Where in AUS post-cruise?

Our cruise ends in Sydney on Feb. 2, 2016 and we plan on spending several nights there before we make a timeshare trade where we'll be in one resort for a week.

I am at a loss as to what areas to consider. We aren't lay-on the beach people, we enjoy natural beauty and will use the timeshare stay as a hub to "spoke" out from. We will have a rental car and will likely return to Sydney to fly back to the US.

Please advise! Thanks!

What are the options, in broad terms? And have you been to Sydney before?

It will come as no surprise to many here that I think your first choice should be another week in Sydney, unless you know it really well already.

Sydney is wonderful. We spent five days there, went to the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley for Wine, did a harbor cruise and city tour, went to the opera and more.

We only spent a day in Cairns, going to the Skyrail (rainforrest). It was great, but would have loved to spent some time at the Great Barrier Reef.

Our next cruise, we want to go to Melbourne and Tasmania as well as NZ.

Probably just me but I am a little confused by the question. I am assuming you know the location of the time-share so are you asking for options for a period of time after leaving the cruise ship but before the time spent at the time-share?

We've had no problems spending a week in Sydney, but this past fall we flew out to Ayers Rock for four days. We've been to Australia before, and there likely will be another future trip at some point. Next time we'll return to Ayers Rock for a week.

OK, so it sounds like you want suggestions for a location to have a timeshare for a week in Australia.

1. Based on your lack of interest in beach locations and the fact that the weather in Queensland is really hot and humid in February, I would NOT suggest you get a timeshare in Cairns, Port Douglas, Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

2. Based on the fact that Central Australia (i.e. Alice Springs and Uluru) is beastly hot in February, I would avoid that area as well.

3. Based on your interest in natural beauty and your intent to use your timeshare as a "hub", I would look at properties in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, or Adelaide. I went to all of these places when I lived in Australia and you could easily spend a week in each. (Hobart, Tasmania could also be a choice, but I think that some of the places you'd want to visit in Tasmania would be more than a day trip from Hobart.)

We have options as to which timeshare we might book, and was looking for which area to focus on.

It looks like the area around and including Sydney would best meet our needs. We definitely don't want heat & humidity!

Thanks everyone!

We have options as to which timeshare we might book, and was looking for which area to focus on. It looks like the area around and including Sydney would best meet our needs. We definitely don't want heat & humidity! Thanks everyone!

From our "neighbors", as I recall in northern Ohio, you do have lots of great options for post-cruise in Australia. As noted in the live/blog below, we got off of the Solstice in February. We super enjoyed the area around Cairns, both for the spectacular rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Then in Adelaide and nearby Kangaroo Island, it was also super great. Certainly there are many good options in and around Sydney. Much depends on how much you want to see and do cities such as Sydney versus more of the great nature, wildlife, country, etc.

Added questions and background? Happy to share more, respond to your added questions, etc. Lots of pictures and details for the GBR, rainforest, Kangaroo Island, etc., are show below on the live/blog connected below.

QUEENSTOWN??: Have you considered the Solstice overnight excursion that allows you better sample the interior of the spectacular NZ South Island? We really loved those areas. So much to see and do!! You've got time. Plan ahead carefully.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 87,002 views for this posting.

Sydney or Melbourne are both great Cities where you can find plenty to do for a week.

 

I am at a loss as to what areas to consider. We aren't lay-on the beach people, we enjoy natural beauty and will use the timeshare stay as a hub to "spoke" out from. We will have a rental car and will likely return to Sydney to fly back to the US.

 

Please advise! Thanks!

We enjoyed the visiting the Blue Mountains, near Wollemi National Park and Gardens of Stone National Park. The trip does require a car rental but it was well worth the effort. It was terrific seeing the many animals in their natural environment.

Some photos are available from my below blog.

Bob

We have options as to which timeshare we might book, and was looking for which area to focus on.

 

It looks like the area around and including Sydney would best meet our needs. We definitely don't want heat & humidity!

 

Thanks everyone!

I am afraid that your visit is in the middle of the hottest time of the year here.

The coast is much cooler than even a little bit inland so I would also suggest around Sydney with trips down the south coast.

Hi Barb and Fred! Sorry we will miss cruising with you this time, by a few months! See signature.

Appreciate all the information from all of the posters.

RE: Sydney, we are thinking of 3 days pre-cruise: 1 day for HOHO or bus day pass for general touring. 1 day for Opera House tour and bridge climb. 1 day for train to Katoomba for the Explorer HOHO bus and Scenic World.

What do you all think about that plan? Weather-wise, and crowds-wise, would it be better to do this in Sydney pre-cruise in late October, or post-cruise in early December?

