Australia, Where is the best place to travel when you are there?

Question

My family and I are think of traveling to Australia for winter break. There are five of us (two adults, one 16 year old, one 14 year old and one 11 year old) Where is the best place to travel there, and what are them best activities to do there. What place are cool to visit, and see? How is the weather in December- January?

Answer 1

On the Gold Coast would be best for your family - Aussie Culture, Theme Parks, many beaches to choose from and of course the shopping!
http://www.goldcoastaustralia.com/tourist-information.htm
http://themeparks.com.au/
http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/

Cairns is also great - heaps to do with the Great Barrier reef etc... but it's ALOT hotter here. Further north the hotter it is.

Answer 2

December/ January is mid summer. It is hot in the south and hot and wet in the north. The wet season has arrived by then in the tropics. Central Australia is very hot. If you are going to Alice Springs and Uluru don't even think about climbing Uluru in 40°+ heat.

Sydney is a great place to start and an excellent place to see the New Year in with the big fireworks display over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. January is the Festival of Sydney with lots of big free events including Opera in the Park, Symphony under the Stars and the big Australia Day festivities and evening concert. Check out http://www.whatsoninsydney.com.au

If you head north to Queensland, remember it will get wetter the further north you go. Cairns is a lovely place to visit but you will need a strong umbrella and you might find some roads closed due to flooding. There could also be tropical cyclones around.

Canberra, the Snowy Mountains (no snow at that time of year) and Melbourne are worth a visit. Perth is lovely but it is so far away from anywhere else you won't see anything else if you go there. Tasmania is delightful.

With kids in tow, you will probably be required to do the theme parks on the Gold Coast but get in and out as quickly as possible.

Answer 3

Stay out of the tropics, the weather is virtually intolerable for anyone who isn't used to it. Other than that, I don't know what you and your kids think is cool, or what mode of transport you are willing to use. As a judge for time, it takes 9 hours to drive direct from Melbourne to Sydney, and 3 days from Melbourne to Queensland stopping only for meals and loo stops. On the west coast you can drive the same distance in one day as it is less buit up and doesn't have a speed limit much of the way. If I were you, I'd tell the kids to do some research then post their list on here for some feedback. The further south, the better. It's damn hot in January, but February is usually the worst. Weather-wise, a tour of Tasmania would be best. Wherever you are going, you'll need to book accomodation as far in advance as you can, because that's our holiday season. Many beach areas are booked years in advance. If you can, come later. It's worth the kids missing some school. March/April would be much better. The weather is still pretty good and it's not nearly so hot or so busy.

Answer 4

Hi,
This is their winter downunder. First go to Sydney. This City has a great deal of one of kind "Things to Do". First off you have to buy the "Passbook" don't recall the name but you'll find it through any travel agency or you can purchase them at the Harbor. Plan your day(s) around the passbook schedule.
Here are the things my bride and I did. Take a harbor cruise to the Sydney Toranga Zoo you'll see all the country's animals.
Tour the Opera house if there is a concert try see it.
Tour "The Rocks", if you are at the harbor it's too the left, this is the oldest part of Sydney. There are a number of places in the Rocks to visit.
Make sure, if you are up to it to do the bridge climb, this is a real treat. The locals call it the "Coat Hanger", for good reason.
There is a museum on one on the pillars close to the rocks that explain the bridge and harbor.
There is a monorail in town you have to ride it once.
Take a harbor cruise toward the entrance to Sydney Harbor you will see a lot of the area.
There are harbor ferries that run all over the place take one to the Aquarium you'll be impressed with the shark tank and Maritime Museum just across the waterway.
Walk up to the Observatory on observatory hill.
There are two "Ghost Tours" if you have two nights, you must make reservations in advance take one or both. There is a lot of history in and around the Rocks.
Shopping, you will not fall short of shopping. There is even an F.W. Woolworth's store.
You'll find plenty of information around town on things to do. You will not be bored.
The Blue Mountains, this time of year, but they are fantastic to say the least. You can't go wrong with a tour to the Blue Mountains.
You have to take the flight to Carins(Cans). This is the jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef. This area has a lot to offer. There is a train ride to Kurunda, and a tram ride back down, this is a town up in the Mountains and rain forrest. After this trip visit Tjabuka. This is a native museum. With a great deal of History.
Once in Carins do a couple of day trips for snorkleing or even diving on the GBR you will not be disapointed there is no place in the world like the GBR.
We did not make it to Aryes Rock, very Hot. Anyway we did our tour in 22 days. So enjoy.

Answer 5

Ok Dec and Jan are Hot in australia, depending on what you want to, you could go anywhere, theres lots of out door activities everywhere, Perth Western Australia has the best beaches, great world class wine regions in the swan valley and south west, you can learn to surf. Sydney and Melbourne on the east coast are good for shopping, but i think Perth is the best in summer, great beaches and great coast line to travel, that time of year you will want a pool or the beach or great air conditioning. Queenslands Gold Coast also has great beaches and shopping, and theme parks

Answer 6

Its very hot in December and January it can get to 40degrees celcius. Best places to visit would be Queenslands Great Barrier Reef and Also the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. The kids would love wet and wild on the gold coast as well as dreamworld and seaworld. The beaches are beautiful with big surf.