FROM KINTORE EAST TO YUENDEMU: Travel advice for Maret in the land where women glow and men plunder?
I'm going to Australia for 12 days in August with two friends...we're spending 4 days each in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and would love tips from any Thing Throwers who have spent time down under about what we should see, where we should go, and places to eat. Hotels were part of the package so we're set there. It'll be winter, so beach time/snorkeling aren't on the agenda but we're open to all ideas and hope to take a day trip outside of Melbourne and/or Adelaide there, so thoughts on where me might go from those towns would be great. And if you've used any particular tour companies or public transportation that you recommend, we'd love to hear about it...
In Sydney, take the train to the side of the harbor opposite the Opera House and walk back across the Harbour Bridge (not the BridgeClimb--the pedestrian walkway) for great views. I also recommend taking a ferry to Taronga Zoo, both for the views of the city from the water and for the chance to see Australian animals up close.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like Melbourne much, the food was lousy and there wasn't much to do. I didn't spend a significant amount of time in Adelaide, although from what I did see it was lovely. Sydney, on the other hand, is one of the great cities in the world.
ReplyDeleteIn Sydney, off the top of my head, I would recommend the following:
The Zoo. I am not even a zoo person but it is increadible. Very interactive. Beautiful ferry ride accross the Harbor. Just a must see.
Tour of the Opera House. It's really quite extraordinary and if you have any interest in theater or architecture it is 100% worth it.
Climb the Harbor Bridge. I did not do this, but I know many people who did.
The Sydney Observatory. Remember the stars are different too. Really awesome. Although if possible, If you can do some stargazing outside of a city (they might have something similar in Adelaide) that would work too.
Botanic Gardens. I am not a nature girl, but everything in Australia is so different, it's worth a day.
And if you have the time -- You can easily get to the temperate rain forest outside of Sydney. It's about an hour by train. I wish I could remember the specifics of how to get there, but here is a bit from wikipedia about them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Australian_temperate_forests
I am sure your hotel will have information. Just extraordinary.
Unfortunatelly, you're not going to be anywhere near the two places I think were the best part of my trip -- Uluru and The Great Barrier Reef. You'll just have to go back and visit the next time.
I second Kate's notion about getting a chance to do some stargazing away from city lights, if at all possible. Recall that the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the center of the galaxy, rather than away from it, so the Milky Way is substantially more brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThere's a great old pub called Lord Nelsons just on the west side of the south end of Harbor Bridge. Good beer, terrific old pub (the oldest still operating in Sydney, I think). The zoo is great. Taking the ferry out to either Manly or Watson's Bay for a long lunch is nice too.
Also, take the ferrys whenever the occasion allows it. Best way to get around.
ReplyDeleteIf you see a pack of teenagers touring about, jabbering with southern accents, and accompanied by a number of also-southern-accented adults, wave hello, as there's a pretty good chance that that is my brother, sister-in-law, and their high school students.
ReplyDeleteI was there in 1998, so some of this is out of date, but here goes anyways.
ReplyDeleteSydney: tour the Opera House, explore the neighborhood between it and the bridge, and see the Botanical Gardens. I think there was also a museum nearby which explored issues about the colonial experience which was pretty amazing -- close to Circular Quay. Take a ferry somewhere for sure.
Melbourne (which I liked just as much as Sydney, unlike Kate): take the tram and explore the different neighborhoods, eat Greek food, see the old jail (gaol?). Get out west of town to see the Great Ocean Road (one of the most dramatic landscapes around), and get to the gold fields too if you can.
If you are an art person, do some reading and/or looking ahead of time about Australian art -- both in the Western tradition and Aboriginal art; I loved going to the museums and learning more and more with each trip, but my first visit or so was just about orienting myself to what I wanted to pay attention to.
Long time lurker, etc, etc....
ReplyDeleteIf you're into wine/produce Adelaide has a few superb wine regions within a 2 hour drive. The Barossa Valley is famous for reds (especially Shiraz) and hosts a number of famous vineyards; the Clare Valley does whites (especially Reisling) and has a great cycling track; and the McLaren Vale is like half an hour out of town. All have tours that leave from the city. I love both the Barossa and Clare.
The city is surrounded by the Adelaide Hills, which are dotted with country towns with a lot of history.. Birdwood has the National Motor Museum; Hahndorf is an old German town that's gone pretty tacky, but is still pretty as hell, and Cleland Wildlife Park (excellent place to get close to native fauna, well-run, conservationist, always open, and cheap) is on the way. There are plenty of scenic drives through the hills.
