This is a great Australia itinerary - I was just going to do Perth, but got a bit sidetracked!
I’ve spent a great deal of time in Australia and I’ve kept this trip to a few weeks that allows you to visit Perth, Melbourne (including a drive along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide), a brief stop in Adelaide before heading to Sydney. You can do the Great Ocean Road in less time, but personally I think it is such a beautiful place, why rush! I’ve visited myself in March/April time and it’s my favourite time of year. The weather isn’t too hot and the crowds aren’t as bad as in summer.
Flights are with Etihad or in some cases code share with Virgin Australia. I've flown with Etihad to Australia, Bali amd Nepal to name a few and I love the airline. I've also flown business class and if you book these flights contact Etihad and ask to be put forward for the their 'bid to upgrade' option and if they have seats spare they will contact you and offer you the opportunity to put in a bid for business class. There is a minimum lowest bid which I can't remember but each time I've been successful using the lowest bid. You can also so just one leg you don't have to upgrade all legs. I'm sat here with a lovely Etihad business class blanket that reminded me. The free Spa at Abu Dhabi is amazing with free treatments too.
27th March
Fly from Manchester to Perth with Etihad airways, with a short stop in Dubai.
28th March-2nd April
Arrive into Perth. You have 5 nights in Perth (I’ve allowed extra time in Perth over the other destinations due to the jet lag you’ll likely to be suffering) and I’ve picked a great hostel. Perth can be really expensive and I’ve stayed in this hostel, but it has become pretty well known, with consistent good feedback and is currently No1 on Tripadvisor. Head over there and check out "Wickham Backpackers". Rooms have shared bathrooms, but they are clean and well maintained so do not worry about the term ‘hostel’. There is also lots of ‘extras’ included in this hostel, such as laundry, pasta, breakfast all included in the price. You will save a fair bit of money and I really recommend this hostel. You can check it out by visiting TripAdvisor . 5 nights in Perth is a great amount of time to adjust to the jetlag and explore this cosmopolitan city. Some things I’d recommend doing is taking the ferry over to Freemantle to explore the spooky prison, similarly you can also visit Rottnest Island which is easily accessible from Perth. If you get bored of city life, head out for a day or couple of days to Margaret River, explore the caves and many vineyards [hic]!
2nd April – 6th April
Take the short-ish (4 hour flight) over to Melbourne. You will stay in Melbourne for 4 nights. You could stay longer, depending on how much you like cities, and Melbourne is a great city. Take in a sports events if you can one, or a concert, or just enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Yarra River. Of course, you can look at trips from Melbourne such as Phillip Island or some of the many nearby beaches, but this trip will get you out of Melbourne heading to the Great Ocean Road where you will see many beaches and coastal views.
You’ll stay in Melbourne for 4 nights at City Tempo, a great near 5 star rating on Tripadvisor with great reviews. This studio apartment is in a central location and is a great base to explore.
6th April
Pick up the hire care today in Melbourne (not the cheapest but not the most costly car, you can pay extra to upgrade if needed). You can take the Sorronto Ferry to Queenscliff and pick up the Great Ocean Road, which I’ve done, or you can just go straight towards Geelong and pick up the GOR this way. I’ve done both, and it all depends on time and how fussed you are on taking a ferry. There is plenty to do, such as visiting the surfing towns of Torquay and Bells Beach (if you are lucky you may catch the Ripcurl surfing competition as we did). Finish your day in Lorne, where you can relax on the beach in this lovely place I've picked - Chatby Lane B&B Apartments, another fantastic rated apartment.
7th April
Make your way from Lorne to Apollo Bay, spending time at Otway National Park where you could easily spend a day (or longer). Waterfalls and tree top walks are attractions here. End the day in Apollo Bay, a quiet fishing village. You’ll stay in Big4 Holiday Park, which has great reviews. The cabin does not have ensuite, but for a little extra you can upgrade to a better cabin if you wish.
8th April
Back on the Great Ocean Road, you can stop to take in the many sights, including looking for Koala Bears. It’s a 2 ½ hour drive to Port Fairy, but a great spot en-route for lunch is Warrnambool. Don’t forget the 12 Apostles too which you will also pass as well as Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. You’ll overnight at Port Fairy. I stayed at the YHA, but I wasn’t able to check prices online. Instead I’ve chosen the Belfast Holiday Cabins for 1 night which have good reviews too.
9th April
You’ll drive today to Robe, via the gorgeous Mount Gambier. It’s a fantastic place to visit and you could rejig this itinerary so you do an overnight here, but I’d also recommend the lovely village of Robe instead, stopping at Mount Gambier en route. In Robe, there is a fantastic chilled out place to eat called ‘Coconut Robe’ which I’d suggest stopping at. It's very budget friendly with a quirky menu. Overnight at the Guichen Motor Inn. I’ve stayed here myself, it is basic but clean and staff are friendly. It also has a pool and free parking.
10th April
You’ll drive to Adelaide today. There are a couple of options, either on the highway, crossing the Murray River or cross the Murray on the car ferry at Wellington and drive through the Langhorne Creek wine area and Adelaide Hills. Arriving into Adelaide, you’ll return the hire car and stay in the city centre for just 1 night at the Grand Chancery Court. You could extend this, but I wasn’t all that impressed with Adelaide (just my opinion).
11th April-14th April
You’ll fly from Adelaide to Sydney. To keep the cost down I’ve based you in Sydney for just 3 nights. This should be enough time to visit attractions such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and catch the ferry over to Manley. In Sydney you’ll stay in the Russell Hotel in ‘The Rocks’ one of my favourite locations in Sydney to stay as it is so close to the tourist sights. Rooms have a shared bathroom, but if you are after similar in the Rocks with a private bathroom check out the YHA Sydney Harbour which I stayed in on New Years Eve, private ensuite rooms with views of the Opera House, literally about 30 steps from the Shangri-La for significantly less (it’s around £260 for 3 nights if you want this as an alternative)! It was also great to have fantastic kitchen facilities to use. I did however spend a fair bit of time in the Russell and it is great place for food and drink, and rooms are great value too. You also get breakfast.
14th April – Fly home!
**Holiday Breakdown**
Flights (Manchester>Perth>Melbourne>Adelaide>Sydney>Melbourne>Manchester £1270/£635pp @ www.expedia.com (note you can’t fly straight from Sydney to UK, the price doubles, so you have to go Sydney to Melbourne to Manchester). I did try a variety of dates, but I gave up in the end trying to avoid stopping in Melbourne again!
5 Nights in Perth @ Wickham Backpackers £199.90 Book Direct with Hostel
4 Nights in Melbourne £209.19 @ www.venere.com (use code PREF12Q42015)
1 Night in Lorne £45.17 @ www.venere.com (use code above)
1 Night in Apollo Bay £46.04 @ www.venere.com (code doesn’t work for this property)
1 Night in Port Fairy £47.36 using code above @ www.venere.com
1 Night in Robe £45.29 using code above @ www.venere.com
1 Night in Adelaide £45.79 using code above @ www.venere.com
3 Nights in Sydney £198.08 using code above @ www.venere.com
Total £2207.14/£1103.57pp
If you go through Topcashback and you manage to get Venere to track (even with use of a code) at 13% this could easily knock around £100 off this price. I have had recent transactions track with the code so you could be lucky!
