A month in Australia

How many nights will you sleep in AU? A good read that will give you way more information than you will get on this website is:
https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/experience-australia-book.

Thanks! Ordered and on its way.

With a full month at your disposal you can craft a very nice itinerary by making good use of the Qantas low- cost affiliate JetStar to get around the parts of the country you've not yet seen.
A few favorites that come immediately to mind: Adelaide is one of Australia's better kept secrets in my opinion - it's essentially a park surrounded by a very pretty city, with the added attractions of beach to the south and wine country to the north.
Likewise Perth and it's beautiful seaside suburb of Fremantle - one of the prettiest cities you'll find anywhere.
Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast are great for experiencing some of the local beach culture.
Uluru, the Olgas, and Alice Springs are worth a few days too. Book your accommodations early though. Uluru in particular can fill up quickly that time of year.
We enjoyed a meandering drive across Outback New South Wales between Lamington National Park and the Barossa Valley near Adelaide on our last trip. Lightning Ridge and Broken Hill were particular favorites.
Research local school holidays as part of your planning. Popular places nationwide can fill up with Aussies on holiday during those periods
Thumbing thru a few guidebooks can be helpful in sorting things out according to your particular interests.

There is a train that goes from Sydney to Perth, but it takes three days. Air flights are five hours to Perth.
We did a cruise over the top of Australia for two weeks starting in Perth and ending in Sydney. We stopped in NW Australia, Bali for two days, then Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane and then Sydney.

On another trip we visited Melbourne, which was great. Also did the nearby wine area as well as a two day tour to The Great Ocean Road and Philip Island ( to see the penguins come in from the ocean).

Thank you for your suggestions! They opened up so many more possibilities. We will be traveling to W Australia, taking 3 flights to escape long or impossible driving distances. Kangaroo Island as well as the Margaret River area are on our itinerary. Of course we will also stay in Adelaide and Freemantle for a few nights. Thank you again for inspiring an itinerary that we are both excited about.

@ Donna

Well, what has whetted your interest in Margaret River in the isolated southwest of Western Australia? I suspect the days of riding the wild over reef surf and all over suntans are in the past. Perhaps it is the vineyards and their products that we selfish Sandgropers have tried to hide from the world. Maybe I can help.

Regards Ron

@ Robert.

Pleased to read you enjoyed Perth.

I would get local help. The language barrier is pretty intense.

If you're interested in off the beaten track excursions by car I suggest taking a look at DK publishing's guide Backroads Australia which as the title implies is chock full of scenic drives and lesser known attractions around various parts of the country. Am thinking in particular of your interest in the Margaret River area south of Perth. We wore our copy out on our last trip while exploring the Gold Country around Ballarat and Bendigo NW of Melbourne.

All good advice regarding Perth and Fremantle, particularly the suggestion to include a trip over to Rottnest Island. It's a pretty little place in its own right with lots to explore ... aside from the attraction of all the the little varmints. It's one of my wife's favorite places in Australia.
A bit of free advice: if you do opt to rent bikes there I'd recommend investing in a good pair of padded cycling shorts - you can thank me later. And if your schedule permits I'd also suggest overnighting on the island. Would be a nice supplement to your proposed trip to Kangaroo Island.
Another place we especially enjoyed was the Tower Hill Reserve near the town of Koroit - located about 3 hours west of Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road on the way to Adelaide. It's essentially an old caldera that features all of the Aussie critters in an open-air environment. You'll see Emus (usually with chicks) wandering around, more big grey kangaroos than you can count, and usually Koalas in the trees along any of the hikes within the reserve. It really is terrific - another of my wife's favorites. The nearby town of Port Fairy would be a good choice for an overnight stop.

@ Donna

Here is a recent article by a lady travel journalist from New York.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/a45768685/western-australia-travel-secret-itinerary/

The introduction is really good and paints an accurate picture of the less than 200-year history of European settlement/invasion of this part of the country. Against approx. 60,000 yrs of Nyungar custodianship. The section with an overview of Perth is likewise enlightening.

Margaret River is #4. I suspect the names El Questro and Ningaloo are new to most people. I can only presume that you are interested in the some 220 vineyards around Margaret River area. Only got underway in the 1970’s. I have done my best to help many of them develop by drinking their products.

Donna, perhaps you could tell me what you and your husband are looking for and hoping to experience? This is big country.

My family Christmas and Easter holidays were spent at the nearby towns of Bunbury and Busselton. When my mates and I turned 17 and got our drivers licences we headed to Margaret River over summer to hone our surfing skills alongside the dolphins. I get here as often as I can.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/21/sport/gabriela-bryan-dolphins-spt-intl/index.html

When Klara asks Matt Fuller, “why is there almost no one here?” he replies “Because the western coast is the best-kept secret in Australia. Just look—there is no development here. And we do not want it. What you see when you stand with your back to the ocean today is exactly what the Aborigines saw 60,000 years ago.” I agree.

Regards Ron

I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay my respects to elders past and present.