Kangaroo Island is well worth a visit but it would be a LONG day trip -- best to do at least one night. AMAZING scenery and wildlife.
The city itself is small and walkable with a few free transport options, depending on where your hotel is. Museum (extensive Indigenous Cultures exhibit) and Art Gallery are right next to each other. Amalfi's Restaurant (just off of Rundle St) does excellent, classic Italian food -- booking recommended, medium price. Red Ochre is expensive but has a lovely view and uses only native Australian meats and ingredients -- only eaten there once but loved it. Windy Point Restaurant (night - $$$ but worth it) and Cafe (day - cheaper) has an amazing view of the city but is about half an hour out of town. Rundle Street and Chinatown (Gouger Street) are your best bests for casual dining, with a bewildering array of choice of cuisine and price.
Hope you have a great time!
Thank you all! These are great suggestions, keep them coming! And thanks, Adam for posting.
ReplyDeleteMelbourne was a total clusterf@&% for us. The hotel we originally were going to stay at was not handicapped accessible (I was traveling with my mother who, although fairly mobile, didn't do large numbers of stairs quickly. We would have been on the 4th floor) which we did not find out until we showed up there on Friday night. The hotel manager was at a party and left the keys for us and we could not figure out how to get in (as it turns out, he only left the key to the rooms, and not the building). We ended up getting rooms at the Grand Hyatt across the street for $100 per room per night because of some weekend deal they were having. But I recall the highlight of Melbourne was that hotel.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, when we went they seemed to have closed EVERYTHING for renovations. The major art museum (which I have been told is wonderful) was closed due to renovations on it, they were moving everything into the library -- to open in four months.
It was that kind of trip.
One more thing, if you're not a vegetarian, eat a Kangaroo steak. They are served in many restaurants (won't be hard to find) there and I actually like Kangaroo meat better than steak. Very lean, yet flavorful and not tough. Croc isn't worth it...a cross between chicken and fish and quite tough.
ReplyDeletesydney is awesome.. a mix of san francisco and san diego to me, at least in the summer. i second the ferry ride to the north side of sydney. however, if you're not a zoo person but want to see the australia-only animals in a smaller setting, check out featherdale wildlife park out near the olympic facilities. it's small and you get to feed kangaroos and koalas and watch tasmanian devils spin.
ReplyDeletewe did the bridge climb and enjoyed it. book a time near sunset so you see the city in daylight for the first half and at night on the way back. plus, you and your friends will laugh at how much you look like evil henchmen in a james bond movie in the oh-so-flattering climbing suits.
we loved walking around in "the rocks" neighborhood across from the opera house. eat salt and pepper mud crab if it's in season. a bit of work, but very yummy.
have fun!
I just learned that this system limits comments to 5000 characters! I asked a colleague who LOVES Australia for his advice - he has lived there, visited often, taught a class on the history of Australia, and he pumped out an essay of advice in about 15 minutes (and now is longing for another trip...).
ReplyDeletePart I:
<p><span>Easy answers, but difficult decisions among the MANY options…</span>
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</p><p><span>Sydney is spectacular and is the world’s most amazing natural harbour (extra letter U). A visit to the Sydney Opera House is a must, as it is a world-class architectural masterpiece with amazing acoustics. It is worth the time to go on a harbour cruise, including stops at the Taronga Zoo to see some Aussie animals, and/or Manly Beach (something like Santa Cruz), and/or Darling Harbour (a much better, amazingly scenic, Pier 39). Cruises also may permit a trip under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I do not think that any one company is better than another. They might also try a water taxi.</span>
</p><p><span>Some visitors enjoy the Sydney Bridge Climb. It is expensive, but cool. I did it at night in ’03.</span>
</p><p><span>A venture up the Sydney Tower would afford a great view of the city.</span>
</p><p><span>Another fun day trip could be to the Blue Mountains.</span>
</p><p><span>“The Rocks” is the colonial, convict part of the original settlement, and it is a fun area right near downtown to scout around.</span>
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Part II:
ReplyDelete<p><span>I do not know Melbourne nearly as well. When I think Victoria, I think nature and food. Your friends might opt to go for a drive on the Great Ocean Road. Seeing the “Twelve Apostles” sticking out of the surf is meant to be spectacular! When I was in Tasmania, I went on a trip to see penguins in the wild. This would also be an option out of Melbourne at Phillip Island. Very cool! Melbourne is a super city for genuine ethnic cuisine! My memory is that Melbourne has the second largest Greek-speaking population in the world (right behind Athens!). We are right in the heart of Australian Rules Football season, and Victoria is the home of “footy.” A trip to see the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a must. The MCG is their Wrigley Field- meets the Rose Bowl.</span>