You can adjust this itinerary, but I think this works well. I've checked all hotel ratings and got the cheapest price for all them and hunted down codes too.
Top comments
76zedfour
30 Oct 1517#11
you sir/ madam are a credit to hotukdeals
rachelandgromit
30 Oct 158#1
Flights
Perth
Melbourne Hotel
Lorne
Apollo Bay
rachelandgromit to 76zedfour
30 Oct 155#13
Thank you, I'm a madam but you can call me a Lady! ;-)
Glesgabear
30 Oct 154#3
Mega heat for the effort and detail you've provided for this deal. A great price and wonderful holiday for anyone lucky enough to take up the offer. Heat added.
Latest comments (89)
drizzydrake
21 Mar 16#89
Went Oz in Dec - Jan (£600 if booked in advance with Etiad) - 41 degrees. Bit cold in March and loads of hotel stays. I stayed in airbnb's was alot cheaper but had the time of my life!
katrb
23 Jan 16#87
Thanks Rachel just booked this exact trip today, going in September - flights were £100 more expensive than the dates you had but still cheap!
rachelandgromit to katrb
23 Jan 161#88
Wonderful! Let me know how you get on. Have a fantastic time. I'm sure all the accommodation options will be great too as I did pick them carefully but even if you are staying in different places you'll have a great time I'm sure.
itsillogical
6 Nov 15#86
Ouch, glad you survived it. No wonder you made that sensible comment not to drive at night!
abdullah1994uk1
4 Nov 15#84
in before comments like "voted cold flys though Egypt"
xenophon to abdullah1994uk1
5 Nov 15#85
Well there had been 83 comments before yours and nobody had mentioned it until you had. Drongo.
everett_psycho
4 Nov 15#83
We did hit one, lucky to b alive after that, the driver went off the road and it destroyed the car.
They are the trees i meant, walpole is the tingle trees which while interesting aren't scary, i think the tallest near pemberton is over 70 metres with no harness, apparently there is a net around it now, they say that as if it would actually stop you dying if you fell off, i really don't think it would do much
jasonreid7
4 Nov 15#82
heat added for time and effort - if only i could afford it / time off work!
itsillogical
4 Nov 15#81
Good point about driving at night, they don't go around with those great big 'Roo' bars on their combi's for nothing. Drove North and saw as many dead Kangaroos at the side of the road as we do foxes here. Had one bounce along the side of the campervan with me when i detoured off the road a bit at dusk too, so very good advice don't chance driving at night or dusk.
Second the 'fire' trees too. Check out the Gloucester tree at Pemberton, some 61 mtrs tall with spikes driven into the trunk for you to climb up on, no H&S here folks.
Hughmungus
4 Nov 15#80
This is perfect timing, I was in the very early stage of planning a trip in March. This looks perfect well done
zedders27
3 Nov 15#79
Excellent work, your a credit to HDUK members
rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#78
Haha so true. The temperatures are so different across Oz going from the North to say Melbourne. Autumn was my favourite time, far too hot for me in Oz summer.
everett_psycho
3 Nov 15#77
They really do, we found out tonight our rent is going up on Monday at this hostel due to summer being on the way. I know Melbourne puts rent up for all sorts, things like the Australian open puts the hostel price up about $5 a night so it's worth checking if there's anything happening. April will be cooler though as that's autumn here and when people start heading north, I was in Perth then and it was starting to drop below 25 (I know that's not that cold but you get used to 40 plus pretty quickly). One thing nobody will tell you about Australia is it actually has a winter and it does get cold, I've met so many people fresh off the plane go straight down the shop because they didn't bring jumpers
rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#76
Hostels or a big shout for Airbnb too. We met some genuinely fab people. Especially handy when travelling at peak times and hostels and hotels either sell out or rake their prices up!
rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#74
Thanks for that. Ooooh the YHA is now part of Freemantle Prison, that sounds right up my street. Certainly wasn't when I visited.
I totally agree with your post, there are so many things to see and do including those away from the touristy traps, but you can fly for hours and not leave Oz which is weird! It is so easy to get about though, it's just deciding what you want to see and do!
everett_psycho to rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#75
yeah the yha opened up in freo prison in June, i stayed there for 1 night and it was the nicest hostel i've stayed in, and that is even nicer than the one in the rocks, its also cheap at the moment as no one knows it exists, get a private room and its actually in the old cells.
I did most of your trip in my first couple of months, ,my current plan is work to the new year and upgrade my car to a 4x4 to do a lap, so Perth>adelaide>melbourne>sydney>brisbane>cairns>uluru>darwin>perth. Theres loads i've missed doing it on trains and planes. i particularly want to see the north west next winter, karijini looks incredible, but the east coast looks pretty spectacular itself as well.
If you want to do roadtrips i forgot to mention the wikicamps apps, costs a few quid but will tell you where you can camp up for free, if you want to do it cheap stay in hostels, not only are they cheap but backpackers seem to know everything, you'll never be short of suggestions for things to do and most of them are cheap things as none of us have any money :laughing:
itsillogical
31 Oct 15#57
Firstly Kudos on the HUKD 'tag' well deserved :-)
If we weren't already booked for NZ in March we'd have taken another trip to Perth, which we did last year.
So if you are on the Perth leg I'd recommend the following:-
Pinnacles in Namburg NP 2 Hrs North of Perth on Route 60. You can drive through the 'Pinnacles' in your car or smaller Camper van, mind you it is a sand 'road'. Great when it's Twilight.
Giant's Cave Margaret River, self guide with just you and a torch.
Esperance 8 Hrs East from Perth, fantastic beaches taking the Twilight Beach Road.
Wave rock was a disappointment as they have built a water catchment wall right on the top of the 'Wave Wall' so it distracts from the 'natural' element of the place.
On the GOR and Port Fairy, eat early as even the Pizza take away shuts at 9!. Ended up with baked beans on toast! bought from the petrol station :-(
You've certainly crammed in the most from a single trip, we did these in three separate trips!.
everett_psycho to itsillogical
3 Nov 15#73
The south west is incredible, i spent a month working in esperance and it's a nice town. I'd thoroughly recommend going Perth>Wave rock>Esperance>Albany>Margaret River>Perth as a road trip. I've decided to live in perth for the next few months as well as I prefer it to Sydney and Melbourne. Here's a few tips i've picked up over here:
In perth:
Rottnest island is definitely worth a visit in perth, if you go on tuesday it's only $59 for the ferry from fremantle to the island with bike hire included (it's usually over $100).
Fremantle Prison is also worth a visit, tours are about $25 (you can actually stay in the old womens wing as it's now a very nice YHA as well)
Kings park is incredible, situated up on a hill it overlooks the city centre and the new Elizabeth quay that might one day open
The swan valley is full of wineries and you can do a tour (i believe it's by one get one free on sundays). Theres also the ferral brewery there and little creatures in fremantle, both are excellent craft beer breweries.
