What to do with 2.5 weeks?

[expanda]

Ok so I have 2.5 weeks possibly in December and looking for some trip options.

Departure is Sydney and Destination is Gold Coast.

I have 2.5 weeks to get to the Gold Coast, some of these are trips we are tghinkin.

1) Sydney > Melbourne > Adelaide > QLD

2) Sydney > Uluru > QLD (Wet season ARHHH)

3) Sydney > Tasmania > Melbourne > QLD

Only perquisite is for some decent bitumen as I don't feel like bush bashing and then also considering the seasons for that time.

May do some day trips in the 4WD so open to that but don't want to be dragging the van for a bush bash!

Any ideas would be welcomed

 

[cancan]

you could head down to the Murray, follow that and then follow the sun inland...actually follow the coast to Melbourne then inland to old...you can always go north and then come back down to the gold coast

 

[expanda]

Cheers can can, the muray looks pretty good..

Looking at

Dubbo > Mildura > Renmark > Adelaide SA > Great Ocean Road > Melbourne

Looks like a nice trip, does anyone know what the weather is like in the december / jan period down that way?

 

[busybusymum]

The zoo at Dubbo is outstanding and amust see. It is linked to Taronga in Sydney- we visit every two years on our way to visit the inlaws on property at Coonamble. The best way to see the zoo is by bike which you can hire if you don't bring your own - or by little hireable golf carts. The early morning zoo programs are great and you can usually get a package that allows you to visit a couple of days within the same week - eg might visit one afternoon and then next morning to see the best of the animals. Mildura and Renmark also great spots on the river - houseboats etc - However for the history of paddlesteamers and architectually old buildings the Wharf and river at Echuca cant be missed - Swan Hill is also quite interesting. Generally the weather in the south part of Australia at this time of year is hot and dry - if it is a hot summer (unlike the past two) it is not uncommon to get well into the 30's. I am wondering if there are any interesting farm stays enroute that would be a great experience - especially that time of year with harvest etc - depends if it is an early or late harvest. Our kids get a great kick out of viisting their grandparents every second year on the farm and riding the tractor, motorbikes header etc etc.

Hope this is helpful

 

[expanda]

Thanks heaps!!!

Sounds like we have some what of a direction to head.....

Just thinking about the temp now, the new van won't have aircon and we plan on free camping so will need to make sure where ever we are free camping there is a van park / river etc available to cool our heels.

Echuca sounds nice as well so will try and slot it in some where ...

 

[busybusymum]

Just make sure you dont park the van under a nice shady river red gum along the Murray/ Murrumbidgee - in hot weather they have a tendancy to drop large limbs which could be dangerous if you were sleeping inside etc. There are some nice caravan parks at Echuca and Swan Hill as well as Mildura - all on the river - also there are some great free camps with sandbeaches around these locations and interdispersed in between as well.

 

[cruza driver]

The weather around Mildura and Renmark will be mid to high 30's at that time of the year. But then as you head down toward the coast if going along the Great Ocean Rd it will cool down a bit. The GOR can get very busy over the summer break so accomodation will probably need to be booked in advance.
When in Mildura you could do a tour of the orange farms too.

Mildura has a great park on the NSW side with very cheap rates at Buronga its right on the Murray and you can watch the paddle steamers take off from there too.
This is a view from the CP

 

[expanda]

Cheers all, sounds like its going to be hot ....

That's interesting about the gums dropping there limbs in the heat never heard of that before...

Also what is the condition of the roads in that part of the world?

And how is the fuel situation like around there it seems to be around 200 / 400km's between towns and the pathfinder will get us around 400km's between re fueling when towing but I we are thinking about getting a Jerry can or two for the trip?

Looking at the schedule it will be around 3 or 4 nights in a caravan park and about 5 nights free camping so hopefully the heat won't be to bad!!!
Will need to get a decent fan just in case

That van park looks fantastic Cruza....

Just deciding whether to go back at Mildura to ecucha and then to great ocean road or to adelaide bypassing ecucha.

There is another zoo we are looking to go to near adelaide and was going to go on a fishing charter in Adelaide.

Now just have to convince the kids this better than the cairns / barrier reef trip. Not sure on that one yet :tongue:

But keep the pics / ideas coming!!!

 

[cruza driver]

You could go Echuca-Mildura-Adelaide.

Its funny the still days is when the gums in our paddock drop there limbs, it happened 1 1/2 weeks ago when it was 38.c

The Barrier reef does sound good too though............thats on my to do list.

 

[Moto Moto]

After doing part of the Murray and GOR in Nov last year, i can highly recommend it. We had great weather then.

Tassie also gets my vote but seem to be completely the wrong destination considering where you are going.

In an expanda with the Fam, so what ever you decide should be fun!

 

[expanda]

You could go Echuca-Mildura-Adelaide.

