[Panteleimon]

Hey guys.
I have some time off in the middle of April and I am considering doing a tour of Australia. I am a huge footy fan so I was hoping to catch some games during my visit. Here's my tentative outline so far:

Sydney: Arrive early in AM and spend two nights in Sydney. Check out Blue Mountains?
Melbourne: Train/Fly in for three nights on the weekend. Catch 2-3 footy games.
Cairns: Fly in for two nights and check out the reef.
Ayers Rock: Fly in for a night or two. Do one of the guided tours.
Perth: Fly in for three nights and check out Western Australia.

How does my itinerary look? Am I missing anything important? What sites are a must-see when visiting Australia? Thanks for the help, and I will definitely do a datasheet upon conclusion of this trip.

[big poppa]

Looks like you have about 12 nights. I would skip Perth entirely, there is no way I'd spend a quarter of my trip to see some average city with not much to do. You have to remember that these cities are miles apart, you don't want to do so many km's in a short amount of time.

2 nights in Sydney isn't nearly enough, especially if you want to see the Blue Mountains. You could spend 2 nights there alone.

If the Reef and Uluru are on your 'must see' list, I'd suggest the following itinerary.

Melbourne - 3 nights
Sydney/Mountains - 3 nights
Reef - 3 nights
Uluru - 3 nights


Although ideally I'd choose one of the Reef/Rock and go with
Melb - 4 nights
Syd - 4 nights
Reef OR Rock - 4 nights

[RatInTheWoods]

Pant, The mighty Oz continent is a big place, you are not going to see much in 12 days...

I agree with Big Poppas comments above, especially skip Perth. One doesn't 'check out West Australia' in 3 nights. The west coast trip is a 2-3 week journey to take in the dolphins, whale sharks, pinnacles etc.

If footy and nature are your things, then you are in for a treat. I'd suggest you hit Sydney with some tickets to footy matches lined up and the dates right (weekend).
I don't know with limited time if its worth seeing Melbourne as well as Sydney, since they are both big cities quite similar really.

You'd be better off going out to Ayers Rock (Uluru is the PC rename for it) for a few nights and do the desert thing, then head to Cairns.
In Cairns you can do the rainforest and reefs.

Be sure to get the chopper out to the reef, pricey but an experience of a lifetime.
In Cairns, go up the Skyrail (https://www.skyrail.com.au/)

Good luck and have fun!

[Jungle]

Panteleimon, 12 days is way too little time for all that.

Skip Perth & Ayers Rock. If you really wanted to push it and have 4 destinations, then include Byron Bay, trust me.

- Cairns = 3 days, 1-2 days for snorkeling diving on the reef, 1 for exploring the Daintree rainforest.
- Byron Bay = 3 days, fly direct (from Cairns), amazing place, great vibe.
- Sydney = 3 days, fly direct (from Ballina/Byron), stay in Bondi.
- Melbourne = 3 days, fly direct (from Syd), stay in Fitzroy.

[Sidney Crosby]

Do you really want to fly to the middle of no where to see a big fucking rock? Waste of time and money.

The blue mountains.... skip that as well. Isn't really any thing different than you'd see in many places in North America.

Skip Perth like others have said.

Take your Ayers rock time and tack it on to Sydney.

[big poppa]

If you want to include Byron Bay like Jungle mentioned, a possible itinerary could be Cairns 3 nights, Brisbane/Gold/Coast/Byron Bay 3 nights (GC is 1 hr south of Bris, Bryon Bay maybe another 90 mins), Sydney 3 nights, Melbourne 3 nights. Time it so you can catch a Rugby League game in Sydney and a couple AFL games in Melbourne.

I wouldn't leave the East Coast with 12 nights

[RawGod]

Seeing one AFL match in Melbourne is plenty. At the MCG if possible.

[Adrenaline]

I've lived in Australia my whole life and still haven't seen Ayers Rock, the reef, any kind of rain forest or the outback scene because they really aren't that interesting. Sights don't interest me in general though so I may be bias but I would skip Perth, Uluru and Cairns and just spend time in the major cities- Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane/Gold Coast for the 12 days. Plenty to keep you busy with food, shopping, sport, nightlife etc.

