need some help with planin the route!:)

hola!

i'm going to oz next autumn...gonna stay there 3-6 months..:D so,we're gonna arrive in sydney (in september) and want to go to darwin and the east cost. any advice about how we should organize our trip? thanks

saara

You can't really "organize" travel for such a length of time. So what you do is, you make a rough plan (clockwise or anti-clockwise? Keeping in mind that you'll want to be in the south between December and March, on account of the wet season in the north not being pleasant, so given you arriving in September, you might want to start by flying north and then travelling south), with some highlights which you definitely want to hit, and then within that rough framework, you figure out things as you go along (referring religiously to the lonely planet section on the particular area you're finding yourself in at any point, while also rigorously putting that lonely planet aside and exploring on your own), not being afraid to completely throw around your initial plan if what you learn during the trip calls for it.

Transport wise, you have the option of renting a car (but that gets prohibitively expensive over three months), buying a car to sell back when you leave again (though that's a lot of hassle, and might not be worth it unless you're spending the full six months), taking busses (one-off, or getting a pass which allows you to travel the entire distance for a set price), or a combination of the above (fly some stretches, rent cars for others, and take busses and trains for the rest). It's all a tradeoff between cost and convenience and flexibility and what you prefer yourself. There is no "best" option, and all options would give you an amazing trip, so it won't really matter all that much what you do.

So, sorry, no clearcut answers here. But that's what travel is like; just figure it out as you go; it'll all come naturally once you're on the road.

I think it would be a great idea to start at the bottom and work your way anti-clockwise around to Darwin.
My advice would be to fly into Melbourne and explore the surrounding areas like Tasmania or do the Great Ocean Road. From there maybe fly up to Sydney. Domestic flights are pretty cheap in oz and may be a lot better than dealing with buying a car, insurance, petrol etc.
Sydney for Christmas/NYE is always fantastic and there's a great vibe in the air. Also the Sydney Festival is on during January with heaps of things to do eg music, arts, theatre, free concerts...
From here I would suggest maybe flying or driving up the coast. Because the weather will be getting warmer the beach is always many travellers first choice. Places like Byron Bay, Gold Coast and Fraser Island are all really popular.
My suggestion is once you get to Cairns, fly over to Darwin to finish off the trip. It might be mighty hot, but atleast the majority of your trip is done. Darwin isn't as expensive as the east coast so if you're counting pennies this might be the best option.

The time frame might also run out on you, but just my suggestion

Anti clockwise from Perth would be your best bet. Example would be: Perth - Sept, Adelaide - Oct, Melbourne - Nov, Sydney - Dec, Brisbane - Jan, Cairns and/Or Darwin - Feb. Feb is probably still a little too early for Darwin etc due to the humidity and wet season rains but you should still get away with it. And given your time frame - February is you best option for the north.

But that only gives you the capitals.. No real Aussie heritage. But at the end of the day - what do you want out of your trip. If it is party party party then the capital circumnavigation as per above is probably you best bet. If it is the outback and all the out of the way places you want to see then your options are endless.

Anyhow - Make sure you do:
Perth - Monkey Mia (Dolphin Feeding), Rottnest Island,
Adelaide - Barrosa Valley (Wineries), Kangaroo Island and the Seal Tours
Melbourne - Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley also some good wineries ( a day on the green is a great way to experience good music at a winery, Alpine National Park 4WD tour,
Sydney - Blue Mountains (Train to Katoomba), Bondi Beach, Coogee Bay hotel and beach, South Coast (wollongong) has some great beaches and the 1 hour train ride from the City Central terminal makes it easy and cheap day trip.
Brisbane - Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Glasshouse Mountains / Bribe Island, Moreton Island, Maybe up to Fraser island but Morton is similar and only a ferry ride out of Brisbane.
Cairns (or Townsville) - Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park, Cooktown, Atherton Tablelands
Darwin - Litchfield National Park, Kakadu National Park. If you are short for time Litchfield will give you what you need out of the region and it is much closer to Darwin. That is if you can do it at that time of the year as there may be still too much water - but if you can this would be a great time to get there. Maybe the best time for to spurge on a helicopter ride over the national parks as the water falls would be really flowing.

Really - I could go on all day with many more. Any questions - feel free to ask.
Cheers

Hey

You should go and buy "The lonely planet" from woolworths, its written by ex back packers and has some really usefull information, from hostels, eating even down to planning your route. its been my bible since i've been in oz so much so i may need another copy soon lol... good luck