South of perth albany/denmark/margaret river has stunning beaches and national parks
For the fearless try climbing the fire trees at walpole
Sydney:
Sydney harbour bridge you can actually go up one of the spires, it's much cheaper than the bridge climb and offers a good view for about $10
Take the train to Katoomba in the bllue mountains to see the three sisters and for some incredible scenery, on a sunday it's only $2.50 return using an opal card (similar to an oyster card in london).
Bondi is the known beach but go to manly or coogee as well, the walk from bondi to coogee is all hidden little beaches with hardly anyone on them
Melbourne
Hop on the 35 tram from southern cross, it's free and does a lap of the city centre with commentary to help you get your bearings.
All the trams within the loop the 35 does are now free in Melbourne too so getting around is quick and cheap
The queen victoria night markets on wednesdays are a must visit offering up a lot of food and drink.
The war memorial and museum is worth a visit
Head down little bourke street for china town where you can pick up some cheap dumplings
The Australian centre for the moving image next to federation square was excellent and free, it's a museum covering film, tv gaming and more.
Having been out here a while at the moment there's some things you come to realise quite quickly:
The place is bloody massive, a local will tell you it's down the road but that might mean 1000km "down the road", i worked with a guy who moved down the road, it was a 30 hour drive down 1 road.
It's also expensive, even with the good exchange rate at the moment, expect to pay about $10 (about £5) average for a beer in a pub if you want one, eating out does add up, I can easily burn through $100 a week on just food that I need for myself. That said, petrol is cheap for any roadtrips, filled my car up for $1.05 a litre the other, so about 57p a litre.
Don't drive at night, especially in a hire car. Kangaroos are nice animals but the novelty of them wears off very fast when you see how many of them jump out in to the road at night, i've met a lot of people who wrote their cars off because of the roos.
All said and done, enjoy it, there's a ridiculous amount to see and do, i've been out here a year and there's still a tonne of things to see, if you're under 31 i'd thoroughly recommend getting a working holiday and doing months if not years to try and see it all.
rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#72
Excuse the long ramble but this was my review of the drive from Sydney to Melbourne. Thought it might be useful.
So, we left the hostel around 8:45am (Sydney Harbour YHA) and walked to Avis at Kings Cross. Despite requesting and booking a manual car, they had an automatic so we had to wait whilst they got one from Budget across the road. We then had to go back in again when the car they gave us had a massive scratch and dent that wasn't noted, but eventually we got on our way. We pick up signs for Wolllongong and the Grand Pacific Route. We stop off at the lookout at Bald Hill and see the Sea Cliff Bridge and park up and take a short walk along this. We don't stop for long in Wollongong, more of a toilet stop as it is very busy and instead we spend some time at Illawarra Lake which is beautiful. There are huge pelicans and people flying kites and fishing, it is so peaceful and less touristy. By contrast, at Shell Harbour it was manic but did go into tourist information for nothing in particular, but the lady in there was amazing. She told us about a place called Killalea State Park or 'the Farm'. We headed up to there and it was beautiful, we did a lovely walk and headed to the beach. If we had been staying overnight we definitely would have attempted to surf here. After this we head to Kiama blow hole although it wasn't really doing much blowing! We do enjoy the view though and go for a walk nearby before heading to our accommodation for the night at Old Erowal Bay at South Coast Sea Stay with Mike an Jen. This was booked with Airbnb as in Huskisson direct everything was booked out, had minimum stay or was super duper expensive. We were really surprised, it was a gorgeous room and a fridge stocked full of food that we could help ourselves to and such welcoming hosts. After a quick shower we headed out to Huskisson and went to the RSL Club and had a great value dinner, 2 courses for $10. We had a nice walk around Husky and listened to a singer at the pub opposite the Husky. Back at our Airbnb we sit outside and star watch with Mike and he shows us some great tricks with his lovely Labrador called Diggs .
4th January 2014
After cooking a lovely breakfast cooked with Mike and Jen's fridge of food, we went to Chinamans Beach from a recommendation from Mike. Its lovely and peaceful with white sand and clear blue seas and we practically have the place to ourselves. After about an hour we wander up to Hyams beach which is just stunning. We walk quite a bit up to find a perfect spot on the squeaky sand. Everyone is right about the beach, it's probably the nicest beach I've ever been to and swimming is glorious. After as much relaxation we can take we head to Booderee National Park driving first to Murray Beach and the Govenor Head Lookout where we spot penguins on Bowen Island and also sit and watch a baby kangaroo. We drive to 'hole in the wall' which is pretty much as it is, walk along this beach and again so peaceful with lots of birds. Go to Coles to get something to eat and head back to Airbnb.
5th January 2014
After another breakfast we check out of Mike and Jen who see us off. We stop of in Ulladulla to try and find a suitcase to replace one that broke (see previous thread about the broken suitcase saga) and get one from a surf shop. Stop off at Batemans Bay for some lovely fish and chips and then arrive at Surfbeach Holiday Park in our lovely cabin. It was clean and the amenities block was just opposite. We go from Surfbeach to the beach and can see Montague Island in the distance. We then walk from Surfbeach past the golf club towards Narooma and go to the lookout point where we see fur seals. There is also a wedding party having photographs taken which was lovely to see. We spend some time walking around Narooma then head back to our cabin where we cook dinner and enjoy wine sitting outside.
6th January 2014
Woke at 5am to go to the bathroom and after coming out of the amenties block the sun was coming up so I walked down to the beach in my PJ's and enjoyed the peaceful view, it was stunning. After check-out we drive to Tilba Tilba. I love it here, it is still early so it is quiet and we have a coffee and fudge at the fudge shop which is also a general store and post office. The people here are so friendly and we stop and chat to a few people and browse in the (expensive) stores. We also walk to the lookout and pay a brief visit to the ABC cheese factory. Next stop is Bega Cheese Factory for more cheese :-) so we kind of have a cheese lunch, they also have a dairy museum in the factor which is really interesting. As we cross into Victoria and Gippsland we see a sign for Genoa Peak which we saw in a tourist info booklet. We didn't realise the track to get to the car park would be such a traumatic journey, there was trees down on the track and our poor Toyota didn't like it! This was a fascinating and probably dangerous trek, it was so high up and so very windy, infact climbing the rocks and metal steps we were clinging on so hard our knuckles were white. I couldn't get over how barren everything was but it was good to see a completely different viewpoint. We also stop at Stony Creek Trestle Bridge which our tourist info leaflet says you can walk over, clearly the leaflet is out of date as the Trestle Bridge has been out of action for quite some years and is in a state of disrepair, its amazing to see, the work that must have gone into it is mind boggling. We arrive into our next Airbnb property Warm Holes which is at Lakes Entrance. It is a gorgeous little cabin that Helen has made so welcoming with breads, juice, cereal and fruit. So after a quick shower we head to Lakes Entrance and walk along the lake and take in a lovely sunset although it was quite cold (just after we left Victoria experienced a heatwave, but it was quite cool when we were there). We find another RSL Club and have a huge and tasty Chinese meal and a few drinks. Head back to Airbnb and watch a DVD from Helen's supply in the room.
