Plan my Australia diving/sailing vacation

[general]

OK, so here's the deal. I've read tons of posts, but would like other people's input. I'm landing in Syndney at 7am on the 10th of November. I do well with jet lag and am using a boatload of points to get first class and will more or less have a bed. I leave on the 28th from Syndney in the morning.

I have family that live in Newcastle and want to spend a good deal of time with them. My other goals are diving the reef and doing some sailing/adventuring around the Whitsunday islands. I'm actually doing my diving course this month here in Seattle and will be certified before my trip. I'm also on a budget. I basically have enough planned in my head to get to Cairns, stay there (hostels), do a 3-4 day liveaboard, go to Airlie (somehow) and get back to Newcastle.

There is much on here about how bad Cairns diving is unless you go to Cod (or expensive) Hole/Coral Sea. The cheapest liveaboard to out there runs about $900USD plus they seem to nickle and dime you for every little thing. The diving might be better, but I'm not sure if I can justify to myself spending that much. The reviews on the 3-4 day liveaboards near Cairns are mixed. Is there some balance of something in between spending a grand and being part of 100 people chasing 1 fish over dead coral?

My thoughts right now are either hanging out for the weekend with the relatives then going to Cairns and coming down to Airlie or just going that morning to Airlie. I'm not sure that I can get anywhere in time to be part of a dive/sail tour that day. Maybe I could do some kayaking somewhere. The biggest questions I need help with are:

Flight connections and what order to fly in. I'll be arriving in Sydney, visiting Cairns probably, Airlie and Newcastle.

What liveaboard to go on. Is there anything in Airlie that is good enough to let me skip Cairns?

Should I stay with family first or later.

How much time should I spend in Sydney.

Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated...

 

[almitywife]

cant comment on Cairns diving but if you going to be in Newcastle (2hrs north of Sydney) youre close to Nelson Bay so book yourself on the Pro Dive Nelson Bay boat and dive - if boats not your thing, they have 2 good shore dives in Nelson BUT tide dependant so dont make a mistake in timing it or you'll be heading off to NZ

cheers

 

[RonDawg]

If you've never been there before, you should spend at minimum 4 days in Sydney. Once you arrive, I recommend purchasing a "Sydney Pass" which covers all your transport options (bus, train, ferry) within the greater Sydney area. It also includes an all-day "Sydney Explorer" bus that takes you to most of the tourist sites, and you can get on and off at any of the many stops. It also includes a cruise in Sydney's famous harbour. It's a great way to start your Sydney tour, and you can always go back to the places you wanted to see more of the following days. Google "Sydney Pass" and you should be able to find the Sydney Buses website with more info and prices.

Normally, I would recommend first visiting friends or relatives over there to help you get a "feel" of how things are done over there. Australia isn't too much of a culture shock for Americans (unless you consider "friendliness" a culture shock), but there are a few quirks, like most of the stores closing around 6 or 7 PM on most nights.

However, because of your itinerary, you may want to visit Sydney first, then rent a car the day of or the day before you leave Sydney (you won't need it while there, and I don't recommend it, due to the cost and lack of parking). Sydney to Cairns is roughly a 3 or 4 day drive, depending on how much driving you want to do each day. However, that lets you stop whenever you want to, and you don't have to adhere to an airline schedule. The stops you speak of (except the Whitsundays themselves) are all along the Princes and Bruce Highways, which lead from Sydney to Cairns. Plus, to fly to all those places will cost just as much, if not more, than two weeks' car rental. You'll also have the benefit of experiencing "The Real Australia" and not the tourist-sanitized version you'll see in Sydney and Cairns.

Drop off the car in Cairns, and after your scuba adventure fly back to Sydney to go home. Check around as some car rental agencies charge significant "drop off fees" for one way rentals. Also, allow a minimum 3 hours between your Cairns-Sydney flight and your Sydney-home flight, as Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport isn't the best for transfers between international and domestic. Unless you're flying QANTAS for both the domestic and international sectors, you will need to pick up your luggage at Sydney Domestic, take a bus or train (at extra cost) to the international terminal, and check in again.

As far as Cairns, on a limited budget you won't be able to do the Cod Hole or anywhere in the Coral Sea for that matter. You will be limited to the normal "day" sites on the GBR. However, despite what some have posted here, it's not the end of the world. It may not be the best diving in the world, but unless you've already done better, you'll more likely than not be impressed. Seeing as you've been diving Puget Sound, the GBR's visibility and warmth will spoil you. It might turn you into a warm water wussie :11:

Oh, and BTW I'll be in Sydney from the 11th through the 15th if you want to get together. I will have just returned from Cairns so I can tell you what it was like.

 

[general]

Thanks for the input, especially on Sydney. I'm going to pass on the drive though. It would leave 0 time with relatives, I don't want to drive on the wrong side of the road and really don't like sitting in a car that much. Maybe I'll see if the relatives want to hang out in Sydney when I first get there. Then I can go to Cairns/Airlie Beach for diving and sailing. Once I'm done, I can head back to Newcastle.

 

[almitywife]

hey General - over here we drive on the correct side of the road!

if youre planning on flying about the place - www.webjet.com.au is the better site as you get all 3 airlines on the one screen to compare

 

[RonDawg]

Thanks for the input, especially on Sydney. I'm going to pass on the drive though. It would leave 0 time with relatives, I don't want to drive on the wrong side of the road and really don't like sitting in a car that much. Maybe I'll see if the relatives want to hang out in Sydney when I first get there. Then I can go to Cairns/Airlie Beach for diving and sailing. Once I'm done, I can head back to Newcastle.

While planning the finishing touches to my own Aussie holiday, I found out that Sydney's suburban rail system goes all the way to Newcastle. If you're willing to leave early in the morning, and return late at night (just like the commuters) you can stay with your relatives in Newcastle and still be able to see Sydney, thus saving you $$$ in hotel. Or, spend the last night or two in Sydney before flying northward to your other destinations.

Just FYI the Sydney Pass won't let you travel to Newcastle, so you'll need to purchase separate passes for train/bus/ferry and for the Sydney/Bondi Explorer buses.