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marieclaude560	Re: Australia in August?	#21	[-]
Posts: 14091 (04/19/07 06:10:24) EZop Administrator "Assume Good Intent" Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	The "regional" carrier that used to fly the intra-country routes was Ansett, but it went bust On a quick look at travelocity they are only showing Qantas, but I'm sure there are several other budget carriers. Distances in OZ are rather astounding though. Sydney/Cairns is 3 hrs. "Regional Express" flies Sydney/Melbourne, but only with a change of planes. Qantas flies non-stop. Here's a list of the regional budget carriers. How many of them fly within Australia you would have to find out. www.attitudetravel.com/lowcostairlines/oceania/
ChiChi Carbonado	Re: Australia in August?	#22	[-]
Posts: 7475 (04/19/07 17:43:26) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I believe there are some tourist-type tickets with lots of stops for a flat rate. Or at least there used to be. I remember when Ansett went belly up. I was in Italy at an internet cafe with a couple who were stranded and trying to make some alternate arrangements.
marieclaude560	Re: Australia in August?	#23	[-]
Posts: 14091 (04/19/07 19:18:06) EZop Administrator "Assume Good Intent" Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	It was sad I LOVED Ansett -- I flew them from Sydney to Ballina, then Ballina/Sydney/Canberra and finally Canberra/Sydney. The pilots loved me because I recognized that they were flying Fokker 50s -- security was past non-existent and in Ballina we circled the field before landing to check for cows. And to the best part was that the airline food was FRESH and GOOD! Here we are circling.
CliftonMEM	Re: Australia in August?	#24	[-]
Posts: 1254 (04/23/07 06:49:06) Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Qantas is very good. One of the best I've flown on. I've never taken Air Canada though. I think that Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance? If so, there's a chance that the Air Canada flight might actually be a codeshare on an Air New Zealand flight. That wouldn't be bad either, as they're also excellent and have a little extra leg room.
ChiChi Carbonado	Re: Australia in August?	#25	[-]
Posts: 7475 (04/24/07 17:25:33) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	mcbg1, I heard back from my BIL with a couple of suggestions you might want to check out. He wrote: "Qantas Package #1 If you fly the international leg with them you get three free internal flights. Need to state this when you buy the tickets. Package #2 South Pacfic Pass offered thru travel agents. If I remember it's 5 internal flights for $800." He said if that didn't work out for you, use the cheap carriers there. Looks like that would include the following: Virgin Blue Australian Airlines (a subsidiary owned by Qantas) and a bunch of subsidiaries formerly owned by Ansett but still flying: Kendell Airlines Hazelton Airlines Aeropelican Skywest
mcbg1		#26	[-]
Posts: 393 (06/05/09 15:15:01) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Well this trip might be back on for August 2009. I was looking online and I saw an AMAZING rate for a Qantas flight from Montreal to LAX and then to Sydney for 1200$ CAN, taxes included. This is a rate I found on Expedia. If I look on Qantas' website, the same flight is around 1900$. I wasn't planning on traveling again this year but at that price, I might do it. I would only have two weeks though so I think I'd have to stick to Sydney and Cairns. I'll think about it in the next few weeks.
mcbg1		#27	[-]
Posts: 395 (06/05/09 18:09:57) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	And if I book my hotels with my flight on Expedia, I can get 6 nights in Sydney at the Swissotel Sydney and 6 nights at the Shangri-La Cairns for only 800$ CAN! shocked
ChiChi Carbonado		#28	[-]
Posts: 7171 (06/05/09 21:35:04) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	mcbg, you asked on another thread, but I'll answer you here. We stayed with a good friend at Coogee Beach. We had intended to stay part of the time in a hotel, so I looked at quite a few, but we never made the move. Post a link to the Swissotel and I'll give you feedback if I have any.
CliftonMEM		#29	[-]
Posts: 1154 (06/06/09 13:40:01) Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Did they extend the sale? That's great! Make sure - hopefully Expedia got an extension. We bought off of Qanta's site a couple of weeks ago. We got three seats in coach for November 09 for around $1500, all in, from LAX (used miles to get to LA). We were shocked how cheap the flights were, compared to past years, when we've spent much more than that for each seat.
mcbg1		#30	[-]
Posts: 397 (06/11/09 15:07:08) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	ChiChi, here's the link to the Swissotel's website: http://www.swissotel.com/EN/Destinations/Australia/Swissotel+Sydney/Hotel+Home/Hotel+Description I could also stay at the Sydney Hilton for practically the same price. http://www.hiltonsydney.com.au/ It looks like the Qantas sale ends on June 16th. I'd book right away but I still don't know if I'll be able to take those 2 weeks off. Hopefully the prices don't go up by that much and another sale starts in the next few weeks...
