wineries and decent restaurants in the country
and, incidentally, the home of one of the world's (certainly australia's) best arts festival
there are a several companies that will take you to visiting wineries in the mclaren vale or the barossa or clare - but if you want to visit the better cellar doors you would be better off driving (providing you spit rather than swallow - there are some pretty serious fines for drink driving) - a better option is to charm a local into driving you about
i would recommend against telling people that you are an american
but that's not all, adelaide/south australia is also australia's bizarre murder capital, so be careful getting into the car of a local
if you are interested in Australian wine and decent restaurants you should definitely be taking in adelaide - nothing spectacular geography-wise but the greatest concentration of decent wineries and decent restaurants in the country
and, incidentally, the home of one of the world's (certainly australia's) best arts festival
there are a several companies that will take you to visiting wineries in the mclaren vale or the barossa or clare - but if you want to visit the better cellar doors you would be better off driving (providing you spit rather than swallow - there are some pretty serious fines for drink driving) - a better option is to charm a local into driving you about
i would recommend against telling people that you are an american
but that's not all, adelaide/south australia is also australia's bizarre murder capital, so be careful getting into the car of a local
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Mahmoud Ali
- Posts: 2954
- Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:00 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Canada
If you want to visit some of the best wine regions in Australia I suggest you visit Adelaide, one of my favourite cities in Australia. With a rental car you have the Barossa, Clare and Mclaren Vale all within a few hours of the city. These regions have the feel of a genuine, working wine region, not a tourism draw. This is not to say that other wine regions don't have their attractions, nor excellent wineries, but you will not find so many good wineries in such proximity.
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Serge Birbrair
Mahmoud, what's the best way getting to Adelaide from Melbourne or Sydney? Plane? Train? Car?
Albus, neither my wife nor me spit. Spending night in OZ jail would definately add to the OZ experience, but...I'd pass. Is there such a thing as PRIVATE TOUR when we hire a guy with a car for few days/hours?
Murder capital of Australia? I survived driving in New York Harlem, 2 am in the morning, in opposite direction on the one way street, drunk like a scunk, I should manage
Albus, neither my wife nor me spit. Spending night in OZ jail would definately add to the OZ experience, but...I'd pass. Is there such a thing as PRIVATE TOUR when we hire a guy with a car for few days/hours?
Murder capital of Australia? I survived driving in New York Harlem, 2 am in the morning, in opposite direction on the one way street, drunk like a scunk, I should manage
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Serge Birbrair
albus wrote:i would recommend against telling people that you are an american
why is that????? I thought we were close allies. I am never mistaken for the American even in USA, my heavy Russian accent always gives me away. Please elaborate what's wrong with being American in Australia, I am very curious, as this was very unexpected advice.
Serge,
Australia is simply like a slightly younger America - we have the same access to largely the same facilities. Car hire is simple - you can organise it from the US using the same global companies. Likewise accomodation - just use Google.
If you start in Brisbane you will be in a city of around a million people with the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast either side and about an hour drive either way. Not much in the way of wineries, but the weather in March is the best you will get in Australia at that time of year. Your host can give you great advice on what to do.
For the next 2 weeks I would fly to Sydney and spend a few days in the city and its restaurants, the Opera House and some time on the harbour ferries - simple things to most Sydneyites, but the real attraction of the city is the harbour.
Then fly to Adelaide, rent a car and drive to the Barossa - March can be a busy time for Australian Wineries so I would arrange as much as you can via email so you can visit and taste your favourite Barossa wines.
Keep the car and drive from Adelaide to Melbourne, via Coonawarra (more wineries - you could call into the Clare and McLaren Vale on the way if you want) and appreciate the scenery of the http://www.greatoceanroad.org/ along the way.
In Melbourne you can -- well do whatever it is Melbournites do -- then take a visit to the Yarra for more wine.
From Melbourne you can simply fly back to the US. You will have seen a good deal of Urban Australia by then. The Ayres Rock (now a disused name), Great Barrier Reef, etc can be left till next time (you will want to come back, trust me).
When in Brisbane give me a call - I am sure we can arrange a few good wines a good meal somewhere.
