Australia in 2-3 days

Australia is a big country so there’s no way you’re going to spend two-three days in more than one city. And that city should be Sydney.

Day 1

Base yourself in central Sydney, somewhere like The Rocks, to allow yourself to make best use of your time. It might be touristy and a touch expensive but do the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. It’s not often you get a chance to climb one of the world’s most famous landmarks and the view is spectacular. Book ahead if you can because it does get very busy. Spend the rest of the day wandering around The Rocks, which has great markets on the weekends, Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in Darling Harbour to choose from in the evening.

Day 2

Spend the morning at the Powerhouse Museum which covers a variety of subjects including science, history and space exploration. It’s very interactive and is popular with all ages. In the afternoon get on Sydney Harbour by catching the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly where you can while away the afternoon

Day 3

Head for a day in the eastern suburbs. Start off with a morning swim at Coogee Bay. There is a footpath which leads north to Bondi Beach where you can spend the afternoon swimming, eating, drinking and watching all the beautiful people splash about.

 

In 7-9 days

Days 1-4

Start off with three days in Sydney as described above. Then take a day trip out to the Blue Mountains where there are short bush walks to enjoy.

Days 7-9

Catch a flight to Cairns and make your way to Port Douglas. From here you can go diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. You can also make day trips to Mossman Gorge, the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation.

 

In two weeks +

If you’re planning on seeing Australia well give yourself months. It’s more than 2500 kilometres from Cairns to Melbourne with plenty to see in between, and that doesn’t even get you off the coast.

But if you’re limited to two weeks take the 7-9 day itinerary above and head for Australia’s red centre. You can fly into Alice Springs and then catch a bus to Uluru, which is stunning. Give yourself a few days to explore the area. You could spend a day just wandering around The Rock. You’ll also have time to see the Olgas while at Uluru and then head to King’s Canyon for a day or two