7th January 2014
Up early and just 2 minutes walk from Helen's is a lovely walk along the lakefront, so we take an early morning walk and get chased by some black swans! We follow the highway and go to Walhalla which I've seen in a leaflet. We get tickets for the Goldfield Railway and would have made the mine if we would have parked closer. Unfortunately the sign that tells you to park up for the Tunnel Gold Mine is not accurate as it is a good 20 minutes walk and we asked a person in the museum and at two different shops and one didn't know and one sent us in the wrong direction. By time we found it, we had missed the tour, so instead we did the walk whereby you are overlooking the village and can see the old 'bank vault' where they use to store the gold and you can see the remainders of the mining equipment. If you want to go to the mine, drive right through the village and you will see a road on the left. The train ride was short (20 minutes) but a nice scenic journey and credit to the volunteers who have restored it, they have done a beautiful job. After we did a walk to Walhalla cemetery which is perched on a hill and has a very spooky feel to it. After this we then drive to Patterson Lakes to catch up with our cousins!
rachelandgromit
3 Nov 15#71
That sounds good to me and Qatar are good too.
topper133
3 Nov 15#70
That is for all flights! I think thats a bargain!! Qatar MAN > PER, Virgin Aus PER>ADL and Qatar SYD > MAN.
topper133
3 Nov 15#68
Wow, thanks for the tips, I've been looking for a good 3week holiday for next April, playing around I might do Man > Perth (5 days) then Perth > Adelaide, then drive Adelaide to Sydney (via Melbourne and the GOR) over 15 days, then fly back Sydney > Man.
Flights £680pp..............seem reasonable? Never been to Aus before so cannot wait!!
rachelandgromit to topper133
3 Nov 15#69
Is that for the flights with connections to Adelaide and Perth? The drive to/from Sydney to Melbourne is lovely. I did this myself and stops at Jervis Bay (Hyams Beach) is strongly recommended and the old gold mining town of Walhalla is well worth a visit. There are also the Lakes and coastal scenery. I did a compressive review of the drive from Sydney to Melbourne hang on I'll paste it here.
raulvibes
3 Nov 15#67
haha... I will defo respect ur space :smile:
raulvibes
2 Nov 15#65
cheers OP. you really are travel expert. can I sometime trouble u by pm if needed? :smile:
rachelandgromit to raulvibes
2 Nov 151#66
Depends what you want! I'm normally about on here, but I do work full time too so don't always expect immediate replies .....
Max-Power
2 Nov 15#64
Awesome deal... need to remember to do something like this when the missus and I decide to go.... and when I can get the leave from work too :neutral_face:
deepsnroses
2 Nov 15#63
I would spend more days in Sydney then in Perth. I went there in march last year. Weather was perfect although it rained 4 out of my 8 days stay in Sydney. If you get chance, do add Gold Coast to your trip. Heat added.
sunny200350
2 Nov 15#62
I SO want to be friends with you :smile::smile:
ukscoob1
1 Nov 15#60
Whilst you're downunder I'd encourage you to take a trip to Fraser Island. fly up if necessary. superb experience driving around the sand island, visiting its lakes, camping with dingos, and a cesna plane ride!
rachelandgromit to ukscoob1
1 Nov 15#61
Yes I loved Fraser I think I mentioned it in my comments. So many good places in Oz.
Orbdemon
30 Oct 151#6
Hot, hot, hot!
Great itinerary.
I did the great ocean road earlier this year stopping at most of the same towns you've mentioned. Also worth a visit to Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet, where Round The Twist was filmed.
When in Sydney, Manley ferry is a must as you've stated, and the Rocks are great. If you want a great night view, get yourself up to the bar on the top floor of the Shangri-La, not cheap but a great view and a great place for a drink, there's also an incredible restaurant.
rachelandgromit to Orbdemon
30 Oct 153#8
Oh I forgot about mentioning that! Yes, I loved round the twist 'have you ever, ever felt like this'..... I was like an excited kid but it didn't really look like I remembered it lol.
Forget the Shangri-La if you can stay at the YHA next door they have a fantastic roof top bar and sitting area. Cook your own food in their fantastic kitchen, buy your own drink and sit out on the rooftop for free.
thelettuce to Orbdemon
30 Oct 15#41
Great itinerary! agree on Manly, but never understood the rave about the Rocks, alright for a drink and a good location to stay, but the YMCA is amazing + there are plenty of better places in Sydney.
much agreed, YHA is fantastic! never understood the rave about the Rocks, alright for a drink, but there are other places in Sydney - Darling Harbour etc. Great itinerary!
ukscoob1 to Orbdemon
1 Nov 15#59
One has to visit the Split Point Lighthouse OR AT LEAST drive the road that leads up to it. best Koala spotting will be here. we saw 44 along that road!! People also often pulled over to take photos and get closish to them... be careful theyre not cute and cuddly they have bloody large claws. Driving that road is a must imo.
rachelandgromit
31 Oct 15#58
Thanks itsillogical. I think Perth is lovely and I totally agree with you heading to Esperance and making a road trip. The pink lakes were also amazing. I've tried to make the most of the itinerary to see some key places but you could literally spend weeks in each place. Port Fairy was lovely but we were in the YHA so we're able to cook for ourselves. I can't find it now but it was a tiny little place in an old style colonial building.
Upgrade then or buy business class. Etihad is a great airline, even I'm Economy.
b1505 to bojangles
31 Oct 15#55
I flew home from Australia in Etihad economy and it was not bad at all!
This is a great trip although I do agree that if it's a first trip go to the Barrier Reef area as it's beautiful and one of the things I enjoyed most in Australia.
If you haven't got time to visit Philip Island but still want to see penguins then head down to St Kilda pier on an evening as there are loads there.
kd035050
31 Oct 15#54
Fantastic effort op
vytaute23
30 Oct 15#53
heat added! great effort! would live to do this..maybe when kids grow up lol
Albus4321
30 Oct 15#52
Strewth, fair dinkum mate
Xippi
30 Oct 15#51
Excellent post. Chapeau
parekh
30 Oct 15#50
Great effort thank you...
CarlMatt
30 Oct 15#49
Love Aus, recommend a day trip to Phillip Island while in Melbourne, you will see hundreds of penguins arrive on the beach at sunset and waddle home. Awesome place.
STEFANOS4784
30 Oct 15#48
SPAMTASTIC, heat added
imnicebuttdim
30 Oct 151#47
I'm a travel agent and you seem to find deals better than I can get on my staff discounts
kudos1uk
30 Oct 15#45
I was very interested in this but now coming up at over £1000 per person for flights with exact same dates and times.
