Planning a trip to Australia

[Truthy]

Howdy everyone,

I'm going to Australia in about a year (December and January) and I'm trying to figure out what to do. I'm planning on seeing things in New South Wales, Victoria, and maybe Queensland, but don't have a lot of plans. I'll probably be traveling with approximately 3-5 relatives, who've given me full planning power.

Scuba diving and seeing the GBR were major interests until I read the thread Warpus made like 6 years ago. Some amount of swimming, diving, snorkeling, or otherwise spending time at beaches is still important though. Also seeing cool Australian animals (though I've gathered that Healesville and Taronga are good), walking/hiking, and camping.

-How bad is Queensland in the summer? How hot/humid are places like Brisbane, Cairns, and Gold Coast in December? How crowded is it? Are there cool places to swim and dive closer to Sydney or Melbourne?
-Is GBR scuba diving safe in December? How much would I have to worry about jellyfish?
-Are there any particularly cool/novel restaurants worth visiting in Sydney, Canberra, or Melbourne?
-What sports are played in Australia in the summer? I was considering Aussie rules, but it looks like that's a winter sport. Is it possible to watch an Aussie football game in December? What about Rugby or Cricket? What's more interesting?
-What amusement parks/places with roller coasters are worth visiting?
-What areas are good for wine tasting?

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I have plans on visiting Asstralia in March which I think is better becouse less heat and snakes. Subscribed.

 

[Tee Kay]

-How bad is Queensland in the summer? How hot/humid are places like Brisbane, Cairns, and Gold Coast in December? How crowded is it?

Very hot and humid in the summer, plus it's cyclone season, plus jellyfish season if you're in North Queensland. Plus if you're going in November and December it's schoolies season meaning lots of drunk high-school leavers all over the place. The state in general is really best enjoyed in the "winter" except it might still get crowded especially in July especially in particularly touristy places like Gold Coast and Cairns, though I'm betting that "crowded" by Australian standards is not as crowded by American standards. Brisbane is decidedly lovely in the winter though.

Are there cool places to swim and dive closer to Sydney or Melbourne?

Yes, no reefs but beaches and great surfs in summer near Sydney and Melbourne if you're into that sort of thing. Beaches in the cities (Bondi, etc) will be crowded but it's a big country, drive a little further and you have great not-crowded beaches.

-Are there any particularly cool/novel restaurants worth visiting in Sydney, Canberra, or Melbourne?

Heaps and heaps in Sydney and Melbourne, just wander around the CBD, or look them up. Not sure about Canberra.

-What sports are played in Australia in the summer? I was considering Aussie rules, but it looks like that's a winter sport. Is it possible to watch an Aussie football game in December? What about Rugby or Cricket? What's more interesting?

Australian Rules and Rugby are decidedly winter sports. Cricket is played in summer though. Also, if you're a tennis person, the Australian Open is in Melbourne in January.

-What amusement parks/places with roller coasters are worth visiting?

Gold Coast is basically one giant theme park. Otherwise, Luna Park in Melbourne and Sydney.

-What areas are good for wine tasting?

Yarra Valley (an hour or so drive out from Melbourne) and Barossa Valley (an hour or so drive out from Adelaide)

I have plans on visiting Asstralia in March which I think is better becouse less heat and snakes. Subscribed.

If you come to Melbourne in March you could catch Moomba and if you stay until the end of March the first games of the 2017 AFL (Australian Rules Football League) season is then, and the annual comedy festival starts then too.

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

-How bad is Queensland in the summer? How hot/humid are places like Brisbane, Cairns, and Gold Coast in December? How crowded is it? Are there cool places to swim and dive closer to Sydney or Melbourne?

I would not want to be in Queensland during Summer. Schoolies, jellyfish and cyclones.

I have plans on visiting Asstralia in March which I think is better becouse less heat and snakes. Subscribed.

Depending on your interests, Adelaide is worth an extended visit around March (Tour Down Under cycling races, comedy festivals, wine festivals, car racing, etc).

Something to keep in mind is that so much of the country is really nice to visit in April. April is usually pleasant.

Gold Coast is basically one giant theme park. Otherwise, Luna Park in Melbourne and Sydney.

I don't know what Luna Park is like in Sydney, but in Melbourne it is very... small. So very, very small. The Gold Coast is the place to go for theme parks.

 

[Arwon]

To be honest you'll probably find ordinary good restaurants in Sydney Melbourne and Canberra to be really good without searching for novelty. Food in this country is high quality and really diverse. Trust whatever guidebooks or websites you use in each city.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I, personally, can not recommend the GBR enough, even if you've tempered feelings about snorkeling and stuff a bit. I took a 3.5 week trip to Australia years ago and it was one of the best highlights, easily.

 

[Arwon]

Also there's a diverse wine region (due to altitude variation) around Canberra which is very accessible from the city itself via wine tours.

 

[Arwon]

Yeah head to Townsville and get some GBR exposure I'd say. It might not be around much longer...

 

[Arwon]

-What sports are played in Australia in the summer? I was considering Aussie rules, but it looks like that's a winter sport. Is it possible to watch an Aussie football game in December? What about Rugby or Cricket? What's more interesting?

