Shrink

Hi guys
In mid March I will spend one week in Australia. I will arrive in Brisbane and will probably leave from same. Planning to head toward Cairns and Great Barrier Reef. I have a few questions:
1. According to some website, it is about 875 miles between the two places. How are the trains?
2. Any recommendations to see/do. Would you recommend renting a car?
3. Some posters (somewhere here) have recommended a national park and other things.
What should I not miss?

As usual, any and all suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks for the help

Shrink

Orlando_Vic

We enjoyed visiting the Australia Zoo in Beerwah.
http://www.australiazoo.com.au

_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Susan7

It's hard to know what to recommend without knowing your interests. Do you like modern art, visiting museums, architecture, are you interested in Aboriginal culture, scuba diving, bird watching, hiking?

This guidebook might help to give you an overview of what to do in Queensland and the Barrier Reef.

http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/austral...travel-guide-5

AlanJG

1. Not fast
2. No
3. see Susan's reply

MaryD2

You obviously looked at the Yahoo answer for distances when getting 875 Miles 'cause its much more than that at 1706 Klms from Brisbane using the road. 875 miles flying distance maybe.
Anyway the best way to get up north is by air and its probably the cheapest as well.
With only one week I would fly to Cairns, get a car and drive around up there and go out on the reef.

AlanJG

2. "No" was in answer to renting a car for a week to travel from Brisbane to Cairns in a week. Too far, too much driving, too many road repairs going on after the flooding and too little time to see things.

JackDarcy

You have chosen a great place for tour. Cairns has taken the role as capital to Far North Queensland, and is backed by beautiful rainforest and only a short distance from the magnificent Great Barrier Reef.

RalphR

With just a week, I would focus a little more, either to North Queensland (say between Townsville and Cape Tribulation) or to Southeast Queensland (say between Byron Bay and Noosa). Generally speaking, there's a lot more to see in these areas than what's in between. i would not recommend driving in your time frame.

Shrink

Thanks a bunch guys. Are you suggesting flying into Cairns and renting a car and day trips out of there?

shrink

Shrink

OOPS forgot to finish the above.

OR looking into escorted tours around in that area?

MaryD2

Flying to Cairns, renting a car and doing your own thing out of there. There are some escorted tours that are very good and other people might give you some information on those. If you don't want a car then that's OK too. I personally would do a liveaboard for a couple days or three then spend time on the Atherton Tablelands - now you might be better with a car there although I do know that there are some fantastic tours that pick up which take you everywhere on the Tablelands so wait till others who know more give you some information.
Either way you will have a fabulous time.

RalphR

shrink: there's tons to see in North Queensland. That would be my suggestion, renting a car. Besides the Tablelands, you've also got the Undara Lava Tubes in the outback SW of the Tablelands, plus lots of great places up and down the coast: Mission Beach and Dunk Island, Wallaman Falls, the Cook Hwy to Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and much more. And of course the Barrier Reef. You could easily spend all your time within a days drive of Cairns and not exhaust the possibilites. Squeezing in a drive Brisbane will only waste your time.

Shrink

Cairns et.al. it is then!!! Really appreciate the help. Looking forward to Australia and do wish I had more time to spend. However the way you describe it, and considering that I am into scenery, wine, food, and friendly people, it sounds perfect. Will go to Cairns and rent a car for a few days. Again thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Shrink

AlanJG

Shrink, I'd stay in Yungaburra when on the Atherton Tablelands but then I do already ;-) It is a good spot, close to the Lakes with plenty of wildlife. Not a lot of night life except in the forest though. www.yungaburra.com

althom1122

Shrink - in case you don't check back on the Asian board, I wanted to let you know that the Intrepid tour guide I had in India does indeed do individual tours. (He's a Facebook friend of mine and I asked him!) His contact info, if you're still interested, is:
[email protected]

I can't recommend him highly enough. He's really terrific and lots of fun to be with.

Karen

Bamian

Your plans might change given Yasi's destruction. Maybe go south from Brisbane. Look up Fraser Island -- a magical place, with beaches, forest, amazing fauna and flora. The coast from Rainbow Beach up to Hervey Bay is amazing. If you like boats and sailing, that is a fabulous destination.

Good luck!

ivenotbeeneverywhere

Bamian, Fraser Island is north of Brisbane. Cairns and most of the GBR did not have any destruction as it was in a small area and by mid March there will be little to see in and around Cairns that any cyclone came near it.
Tully was the worst hit town and it is very small and not in the tourist area.
Fraser Island is nothing like the GBR and to miss seeing the GBR because of someone's misinformation would be criminal.

peterSale

Lots of Cyclone damage.

pat_woolford

Perhaps a couple of geography lessons wouldn't go astray here - Fraser Island is well north of Brisbane, as is Hervey Bay. Fraser Island is still a fair way from the Great Barrier Reef.

Lots of cyclone damage where - PeterSale? nowhere mentioned on this thread. Can't see a comment about the OP thinking of Cardwell, Tully, Mission Beach, all reef trips out of Cairns are operating today or tomorrow, today in Cairns was calm and sunny, and all Port Douglas received from Cyclone Yasi was a bit of leaf litter.

I do get a little perturbed about the hysterical reaction of the southern media, who seem hell bent on destroying our tourism industry. Its been hard enough in FNQ trying to explain to the geographically challenged that we were not affected by the southern and part of central Qld flooding; and whilst there's been huge impact from Cyclone Yasi, a Category 5, it didn't affect Cairns too badly and Port Douglas even less.

AlanJG

Most day trips out of Cairns started running yesterday and most will be operational by tomorrow. up here on the Tablelands we suffered some damage to the forest but a tourist will not pick it in a few months. Around Cairns everything will be back to normal by the end of the coming week.

Further south there is dreadful damage but do visit.