HUP

Hopefully we will be moving out to Melbourne at the end of October :scared: . Before we arrive in Melbourne we are going on a big trip. The plan is

Fly to Perth. We will spend a couple of days here seeing the sites before travelling upto Geraldton to see some friends. We will then travel further up to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins.

We will then fly across to Brisbane and do the surfers bit and the theme parks.

From here we hope to get a camper van and drive down to Melbourne with various (as yet unfinalised) stops along the way.

Anyone got any tips on places to go and see on that journey?

Anyone doing something different?

tinaj

We are going via the States.

Flying to Orlando staying in Disney for a few nights then going on a week long Disney Cruise around the Carribean - I am looking forward to this almost as much as getting to Aus!! Mainly because they have a kids club from 9am til midnight each day- hurray no kids for a week!

Then we fly to San Francisco for a couple of nights, then direct to Sydney.

You might as well make the most of the distance and do a few stopovers.

bussie

if ya going to monkey mia you got to go a little further and go to Ningaloo reef

its the most amazing place i have ever been to

go on the glass bottom boat and go diving with all the fishes

never been to a place of such beauty

hevs

I have been up as far as Canarvon (hmmm very interesting?) how far would it be to drive from Monkey mia to Ningaloo, roughly?

Don

This time, straight trip there (NZ) and back in March to tie up some loose ends.

Next time, I want to add in a couple of weeks somewhere family oriented in Thailand on the way, probably one of the quieter (and cheaper) parts of Phuket or if I'm feeling really crazy (chimps in tow) might head for Koh Tao, one of my all-time favourite places in the world. Bit more difficult to get to but might be worth it if I make it 3 weeks instead of 2.

Might as well, it doesn't add anything to the ticket and is a darn sight cheaper to live than NZ or Aus.

dotty

We'll be going the other way, but its fly to LA, pick up a very large motorbike and spend 8 weeks at least, hanging out in the real USA. New Orleans, Texas, Montana, New York, Vermont, all the non Disney bits. Traveling around with just a few changes of gear, thats my idea of heaven.

Once in the Uk, we will do more of the same, travel around till we find somewhere we want to buy. I am having a lot of trouble with the UK, the more info we get, the more diverse it seems compared to our years in OZ, so we cant decide on where to go.

One things for sure, I cant wait to pack up all the materialistic crap and get back to me backpacking days.

Jolyn

If you're heading far enough north Airlie Beach - on the Barrier Reef is lovely.

Lots to do in Sydney. For the kids, don't miss Taronga Zoo and the Manly ferry - walk from beach to beach when you get to Manly. And the usual tourist stuff - walk around concourse in front of the opera house, ferry to Darling Harbour, the Rocks area and foot of Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach.

On the way south from Sydney (Coast Road) check out Pebbly Beach - near Kiama, about 4 hours south of Sydney. Tame-ish kangaroos on the beach, great parrots, fabulous beach for kids. Not to be missed.

hevs

Thanks for that Jo. Getting well excited about the "holiday" now, have you got any info you could bring next tuesday on airlie beach?

Don

Airlie Beach - I did a couple of sailing trips out of there a few years back (one of them yachts had won the big New Year challenge race (that one out to Hobart) and was apparently worth a few bucks). Didn't cost much, I think about AUD 300 all-in for 3 days.

Lo & behold, I produced a bottle of Laphroaig on Xmas Eve and my newly met cabin mate produced a bottle of Glenmorangie!!! And we all brought a case of beer too, naturally. All 10 or so of us. (Ice ran out!)

Didn't run aground, crew said something about no wind and we all got merry!

steandleigh

Hi HUP,

Once we are fully visa'd up we plan to fly via Hong Kong to see rellies, then onto Perth for a couple of weeks, then fly to Adalaide - pick up campervan, then get driving. melbourne, Sydney, all the way up the coast, Byron Bay,Brissy, so on and so forth, ultimately ending up at Cairns. Aaahhh - home- sweet- home! think we will spend about four months in total, with our two ankle biters aged 2 and 5 in tow! Yippee!!!

Leigh.

april

That is the way to travel.... had a bike for 28 years go everwhere by motorbike... love to ride I am thrilled for you....

Jolyn

Sounds like a great trip Leigh! I'm jealous except that our 3 year old snores so much that I'd be a wreck if I had to share a campervan with him for 4 months. Not sure the cat would go for it either!

Badge

garratt-

why not try Coral Bay for the Reef. Closer than Exmouth which is maybe another half-day/day's drive. I think Carnavan is the stop before Coral Bay.

from Monkey Mia to say, Coral Bay, is a day's drive. You'd stop in Carnavon (banana plantations) for lunch. By day, I mean the best part of a day eg leave 9am get there tea-time. You pass the Tropic of Capricorn and you know you're almost there!!!

Did it last year.

badgers

hevs

Cheers Badge! Been up as far as Canarvon, but very boring drive! Was just reading in my "footprints guide to WA" that coral bay is a good place to go, just wondered how long it would take from Monkey mia, remember we have 2 kids to keep entertained too!

Jolyn

I think you might find the distances on the east coast a bit more manageable with more things to entertain the kids on the way...OK out with the map and the ruler...