I will play around with dates and see what happens, any tips on best days to leave for best prices etc?
rachelandgromit to kudos1uk
30 Oct 15#46
Could be prices have gone up generally I always tend to see flight prices at the weekend. I can still get around £700is for earlier in March, just play around with dates.
flipper118
30 Oct 15#44
The stop is clearly in Abu Dhabi, which i guess most people will say 'same difference' but it is a different airport nevertheless
foes4you
30 Oct 15#43
It used to be one bob to emigrate to Australia...
rachelandgromit
30 Oct 15#42
I love Darling Harbour too. I think the Ibis was a similar price. Ooh Pancakes on the Rocks at Darling Harbour is amazing. Love that place.
sotomonkey
30 Oct 15#39
So many one night stays sounds like a pretty stressful experience, especially if you get delayed. If I can't relax on a holiday, it's not a holiday but kudos for the effort and I guess it would suit some people.
rachelandgromit to sotomonkey
30 Oct 151#40
The one night stays are when you are on the Great Ocean Road. You can spend extra in each place but this is a leisurely itinerary and not much driving in between places. I guess it depends on how much time you can have.
royden
30 Oct 15#30
Question. On the internal flights will you get the same luggage allowance as on international leg, or will you get stung for hold luggage?
rachelandgromit to royden
30 Oct 151#38
Yes you will get luggage allowance. It's Etihad code share with Virgin Australia and you will get 23kg. Details
what is it with all these flight, hotel, car deals, internal city trips? at the moment n hukd
personally if i was going back to oz, i'd pass on perth altogeather its alright but on a short holiday unless you have family there it hasnt the attractions other places have, sydney, the east coast and the middle of australia would be the better trip, and when i lived in manly i remember it being absolutely freezing in April (not compared to uk cold though)
i'm considering posting my trip to st lucia/barbados with manchester return flights, internal liat flight, 10 night hotels, beach hammocks and two catamaran trips including snorkelling reefs and sunken wrecks, surfing soup bowl and lounging in a palm tree garden hammock, friday night fish fry, walking/climbing the pitons, and swimming with hawksbill Turtles, all in £1075 per person ;0)
rachelandgromit to whatyadoinsucka
30 Oct 15#36
You should post that trip if it is a hot deal, it's good to have variety on here.
Whilst Perth may not have the attractions of other cities, head our of Perth and explore areas such as Margaret River and Esperance, it's really good to go to the west.
I've been Australia in the peak and also in April, May June (Melbourne) and in March and April have always been blesses with good weather comparable to our summer.
jowe
30 Oct 15#35
LADY! GOOD EFFORT, FAIR PLAY.
Goopster
30 Oct 15#34
Great post - Thanks and Kudos for the effort with the itinerary. Some great pointers there which I will certainly use for a future trip I am planning. Cheers!
slickafoe
30 Oct 15#32
is Ivan Milat out yet?
to be on the safe side learn some aussiesongs :laughing:
Dogeared
30 Oct 15#29
Excellent deal.
calenture
30 Oct 15#28
Aye, that's the one
calenture
30 Oct 15#26
Great effort!
Also,after you've munched yer delicious fish supper at Cicerellos in Fremantle, don't forget (if you're a rock fan) it's a great opportunity to pay respect at Australia's most visited grave..... Bon Scott's.
rachelandgromit to calenture
30 Oct 15#27
That's the chippy with the aquariums all inside isn't it, even in the toilet. We went here after Freemantle prison.
superted2008
30 Oct 15#22
I have done a similar trip, Brisbane, Cairns, Brisbane again, Gold Coast, Sydney, Perth. Over a 6 week period.
Loved it and would love to go again
Heat added for effort.
rachelandgromit to superted2008
30 Oct 15#25
I love Australia, perhaps NZ a little more though. I can't say my favourites, perhaps the North because it is so different and Tasmania which I think is grossly underestimated. But Jervis Bay with Hyams Beach rated as 'worlds whitest sand' was pretty gorgeous as is Fraser which has sand highways which is pretty unique.
Ross81
30 Oct 15#21
Hey OP what's this bid to upgrade? I have economy flights booked with Etihad - can I go to them and say let me bid you £££ for any spare business class seats? Thanks.
rachelandgromit to Ross81
30 Oct 15#24
Sorry for the delay, just on my lunch. No, you ask if they can put you down if they have spare seats in business to give you the opportunity to bid but you can't say "oh I'll give you £100". There is a minimum starting bid. I'd purely be going off memory but I think it was around £200 extra for the Manchester to Dubai leg but don't quote me. Preference is given to Etihad Guest Members so enrol for free on their programme.
It's quite good to do one leg especially if you have overnight flights or a long stop in Dubai where you can use the lounge. We did Economy on one leg where we were awake and watching movies etc and then business on another leg where we had nice treatments in Dubai lounge, a shower, good meal on board and then slept.
Thanks for this, I've always wanted to do Oz and this has spurred me on to book!
moeman
30 Oct 15#19
In Melbourne don't forget to use the free historic tram to get around the city, and a side trip on the Great Ocean Road trip would be to overnight at Victor Harbour after crossing the Murray, there is a Fairy Penguin colony and the nighttime parade is fun.
leitchyleck
30 Oct 15#18
"a road trip north to great barrier reef" from Melbourne to Brisbane is 1000 miles!
schwarzennegger
30 Oct 15#17
Hats off just for the time you spend and sharing ...in detail.
onlineo
30 Oct 15#16
heat for the effort. The total price is kept nice and low by using reasonably priced accommodation. Melbourne is easily the nicest of the Australian cities but not the warmest as the southerly winds blow very strong. I am a lover of small town Oz rather than the big cities so nice to see the road trip. Although as a rule i always have a 2 night minimum stay in any accomodation I book. For a first holiday to Oz I would try and incorporate a road trip from Melbourne either north to the great barrier, or south to Byron Bay as loads to see and do and the weather is guaranteed to be great ( this trip has Perth for the guaranteed good weather )
brutallogic
30 Oct 15#15
great effort
smicer07
30 Oct 15#14
Hot for the effort.
76zedfour
30 Oct 1517#11
you sir/ madam are a credit to hotukdeals
rachelandgromit to 76zedfour
30 Oct 155#13
Thank you, I'm a madam but you can call me a Lady! ;-)
leitchyleck
30 Oct 15#12
yes I agree with you and heat added for your time n effort.
leitchyleck
30 Oct 15#9
with spending money could be a 5k holiday!
rachelandgromit to leitchyleck
30 Oct 152#10
Depending on what you want to see and do I'd say not. Even at the peak time such as New Year I never spent that in double the time of this trip (for two of us) and that was when accommodation prices were premium and including Nye on a boat in the harbour. If you choose to eat in fancy restaurants every night and spend money on tours and things that are expensive then it will add up, but there are plenty of things that are free, say in Sydney. You can do many things that don't cost anything and if you can find an Aldi then stock up as this will help keep costs down on food. Sydney especially can be expensive but when we went to Manley we found an Aldi and cooked for ourselves most nights. Like anywhere it can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it.
Airbnb is a great option which we have also used a few times, more so during December and January when accommodation prices were through the roof.
Cipango
30 Oct 152#7
Incredible work!
This deal gives you great bang for your buck, heat added!
I've seen flights to Sydney cost this return so to get everything included for it is just brilliant!
Otto.uk
30 Oct 15#5
Good effort thanks
maclennanneil
30 Oct 151#4
Fantastic effort OP, many thanks.
Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2017 to do this but will use this itinerary.
Glesgabear
30 Oct 154#3
Mega heat for the effort and detail you've provided for this deal. A great price and wonderful holiday for anyone lucky enough to take up the offer. Heat added.
