Hi All,
This is my first post in this forum. This seems to be really an intresting forum/Discussion Group. I plan to visit Australia from India for around 10 days.

My tentitive plan is as follows.

1) 3 -4 Days in Sydney. Do some local sightseeing + Visit the Blue Mountains. Thinking about visiting Hunter Valley.

2)3-4 Days in Gold Coast. 2 Days for the Parks near Gold Coast + 1 Day in Tanglooma Resort for Dolphin Watching etc. (is There some better place to do such activities)

3)2-3 Days in Cairns for visiting the Karunda Rain forest + visiting the Great Barrier reef.

We will be about 3-4 ppl travelling. we plan to hire a car in each of the 3 locations. Cairns, Sydney and Gold Coast/Brisbane. I am also quite keen in visiting the Uluru Rocks but it seems a bit expensive so might just skip it this time.

I have a few questions.

1) Do i need a International Driving permit or could i do with my Countries license.

2) How easy is it to drive in Sydney for visiting various landmarks like the Opera House etc. Can I find parking easily?

3) I would like to do some water sports like Snorkeling, Para Sailing, Scuba Diving. Which is the best place to do these in Australia.

4) Any tips on where can i find Cheap self Catering Units/Apartments in Sydney/Gold Coast.

5) Any other suggestions or recommendations for a first time visitor to Australia.

Thanks and Regards
Prasanth Kumar

Hey there,

I think i can help you out on a few of those:

Finding hotels w/ cooking facilities all over australia--i like to use Wotif.com: Hotels, Accommodation, Motels, Serviced Apartments, B&B - Online hotel bookings with instant confirmation. It gives you prices for each day and special deals. after you find a hotel you are interested in, then "google" it to check further for deals, but normally wotif have them.

Driving--im pretty sure australia is like most countries where you can drive for 3 months on a foreign liscence. An international driving liscense is only neccessary if your driving liscence is not in english.

If sydney is anything like melbourne, I would highly recommend not driving and using public transport to get around. There will probably be parking at tourist destinations, but whether or not you would actually get a space is a completly different story.

When i think scuba diving, i think great barrier reef--its the best scuba diving in the world apparently.

Good luck with your travels, sounds like you have a lot planned at that you will have a great time!

Hi Prasanth,

I don't know if you have already been to visit this lovely country but in answer to your questions.

1. You are allowed to drive on a foreign licence in Australia for 3 months if you are a 'temporary overseas visitor'
NSW - Driving in NSW with an overseas licence
QLD - Driving in Queensland with a foreign licence


2. I definitely agree with elkitten that you should take public transport, there are plenty of trains and buses and the light rail that you can take to all of these places - 131500 Transport Infoline - Home
We have an article on what to do in Sydney

3. Once again elkitten is right The Great Barrier Reef is the best place to snorkel or scuba dive

4. TakeABreak.com.au has heaps of Sydney self-contained apartments and Gold Coast Self-contained apartments. Our accommodation isn't just hotels, we also offer privately owned apartments, holiday houses (which are a great option and often cheaper than hotels), B&B's and more.

5. There are so many things to do in Australia but here are the Top 10 things to do in Australia. There are plenty more options to choose from in New South Wales and Queensland

I hope this information helps. If you are on Facebook after your trip why not share some of your holiday photos and stories with us at TakeABreak.com.au | Facebook

Camping In Oz has been created to help people find useful information about camping in Australia. Camping In Oz has detailed listings of many creative and lovely places to go camping in Australia.Really want to join the camping community here on Camping In Oz to take full advantage of everything this website has to offer.Enjoy the camping or caravanning and encourage colleagues ,family members to join as well.

sydney is pretty simple to get around in, you can park there but it cost 15 buck for the day on Saturdays/sundays - weekdays are like 50 dollers

I am planning a 5D/4N tour to Gold Coast, any rough estimate on how much is the ground package?

1) Do i need a International Driving permit or could i do with my Countries license. This has basically already been answered. Make sure you check the links out to ensure compliance to prevent getting very expensive traffic infringements (this will ruin your holiday)

2) How easy is it to drive in Sydney for visiting various landmarks like the Opera House etc. Can I find parking easily? Having lived in Sydney I STRONGLY advise against getting around by car. Cityrail and Sydney buses are very efficient and cheap. For the Opera house, get a train to Circular Quay then walk to the Opera House, it will only take 5 mins and you will have views of one of the most spectacular harbours in the world

3) I would like to do some water sports like Snorkeling, Para Sailing, Scuba Diving. Which is the best place to do these in Australia. Water activities can be found up & down the east coast but I would highly recommend doing scuba diving and snorkelling in Queensland's Whitsunday Coast-starting from about Mackay. The Great Barrier Reef is a wonder of the world and when you scuba or snorkel it you will know why.

4) Any tips on where can i find Cheap self Catering Units/Apartments in Sydney/Gold Coast. Check accommodation websites like take a break

5) Any other suggestions or recommendations for a first time visitor to Australia. The internet is your best friend. Do a search on Travel Traps East Coast Australia or Budget Traveling East Coast Australia.

When in Australia visit Lismore NSW on the far north coast of NSW

Too good place for enjoy

Hello

I hope you have a fantastic trip to our Country.
I recently stayed at a place called Sanctuary Lake at Currumbin. I found the facilities to be great as well as being right next door to the Bird Sanctuary and beaches. The people there were also really helpful.