Brisbane, Australia - have you been?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What month are you going? Makes a huge difference. Also, are you comfortable renting a car and driving several hours? And open to flying somewhere?

Skip the Gold Coast. Very built up and feels like Florida. If you want to do something within a two hour drive, head to Noosa. You can also visit k’gari (nee Fraser Island) from there.

Depending on season, budget, etc., Heron Island, Port Douglas and/or Whitsundays would be my top picks.

School holidays will greatly impact prices so try to avoid.

Australia Zoo is a day trip from Brisbane.

Around end of June, to mid July. But could go in mid June if it makes a difference.
I wouldn't rent a car. I'd cycle if that were feasible.
I'd fly if it's worth going to.

Mid-July will be the middle of school holidays so much busier and more expensive. I would go mid-June.

This. Here are the main school holiday dates to avoid. The Qld dates will primarily affect Qld while Vic and especially NSW will muck up almost everywhere you want to go.

New South Wales: 7 July to 18 July
Queensland: 30 June to 14 July
Victoria: 7 July to 21 July

Ok,that’s good to know. So I’ll plan to go earlier in June.
I’ll read about Noosa, that sounds amazing. And will probably fly to Sydney.
Is the Australian Zoo day trip from Brisbane worth it? I’m not a zoo person but if that’s the only way to see kangaroos and koalas, I’d go.

There are many places with kangaroos and koalas.

For native Australian animals, I’d go to either Lone Pine in Brisbane (only native animals) or Taronga Zoo in Sydney (spectacular setting on harbour and reached by ferry). I believe LP may have ended the option of holding a koala though (welfare grounds?).

If you go to Sydney and love hiking, you could go the Manly to Spit walk. Gorgeous.

You can hold a koala in Qld and SA but not in nsw or Vic or elsewhere. I think the Australia Zoo is quite nice and I’d go.

You won’t see kangaroos or koalas in town in Noosa (even in the national park these days). If you drive out of town toward the Everglades, you’ll see kangaroos but almost certainly not koalas unless you get super lucky. You also won’t see them in the cbds of Brisbane or Sydney. You can spend a couple weeks at top tourist sites and not see a single kangaroo, even though they’re ubiquitous in so many places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get a book on cycling in Australia. It's a good place to do it. Good roads, few people.

The east coast of Australia is very densely populated. Doing a cycling holiday there would require more time to get to less populated areas.

It's densely populated by Australian standards. It is NOT densely populated compared to the rest of the world. It takes 18 hours to drive from Brisbane to MLB and there's fewer than 20 million people.

But I agree that starting in Brisbane wouldn't be all that pleasant. You could fly to Tassie in half a day though.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would get a book on cycling in Australia. It's a good place to do it. Good roads, few people. [/quote]

The east coast of Australia is very densely populated. Doing a cycling holiday there would require more time to get to less populated areas. [/quote]

It's densely populated by Australian standards. It is NOT densely populated compared to the rest of the world. It takes 18 hours to drive from Brisbane to MLB and there's fewer than 20 million people.

But I agree that starting in Brisbane wouldn't be all that pleasant. You could fly to Tassie in half a day though. [/quote]

It’s densely packed for the purpose of cycling in or near major cities like Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. OP has one, maybe two weeks and won’t be driving. Where do you suggest they cycle? Doing an organised cycle excursion where you are taken to a quieter spot would be feasible.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone who's been to Uluru tell me what's so great about it? It just seems like...a big rock formation. And it's so far from everything else!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Can anyone who's been to Uluru tell me what's so great about it? It just seems like...a big rock formation. And it's so far from everything else!

If you go during their winter, the night sky is absolutely amazing. Higher chance of clouds other times of year but may still work out.

Rock art.

Indigenous culture.

Beautiful scenery like Kata Tjuta

But you only need a couple days so if you’re only going to take one internal flight, you might prefer somewhere else, like Port Douglas.