Regards
JohnP
Australia is simply like a slightly younger America - we have the same access to largely the same facilities. Car hire is simple - you can organise it from the US using the same global companies. Likewise accomodation - just use Google.
If you start in Brisbane you will be in a city of around a million people with the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast either side and about an hour drive either way. Not much in the way of wineries, but the weather in March is the best you will get in Australia at that time of year. Your host can give you great advice on what to do.
For the next 2 weeks I would fly to Sydney and spend a few days in the city and its restaurants, the Opera House and some time on the harbour ferries - simple things to most Sydneyites, but the real attraction of the city is the harbour.
Then fly to Adelaide, rent a car and drive to the Barossa - March can be a busy time for Australian Wineries so I would arrange as much as you can via email so you can visit and taste your favourite Barossa wines.
Keep the car and drive from Adelaide to Melbourne, via Coonawarra (more wineries - you could call into the Clare and McLaren Vale on the way if you want) and appreciate the scenery of the http://www.greatoceanroad.org/ along the way.
In Melbourne you can -- well do whatever it is Melbournites do -- then take a visit to the Yarra for more wine.
From Melbourne you can simply fly back to the US. You will have seen a good deal of Urban Australia by then. The Ayres Rock (now a disused name), Great Barrier Reef, etc can be left till next time (you will want to come back, trust me).
When in Brisbane give me a call - I am sure we can arrange a few good wines a good meal somewhere.
Regards
JohnP
Barossa Shiraz
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Serge Birbrair
GRB wrote:You could probably get on an organised winery bus tour from Sydney to the Hunter but I don't think that would be all that enjoyable. They tend to treat the bus tours as leppers.
As good a Cradle Mountain and in fact the whole of Tassie is. I would suggest that the most unique thing that Australia has that you don't find elsewhere in the world is nothing. Get into the outback and really experience what it is like to be in the middle of nowhere and absolutely nothing for 100's of miles in any direction except red dirt and scrub. Truly the Oz experience. I would re-considered Ayres rock. I have been through Arizona and it is spectacular but totally different to the Oz outback.
Glen
Glen, I hear you about Ayres rock, but....I have a hunch that I'll see more things I haven't seen in Tasmania than in outbacks. I've been to Alaska with "miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles", and roo made Tasmania sound very irresistable. Due to time constrains I'd have to make a choice.
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Serge Birbrair
davidg wrote:
I didn't mean to scare you out of driving. Hey if I can drive from SFO through San Francisco, over the bridge and on to San Rafael in rush hour on a friday before a long weekend after crossing the pacific then Melborune shouldn't be too hard for you.
David, one of my favorite Clint Easton lines is:
"Man should know his limitations" and I do indeed know mine!
You are the better man than me
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Serge Birbrair
JohnP, and miss Tasmania?
I'd rather miss the Gold Coast, despite the friend's offer to use his apartment there.
Other than that it does sound like a great suggestion except...driving does worry me a bit. I'll check with travel agency friends in Brissie regarding getting private guides.
I'll definatelly get in touch with you prior to coming to Brisbane. I can't promise American juice to bring with me, as we go to New Zealand first, but if you want us to pick something in NZ, I'd be delighted!
I'd rather miss the Gold Coast, despite the friend's offer to use his apartment there.
Other than that it does sound like a great suggestion except...driving does worry me a bit. I'll check with travel agency friends in Brissie regarding getting private guides.
I'll definatelly get in touch with you prior to coming to Brisbane. I can't promise American juice to bring with me, as we go to New Zealand first, but if you want us to pick something in NZ, I'd be delighted!
Serge wrote:JohnP, and miss Tasmania?
I'd rather miss the Gold Coast, despite the friend's offer to use his apartment there.
Other than that it does sound like a great suggestion except...driving does worry me a bit. I'll check with travel agency friends in Brissie regarding getting private guides.
I'll definatelly get in touch with you prior to coming to Brisbane. I can't promise American juice to bring with me, as we go to New Zealand first, but if you want us to pick something in NZ, I'd be delighted!
