Tell me about Australia...

[FengShuiBBturtle]

Oh I really want to go. I would love to travel to and around Australia for, say, three weeks. Whats the best I thing I could do and what kind of budget should I be thinking of. BTW, I work in a flower shop. I am not the owner. I don't make that much money eventhough I do work in the San Francisco Bay area. So.. what can one do on a tight budget and what do you all think I should have at least? Much input would be greatly appreciated....thanks:D

[Globaliser]

How much comfort and luxury do you want? Australia is one of the great backpacking destinations, and if you're prepared to sleep in hostels and do the whole "budget travel" thing, you can probably do it on air fare plus a couple of hundred dollars a week. But it wouldn't be very comfortable and it would restrict what you can see. The more you can add to your budget from there, the more rewarding the trip is likely to become.

[FengShuiBBturtle]

Do you think I could get by?

[Globaliser]

Do you think I could get by?

As I said, yes - and you'd be able to do more than if you were taking half that. But it still wouldn't be a luxury holiday, of course, with those amounts. As in all of life, you largely get what you pay for.

[Jane110]

Does that $1500. have to cover your airfare to get there? If so, I'd say no, it's not enough.

 

Our dollar goes far in Australia and you can find very inexpensive accomodations as well as food, so being on a limited budget isn't too tough in that regard. However, it's a very large country, and you're going to have to fly from city to city wich will eat up a large portion of your budget.

 

Qantas has air passes that they sell to tourists, but you have to buy them before you get there (they are flexible and unused ones are refundable) and Virgin Blue is Australia's budget airline. Have a look at their website to get some idea's of fares between cities.

 

Jane

[corniglia]

Virgin Blue currently have some specials for most fares. They do not cover as much of australia as Qantas and are not always cheaper even though they are promoted as the budget airline. Jetstar are a new "budget" airline and the same applies with them. Beware with Jetstar if you arrive a bit late for check in you are not allowed on the flight and forfeit your ticket. Often you will find that if you can get a cheap-ish airfare it is not much different to a bus fare and considering the time saving the plane usually works out the best option. Beware when booking airfares that sometimes a published fare does not contain all the surcharges/fees/taxes (sometimes it does) so check before you book- they can sometims be almost as much as the fare.for the short trips.

If you want to go to places other than the east coast states eg Northern Territory, WA etc it will certainly be much more expensive to get there and would probably not fit in to your budget. Sue

[Travelau]

Hii Friends,

 

I am from India and last year I had a chance to visit Australia and I want to share with you all. It was really a very good trip and I enjoyed a lot. The places I visited a-

 

Port Douglas -- Port Douglas is 68 kilometers (about 40 miles) up the east coast (Reef Side), north of Cairns. Set up on the beach (including the fabulous Four Mile Beach), and shielded by the Great Barrier Reef, it is a small city of about 4,000 people. The atmosphere is that of a laid back, seaside community, but there is a growing, tourist-driven commerce here, that allows you to enjoy a vacation in posh style. Shopping centers provide access to everything from designer fashion to Aboriginal art. You can shop in a boutique gallery or a small tropical hut. They produce markets offer a huge variety of locally grown tropical fruits.

For accommodation in Port Douglas: Port Douglas Accommodation at Mandalay and Shalimar Luxury Beachfront Apartments

 

City of Cairns -- The city of Cairns sits on the east beach (that's the reef side) of the North Queensland peninsula. This is the best-known city in coastal Queensland, and the gateway, for an outsider, into the entire area. This is the intersection of the tropical rainforest, the beach, the Reef, and transportation, inside and out.

For accommodation in City of Cairns: Camper Travel Campervans rentals, Motorhome rental & Station wagon Hire Australia, Cairns

 

Trinity Beach -- Just 15 minutes north of Cairns, you'll find the lovely Trinity Beach, commonly thought of as "Cairns' Favorite Beach". The beach is lined with palm trees, the sand is rich, and the water is warm, deep, and great for swimming and fishing. This beach has been discovered by tourists slightly more than Clifton Beach has, but it is a preferred destination for the local inhabitants around the Cairns area.

There are many cafes and restaurants along the beach, and there is easy access to local shopping, and into the city of Cairns.

For accommodation in Trinity Beach: Noosa Accommodation in Australia Sebel Resort Noosa

 

Palm Cove -- The Ancient Aboriginals would be proud -- Palm Cove is renown for being Australia's "cleanest beach". The locals have an almost religious zeal for keeping their beach in pristine condition. There is a full-time Green Team, which works with the local businesses to keep the beach immaculate, as well to inform visitors of all the available services, including where to dine.The beach is also aptly named. It's lined with palm trees.

For accommodation in Palm Cove: Apartments in Cairns Australia Reef Palms

 

The services provided by them was really very good.

 

Why not check us out before deciding where to stay in Australia.

 

Cheers

[Aussie Gal]

If you decide to come to Australia fly into Sydney and make that your base. There are dozens of Back Packer Hostels in Sydney. From Sydney you can buy a Bus Pass and go up the Eastern Coast all the way to Port Douglas if you so desire or just some of the way up there. The bus passes are much cheaper than the air passes but of course they take a lot more time.

 

Australia is a large country like the U.S. so unless you have unlimited time, you should read about our country and pick out where you would like to visit. Each area is so different. We have the wonderful heart of Australia, - Uluru - which you need to visit from Alice Springs, there is the Great Barrier Reef, there are our lovely cities, Sydney and Melbourne, each so different from one another and yet both beautiful, Canberra our Capital with wonderful museums and then lovely Tasmania with all its history of our convict settlement.

 

We have thousands of young visitors who come from all around the world and Back Packing is part of their culture. You can join a hostel association such as YHA and stay in many good locations. Our son backpacked around Europe and had a wonderful time when he was young.

 

You can see a lot in 3 weeks so don't let the time limit deter you but make a good plan and stick to it.

 

Your dollar is better than ours, but it is not as good as it was. At the moment you would be getting about 1.25US to our dollar.

 

Jennie