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Australia for Easter?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Hello all!

I'm trying to figure out what to do over Easter. I've got 2 weeks off from uni and want to get out and do something. I'm currently living in NZ and want to fit in as much as possible whilst I have the opportunity. I'll have some time free in June to travel some more but it'll be broken up by exams so I can't really do Oz then.

Anybody been to Oz? Is it worth going for a fortnight? Anywhere you'd recommend going?

Also, my 21st birthday is over Easter so is there anything really memorable anyone can suggest for that?

I'm open to going to other places in the general Pacific region so long as it doesn't cost too much to get there!

Cheers!
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you can get cheap flights on Virgin Blue or the like I'd say go across for a couple of weeks, the airtime's only about three hours depending on where you go. As for where you should go, it depends on what you want. If you want to lie in a puddle of vomit for two weeks go to Surfers or Cairns and try and out-drink the backpackers, if you want to be a bit more cultured try Melbourne or Sydney.

    Personally I'd say go to Melbourne and spend some of your time shopping and some of your time lying on the beach at Sorrento and some of your time eating seafood in St Kilda. But then I'm biased.

    If money's no object go to Cairns and go out to the barrier reef. I've been scuba diving out on the reef and it is one of the best experiences I've ever had.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If money's no object go to Cairns and go out to the barrier reef. I've been scuba diving out on the reef and it is one of the best experiences I've ever had.

    It's amazing there, so beautiful. I also love Sydney but my friends who've been to Melbourne all seem to prefer it. My dad used to live on the Gold Coast near Surfers' Paradise but I wasn't mad keen on surfers you'd be better in a smaller town on that stretch of coast if you wanted to go there.

    I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge (back in the days when the exchange rate made it affordable!) and that was incredible.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd rather not do the getting pissed off my face thing, I can do that when I get back home. If I'm going somewhere, I'd like to see it. Once I've finished paying for my accommodation here (hopefully on Monday) I'll see how much money I have and begin to plan it out :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If money's no object go to Cairns and go out to the barrier reef. I've been scuba diving out on the reef and it is one of the best experiences I've ever had.

    Agreed, diving on the outer barrier reef was absolutely amazing!

    Fiji was pretty good as well when I was in that part of the world.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    I also love Sydney but my friends who've been to Melbourne all seem to prefer it.

    I'm a Sydneysider by birth but I spent the first few years of life in Melbourne. I've always felt more at home in Melbourne, it's just a more laid-back city than Sydney is, more multi-cultural too.

    Despite the rivalry, there's precious little to separate the two cities nowadays, even if Melbourne's business star has waned slightly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Cairns is pants. Sydney or Melbourne would be my favs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Gold Coast to Cairns.

    Party, sun, sea and surf in Surfers Paradise, Brisbane for some city life, Sunshine Coast for relaxation on beautiful beachs and more sun, sea n' surf, Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, Fraser Island (just wow, no one should visit Australia without coming here), Whitsunday islands (again wow) and snorkling/diving on the Great Barrier Reef is just out of this world. Then to Cairns for some partying, Port Douglas for tropical beach paradise (but don't get in the sea) and the Daintree Rainforest (watch out for crocs)!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm trying to figure it all out at the mo, currently thinking of starting out in Cairns and working my way down to Sydney but then I'd miss out on Melbourne :(

    My birthday is towards the end of the two weeks so I was thinking of doing Sydney Harbour Bridge that day and then just chilling for the last couple.

    Is there anywhere with a lot of spiders etc? Only I'm a wimp and will run screaming, even if it's a harmless one :d
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would say Cairns to Sydney in two weeks is really ambitous - i did it in 6 and even then it seemed like we were rushing to do everything. I think for two weeks your better off just sticking to one state and trying to see lots of that - you could do sydney, the blue mountains and somewhere on the beach for example with a few days in each.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It depends as to how you're planning it. If you were thinking of a week in the far North and a week in Sydney that would work, but you would have to fly which increases the cost. You certainly wouldn't be able to drive from northern Queensland to Sydney in two weeks without spending a lot of the time in a car, it's close to 2000 miles and the interstate roads are not great.

    As for spiders and snakes, you can see them anywhere, but Cairns and the far north are tropical so you see all sorts of lovely creatures.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is there anywhere with a lot of spiders etc? Only I'm a wimp and will run screaming, even if it's a harmless one :d
    I'm the same but I used to spend loads of time in Oz when my dad lived there and never saw anything I was scared of.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've been to Sydney and really liked it. I had six days there and managed to get a fair bit done. I went for a wedding in the botanical gardens - it was beautiful!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was looking at taking the train. I know I'm not going to be able to see much but I figured if I decide on a couple of things that I definitely want to do and work my trip around those then that would be the best way of doing it for me. I do know what you mean about rushing things though, I had two months to get from Canada to NZ and I still missed out loads but I'm happy with what I did see, so I guess it all works out.

    I know that the chances of me getting bitten by something are tiny compared to the chances of me being run over but I'll still most likely react irrationally if I see something on the shower wall or something
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    I'm the same but I used to spend loads of time in Oz when my dad lived there and never saw anything I was scared of.

    Yeah I lived in Queensland for a year and saw fuck all spiders really. I only saw a few on trips to islands and the Rainforest, never saw them around the house or anything.
    Did see occaisionally see Rhino beetles flying around the balcony at night though, and cockroaches were sometimes a problem! :yuck:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was looking at taking the train. I know I'm not going to be able to see much but I figured if I decide on a couple of things that I definitely want to do and work my trip around those then that would be the best way of doing it for me.

    You'd really have to plan it carefully as interstate trains in Australia are not good, they're probably less frequent and regular than even Amtrak.
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