Thorn Tree travel forum

FAQ, Hot Tips, Useful Links - up for the challenge?

Reply to this post and give your best links, tips and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Up for it? Then lets go, here's a few from me:

Uluru information
Australian train pass
Climate averages australia BOM site
Facts about the size of Australia


Hit that keyboard guys.

If you had to pick four multiday walking tracks...

Hi
I have just one question: If you had to pick four multiday walking tracks in New Zealand which would you choose?
A lot, if not everyone, will properly pick Milford Track so lets leave that one out...

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park closed on Good Friday?

Hi everybody,

I consider visiting Ayers Rock on a very tight schedule, flying in one day (Thursday or Friday) and flying out the very next (Friday or Saturday). Since either my day of arrival or departure could (would, rather) be Good Friday, I'd rather prefer the national park to be open. Website says it's "open all year round", but I thought I'd rather check before.

Thanks in advance for your help.

KD

Where would you go in Dec 2010?

Hi!

I'm posting this in at least 2 other different branches so apologies if you've read it before.
I'm planning by next big vacation in 2010 and for certain reasons, I can only go in Dec, mid-Dec to be exact.

I'm still undecided as to the destination. My criteria:

• NO winter destinations (still reeling from the cold in 2008 when I was in Paris during the Xmas period)
• experience suitable for 3 pre-teen girls
• mix of culture, history and great landscapes (and bit of wildlife thrown in)
• my family loves the sea and would invariably spend the tail end of our vacation at the seaside (but this is not a MUST)

• Africa (was thinking Tanzania, (Zanzibar hmmm).... ut it'll be a pretty long trip with lots of air connections)
• Morocco (not sure of the weather there in Dec)
• Australia (safe bet, most likely the Gold Coast)
• New Zealand (ano...

Thanksgiving in Sydney

Hey guys -
I'm a yank who just moved to Sydney. Anyone have any good Thanksgiving celebrations one more person can join in on?

Global Warming

And its effect on the Australian/ Noo Zillun coastline and the Dog's light bulb moment.

Sea levels rising are a load of bollocks IMO. Forget the Bex, the cup of tea, the good lie down, uprooting and moving to Manangagtang or Mangawhatatikitupou or wherever.. It ain't going to happen anytime soon.

I've given cursory consideration to global warming from time to time but during a quiet moment of contemplation yesterday sheltering from a downpour it flashed before my eyes with the candescent candlepower of the Eddystone Light on a clear night.

It's really quite simple, as with most things. True, it's getting hotter, granted, but with the increase in temperature it follows that there is also an increase in solar evaporation and condensation, hence more rain. This explains away the heavier than usual downpours we've been experiencing of late. Pommieland is a relevant illustrative e... more »

Weather conditions in Aug - Western Australia

Hi all,
I'm planning to visit western Australia with my wife in next August (2010) and this time I'm considering to run between Perth and the beaches along North (Coral Bay, Ningaloo, etc).

Could you say the following:
1) which temperature will be found in those places? I guess, Perth will be more cold, but I hope Ningaloo warmer.
2) any suggestion about other best beaches in western Australia?
3) We are planning also to stay few days in Whitsunday Island during our travel: do you think is a good idea (for the weather of course) or is too cold?

Thanks to all.

Cristiano
Italy.

Great Ocean Road Tours

I'm planning on taking a tour down the Great Ocean Raod over Christmas, starting in Melbourne and finishing up in Adelaide. Been reviewing numerous tour operators but there are so many I don't know what to go with. I'm planning on taking a 3 day tour, with a nice number of activities and the one that is currently standing out for me is the Gin South Tour. Would really appreciate any kind of advice.

Cheap accommodation / Camping Great Barrier Reef

Without going too much into the reasoning behind this question, just wondering what the options here are.

From what I can tell from numerous google searches there is plenty of cheap or free camping options on Fraser Island. But what about further north? Great Keppel Island, Hamilton Island, stuff like that?

Basically we're not so much into diving or snorkelling or stuff, just want to see some nice beaches and maybe islands and stuff like that. And being on a very very tight budget just wondering if it's even worth going north or if Fraser Island will be more worthwhile.

Any info at all would be great - I am australian but really dont have a clue about the barrier reef, and want to show my non-australian girlfriend some nice stuff!