Marlon
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 09:00 AM |
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GLOAT!
Sorry for the bragging but I just have to shout this out as it's been a dreem of mine and swmbo's for years and years.
I am now the prowd owner of two tickets to go to Australia next february on my honeymoon, for a MONTH
We will be starting out in sydney and working our way north to cairns (ish) and then back again so has anyone got sugestions of places to go or see or
things to do on the east coast? We have lots of ideas already but maybe you lot will know of somthing that we don't?? Maybe somthings off the
beaten track??
John.
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locoboy
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 09:01 AM |
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Great ocean road in Victoria - worth every penny, shame i wasnt in a seven thats all 
ATB
Locoboy
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Hammerhead
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 09:41 AM |
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byron bay is worth a look.
Also aussies rave about the blue mountains.
get yourself on a boat on sydney harbour.
Great barier reef.
Whitehaven beech is stunning.
bridge walk in sydney.
I lived in Sydney for 6 months a few years ago, and went over in March for 10 days, did Melbourne (for the GP) brisbane, sydney, and the gold
coast.
Do you know it's winter over there at the moment?
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Johnmor
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 09:43 AM |
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Port Douglas, great beach and easy to go into the Daintree forest see the crocs and beasties etc, watch out for the leaches.
Just north of Cairns.
Cooktown is farther north , remote and full of crocs but worth a look, start of the track onto the North Cap.
Have a grat time , but dont waste it all in your hotel room , youll have years for that caper.
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MattCraneCustoms
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 09:44 AM |
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Lake Mackenzie, fraser island for sure. Absolutely beautiful place. I went for a month at christmas in 2003, stayed with friends in Brisbane, and went
to cairns and dived the great barrier reef, sydney was great, melbourne I thought was crap in comparison. Tasmania is also awesome, and the gold
coast. Australia Zoo was good too. Was taught to play the didgeridoo in cairns by an aborigine, ended up getting one shipped back!! Great place
definately, I'd love to go back but there's too many other places to see in the world first . . .
Regards
Matt
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 10:30 AM |
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I'd recommend:
Byron Bay - nice beach, chilled town, lighthouse to visit which has the most Easterly point on the mainland, there's a cool pub called the
Station I think, on the main road in the middle of town, also another one on the front.
Blue Mountains - go to Katoomba, walk the Giant Stairway and see the Three Sisters. If you're feeling particularly energetic walk out to Ruined
Castle, which is a big pile of rocks. It's bloody miles but once you get there you can climb to the top and see for miles.
Fraser Island (head out from Hervey Bay). You can either do a self-drive crammed in the back of a Land Rover with 10 other people, or you can do what
I did and take a day-long guided tour on an air conditioned off-road coach. Although it was a whistlestop tour I didn't feel like we rushed
anything and I really enjoyed it because the guide can tell you a lot about the island that you wouldn't discover on a self-drive.
Whitsundays (out from Airlie Beach) - again you can do a several day long tour where you sleep on the boat, or a day tour which I did, both are great
so take your pick. Got to go snorkeling around the reef which was amazing and also got my foot chewed by a metre-long Nelson Mauri Wrasse. Also got to
go to Whitehaven Beach which is about as pure as beaches come. If you go at the right time of year you get to wear stinger suits too which make you
look like an underwater ninja
Further up towards Cairns I'd recommend Townsville - nice town with a 300m peak called Castle Hill which gives awesome views for miles. You can
also take a ferry out to Magnetic Island which is worth a visit.
Finally there's Fitzroy Island out from Cairns, much smaller than Magnetic and much quieter too, to be honest I think I prefered it to Magnetic
but there's a lot of walking to do, especially if you want to reach the peak. As for Cairns, I really liked it there even though there was
nothing to do. There's a bar that does toad racing which is a spectacle but the guy who runs it is the most obnoxious person I've ever
met, so be warned. Oh, the lagoon in Cairns is worth lazing about in for a day or two!
Port Douglas I've heard is really nice although I didn't manage to get that far north.
Those were my highlights from the coast, then there's obviously plenty to see around Sydney itself (Mount Panorama race track?).
I'd agree that the Great Ocean Road is worth a visit but that's in completely the wrong direction for you, and besides you'll find
plenty to do between Sydney and Cairns!
One thing I find strange is how Melbourne seems to be like Marmite - I know a few people who have said it was crap, but for me it was my favourite
place in the whole country! Strange huh.
Anyway I'm sure whatever you do you'll have an amazing time, I for one am insanely jealous! Have a good one!
Pete
Oh and by the way, February is VERY humid up in Cairns (at least I thought so), so make sure you get a place with air-con. I was staying in a hostel
with one ceiling fan per room and spent the entire week bathed in sweat :S
[Edited on 26/5/07 by scoobyis2cool]
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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Simon W
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 11:27 AM |
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You gotta do the jet boat ride (the blue boat, not the red) in Sydney harbour. Absolutely fantastic! Maybe a seaplane flight aswell in the harbour.
Dont bother walking the bridge, waste of time and bad sunburn. Great ocean road well worth it, wild koalas hanging on tree's at the side of the
road and some amazing views. Ayres Rock also worth a look although I wasnt convinced that it changed colour that much  Also, eat some roo's
meat! Yum 
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matt.c
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 11:43 AM |
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If you are any kind of petrolhead you will be getting you backside in a Holden and taking it straight to BATHURST!
Image deleted by owner
Scared myself loads of times going up the mountain!! Then down conrod straight!
Remember to hit the brakes early and hard at the bottom!!!