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</p><p><span></span><span>Adelaide is a city I have never visited, but right outside is the Barossa Valley—Australia’s most famous wine region.</span>
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</p><p><span></span><span>Sydney has one footy team, Adelaide has two, and a whole bunch are in Melbourne. A fun weekend day would be to organize for tickets to a game and enjoy a beer and a meat pie with friends they would meet in the stadium.</span>
</p><p><span>As a historical aside, part of the Australian spirit is captured in their memories of the ANZACs who died in WWI. This acronym stands for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. Each city in Australia—big Sydney and small dots on the map—will have an ANZAC memorial. I think that making it a point to see these when in cities is a powerful way to connect with the myth and the people of the great southern land.</span>
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</p><p><span>The easy book recommendation is Bill Bryson’s <span>In a Sunburned Country</span>. Hilarious and really interesting. </span>
</p><p><span>Australian cinema is great. While the recent Australia made a ton of money, your friends might want to see Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Dish, and the powerful screen debut of Mel Gibson in Gallipoli. Of course, there is always Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Mad Max…</span>
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</p><p><span>I miss Australia every day…</span>
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G'day. Great suggestions for Sydney and Adelaide. I particularly like our Guest's suggestions about getting out of town from Adelaide as it is much smaller than Sydney and Melbourne and so easier to get out of and see more of the country. Also August in the Barossa Valley is beautiful as the vines are just coming through. If you are with foodies I recommend trying to get to Maggie Beer's place. www.maggiebeer.com.au in the Barossa Valley as she is a fantastic cook and has a lovely property. You will need to book.
ReplyDeleteI am in Melbourne and so have a natural bias towards the city. Kate's trip does sound like a nightmare but I promise you it is much better than that.
If you would like I would be delighted to offer some bar/food/coffee/shopping/sight suggestions but am interested in what you love doing.
Will you be travelling with some sports fans? If so, a trip and tour to th Melbourne Cricket Ground is a must.
Also how would you feel about a Thing Throwers Down Under Meet Up? email me at stowlucy at hotmail dot com if you are.
Thanks slowlylu!
ReplyDeleteFor food, one of us is a vegetarian but I'm not and neither is the other, and we're all pretty adverturesome -- we eat all kinds of food here in L.A. and would particularly love to try food that is native to the region -- kangaroo steaks, as suggestion above, are on the list for the meat eaters. We like sushi, Indian, Greek, everything really -- so long as where we're eating has something got the vegetarian among us.
Bar-wise we tend to gravitate towards the local hangouts as compared to a tourist spot. We all enjoy beer and wine (sometimes too much ;)) so local pubs would be great. And we all drink a lot of coffee. A lot. I have been told to order a tall white by someone else who spent time in Australia.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground sounds like a great idea -- we are interested in pretty much everything, which is no help to you at all. Historical sights, museums, walks, hikes...but again, also going and wandering around where the locals go.
Would love to meet you -- my friends are not Thing Throwers (yet) but they will be up for it. I'll email you, and thanks!
I've never been to Australia, but here are some tips I got from a good friend who recently visited there (he has a sister-in-law who lives over there):
ReplyDelete<span>Well, they would have to have a car. The three places that spring to mind for day trips are Philips Island to see the fairy penguins (can do this year-round), drive west to the Great Ocean Road (two days for this one - a beautiful ride along the Southern Ocean that is do-able year-round), and to see TONS of Australian animals, Healesville Animal Sanctuary is really good.</span>
The Philip Island trip is great as is the Healesville Animal Sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Ocean Road is a lovely drive but you're right StvMg that it is a two day round trip and even then lots of driving along winding and not easy driving roads.
As for the city, well I think it is gorgeous but I am biased.
The first place to start in Melbourne is probably Federation Square which is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston street. This has a really good visitors centre where you can pick up a map to get around by. The city itself is really fun to walk around as it is built on the grid system (similiar to NYC). In Federation Square you'll also find part of the National Gallery of Victoria which has a really nice Aboriginal and Colonial Art exhibition as well as the Film museum.
Can I recommend going to the Transport hotel there for a beer and a meat pie with chips (an Australian delicacy). The Transport hotel has really good views of Federation Square and also up St Kilda road to the Botanical Gardens and also the War Memorial.
