My wife and I are planning a trip to Australia this year, we have relations in Adelaide and Brisbane. I am thinking of flying into Sydney driving Sydney - Adelaide - Brisbane - Sydney. Three week vacation, what are the problems? I have checked all the maps and have no problem driving ten hours a day but would really like some inside information. Thanks.

If I had 3 weeks in Australia there is no way I would waste three days on the road. IMO the scenery is dull and the cost of petrol could well be more than the cost of flights. I think you would be better off flying between capitals and cramming your days with sight-seeing rather than dealing with long boring roads, trucks and fatigue.

I'm with you BB. Flights from Bris to Syd can be had for as little as $100 each way on Jetstar or Virgin (or Tiger?). Same with SYD to ADL.

I'll agree with the others. Have a look at kayak.com for budget flight comparison. Hire cars locally (most cities have budget car rental options)

If you have relations in Brisbane and Adelaide, why fly into Sydney? Fly into Adelaide (or Brisbane), spend some time with those relations, then hire a car and take a week to drive to Brisbane, getting a feel for what outback Australia is all about, spend some time with the Brisbane (or Adelaide) relations, then fly back to the UK. You will have to pay a one-way fee for the car hire, but it will be worth it.

We drive from Brisbane to Adelaide and back each Christmas, trying to find a different route each time (that's getting difficult!) and we keep discovering new things and places along the route. If you want any route suggestions, let me know.

It is not the capital cities which make Australia unique, it's the other 99.9% of the land area. When my father came out in 1997 I took him on a trip from Brisbane to Longreach and back, and he was absolutely blown away by the outback which was so different to anything he'd seen before - and he'd travelled all over Europe together with trips to Canada and the USA.

I agree, sections of the outback are interesting (particularly in the NT) but if someone only has 3 weeks to visit relatives and "see Australia" I don't think there'll be much time for road trips to Longreach. I have also driven between Adelaide and Brisbane and, imo, it's just plain boring most of the way.

For my three weeks I'd definately fly between capitals and probably do the Opera House, Sydney Harbour, Kings Cross... Adelaide vineyards, hills... Brisbane, um... Gold Coast beach, seafood dinner, evening cruise, Seaworld swim with the dolphins, Currumbin sanctuary and then fly out of Darwin after side trips to Katherine Gorge, Aquascene fish feeding and a croc farm.

That would cover the touristy things, some great experiences and a fabulous taste of the outback.

:

Opera House? Really? It just looks the same as on TV!

Most world famous tourist attractions are the same, I queued for 4 hrs to get up the Empire State Building, biggest waste of time in my life.

Thanks for all your replies, and after having a re-think I am now looking into flying into Adelaide, flying out of Brisbane, renting a car one-way and taking about a week to drive between the two via Sydney. Reasoning behind this is that it gives us the freedom to choose our arrivals and departures from our relations and it also gives us the freedom to sightsee along the way. Melbourne, Canberra, Gold Coast etc. Will be very interested to reed all comments and suggestions. Thanks to all in advance.

You seem fixated on going to Sydney! If you want to take a week to drive between Adelaide and Sydney I suggest you go the long way round via Mt Gambier and the Great Ocean Road to Queenscliffe, then across the ferry to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, across to Sale and then head north to Sydney via Canberra, then up to Brisbane by either the Pacific or New England highways.


Really? You must have gone across the Hay Plain! There are plenty of other ways to get there if you are not in a hurry - this year we went to Mildura/Wentworth and headed straight north up the Silver City Highway to Broken Hill, Tibooburra Thargomindah, St George, Dalby and Brisbane. Nothing boring about that!

Not really. On TV it looks white. In the flesh it's more kind of yellowy white...like nicotine stained teeth!

But Sydney is a great place to visit. . If it were my first trip to Australia I would definitely want to see Sydney.

[/QUOTE]Really? You must have gone across the Hay Plain! There are plenty of other ways to get there if you are not in a hurry - this year we went to Mildura/Wentworth and headed straight north up the Silver City Highway to Broken Hill, Tibooburra Thargomindah, St George, Dalby and Brisbane. Nothing boring about that![/QUOTE]



I think with only 3 weeks in Australia, the OP will most definately be in a hurry. They will probably also have jet lag. There is no way I would wish a journey like you suggest on someone who wants a once in a lifetime Australian holiday. Sydney is a must imo and yes, a visit to a country town might be interesting but going via Broken Hill for Dalby and then Brisbane... no way.

Dalby is near Cecil Plains.... and they're not called "Plains" for nothing.

brissybee, I wasn't suggesting the Thargomindah route for monksb - if you noted I suggested the Great Ocean Road.

What makes Australia different from other countries? Our climate, our beaches, and the outback (that's my opinion anyway). Certainly not places like Sydney and Melbourne which apart from a few specific items (e.g. the harbour bridge, the opera house, the harbour itself, Melbourne's trams) are no different from any other western city. It's not as if there is any real history to be found there.

I have found that Europeans are blown away by the vastness of inland Australia and it's that they remember long after the cities are just a dim recollection.

I think the opera house and harbour are worth seeing though, so are the great beaches. People like looking at these things on holiday.

I do like the sound of all the things you mention, but just think Sydney is worth a look and most visitors will enjoy it. I can't think of any reason why anyone would go to Melbourne on holiday.

Yes... I remember.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose. I'd still do the Opera House, harbour... (maybe a day trip/overnighter to the Jondaryan Woolshed from Brisbane.) That's enough bush for anyone who doesn't have time for the NT.