in article 1g1k652.1pnxszt1hh1snuN%hallvard@despammed.com, Hallvard
Tangeraas at hallvard@despammed.com wrote on 20/9/03 11:13 PM:
> vicki Steven wrote:
>
>> in article 1g1i59i.fzap1g2yosN%hallvard@despammed.com, Hallvard Tangeraas at
>> hallvard@despammed.com wrote on 19/9/03 10:46 AM:
>>
>>> A lot of interesting replies here, but also confusing as different
>>> people have different thoughts about places. I guess that's just the way
>>> it is :-)
>>>
>>> The main "problem" for me is that I really don't know much about
>>> Australia, and because of this I have a hard time figuring out a
>>> suitable route. Since I haven't been there I don't know what would
>>> interest me or not, but the things I definitely don't want to miss out
>>> on after having left Australia is:
>> (snip)
>>> I'm thinking about an option as follows:
>>>
>>> Singapore-Bali-Darwin (international flight)
>>> Darwin-Alice Springs (local flight)
>>> Alice Springs-Ayers Rock-Adelaide-Melbourne-Canberra.. (rest of east
>>> coast)-Cairns (bus/train)
>>>
>>> or....
>>>
>>> Singapore-Bali-Alice Springs (international flight)
>>> Alice Springs-Ayers Rock (bus/train?)
>>> Ayers Rock-Adelaide (local flight)
>>> Adelaide-Melbourne-Canberra-
>>> Sydney...(rest of east coast)-Cairns (bus/train)
>>
>> Not sure what kind of International ticket you have but generally Cairns to
>> AKL would be the most expensive trans-tasman option so an alternative MIGHT
>> be to fly to Darwin,
>
> I'm not too familiar with those abbreviated names for airports, so I'm
> not quite sure what you mean when you say "AKL".
>
>
>> Fly to Alice or Uluru and then Fly to Cairns. This
>> will knock out huge expanses of desert/arid regions - fascinating if you
>> have the time but missable if time is short. IMO the East Coast route needs
>> about 1 month minimum - add a week each for SYD, MEL & the NT and you have
>> 7-8 weeks at a reasonable pace.
>
> I really don't know yet which flight-routes are available to me, but
> I'll be trying to make a nice setup, then check if it's doable by
> contacting my travel agent. I think I'll be taking Singapore airlines
> (From Singapore, via Bali).
>
> Yes, I can see that there are vast areas of desert, which of course is
> interesting and fascinating to see for me as well, but not days and
> weeks of it!
> I don't know about Darwin -is it a great place to go to which I
> shouldn't miss, or is the price to pay of having to spend lots longer to
> travel through desert areas for a long time too high to justify it?
>
> If a flight from Darwin to Alice Springs is prohibitively expensive, a
> bus ride will probably be a lot cheaper (though I expect it to cost
> quite a bit as well) I could take my international flight to Alice
> springs instead (if the plane takes this route) because I really want to
> see Ayer's rock.
>
>
>> Then do the beaten tourist route down the coast from Cairns to SYD or MEL
>> and fly to NZ from there. Air fares between CHC and SYD/MEL are now very
>> competitive.
>
> I'll have a complete ticket which will include travel to New Zealand, so
> that won't matter for me in this case. If I take the route you mention,
> (arriving at Alice Springs, taking a flight to Cairns (any idea how much
> this flight will cost, in case my own plane ticket won't cover it?),
> then travelling by bus all the way down the east coast, and finally
> taking a plane to New Zealand from somewhere down the coast -prefferably
> Adelaide if possible, so I don't have to go back to Sydney or
> Melbourne), will I be missing the outback/desert altogether in
> Australia? I'd really like to experience some of it.
>
>
> Hallvard
Alice Springs and Adelaide are not International airports - that is why I
suggested you complete the northern parts first - ie Darwin to Alice Springs
to Cairns and then travel south down the East coast, flying out of Melbourne
to NZ. If time is short you'll get enough of the desert on the journey from
Alice Springs to Uluru (440 Km each way). Otherwise the 1500 Km trip from
Darwin to Alice could probably be done in 2 days. I flew that leg.
Vicki
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