I travelled to Australia with Emirates Airlines via Dubai, I had been planning to go there for many years and finally my dream was coming true. I had taken three weeks off work and had decided what I wanted to see. I chose three nights in Sydney, flight between Sydney and Brisbane for one night and then hire a car and drive up to the Sunshine coast for eight nights and finally Melbourne for three nights.
The flight was fine, we flew economy had a good selection of food and the entertainment was second to none. We arrived in Sydney and stayed at the 4 star Menzies hotel which was centrally located. The hotel has good leisure facilities but is a little dated in the room decor, although they are updating them. The staff at the hotel were excellent and the concierge staff helped in every possible way. We arrived early morning, left our bags and went to have breakfast down at the Rocks. We looked around the harbour, saw the opera house, walked around the ferry terminal and just watched the world go by.
That night we went into China Town and had a great value Chinese meal. The next day we took a trip to the aquarium which was fantastic then at lunchtime we caught the ferry over to Manly and had an afternoon on the beach. That night we had a meal at the Sydney Sky Tower, where the views at night over Sydney were amazing.
On day 3 we arranged a tour to go up to the Blue Mountains, approximately 1 hour from Sydney. We travelled through small towns and had a great driver who told us everything we could possibly want to know. Then we arrived at the tourist office and boarded a train that resembled a ride at Alton Towers, the drop was practically vertical and definitely woke you up after your early morning start! The views were breathtaking and you can take your time walking through the forest and looking at the wildlife. There are other routes down if you dont fancy the train.
We then travelled to the Jenolan Caves, our tour guide was very informative and a typical Aussie Guy and then we were able to have lunch and drinks there, we then travelled back and had a brilliant meal around Darling Harbour in the evening. The next day we spend getting ready to fly up to Brisbane and just did some of the sights again around Sydney.
We arrived at Brisbane airport from Sydney and collected our pre-arranged car which was very easy and straightforward. We had two nights booked at the Mercure Hotel which was of a very good standard and a short walk into the city and the south bank area of Brisbane. We spent the afternoon on a riverboat seeing the city and surrounding areas in a very relaxed and inexpensive way.
The city is really nice and the weather was fantastic and much warmer than Sydney. The areas around Brisbane are really nice and the city has a man made beach/lagoon area as you are quite away from the coast. This area is called the South Bank and is full of restaurants, parks and gardens. Everybody finishes school or work and spends the late afternoon and evening outside doing all different types of activities, from sports to eating and socialising.
That night we went into the city and had a great meal at one of the main areas in town, the atmosphere was very lively and vibrant. The following day we drove to the world famous "Australia Zoo". The day was brilliant and the staff who work there are so informative and friendly its a really good day out. You are able to see the Crocodiles being fed, snakes, feed the Kangaroos and loads more, whether youre a grown up or a child youll have a great time. The hotel booked us a table that evening at a Thai restaurant on the South Bank area, its like being on holiday in the med as the climate is hot and the dinning is outside in many areas.
The following day we packed our bags and hit the road to drive up to Noosa Heads area where we had the relaxing part of our holiday booked. The drive took around four hours as we drove through the national park of the Glass House Mountains and then joined the highway again to Sunshine Coast. The accommodation was just what we were looking for, very relaxed with all amenities and somewhere we could finally chill out a little. The Hotel was called the Twin Waters Resort and had swimming pools, bikes, non-motorised water sports in the private lagoon, beauty salon, and gym plus loads more. To stay in this resort you do need a car if you wish to travel out and about although there were three restaurants on site from 5 star a la carte to take away/quick snacks, there were also free BBQs to use in the park areas.
Whilst we stayed her we arranged different trips out. One was a day trip to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, with some amazing views and really interesting animals and plants.
There are lakes on this island that are breathtaking and they are all fresh water not salt. It can get quite busy on the island but we had a fantastic tour guide in a 4x4 car. Its well worth paying that little bit extra to travel in a small group, rather than the bus tours that go to the Island. The other trip we arranged was a day trip to Lady Elliott Island the furthest south on the barrier reef. This trip isnt the cheapest but it certainly ranks as one of the best days of my life.
We had another very early start, picked up by a limo and taken to Sunshine Coast airport where we boarded a rather small plane. The flight was around 90-120 minutes and followed the coast line up from Maroochydore to Hervey Bay, the view was spectacular, its like looking at marbling in turquoise waters. We finally saw the Island in the middle of the ocean and landed on the runway. The Island is beautiful and you can swim straight out from the beach. This island is very relaxed and informal and if you decided to stay here the accommodation is clean and comfortable and attracts lots of keen divers.
We were there just for the day and had a tour guide and a marine biologist with us all-day. They took us out into the reef by boat where we were able to snorkel for a few hours. The marine life was fantastic and the coral was unbelievable. The guides on our tour came swimming with us and pointed out different species of fish and coral, we saw a nursing shark, turtles and lots of fish. The day ended with a fantastic lunch and then the flight back over Fraser Island and Noosa National Park.
We had a couple of days relaxing by the pool in Noosa and did some sailing, golfing and bike riding; you can do as much or as little as you like. On the last day in the Sunshine coast we drove back down to Brisbane to catch our flight to Melbourne.
Melbournes skyline looks fairly similar to Brisbanes but the weather was slightly cooler; they say you can get every season in one day in Victoria! We were staying in an area called Sorrento about an hour and a halfs drive from Melbourne City. The area is very quaint and pretty, with lovely places to eat and drink and watch the world go by. The beaches were amazing but the water can be fairly cool on windy days. We only had two nights so we took in the local beach areas and drove around some fantastic wineries. I enjoyed a brilliant day horse riding in the evening had an excellent Thai meal at a very reasonable price.
If you require any further details please phone TD on (UK) 0161 488 3504 or visit www.tdtravelgroup.com. We look forward to organising your forthcoming holiday.
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