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Opening post
I’ve spent a great deal of time in Australia and I’ve kept this trip to a few weeks that allows you to visit Perth, Melbourne (including a drive along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide), a brief stop in Adelaide before heading to Sydney. You can do the Great Ocean Road in less time, but personally I think it is such a beautiful place, why rush! I’ve visited myself in March/April time and it’s my favourite time of year. The weather isn’t too hot and the crowds aren’t as bad as in summer.
Flights are with Etihad or in some cases code share with Virgin Australia. I've flown with Etihad to Australia, Bali amd Nepal to name a few and I love the airline. I've also flown business class and if you book these flights contact Etihad and ask to be put forward for the their 'bid to upgrade' option and if they have seats spare they will contact you and offer you the opportunity to put in a bid for business class. There is a minimum lowest bid which I can't remember but each time I've been successful using the lowest bid. You can also so just one leg you don't have to upgrade all legs. I'm sat here with a lovely Etihad business class blanket that reminded me. The free Spa at Abu Dhabi is amazing with free treatments too.
27th March
Fly from Manchester to Perth with Etihad airways, with a short stop in Dubai.
28th March-2nd April
Arrive into Perth. You have 5 nights in Perth (I’ve allowed extra time in Perth over the other destinations due to the jet lag you’ll likely to be suffering) and I’ve picked a great hostel. Perth can be really expensive and I’ve stayed in this hostel, but it has become pretty well known, with consistent good feedback and is currently No1 on Tripadvisor. Head over there and check out "Wickham Backpackers". Rooms have shared bathrooms, but they are clean and well maintained so do not worry about the term ‘hostel’. There is also lots of ‘extras’ included in this hostel, such as laundry, pasta, breakfast all included in the price. You will save a fair bit of money and I really recommend this hostel. You can check it out by visiting TripAdvisor . 5 nights in Perth is a great amount of time to adjust to the jetlag and explore this cosmopolitan city. Some things I’d recommend doing is taking the ferry over to Freemantle to explore the spooky prison, similarly you can also visit Rottnest Island which is easily accessible from Perth. If you get bored of city life, head out for a day or couple of days to Margaret River, explore the caves and many vineyards [hic]!
2nd April – 6th April
Take the short-ish (4 hour flight) over to Melbourne. You will stay in Melbourne for 4 nights. You could stay longer, depending on how much you like cities, and Melbourne is a great city. Take in a sports events if you can one, or a concert, or just enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Yarra River. Of course, you can look at trips from Melbourne such as Phillip Island or some of the many nearby beaches, but this trip will get you out of Melbourne heading to the Great Ocean Road where you will see many beaches and coastal views.
You’ll stay in Melbourne for 4 nights at City Tempo, a great near 5 star rating on Tripadvisor with great reviews. This studio apartment is in a central location and is a great base to explore.
6th April
Pick up the hire care today in Melbourne (not the cheapest but not the most costly car, you can pay extra to upgrade if needed). You can take the Sorronto Ferry to Queenscliff and pick up the Great Ocean Road, which I’ve done, or you can just go straight towards Geelong and pick up the GOR this way. I’ve done both, and it all depends on time and how fussed you are on taking a ferry. There is plenty to do, such as visiting the surfing towns of Torquay and Bells Beach (if you are lucky you may catch the Ripcurl surfing competition as we did). Finish your day in Lorne, where you can relax on the beach in this lovely place I've picked - Chatby Lane B&B Apartments, another fantastic rated apartment.
7th April
Make your way from Lorne to Apollo Bay, spending time at Otway National Park where you could easily spend a day (or longer). Waterfalls and tree top walks are attractions here. End the day in Apollo Bay, a quiet fishing village. You’ll stay in Big4 Holiday Park, which has great reviews. The cabin does not have ensuite, but for a little extra you can upgrade to a better cabin if you wish.
8th April
Back on the Great Ocean Road, you can stop to take in the many sights, including looking for Koala Bears. It’s a 2 ½ hour drive to Port Fairy, but a great spot en-route for lunch is Warrnambool. Don’t forget the 12 Apostles too which you will also pass as well as Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. You’ll overnight at Port Fairy. I stayed at the YHA, but I wasn’t able to check prices online. Instead I’ve chosen the Belfast Holiday Cabins for 1 night which have good reviews too.
9th April
You’ll drive today to Robe, via the gorgeous Mount Gambier. It’s a fantastic place to visit and you could rejig this itinerary so you do an overnight here, but I’d also recommend the lovely village of Robe instead, stopping at Mount Gambier en route. In Robe, there is a fantastic chilled out place to eat called ‘Coconut Robe’ which I’d suggest stopping at. It's very budget friendly with a quirky menu. Overnight at the Guichen Motor Inn. I’ve stayed here myself, it is basic but clean and staff are friendly. It also has a pool and free parking.
10th April
You’ll drive to Adelaide today. There are a couple of options, either on the highway, crossing the Murray River or cross the Murray on the car ferry at Wellington and drive through the Langhorne Creek wine area and Adelaide Hills. Arriving into Adelaide, you’ll return the hire car and stay in the city centre for just 1 night at the Grand Chancery Court. You could extend this, but I wasn’t all that impressed with Adelaide (just my opinion).
11th April-14th April
You’ll fly from Adelaide to Sydney. To keep the cost down I’ve based you in Sydney for just 3 nights. This should be enough time to visit attractions such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and catch the ferry over to Manley. In Sydney you’ll stay in the Russell Hotel in ‘The Rocks’ one of my favourite locations in Sydney to stay as it is so close to the tourist sights. Rooms have a shared bathroom, but if you are after similar in the Rocks with a private bathroom check out the YHA Sydney Harbour which I stayed in on New Years Eve, private ensuite rooms with views of the Opera House, literally about 30 steps from the Shangri-La for significantly less (it’s around £260 for 3 nights if you want this as an alternative)! It was also great to have fantastic kitchen facilities to use. I did however spend a fair bit of time in the Russell and it is great place for food and drink, and rooms are great value too. You also get breakfast.
14th April – Fly home!
**Holiday Breakdown**
Flights (Manchester>Perth>Melbourne>Adelaide>Sydney>Melbourne>Manchester £1270/£635pp @ www.expedia.com (note you can’t fly straight from Sydney to UK, the price doubles, so you have to go Sydney to Melbourne to Manchester). I did try a variety of dates, but I gave up in the end trying to avoid stopping in Melbourne again!
5 Nights in Perth @ Wickham Backpackers £199.90 Book Direct with Hostel
4 Nights in Melbourne £209.19 @ www.venere.com (use code PREF12Q42015)
1 Night in Lorne £45.17 @ www.venere.com (use code above)
1 Night in Apollo Bay £46.04 @ www.venere.com (code doesn’t work for this property)
1 Night in Port Fairy £47.36 using code above @ www.venere.com
1 Night in Robe £45.29 using code above @ www.venere.com
1 Night in Adelaide £45.79 using code above @ www.venere.com
3 Nights in Sydney £198.08 using code above @ www.venere.com
Car Hire £100.32 @ www.easycar.com
Total £2207.14/£1103.57pp
If you go through Topcashback and you manage to get Venere to track (even with use of a code) at 13% this could easily knock around £100 off this price. I have had recent transactions track with the code so you could be lucky!