[192]

If you are into outdoors beachy type places from Sydney you can drive to Jervis bay and the national parks in the south about 3 hours some nice beaches there.

Also the Entrance is a nice day trip a couple hours north of Sydney.

Blue mountains is pretty much a big forest.

I went to Perth on business several times for short periods the city itself is mediocre and a 4 hour flight as others have said would skip west coast altogether with your time limit and maybe choose Melbourne or Sydney instead of both..

Fyi nightlife in Sydney is still totally fucked with 130 am lockout laws and last drinks at 3am the city is basically a ghost town at night so if you want to party Melbourne is a much better option right now.

[Green-On-GO]

Forget trains..Flights are cheaper and faster ...
Only fly into Tullamarine not Avalon for Melbourne.

Single room at bacpackers about $100 or $70usd .Don't waste your cash on upmarket hotels..

http://www.jetstar.com.au
http://www.virginaustralia.com.au
http://www.tigerair.com.au

AFL fixture you want MCG or Eitihad for Melbourne.
ANZAC day match 25th biggest in April..good luck getting tickets for that match.
If you like Aussie rules then don't bother with it in Sydney they play Rugby league and have 2 AFL teams.Melbourne has 10 AFL teams.
Time in Sydney is better spent at the beach and pub ..Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach to Coogee..April can be a prick weather wise.
Yes Sydney City has lock out at 130am thats why you stay in Bondi beach or Coogee.This is where I stay in Sydney .Believe me Sydney has more chicks and thats from around the World.I'll be there late April for 7 days.
I live in Melbourne ..nightlife was great here but not as it was years ago..All ages still go out in Sydney and it's beaches are a draw card for hot women globally...You won't get a hard time like a local Sydney bloke would from Sydney girls.
Melbourne is good for couples and eating...


http://www.theroar.com.au/afl-draw/

Byron bay makes my dick hard...there is something in that place that has a magical feel..when there isn't 20,000 Sydneysiders there.My 2 best pulls in Australia where in Byron...plus the Gold Coast another backpacking mecca is just up the road.

[The Black Knight]

I've done a brief US to Australia trip.

No way in hell you are going to want or be able to do that schedule. You will likely be wiped by the flight alone for at least 1-2 days and you are going to waste at least half of your 12 days traveling bouncing around Australia on top of it. It will be time-consuming and expensive and most of your trip will be on a plane or in an airport.

It's hard to say what to do without knowing your priorities. That said, here is what I would do or consider doing:

1. Sydney - Land here. Knock out the Sydney Opera House and visit Bondi beach and walk south from Bondi Beach (its the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk I believe); it's a pretty but brief walking path that hugs the ocean against the backdrop of cliffs and beach houses/infrastructure. The path seemed like a good place to day game. There is a club or something with a giant infinity pool that is right up against the ocean at the beginning of the path. Maybe do the walk on top of the Harbor Bridge for shits and giggles. 2-3 nights.

2. Melbourne - See your footie games I suppose (I don't know shit about footie stuff). Visit the Queen Victoria Market and/or some other major landmarks. But make sure to take a day to rent a car and/or get a tour van and visit the 12 Apostles and ride down the Great Ocean Road about 1-2 hours west of Melbourne. Some incredible scenic views. You can do this with a tour van in a day with multiple lengthy stops and be back in Melbourne by night (PM if you want the tour van info; I had a good experience with them). 2-3 nights.

3. Sunshine Coast/Noosa Heads - About 2 hours north of Brisbane (although I think you can fly direct to Noosa from Melbourne) is a town called Noosa Heads. There is a beach and Noosa National Park. Has some nice trails and gives you a taste of sub-tropical northern Australia buts its a pretty slow vibe. There is a hostel near by with some sluts however. 2-3 nights and I think 3 is pushing it.

Or

Byron Bay maybe. Have do some research comparing the two to see what you dig. It's home to my favorite bikini company and I kind of regret not going just to see if it was the land of hot women in skimpy exotic bikinis. Haha.

