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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| May 11 2007, 7:19 PM EDT (current) | citizenmac | 7 words added, 10 words deleted |
| May 11 2007, 7:13 PM EDT | citizenmac | 10 words added, 3 words deleted |
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| My wiki user name: citizenmac | Length of trip: 2 weeks |
| Time of year: April | Type of travel: Independent |
My first time in Australia was an unforgettable experience. My girlfriend is Australian so this was the first of many trips no doubt.
General itinerary:
- Sydney / 3 days
- Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef / 4 days
- Brisbane / 2 days
- Byron Bay & Ballina / 5 days
Trip highlights: Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef was really the highlight for me. I scuba dived on the reef which was awesome. Sydney was also fun and stayed in a hotel with great views over the harbour.
"Absolute must-sees" to pass along: Great Barrier Reef without a doubt. Also if in Sydney go to the Sydney Aquarium we spent hours there it was the best aquarium I have ever been to.
Best wildlife encounters: There were a few...
Wally the Mauri Wrass at the Reefworld pontoon, he was very tame.
20 cockatoos in our hotel room while I was in the shower.
Also we saw Paddy Melon wallabies in the wild at Victoria Park nature reserve in the hills behind Ballina.
What surprised me most: The population is so much smaller than the United States so everything did not seem as cramped. Less traffic etc.
Advice I want to pass along: Its always good if you know an Australian (onbe(one of the locals) that can show you the hidden treasures. aLLAll THEthe AussieAussies I encountered in the smaller towns were very friendly and if you don't know any aussie when you arrive you probabaly will soon.
Best hotels: Intecontinental Hotel Sydney. The lounge at the top is great.
www.sydney.intercontinental.com
Favorite meals: Unlimited oysters at a seafood buffet in Ballina on the NSW far north coast.
I tried a meat piespie also but having it for breakfast was probabaly a mistake. AussieAussies however can stomach this stuff any time of the day.
Photos from my trip:
 View from Intecontinental |  Shark at the Sydney Aquarium |
 Opera House |  Seaplane - Whitehaven Beach |
 Byron Lighthouse |  Nimbin - The Hippy Capital of Australia |
 Cockatoos outside our room - Hamilton Island |  Wally the Maori Wrass |