ChiChi Carbonado		#31	[-]
Posts: 7173 (06/15/09 13:46:01) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	mcbg, sorry it's taken me a few days to get back here. Both of those hotels are right in the center of downtown Sydney -- a great location IMO for seeing the central sights. I think you'd be pleased with either one. You can walk to a lot of places you'll want to see, and restaurants and shopping are all right there, along with the lovely Hyde Park just a couple of blocks away if you want a green respite from the tall buildings and city bustle. It will be cool-ish in August -- end of winter. You'll need a jacket or sweater.
mcbg1		#32	[-]
Posts: 400 (06/16/09 20:30:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks ChiChi. OMG I just got an email from Travelzoo (the Aussie edition) and I was able to book 7 nights at the Shangri-La Hotel in Cairns for 129 AUD per night! What a steal! Now I just need to book my flight haha.
mcbg1		#33	[-]
Posts: 416 (06/19/09 20:56:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Well this trip is now official. I'm leaving on August 11th. Staying 5 nights in Sydney then 7 nights in Cairns. On my way back home, I'll be staying in LA for 3 nights. Does anyone have any recommendations on things to do in Sydney/Cairns. I know for sure I want to see Blue Mountain and the Great Reef Barrier.
ChiChi Carbonado		#34	[-]
Posts: 7183 (06/20/09 18:39:10) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	There is SO much to do in Sydney! We really liked the Australia Museum, which has a lot of natural history and aboriginal info. Also the Botanical Gardens. And the Zoo, which is a ferry ride from Circular Quay. Lots of fun galleries and shopping, too. Are you planning to do a day trip to the Blue Mountains? We thought it was spectacularly beautiful there. You could take a train to Leura or Katoomba, both nice towns. (Katoomba is a little funkier, Leura smaller and more upscale, but both have excellent cafes, restaurants, and shops, as well as views over the Jamison Valley.) There are cliffside walks that are just gorgeous. Be sure to see Echo Point and the Three Sisters. I've never been to Cairns so can't help there. But let me know if you have any other questions about Sydney or the Blue Mountains. Who knows, maybe I'll get the Blue Mountains part of my trip report done before you go.
mcbg1		#35	[-]
Posts: 417 (06/20/09 19:38:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	ChiChi: I'm definitely planning on visiting the Blue Mountains. I've started looking at some tour companies but perhaps going on our own using the train would be cheaper. I'll look into this... I just booked our hotels. We'll be staying at the Hilton in both Sydney and Cairns. They were offering 50% off on our entire stay with them so we jumped on the deal. We got rooms on the Executive level for the freebies.
ChiChi Carbonado		#36	[-]
Posts: 7184 (06/20/09 22:22:50) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That's great! Let me know what the tour companies offer re Blue Mountains. If you're only there for a day, I think you can easily do it yourself. In my opinion, your experience taking a walk/hike will be much richer than being driven around in a bus to various viewpoints.
mcbg1		#37	[-]
Posts: 422 (06/28/09 16:27:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I'm thinking of doing something crazy. Would it be doable to fly from Sydney to Melbourne early one morning, rent a car at the airport, see some of the Great Ocean Road and then fly back to Sydney late in the evening?
CliftonMEM		#38	[-]
Posts: 1172 (06/29/09 00:25:49) Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That's a pretty long drive. I think it could be done, depending on the flight times, but it would be a really long day. We've done a drive from my MIL's house in the inner ring suburbs, leaving around 8am and made it out to Port Campbell (just past the 12 Apostles) at 4pm-ish. But we stopped at Cape Otway to see koalas and cockatoos up in the trees and again to see a lighthouse. We overnighted at Port Campbell, but I think it was around a 3 hour drive back (long for us, but we went past the airports and it the other side of the city. If you try it, you may want to think about flying into Avalon (code = AVV), which is considered Melbourne metro area, but is south of the city, along the road to Geelong. Qantas has flights from Sydney into there. That might get you further along your route. It's about 1.5 hrs each way from SYD to one of the MEL airports. Shame to miss Melbourne itself though. A pretty cool city. Very artsy and sporty as well.
ChiChi Carbonado		#39	[-]
Posts: 7198 (06/29/09 01:07:58) Administrator MC's Alter-Ego Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	IMO that would be very crazy indeed! It would take you at least an hour, maybe 2 depending on traffic, to get your car at the MEL airport and get to the start of the Great Ocean Road. And keep in mind that the most scenic part of the road is hours farther along. It's not the sort of drive you want to rush. (I am assuming you read my trip report on that part of our trip.) I've been told that some of the coast between Sydney and Melbourne is spectacular as well, and would be closer to hand from Syndey. But with 5 nights in Sydney, and a trip to the Blue Mountains, your plate is full, mcbg. Like the rest of us, you'll just have to go back to see more!
mcbg1		#40	[-]
Posts: 423 (06/30/09 16:54:26) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	You're right, it's probably not worth all the trouble. As for my Blue Mountains tour, I found this company: http://www.activitytours.com.au/blue_mountains_tours.html They seem to have good reviews on Trip Advisor and for the price, it seems like a lot of things are included.

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