Advice for Australia

We are planning a family (two teen boys) vocation during Easter. We want to go to Australia but don't know where to go first since it is a big country. Any good suggestions?

I would recommend Noosa or Byron Bay. Good for boys , assuming they like the outdoors, and good for you - nice town with plenty to keep you occupied.

What do you want to see?


- City vacations in Melbourne and Sydney.

- The wilds of Tasmania.

- The outback.

- Ayer's Rock.

- The Great Barrier Reef.

- Beach life in Surfer's Paradise.

- The Ghan and other trains.

We stayed in Port Douglas near to Great Barrier - fantastic time. Loads of things to do inthe area.


We then picked up a big camper van and drove from Brisbane to Sydney (7days) and stopped at beach camp sites along route. Most fantastic holiday we have ever done.

Depends how old your teens are, and how much you want to cater to them!

The Goldcoast in Queensland is unrivalled for theme parks - Dreamworld, Seaworld, Warner Bros Movie World, Wet n Wild. All full of adrenaline rides, but have quite expensive entry fees (similar to Disney). Less picturesque as far as scenery.

2 hours drive north of the Gold coast is the Sunshine Coast (1 hour north of Brisbane). It will be busy (as will Gold coast) at Easter, but so will all holiday spots in Aust. Sunshine Coast (Noosa, Mooloolaba etc) has great beaches which are quieter than (and nicer than I think) the Goldcoast. Australia Zoo is also there if you are fans of the departed Steve Irwin.

If you like boats, The Whitsundays is great for sailing. Also Queensland but further north. Islands like Hamilton Island have tons of facilities and the option to go out to the Barrier reef for the day.

Fraser Island, also on the Qld coast is also beautiful.

I sound biased to Qld, but for beach/outdoor holidays at Easter it is good. Check out the Queensland tourism industry web site for lots of info.


On the other side is Perth in Western Australia, a long way from everything else but very pretty, and a good combination of beaches and wine areas nearbye.


As mentioned by Maz27, with Aust being so large, a road trip holiday can be a great way to see alot, but be ready for busy roads at that time of year.

Keep in mind the March is the end of the summer season so storms are common particularly in the Northern part of Australia where cyclones hit. Don't want to scare you off though...


1. There is a lot to do in and around Sydney where you could easily spend a week - you can combine the City with beaches and the Blue Mountains and/or Hunter Valley if you want to take in some wineries. There are private tours you can do if you don't want to self drive. http://www.australianwildescapes.com/

If you have more time, the drive North is lovely up to Port Macquarie and all the stops in between. www.visitnsw.com


2. Melbourne is also great and has excellent public transport. You could self drive the Great Ocean Road!

www.visitvictoria.com


3. Tasmania - easily a 1-2 week self drive vacation. Hobart - Port Arthur - Freycinet National park - Bicheno Fishing Village - Launceston - Cradle Mountain - Strahn - Hobart. www.tastemptations.com.au


4. Queensland:

Cairns & Port Douglas / Palm Cove area

Barrier Reef trips, Kuranda Sky Rail, Cape Tribulation 4wd day tours...


Gold Coast + Byron Bay - will be extremely busy over Easter and traffic on the M1 will be a nightmare!!!


Enjoy your trip! Things get busy so if you haven't booked something already I would do sooner than later.