Serge,
Don't want to sound too critical of Tasmania - but most Australians haven't been there either. If you go to NZ you will see Tasmania - same latitude, same scenery and almost as far behind the rest of Australia (apologies to all Kiwis, but !!). I am sure there are a lot of nice folk down there, Tassie that is, but its not a place most Australians would recommend for a first visit to Australia - ask your Brisbane host!
No need to bring wine from NZ, we have plenty of it here. My brother will be in NZ over Christmas this year and will no doubt post on his blog about his visit - http://shirazshiraz.blogspot.com/ : so a visit to his site in the new year might be helpful. Also see his archive posts for: 12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004 for a good idea of the wineries to see in the Barossa.
regards
Johnp
You do not need private guides, this is not the wilderness. If I can drive on US roads you can drive on Australian roads without any real concern. However, if the pay is good I could I could be tempted!!!!
Barossa Shiraz
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Serge Birbrair
JohnP wrote:
Serge,
Don't want to sound too critical of Tasmania - but most Australians haven't been there either. If you go to NZ you will see Tasmania - same latitude, same scenery and almost as far behind the rest of Australia (apologies to all Kiwis, but !!). I am sure there are a lot of nice folk down there, Tassie that is, but its not a place most Australians would recommend for a first visit to Australia - ask your Brisbane host!
No need to bring wine from NZ, we have plenty of it here. My brother will be in NZ over Christmas this year and will no doubt post on his blog about his visit - http://shirazshiraz.blogspot.com/ : so a visit to his site in the new year might be helpful. Also see his archive posts for: 12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004 for a good idea of the wineries to see in the Barossa.
regards
Johnp
You do not need private guides, this is not the wilderness. If I can drive on US roads you can drive on Australian roads without any real concern. However, if the pay is good I could I could be tempted!!!!
John, I go quite often to the places in USA the most Americans haven't been to, this wouldn't discourage me one bit. Did I mention that I don't like crowds in general and try to avoid the touristy places every place we go, IF we can help it?
Please PM me your daily rates,
and assume I'll take care of the airline tix, hotels and food.
I'd rather pay $$$ than contribute to Australian car accidents statistics.
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bacchaebabe
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Sydney
Serge,
some interesting and very good suggestions. I like John P's advice however, I tend to agree with Rooview that Tasmania might give you the best wildlife experience, if that's what you are after. As John P says, most Australians haven't been there, myself included, but everyone I know who has been there has said there's plenty of wildlife. Also, everyone has raved about Cradle Mountain. In March, it won't be too cold, although if you're from Florida...you might need a jumper (that's a sweater) after all.
Ayres Rock is a wonderful, magical place but it is a long way to go. I would recommend it to anyone. Its a lot more than just a rock in the middle of nowhere.
Sydney is a fantastic city. I live here and I am biased but I have travelled widely and try to keep an open mind. You will find some of the best food in the world here. If you can book at Tetsuyas, Claudes, Marque, Bilsons, Otto, Quay, Becasse or Rockpool, you won't be disappointed. Absolutely world class fare that will blow you away for the quality and price (compared to similar restaurants elsewhere in the world). You can google them for reviews and their websites. There are equally good restaurants in Melbourne but I'm not up on the latest and greatest there. By the same token, catching the ferry to Manly or getting out to Bondi and eating $10 fish and chips is almost as good. Taronga Park Zoo is one of the best and certainly the most scenic zoo in the world. A guided tour of the Hunter is easily arranged from Sydney but as everyone else has said, Adelaide and the surrounding regions would be a much better use of your time if you want to expereince some good Aussie reds.
Maybe flying to Tassie from Sydney and then on to Adelaide from Tassie might work. I really wouldn't be concerned about hiring a car and driving around local regions as it is very easy but don't try to drive between major cities, only because it's so far. It's pretty well a days drive between each capital city and you've got better ways to spend your holiday than driving.
