Australia: 3 weeks in January with baby

UPDATE: Just checked flights and stuff, and decided we're definitely better off avoiding the return to Sydney, and taking our gear with us instead. So we will still land in Sydney, but will fly out from Melbourne...
All the questions above remain though...
Thanks in advance!
Cat

You won't need 7 - 8 days for the coastal drive Sydney to Melbourne. Options could be to include Canberra and/or go to Wilson Promontory and/or Phillip Island (for the penguin parade) and/or the Yarra valley.

Rest sounds OK.

You will be here in summer school holidays so for the coastal drives (Sydney to Melbourne and the GOR) accommodation will be at a premium.

Weather should be OK, but that said you can get hot weather for a few days at that time of the year, however that's the climate. In Melbourne we say you can get all four seasons in one day!!

In actual fact Sydney is likely to be the coolest part of your trip. Melbourne does get some very hot summers. In January most of Australia will (hopefully) be in the 30s and 40sC all the time. Generally the heat hangs around for days or weeks at a time - in Melbourne this has in the past meant 4-6 weeks of 35-45C every day. In Sydney January can mean 30-35C every day for weeks at a time with the odd hot day in the 40s, but it can equally be 22C for weeks at a time. It all depends on the summer, really. The Blue Mountains won't necessarily be cooler than in Sydney but both the Blue Mountains and Melbourne should be cooler at night. In Sydney it is normally above 20C overnight - it doesn't cool down as much overnight as other cities. However, you can be assured that we have plenty of babies that have survived the warm weather here in the past :)

In the Blue Mountains you could stay in either Katoomba or Leura, it doesn't matter which one (just find the place that's best for you). Blackheath is another option but not so central.

in Melbourne this has in the past meant 4-6 weeks of 35-45C every day

To allay your fears regarding high summer temperatures and your baby. In southern Victoria (including Melbourne) we typically get 3 or maybe 4 days of high 30c temps then a cool change will come through for a few days. However in northern Victoria and inland NSW you will get extended periods of the high temperatures indicated by Julie.

In the Blue Mountains, Katoomba or Leura would be the best spots. There is a gorgeous and really well situated Youth Hostel in Katoomba, very family friendly. As a Melbournian, at that time of year I would avoid the GOR and go in the other direction to the Mornington Peninsula. Similar amount of traffic, but more ways of getting around. Lots of beaches, walks, and sights. Accommodation might need to be planned ahead.

• I would avoid the GOR and go in the other direction to the Mornington Peninsula.*

I love the Mornington Peninsula and go there regularly for the weekend however the OP is visiting Australia and so should do the GOR for the spectacular coastal scenery. Yes there will be lots of people and traffic with school holidays. For accommodation maybe stay the first night at Geelong and the second night at say Warrnambool where accommodation MIGHT be a little easier to get.

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