Here goes nothing (gulp!)

[a_t_rain]

OK, I finally took the plunge. I am GOING TO AUSTRALIA!!! (This is something that I've been meaning to do for quite a while, possibly ever since I did a school project on it when I was eleven, definitely since I went to New Zealand ten years ago. At the same time, it is also fairly daunting, especially considering that I just spent a month's salary on airline tickets. [Granted, that does include a five-day stop in Utah to visit my brother, but still.])

So. I will be there for three weeks in late July / early August (well, 19 days really, because of the international date line / travel time stuff, and yes, I know that is not nearly enough time, but it's what I had, and let's face it, no amount of travel time is ever enough). I'm flying into and out of Sydney, and I'm not sure yet where else I want to go, except I definitely want to see interesting wildlife and natural scenery, to the extent that you can do so without renting a car. (Yeah, I know this is probably not ideal, but I'm a nervous driver under the best of circumstances, and trying to learn how to drive on the other side of the road in an unfamiliar vehicle is definitely not the best of circumstances.) Thinking of maybe heading south toward Melbourne and then Adelaide? What's the weather going to be like at that time of year?

Eee, so exciting!

Comments

[lyras.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

Sydney is shaping up for a cold winter at the moment - which won't be particularly cold by your standards (8-14 degrees C), but you'll need to consider that a lot of houses don't have heating here, so if it's 8 degrees outside, it's pretty much 8 degrees indoors. Of course, most hotels and any public buildings will have heating, so it's only when you're not staying somewhere like that that you need to think about it.

Around Sydney, you can get to the Blue Mountains in two hours by train (and it's really cheap - about $15 USD); there are also lots of bus trips that will take you up to the Hunter Valley if you're interested in wine-tasting (it's also simply a gorgeous part of the world).

I know you said above that you like long bus journeys - I think there are overnight buses between Sydney and Melbourne. But in case you're interested, there are also a few companies offering budget flights: Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Tiger Airways.

Er, I'll stop burbling, but if you want any more info feel free to ask!

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been to New Zealand in May / June, so I knew about the heating thing (and about the keeping-the-bathroom-window-open thing...)

Thanks for the suggestions!

[phantomcranefly.livejournal.com]

Poking my head into this conversation, because I'm really curious now:

What is the keeping-the-bathroom-window-open thing?

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

As far as I could tell, people in New Zealand do not believe in closing bathroom windows. Ever. Even in the winter when it is icy cold. (This is pretty baffling to Americans, since we don't even have windows in most bathrooms, and don't usually feel the need to open them at all even when they exist.)