I'm off to Australia for most of March, somewhere I've just not got round to seeing since I left there (at age 3... no, I missed out on being born there, but was there for about two and a half years!)

I have a general plan of arriving in Sydney, doing some walking around the Blue Mountains, going down to Melbourne and seeing some of the Great Ocean Road, then going back up the east coast and visiting various places (like Fraser Island).

I've got a few questions:

- Anyone know a decent place to rent a car/4x4? The plan is to have a normal car for going south from Sydney, but then probably getting a 4x4 for the rest of the trip including Fraser Island.

- Anything we shouldn't miss? I'd like to visit Uluru, but I'm not sure we'll have time. Claire (gf) has been to Australia before and is planning some stuff, but I'm sure empeggers might have some fresh suggestions!

- Anyone want to meet up for a drink somewhere?

Hugo

When you plan to head thru Brisbane to Fraser, make sure you give Shonky and myself a call. We'll gladly have a drink with the grand-pooh-bah/guru/messiah himself and his better half.
For renting a 4x4, there are a number of places in brisbane and maryborough but it's 250+ k from brisbane to Hervey Bay (ferry to Fraser) so you may like to hire something a little closer. where are you staying on fraser? Kingfisher resort is excellent, spent the y2k new year there. there are 4wd on the island to hire, they're very utilitarian and cost nearly $100 day (30 quid) plus fuel. Don't know how much the car barge is tho.

Fraser is probably the only place you'll need a 4x4, we've had sealed roads and electricity for some time now. You may prefer to get a campervan/winnebago thing. Bigger to drive but you can stop nearly anywhere. Useful on long drives. (2000K Melbourne to Brisbane)

I'll get some more info on stuff soon.

Be glad to be meet up for a drink or two in Brisbane with Murray. I'm currently on a 2 month hiatus from drinking but that's due to end on the weekend (a challenge that I won easily ).

I'm guessing you know how far Uluru is from Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne right? At least two (more like 3 days drive from Brisbane each way.

At risk of stating the obvious, the beaches are probably something you'd at least want to see. If in Brisbane and going to Fraser, Noosa (nice beaches etc and a bit less touristy than the Gold Coast which is directed towards the Asian market) is basically on the way. Hervey bay (Fraser Island makes HB) is about 3 hours north of Brisbane which is the place to go for whale watching. Dunno what sort of stuff you're into exactly.

Further north is the Great Barrier Reef for snorkelling etc.

Can't really help with gotta see places down south so much. Paulway on here is in Melbourne I think.

Paulway on here is in Melbourne I think.

and as soon as he gets back from a weekend in Canberra, He'll respond.

You really can't help but see great stuff between sydney and Melbourne.

BTW, although you may already have the tickets, would it be better to land in Melbourne and work your way up the coast?

I think you'd only need a 4 wheel drive if you were planning to do some fairly remote camping. From memory you really need one for Kakadu, and some of the less well travelled places around Alice Springs / Uluru.

Personally, I would either fly in to Uluru, and spend only a day or two there, or take a couple of weeks with a 4WD around there and Alice Springs. Given that you have a month for the whole country, the latter option seems a bit unlikely.

There are lots of decent surf beaches along the Great Ocean Road. You might find the water is a lot colder than Brisbane! Do you like penguins? There is at least one good penguin beach near Port Campbell.

Look me up when y ou're in Melbourne, too! I've actually never met PaulWay which seems a little silly. I'm sure we'll be able to organise something.

I don't know what you're doing for accommodation, and I doubt that Lord Empeg is particularly pressed for cash, but I have a spare room if you want it.

Richard.

The sydney tickets were the best price, so it looks like we're going to rent something, go down to Melbourne, see the city, spend a couple of days on the Great Ocean Road (probably taking gigabytes of pictures!) and then come back via Canberra.

What's there to see on the way down (or back)? There's got to be some good stuff there!

Hugo

I was thinking about the 4x4 just for Brisbane - and particularly Fraser Island, this being Claire's major nod towards me playing with a big car-shaped toy on holiday. It's looking like we're going to fly Virginblue from Sydney to Brisbane as it'll save us a lot of time.

