Planning a trip to Australia is a daunting task, simply because of the distances you have to cover. For visitors from the Northern Hemisphere, it’s a long way to come for just a week, but if that’s all you can spare, you still want to see as much as possible. Our inclination is to immerse ourselves in one spot and soak it up, but we know that not everyone wants to do that. Seeing as much as you can is often a priority, especially when you’ve invested so much in getting here. First-time visitors, with a week or two to explore, may find the first couple of itineraries most helpful. We’ve put together some suggestions for seeing the best of Australia in one or two weeks. You can, of course, fiddle with them to suit your own interests — for example, you could substitute the Cairns section of the one-week itinerary for the Uluru/Red Centre days in the two-week itinerary, flying from Sydney to Uluru. If you’ve been to Australia, or you’ve already visited Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, or Uluru (Ayers Rock), you may want explore places a little more off the beaten track. If you’re bringing the young ones, our itinerary for traveling with kids may give you some ideas for the kids (without forgetting the parents). Getting around this vast continent, where the major attractions are thousands of miles apart, is time-consuming. Flying is the only way to cover long distances efficiently, but it can also be expensive. Remember to allow flying time in your itineraries and don’t try to pack too much in on the days you fly — even domestic flights can be around three hours and can be quite draining. Our best tip is this: If the pace gets too hectic, just chill out and reorder your sightseeing priorities. Take time to meet the locals and ask their advice on what you should see as well. Australia is complex and fascinating place, and in a week or two you’ll only just scratch the surface of everything it can offer.