Its funny the still days is when the gums in our paddock drop there limbs, it happened 1 1/2 weeks ago when it was 38.c

The Barrier reef does sound good too though............thats on my to do list.

That's interesting about the gums, I would have thought it would be when its cold and windy.

Barrier reef is definitely on the cards after this one !!!

We had thought of going to Echuca and ill have to try and squeeze it in possibly....

Looking at the current schedule we only have 9 or 10 days and it looks like this -

Day 1 > Leave Syd arrive Dubbo (Free Camp For The Night) – 400km’s
Day 2 > Zoo for the day at Dubbo > Drive 300 / 400 km’s stop at Griffith (Free camp for the night)
Day 3 > Leave early morning 300km’s to Mildura > Day in Mildura sightseeing / cruise (Caravan Park for one night)
Day 4 > Leave next morning drive 100 km’s to Renmark leave > Look at the cliffs travel around > Depart after lunch drive further 200kms to Adelaide (Caravan Park for 2 nights in Adelaide)
Day 5 > Day trip on fishing charter for snapper and whiting
Day 6 > Depart Adelaide and go to zoo Monarto for day > depart zoo and drive 200km’s to Naracoorte (Free camp one night)
Day 7 > Depart Naracoorte to great ocean road 12 apostles 200km’s > Lunch > Continue to Melbourne 200 km’s caravan park
Day 8 > Melbourne
Day 9 > Melbourne
Day 10 > Depart

After doing part of the Murray and GOR in Nov last year, i can highly recommend it. We had great weather then.

Tassie also gets my vote but seem to be completely the wrong destination considering where you are going.

In an expanda with the Fam, so what ever you decide should be fun!

Tassie was our first thought buts we couldn't believe the boat coast for us with the van it is $2,000 to get over to tassie alone.

Fair enough its free and or cheap as camping the whole time but for cost we decided to go with the above ...

Looking at the cost of petrol and food though tassie is slowly creeping back in :tape2:

And P.s I wont be in an Expanda, Ill be in a Dicovery :gossip:

 

[Moto Moto]

Ooopps. Same thing

 

[busybusymum]

That's interesting about the gums, I would have thought it would be when its cold and windy.

We had thought of going to Echuca and ill have to try and squeeze it in possibly....
:gossip:

Yes those river red gums are funny things have a look ate these articles and the lucky campers in them http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/river-red-gums/ and this one http://www.travelling-australia.info/InfsheetsR/Redgumdrops.html also this one http://www.murrayriver.com.au/plan-your-trip/murray-guardian/


I would be inclined to go Dubbo - West Wylong -Narrandera Echuca and on to Mildura. There is a great caravan park at Narrandera adjacent to Lake Talbot http://www.laketalbot.com.au/ adjacent to the pool and overlooking the lake. The port of Echuca is so packed with history and was the largest river port along the whole Murray Darling system in the paddlesteamer days - it would be a shame to miss it - it is one of my favourite spots along the Murray - purely because of the history it oozes and how well preserved this history is. - Perhaps on the reutrn trip from Melbourn you could fit it in - not sure what route you are taking back north?

http://www.portofechuca.org.au/

 

[expanda]

Thanks for the detailed info there that is fantastic reading!!!!

Going back north we are looking to go to carirns roughly 2,500k's from Sydney we are thinking 5 days to do it 500k's a day 250k's in the morning stop for some lunch and sight see then then another 250k's in the evening.

I went to google and punched in Sydney to Cairns and funny enough it tells me to go through Dubbo > St George > Emarld > Cairns

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?sadd...mSf6CCnt6R2dqv8SazEwkUOQtAkGBA&mra=ls&t=m&z=5

For some reason its diverting the coast road, I worked out its an extra 200k's along the coast road and I have done it a few times now so thought what the heck maybe the inland road is going to be more interesting so I googled around and found some one elses map of a trip.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?sadd...kTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA&mra=ls&via=1&t=m&z=5

So got me thinking about going inland, so anyone gone this way before???

Looks like a long way between stops

 

[cruza driver]

The advantage of the inland route is you skip all the major town areas of the coast amking up better time , yet fuel is a bit dearer.

 

[busybusymum]

Its alot quicker doing the inland route as well - and if your are not normally an inland person give you a real insight as wto what is there. perhaps you could do Echuca and Dubbo on the return route via the inland instead of doing on the way to Adelaide - would breadk up your journey a bit more!

 

[Coastrunner]

Gee! If I only had 2.5 weeks off. I`d go Sydney to Gold Coast and do three stops up and 3 stops back at inbetween spots and check out alot of the northern NSW towns. I don`t really like doing more driving than holidaying.

I like doing a couple of days stop over for every 3 to 4 hours driving.

But I`m lazier than mosdt people!