No sun? No worries!
18 days in the land down under.
18 days in the land down under.
Planning Considerations
Last year, United Airlines announced some changes in its Mileage Plus
program, among which were an increase in miles required for
Australia/New Zealand award tickets by 20K per seat, effective in mid-
October. Always interested in getting the biggest bang for our buck (or, in
this case, miles), we decided to investigate. After a month or so of further
consideration, we found ourselves in the right place at the right time, just
as United opened up copious premium award inventory and before the
new mileage requirements went into effect. We spent 180K miles for two
business class award tickets for travel from Chicago-Sydney and returning
Melbourne-Chicago, and an additional 60K miles to upgrade a paid
economy ticket for the same itinerary. Cash outlay: $2,500. Retail value:
over $30,000.
Then, the serious planning began.
The first order of business was deciding how to allocate 18 days/nights
(not including travel days) among many desirable locations. We wanted to
get a diverse flavor of Australia—cities, wildlife, scenery, history, culture,
etc. But, we were also well aware that Australia is the size of the
continental US and we simply would have to resist the urge to do it all.
Given the time of year—mid-June to early July—we decided it was best to
allocate the largest concentration of time in North Queensland. Sydney and
Melbourne were a lock, given that we were flying into the former and out of
the latter. This left a decision between Darwin/Kakadu and the Red Centre,
and for how long?
After much study and many hours, we ultimately arrived at the following
itinerary:
It isn't a particularly creative or unique itinerary, but we felt it would provide
us with a solid first visit to Australia.
Next: Sydney
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Last year, United Airlines announced some changes in its Mileage Plus
program, among which were an increase in miles required for
Australia/New Zealand award tickets by 20K per seat, effective in mid-
October. Always interested in getting the biggest bang for our buck (or, in
this case, miles), we decided to investigate. After a month or so of further
consideration, we found ourselves in the right place at the right time, just
as United opened up copious premium award inventory and before the
new mileage requirements went into effect. We spent 180K miles for two
business class award tickets for travel from Chicago-Sydney and returning
Melbourne-Chicago, and an additional 60K miles to upgrade a paid
economy ticket for the same itinerary. Cash outlay: $2,500. Retail value:
over $30,000.
Then, the serious planning began.
The first order of business was deciding how to allocate 18 days/nights
(not including travel days) among many desirable locations. We wanted to
get a diverse flavor of Australia—cities, wildlife, scenery, history, culture,
etc. But, we were also well aware that Australia is the size of the
continental US and we simply would have to resist the urge to do it all.
Given the time of year—mid-June to early July—we decided it was best to
allocate the largest concentration of time in North Queensland. Sydney and
Melbourne were a lock, given that we were flying into the former and out of
the latter. This left a decision between Darwin/Kakadu and the Red Centre,
and for how long?
After much study and many hours, we ultimately arrived at the following
itinerary:
- Sydney, 4 nights
- Daintree/Cape Tribulation area, 2 nights
- Palm Cove, 6 nights
- Yulara, 2 nights
- Yarra Valley, 2 nights
- Melbourne, 2 nights
It isn't a particularly creative or unique itinerary, but we felt it would provide
us with a solid first visit to Australia.
Next: Sydney
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Australia home
Planning considerations
Sydney
Queensland, part 1
Queensland, part 2
Queensland, part 3
Red Center
Yarra Valley
Melbourne
Getting there and getting around
Planning considerations
Sydney
Queensland, part 1
Queensland, part 2
Queensland, part 3
Red Center
Yarra Valley
Melbourne
Getting there and getting around
