# Australia and Fiji



## suesam (Jan 18, 2012)

We have decided to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with a 3 week trip to Australia and Fiji!!! Very excited but scared to death about the planning. We never use a travel agent or tour company but are wondering if we need to for this trip. Feels a little out of my league. We love adventure, culture, cities, beaches, pretty much everything. We do not like being rushed and do not like to move frequently.   Truthfully....I just have no idea where to start with the planning of this trip. Any advice would be most welcome! 

Sue


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## colamedia (Jan 18, 2012)

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary 

What time of year are you thinking of?

Do you have access to timeshares/hotels in Australia/Fiji with your timeshare? Or are you hoping to exchange using II/RCI/etc?

Do you want beach? Ocean views? Wine areas? Big cities? Lots of different day trip options? Great Barrier Reef? Scuba diving? Snorkling? Hiking? Drive to scenic sights? Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge? Any must sees you must see?   Australia is the same size as USA and has the same weather differences - a great time to go to Seattle isn't the best time for San Diego, best time of year for Cairns in tropical Queensland isn't the best time for Tasmanian hiking. Suggestions will be influenced by the time of year.
Will you drive? (Australia is drive on the left)

Many of the timeshares in Australia are a bit dated. I'd recommend sticking to Accor properties available through II, Worldmark properties are a bit lower standard, but still good, available through RCI, most of the other ones, I'd be pretty cautious about (and even some of the Accor and Worldmark properties aren't the best)


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## suesam (Jan 18, 2012)

Thank you!! We are pretty happy we still really like each other after 25 years! 

We will be going in Feb-March. Would like to use timeshares but it is not a requirement. 
I think we would like to do some city and definitely the GBR. I realize we will not be able to see as much as we would like and still have the trip be relaxing and not exhausting. I hate going home from a vacation needing a vacation! I also do not like constantly packing and unpacking....so I guess we need to pin down our priorities and go from there. Maybe FIJI 5 days, and then switch hotels 3 more times?   Not sure about the driving.My DH would probably be up for that...... 

Trying to figure out if we should put FIJI in the end or the beginning of the trip.
All advice you may have would be greatly appreciated!  
Sue


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## colamedia (Jan 18, 2012)

Feb-March is in the wet season for tropical Queensland (most of the Great Barrier Reef), this can mean cyclones (hurricanes).  It's like going to Florida in Aug-Sept, there probably won't be a major cyclone, but it could happen (short afternoon tropical downpours are common).  Most of the cyclone activity is further north, so you can reduce the chance of encoutering a cyclone by seeing the more southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, eg Whitsunday Islands or further south (Herron Island etc) rather than Cairns, but you may still get a cyclone. Even if you don't get hit by the brunt of the storm, the rain can lead to a lot of flooding
Feb 2011 we had Cyclone Yasi.  see http://www.news.com.au/breaking-new...around-the-world/story-fn7ik2te-1225998762870 for how big it was! It was huge; right down the bottom of that page there is a time map of it going over Queensland.  Most of the damage from that cyclone was flood related rather than wind related (like Katrina).

Make sure you have some good travel insurance in case you do encounter a storm or it's after affects!

I'd say a week in either Melbourne or Sydney, both are large cities with a lot to do, but both have some lovely day trips or overnight trips from them.  Melbourne is a bit more European than Sydney, bit more stylish, Sydney is a bit flashier, then a week in Queensland for the Great Barrier Reef.


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## suesam (Jan 19, 2012)

Hmmmmm. Not a big fan of violent storms or humidity. Might need to rethink the timing of this trip. Wanted to do Feb/March since the anniversary is actually in March. Might need to reconsider destination, or dates. I hate that 

Sue


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## DebBrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Maybe push it back a month?  Do some weather research before you decide.

My only advice is to do Fiji at the back end.  After a couple of weeks of touring and sightseeing, you will be SO ready to relax on the beach before going home.

Deb


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## optimist (Jan 19, 2012)

We went to Australia for two weeks some years back and spent five days in in the GBR.   It was a big schlep to get there, we were bitten raw by mosquitoes as soon as we arrived, the boat ride to the reef to do some snorkeling was so rough that people were puking over the side and the wind was throwing it back into the boat (I am not kidding).  Whenever a place has been hyped so much, I thing one is bound to be disappointed, especially if the weather doesn't cooperate.  I really regret not having spent more time in Melbourne, a beautiful city.  
If I were you, I would skip the GBR.   Fiji will give you the same thing and it's a stop on the way back home. You don't have to fly more to get there.