Driving out of Adelaide to the wine regions is an easy and enjoyable drive. The pace is a lot slower in Adelaide too and you are much less likely to get beeped at or given the bird than driving in Sydney. You'll start in the city and it's pretty simple. As davidg said, just follow the car in front. Once you get off the beaten track a bit, a trick I use is to put a post it note on the dashboard or windscreen with an arrow on it showing what side you should be on. You only need it when there's nothing else around and instinct starts to kick in. Once in the US, I think in Utah actually, we drove for about half an hour on the wrong side before I asked the question, "Why's that guy on the wrong side of the road?", as we went up a hill and around a sweeping corner. Got over to the right side in time though. The last time I had to drive on the 'wrong' side was in Frankfurt after arriving at 6am direct from Singapore. Straight on to the Autobahn with Beemers overtaking us at 220+kmph. Quite the experience but we survived. It's really not that hard and you get used to it very quickly.
Adelaide is also a lovely city. Plenty of great food there. Not quite so many in the really fine dining strata as Sydney or Melbourne but lots and lots in the middle range and mostly they are BYO. That means Bring Your Own wine so you can buy wine from cellar doors during the day and drink it in local restaurants in the evening. Much better way to taste. You may have to pay a nominal corkage but in Adelaide and surrounds, this is not usually very much.
Re the don't mention that you're an american thing, the reason is that most Australians think that most Americans are loud mouthed, arrogant and frankly, a bit stupid - mainly from being so inward looking. This is of course a generalisation and most of the americans that manage to actually leave their own country for a holiday aren't like this, but this is also a generalisation. I would definitely advise that you and your partner do not wearing matching clothes while over here. You will get laughed at constantly. And none of them, really no american I've ever met, and this isn't a generalisation, understands our sense of humour. Some might get some of the jokes occasionally but even that is rare. We are very dry and sarcastic and my only helpful advice is not to take everything we say at face value. If you have any hint at all that we might be joking, we probably are. I have a very close friend from the US who is now an Australian citizen and even after ten years living here, she still doesn't understand or get the humour.
Finally, try www.jetstar.com.au or www.virginblue.com.au for cheap intercity flights. Even www.qantas.com.au have some cheap flights too. Flying midweek and during the day is usually cheapest. Splurge on food and wine instead.
some interesting and very good suggestions. I like John P's advice however, I tend to agree with Rooview that Tasmania might give you the best wildlife experience, if that's what you are after. As John P says, most Australians haven't been there, myself included, but everyone I know who has been there has said there's plenty of wildlife. Also, everyone has raved about Cradle Mountain. In March, it won't be too cold, although if you're from Florida...you might need a jumper (that's a sweater) after all.
Ayres Rock is a wonderful, magical place but it is a long way to go. I would recommend it to anyone. Its a lot more than just a rock in the middle of nowhere.
Sydney is a fantastic city. I live here and I am biased but I have travelled widely and try to keep an open mind. You will find some of the best food in the world here. If you can book at Tetsuyas, Claudes, Marque, Bilsons, Otto, Quay, Becasse or Rockpool, you won't be disappointed. Absolutely world class fare that will blow you away for the quality and price (compared to similar restaurants elsewhere in the world). You can google them for reviews and their websites. There are equally good restaurants in Melbourne but I'm not up on the latest and greatest there. By the same token, catching the ferry to Manly or getting out to Bondi and eating $10 fish and chips is almost as good. Taronga Park Zoo is one of the best and certainly the most scenic zoo in the world. A guided tour of the Hunter is easily arranged from Sydney but as everyone else has said, Adelaide and the surrounding regions would be a much better use of your time if you want to expereince some good Aussie reds.
Maybe flying to Tassie from Sydney and then on to Adelaide from Tassie might work. I really wouldn't be concerned about hiring a car and driving around local regions as it is very easy but don't try to drive between major cities, only because it's so far. It's pretty well a days drive between each capital city and you've got better ways to spend your holiday than driving.
Driving out of Adelaide to the wine regions is an easy and enjoyable drive. The pace is a lot slower in Adelaide too and you are much less likely to get beeped at or given the bird than driving in Sydney. You'll start in the city and it's pretty simple. As davidg said, just follow the car in front. Once you get off the beaten track a bit, a trick I use is to put a post it note on the dashboard or windscreen with an arrow on it showing what side you should be on. You only need it when there's nothing else around and instinct starts to kick in. Once in the US, I think in Utah actually, we drove for about half an hour on the wrong side before I asked the question, "Why's that guy on the wrong side of the road?", as we went up a hill and around a sweeping corner. Got over to the right side in time though. The last time I had to drive on the 'wrong' side was in Frankfurt after arriving at 6am direct from Singapore. Straight on to the Autobahn with Beemers overtaking us at 220+kmph. Quite the experience but we survived. It's really not that hard and you get used to it very quickly.
