Australia travel tips

In article ,
lid says...
Personally, I prefer driving, so I would limit how far I would go and
would probably drop Ayers Rock (etc.) and Kakadu and go north from
Sydney to as far as practical/comfortable, or perhaps even south and
'around' the lower-right 'corner' of Australia to Melbourne, Great Ocean
Road, etc.. I have not checked, but probably the Snowy Mountains
(Koswhatever) and/or Grampians National Parks could be included.

Possibly Alice/Ayers Rock and/or Darwin/Kakadu could be included with
the air ticket for little extra cost if booked early enough, but I
definitely wouldn't drive there. As you say, might as well fly, because
driving to get there as fast as possible merely consumes time and costs
about the same in terms of car hire and increasingly expensive outback
fuel.

Perth and Broome are equally out of the question. Fly there if you want
to see them on a time limited holiday, but otherwise there's very little
point in driving for a couple of days to count the dead roos on the side
of a straight and dusty road.

Again, it depends on what the tourist really wants to see, but starting
at Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Ballarat,
Echuca, Canberra, Sydney, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane is a great
trip for a tourist.

The cities all have their different charms and cultures. Melbourne likes
to think it is stylish and elegant, Sydney is more casual, and Brissy is
flat-out. That's a reasonable amount of driving and not too many long
boring bits.

Cut off one of the ends and fly to Cairns if the reef is a priority
(which seems to be the case).

In article ,
lid says...
Personally, I prefer driving, so I would limit how far I would go and
would probably drop Ayers Rock (etc.) and Kakadu and go north from
Sydney to as far as practical/comfortable, or perhaps even south and
'around' the lower-right 'corner' of Australia to Melbourne, Great Ocean
Road, etc.. I have not checked, but probably the Snowy Mountains
(Koswhatever) and/or Grampians National Parks could be included.

Possibly Alice/Ayers Rock and/or Darwin/Kakadu could be included with
the air ticket for little extra cost if booked early enough, but I
definitely wouldn't drive there. As you say, might as well fly, because
driving to get there as fast as possible merely consumes time and costs
about the same in terms of car hire and increasingly expensive outback
fuel.

Perth and Broome are equally out of the question. Fly there if you want
to see them on a time limited holiday, but otherwise there's very little
point in driving for a couple of days to count the dead roos on the side
of a straight and dusty road.

Again, it depends on what the tourist really wants to see, but starting
at Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Ballarat,
Echuca, Canberra, Sydney, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane is a great
trip for a tourist.

The cities all have their different charms and cultures. Melbourne likes
to think it is stylish and elegant, Sydney is more casual, and Brissy is
flat-out. That's a reasonable amount of driving and not too many long
boring bits.

Cut off one of the ends and fly to Cairns if the reef is a priority
(which seems to be the case).

"Alessandro Cannarsi" wrote in message
...

What about these two:

1)flying Sydney-Uluru, driving Uluru-Kakadu-Darwin, Flying
Darwin-Cairns,
diving 3/4 days on the reef and then fly back to Sydney.

2) flying Sydney-Uluru, driving about, Flying Alice-Cairns, driving up
to Cape
York (how many days?), diving 3/4 days on the reef and then fly back to
Sydney.

Thanks

Alex

I would try and keep the driving to a minimum. As some readers say that
Australia is a huge continent
making driving distances very long and tedious. For example the flight
from Sydney to Alice Springs
is three hours and fifteen minutes, covering approx 1200 miles in a
straight line.

Flying to each destination will give you more time to explore the local
sights. You could try the bus trip from
Alice Springs, stopping at places like Tennant Creek and Katherine
before reaching Darwin.
Definitely recommend visiting Kakadu. Darwin is well gifted with
backpacker accomodation and travel
agents. The Northern territory in my opinion has the most vibrant
scenery.


Cairns is a very pleasant city thats worth a visit. Try to do a trip up
to Daintree Rain Forest.
A day trip to Karanda is also recommended.

For cheap fares try:

www.virginblue.com.au

www.qantas.com.au




A Mate ha scritto:
Alessandro - some replies are unkind!! It is possible (and fairly easy
too)
to drive from Alice Springs to Cairns (the Savannah Way!!); but it would
take 4 days at least. Cape York is actually near (relatively speaking)
Cairns - nowhere near Darwin or Alice Springs!! Do some real research -
and
use a website which shows distances and driving times. Try:
http://www.auinfo.com/

Have Fun!!!