On top of the hotel is a really lovely bar (sorry you'll get used to Australians talking about drinking spots as we're a bunch of alcoholics) called Transit. Go up there for a beautiful sunset view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In the city there are some really lovely shops particularly on Little Collins St between Swanston and Exhibition and Swanston and Elizabeth St. You'll also find a whole range of shops in the Bourke Street Mall.
From Federation Square you can walk up to the War Memorial alongside the gardens. This is a really nice twenty minute walk and when you get to the War Memorial you'll see our commemoration to our troops from the First World War (which was what the memorial was built to commemorate) to the Vietnam War. I would recommend climbing all the way to the top of the memorial as it is a really lovely view of the city, suburbs, bay and parks.
Near the memorial towards the east is a cafe called the Observatory Cafe. It is sort of nestled next to the Old Observatory. After that walk you'll probably need a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. Also near the memorial is the Royal Botanical Gardens which is nice if you're into that sort of thing. My apartment is just near there so I often run The Tan (as the locals call it).
Any of the trams that run along St Kilda road will take you back towards the city (as long as you're heading in a northerly/westerly direction).
If you're up for more shopping Chapel Street Prahran (pronounced Per-ran) is a little further out of the CBD and worth travelling there for a sense of Australian suburban life. Travelling is easy on the No 8 tram.
If you go to Chapel Street the Ay Tea Shop has really good dim sum and Chinese herbal teas. Near Chapel St is the Prahran Markets which if you're into food then you'll shopping for cheese, bread fruit and vegetables. The atmosphere on a Saturday morning is really fun!
Can you tell I am little obsessed with food because you might also want to go to the Lucky Coq which is on the corner of Chapel Street and High Street. They do a really good beer and pizza for $10.
The NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) is celebrating its 150 year anniversary this year. The architecture alone is worth a visit as is the afternoon tea served upstairs. They are also exhibiting as part of their winter exhibition a number of Klimts as part of an Vienna school review.
@meltours is worth following on Twitter (if you're into that sort of thing) and as always people can find me @LERS
I think In a Sunburned Country is a must read before going!
ReplyDeleteI studied abroad in Australia and lived in Melbourne. I actually think Melbourne is really charming and loved living there (sad Kate didn't enjoy it). As mentioned above Melbourne has the second largest population of Greeks in the world so you should definitely seek out Greek food. Also I'd recommend Lygon Street which is Melbourne's own "Little Italy." My friends and I used to eat there all the time and often went to multiple gelatorias in one night to decide which was the best.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed visiting the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles but remember less of specific sites that are "must see" within Melbourne. As for Sydney, I also have to chime in and say do Bridge Climb. My brother and I loved it and thought it was totally worthwhile. But as mentioned above there are other ways to capture the magnificent views of the harbour. I would also say you should visit the Botanic Gardens. My brother and I also enjoyed the Aquarium. And definitely hit up the Rocks.
You are going to love your trip!
I lived in Woomera, a town in the Australian donga many years ago as a pre-teen (1978-80) so I'm not very helpful with any suggestions other than what has been mentioned. On one of our trips to Sydney we were able to hold the koalas at Taronga Zoo - not sure if that is still an option. (Although it was a bit disappointing - they are way too cute to smell that bad!) As mentioned above, the Opera House is a must, Barossa Valley is great and go immediately to procure In a Sunburned Country. And the absolute best part of Australia for me was the incredble people. Make sure you allow time to hang out and interact with some of the locals. We spent a decent amount of time in Adelaide but my main memory is going to McDonald's as we had no restaurants/fast food where we lived and Adelaide was 7 hours away - partially be dirt road. :-)
ReplyDeleteSame Guest here..
ReplyDeleteIn A Sunburned Country is a great, funny read, but as an Adelaide girl when I read it a couple of years ago the bit on Adelaide felt very dated. :-D
As for movies, the one that you MUST see before coming is The Castle!
Oh, and a great South Australian-focussed bar is The King's Head -- great SA food and will only serve locally made and owned beer and wine. The Grace Emily is a "locals" bar with character; same for The Wheatsheaf although that's a little out of town. Music most nights in those two. The Governer Hindmarsh is minute out of town (easy to get there on the tram) and has good music every night, free in the front bar. The Exeter on Rundle St is the local student bar. Unfortunately we're losing a lot of pubs to boring renovations as they all try to go upmarket.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are so great!
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