Pre cruise in sydney

[MicCanberra]

You can swim on the GBR but you need to wear a stinger suit (provided by the tour companies), the stingers tend to be coastal. Most good snorkelling is on the outer reef where there is little chance of stingers, but the suits are worn anyway. Most Nth Queensland hotels have pools so swimming is also possible there.

[Obilix]

Do the hotels provide stinger suits for use in their pools?

[The_Big_M]

They're only for wild creatures. No wild creatures in the hotel pools. 😉

[Bhop]

Thanks for the information. I think we will stay in Sydney and see the Blue Mountains. There are three of us traveling, including my mom who will be turning 90! We are doing this cruise for her birthday - Australia has been on her bucket list. I’m sure we could spend half a year there and not see it all. My husband and I will need to make another trip here for sure. We are looking forward to this adventure!

[Obilix]

Bhop, you could spend the rest of your life here and not see it all! Australia is almost as big as the USA, not including Alaska.

 

I think you've made a wise decision, particularly as you are travelling with a 90 year old lady, who I would imagine would find the extra flights and attendant hassles difficult, not to mention the stress on you of having to look after your mother's needs and her luggage, as well as your own. Remember, the flight over and the flight back to the US will be taxing in their own right.

 

Save the Great barrier reef, Uluru, and possibly Darwin and the Kakadu National Park for another trip, when you have more time.

 

Mr Gut's suggestion on how to spend 4 days in Sydney is worthwhile, and with a little research you can come up with a few other things that will suit your interests as well.

 

Big-M, I'm not as sanguine as you in dismissing wild creatures from hotel pools.

 

I've seen several old walrus' cavorting in them, not to mention any number of porpoises!

Edited March 3, 2019 by Obilix

[DevonianCruiser]

On 2/24/2019 at 12:31 AM, GUT2407 said:

In Sydney using four days is easy

 

Manly or Bondi or the beaches and ocean/harbour views and walks

Day trip to Blue Mts, different but as spectacular as the reef

The Zoo those animals that have the best views in the world.

a day or two around the city, The Rocks, Opera House, botanic Gardens and bridge.

 

if it two days at GbR and two in Sydney v 4 in Sydney I may give the nod to just Sydney

We have 4 days in Sydney after our cruise at the end of November so that’s some great info - thanks.

 

got a day before as well, but I think we’ll just wander around. 

[DevonianCruiser]

On 2/24/2019 at 12:31 AM, GUT2407 said:

In Sydney using four days is easy

 

Manly or Bondi or the beaches and ocean/harbour views and walks

Day trip to Blue Mts, different but as spectacular as the reef

The Zoo those animals that have the best views in the world.

a day or two around the city, The Rocks, Opera House, botanic Gardens and bridge.

 

if it two days at GbR and two in Sydney v 4 in Sydney I may give the nod to just Sydney

We have 4 days in Sydney after our cruise at the end of November so that’s some great info - thanks.

 

got a day before as well, but I think we’ll just wander around. 

[MicCanberra]

8 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

They're only for wild creatures. No wild creatures in the hotel pools. 😉

except for the Cane toads.

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, DevonianCruiser said:

We have 4 days in Sydney after our cruise at the end of November so that’s some great info - thanks.

 

got a day before as well, but I think we’ll just wander around. 

Plenty to see in and around Circular Quay without having to go too far.

[lyndarra]

Consider a day tour of the Hunter Valley wine country.

[MicCanberra]

Or a day or two in Canberra.

[lucymorgan]

On 3/4/2019 at 12:38 AM, Bhop said:

Thanks for the information. I think we will stay in Sydney and see the Blue Mountains. There are three of us traveling, including my mom who will be turning 90! We are doing this cruise for her birthday - Australia has been on her bucket list. I’m sure we could spend half a year there and not see it all. My husband and I will need to make another trip here for sure. We are looking forward to this adventure!

The blue mountains are likely to be a bit cooler than Sydney in January - so that might be an advantage.  Other options are a trip to the National Capital (Canberra) or Wollongong.  Canberra in January is usually hot and dry (so probably a less hot version of Phoenix) and has many national institutions without entry fees  - think a much smaller and Aussie version of Washington DC without the humidity and with lots of bushland 

 https://visitcanberra.com.au/    

 

Wollongong is a lovely seaside town only about an hour from Sydney and has some nice attractions (Nan Tien Temple, Northbeach, Mt Kiera lookout, Kiama blowhole (nearby).  

 

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by lucymorgan

[Catboatcouple]

Bhop,

We will be on a Viking trip stopping in Cairns Dec 20, 2019.  sooooo what did you end up doing?  Did you snorkel in Cairns?

How humid was it?  

Like you, we also live in Arizona (Goodyear)....

[MicCanberra]

Humidity in Cairns in December is high, usually around 90-98%.

However, once on the water, these levels drop.

Cairns temperatures are warm.  In December, the average temperature is 28°C (82˚F). The highest temperature for December is 31°C (88˚F) while the lowest temperature is 24°C (75˚F). The average sea temperature for December is 28°C (82˚F). In the course of the month, the surface water temperature remains constant throughout the month.

In December, rainfall average is 130mm for 16 days of the month. In the course of the month, rainfall increases significantly starting the month at 121mm to 254mm at the end of December.

[Bhop]

We travel in December as well- we are not going to Cairns tho- listening to all of the helpful advice posted here! 😁

[NSWP]

On 3/4/2019 at 1:14 PM, MicCanberra said:

Or a day or two in Canberra.

Or down the Kings Hwy to Batemans Bay.

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, NSWP said:

Or down the Kings Hwy to Batemans Bay.

Yep a trip to Canberra's playground.

[CupcakeSusie]

I have friends who live in Cairns - we are planning a trip and wouldn’t consider anything less than a week because we don’t want to go all that way to only see a couple of bits and pieces. I think the GBR is worth a trip of its own. I think it’s a much better idea to stay in Sydney. 

[Aus Traveller]

On 2/25/2019 at 6:34 AM, MicCanberra said:

I suppose it depends on priorities, if they really wanted to see the GBR and also have time, they could allow another few days.

Good advice. 🙂 You are spending a lot of money to come to Australia, so if your budget will stretch a little more, try to add a few days to fly to Cairns then see the Reef and the World Heritage Area of the Daintree - crocodiles and amazing forests.

[Aus Traveller]

20 hours ago, Bhop said:

We travel in December as well- we are not going to Cairns tho- listening to all of the helpful advice posted here! 😁

December is not the time to go to the Reef. Hot and humid and likely to be wet.

[NSWP]

18 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Yep a trip to Canberra's playground.

AKA 'Canberra Gold Coast or Canberra Costa Brava.     We need your money keep comin'.😄

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

AKA 'Canberra Gold Coast or Canberra Costa Brava.     We need your money keep comin'.😄

I keep sending them.