Adelaide is also a lovely city. Plenty of great food there. Not quite so many in the really fine dining strata as Sydney or Melbourne but lots and lots in the middle range and mostly they are BYO. That means Bring Your Own wine so you can buy wine from cellar doors during the day and drink it in local restaurants in the evening. Much better way to taste. You may have to pay a nominal corkage but in Adelaide and surrounds, this is not usually very much.
Re the don't mention that you're an american thing, the reason is that most Australians think that most Americans are loud mouthed, arrogant and frankly, a bit stupid - mainly from being so inward looking. This is of course a generalisation and most of the americans that manage to actually leave their own country for a holiday aren't like this, but this is also a generalisation. I would definitely advise that you and your partner do not wearing matching clothes while over here. You will get laughed at constantly. And none of them, really no american I've ever met, and this isn't a generalisation, understands our sense of humour. Some might get some of the jokes occasionally but even that is rare. We are very dry and sarcastic and my only helpful advice is not to take everything we say at face value. If you have any hint at all that we might be joking, we probably are. I have a very close friend from the US who is now an Australian citizen and even after ten years living here, she still doesn't understand or get the humour.
Finally, try www.jetstar.com.au or www.virginblue.com.au for cheap intercity flights. Even www.qantas.com.au have some cheap flights too. Flying midweek and during the day is usually cheapest. Splurge on food and wine instead.
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
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Serge Birbrair
Kris,
thank you for taking your time and giving very good suggestions, analyses and "inner works/thoughts". I guess if all you guys who drove on both sides of the road say it's not that hard, I should conquer my fears and just do it.
Matching cloths? What's that!???? We are jeans and shorts folks. As for jumpers...before Florida I lived in New York and in Russia before that,
my wife is from Oregon, cold doesn't scare us, mosquitoes do.
Your proposed idea with flights makes a lot of sense and I'll work with the map and airlines websights (or give it to the travel guy in Brissie) and I think we'll have the winner!
Any SUV you guys rec to suit the purposes?
thank you for taking your time and giving very good suggestions, analyses and "inner works/thoughts". I guess if all you guys who drove on both sides of the road say it's not that hard, I should conquer my fears and just do it.
Matching cloths? What's that!???? We are jeans and shorts folks. As for jumpers...before Florida I lived in New York and in Russia before that,
my wife is from Oregon, cold doesn't scare us, mosquitoes do.
Your proposed idea with flights makes a lot of sense and I'll work with the map and airlines websights (or give it to the travel guy in Brissie) and I think we'll have the winner!
Any SUV you guys rec to suit the purposes?
Hello Serge.
If you have just visited Utah then give most of outback Australia a miss. It just can't compete with northern Arizona and Southern Utah for scenic wonders. Travelling long distances just to see few attractions is not my idea of fun. The exceptions are the northern third of Western Australia, far north Queensland and Tasmania. Do see Adelaide, for the wine and food and for scenery go to the Flinders ranges which start properly about 250 kms to the north. They are range of small hills that are always enchanting and sometimes spectacular.
And of course, NZ is totally beautiful from what I have heard.
George B.
If you have just visited Utah then give most of outback Australia a miss. It just can't compete with northern Arizona and Southern Utah for scenic wonders. Travelling long distances just to see few attractions is not my idea of fun. The exceptions are the northern third of Western Australia, far north Queensland and Tasmania. Do see Adelaide, for the wine and food and for scenery go to the Flinders ranges which start properly about 250 kms to the north. They are range of small hills that are always enchanting and sometimes spectacular.
And of course, NZ is totally beautiful from what I have heard.
George B.
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bacchaebabe
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Sydney
Matching clothes. Same T-shirts with same natty slogan written on them. Same shorts even. Same hats, sometimes embroidered the same.
We did an Alaskan cruise earlier in the year and the number of american couples wearing the same clothes was, quite frankly, scary.
