Heron Island is in Queensland, probably 2000-2500 miles from Melbourne and
1500-2000 miles from Sydney.
At this time of the year I'd be touring south rather than northern
Queensland
because it is the wet season up there and can be uncomfortable and
potentially wet and windy. Down south, it is the nicest time of the year.
So, you'll be flying into either Melbourne or Sydney (probably Sydney as
most US - Australia flights land in Sydney). I'd tour around which ever
city you land in. Both have lots of things to do and see and you'd enjoy
either city/surrounds. I've lived in both cities, so I am at least partly
qualified to step out on a limb.....
I'd say you should hunt for a direct flight to Melbourne and tour
around there because the roads are better, the food and wine are better,
wide range of theatre and galleries and there is more diversity of things
to see and do within a couple of hours of Melbourne. Everything from
temperate rainforest. beaches, walking and driving, 7 very different
premium wine regions within 2 hrs of Melbourne, lots of heritage
architecture etc etc. On the negative side, the weather is more fickle.
This is only a minor negative though.
Sydney is more spectacular and overtly tourist. It is a beautiful city and
there
are lots and lots of things to visit, do and see. It is visually a
magnificent
spectacle, it too has great food and theatre. It has the Hunter Valley as
Australia's largest and oldest continuous wine making area. On the negative
side, it is more expensive, crowded and grimy. there is definitely less
diversity of scenery around Sydney but with only a week it is probably a
mute point.
In the end it depends on you. If you prefer San Francisco over LA, then
you'd probably like Melbourne more - the cities have a similar "feel". If
you want to see the big tourist things like the Harbour Bridge, Opera
House etc, then go to Sydney - Melbourne doesn't have the visual/tourist
icons that Sydney has. Melbourne and Sydney both have great beaches
ad sailing. Sydney's harbour is far more spectacular than Melbourne's
(larger) Port Phillip Bay.
If you end up choosing Melbourne, let me know and I'll provide more details
If you choose Sydney, then the Sydney listers can probably help more
but I am still happy to provide some suggestions.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Saidel <saidel@crab.rutgers.edu>
To: mgs@triumph.cs.utah.edu <mgs@triumph.cs.utah.edu>
Date: Thursday, 14 January 1999 1:13
Subject: a non-car question to Australians only
>I am going to a conference on Heron Island late in March for a week. My SU
>& I will be touring for the previous week.
>
>Are there pros & cons to aim for Melbourne or Sydney as a jumping off
place?
>
>We haven't been world travelers so we could use all the info possible.
>
>TIA,
>
>Bill
>**********************************************************************
>Dr. Bill Saidel
>Assoc. Prof. Vocal phone (609) 225-6336
>Department of Biology FAX (609) 225-6312
>Science Building email: saidel@crab.rutgers.edu
>315 Penn St.
>Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
>Camden, NJ 08102 -1411
>http://crab.rutgers.edu/~saidel/saidel.html
>
>
>"Between the approximation of the idea and the precision
>of reality, there is a small gap of the unimaginable."
>Milan Kundera - "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"
>
>
>
>
>
|