As for accomodation - thanks for the offer, but I think I've got a family friend's place lined up for Melbourne... I just have to check they're around! If C has her way we'll be sleeping in tents the whole holiday, but I'm rather fond of real beds and fewer intimate wildlife moments!

Melbourne is currently planned for sometime around the 12th-14th March, and I should be on email... no great new toys to show anyone (just, a month later and the prototypes would be in a state to travel...) but if anyone is after non-slip rotary knobs, spare mk2 buttons, empeg stickers, etc I can bring some booty

Hugo

Whoah, 2 months and no drink? Do they sell cider in Australia? I always have the problem when out of the UK (unless you're in a tacky brit-resort in Spain) that I can't get cider... and I can't stand beer.

Limits you a bit, as you feel a bit out of place drinking red wine in a bar! Usually I have to move onto vodka, but that can get messy (mentioning Red Square at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas to me or Rob will get much the same reaction).

C's a scuba diver, but I'm not qualified and it's not really going to happen this holiday. Still, I might snorkel as long as I get assured by several independent sources that there aren't any shark-shaped things about. C appears to be trying to prevent me hearing any scary stories about the sea around Oz!

Hugo

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Do they sell cider in Australia?

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Well if you go to one of the many so-called "Irish" pubs in Brisbane, you can usually get Bulmers amongst other things at least. Acceptable? I'm sure there are some others although Bulmers is probably the main one on tap if you want pints.

As for scary sea stories as long as you're an OK swimmer and stay within the lifeguard flags on the surf beaches, you should be fine. Shark shaped things are fairly rare and on the patrolled beaches, they have alarms and lookouts for them all the time. You'll be coming just as it's getting cooler although that shouldn't bother you too much.

Hmmm, between Melbourne and Sydney. Obviously there are the Australian Alps, which are happy mountains for us, but pretty pissweak in terms of size compared to real mountains. That said, there are lots of parks in that region. Alpine meadows are nice, and of course the flora and fauna are different.

The main highway between Melbourne and Sydney is not particularly interesting, but you can take some detours. I'll see what I can think of in Victoria, as I'm not so familiar with the NSW side.

- Alps as above for natural beauty.
- Glenrowan / Benalla is "Kelly Country", where the most well-known Australian bushrangers used to operate, if you're into history (pretty much meaning the last 200 years).
- There's some nice food and booze happening in the Ovens valley (I think it's signposted as the "Milawa Gourmet Region").

Then you could always go along the coast (instead of inland) where you can see some coastal towns (obviously), good beaches, and just general scenicness. During my childhood I spent various holidays in lots of these places. It's hard to come up with a best-of shortlist! Especially when in your case it would seem logical to come up with things that are both Australian and noteworthy or exciting, as opposed to just "worth seeing/doing", which is the main criterion I would use for my own short trips from home.

The problem is that the things that are quickest and easiest to appreciate will generally be the most "touristy".

What sort of things are you after?

Richard.

Would be happy to meet up in Sydney. If you need any info on the Blue Mountains can suggest some day walks / overnight walks or could even take you abseiling, canyoning or caving.

The VIC / NSW coast road (Princes hwy) passes through some great places but is a much longer route than the Hume hwy. Given that you will be spending time on the Great Ocean Road you may prefer something different. The Victorian and NSW alpine areas are a much more interesting alternative and not all that much longer seeing as you are planing to come back via Canberra. Much of the alpine areas in southern NSW and northern VIC have been affected by bushfires this season. If you are interested I can do some research and recommend some areas that were not affected. The Hume hwy between Sydney and Melbourne is the main route but is rather boring especially as it has been so dry this summer.

The Jervis bay area could be worth a visit with its fantastic beaches, walking, canoeing / kayaking and good scuba diving. Camping in the area is available in the Booderee National Park.

If you make it to the Barrier Reef (which you probably won't have time for) scuba diving is fantastic. The Yongala ship wreck is the best dive I have ever done, assess is via Townsville. Snorkelling is probably good too.