"Alessandro Cannarsi" wrote in message
m...

Hi everybody,

I'm off on a 20 days trip to Australia in October. I am going to spend
3 days in Sydney and I am trying to plan a 2-week itinerary.

What I was thinking about is: flying from Sydney to Alice Springs, see
Uluru, visit the Kakadu National Park and/or the Northern Peninsula
(Cape York) and spend some days diving in the northern part of the
reef.

Since the distances are huge I must choose what segments to drive and
what segments to fly based on the experience I will get -

Do you think Kakadu is more interesting than cape york or the
opposite?

Would you suggest to drive from Sydney to Alice and fly from there to
Darwin-Kakadu or viceversa? Is the panorama from Alice to Kakadu
interesting?

Or would you suggest driving from Alice to Cairns and the great
barrier?

Thanks

Alessandro

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 19:45:59 GMT, Peter wrote:

In article ,
says...

What about these two:

1)flying Sydney-Uluru, driving Uluru-Kakadu-Darwin, Flying Darwin-Cairns,
diving 3/4 days on the reef and then fly back to Sydney.

2) flying Sydney-Uluru, driving about, Flying Alice-Cairns, driving up to Cape
York (how many days?), diving 3/4 days on the reef and then fly back to Sydney.

Ayers Rock is not a place to be driving to or from. Or Darwin, for that
matter. Long days of boring dusty roads.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just when was the "Last" time you went up that way, not too many dusty
roads around January/February when we went through there.


Driving on Cape York is
enjoyable for experienced 4WD folk, a long and costly adventure for
everyone else. Kakadu is really just another bit of scrub and swamp.

Recommend flying to remote locations if you really must tick those
boxes. Take a day bus trip from Darwin or Alice and the driver/guide
will give you the good guff.

Cairns is a good base to explore the reef and the rainforest. Sydney is
just another city, albeit one with a great harbour and an excellent zoo.
Worth a couple of days, but.

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 00:08:09 GMT, Peter wrote:

In article ,
says...
Personally, I prefer driving, so I would limit how far I would go and
would probably drop Ayers Rock (etc.) and Kakadu and go north from
Sydney to as far as practical/comfortable, or perhaps even south and
'around' the lower-right 'corner' of Australia to Melbourne, Great Ocean
Road, etc.. I have not checked, but probably the Snowy Mountains
(Koswhatever) and/or Grampians National Parks could be included.

Possibly Alice/Ayers Rock and/or Darwin/Kakadu could be included with
the air ticket for little extra cost if booked early enough, but I
definitely wouldn't drive there. As you say, might as well fly, because
driving to get there as fast as possible merely consumes time and costs
about the same in terms of car hire and increasingly expensive outback
fuel.

Perth and Broome are equally out of the question. Fly there if you want
to see them on a time limited holiday, but otherwise there's very little
point in driving for a couple of days to count the dead roos on the side
of a straight and dusty road.
^^^^^^^^^
Huh ??

When did you last go across on the dusty road ???


Again, it depends on what the tourist really wants to see, but starting
at Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Ballarat,
Echuca, Canberra, Sydney, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane is a great
trip for a tourist.

The cities all have their different charms and cultures. Melbourne likes
to think it is stylish and elegant, Sydney is more casual, and Brissy is
flat-out. That's a reasonable amount of driving and not too many long
boring bits.

Cut off one of the ends and fly to Cairns if the reef is a priority
(which seems to be the case).

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 00:08:09 GMT, Peter wrote:

In article ,
says...
Personally, I prefer driving, so I would limit how far I would go and
would probably drop Ayers Rock (etc.) and Kakadu and go north from
Sydney to as far as practical/comfortable, or perhaps even south and
'around' the lower-right 'corner' of Australia to Melbourne, Great Ocean
Road, etc.. I have not checked, but probably the Snowy Mountains
(Koswhatever) and/or Grampians National Parks could be included.

Possibly Alice/Ayers Rock and/or Darwin/Kakadu could be included with
the air ticket for little extra cost if booked early enough, but I
definitely wouldn't drive there. As you say, might as well fly, because
driving to get there as fast as possible merely consumes time and costs
about the same in terms of car hire and increasingly expensive outback
fuel.