4. Wild Card?

I would consider visiting New Zealand and flying home from there. You are really not that far from it when in eastern Australia and I think you can get a decent sense for it in a few days. If you are coming from the US, you might not visit the region again for a long time so might as well knock out New Zealand if you can. Never made the trip myself so someone else will have to chime in on whether its worth it for short stay but its something to consider at least.

Other notes:

I can speak to the Gold Coast and you shouldn't waste time there. Nothing special about that place. Was a total waste of time to visit.

I have heard amazing things about Byron Bay and wish I had gone there. It might be worth taking a 1-2 night side trip.

Ayers Rock from nearly everyone I have talked who has been there has said it wasn't worth it. It's in the middle of nowhere Australia, expensive to get to, and there is nothing else going on. Same thing with Perth for the most part.

Don't know dick about Cairns. Never did the Great Barrier Reef either. Big deal for some but not for me. I don't think you can snorkel and fly within a certain time window so keep that in mind.

Spent quite a bit of time in Brisbane. There is nothing really noteworthy about it as a visitor. It's a second/third tier Australian city not remotely in the same league as Melbourne or Sydney. It's like comparing a major international US coastal city to a midwest city like Columbus, Ohio. They love US country shit for some reason though. No idea what that is about. Not a bad place just not on the level of the other two cities in talent, stuff to do, or vibe.

[glugger]

If you're coming for the sights rather than just girls, I would still do Uluru, Blue Mountains and Cairns despite what others have said here. Very beautiful places that are very much worth visiting, but not if you're only here to chase tail.

[Matt Warner]

I think a lot good advice. Australia is a huge place, some great things to see but huge distances with not much between them.
I live in Sydney and definitely include plenty of time here. Some really good food as the competition is red hot in places like the central city. Expensive and touristy but the bridge climb is good (unless a miserable day weather wise).
Forget blue mountains in your time frame.
Forget Perth, like flying LA to NYC why bother.
I can't stand the Gold coast but others rave about it, just high rise and concrete to me, boring.
Ayres rock is ok but a long way and expensive, I wouldn't bother.
Places like Byron are cool.
Melbourne for the footy is good.
Don't know much re Cains etc., good time of year to go though (April) to go there not to hot and humid. Still a 2.5 hour flight from Sydney.
I find Brisbane boring as well, nothing wrong with it but why bother on a short trip.
Also out of interest NZ is great and way closer than Perth but you haven't really got a lot of time. Worth a trip in itself.

Aussi is a long way but if you are on the US West coast it's still only a single flight. I don't find it a drama.

[RawGod]

Regarding NZ: it is as close as Perth from Melbourne or Sydney. If you don't mind burning some cash you can have a good time in as little as 3 days, but definitely not for the women. I'd only do it if I had a hankering to see the mountains or something specific like a Lord of the Rings tour.

[the-boxer]

Really depends what you're coming for.

Personally if I had 12 days I would stick to Sydney and Melbourne. But I'm a city guy.

[Green-On-GO]

If you fly Air New Zealand it's a 17 hour trip to Melbourne from LA Via Auckland .It maybe worth it to stop a day or 2 there then fly to Melbourne.
I flew it last year and it was pretty good

[Que enspastic]

At least he wasn't trying to do it as a road trip. I have met people who think Australia is as easy to drive around as Ireland.

[TheAirUpThere]

I came back from a 16 day NYC --> Australia trip in February, my 2 cents.

Sydney OR Melbourne --> Byron Bay --> Cairns

I spent 3-4 days in Byron Bay which was super dope. From a tourists perspective it's mostly a hippy backpacker place with a bunch of surfers. The girls here are mostly European (a lot of Sweeds/Dutch/Nordic girls), keep in good shape and have a sexy tan . Hostel game here is king (I'm 27 and did just fine )

I wouldn't recommend Noosa Heads or Gold Coast on your schedule (just not worth it).

Can't really comment on Cairns (didn't go); some people were saying that snorkeling was just as good as scuba diving, maybe someone else can weigh in on that...

**PS - I don't know where you're from in the States; but if it's not NYC, LA, Miami or Chicago, I would lie and just say you're from one of those. Makes the conversations a lot more exciting than say Nebraska or North Carolina.

