r/AskAnAustralian • u/Ok_Possible_5702 • 2d ago
~3 weeks vacation to Australia
I (36M) will be traveling to Australia for ~3 weeks, between October and November. I took 2 weeks off from work, and one week I'll be working remotely.
Interests: culture (*not* art), history, foodie. Preferred landscapes/scenery: beach and deserts.
My high-level plan is, in some order:
- central Australia/Outback: Uluru or (less likely) Alice Springs. 3-4 days
- Cairns/GBR: beach-time and sightseeing. 3-4 days
- Sydney + Melbourne rest of the time (this is when I'll be working, so I won't have all day to sightsee and visit)
I don't drive, so I don't plan on renting a car to move around, which limits my options (I know it's strongly discouraged for a tourist to drive around alone in the Outback anyway). I am happy to partake in small group tours and use public transports (flights, trains, buses) as needed. Budget is pretty flexible, I'll prioritize speed over price for travel between locations, and I'm looking for accommodations that are clean and decent (think ~3 stars hotel, not a hostel but no Four Seasons either).
Questions:
- Uluru
- is 3-4 days enough? too little?
- I see most tours do the whole "camping under the stars". Is that recommended? Is that the best way to experience the landscape's uniqueness? I used to go camping as a kid/teenager but haven't done it since.
- Cairns/GBF
- 3-4 days sounds good?
- Sydney + Melbourne
- looks like I'd be spending a week and a half between the two cities. Is that too much time? Should I try to fit in another destination (Brisbane? Adelaide?)?
-4
u/keepturning1 2d ago
Strike off inland Australia/Uluru, you don’t have enough time. Enjoy the east coast. I’d spend a minimum of a full week in Sydney at least to see and do everything. Melbourne could be skipped for more time in Queensland and northern NSW (Gold Coast, Byron Bay). So start in Sydney and head north along the east coast is the easiest and best option for a first timer in Australia.