Sights ====== I think one of the *safest* things to go for would be one of the local R.A.C. (Royal Automobile Club) guides, or one of the Tourism Commission guides.. A few suggestions include Thailand (all of it), The Phillipeans (Cebu and Bahol, and perhaps other islands), Palau, Truk Islands (I'm going there next month), Bali, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. Thailand -------- I figure you're looking for the cheap.. fun backpacker thing.. not necessarily the really exotic approach. Steve (Jet Boy).. recommends Burma, India, and Vietnam in Asia.. but htat wouldbe the more expensive and "harder" tour.. but really cool... he's got some great photos, so.. now I want to go... But I really liked Thailand. We spent 6 days in Bangkok.. SHOPPING!!! and there is this fun.. back- packer island... Koh Samui.. where everyone goes to relax and party non-stop!!! It is really beautiful (yet touristy). You can also go to Chang Mai and go on waterrafting/elephant riding/jungle advnture things.. we really wanted to go.. but ran outta time. Malaysia -------- As for Malaysia... well.... Kuala Lumpur is the capital.. it's ok.. Penang is ok... but I prefered Thailand much more... and Yes.. we ate most (if not all) of the food there... it was GREAT!!. Australia --------- Akubra -- bush hat Drover -- most typical Australia (all of it, especially Canes, Kakadu National Park, Kuranda, Katheryn Gorge, the Bungle Bungles near Kunanara, Ayers Rock and the Olgas, Adelaid (great women there), Sydney, Byron Point, Tasmania (all of it, especially Queenstown), Wilsons Promatory, the Witsunday Islands, etc). Victoria 12 Apostles/Great Ocean Road Ballarat/Sovereign Hill -- Gold Rush Town Como House/Ripponlea Fairy Penguins/Phillip's Island Rent-a-wreck--cheap rental cars Tasmania -- By car Sydney Taronga zoo (ferry from Circular Quay--city) Harbour cruise day/night or ferry to manly beach from Circular Quay Darling Harbour (monorail), Sydney Aquarium Queen Victoria Building The Rocks. The Argyle Centre. Fort Penison -- convict prison Blue Mountains. Full day trip. Train. Youth hostel in Katoomba. Scenic railway. Jenalong Caves. Quarantine Station -- ghost walk (inquire at NSW tourist bureau) Narrakeen--surfing Palm Beach Watson's Bay--The Gap Seafood! Drive from Sydney to Brisbane via Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour 66-52-5462 YHA--Albany Lodge, 110 Albany St., Coffs Harbour 2450 Owners: Terry Keeler, Jan Zoffman Big Banana Byron Bay Dolphins Sept: whale watching Beaches Lighthouse We landed in Brisbane and used a greyhound bus pass for the rest of it.. we recommend for the fun back-packer places... Fraser Island.. and Magenetic Island.. and Airlie Beach.. along the East coast.. AB is where we took dive lessons.. at Oceania Dive. We took a 3-day pool. 4-day on the reef... and I strongly recommend it.. you get more dives that way, and they were really cool. Down Under Dive supposedly has the best boats, with hot tubs. I went with Deep Sea Divers Den and there was nothing to do and nowhere to be when we weren't diving. If you want to see wildlife, I can recommend a place outside of Brisbane. There is a national park called Lamington south of Brisbane. In the park is a hotel called O'Reilly's. It's a great spot, EXCEPT during school breaks. There are a tremendous number of birds and marsupials in Lamington and O'Reilly's offers a number of "nature tours". Great place to spend a couple of days. Brisbane to Cairns is a long drive. If you want to relax, this drive is not the best way for most people to do it. Queensland Surfer's Paradise (touristy) Rain Forests White water rafting 4W Driving Kuranda Railway from Caines $12 Bungy jumping Cairns Fraser Island -- 4W driving Green Island. $20 for boat and snorkeling gear/diving courses Quicksilver Fort Douglas (Daintree Forest) stunning reef tours. Recommended. Diving tours--$50, food, explanation, snorkeling. Re the Barrier Reef Islands: Dunk Island is one of the best. If you've got lots of money, Lizard Island is meant to be beautiful also. for reef, reef, and more reef ... Heron Island for sun-sea-sand and some reef ... Brampton Island Unfortunately I didn't have much time to visit the Great Barrier Reef. However, I was pointed by several people to Great Keppel Island, off the coast near Rockhampton, about halfway the mainland and the reef. Great Keppel Island has a YHA Youth Hostel (the only one on the islands on/near the Reef). It is too big to explore in an afternoon, yet not so big that you can't explore it in a week. There are nice bushwalks of varying length (up to 15 kilometers when you go to the lighthouse from the resort area), a tourist resort with facilities, some of which are open to everybody, including the YHA residents and the camping residents; it has a camping (Wapparaburra Haven, if I remember correctly), nice beaches (as well easily accessible beaches as remote, quiet beaches), coral along parts of the island, but not everywhere. From the island you can make boat trips to the Outer Reef, and a free boat trip to the nearby underwater observatory with afterwards snorkelling and boomnetting is included in the price of the ferry to the island (I don't remember which one of the ferries). Reservations for the Youth Hostel should be made at the Youth Hostel in Rockhampton, that is conveniently located at about 100 m from the Rockhampton busstation (that is, the Greyhound/Pioneer station! Not McCafferty's, which is closer to the city centre I think). You don't need to stay in the Rockhampton Hostel to be able to book. They also book the ferry and the coach to the ferry (the ferry terminal is in Yeppoon, about 40 km from Rockhampton) for you, with a pickup opposite the youth hostel. For me Great Keppel was the most convenient place to visit, since I didn't have my own transport (I travelled on a Pioneer Aussie Pass; great value!), since it had a youth hostel (price around A$ 13 per night for YHA members), and since I had limited time whereas the island provided a bit of everything which you could come to the reef for: swimming, sailing, surfing, snorkelling at reefs, bushwalking, tanning on the beach ('slip - slap - slop' :-) etc. The island is owned by Australian Airlines, who have their own landing strip near the resort. I don't know the prices of the resort. Ayers Rock worth the trip Kings Canyon -- ancient plants. 3-day trip for the two. AAT Kings -- tour company Cave paintings around Ayer's Rock Around Ayers Rock: tour the base of the rock, go on conducted nature tours run by the park staff at Yulara, climb the rock, take a few photos , spend a day wandering through the Olgas. If you want to go off the beaten track arrange a visit to Mount Connor (very few people do more than drive past it) or Kings Canyon (more out of the way but quite a few people visit it). Around Alice Springs: Visit the telegraph station, browse the aboriginal arts and craft stores, visit th canyons and gorges of the Western Macdonnell Ranges (at least a day) Kakadu, Kakadu, Kakadu, Kakadu.... also Katherine Gorge, Tennant Creek and the Devils Marbles, thermal springs near Katherine. Have a look in a guidebook for more. There is LOTS to see. The only trains are road trains - very uncomfortable, I'm sure- and they don't normally carry passengers. Bus takes about 16 hrs (but the buses are usually much more comfortable than their US equivalents). Plane is expensive and you don't see much. North (Darwin) Ocean, Darwin: sharks, jellyfish, crocs. Menno-Rosa Knipper -- dive freaks New Zealand ----------- Mt. Cook, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Christchurch, Bay of Islands. You could do worse than digging a pit at hot water beach (Coromandel peninsula) and relaxing in hot thermal spring water. It's mentioned in the guide books (if not it should be!) but isn't on the main tourist routes.