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Australia - What to do ?
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| The Maintenance Man |
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| 3119 Posts |
| On the Sofa |
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| posted by ServerGuy 730 days ago |
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OK, so I have booked a trip for me and the wife. We are going at the end of October for two weeks. Flying in and then back out of Sydney.
So whats good to do ?
Was thinking about hiring a can/van and driving up to Brisbane over 5 or 6 days, so that leaves me with the rest of the two weeks.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by FOTH 730 days ago (edited 730 days ago) |
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The drive down to Melbourne and then out along the Great Ocean Road is quite a good one... The only problem is that the places halfway between Sydney and Melbourne where you might stay overnight are in towns where everything (even the local Chinese restaurant) closes at about 8pm!
At the end of the Great Ocean Road you can spend the night in Portland where I remember finding a nice quaint old hotel where we enjoyed the stay - I could dig out the details when I'm next at home if you like (not sure it's still there - this was 4 or 5 years ago). Do the Ocean Road one way with all the sights (this is a long day from Melbourne to Portland) then drive back the fast way on the highway, unless you like driving windy roads...
By the way, Mrs FOTH and I are hoping to be down there at pretty much the same time, subject to her securing a visa. We were thinking of taking a flight up to Uluru (Ayers Rock) for a quick look at that.
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by tinybear 730 days ago |
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Philip Island to see the li'l penguins. 
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| The Maintenance Man |
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| 3119 Posts |
| On the Sofa |
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| posted by ServerGuy 730 days ago |
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Yep, did think about going south, but was not sure.
The idea of going north is we then have the option of maybe flying further north if we want in a quicker period of time than if we started right down south.
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| Regular Member |
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| Sweating |
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| posted by xpat-Aussie 730 days ago |
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The good thing about going north, is that you'll be near the coast the entire time... Foth's dead right about the Great Ocean road though, one of THE best drives in the world without doubt!
Regardless of my bias, that stretch of road, whilst windy as all buggary, is a fantastic place to cruise along when you're in no hurry. Many sights along the way, with the main one being the 12 apostles (well, there's only about 8 left now, as they tend to collapse occasionally  ). Going as far as Apollo bay would be sufficient, and there's several places to stay along the way, particularly if you're in a campervan.
Going north, you'll have stacks of options... if I was going North over 6 days, my first stop would be somewhere close like Terrigal for a night or so... then Port Maquarrie. Lovely little coastal town with some good restaurants and great sites. If you want to do some hiking etc, there's also plenty of options around that area (and right the way up the coast). After PM, I'd head up to say Crescent Head and/or Yamba (skip Byron Bay, it's overrated and populated with the unlikely mix of druggo hippies, and the BMW driving cafe latte set). Small places, but brilliant all the same. You're not too far from QLD at that stage, and with the last couple of days, I'd spend it somewhere in the sth East like Coolangatta (not a camping spot by any stretch of the imagination, but great to visit and lots to do). From there it's only an hour to Brissy.
Sydney in October... well, I'll have to think about that for a while, but make sure you add "Bridge Climb" to your itenerary, an awesome experience, particularly around sunset! (http://www.bridgeclimb.com/)
"...and once you have tasted flight,
you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been and there you long to return...."
-Leonardo DaVinci
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| Regular Member |
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| 5522 Posts |
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| posted by beebs 730 days ago |
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I second xpat-Aussie's idea to add the Bridge Climb. My sister did this a couple of years back and she had a brilliant time!
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| The Maintenance Man |
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| 3119 Posts |
| On the Sofa |
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| posted by ServerGuy 730 days ago |
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Yep, bridge climb might be a good idea, look at it last time I was there, just one little issue. I don't like heights if I am in the open. I am OK in the office, but I cannot even do high ladders.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by xpat-Aussie 730 days ago |
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Fear of heights is no problem up there. You're tethered on the entire time, and the platforms are much wider than you expect. It's just like being in a building except you can't get near the edge. Trust me, I've seen all sorts of people with the saem fears do it, and it's no problem.
You can also do centrepoint climb now as well. Higher than macau Tower!
"...and once you have tasted flight,
you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been and there you long to return...."
-Leonardo DaVinci
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| The Maintenance Man |
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| 3119 Posts |
| On the Sofa |
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| posted by ServerGuy 730 days ago |
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Yep, seens how well stapped in you are on the bridge climb. Just don't know if my heart would take it.
I also don't see the point of climbing something like that when you cannot take photo's of the event. I understand from a saftey point of view, but its a bit rich that they take your picture and you have to then pay for these also.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by westdoor 730 days ago |
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Bridge Climb is good but not great and is certainly not as terrifying or physically challenging or you may think or as they advertise it as.
As someone said above you don't go anywhere near the edge - the girders are so wide and the walkway in the middle so narrow that there is no real feeling of being at height. There was one mildy scary bit when I did it as you had to walk on a special hanging platform which had been installed as a temporary measure whilst they were painting one section of the bridge - it may still be there 
Physically the climb is very easy - it is actually a very shallow climb with plenty of stops along the way to look at views.
I have a cunning plan ........
     
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| posted by harley 730 days ago |
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go visit crusty's fan club //
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by nikko 730 days ago (edited 704 days ago) |
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"I'm only kidding, but not really"
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| posted by hongkonger 730 days ago |
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> .....the Great Ocean road though, one of THE best drives in the world without doubt!
> Regardless of my bias, that stretch of road, whilst windy as all buggary, is a fantastic
> place to cruise along when you're in no hurry. Many sights along the
> way, with the main one being the 12 apostles
I did the great ocean road trip a few years ago - highly recommended
If you have time and the inclination:
- fly to Cairn/Port Douglas area, scenic diving / Daintree rainforest
- fly across to north Tasmania it is short hop from Melbourne, then travel down east or west coast to Hobart in the south and fly back. spectacular/mountian scenery/hiking Cradle mountain.
FOTH is right about the "curfew" outside the main cities, everything shuts early!
We will consume 85 million barrels of oil today, what's going to be left for tomorrow?
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| Junior Member |
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| 1638 Posts |
| SEOUL |
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| posted by crusty 730 days ago |
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whatever you do, stay away from stingrays... bad for health....
Rehab is for quiters
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| posted by harley 730 days ago |
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hey crusty ... I may go in November as my last trip in Asia ... got any cute friends I can
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by tinybear 730 days ago |
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Going back to NYC, harley?
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by harley 730 days ago |
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TB you must be the only person in the world that doesn't know that I am leaving for NYC on December 21st ..
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by tinybear 730 days ago |
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Well, I wasn't here for a whole month.
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| posted by Randy_Clapp 730 days ago |
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I concur on the Great Ocean Road. Port Fairy is another town along that route I can recommend.
I've never done the coastal route between Sydney & Brisbane, as I always take the inland road, but X-A's not the 1st person I've known to rate it highly.
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