Perth and Broome are equally out of the question. Fly there if you want
to see them on a time limited holiday, but otherwise there's very little
point in driving for a couple of days to count the dead roos on the side
of a straight and dusty road.
^^^^^^^^^
Huh ??

When did you last go across on the dusty road ???


Again, it depends on what the tourist really wants to see, but starting
at Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Ballarat,
Echuca, Canberra, Sydney, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane is a great
trip for a tourist.

The cities all have their different charms and cultures. Melbourne likes
to think it is stylish and elegant, Sydney is more casual, and Brissy is
flat-out. That's a reasonable amount of driving and not too many long
boring bits.

Cut off one of the ends and fly to Cairns if the reef is a priority
(which seems to be the case).

In article ,=20
says...
Ayers Rock is not a place to be driving to or from. Or Darwin, for that=
=20
matter. Long days of boring dusty roads.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
=20
Just when was the "Last" time you went up that way, not too many dusty
roads around January/February when we went through there.

Point taken, it's not dusty if it's raining. Still not the sort of thing=20
we should be wishing on tourists who want to maximise their time spent=20
doing interesting things.

"Alice Springs is in the heart of the Northern Territory and it's here=20
the sting in the tail of the event starts. This is the famed Red Centre=20
of Australia where the dusty roads are bright red and stretch as far you=20
can see. It's tough unforgiving country."
http://www.twerally.co.uk/lsm_04/route.html

"The Rock is sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia and they have=20
requested that people stay off of it. I am a conscientious person and=20
normally respect such requests but I just couldn't stay off it after=20
driving 3000 dusty km to get to it, hearing of the supposed danger in=20
climbing it and what I was imagining the view to be like at the top."
http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/MyTravels...31/403445.html

"After Ayers Rock it=92s another day=92s ride along a dusty track to Kings=
=20
Canyon, which is a rarely visited National Park."
http://www.bikeroundoz.com/TourDetai...er_tour.htm=20

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 20:16:28 GMT, Peter wrote:

In article ,
says...
Ayers Rock is not a place to be driving to or from. Or Darwin, for that
matter. Long days of boring dusty roads.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just when was the "Last" time you went up that way, not too many dusty
roads around January/February when we went through there.

Point taken, it's not dusty if it's raining. Still not the sort of thing
we should be wishing on tourists who want to maximise their time spent
doing interesting things.

Not too many drops of rain fell out htat way at that time of the year.
I think you're getting your information confused with further up in
the Territory towards Darwin.

"Alice Springs is in the heart of the Northern Territory and it's here
the sting in the tail of the event starts. This is the famed Red Centre
of Australia where the dusty roads are bright red and stretch as far you
can see. It's tough unforgiving country."
http://www.twerally.co.uk/lsm_04/route.html

"The Rock is sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia and they have
requested that people stay off of it. I am a conscientious person and
normally respect such requests but I just couldn't stay off it after
driving 3000 dusty km to get to it, hearing of the supposed danger in
climbing it and what I was imagining the view to be like at the top."
http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/MyTravels...31/403445.html

"After Ayers Rock it’s another day’s ride along a dusty track to Kings
Canyon, which is a rarely visited National Park."
http://www.bikeroundoz.com/TourDetai...acker_tour.htm


Oh Dear oh dear oh dear !!!

It seems you get all your information from tarted up tourist stories.

The road up to "the Alice" and also from there down to "the Rock" is
ALL sealed road.

I have'nt been on the track between "The Rock" and Kings Canyon, but I
believe that it "IS" a dirt/gravel road, and presumably would be
dusty.

In article ,=20
says...
On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 20:16:28 GMT, Peter wrote:
=20
In article ,=20
says...
Ayers Rock is not a place to be driving to or from. Or Darwin, for th=
at=20
matter. Long days of boring dusty roads.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
=20
Just when was the "Last" time you went up that way, not too many dusty
roads around January/February when we went through there.

Point taken, it's not dusty if it's raining. Still not the sort of thing=
=20
we should be wishing on tourists who want to maximise their time spent=
=20
doing interesting things.
=20
Not too many drops of rain fell out htat way at that time of the year.
I think you're getting your information confused with further up in
the Territory towards Darwin.