Let us know if there is any thing you're specifically interested in.

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Look me up when y ou're in Melbourne, too! I've actually never met PaulWay which seems a little silly. I'm sure we'll be able to organise something.

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If someone calls this a mini meet Robricc is going to faint....

LOL. I bet he's checking expedia right now.

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Do they sell cider in Australia?

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Not anything like the UK (from my experience drinking in pubs in London). Strongbow, which is to UK cider what Fosters is to Guinness, is plentiful however and you can pick up quantities of it in various shapes to take with you on your travels.

However, if you're going from Melbourne to Sydney you need (NEEEED!) to drop off at the Brown Brothers winery, about a half-hour detour from the Hume about half way between Melbourne and Albury/Wodonga. Then you must pick up a case of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora to drink on your tour, and a case to take home with you. Don't worry too much about this last one, there are several online bottle shops that will happily ship it to you if you feel the craving for this excellent sweet wine again...

The sea is not scary in Australia. While there are dangerous things, they are as scarce as snakes in the UK. As long as you're not doing something completely foolhardy, like swimming beside the "CROCODILES HERE" sign, you won't even see anything to alarm you. The worse you will get is sunburn, as you inevitably forget to put it on before going for a walk or a swim. This is, however, considered a sign of shared suffering.

Also read Douglas Adams' View on Australia. It is all true, especially about wombats.

Looking forward to a Melbourne empeggers meet!

Paul

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I'm off to Australia for most of March, ...

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So do you have any definite time table as yet? I'm just hoping that you're not going to be in Melbourne when I'm going to be off in the US (oh the irony!)

Have fun,

Paul

there's a 4x4 hire place here and [url=http://www.ozhorizons.com.au/qld/fc/bay/bay4wd.htm]here[/url.
But you won't need a 4wd for brisbane itself, and thier too expensive to have for the time you're here.

[url=http://babs.com.au/glasshouse/]this looks like a good place to stay on the way to Fraser if you like.

I don't really know what I'm after, I don't have any particular preferences. I've got no illusions of being able to get any more than a very superficial impression of the place in a month... which is a pity, but it's not exactly compact

I'll look at the maps and see if we can at least work in food/booze on the journey! Not sure if we'll be going along the coast until we get to the great ocean road, as that'll probably max out my "sea/cliff/road" senses for a while...

Hugo

Whoah, the canyoning looks incredible! I'm not a climber though (though Claire is, along with kayaking) so I could get out of my depth quickly

Any suggestions as to non-Hume-highway routes gratefully accepted (I'll buy you a drink in Sydney!).

Speaking of which, we need to nail down a time for this meet in Sydney; one suggestion is the 31st March (my 32nd birthday) when I will definitely be there and be up for going out for some food & beers. How does that sound?

Hugo

Sometime around the 12th-14th is looking likely for Melbourne - let me guess, you're in the US?

Hugo

Alternate route, Melb. to Sydney - I would suggest the following:

Day 1
Melbourne - Traralgon - Bairnsdale via Pacific Hwy then
Omeo - Mt Hotham - (Bright) Tawonga - (Mt Beauty) via Great Alpine Rd then
Tallangatta - Corryong via Kiewa Valley Hwy and Murray Valley Hwy with possible overnight at Corryong then
Day 2
Corryong - Khancoban - Tom Groggun - Thredbo - Jindabyne - Cooma via the Alpine Way then
Canberra - Goulburn - Sydney via Monaro Hwy, Federal Hwy and Hume Hwy.

Alternatively could return from Cooma via Numeralla, Braidwood and Goulburn (slower though).

There are a few interesting places/things to stop off and look at along this route and making it a three or even four day trip, if time permitted, would be far more enjoyable and relaxing. I could suggest interesting things to look at along the way if required.

Re fire affected area, quite a bit of the route would have been affected by the recent bush fires but not sure to what extent. All the roads along the proposed route/s would be open though as they are major tourist roads which the locals keep open to encourage tourism and business to return to the area/s. One advantage after the fires is that many views have been opened up to reveal what was otherwise hidden behind thick scrub.