I understand at places like disneyland, even the whole family can wear the same thing.
Maybe the idea is to make your partner look so hideous that no one else will touch them or something. Or maybe it's just to make it easier to find your partner among all the hordes.
It's a very foreign concept for us but we like to take photos of the spectacle and show our friends at home for a good laugh. It's very griswald-like.
Saying all that, Australians on holidays come with their own unique stereotypes.
We did an Alaskan cruise earlier in the year and the number of american couples wearing the same clothes was, quite frankly, scary.
I understand at places like disneyland, even the whole family can wear the same thing.
Maybe the idea is to make your partner look so hideous that no one else will touch them or something. Or maybe it's just to make it easier to find your partner among all the hordes.
It's a very foreign concept for us but we like to take photos of the spectacle and show our friends at home for a good laugh. It's very griswald-like.
Saying all that, Australians on holidays come with their own unique stereotypes.
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
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Serge Birbrair
George, I am glad you see what I am talking about from pure "rational" point of view.
Kris,
I met lots of Australians on the trips, I did lots of business with Australians and I may be idealizing them, but for me, Ozies are VERY high on the list of the people I would rather hang out with. The witness at my wedding was Australian, I will visit him in prison while we are there. If he wasn't doing time for protecting his property, which is a right thing to do IMHO, he'd take me all over himself, but....I don't see it happening in March.
Me and my wife do wear matching attires...at the nude beaches, but I heard there are no any in Australia, so the natives are safe
Every place we go, instead of imposing our values and making comparissions with "good 'ole USA", we try to understand and learn the LOCAL culture, people, food, customs and this approach makes travels much more interesting..IMHO.
We are quite adventurous in food and one day I'll tell you about eating gunea pig in Peru, dried worms and candied grasshoppers in Thailand.
Kris,
I met lots of Australians on the trips, I did lots of business with Australians and I may be idealizing them, but for me, Ozies are VERY high on the list of the people I would rather hang out with. The witness at my wedding was Australian, I will visit him in prison while we are there. If he wasn't doing time for protecting his property, which is a right thing to do IMHO, he'd take me all over himself, but....I don't see it happening in March.
Me and my wife do wear matching attires...at the nude beaches, but I heard there are no any in Australia, so the natives are safe
Every place we go, instead of imposing our values and making comparissions with "good 'ole USA", we try to understand and learn the LOCAL culture, people, food, customs and this approach makes travels much more interesting..IMHO.
We are quite adventurous in food and one day I'll tell you about eating gunea pig in Peru, dried worms and candied grasshoppers in Thailand.
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Re: I never been to Australia
Serge wrote:but now I don't have a choice - our very close friend in Brissie turns 30 and we are invited. We are thinking of doing New zEALAND FOR A WEEK WITH Globus in Early March, come to Brisbane around March 10th and we have 2 weeks afterwards to explore the land of OZ.
What should we NOT miss on our trip and how much time would we need for
Sightseeings,
Culture,
Wineries
in this particular order?
TIA,
Serge, I'm not as widely travelled as many other contributors to this thread, across this mostly (or near to) desert continent that seems to be increasingly desertified. Haven't been to NZ either but I'm led to believe that the South Island, particularly the WSW area is worthwhile. I have visited the north and east of Tasmania in winter. Port Arthur is sombre and an insight unlike any other into Australia's convict colonial past, made even macabre by a deranged gunman who ran amok there 10 or so years ago. The beauty of the place belies it's infamous past. A novel named "For The Term Of His Natural Life" by the author of "Barry Lyndon" gives some insights to Port Arthur and Norfolk Island penal establishments. But I digress. The west coast of Tasmania includes the Frankland River area that was the scene of significant protests against the damming of the waterway and is reputedly wild and very scenic but I've not been there.
In Australia the only wine regions I've been to are the Hunter Valley and the Yarra Valley, the latter my preference.
