Noob visiting Australia - need advice!

FakeIrish

Spend as little time as possible in Canberra! I know you're visiting a friend, so see your friend but don't return there from Cairns. Head to Sydney instead - you cannot seriously go all the way to Australia without stopping in Sydney!:eek:

Brisbane - don't bother:eek:

A word of advice, don't ask for suggestions on what places to visit. You could spend a whole year there and still not explored enough.:D

As for costs, don't bother thinking about doing the trip on a strict budget! Despite common misconceptioons, it ain't bloody cheap out there! And if you're a smoker, don't buy your fags there:o

I'm envious of ya!

setspeed

murphymum wrote: »

Just thought of something else you'll need and that is a visa, there are companies on the web charging for it, but you can get it free though the Oz government website, that's where I got mine last year and it's valid for one year. Read the other posts on here re ETA or evisitor.

Try this link

http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/evisitor.htm

As for money, I took advice from this site, and preloaded and took a FairFX card and also a Clarity card from Halifax. Found no problems at all with the FairFX card.

Thanks for this, I've got myself a FairFX card on the way now, and my EVisitor was approved immediately online, wahey!!!

Mardrew

setspeed wrote: »

4. When I arrive I want to maybe stay in an hotel for a day or two to get over jet-lag, and then I have a few places I want to go.
Wagga Wagga (where friend no 1 lives) which is a few hrs away by bus from
Canberra (where friend no 2 lives)
Cairns/Port Douglas for some sun and diving on Great Barrier Reef - (how much does that cost btw?)

5. I will need an hotel in Port Douglas or Cairns for when I'm staying there, and also the Melbourne stay I mentioned earlier.
Any recommendations? I'm not loaded, but I don't want to slum it, especially not in Cairns/Port Douglas something reasonable of UK Travelodge standards would be good.

We just got back from our (fab) holiday in Aus yesterday - 10 days Cairns area (3 nights Cairns, 2 nights Daintree, 5 nights Port Douglas), 2 nights Ayers Rock, 6 nights Sydney.

Whilst in Cairns we stayed in the Holiday Inn - booked through the Friends & Family link in this thread - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1535105 You might want to check out the price for your dates and see how it compares to other hotels. I know for our stay the price was very reasonable. Excellent location btw. (We stayed in the Meridien in Port Douglas. We liked it and, again, it was in an excellent location but I think you would probably get cheaper accommodation. One of the advantages of this accommodation for us was that we had a kitchenette and use of a washing machine and tumble dryer.)

Sorry, can't help you with diving prices. Snorkelling was approx $200 Aus. Diving will be more.

As has been mentioned earlier in the thread, nothing is cheap in Aus at the moment due to the extremely poor exchange rate.

Bob_the_Saver

spottydog wrote: »

Tiger Airways are currently suspended from flying in Aus so definitely not an airline to consider at present, I'd try Jetstar and Virgin Blue first. With regard to gong to Brisbane rather than Cairns for the reef, its a bit like going to Brighton beach cause you can't afford the south of France, Brisbane area is not the reef and Brisbane is actually a reasonable drive from the coast. Flying from Canberra to anywhere is likely to be more expensive than from Sydney/Melbourne as Canberra doesn't have so many routes going through so it would probably be best to get your friend to either meet you there or in Sydney/Melbourne

Tiger hope to be flying in a few days and given who their owners are
I think they might be one of the cheapest and safest airlines in the world when they restart.

glendam

We fly out in 7 weeks and will be doing some domestic flights while there. The web site says 62 inch dimension on international and 54 on domestic. Will we need to only use the 54.

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/checked-baggage/global/en

Also anyone know if this is strictly enforced as if I do it I will be annoyed if others have not and are not challenged.

T I A
Glenda

eamon

Cheapest way from Sydney to Canberra is by bus/coach. It is possible to get the train but it is limited and not that expensive either, but the buses are more frequent. All the info can be found on the net. For cheap hotels in Sydney try lastminute. In 2006 I stayed in a cheap hotel in the CBD for something silly like AUS$20 per night. It was cheap, above a bar, no TV, no phone and shared bathroom. Breakfast was cereal & toast that you made yourself. The money saved paid for a couple of decent meals in restaurants overlooking Darling Harbour.
As already said Canberra is a government town and with a hire car can easily be done in a day another day you can visit the remaining interesting parts of the ACT such a vineyard, the Telestra tower and its a shame that the severe bush fires of a few years ago destroyed the observatory. In Summer Canberra is baking hot, wear sunscreen and in Winter because of altitude it get huge temp variations as high as 21C during the day and below -5C at night.
Never been to Brisbane apart from the airport & a car hire depot, instead head for the Gold Coast, fabulous beaches, Jupiters Casino, Sea World etc. If memory serves me you wouldn't need a car there as the buses run regularly up the strip and there is a railway as well, again check the net for info.
Sydney is huge and the locals winge about the awfulness of the public transport system but it works. Don't pay for guided harbour cruise instead just get a normal ferry to Manley for example and this gives ample opportunity to take photos of the CBD skyscrapers, the bridge, Opera House and some of Oz's most expensive & disirable real estate.
Have plenty of money Oz is not cheap anymore. In 2006 I spent over £1200 in 3 weeks and one week was free board with my sister! Did I mention that my sister lives in Canberra. You will need medical insurance.

claire16c

Port Douglas is lovely. I spent 2 and a half months in Oz this year and we spent 5 nights there at Le Cher du Monde, got it half price bargain after the floods. Gorgeous apartment and pool.

We did lots of flights with Jet Star. I think it was tiger who were always cancelling flights and I was glad we didnt book with them. Just fly when you want to get somewhere, its the same price as the buses and is much quicker!

The exchange rate for the Aussie $ is the worst in 20 years so be prepared for some shockers price wise.

Brisbane is a nice city and theyve redone the lagoon now, it was a building site from the floods when we were there. The best place to visit near Brisbane is Moreton Island, its amazing, wild dolphins come in every night where you can feed them. This was a highlight of our stay in Oz.

claire16c

p.s have you done your visa yet? My friend works for an airline and has lost count of the number of people who turn up for flight to Oz and they havent got a visa!