Also try the steepest railway in the world!
LINKY
Doesn't look that steep! I can tell you it is!
Take a look at the Harbour for yous self.
LINKY
[Edited on 26/5/07 by matt.c]
[Edited on 26/5/07 by matt.c]
[Edited on 26/5/07 by matt.c]
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nib1980
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 11:54 AM |
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Australia Zoo, it may be cliche, but it's the home of the late steve erwin, and it is an awesome placve, you get a real feel that everyone there
has a genuine passion for what they do. we loved it when we went
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Marlon
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 02:21 PM |
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Thank you all so very much for the sugestions, there are some really good ones there that we hadn't considered.
so far on our list of definates are.....
Bridge climb,
see somthing in opera house, (don't care what it is)
Revolving restaraunt??
Diving the great barrier reef,
surfing on bondi beach,
a stay in the versache hotel,
australia zoo,
swim with dolphins (swmbo)
shark dive (me)
somwhere near sydny there's a park that you can cuddle a Koala? (swmbo...honest!!)
Blue mountains,
Byron Bay, Time to chill for a bit!!
Bungee somewhere?? hopefully over a river.
I'm sure there's more definates but I'm gonna run your lists past the other half when she gets home, there are some awesome things
out there and can't wait to experience them.
Keep em coming.
john.
[Edited on 26/5/07 by Marlon]
Band Anyone?
Linky to SWMBO 's band
Linky to Brother in laws band
MKoc 1081
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 03:54 PM |
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That sounds pretty awesome to me, if you can manage to squeeze in even half of that you'll have an amazing time!
As for a revolving restaurant, there's one in Sydney called the Summit Restaurant, Level 47 of Australia Square on George Street. It's
fairly pricey but the views are pretty spectacular, especially around sunset. When I was there we just went up for drinks and made one drink last an
hour so we got the full rotation Here's one of many photos I took from the top:
And the Sydney zoo where you can cuddle a koala is called Taronga Zoo which is on the north shore. To get there just jump on a ferry at Circular Quay.
The ferry ride is something you should do anyway, so this way you can kill two birds with one stone!
Pete
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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kenton
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 05:32 PM |
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You can cuddle a Koala at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, just outside Brisbane.
Don't miss the town of 1770/Agnes Water with a fabulous campsite right near where the road runs out -- looks out onto the beach- heaven!
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 06:04 PM |
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Most of the zoos will have a 'cuddle a koala' area somewhere.
If you've got a month, and are heading north in a car or motorhome, then take some time to go 'off highway'and see some of the
beaches between Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads. My old stomping ground is called the Tweed Coast. Just south of the Gold Coast, which is highly
overrated and populated mostly by Japs.
Between Byron Bay and Tweed Heads, heading north, turn right just after Brunswick Heads, signposted 'Pottsville'. A narrow little road to
paradise. You'll find about 30 miles of the best and most deserted beaches in the world. You've got to be told they are there to know!
Pottsville, Cudgera, Cabarita, Kingscliffe. Fantastic point surfs as well, they work in northeasters and southeasters.
At Cabarita, take a left turn to Murwillumbah, up over the mts. Fantastic scenery, then north again when you hit the highway, or continue on until you
get to the river, and turn right.
Bypass the Gold Coast, (except for Main Beach at Southport. Home of the 'Fried Egg', topless. Further up the spit it's total
nudity.)
From Brisbane up it's not too bad either.
Ginger factory near Nambour is worth a look, as well as the nut factory across the road.
Some wineries around Kingaroy and Gayndah as well, will give you a diversion inland. North of the Sunshine Coast doesn't have a lot to see until
Rockhampton, ( but if you go into Bundaberg, look for the Royal Cafe, ask for Ben Lathouras. Makes fantastic sweets and confectionery at the back of
the shop. Ask for a 'Fur Burger', and see what he comes out with. Nothing in the world can describe it!) so do the inland diversion and
see some of the heart of the country. Some nice National Parks to visit.
Cheers,
Syd 
Mileages....Sydney to Brisbane ~500+miles by road. Good highways nowdays
Brisbane - Cairns ~1200 Miles. Mostly one lane either way from Nambour up.
[Edited on 26/5/07 by Syd Bridge]
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Simon
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 10:28 PM |
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Just make sure you get some SPF 30000000.
The sun there is very very nasty, and if you end at need medical treatment for sunburn you're likely to get a severe b******ing.
I was in the sun for 15 mins and got burnt!!!!!
ATB
Simon
Oops, have a good time
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scoobyis2cool
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| posted on 26/5/07 at 11:01 PM |
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Ah the sun isn't that bad, just slap a bit of cream on and you'll be fine. You'll only get toasted if you spend all day lying on the
beach, and with your to-do list I don't think you'll have time!
Pete
It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care...
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Marlon
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| posted on 27/5/07 at 10:26 AM |
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Thanks chaps. I can't see the sun being too bad though, We spent the last two years holidays in Tunisia, On a couple of days there the temp
topped out at over 48*c acording to our digital thermometre that we had with us, They were hot boozy days cooking in the sun by a pool!
we didn't take it down to the sahara desert with us, Now that was HOT!!!
john.
Band Anyone?
Linky to SWMBO 's band
Linky to Brother in laws band
MKoc 1081
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Simon
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| posted on 27/5/07 at 10:40 PM |
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Trust me.
I was on the beach for 15 mins while we were waiting for my suit (bro's wedding) to be sorted.
I was in pain for a week!!!!
ATB
Simon
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