# S.E. Australia Must See suggestions please! Melb. to Bris.



## monkeyboypaul (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi all,

Hiring a tiny camper from 7th December 2009 to 8th January 2010.

http://www.spaceshipsrentals.com.au/

Pick-up is Melbourne, drop off is Brisbane, so we have 33days to see as much as possible in this region. We'll be backpacking from Brisbane up to Cairns for another month.

It's not long enough; we know, but we have to balance our time VS having a job when we get back home! We're both (just) under 30 so this won't be a retirement fund spending spree!

What MUST we see & do in this area during this time???? Suggestions greatly appreciated. Also places to stop, free $$ and lesser crowded preferred, but we'll take all advice on board.

Regards,
Paul.

NOTE: We're also going to New Zealand: see forum post http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-75808.html

Also, how on earth do i add a BLOG button to my forum profile???


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## plasticplumber (Nov 6, 2008)

First of all go the other way from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road at least as far as the twelve Apostles. This is an unbelievable drive take a look at some of the photos on google earth for a taster. Come back to Melbourne through the interior and visit some of the wine producing area of Australia and finally enjoy central Melbourne its diverse achitecture and the riverside restarunts and spectacle of the Yarra. finally at your age after your visit to Australia I think you may well wish to move. PS its a tad hot this time of year expect up to 35 degrees on odd days hope you have air con.


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*Ozz must see*

Glass house mountains just north of Brisbane have to be worth a look, how about http://www.australiazoo.com.au/ shame Steve is not around anymore. 
ps can I stow away in your backpack??


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## monkeyboypaul (Dec 29, 2007)

Good stuff. 

I think a trip West from Melb along the GOR is definitely on the cards, in fact it's the only thing we've really planned so far. Have you visited the Wyperfeld National Park? It's on the route back towards the East Coast from Adelaide and could be a place to stop. From the South East we'll head up the Coast going inland wherever necessary. 

We're also after tried and tested places to park if anyone has any suggestions. It was one of the things our European tour suffered from: i.e. finding consistently safe free places to park overnight. We had no trouble, but car parks become boring v.quickly! Our budget is very limited so free was the only option. Some camping grounds in Europe were unbelievably expensive, to the point where you could stay in a hotel for cheaper - we need to avoid these places at all costs. 

I realise it's peak season over there too. Oh well! 

Cheers.


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

*forgot to say*

Hi, i,m not going to try to begin to tell you where to go and what to see as we all like different things, what i will say to you is buy the book" Camps Australia wide" dont be put off that it will cost you $55 dollars it will save you that in the first 3 days it details you thousands of recognised officially sanctioned free camps. We had 93 days there last winter(47degrees at one stage) and stayed on caravan sites less than 20 nights. Its a fabulous place enjoy it.

forgot, most towns even small ones will have an RSL clubYou can go in as a guest, and whenever we asked if we could overnight in the car park they always said yes, they do great meals at bargain prices and will pick you up from caravan sites in their mini bus foc.


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Canberra is an interesting city worthy of a vist - the government buildings, war memorial and capital hill are regarded as some of the most significant memorials/buildings in the world.

And if your in the area - 'Dog on Tuckerbox 'is a quirky town to visit - very Australian :lol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_on_the_Tuckerbox


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Snap ! . . I'm off to Aus too in January for 3 months :lol: but as a defiance against getting old, I've hired a motorcycle & intend visiting family as far afield as Adelaide to Melbourne [and Perth - but thats via internal flight as its sooo far away].
On a dark rainy day last week I went out and bought the latest edition of 'Lonely Planet' 'Australia' . . its jam packed with everything & well worth the £17.99p.
- If you pass a doddery old 64 'Pom' on a big motorcycle - give him plenty of space cause it'll be me :silly: 
I notice today in Sidney it topped 102 degrees !
I'm whittling my clothes down to minimum . . [hopefully fit them all into a Tesco carrier bag]. I'm picking up lightweight tent & camping gear out there rather than carry it all with me from UK . . [I've been watching 'Bush-Tucker Man' & Ray Mears but I think I'll stick to 'normal' food :wink: ]
Some advice . . DON'T travel at dawn or dusk & night time -the wildlife come out to feed then & you don't want to hit a kangaroo cause they is BIG ! [I read that some animals will kill you & some kill you & eat you 8O . . perhaps I would have been safer booking to go to Scarborough ? . . ho hum


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## asabrush (Mar 3, 2008)

Shame you don't have time to go to Tasmania,in the nearly 3yrs I travelled round Oz this was one of the best places I went for so many reasons.

