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G'day Sally and Ziners,
I am definitely going to defer to my Aussie Mates about Australia in
general and to Gail about Cairns, but this American couple is compelled to
comment about driving from Sydney to Cairns and back. Sally, you simply must
realize how large this country is: it is the same land mass size plus a bit
bigger than the continental United States. The distance from Sydney to
Cairns is about 3,300 miles round trip. That is like driving across America,
as you know.
There is much to see between the two cities, so you would not want
to just drive straight through from Sydney to Cairns. With only three weeks
to spend in this magnificent country, I would suggest you enjoy Sydney for a
few days, fly to Cairns for a few days and not try to do too much during
your stay.
Obviously we love it here, which is why we have tarried here for so
long. So we encourage you to come and enjoy, but don't make it a difficult
journey by driving so much. Unless, of course, you love to drive. In which
case, on your drive from Sydney you should see Newcastle, Port Macquarie,
Nambucca heads, Coffs Harbour, Brunswick Heads, the Gold Coast, Brisbane,
the Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay (Whale watching capital of the country August
through November), come visit us as you go by Bundaberg, bypass Gladstone
and probably Rockhampton, must see Mackay, the Whitsundadys, Townsville
before Cairns.
That is about how far north we know Queensland so far. We do need to
get above Townsville and plan to do so next winter here (May through July).
Remember if you are coming into Sydney in April it is going to be late
autumn, and Sydney is about 35 degrees south latitude so it is going to be
rather cold.
We will enjoy reading what our Mates downunder have to say to help
you out, but you will enjoy your trip if you like friendly people with
upbeat attitudes. The Aussie dollar is about .55 today, so your money will
go a long way. Plus, the Aussie dollar has more buying power here than what
you would get for a US dollar in the States. The economy is healthy and the
air is clean (well, except for Sydney).
Send us a private e-mail if you want to see the Coral Coast.
Cheers, Marghe and Marty in Coral Cove.
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