**PPS - Make sure your style game is on point; people in Aussie land all seemed to their own well put together style.

[Panteleimon]

Thank you everyone for the excellent input. Being from the Midwest, I am used to traveling long distances for short trips, so that's probably the reason I was overly ambitious in my original plan. Haha! I really wish I could make New Zealand work, but it is a significant expense and there is so much for me to see in Oz. My tentative plan now is:
Melbourne: 4 days
Cairns: 4 days
Byron Bay: 2 days
Sydney: 1 Day, fly home next morning.

What are the must see/do things in Cairns and Byron Bay? Thanks!

[glugger]

In Cairns:
-Kuranda. Get there by skyrail one way, train the other.
-Reef. As a bare minimum, do Green island. You can snorkel straight from the beach and still see coral and fish. Lots of options for boats and tours for the reef here in Cairns.
-Zoo. You're a yank coming to oz for the first time, great place to see all the animals and stuff.
-Hartley's croc farm. Haven't done this personally (I had done croc tours in NT so saw no point of another one here) but heard lots of good things about it. If you go here try to make a day of seeing cape tribulation/daintree.
-Rusty's market. Open only on weekends, try some tropical fruits you won't see much of in the midwest.
-Eplanade. Basically just a boardwalk along the beach, but worth strolling along at least once while you're here. If you're into people watching, walk a bit further and you might meet some abbos getting plastered off goon sacks under mangrove trees.

[Mentavious]

Sounds like Byron Nay over Cairns? Especially if you're tired of snorkeling.

[Odin]

As an Australian who has travelled in Extensively ... i would skip Australia and spend your time and money in a better place
...were the women are prettier ..and life is cheaper.

[Adrenaline]

(04-04-2016 02:36 PM)Odin Wrote:  

As an Australian who has travelled in Extensively ... i would skip Australia and spend your time and money in a better place
...were the women are prettier ..and life is cheaper.

Seconded. There's nothing you can do here that you can't do for 3 times as cheap in Asia, except maybe the footy game. Also, travelling to Australia expecting to see quality women is like travelling to Italy expecting to see the Mona Lisa and seeing a 3 year old's scribble drawing instead.

[big poppa]

(04-04-2016 06:52 PM)Adrenaline Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 02:36 PM)Odin Wrote:  

As an Australian who has travelled in Extensively ... i would skip Australia and spend your time and money in a better place
...were the women are prettier ..and life is cheaper.

Seconded. There's nothing you can do here that you can't do for 3 times as cheap in Asia, except maybe the footy game. Also, travelling to Australia expecting to see quality women is like travelling to Italy expecting to see the Mona Lisa and seeing a 3 year old's scribble drawing instead.

I don't know man.. You can't deny there is a lot of talent walking the inner city streets of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.. I spent a day in Byron Bay a couple weeks ago and at least 50% of the girls were 7+

With that being said I definitely wouldn't come to Australia in search of women.

[Rush87]

(04-04-2016 06:52 PM)Adrenaline Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 02:36 PM)Odin Wrote:  

As an Australian who has travelled in Extensively ... i would skip Australia and spend your time and money in a better place
...were the women are prettier ..and life is cheaper.

Seconded. There's nothing you can do here that you can't do for 3 times as cheap in Asia, except maybe the footy game. Also, travelling to Australia expecting to see quality women is like travelling to Italy expecting to see the Mona Lisa and seeing a 3 year old's scribble drawing instead.

I'll third this lol. There are parts of Australia I would defend, but for a tourist travelling here, you best options for women are… Yep tourists. On average at least 4 points hotter and far less attitude.

Factor in that our biggest city will lock you out at 1am, our prices are exorbitant and our feminism and pc culture is probably the strongest of anywhere on planet earth and it isn't the most ideal vacation.

As an example:

A land whale in Australia will have a bigger ego and more attitude than a European 8. With a little game in Europe you can easily bag the 8… With a little game in Australia, you have to jump through hoops competing with a bunch of other dudes for the blimp sized basic bitches filling the bars and clubs lol.