Worth visiting Australia for only ten days?

[timesharejunkie4]

We went to Australia back in '00. I think we were gone form 10-13 days but I had a meeting to attend in Sydney for 5 days. We toured the Syndeny area on our own during our free time. I usually like to freewheel it when I travel but we were with another couple and di not have a lot of time to plan. We went thru Swain Travel who did a great job. We went to the outback (Alice Springs), then to Ayar's Rock, Cairn's (Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef), and finally back to Sydney to fly back to the US. We flew to every location because of the distance between locations; each flight was about 3 hours or more. I was happy we flew because we still spent time on the road seeing the countryside but got to see more than if we had driven.

 

[PDX Matthew]

I am a US/Australian dual citizen living in the USA. 10 days is short, but you can have a great vacation. Please be aware that right now, even Australian citizens are having significant difficulty getting flights to Australia, the Australian government is only permitting 4,000 arrivals per month. All arrivals are required to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel near their arrival airport, at their own expense. This situation is unlikely to change until a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available. Please visit the Australian Health website before making any travel plans. Do not plan to travel in the next 12 months.

 

[remowidget]

I wouldn't go for only 10 days, but for me it is because the flight is so long. That's just me though. Anywho. We drove from Brisbane to Port Douglas, for the same reason you want to. I think we saw one kangaroo on that drive, no other special animals. Lots of sugar cane and banana plantations. I wouldn`t say good scenery. Lots of four lane roundabouts going the wrong direction. Lol. I'm glad to have done it, but wouldn't do it again. IMHO, you would be far and away better to spend the extra time taking more great barrier reef excursions than several days driving. Of course, make sure you get a day in an Australian zoo.

Also, Sydney was our least favorite stop. We spent five nights there and did enjoy the Zoo, but didn't really love anything else. Just a big city. We loved Brisbane and Melbourne.

 

[Carlsbadguy]

We spent 12 days a few years ago. Flew from LA to Ayers Rock and spent 2 days, then flew to Cairns and spent 5 days. Did 2 days on the Barrier Reef, 1-day Karunda Railway, 1 day a zoo then flew to Sydney and spent 5 days. Main impediment to how much time to spend was the long plane flight. It was about 20 hours from the time we left our house until we arrived at Ayers Rock. 10 days with 5 days each in Sydney and Cairns would be doable.

 

[MarciaS]

We are considering visiting Australia this fall - end of September into the beginning of October. Our primary goal would be to see the great barrier reef, but we'd likely fly into Sydney and drive up. We would plan to return in the next few years to see more of Australia and visit New Zealand.

A lot of people don't recommend a short trip, which I understand - but that would mean putting off until retirement, which is many years away for us. What do you guys think?

We have made 2 trips to Australia, one for a month on the East Coast, and one for a month on the West Coast, both using timeshares in various places. There is so much to see that you can concentrate in one spot or go back many times. Like the US there is much variety, depending on your interests, and 10 days is a good length of time to have a taste of Spring in OZ.

 

[Synergy]

We still intend to do this trip, but 2021 looks unlikely, and 2022 is a looong ways away. Nice to look forward to, though!

As for the driving... If someone from elsewhere wanted to visit both Seattle and Southern California, I'd definitely recommend that they consider flying into one and drive to the other - despite it being a 1300mi trip. If someone was visiting, say, Austin and New Orleans, I'd 100% recommend they hop on a plane - even at half the distance. If the trip up from Sydney is more like the latter but longer and with slower roads, that certainly makes the decision easier.

 

[spkjnr]

As an Australian, living in Melbourne ( under pretty severe COVID-19 restrictions right now .... ) I've a few comments.
It Is a long way to fly from North America to Australia - but it's the same distance for me to go to US. Would I go to North America for a 10 day trip - absolutely. Is it easier to do this business/ premium economy - absolutely. But I would be thinking in terms of 10 days from arrival in North America to departure., not 10 days from leaving home to getting back.

I plan o the basis that every day of inter-city travel is not being really part of a holiday trip, also day of arrival and departure.
Let's say you were in mid- USA, flying from your home to a hub, arriving LAX in time for customs formalities and late night departure. 14 or so hours later you arrive in Sydney, 2 hours customs/ baggage/ immigration, 1 hour to hotel. Check in, shower ( you will need it. ). Don't know about you, but after around 24 hours on the road, and around half day time zone change - the only place I'm going is to bed.

