Dear all
Me and the family are off to Brisbane in October for a holiday and to visit a family member. I've not been to Australia before and wonder if anyone can give advice/guidance on where to get the best priced flights ( most probably economy ) and where to visit, please? We'll be flying from most Heathrow and I understand we'll be loaned a car in Brisbane.
Many thanks
Driving is Aussie is great, the roads up the Gold Coast aren't too busy and they drive on the proper side of the road so it's well worth hiring a car and visiting Noosa under two hours north. It's a lovely little affluent beachside resort.
A similar distance south is Byron Bay which is another beach resort worth visiting. It's a popular tourist spot, chilled out hippie vibe in some places but also some great places to eat and drink.
Brisbane is a nice and clean city with a nice city centre park and manmade riverside beach and restaurants, but getting out to the coast is where it's at.
Tony, you cannot go wrong with Skyscanner for booking flights - www.skyscanner.net
October is a good time to go, you will have nice weather without it being too hot and humid, and have plenty of choice on accommodation. I am off to Brssie in a few weeks so happy to try nd answer any questions you may have.
Cheers
Mondie is probably your best resource,
Virgin Blue are good for internal flights.
Definitely hire a car
Brisbane is cool just don't swim in the canals, oh and watch out for the fruit bats.
Try to get to Daintree rain forest it's bonza,
Oh Chris in the UK has also spent a fair bit of time there,
We've been a few times and barely scratched the surface, whatever you imagine its much much better.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Thanks for all the replies and advice. Much appreciated. : )
Worse than the snakes and spiders combined. Seriously, check the trees!!!Originally Posted by number2
If you ha e the budget Break your journey up with a small break in KL or Singapore. If you try to do the journey in a oner you will be jet lagged and exhausted For a few days. Have a great trip. Take plenty of fly repellent.
Away ATM Tony, will drop some thoughts when I get a bit more time.
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Unless you are doing a multi stop holiday in Oz, I would cross Daintree off you list. It's 1,000 miles from Brisbane to Cairns, and Daintree and Cape Tribulation are north of that. Mrs Beanie and I drove it in a campervan on our honeymoon in 1989, great fun but wouldn't do it again.
If you do want to do north east Queensland, Cairns is a good place to stay and there are lots of fabulous places to visit relatively nearby, including the Great Barrier Reef.
I can't help with Brisbane unless you're going after October when we will be returning for our 30th adversary. We made friends on the Indian Pacific a couple of years ago and they have invited us to stay with them for a few days and will be showing us round.
OOps, just read your OP properly we will be no help as that's when you're going, sorry.
Last edited by Beanie; 5th May 2019 at 13:52.
Fraser Island is one of my absolute highlights of my trips to Oz. If you have time it’s well worth visiting...
Hi Tony
Sorry for stating the obvious, but Oz is a heck of a flight if the family are not seasoned travellers - often the stopover is a few hours then back in the air. If you can afford to break the trio up with a couple of days somewhere out and back then that is better, but I appreciate the cost element might precluded this. Just don't underestimate the distance/time element for the journey.
The distances in Oz are equally mind blowing, so be careful to not get too ambitious, as somebody has already alluded to. Brisbane is itself is a modern thriving place. Byron Bay (2 hours drive) is worth a visit, very bohemian and a popular backpackers stop over. Briby Island is very pretty, lots of decent places to eat etc. Australia Zoo is an absolute must for a family day out!. If you are happy to drive 3 hours (ish) then Fraser Island is a worthwhile visit.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I've been to Brisbane each year for the last 3 years as I have family there, once without a stopover and twice with a stopover in Hong Kong for a couple of days.
I don't sleep well on planes even though I flew business class the non stopover (22:00 LHR - 17:00 HKG then 21:35 HKG - 08:30 BNE) took me 3 days to adjust, falling asleep in Brisbane at 6pm and waking up at 2am the first day, then falling asleep at 8pm and waking up at 4am on the second day and then falling asleep at 10pm and waking up at 6am the third day.
There are plenty of airlines that fly to Brisbane and the prices vary a lot, but you got to think about the overall travel time for your family members as some of the stopovers will be short and some will be long, the amount of time in the same clothes if there is no shower facility at your stopover terminal, etc...
Visit Mount Coot Tha (the best views of Brisbane), Lone Pine (the worlds oldest and largest Koala Sanctuary), South Bank (public park, gardens, swimming areas, Ferris wheel), do the Story Bridge climb just before sunset, XXXX Brewery tour, take a trip to surfers paradise (Gold Coast) also Harbour Town outlet shopping centre near by and Cairns for the GBR.
Tony, I live in Brisbane.
Drop me a PM if you like, happy to help where I can.
Thanks for all the additional replies. Much appreciated. : )
Be sure to take Archie out for dinner, Brisbane's greatest son.
If you get the chance I'd thoroughly recommend a couple of night stay at Tangalooma (Moreton Island) just off Brisbane.
Amongst other things it's a Wild Dolphin sanctuary and the dolphins come in each night for a feed.
Plenty other stuff to do as well.
maseman
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