It's all cricket and some pretty bad soccer in December/January. Big Bash League is probably the best for a cricket novice to experience. You can catch that in the major cities excluding Canberra.

For Aussie Rules there's preseason games in February/March and also the women's competition runs at that time.

 

[Truthy]

Thanks for the responses all.
For the Queensland issue, the main difficulty I'm having is balancing the following sentiments:

Oh, and do not go to the Gold Coast in November or December. Actually, don't go to any of Queensland from November to March; stinger season. You cannot swim (unless you want to die) apart from in special enclosures at specific beaches, so it's not really the best time to go. And it would be too hot, probably.

Very hot and humid in the summer, plus it's cyclone season, plus jellyfish season if you're in North Queensland. Plus if you're going in November and December it's schoolies season meaning lots of drunk high-school leavers all over the place

Yeah head to Townsville and get some GBR exposure I'd say. It might not be around much longer...

I, personally, can not recommend the GBR enough, even if you've tempered feelings about snorkeling and stuff a bit. I took a 3.5 week trip to Australia years ago and it was one of the best highlights, easily.

ATM, my feeling is that maybe a lot of Queensland kinda sucks in the summer, but I'd only be there for a few days and it would be worth it provided I get to spend some time seeing the GBR without getting killed by stingers. Maybe normal swimming without having those beach net things around or wearing a stinger suit would be impaired, but that's not important to me anyway--I lived in Hawaii for a long time so I don't particularly care about normal beach activities (edit: contradicts the OP, but my objectives changed in the intervening day). And wetsuits for diving should provide plenty of protection, no?

Also, it seems like it's super rainy in Northern Queensland in like January-March, but is that true for December?

 

[Arwon]

Summer/Wet Season rain in tropical Australia tends to come in short intense bursts I think. I wouldn't let that stop you.

Note also that Brisbane/Gold Coast is a fundamentally different proposition to Townsville or Cairns. Don't combine them into one idea or destination in your head. Brisbane is nowhere near the Reef. The Schoolies that TK mentions are a Gold Coast phenomenon only.

Townsville is 1300km/15 hours drive north of Brisbane. Cairns a bit further north then that.

Brisbane has a subtropical climate and is further from the equator than Miami. It's heat extremes are actually less extreme than Sydney (summer avg around 30C but record only 42C in Brisbane while Sydney averages 27C but has gotten to 46C). It's only gonna be marginally worse than Sydney and not even consistently worse. They're certainly more like each other in terms of climate than Brisbane is like Townsville.

Townsville and Cairns are in the tropics, closer to the equator than Honolulu, which means it's always hot there and the main variable around the year is humidity and rainfall. December is Wet Season which means humidity, but that shouldn't deter from a couple of days' visit really.

I forgot to ask - are you planning on flying or driving between locations? To cover the ground you're talking about, driving is going to eat up multiple entire days.

 

[Bridog7]

A Warning before you wanna see them cuddly Koalas

 

[Truthy]

Note also that Brisbane/Gold Coast is a fundamentally different proposition to Townsville or Cairns. Don't combine them into one idea or destination in your head. Brisbane is nowhere near the Reef. The Schoolies that TK mentions are a Gold Coast phenomenon only.

Yeah, I didn't figure that out until recently. I don't have any intention of going to Brisbane or Gold Coast then if they're mostly good for regular beachgoing stuff. And good to know about the schoolies and weather

I forgot to ask - are you planning on flying or driving between locations? To cover the ground you're talking about, driving is going to eat up multiple entire days.

I would want to take a flight from Sydney or Melbourne to North Queensland rather than driving up from the south. Most of the trip I think will be in New South Wales and Victoria and I imagine I'll get a rental car for most of that leg of the trip. I'm fine with doing a lot of driving getting from Sydney to Melbourne, but I plan on stopping at interesting places along the way.

How should one pronounce Canberra? Can-bruh?

A Warning before you wanna see them cuddly Koalas

wowsers

 

[Bridog7]

wowsers

Koala has the voice of an angel

Still thinking about going?

 

[Arwon]

Yeah Canberra is two syllables. It's worth a stop for a couple days.

 

[Ferocitus]

I have plans on visiting Asstralia in March which I think is better becouse less heat and snakes. Subscribed.

You are more likely to be attacked by bears and wolves in your own country.

Epidemiology of snakebites
It is believed that up to 1,500 definite or suspected snakebites occur in
Australia each year, of which about 200 are serious enough to warrant
antivenom therapy. Approximately 2 to 4 fatalities occur annually.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_snakebites#Australasia

Note that of those 1,500 snakebite cases per year, many are in rural
Australia, and to people who are working on farms.
That should be a worry to you only if you are planning a muzhik-style,
working holiday.

Some random ideas, thoughts and advice.

1. Definitely see the Great Barrier Reef.
Do not drive from Cairns down to Brisbane if you can help it.
It is about 1700 kms, and most of that is very boring country.

2. Spend an afternoon at Bondi Beach.
If you swim there, please do so between the flags that show where lifesavers
are patrolling. Rumour has it that Germans are the most foolish at ignoring
that simple safety measure.

