Expert: Ian Smith - 5/21/2009

Question
My husband and I found a great deal to Australia in late November. This is
our first trip there and have no clue what sites we must see..we have decided
to rent a caravan and do some camping on the way up the coast. we only have
9 days to spend and I have no idea how long it will take to get up to the GBR.
We also like the off the beaten path sites and adventure. My husband will be
surfing and I will be shopping. I also  really want to snorkel in the GBR and
am willing to splurge on a nice hotel. Any suggestions would be great.

Answer
Okay, there's a few things you need to know.  IT'S A LOOOONG WAY FROM SYDNEY TO THE GBR. We're talking thousands of kilometres.
Since you will undoubtedly be taking the coast route via the Pacific Highway it will take you 3-4 days driving just to get there which leaves you about 5 days for play.
I'm curious that you plan to take a caravan and stay in a hotel, I assume that's when you get to the GBR.
Now, it depends on where you want to see the GBR - It's a LOOONG way from top to bottom, like thousands of kilometres again.
With such a limited time (you won't believe how limited it is until you do it) I would recommend maybe stopping at South West Rocks (where I currently am in my motorhome), then somewhere around Byron Bay, then the Sunshine Coast before hitting the Barrier Reef.
Due to your restricted time I would suggest you view the reef from Airlie Beach.
I suggest you look up Google maps to give you some idea of what you're taking on.
I have a site on virtualtourist.com that you may find interesting.  Unfortunately they don't have South West Rocks listed due to an oversite.
There's dozens of things I could recommend but I'm not sure how much time you want to spend just getting there.
For surfing, the coast between Crescent Head and Point Plomer is probably the finest in Australia but it's dirt road except for Crescent and hire vehicles often void insurance once you're on dirt.
For shopping dare I mention Surfers Paradise.  My son is HR manager at Billabong and they have a great range of surf wear at their Burleigh Heads outlet and Pacific Palms is a nice place to stop for a while; it's next to the Casino.
If you want ot snorkel there's an excellent spot at Port Stephens too but you may not have time.  There's also a wonderful spot just north of Coffs.
Anyhow, if you want any more info feel free to contact me again.
Cheers, Ian