East coast for the first time

Hey guys,

I already spend some time browsing the forum and talking to friends but I am completely overwhelmed with all the possibilities, so I'll need your help. It seems like everyone has other favourite locations, and I'm like: aahhh too much information! ;) I'll be heading to Sydney in the end of February and will be staying in Oz for 25 days. I'll visit a friend in Sydney and after that I'll be travelling on my own. Apart from Sydney, I definitiely want to go to Melbourne and drive along the Great Ocean Road. I thought that one week for each should be enoght, so that leaves me with another 11 days to fill. I was thinking about Tasmania and or any nice isalnd. To give you a little more info what I'm looking for, I'll write down my expectations:

• I want to see some things but still do not want to rush.
• I would love to hang out on pretty beaches to wind down
• Maybe do some hiking in the nature where I'll be rewarded with a great view or a hidden waterfall/ lake (preferably not too many spiders on the way)
• See coalas and kangoroos (My dream since I was a kid)
• See really nice, pretty (=photogenic) places :p
• A mix between big cities and nature
• Apart from the fights Sydney to Melbourne to somewhere else back to Sydney, I don't necessary need to fly some more, since it takes quite some time, so if some of these places are within driving (rental car or public transportation), it would be better

Even though I would love to see Ayer's Rock, the time and money does not seem worth it. I'm sure, I'll be coming back to Oz eventually, so I would go there another time. :)

Am looking forward to the tips! :)

What you really need is a travel agent to plan it all for you. That's what they get paid to do.

See coalas and kangoroos (My dream since I was a kid)

Seeing Australian animals in the wild is a bit of a random event. Kangaroos are very flighty so they disappear very quickly if you come across them. Koalas are very sedentary they will be grey blobs of fur high up in the trees. I’d suggest going to somewhere like the Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley near Melbourne. Yes it is a zoo (but in lovely natural setting) but you can see up close a lot of native Australian animals such as kangaroos, koala’s and platypus. For an extra fee you can even pat some of them.

http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville

For the Great Ocean Road there are a lot of 1, 2 and 3 day bus tours out of Melbourne – do a google. Alternatively you could hire a car and do it yourself comfortably in 2 days.

With a car out of Melbourne you could also do a day trip to the Yarra Valley and include Healesville Sanctuary. Another trip is to Phillip Island for the penguin parade in the evening. There will also be day bus tours to do these places.

Maybe do some hiking in the nature where I'll be rewarded with a great view or a hidden waterfall/ lake

There are heaps of lovely short walks in the areas I’ve mentioned above.

http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Yarra-Valley-and-Dandenong-Ranges/Things-to-do/Outdoor-activities/Walking-and-hiking

http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Things-to-do/Outdoor-activities/Walking-and-hiking/Great-Ocean-Walk/Short-walks.aspx?page=1&ps=10

That just about covers your week in and around Melbourne!!

An expensive, but maybe once in a lifetime event, would be maybe go up to Uluru.
Or if thats too far, maybe the Great Barrier Reef.
WA and Rottnest?
SA and the opal mines? Port Lincoln and shark cage diving?
NT and the crocodile jumping event?
Keeping to NSW, Blue Mountains outside Sydney? Broken Hill on the train to Adelaide?

O, if 1986 is your year of birth, and you are indeed from Germany, I would if I were you, if you could...
Consider the Aust WHV.
1986 if year of birth, means you are 29?
And 31 is the cut off.
Consider that one, thought if its too much of a side step consideration.

If you're driving along the Great Ocean Road, stop over in Lorne on the way there - there's some great hikes to beautiful waterfalls in the area: http://www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/the-otways-coast/lorne/adventure/lorne-walks

From the end of the Great Ocean Road, head inland to Halls Gap in the Grampian mountains - again, lots of lovely hikes, great scenery and views, a couple of waterfalls as well as loads of kangaroos that come out of the bush at twilight to graze as well as the chance to spot koalas (although they're tricky to see)... I saw an echidna when I was last there too.

Thank you for the tips! :)
I'm most certainly come back to Oz another time with more time on my hands and will do Uluru another time. Read on another forum that flights are quite expensive and I think it's too stressful to fly up there "just" to look at a big rock ;) when I'll go there, then I'll want to have more time and also visit some surrounding cities. So next tim! :)
Will google the other places but unfortunately the shark diving or any diving is a no go for me. Got problems with my ears and are therefore not allowed to go scuba diving. This is also why the Great Barrier Reef isn't on my to do list :(
Blue Mountains are already on my list ;)
Broken Hill sounds like a place from a horror movie! Hahaha kinda like "the hills have eyes". Will google it and I'm sure my imagination is just running too wild ! Hahaha
About the question if I'm German and born in 1986, yes I am. Since I'll only be in Oz for 25 days, I don't really want to work during that time. When I'm done studying this autumn, I might consider doing some work and travel in Oz. :) I also think that it would be too short notice to apply for the visa since I'll be flying there in less than 2 months.
Thanks again for the cool tips, will google all places and then decide :)

Wow, so many tips! Thank you so much! Will definitely check them out and then decide where to go. Or maybe all places :D

That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for the tips! :))

I saw an echidna when I was last there too.

I had to google that animal since I never heard of it! Haha! So if I spot one , I'll at least now know what it's called :D

The Royal National Park on the southern edge of Sydney is worth exploring - a simple day trip with a train to Cronulla and then then small ferry over the water to Bundeena and start your walk through there; or go to the south of the park and alight at Otford railway station for a 45min walk down through the to Werrong Beach (take your own water and food as nothing there).

On my journey to and from Kiama on the train (lovely town, well worth having a look at) travelling through the Royal National Park towards Stanwell Park there were a number of wallabies standing on the side of the railway starring at the trains - amazing!

I want to see some things but still do not want to rush.
I would love to hang out on pretty beaches to wind down
Maybe do some hiking in the nature where I'll be rewarded with a great view or a hidden waterfall/ lake (preferably not too many spiders on the way)
See coalas and kangoroos (My dream since I was a kid)
See really nice, pretty (=photogenic) places :p
A mix between big cities and nature
Apart from the fights Sydney to Melbourne to somewhere else back to Sydney, I don't necessary need to fly some more, since it takes quite some time, so if some of these places are within driving (rental car or public transportation), it would be better

Australia is a big empty sort of place where most of the people are around the edge.
I think you should do a little road trip between Sydney and Melbourne and the great ocean road.
Hire a van or car and tootle along exploring everything that seems to be on offer along the way.
Get hold of a decent camping map that shows all the national parks and places of interest along the way so that are not driving past the nicest places without realising. also go via canberra can be good

The southern highlands are nice.
Consider doing some walks in the australian alps. - have a look into the australian alps walking track and see if you can't do a leg or two where the scenery might be most spectactacular. Look at the website, look at images on google search, look at it the area on something like google maps and try to piece it together. It could be really good.
check out wilson's promontory south of melbourne.
have a look at the grampians if you have time they are west of melbourne some distance but maybe not so much further on from the end of the great ocean road.
There are koalas to be seen along the GOR if you know where. You may not see kangaroos in the wild in this area. Perhaps more chance around the grampians. I"m not sure though. There might be some in the southern highlands. Tehre's a place called Kangaroo valley where once a film called faces in the mob was made which featured kangaroos. It was a lovely show. Look for it on youtube or somewhere if you can.

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