As said you must do the great ocean rd while your in Mel.

Sydney is worth seeing if only for a day or two,I'm not a city person but its just one of them must see places. 

The blue mountains are fantastic,loads of stopping places.

I didn't really explore this stretch of coast too much,it was too backpacker for me
Alot of the backpacker hostels will(or did) allow campers to stop over in their car parks and poss use facilitys for a small charge.

Byron bay and the hinterland is beautiful,very chilled and hippified.

You don't have a huge amount of time but I would try and go north of Bris(even though it means doubling back) to Frazer Island,save some budget and hire a 4x4 to explore a couple of days.I worked and ran expos here,its an amazing place and surely (and I think rightly so)soon will stop or certainly reduce the amount of traffic allowed on to the island. I've great memories of sitting watching bull sharks swiming around a few metres vertically down a cliff from me here,the purest strain of dingo sniffing round you and wild brumbies(horses).
Have a great trip


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

One learns something every day,
I always assumed that the CONTINENTAL section meant Europe, but quite correctly Australia is just another continent.

Fantastic country, enjoy

http://www.motts.org/Nature notes Australia.htm

http://www.motts.org/Holidays.htm (Start half way down this page OK)

C.


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## SilverF1 (Feb 27, 2009)

If you're into cricket, visit the Don Bradman Museum in Bowral, between Canberra and Sydney.

Walk the bridge in Sydney, if you haven't time go up the south Pylon instead, the view is almost as good. Something higher? A meal in the Amp tower restaurant. Take a boat ride across the harbour on the Manley ferry.

Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. Some great walks and viewing points e.g Echo Point.

Cairns/Port Douglas, Barrier Reef and an excursion up to the rainforest by the Daintree river and perhaps a trip along the river.

Police keen on catching speeding motorists and hide out of sight. Watch out for wombats (up to pig-sized) sleeping on the roads after dark and kangas hopping across. Victoria/NSW border area in particular.

Enjoy your holiday.


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## musicbus (May 1, 2005)

*ozland*

As a oz who lives in scotland these day the following is useful I hope

Most people underestimate how big australia is when it comes to driving

The roads whilst OK are not brilliant and the national highway system is often just two lanes. Syd melb 600 miles via albury is total freeway.

speed limit is 100k and well enforced and police breathalyze by the side of the road consistently looking for drink drivers .05 limit mobile radar is common especially as you enter small towns

melbourne sydney and brisbane gold coast are all heading for 5 mil population and are large geographically 50 miles from one side to the other

summer - further north you go the hotter and more humid it gets. You cant swim in the ocean in summer in the far north because of stinging (kill you) jellyfish
south gets very hot too but has changeable weather cool to very hot then cool change.

Coastline is very busy in summer - long school holidays

My favourite places are Victorian coastline - Wilsons promotory Mornington Peninsular Sorrento Portsea - catch the ferry across Port Phillp bay to the Belarine peninsular and then head down the great ocean rd beaches beaches and more beaches and the 12 Apostles. 
Onto Adelaide via Mc Claren Vale and the wineries.

heading North from sydney a great citythere are lots of places to visit the Hunter valley if you like wine or North to places like Nelson Bay Port Macquarie Byron Bay and onto the gold coast past brisbane to the sunshine coast Noosa heads and Fraser Island

If there is anything in particular you want to know PM Only to pleased help.

I have driven all over Oz top to bottom across the desert to broome in the north west and south to perth

You only need time and patience oh and money LOL


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