3. Wear sunscreen. Remember: Australia is only 1/2 km from the surface of the Sun.

4. In general, March-April and October-November are the best times to visit
the southern half of Australia.

5. If you have the time and resources, many parts of Tasmania are beautiful
and worth a look.

6. I like some of the "gold rush" towns in the north-east of Victoria.
Beechworth is an old favourite.

7. If you are from a non-English speaking country, try to find a "club"
for expats in a capital city. For example, German "Harmonie" clubs,
Polish "Dom Polski" Centres, or Lithuanian "Krupnikas Baths".

I appreciate that you might be trying to get away from your own people for a while,
but it might be interesting to hear the opinions, and advice, from expats.
Most of the clubs are open on weekends and they serve food you will be familiar
with, but which will have been influenced by time and Australian "forces".
One Saturday or Sunday lunch will probably be enough.

8. Avoid the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. They are commercial, repulsive
places.

9. Spend some time near the coast just south of the Queensland border.
There are some beautiful places from about Lismore down to Coffs Harbour.
Or, at least there were when I was there 30-40 years ago. (I hope others will
correct me if those places are not as good as they were back then.)

If you plan on emigrating to Australia and immediately going on the dole, then
anywhere from here up to Airlie Beach will be the perfect place for you. In better
days, you could register for unemployment benefits, tell them you are only
interested in lion-tamers positions, and go surfing for a year. (Bless all those
who agitated for the ban on lions and tigers in circuses, btw.)

10. The Hunter Valley region is terrific, except in summer when you will fry,
and lose fights with flies.

The Barossa Valley is a good wine district, but there is not much else in South
Australia. I live here and love Adelaide, but I just think it has nothing worthwhile
for tourists. If, however, you are looking for a Socialist Workers Paradise (tm), then
come on down, comrade. It's summertime, all the time, and the living's easy.

11. Avoid the centre of Australia. Find a reddish adobe wall somewhere
and stare at that for a day. Want more? Go to Uluru.

12. Do not drive to Perth from Adelaide. Most of that region is called the
Nullarbor Plain. Plain means flat, obviously. Null is from Latin for "None, nix,
nada, zilch"; Arbor is Latin for tree. Do the math.
Do not think that you might get lucky and be the first person to spot one.
They are not hiding.

13. MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you get lost somewhere well outside of the cities, stay
with your car. Do not wander off looking for help.
Buy a little plastic novelty skeleton and hang it from the rear vision mirror
as a reminder.

 

[Ferocitus]

Depending on your interests, Adelaide is worth an extended visit around March (Tour Down Under cycling races, comedy festivals, wine festivals, car racing, etc).

I think it is extremely boring from a tourist perspective, but the inhabitants are friendly.
As you can see, we definitely have the most refined and genteel vandals in the world.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Provided you stay by the beach and seaside in QLD weather wise isnt too bad.
A lost of the touristy beach areas are packed with hotels, good restraunts, bars if that is your thing. Tourist season should be avoided

Summer time is extreme heatwaves, prepare for 45 C tempatures which make you want to hide in air conditioned malls.
China town Sydney is packed full of great eats, Japanese, Thai, Malyasian, Chinese Northen and Southern, Vietnamese all in one dense area. Darling harbour is more expensive and better quality eats
you can vist Sea world, Zoo, opera house, Powerhouse museum, Lots of places to shop as well. Even Kings cross has been somewhat gentrified

Dont be a dole bludger, I dont mind paying for dole if you need it dont abuse our welfare system
It shouldnt be hard to get seasonal work if you plan on backpacking through Australia

 

[Ferocitus]

China town Sydney is packed full of great eats, Japanese, Thai, Malyasian, Chinese Northen and Southern, Vietnamese all in one dense area. Darling harbour is more expensive and better quality eats
you can vist Sea world, Zoo, opera house, Powerhouse museum, Lots of places to shop as well. Even Kings cross has been somewhat gentrified

I agree with those "highlights". I'd also recommend a boat or ferry trip up the
Parramatta, or over to Manly for fish'n'chips, or to get to Taronga Zoo.

A walk around The Rocks area on a sunny day is pleasant. If you listen very
closely, you can hear what sounds like a grown man sobbing. That's an echo of
me after I found out my wife's very Catholic Irish ancestor donated The Rocks
and a farm containing most what is Manly to the church.

Dont be a dole bludger, I dont mind paying for dole if you need it dont abuse our welfare system
It shouldnt be hard to get seasonal work if you plan on backpacking through Australia

There are hundreds of thousands more unemployed than there are available jobs,
and more people arrive here every day. That's a very good thing! It means that some of us can
afford to take a drop in lifestyle in return for more free time. And new citizens can work to
establish themselves and their families in a new country.
If Australia won't officially introduce a guaranteed minimum income scheme, you can still
tailor one for yourself.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Thanks guys. I will be most of the time in Sydney and Cambrru but I plan trip on the gold-rush cities in Victoria, Melbourne and perhaps Adelaide and I am eyeing Tasmania too if I decide for larger spendings.