jacknscoob

Hi Guys

We are thinking of getting a caravan / van and touring Brissie / Sydney/ Alice / Darwin & WhitSundays in a bit of a loop.

Can any one recommend best times to go, we wana see whale watching at The Whitsundays & Hervey Bay. Plus we love the hot weather. Is there a good time to go to Alice? Or not?

Is there a website that can advise on places to plop the van / caravan? National Parks?

All advice welcome...we are new to this

Best wishes

The Spinkways

Womat

Here's a few to start you off:-

http://www.exploroz.com/Splash.asp

http://www.toptouristparks.com.au/

http://www.atn.com.au/parks/parks.htm

http://www.whalewatching.com.au/

http://www.whitsundaytourism.com/

http://www.travelnt.com/en/

http://www.visitnsw.com.au/

http://www.sydneyaustralia.com/

Have a great time.

TeresaG

That sounds fab. Can't offer any advice but hope you have a great time.

scottyboy

How long you going for?
We went for 3 months and bought a VW kombi.
I think it cost us about £3500 and at the end of
the trip we sold it at the backpackers car market
at Kings Cross, Sydney and made $1000 on her.
There were a few posts a while ago. Try a search
for campers/touring.
If we get our visas we intend buying another VW
and touring till we find 'home'.
Good luck with it, we had the time of our lives.
Hope you do too.

jacknscoob

Hi Guys

We would be looking at between 6 - 12 months.

Are there any must sees on our journey?

Best Wishes

Da Spinkways

HiddenPaw

We did too! We had no cares, no jobs, no home, no responsibilities, no wories! Roughly went from Adelaide up the middle to Darwin, across to the Gulf, then east coast from Cape Trib to Brisbane, and cross country back to Mel (as OH got called for a job interview).

Highlights (and I mean highlights as we saw so much fantastic stuff):
Kings Canyon (Been twice to Red Centre in winter - v. cold at night - 2 degrees or so. Def need warm clothes if you're going in winter, even tho daytime was scorching.)
Red soil, piercing blue sky, wedge tail eagles, dead straight highway - amazing
Canooing up Katherine Gorge
Camping in Lichfield National Park, rainforest as far as eye can see. Very peaceful, not as touristy as Kakadu but equally as stunning. Lots of beautiful waterfalls, rock pools to swim in.
Yellow Water sunrise cruise in Kakadu - so many crocs, prolific birdlife, flora, etc
Gulf of Carpentaria/inland Qld - stunning sunsets; places like Croydon - like stepping back 80 years in time. Very different to east coast Qld.
Diving on the GBR off Cairns (did a 5 day course/3 days offshore) - amazing, well worth the money, IMO. Never imagined the underwater world was so amazing.
Mission Beach - beautiful, empty loved the surrounding rainforest
Whitsundays - best bits were sea plane out to the reef, Hill Inlet for pure white sands; walking up to the Spion Kop on South Molle, and looking out over the Whitsunday Passage, imagining what Captain Cook must have seen!
Whale watching in Hervey Bay - stunning. Whales came within touching distance of the boat.
Sunshine Coast Hinterland - green, green rolling hills- just beautiful.

Whole trip was amazing. We had a 4WD and took mtb bikes with us. Even in middle of winter, I found the heat of the Top End really hard. But at least in the dry season, most places are accessible. (Some friends of ours went in Jan and didn't enjoy it as many places (camps, waterfalls, etc) were closed/inaccessible due to the wet).

Have a great trip.

jacknscoob

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the info... but does anyone know if there is a guide book / or on web that is aussie doggy friendly? Do all National Parks allow them, or caravan parks?

I might start another post...as of course our 'Rainbow' will be coming with us

Cheers

Da Spinkways

youngy73

no dogs allowed in any national parks as far as i know. i also think youll be lucky to find campsites that allow dogs aswell.buy a lonely planetand just read thru the places where your going

Womat

Use the 'Advanced Search' link on the left to identify pet friendly sites.
http://www.goseeaustralia.com.au/default.asp

Domestic animals/pets are not permitted in National Parks.