I am flexable on a meeting date, happy to fit in with your timetable. Maybe a canyon on the 30th if your interested? If you were interested in a canyon we can easily select one that would be appropreate for your abilities. As long as you can swim 50m in a wetsuit and walk up a hill for an hour at the end you should make it to your 32nd birthday.

Rod.

Nope - I go from the 24th to the 31st. So woohoo!

*searches around for other details of empeg and rio-car owners in Melbourne* Must organise meet, must organise meet...

Have fun,

Paul

Oh no, stop saying the "meet" word. Get together, have a drink, share empeg stories, just don't say meet. You don't want to make Robricc break his new years resolution do you? He's alreacy had to travel 3,000 miles on one weeks notice last time this happened.

Matthew

Hugo,

I wouldn't mind getting some Mk2 buttons and a spare knob - if you could cram some in your luggage for me that would be great. I want to try and make my own lighted buttons (by drilling small holes) since I can't wait for Brian anymore.

I'll hopefully see you in Brisbane sometime. There is also a remote chance I may be in Melbourne around the 15th too so I might meet up with you twice

Christian

Sorry I've been a bit slow in this thread... been trying to get everything sorted out before I go! I'm now (the wonders of bluetooth & GPRS) sitting waiting for the flight at Heathrow

Rod - thanks for the route, we'll try and work this and getting some of PaulWay's recommended wine together when we have a decent map to look at. It'd be great to meet up, I'll PM you.

PaulWay - can you email your contact details in Melbourne to me? hfiennes@hotmail.com is going to be the easiest for me to check

Shonky - I've got several sets of buttons (well, as long as Lauda Air don't lose my luggage...) and also some other goodies for anyone else we meet up with... like some Mk2 screen kits! We're going to be in Brisbane on the 17th and maybe the 30th (though the return flight is flexible, and might move forward a day if we go canyoning with Rod) so I'll PM you my contact info now...

Thanks to everyone for the help & suggestions, can't wait to see the place (and no, that won't just be the relief of 23 hour of flying being over)

Hugo

> I'm not a climber though (though Claire is ...

Hey, the two of us oughta hitch up (Claire, not Rob ) before/after the Euro meet this summer!

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PaulWay - can you email your contact details in Melbourne to me?

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Done by email and personal message.

Paul

I don't think there's much to climb in the Netherlands!

Hugo,

Have sent you info by email.

Rod.

Well, some sort of write-up has been due, and now I have a bit of free time...

Rjlov (Richard), Hugo, Claire and I met up at my house on Tuesday the 11th. Richard managed to get to my place easily, but I think Hugo copped the worst of Melbourne peak-hour traffic coming in and then decided to get a tram from their hotel to my place. Fortunately the wonders of modern mobile phones made this a less painful experience than it could have been.

I will apologise to all of them publicly here and now for being on call from work that night - this meant that I got interrupted several times with phone-calls before finally deciding to make it silent and ignore it. If there's one thing I hate it's people interrupting your conversation to talk on their phones; so I have to damn myself by my own rules. Sorry.

After finding that the Russian restaurant that I'd planned to go to no longer existed (moral: never trust phone books alone), we decided on an Indian restaurant that I frequented. The dinner was delicious, and while Claire sampled the (questionable) delights of VB, Hugo and I shared a bottle of wine.

We talked about all sorts of stuff, and it all generally reinforced my belief that the people you meet online are also compatible face-to-face. It was a very good night, though the haze of alcohol prevents me from remembering the last half too clearly. Finally, after walking back to my place and chatting for a bit more, we all said goodnight and Richard drove the Britons to their flat.

Overall: a really good time. Sorry I spoiled it

I don't think there's much to climb in the Netherlands!

Unless you happen to be an ant, in which case you might find a few trees worth climbing

I suppose that someone could always set a geocache on top of the highest peak. I've always wondered which part of Holland is 9m above sea level. Probably one of the sand banks along the coastline.