You can adjust this itinerary, but I think this works well. I've checked all hotel ratings and got the cheapest price for all them and hunted down codes too.
Top comments
Perth
Melbourne Hotel
Lorne
Apollo Bay
Latest comments (89)
They are the trees i meant, walpole is the tingle trees which while interesting aren't scary, i think the tallest near pemberton is over 70 metres with no harness, apparently there is a net around it now, they say that as if it would actually stop you dying if you fell off, i really don't think it would do much
Second the 'fire' trees too. Check out the Gloucester tree at Pemberton, some 61 mtrs tall with spikes driven into the trunk for you to climb up on, no H&S here folks.
I totally agree with your post, there are so many things to see and do including those away from the touristy traps, but you can fly for hours and not leave Oz which is weird! It is so easy to get about though, it's just deciding what you want to see and do!
I did most of your trip in my first couple of months, ,my current plan is work to the new year and upgrade my car to a 4x4 to do a lap, so Perth>adelaide>melbourne>sydney>brisbane>cairns>uluru>darwin>perth. Theres loads i've missed doing it on trains and planes. i particularly want to see the north west next winter, karijini looks incredible, but the east coast looks pretty spectacular itself as well.
If you want to do roadtrips i forgot to mention the wikicamps apps, costs a few quid but will tell you where you can camp up for free, if you want to do it cheap stay in hostels, not only are they cheap but backpackers seem to know everything, you'll never be short of suggestions for things to do and most of them are cheap things as none of us have any money :laughing:
If we weren't already booked for NZ in March we'd have taken another trip to Perth, which we did last year.
So if you are on the Perth leg I'd recommend the following:-
Pinnacles in Namburg NP 2 Hrs North of Perth on Route 60. You can drive through the 'Pinnacles' in your car or smaller Camper van, mind you it is a sand 'road'. Great when it's Twilight.
Giant's Cave Margaret River, self guide with just you and a torch.
Esperance 8 Hrs East from Perth, fantastic beaches taking the Twilight Beach Road.
Wave rock was a disappointment as they have built a water catchment wall right on the top of the 'Wave Wall' so it distracts from the 'natural' element of the place.
On the GOR and Port Fairy, eat early as even the Pizza take away shuts at 9!. Ended up with baked beans on toast! bought from the petrol station :-(
You've certainly crammed in the most from a single trip, we did these in three separate trips!.
In perth:
Rottnest island is definitely worth a visit in perth, if you go on tuesday it's only $59 for the ferry from fremantle to the island with bike hire included (it's usually over $100).
Fremantle Prison is also worth a visit, tours are about $25 (you can actually stay in the old womens wing as it's now a very nice YHA as well)
Kings park is incredible, situated up on a hill it overlooks the city centre and the new Elizabeth quay that might one day open
The swan valley is full of wineries and you can do a tour (i believe it's by one get one free on sundays). Theres also the ferral brewery there and little creatures in fremantle, both are excellent craft beer breweries.
South of perth albany/denmark/margaret river has stunning beaches and national parks
For the fearless try climbing the fire trees at walpole
Sydney:
Sydney harbour bridge you can actually go up one of the spires, it's much cheaper than the bridge climb and offers a good view for about $10
Take the train to Katoomba in the bllue mountains to see the three sisters and for some incredible scenery, on a sunday it's only $2.50 return using an opal card (similar to an oyster card in london).
Bondi is the known beach but go to manly or coogee as well, the walk from bondi to coogee is all hidden little beaches with hardly anyone on them
Melbourne
Hop on the 35 tram from southern cross, it's free and does a lap of the city centre with commentary to help you get your bearings.
All the trams within the loop the 35 does are now free in Melbourne too so getting around is quick and cheap
The queen victoria night markets on wednesdays are a must visit offering up a lot of food and drink.
The war memorial and museum is worth a visit
Head down little bourke street for china town where you can pick up some cheap dumplings
The Australian centre for the moving image next to federation square was excellent and free, it's a museum covering film, tv gaming and more.
Having been out here a while at the moment there's some things you come to realise quite quickly:
The place is bloody massive, a local will tell you it's down the road but that might mean 1000km "down the road", i worked with a guy who moved down the road, it was a 30 hour drive down 1 road.
It's also expensive, even with the good exchange rate at the moment, expect to pay about $10 (about £5) average for a beer in a pub if you want one, eating out does add up, I can easily burn through $100 a week on just food that I need for myself. That said, petrol is cheap for any roadtrips, filled my car up for $1.05 a litre the other, so about 57p a litre.
Don't drive at night, especially in a hire car. Kangaroos are nice animals but the novelty of them wears off very fast when you see how many of them jump out in to the road at night, i've met a lot of people who wrote their cars off because of the roos.
All said and done, enjoy it, there's a ridiculous amount to see and do, i've been out here a year and there's still a tonne of things to see, if you're under 31 i'd thoroughly recommend getting a working holiday and doing months if not years to try and see it all.
So, we left the hostel around 8:45am (Sydney Harbour YHA) and walked to Avis at Kings Cross. Despite requesting and booking a manual car, they had an automatic so we had to wait whilst they got one from Budget across the road. We then had to go back in again when the car they gave us had a massive scratch and dent that wasn't noted, but eventually we got on our way. We pick up signs for Wolllongong and the Grand Pacific Route. We stop off at the lookout at Bald Hill and see the Sea Cliff Bridge and park up and take a short walk along this. We don't stop for long in Wollongong, more of a toilet stop as it is very busy and instead we spend some time at Illawarra Lake which is beautiful. There are huge pelicans and people flying kites and fishing, it is so peaceful and less touristy. By contrast, at Shell Harbour it was manic but did go into tourist information for nothing in particular, but the lady in there was amazing. She told us about a place called Killalea State Park or 'the Farm'. We headed up to there and it was beautiful, we did a lovely walk and headed to the beach. If we had been staying overnight we definitely would have attempted to surf here. After this we head to Kiama blow hole although it wasn't really doing much blowing! We do enjoy the view though and go for a walk nearby before heading to our accommodation for the night at Old Erowal Bay at South Coast Sea Stay with Mike an Jen. This was booked with Airbnb as in Huskisson direct everything was booked out, had minimum stay or was super duper expensive. We were really surprised, it was a gorgeous room and a fridge stocked full of food that we could help ourselves to and such welcoming hosts. After a quick shower we headed out to Huskisson and went to the RSL Club and had a great value dinner, 2 courses for $10. We had a nice walk around Husky and listened to a singer at the pub opposite the Husky. Back at our Airbnb we sit outside and star watch with Mike and he shows us some great tricks with his lovely Labrador called Diggs .
