Australia info, getting around, diving, outback, etc.

[h3o]

I'm planning a 3 week trip to Australia and have a couple of questions:

1) How do I get from Sydney to Cairns area? how much is airfare? Is renting a car practical? My friend and I are on a $100 day (for accomodations, food, activities) budget.

2) I'm not interested in diving with a live-aboard, how much does diving cost in cairns and nearby areas? Is Cairns the best area to stay when diving GBR? budget wise? What does a 2-3 tank dive run?

3) If I want to dive the west coast, how do I get there? How much does airfare run?

4) What are the chances of diving with whales(whale shark or minke)?

5) Whats the best way to explore the rainforests and the outback? I found some camping safari type package deals at www.gorp.com for about $477 USD for 7 days (from cairns to alice springs), is that pretty decent?

Thanks!

 

[Stone]

The Oz Travel Mall is a great site for all kinds of travel, accomodation, and sightseeing information.

If you go to my website (below), I have several links to Cairns-specific activities (outback/rainforest) and a link to the Oz railway sytem. We flew to Cairnes from Sydney, but they have a good rail system if you don't mind taking the 3 day scenic route.

On my homepage, use the link <Many More Dive Links> and look for the links under "Dive Australia".

 

[Aquamaniac]

h3o once bubbled...
I'm planning a 3 week trip to Australia and have a couple of questions:

1) How do I get from Sydney to Cairns area? how much is airfare? Is renting a car practical? My friend and I are on a $100 day (for accomodations, food, activities) budget.

2) I'm not interested in diving with a live-aboard, how much does diving cost in cairns and nearby areas? Is Cairns the best area to stay when diving GBR? budget wise? What does a 2-3 tank dive run?

3) If I want to dive the west coast, how do I get there? How much does airfare run?

4) What are the chances of diving with whales(whale shark or minke)?

5) Whats the best way to explore the rainforests and the outback? I found some camping safari type package deals at www.gorp.com for about $477 USD for 7 days (from cairns to alice springs), is that pretty decent?

Thanks!

Lemme see if I can answer a few.
1. Go By air, a couple of hundred max (remember that the exchange rate doubles your US dollars). You can rent a car, but its no cheaper in the long run, and its a fair way.
2.Im no authority on the Cairns area, but expect about AU$50-100 per day for 2 tank dives.
http://www.cairnsholiday.com.au/Whattodo/DiveSnorkel/dive_snorkel.htm
3. West coast is the best part of the country , airfares vary alot, usually you can get over for about AU$300
4. Whale sharks travel the west coast March Thru June only, best place is Exmouth or Coral Bay on the Ningaloo reef in West Aust.
5. There is a great tour just out of Cairns that puts you on the Korunda Sky rail, over and through the rainforrest. You can also add on the Atherton Tablelands tour, its a great day out.
http://www.cairnsholiday.com.au/Whattodo/ScenicTours/Skyrail.htm
A Trip North to one of the Islands can also be fun. My Favorite day trip is a trip to Dunk Island, you can also head out to the Outer reef (great barrier) for a dive from Dunk Island, the place is very magical, and has great walking trails through rain forrest.

Safari Packages can be a bit over-organized. But are also a bit of insurance. With a bit of research, and help from others ( Im glad to assist), you can do more, and have a better time.

Feel free to ask more if you need to.
Dave



PS Queenslands Motto is "Queensland, Beautiful one day, Perfect the next"

 

[elanor]

I agree, the west coast is incredible. Much more laid back, personal and less touristy. It has some wicked scenery and tons of culture.

If I had 3 weeks and wanted to dive I would do the Ningaloo Reef out of Coral Bay. I'd fly to Darwin and do the a Darwin to Exmouth Run, or vice versa. Exmouth is also good and has a nearly national park with some good shore snorkeling sites. I was able to see the first whale sharks of the season, in March. The reef is full of life including Manta Rays, Sharks and Turtles. Not many trees here. The desert meets the coast here and the sun is harsh. I think in Oz I tended to spend about AU$100 for a double boat dive and gear.

From Exmouth you can travel through the Kimberly, one of the world's oldest landformations. This is untamed Wilderness. There are 4WD Trips that will take you there and even end up in Darwin via Kakadu. Kakadu has rainforests, huge escarpments, waterfalls, Aboriginal art, and lots of culture.

For Kakadu trips, I reccommend Gondwana. By far the best. They don't advertise and depend on well-deserved references. They take small groups out in a 4WD for a few days and finish by letting you drive your own little finishing boat with the Crocs.

If you want to expereince Australia, go West. If your into the tourist thing, go east. I spent 11 months backpacking and diving there on $10,000. I found airfare was cheaper than the States. I got from Sydney to Brisbaine on Au$60. On the west coast, If you don't have transportation, I think the organized trips are a pretty good deal. As long as you go with one of the smaller, back-packer trips that are geared toward camping and wilderness adventures. I don't know about the East Coast trips.

If you do dive Cairns, its almost hard to find a not livabroard trip. The boats are crowded and full of new divers. For the best rainforest, go to Prt Douglas. Its a bit North of the tourist riden Cairns. There the Daintree Rainforest meets the seas. I would bet they run dives from there too.

I don't have cost details handy. Camping is definately the way to go if you want to stay cheap. Hiring a car will enable you to get to the more remore and spectacular places. I car camped Oz and was able to spend only AU$ on food and accomodation. That left lots to pay for gas, diving and 4WD trips to the places my trust ford falcon couldn't get me.

I could ramble about traveling Oz all day. I'll try to look up some info and be more specific.

 

[DaG]

Being a West Australian I'd like to toss my hat in to agree that the West coast is the best side of Australia. Not only do we have almost perfect weather, we are the better looking (not to mention more handsome) side of the country.

Ok, enough of stirring up the eastern staters

I've spent a lot of time travelling around West Australia and there is great diving to be found along the entire West Coast, down to the South Coast around Albany.

The dive sites I'd say you should dive if you get a chance are:
HMAS Perth (Albany)
HMAS Swan (Dunsbrough)
At least -one- boat dive to Rottnest Island (Perth)
Ningaloo Reef (Stay away from Coral Bay, its over commercialised and ruined by tourism now (imho))
Dampier is nice if you have the time

If you have plenty of time, there is many more sites to dive, but the above are -must-dive- sites in my opinion.

Oh, and being American - you'll find travelling around Australia fairly cheap, given your dollar is worth $3242341210.00 AUD