Just noticed your order of preference. As far as sightseeing is concerned one of the natural wonders of the world is the Great Barrier Reef that would perhaps be a wonderful change from the Grand Canyon, Uluru, more rocks and deserts. Cairns is the tourism hub for most of the access to the Reef and is close to the Atherton Tableland in the hinterland (some lnice spots there), Port Douglas (tourotrap) and the Daintree rainforest area further north. Further south are some more nice rainforest-to-reef spots but these continue to be degraded by the growth of agriculture/horticulture - and tourism/sea-changers. The Hinchinbrook Channel between the mainland and Hinchinbrook Island (one of the largest individual island National Parks in the world) is a unique area that unfortunately is under threat from agriculture and developments on the mainland.
~400km south of Cairns is Townsville that has some interesting dry tropics hinterland attractions and another large offshore island, Magnetic Island, that's mostly National Park. The Island (Maggie) does though have a thriving community that is riding on the back of belated though not always popular development. As it's only about 8km from the mainland, many residents on the island commute to Townsville, the largest city in tropical Australia. More recently, Townsville has been recognised for the redevelopment of it's city Strand beachfront that attracts the community's families as well as regional and most other visitors. Castle Hill is a backdrop to the Strand that provides excellent views across Cleveland Bay.
You mention "culture". Well, there are healthy arts communities mostly wherever you would care to go in the world. Townsville has an annual Festival of Chamber Music that's become a mainstay of "cultural" life. This festival draws on the talents of up-and-coming international and national musicians. Dance North with it's modern styles has been around for years too. Several theatre groups perform regularly and there are also various touring theatre productions, though admittedly not of the same number as those accessible in the metro areas.
There are some galleries and museums, including the the Museum of Tropical Queensland. It has a collection of relics from the wreck of the "Pandora", the ship that was transporting some of the "Bounty" mutineers back to England. Then there's the next-door Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural centre in the same complex as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Wonderland (that's probably an exaggerated name) that houses, reputedly, the largest artificial coral reef aquarium in the world. Oh, and it has a shark tank just like every forum you've ever cared to visit.
West-south-west of Townsville are Charters Towers, a late 19th to early 20th century gold mining town (my birthplace) and Ravenswood, it's precursor. Mostly cattle farming areas, there have been and still are resurgent gold-mining industries. Charters Towers is the only city in Queensland other than Brisbane to have hosted an active international share market trading facility. The arcade where the trading was based is a tourist attraction these days, partly perhaps because it was the scene of a public murder. Ravenswood has a tragic cemetery, an open-cut gold mine, a few historic buildings and a couple of classic old pubs. The Railway Hotel still has the old cells (almost dungeon-like) where the miners retired to after a hard days work and an evenings hard drinking. Ravenswood's about 45 minutes drive from the Burdekin River Dam. It's Queensland's largest-capacity dam on a river that is fed by monsoon rains from a large catchment area reaching north to the west of Tully. Spectacular when in full flood with water roiling and spuming over the diffusers at the base of the dam. I can't help but ponder the benefits of increasing the height of the dam wall to increase the volume of the water storage as opposed to the decreased downstream flow. Mind you, it's Townsville's water source of last resort.
Then further south there's the Whitsundays area that stretches from around Bowen 200km south of Townsville to Mackay another 200km south from there. Apologies to Ayr/Home Hill but there's not much apart from endless canefields, many irrigated by water from the Burdekin Dam. Airlie Beach between Bowen and Mackay is the main access point of the majority of the Whitsunday Islands group. With pretentions of rivalling Port Douglas and Noosa, it has the saving grace of the Whitsunday Passage on it's front doorstep. I've been to Hayman Island when it was not just another international ***** resort and have no desire to go to Hamilton Island. But it is a lovely area for all of the commercialism.
Mackay, like the much smaller Bowen, has some nice beach areas. It also has the Pioneer River Valley that has some very nice spots. Eungella at the top of the valley is a highlight with the "Chalet's" launching pad for gliders. Guess you have to be at the National Park at the right time of day to see the platupii. Some places here as as good, but different from, some of those around the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns.
I'm done. Wherever you go, organise a case of Heartland Cabernet 04 from Gavin to take some with you. It's a good in-your-face quaffer and I've only had one that was corked.........................
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Serge Birbrair
Daryl, thank you so much for your detailed suggestions, they seem to fill the itinerary for the SECOND trip.