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## colamedia (Jan 20, 2012)

Optimist is correct about some of the GBR - some of it is quite a way from the coast, some of it is closer to the coast. Directly from Cairns it is quite a way out, but just an hours drive north of Cairns from Port Douglas, it's a lot closer to the coast. If you are near Cairns, the cheaper GBR operators will take you straight out to the reef making it a long boat trip, quite a few of the more expensive ones will drive you up the coast and then take you out on a shorter boat trip.  That's one of the advantages of Herron Island - it is actually on the reef, long boat trip out, BUT you stay out there and you can snorkle off the beach directly onto the reef, plus the dive spots are very short boat rides around the island.  
Optimist is also correct that you can find similar tropical reefs in Fiji.  The Great Barrier Reef is famous because it is the largest coral reef in the world, but any healthy tropical coral reef is spectacular if taken to the right spot.

Another thing to consider is airfares, particularly if you are using airline miles - you might not find your airline miles go to Fiji and Australia, most airlines go direct US-Australia (or via New Zealand), you might find trying to include Fiji makes it a very expensive flight. You'd think it would be easy having a stop-over half way, but because of the limited demand, it isn't easy.


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## JudyH (Jan 20, 2012)

This is so helpful, I have been waiting for a thread on Australia.  We were also thinking March, maybe 2014.  How is the weather then around Melbourne and Sydney?  We like National Parks, wine, eating, local culture.....  I was wondering if trying to use a timeshare (RCI) would be a good idea.  I don't know how far away they are located from the things we want to see.


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## DebBrown (Jan 20, 2012)

colamedia said:


> Another thing to consider is airfares, particularly if you are using airline miles - you might not find your airline miles go to Fiji and Australia, most airlines go direct US-Australia (or via New Zealand), you might find trying to include Fiji makes it a very expensive flight. You'd think it would be easy having a stop-over half way, but because of the limited demand, it isn't easy.



Actually, my daughter flew Qantas using AA miles and had a free stopover in Fiji so it made perfect sense to spend a few days there on the way home.  Of course, airlines and availability are always changing.

Deb


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## colamedia (Jan 20, 2012)

March is a great time for non-tropical Australia, end of summer going towards fall, around Melbourne the nights would be just getting a bit cooler.

One thing to watch with March-April is the dates for Easter and school holiday dates, School holidays usually blend into Easter if it's in April, which means no exchanges and everything else gets expensive.  It would be pretty difficult getting an exchange over Easter too - it's a 4 day weekend, so almost everyone goes away.

RCI usually doesn't have great availability for Australia, II it's only sometimes (usually the Accor bulk deposits, which aren't that bulky). DAE has more availability, but the average DAE available resort with the free membership is a bit old and worn.  The DAE Options properties are much better.


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## JudyH (Jan 21, 2012)

What are DAE options properties?


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## Cathyb (Jan 21, 2012)

*Some more input*



suesam said:


> We have decided to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with a 3 week trip to Australia and Fiji!!! Very excited but scared to death about the planning. We never use a travel agent or tour company but are wondering if we need to for this trip. Feels a little out of my league. We love adventure, culture, cities, beaches, pretty much everything. We do not like being rushed and do not like to move frequently.   Truthfully....I just have no idea where to start with the planning of this trip. Any advice would be most welcome!
> 
> Sue



1.  Totally agree with earlier post to do Figi last.  It's a beautiful, relaxing place but check their weather patterns also.  

2.  We loved Sydney.  I hope  your plans get to include that city with the Opera House, the islalnds close by, etc.  You need at least 4 days there to see a lot of what it offers.

3.  Heron Island was a unique experience for us and would certainly recommend it (but is expensive).

Please  put us in your suitcase


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## colamedia (Jan 22, 2012)

JudyH said:


> What are DAE options properties?


Properties only available with paid DAE membership


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## Carolinian (Jan 22, 2012)

colamedia said:


> Properties only available with paid DAE membership



In Australia are they exchange properties?  In RCI Europe, Options properties are non-timeshares that DAE handles rentals on at a somewhat reduced rental price over what one would expect to normally pay.


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