Expert: Michelle Mangio - 2/14/2008

Question
Hi Michelle.

I was wondering if you could help me with some questions about Oz. I'm travelling to Sydney for 3 weeks in march and staying with a friend whose working out there. First of all, hows the weather during march? Secondly i am totally confused on what i want to do, there seems to be many options and sightseeing places, obviously i wont be able to explore all of Oz, so could you recommend some of the main sightseeing in and around Sydney or Oz. I would mostly be on my own apart from weekends (as mate will be at work). How far is the Great Barrier Reef in NQ from Sydney and the Red Rock; are there day tours to these places? Also i was thinking of going to Fiji islands for a weekend or NZ, would you know the rough tickets and cheap accomadation prices of these places?

I look forward to your e-mail. Thankx

sabina

Answer
Hi Sabina,

March is the beginning of the Fall in Sydney; you're still likely to get some very warm weather in the 70s with cooler evenings.  There is a lot to do in and around the Sydney area.  I recommend some trips up to the Blue Mountains, as well as to the Hunter Valley wine regions.  There are also some great coastal cities and beaches within a day's drive both north and south of Sydney - take a look at Wollongong, Newcastle, Hawks Nest, and Port Macquarie especially.  For a bit longer hike, I highly recommend Byron's Bay in northern New South Wales (about a 10 hour drive).

If you want to experience the Outback, take a trip out to Orange in western NSW - about a 4 hour drive from Sydney over the Blue Mountains.  There's lots of great activities out there, and it will give you a feel for the edge of the Outback.

Ayer's Rock is way too far to do a day trip - it's several hours by plane.  You could do a long weekend there if you are willing to fly.

Likewise, the Great Barrier Reef is not really a day's trip.  You could take the Queenslander train up into Queensland to cut down on travel time.  (Driving to Brisbane would take about 12-13 hours).  Port Arlie is the gateway to the Whitsundays and the Southern Great Barrier Reef.  Townsend is also a gateway to some Great Barrier Reef Islands, and Cairns in Tropical North Queensland is the popular jumping off point to the Great Barrier Reef, as well as Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest.

Costs for travel to Fiji and New Zealand would be dependent on the dates of travel, and how fare in advance you purchased your tickets.

Hope this helps!

Michelle Mangio
South Pacific Destination Specialist
michelle @ magicalescapes.com

Magical Escapes Vacations
www.magicalescapes.com