So far we are inclined to go Brisbaine, Adelaida, Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania and save some more for the follow up in a year or two.
JohnP, if you could join us in Adelaida for 2-3 days, that would be lovely. If you have to work and can only do it over the weekend, we can work around your schedule as well.
So far we are inclined to go Brisbaine, Adelaida, Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania and save some more for the follow up in a year or two.
JohnP, if you could join us in Adelaida for 2-3 days, that would be lovely. If you have to work and can only do it over the weekend, we can work around your schedule as well.
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KMP
- Posts: 1246
- Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2004 4:02 am
- Location: Expat, now in San Diego, California
- Contact:
Serge wrote:Daryl, thank you so much for your detailed suggestions, they seem to fill the itinerary for the SECOND trip.
So far we are inclined to go Brisbaine, Adelaida, Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania and save some more for the follow up in a year or two.
JohnP, if you could join us in Adelaida for 2-3 days, that would be lovely. If you have to work and can only do it over the weekend, we can work around your schedule as well.
Seeing as how JohnP mentioned my name I should probably contribute to this discussion.
Serge, if you only have something between 2-3 weeks to spend in Oz then you have to be very selective in how you spend that time. Its like someone asking you what would you recommend they see in the same time period in the USA; you really can’t do yourself or the country justice by madly flying all over the place.
As has been suggested by others I would leave out Tassie. Unlike most folks I’ve been there, back in the late ‘80s. It’s a beautiful island and you could easily spend your two weeks hiking, fishing, and visiting wineries there, but it is out of the way for the amount of time you have.
You are better off visiting Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney (in that order) as has been suggested. You can visit wine regions from Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. If you stay in the city centers of Melbourne and Sydney then you are within easy reach of excellent Museums, Art Galleries and restaurants and you won’t need a car for any of those major cities as public transport is quite adequate within the city. If you really want to see part of the country then a drive between Adelaide and Melbourne is a good idea, or you can take the train. The Overland goes during daylight hours between Adelaide and Melbourne, takes about 10 hours. Speaking of driving – it is really simple. All you do is keep the middle of the road on the driver’s side of the car, irrespective of what country you are driving in.
Mike
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Ratcatcher
- Posts: 374
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:01 pm
- Location: Hobart
Hi Serge,
I live in Tasmania so I'll probably be in the bad books from the local touristy people but given your itinerary I wouldn't bother with a trip to Tas.
It looks small on the maps but narrow winding roads make driving times a lot longer than you think so if you wanted to do 2-3 things it would take 5-6 days at least and I don't know if I'd take that much time out of my trip for what's on offer.
If you were here for 6 months then sure, and I'd certainly recommend a trip to anyone who lives in Melb, Sydney or Adelaide. But unless you are going to go on a 5 day trek anything in Tas can be matched by something equally as good in either Vic, NSW or SA.
For a 2 week trip where you want ot see other places a side trip to Tas is just too much time to give up. If you were just going to Sydney and Melbourne then maybe, but not if you want to go to Brisbane and Adelaide too. It would just leave you too little time for those other places and you wouldn't get enough out of a 2 day trip to Tas to make it worthwhile.
I agree with Mike. Fly to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne then take the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. That way you get to drive through Coonawarra too.
I live in Tasmania so I'll probably be in the bad books from the local touristy people but given your itinerary I wouldn't bother with a trip to Tas.
It looks small on the maps but narrow winding roads make driving times a lot longer than you think so if you wanted to do 2-3 things it would take 5-6 days at least and I don't know if I'd take that much time out of my trip for what's on offer.
If you were here for 6 months then sure, and I'd certainly recommend a trip to anyone who lives in Melb, Sydney or Adelaide. But unless you are going to go on a 5 day trek anything in Tas can be matched by something equally as good in either Vic, NSW or SA.
For a 2 week trip where you want ot see other places a side trip to Tas is just too much time to give up. If you were just going to Sydney and Melbourne then maybe, but not if you want to go to Brisbane and Adelaide too. It would just leave you too little time for those other places and you wouldn't get enough out of a 2 day trip to Tas to make it worthwhile.
I agree with Mike. Fly to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne then take the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. That way you get to drive through Coonawarra too.