AboutIan Smith Expertise Very good knowledge of N.S.W. from beach to bush to Broken Hill. Have also travelled in a lot in Victoria, Queensland (to Townsville), Tasmania, South Australia and a few weeks in southern W.A. Used to be Hunter Valley Tourist Officer. Contact me for sights to see, not which disco or pub to recommend.
Have also spent months in Europe, particularly the following: Italy, Germany, Spain, England, Scotland, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Czech Republic.
I am a retiree and have a Winnebago Motorhome which I plan to use over the next few years (and have done some trips already).
Experience I have surfed, raced motorcycles, ordinary cycles and a bit of fishing through much of the area as well as working there selling 5 days a week. I also have many photographs which I am currently working at putting on the computer. I have an extensive catalogue of where I've travelled at virtualtourist.com under "iandsmith".
Organizations Hunter Valley Veterans Cycling Club
Publications REVS, Surfing World, Soccer Weekly, Australian Motor Cycle News, Womens Weekly.
My friends and I plan to travel to Australia around mid-August 2009 for a free & easy holiday. Planning to spend 8 days driving from Melbourne to Canberra and finally Sydney - 2 nights in Melbourne, 2 in Canberra, 2 in Sydney and 1 night's farmstay.
Our main interests are as follow:
- snow/skiing
- visiting penguins (phillip island I believe has a good one?)
- scenic visits
- farm stay
Might you have any reccomendations / opinions/ suggestions for this route/timeframe?
Thank you for your time.
Answer I would suggest the following route - head up through Beechworth , then aim for Khancoban and over to Thredbo. However, be warned, this route takes you through Dead Horse Gap which may be closed due to snow - you need to check ahead before using this route.
Alternatively, go up through Bendigo and Ballarat and then cut over to the Snowy Mountains Highway. Unless you're coming from Canberra it's sometimes difficult to get to the N.S.W. skifields. Perisher is best but Thredbo is also good and both are better than the Victorian fields.
For penguins, remember that Phillip Island is a couple of hours from Melbourne. Personally, I think your time would be better spent elsewhere with the amount you have, i.e. allow yourself more time to head north or see more of Melbourne (Botanical Gardens recommended and the National Gallery of Victoria is the best in Australia if you like art).
Scenic visits - See the War Memorial in Canberra, travel via Braidwood and then on to Goulburn to get to Sydney, check out the Southern Highlands (Bowral, Mittagong, Berrima) en route. This will give you a look at a few lovely historical towns.
In Sydney, catch the ferry to Manly and walk out to Fairy Bower. Don't worry about Bondi, it's not that good.
Remember, as in your country, distances can be a bit further than you think.
As for farm stays, there are plenty but you need to know your route first. At that time of the year you should have no trouble getting in so you could check at the nearest town and book in when it suits you. Alternatively, you could try Google but, again, you'll have to know where you're going.
If you need any more info, please do not hesitate to contact me again and, have a wonderful stay.