4th January 2014
After cooking a lovely breakfast cooked with Mike and Jen's fridge of food, we went to Chinamans Beach from a recommendation from Mike. Its lovely and peaceful with white sand and clear blue seas and we practically have the place to ourselves. After about an hour we wander up to Hyams beach which is just stunning. We walk quite a bit up to find a perfect spot on the squeaky sand. Everyone is right about the beach, it's probably the nicest beach I've ever been to and swimming is glorious. After as much relaxation we can take we head to Booderee National Park driving first to Murray Beach and the Govenor Head Lookout where we spot penguins on Bowen Island and also sit and watch a baby kangaroo. We drive to 'hole in the wall' which is pretty much as it is, walk along this beach and again so peaceful with lots of birds. Go to Coles to get something to eat and head back to Airbnb.
5th January 2014
After another breakfast we check out of Mike and Jen who see us off. We stop of in Ulladulla to try and find a suitcase to replace one that broke (see previous thread about the broken suitcase saga) and get one from a surf shop. Stop off at Batemans Bay for some lovely fish and chips and then arrive at Surfbeach Holiday Park in our lovely cabin. It was clean and the amenities block was just opposite. We go from Surfbeach to the beach and can see Montague Island in the distance. We then walk from Surfbeach past the golf club towards Narooma and go to the lookout point where we see fur seals. There is also a wedding party having photographs taken which was lovely to see. We spend some time walking around Narooma then head back to our cabin where we cook dinner and enjoy wine sitting outside.
6th January 2014
Woke at 5am to go to the bathroom and after coming out of the amenties block the sun was coming up so I walked down to the beach in my PJ's and enjoyed the peaceful view, it was stunning. After check-out we drive to Tilba Tilba. I love it here, it is still early so it is quiet and we have a coffee and fudge at the fudge shop which is also a general store and post office. The people here are so friendly and we stop and chat to a few people and browse in the (expensive) stores. We also walk to the lookout and pay a brief visit to the ABC cheese factory. Next stop is Bega Cheese Factory for more cheese :-) so we kind of have a cheese lunch, they also have a dairy museum in the factor which is really interesting. As we cross into Victoria and Gippsland we see a sign for Genoa Peak which we saw in a tourist info booklet. We didn't realise the track to get to the car park would be such a traumatic journey, there was trees down on the track and our poor Toyota didn't like it! This was a fascinating and probably dangerous trek, it was so high up and so very windy, infact climbing the rocks and metal steps we were clinging on so hard our knuckles were white. I couldn't get over how barren everything was but it was good to see a completely different viewpoint. We also stop at Stony Creek Trestle Bridge which our tourist info leaflet says you can walk over, clearly the leaflet is out of date as the Trestle Bridge has been out of action for quite some years and is in a state of disrepair, its amazing to see, the work that must have gone into it is mind boggling. We arrive into our next Airbnb property Warm Holes which is at Lakes Entrance. It is a gorgeous little cabin that Helen has made so welcoming with breads, juice, cereal and fruit. So after a quick shower we head to Lakes Entrance and walk along the lake and take in a lovely sunset although it was quite cold (just after we left Victoria experienced a heatwave, but it was quite cool when we were there). We find another RSL Club and have a huge and tasty Chinese meal and a few drinks. Head back to Airbnb and watch a DVD from Helen's supply in the room.
7th January 2014
Up early and just 2 minutes walk from Helen's is a lovely walk along the lakefront, so we take an early morning walk and get chased by some black swans! We follow the highway and go to Walhalla which I've seen in a leaflet. We get tickets for the Goldfield Railway and would have made the mine if we would have parked closer. Unfortunately the sign that tells you to park up for the Tunnel Gold Mine is not accurate as it is a good 20 minutes walk and we asked a person in the museum and at two different shops and one didn't know and one sent us in the wrong direction. By time we found it, we had missed the tour, so instead we did the walk whereby you are overlooking the village and can see the old 'bank vault' where they use to store the gold and you can see the remainders of the mining equipment. If you want to go to the mine, drive right through the village and you will see a road on the left. The train ride was short (20 minutes) but a nice scenic journey and credit to the volunteers who have restored it, they have done a beautiful job. After we did a walk to Walhalla cemetery which is perched on a hill and has a very spooky feel to it. After this we then drive to Patterson Lakes to catch up with our cousins!
Flights £680pp..............seem reasonable? Never been to Aus before so cannot wait!!
Great itinerary.
I did the great ocean road earlier this year stopping at most of the same towns you've mentioned. Also worth a visit to Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet, where Round The Twist was filmed.
When in Sydney, Manley ferry is a must as you've stated, and the Rocks are great. If you want a great night view, get yourself up to the bar on the top floor of the Shangri-La, not cheap but a great view and a great place for a drink, there's also an incredible restaurant.
Forget the Shangri-La if you can stay at the YHA next door they have a fantastic roof top bar and sitting area. Cook your own food in their fantastic kitchen, buy your own drink and sit out on the rooftop for free.
much agreed, YHA is fantastic! never understood the rave about the Rocks, alright for a drink, but there are other places in Sydney - Darling Harbour etc. Great itinerary!
Edit: here it is Port Fairy YHA
F that.
This is a great trip although I do agree that if it's a first trip go to the Barrier Reef area as it's beautiful and one of the things I enjoyed most in Australia.
If you haven't got time to visit Philip Island but still want to see penguins then head down to St Kilda pier on an evening as there are loads there.
I will play around with dates and see what happens, any tips on best days to leave for best prices etc?
Virgin Australia Baggage
personally if i was going back to oz, i'd pass on perth altogeather its alright but on a short holiday unless you have family there it hasnt the attractions other places have, sydney, the east coast and the middle of australia would be the better trip, and when i lived in manly i remember it being absolutely freezing in April (not compared to uk cold though)
i'm considering posting my trip to st lucia/barbados with manchester return flights, internal liat flight, 10 night hotels, beach hammocks and two catamaran trips including snorkelling reefs and sunken wrecks, surfing soup bowl and lounging in a palm tree garden hammock, friday night fish fry, walking/climbing the pitons, and swimming with hawksbill Turtles, all in £1075 per person ;0)
Whilst Perth may not have the attractions of other cities, head our of Perth and explore areas such as Margaret River and Esperance, it's really good to go to the west.
I've been Australia in the peak and also in April, May June (Melbourne) and in March and April have always been blesses with good weather comparable to our summer.
to be on the safe side learn some aussiesongs :laughing:
Also,after you've munched yer delicious fish supper at Cicerellos in Fremantle, don't forget (if you're a rock fan) it's a great opportunity to pay respect at Australia's most visited grave..... Bon Scott's.
Loved it and would love to go again
Heat added for effort.
It's quite good to do one leg especially if you have overnight flights or a long stop in Dubai where you can use the lounge. We did Economy on one leg where we were awake and watching movies etc and then business on another leg where we had nice treatments in Dubai lounge, a shower, good meal on board and then slept.
http://www.etihad.com/en-gb/before-you-fly/my-upgrade-options/upgrade-yourself/
Airbnb is a great option which we have also used a few times, more so during December and January when accommodation prices were through the roof.
This deal gives you great bang for your buck, heat added!
I've seen flights to Sydney cost this return so to get everything included for it is just brilliant!
Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2017 to do this but will use this itinerary.
Robe
Adelaide
Sydney
Car
Perth
Melbourne Hotel
Lorne
Apollo Bay