Australia Anyone?

[MrGrey]

need some help... has anyone here ever been to or know anything about Australia?  I am trying to plan a trip there and I want to do things like hike, snorkel, and relax on the beaches.  I would also like to enjoy some nights on the "town".  Any information about which places to visit would be greatly appreciated.

[CaffeinePowered]

I don't think you could go wrong with Sydney so far as night-life goes, you might also want to consider going on a charter boat to the great barrier reef for scuba/snorkel.

Most of the east coast of Australia has great beaches as far as I know. If you are into nature and stuff  you could always take a day or two to go hiking inland or visit the zoo that Steve Irwin used to work at/own.

[MrGrey]

well...i read something about needed a visa or ETA to enter australia... is that true? i cant find info on it cuz im at work and the Nazi's block everything.

[CaffeinePowered]

You'd have to call/email the Australian consulate, iirc you are in So. Cal, so theres probably one in San Diego and most definitely LA

[Coppanuva]

Shouldn't be too hard to get a travel visa. But yeah, I visited Sydney, it's pretty nice. There's quite a bit to do at night (at least I imagine, I was like 14 at the time, but there were always people out), lots of art museums and such. Bonsai (maybe Bonzai, not sure if that's the name though) Beach is nearby though so you can go there. For scuba go to the Great Barrier Reef though (I think it's near Melbourne? Also, find Steve Irwin's zoo thing), and there's hiking maybe an hour out from Sydney.

[Surf314]

Just remember that Australia is the home of 90% of all lethal wildlife. Also they hate people that look middle eastern or indian. So you should definitely get a head wrap and screw with them.

[Mission Difficult]

You will need a short stay tourist visa and you can usually fill out an application online. Sydney has some good night life and lots of museums and history to check out. Perth is pretty cool as well.

[copulatingduck]

Australia inspires

[Vongore]

Don't get near the Koalas, they are souless bitches. I was with one once and when i woke up she wasn't there and never called again

[rumsfald]

i cant find info on it cuz im at work and the Nazi's block everything.

Am I the only one who wonders what Andy Speedo does when he is busy selling out for a day job? Come-on, Grey, give us a taste. I'm betting on Geiko call center.

[MrGrey]

[quote author=Mr.Grey link=topic=3667.msg115524#msg115524 date=1254165869]
i cant find info on it cuz im at work and the Nazi's block everything.

Am I the only one who wonders what Andy Speedo does when he is busy selling out for a day job? Come-on, Grey, give us a taste. I'm betting on Geiko call center.
[/quote]

fighting terrorism and nazi's one american at a time

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

The Great Barrier Reef - Snorkel it.  My BF says it's good times.

[Eschatos]

I lived near Sydney for half a year.  I was 4 or 5 at the time, but I remember that there were always dead kangaroos by the side of the road, the Opera House is actually incredibly boring, and don't fuck around in tall grass.

[Aerox]

I spent about half a year living in Melbourne. I visited Sydney, and liked Melbourne a lot more. It's a smaller city, but it has more character. A lot more young people, a concentrated downtown area with lots of cool stuff to do, lots of fun & cheap bars and clubs, etc.

It's definitely worth heading up to Queensland to visit the Barrier Reef -- one of the coolest things I did the whole time I was there. If you're looking for other touristy stuff to do, I've heard Uluru is really cool to see in person (although the trip out there is rough, and the weather there is ungodly). West Australia is kind of devoid of stuff except for a couple towns, so unless there's anything there you particularly want to see I wouldn't bother. Adelaide is a shit hole -- it's one of the only (if not the only) first-world town that cruise ships won't dock into.

If you've got money to spare, you're close enough to New Zealand that it would make a nice companion trip. Amazing scenery/nature, and some cool stuff you can do there too.

[Geoff]

[Coppanuva]

I lived near Sydney for half a year.  I was 4 or 5 at the time, but I remember that there were always dead kangaroos by the side of the road, the Opera House is actually incredibly boring, and don't fuck around in tall grass.

The Opera House is interesting to look at. It's not the super AMAZING BEST THING EVER, but it's cool to look at, especially if you have an appreciation for architecture. If you're in Sydney anyways stop by it for a look.

[Aerox]

The Opera House is cool, but mostly if you go inside and actually see something. They usually sell really cheap tickets the night of shows like an hour before it starts to sell off what they couldn't sell before. We were in Sydney the night before Easter and got $20 tickets to some Easter opera called Passion that was really cool.

Standing outside looking at it is fun for like 5 seconds. The gardens around the area are really nice though.