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?)?
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u/HistoricalHorse1093 2d ago

Uluru and Kata Tjuta park can be seen in three full days.

Cairns. Use it as a gateway and go to Port Douglas. Port Douglas needs 2 full days. One to relax and the other two snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef (maybe you mean GBR?). After you should go to Cape Tribulation. Then do a trip to see the Daintree Rainforest. Port Douglas and Daintree are not in Cairns, you need to travel a short while to get there. So for "Cairns/Port Douglas and Cape tribulation/Daintree Rainforest" I would say 4 full days. 

Day 1: travel day. Arrive Cairns go direct to Port Douglas. 

Day 2: relax Port Douglas. 

Day 3: boat tour for snorkelling 

Day 4: early morning go to Cape Tribulation and day trip to see Daintree Rainforest. Stay in Daintree rainforest or come back to port Douglass or Cairns after the tour.

Day 5: make your way back to Cairns and then to your next destination.

Sydney is good for 4 full days. One travel day. One city sights day. One blue mountains tour day. One day at Taronga zoo or similar and fly out that evening

Melbourne is good for 4 full days. Ideas:

Victoria/Melbourne: 

  • Great Ocean Road: 12 apostles, Maits Rest Rainforest Walk, the Otway Redwoods (in Beech Forest), Erksine Falls. 

  • Healesville Sanctuary, black spur drive, Marysville and Steavenson's falls. 

  • The Grampians National Park - pinnacle hike (amazing place). 

  • Phillip Island penguin parade and wildlife

  • Wilson's Promontory (amazing place)

  • Dandenong ranges: Sassafras, Olinda for lunch, Kallista, native birds at Grants Picnic Grounds, Walk at Sherbrooke picnic grounds, sky high lookout. 

  • Walking tour of the Melbourne city centre. Or self guided (see iconic Flinders Street station, Federation Square, Hardware Lane, ACDC Lane, Degraves Street, free NGV gallery. Evening walk along the river near the Arts Centre and have a drink at South Wharf 

  • Kayaking at Warrandyte on the Yarra River.

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