RE: SCUBA diving the GBR, our cruise stops at Yorkey’s Knob on Saturday 11/28/15 from 9am-6pm. I am thinking that that is not enough time to scuba, so would be looking for a private shore trip for that day. Would that be enough time to do the Kuranda Scenic Railway? We would also plan to fly to and from Cairns pre or post cruise for our Scuba diving, and need to decide 1) weather wise, would it be better to visit Cairns in late October or early December? 2) how many days? At least one for a boat trip out to the reef for diving? one for the Kuranda Railway if we don’t have time to do it as a shore trip?

Thanks, in advance, for all of your help. And thanks for letting me piggyback on this posting. TLCOhio, great review!

Nancy (and Charlie)

Hi Arkansas Cruisers- that's some itinerary you have for Aus next year- back to back for 32 days!! (O-H-I-O:D)

Terry, your help on these forums is amazing, as are your photos.

As for our plans, still nothing is firmed as far as timeshares on either end of our 14 night NZ-AUS cruise. I'm starting to think it may be better to wait and see ff availability first and work around when we can procure those tickets, especially since we hope to book first class or else break up the long flight over the Pacific with an Hawaii stop.

I am afraid that your visit is in the middle of the hottest time of the year here. The coast is much cooler than even a little bit inland so I would also suggest around Sydney with trips down the south coast.

TMLAalum: Wow! Hi Arkansas Cruisers- that's some itinerary you have for Aus next year- back to back for 32 days!! (O-H-I-O). Terry' date=' your help on these forums is amazing[/b'], as are your photos.

Appreciate these super nice comments from TMLAalum, our northern Ohio neighbor. For time around Cairns, rainforest, etc., before our cruise, the weather was not too hot during this mid Jan. 2014 period when we had there. As noted, being near the coast helped much!! We skipped trying to do the interior at Ayers Rock due to the high heat challenges during that time of year period.

We are getting ready for a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud. Fun doing that future research and planning!!

Good luck to TMLAalum for getting your plans, air flights, etc., finalized. The "prize" is worth it in maximizing your time and varied experience for down under.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 88,030 views for this posting.

Hi Barb and Fred! Sorry we will miss cruising with you this time, by a few months! See signature.

Appreciate all the information from all of the posters.

RE: Sydney, we are thinking of 3 days pre-cruise: 1 day for HOHO or bus day pass for general touring. 1 day for Opera House tour and bridge climb. 1 day for train to Katoomba for the Explorer HOHO bus and Scenic World.

What do you all think about that plan? Weather-wise, and crowds-wise, would it be better to do this in Sydney pre-cruise in late October, or post-cruise in early December?

 

RE: SCUBA diving the GBR, our cruise stops at Yorkey’s Knob on Saturday 11/28/15 from 9am-6pm. I am thinking that that is not enough time to scuba, so would be looking for a private shore trip for that day. Would that be enough time to do the Kuranda Scenic Railway? We would also plan to fly to and from Cairns pre or post cruise for our Scuba diving, and need to decide 1) weather wise, would it be better to visit Cairns in late October or early December? 2) how many days? At least one for a boat trip out to the reef for diving? one for the Kuranda Railway if we don’t have time to do it as a shore trip?

 

Thanks, in advance, for all of your help. And thanks for letting me piggyback on this posting. TLCOhio, great review!

Nancy (and Charlie)

I would choose late October over anytime in December for Sydney and Cairns. The weather in both places is quite nice in October, but it's starting to get really hot in December . Also, in December, you'll have high humidity in Cairns as well as stingers.

You won't have time for a scuba trip if you are in Cairns only from 9am to 6pm. (The boats head out around 9am.) However, it would be possible to do the Skyrail/train combo to Kuranda although it might be a bit rushed. Due to the train schedules, you can't take the train up to Kuranda but you could take the 2pm train from Kuranda to Cairns. Or you could take Skyrail both ways and have more time in Kuranda.

you are going in summer!! summer! no such thing as a cool day anywhere.

I love Sydney and i am a beach person. .but you ahve the bridge climb and you have hte zoo in Sydney.

Ayers Rock made Sydney seem cool.

S0....

I would choose late October over anytime in December for Sydney and Cairns. The weather in both places is quite nice in October, but it's starting to get really hot in December . Also, in December, you'll have high humidity in Cairns as well as stingers.

 

You won't have time for a scuba trip if you are in Cairns only from 9am to 6pm. (The boats head out around 9am.) However, it would be possible to do the Skyrail/train combo to Kuranda although it might be a bit rushed. Due to the train schedules, you can't take the train up to Kuranda but you could take the 2pm train from Kuranda to Cairns. Or you could take Skyrail both ways and have more time in Kuranda.

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will plan 4 nights in Sydney and 3 in Cairns before our cruise.

Do you think that on Saturday October 31, 2015 there will be lots of crowds at Sydney tourist attractions?

It shouldn't be too bad as it isn't a major weekend (Saturday morning early is generally quiet as most people are still in transit. Sundays are much busier due to heavily discounted public transport.

There are 2 Pacific cruises in port but these tend to attract a lot of locals so shouldn't have too much impact.

Thanks!