Re driving between major cities in Australia. Just don't do it unless there are specific things you want to see, and then add a second day.
As an example for Adelaide- Melbourne my family allows 10 hours, Melbourne- Sydney 12 hours, these are two driver, very early morning departure, good conditions, toilet fuel and fast food stops only times. We have state based automobile associations, Queensland one has a good free travel planner here:- https://www.racq.com.au/travel/trip-planner

Unfortunately I don't think we will be going anywhere outside Australia until 12 months after a vaccine becomes not only available but pretty much rolled out both here and wherever we are going. Same will apply to receiving overseas travellers in significant numbers. Personally I don't think there is going to be a vaccine by 2 November 2020 ........

As to Australian travel right now - we have in total 8 states and territories, and pretty much hard borders in place between them right now. Essentially no overseas travel, a quota for Australians retuning from overseas, and two weeks mandatory quarantine on arrival. Even our most senior politicians have to self-isolate if travelling from Victoria to our national capital (Canberra).

Our travel industry will eventually open up, but one budget arm of major airline has folded, Virgin Australia effectively went bust. I fear the days of cheap local airfares are gone for a decade..

 

[PcflEZFlng]

I appreciate the information, @spkjnr. And, welcome to TUG. Australia has been our list to visit for a long time, and we'll eventually get there. As for now, it is highly unlikely we'll go anywhere outside of California before 2022. Not loving that, but I can wait...

 

[geist1223]

In the past 10 years we have made 4 trips down under. They were: 1. Sydney and Coffs Harbour (2 weeks); 2. Fiji and Roturua (3 weeks); 3. Rotorua, Pahia, Hobart, and Sydney (4 weeks); and, 4. Hobart and Melbourne (3 weeks). This last one was in February 2020 just before everything locked down.

 

[ruhskis9713]

We are considering visiting Australia this fall - end of September into the beginning of October. Our primary goal would be to see the great barrier reef, but we'd likely fly into Sydney and drive up. We would plan to return in the next few years to see more of Australia and visit New Zealand.

A lot of people don't recommend a short trip, which I understand - but that would mean putting off until retirement, which is many years away for us. What do you guys think?

DO IT! We drove from Sydney to Brisbane, then flew to Airlie Beach for a 3 day live-aboard that was wonderful. You don't need to go all the way to Cairns. Also visit Noosa if you have a chance. We definitely DON'T recommend driving from Sydney to Cairns--almost 30 hours!

 

[bjones9942]

I’ll give ya one better....... I live in nyc. I went to Sydney for 5 days last year. whatever go for a week!. Hit two cities and head home. It’s fine. Some people feel like you have to spend months in a place. I live in nyc and i still haven’t seen everything here. Life is short, who cares if you’re trip is! I know people who “hold off” from going places because they “need at least 2 weeks!”. Meanwhile, I’ve been to those places 4 times to their none!

family member: you’re going to Europe again?
me: yup
FM: for how long?
me: a long weekend
FM: that’s too short! I need to go for two weeks
Me: how many times have you gone?
FM: well, none because I need to plan it, I want to be there for 2 weeks.
me: I’ve been there over 2 months when you add all the times I’ve gone, soooo what ya waiting for? Just go!

I get that some people travel differently and don’t want to be rushed. But life is short, if you have an opportunity, take it! You may have seen enough to say you never want to go back. Have to been to Asia? South America? New Zealand? Europe? Africa? The world is big, we work and have limited holiday! in the words of captain jack sparrow.....”take what ya can, give nothing back” ok we’ll that last part maybe not so much. Always give back haha. But you get it. Take the trip!

Before I retired I was living in Seattle. I needed to travel, but only had weekends so one time I hopped on Amtrak, rode to Sacramento, wandered around for a few hours, then flew back to Seattle. The next trip I rode Amtrak to Chicago, stepped out of the train station and walked a couple of blocks down the street to the subway stop. Caught the subway to the airport and flew back home.

Sometimes you have to make the journey to the destination as much of the trip as the destination.

 

[fotoiksk]

amazing...

 

[JanT]

Do not put anything off until retirement if you can afford to travel now. You don’t know what the future will bring and if for some reason you weren’t able to go later you will kick yourself. Speaking from experience!!

 

[Synergy]

Do not put anything off until retirement if you can afford to travel now. You don’t know what the future will bring and if for some reason you weren’t able to go later you will kick yourself. Speaking from experience!!

We've always sworn by this. He lost his dad at 56, which is incidentally his mandatory retirement age. We've traveled more in our eleven years together than his parents did in almost forty. I'm sure we'll have regrets someday, but travel and experiences won't be on the list.