That's cos I mentioned Darwin to start with. Dead giveaway.

"Alice Springs is in the heart of the Northern Territory and it's here=
=20
the sting in the tail of the event starts. This is the famed Red Centre=
=20
of Australia where the dusty roads are bright red and stretch as far you=
=20
can see. It's tough unforgiving country."
http://www.twerally.co.uk/lsm_04/route.html

"The Rock is sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia and they have=
=20
requested that people stay off of it. I am a conscientious person and=20
normally respect such requests but I just couldn't stay off it after=20
driving 3000 dusty km to get to it, hearing of the supposed danger in=20
climbing it and what I was imagining the view to be like at the top."
http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/MyTravels...31/403445.html

"After Ayers Rock it=92s another day=92s ride along a dusty track to Kin=
gs=20
Canyon, which is a rarely visited National Park."
http://www.bikeroundoz.com/TourDetai...er_tour.htm=20
=20
=20
Oh Dear oh dear oh dear !!!

Darling. Calm down. Take it slow. It's better that way.
=20
It seems you get all your information from tarted up tourist stories.
=20
The road up to "the Alice" and also from there down to "the Rock" is
ALL sealed road.

The original poster wasn't talking about driving Adelaide/Alice Springs.=20
Perhaps it would help gather your scattered wits if you reviewed what he=20
said:

"What I was thinking about is: flying from Sydney to Alice Springs, see
Uluru, visit the Kakadu National Park and/or the Northern Peninsula
(Cape York) and spend some days diving in the northern part of the
reef. Since the distances are huge I must choose what segments to drive=20
and what segments to fly based on the experience I will get -"
http://tinyurl.com/5mbrn

I think you'll agree that driving from Alice to Darwin or Darwin to=20
Cairns is going to involve a fair amount of travel on unsealed roads.

Don't you think?

Peter

In article ,=20
says...
On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 20:16:28 GMT, Peter wrote:
=20
In article ,=20
says...
Ayers Rock is not a place to be driving to or from. Or Darwin, for th=
at=20
matter. Long days of boring dusty roads.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
=20
Just when was the "Last" time you went up that way, not too many dusty
roads around January/February when we went through there.

Point taken, it's not dusty if it's raining. Still not the sort of thing=
=20
we should be wishing on tourists who want to maximise their time spent=
=20
doing interesting things.
=20
Not too many drops of rain fell out htat way at that time of the year.
I think you're getting your information confused with further up in
the Territory towards Darwin.

That's cos I mentioned Darwin to start with. Dead giveaway.

"Alice Springs is in the heart of the Northern Territory and it's here=
=20
the sting in the tail of the event starts. This is the famed Red Centre=
=20
of Australia where the dusty roads are bright red and stretch as far you=
=20
can see. It's tough unforgiving country."
http://www.twerally.co.uk/lsm_04/route.html

"The Rock is sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia and they have=
=20
requested that people stay off of it. I am a conscientious person and=20
normally respect such requests but I just couldn't stay off it after=20
driving 3000 dusty km to get to it, hearing of the supposed danger in=20
climbing it and what I was imagining the view to be like at the top."
http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/MyTravels...31/403445.html

"After Ayers Rock it=92s another day=92s ride along a dusty track to Kin=
gs=20
Canyon, which is a rarely visited National Park."
http://www.bikeroundoz.com/TourDetai...er_tour.htm=20
=20
=20
Oh Dear oh dear oh dear !!!

Darling. Calm down. Take it slow. It's better that way.
=20
It seems you get all your information from tarted up tourist stories.
=20
The road up to "the Alice" and also from there down to "the Rock" is
ALL sealed road.

The original poster wasn't talking about driving Adelaide/Alice Springs.=20
Perhaps it would help gather your scattered wits if you reviewed what he=20
said:

"What I was thinking about is: flying from Sydney to Alice Springs, see
Uluru, visit the Kakadu National Park and/or the Northern Peninsula
(Cape York) and spend some days diving in the northern part of the
reef. Since the distances are huge I must choose what segments to drive=20
and what segments to fly based on the experience I will get -"
http://tinyurl.com/5mbrn

Peter