Australia Travel Answers

Hiya, How long have you got? Can I ask why you're going from sydney to perth and then to melbourne? I was wondering if doing Perth - melbourne - sydney would be better...? Obviously it's up to you but it just seems like a bit of to-and-fro when you could do it so you dont have to cross the country twice. In Sydney I stayed at Zing Backpackers in Potts Point. They'll do dorms for160 for the week which is pretty cheap considering it's a) Sydney and b) in a great location. In Cairns I stayed in a hostel opposite Gilligans hostel (I can't remember the name, which is annoying!!) but they did dorms for £14 AND it included dinner! You'll be able to find them if you google them. In Sydney, they do free walking tours which I would definitely recommend, do as many as you can because it's a great way to see the city, learn a bit about it's history and meet other travellers. I also really liked the museum of contemporary art. Whilst I was in each place, I always googled 'what's on' to see if there are any festivals or events which were happening and I came across some great ones, esp in melbourne and sydney.

Oh, are you going to Byron Bay? I stayed at Aquarius backpackers and I also did the Crystal Palace (I think it's called that but might be worth googling them. What would I have done without google???) Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Two important things that we need to know: a) where are you coming from b) how long do you have in Australia? It makes more sense to me if you fly INTO Perth, visit there- then fly to east coast. You can fly OUT of Cairns, maybe Darwin. Uluru is inland- you can get there by air. Australia distances are vast- don't criss-cross unless you have to.

Hi, welcome to VT. As Lynne said, we need a bit more information to give you detailed answers. Which city are you flying into and out of? Your route says in to Sydney but then you end in Darwin. How long are you here and what's your budget? The route you've chosen is possible but involves many thousands of kilometres going backwards and forwards. Because of the huge distances it's much better to cut out any backtracking. Be aware that Jan/Feb is the wet (monsoon/cyclone) season in the north.

I think half a year wouldn't be bad for this itinerary :-) And somehow you forgot to include the entire West Coast in your plans ;-)))

Are you flying Cairns to Darwin? If so, the closest you'll get to Uluru is nearly 2000 kilometres. You'll be a bit closer on your flight from Sydney to Perth. Flight time from Cairns to Darwin is only about two and a half hours.

Welcome to VT and as others have said, where do you come from? I agree with another poster who suggested flying into Oz at Perth and then out at Darwin. It would make more sense to fly Perth > Uluru (or Alice Springs and then do a tour to/from Uluru) > Melbourne. That will cut out a lot of flying and then free you up for Cairns > Darwin. Be aware that Perth > Melbourne or Sydney is about 4+ hours flying.

Those flight times give you some idea of the distances you're looking at travelling. Perth-Sydney flight is over 5 hours, so add on the time to & from airports and check-in time, waiting for baggage etc and most of a full day is gone on that one leg of the trip.

Yes, I agree with some other replies that perhaps you're flying around too much and have been caught up in the hype of places to see. For instance, it's a shame you're going to miss the best beaches in Australia on the north coast of N.S.W., not to mention the rainforest hinterland that extends for 3,000 kilometres up the coast and, in addition, you've omitted what, in my humble opinion, is the best tourist state in Australia - Tasmania. The latter is so easy to get around and there's so much to see. Anyhow, whatever you decide, have a nice time. Cheers, Ian