Australia’s East Coast with Kid, Part 1

Mon, Nov 5, 2007

Australia & Pacific, Destinations, Family & Kids, Travel Inspiration

Sydney to Brisbane East Coast Australia Tours

East Coast Australia: Have Kid, Will Travel

After a great time travelling from Australia to Italy and Spain with our little boy a while ago, we’ve decided to stay a bit closer to home this time around. My wife, 20-month-old son Seamus, and I are heading up the east coast of Australia, visiting some of the most popular beach towns between Sydney and Brisbane.

Having just finished a long stint in a job, I want to take a couple of restful weeks. Our priority will be visiting friends and family along the way, taking our time and keeping our schedule intentionally sparse. But holidays aren’t what they used to be.

Ever since little Seamus came along, taking a break from work is no longer about sleeping in, grazing through the day, going out for a nice meal and maybe catching a movie. No, it’s about getting up early and spending the day chasing a ball of energy around all day, putting him to bed, eating take-out food then flopping in front of the TV until passing out at about 9.30pm.

Still, away we go!

East Coast Australia: Planning Tips

Aside from trawling this site for great tour options, the first stop was flights. We live in Melbourne, but decided to fast-track the trip by flying to Sydney. We’ve visited the south-east coast before, visiting towns such as Merimbula, Tathra and the beautiful Sapphire Coast of New South Wales. It’s lovely, but coming out of the southern winter, we are looking for warmer waters further north.

FLIGHTS: There’s a couple of budget airlines in Australia, but using the nifty Webjet site, which collects fares from several airlines in one place, we were able to find the best deal for us. Easy.
CAR: A fairly new site called Oodles allowed us to compare car hire rates from the five major Aussie rental companies. We got a great rate on a little Toyota, which should be perfect.
HOTEL: We planned to stay just one night in Sydney, so looked on a bunch of sites. A microwave in the room (for those quick 3am milk requirements) was a big priority. As was price. And while hardly the most glamorous hotel in the world, the Travelodge up near Hyde Park in the city looked like a good option.

So we’re all booked and set. I’ll post again in a day or two when we’re on the road. Wish us luck!

–John Ryan

2 Trackbacks For This Post

East Coast Australia with Kid: Part 2 | Viator Travel Blog Says:
November 14th, 2007 at 12:15 am

[...] Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd in a series from John “traveler, father & wit” Ryan. He’s taking the family from Melbourne up along Australia’s eastern coast. Have kid, will travel is John’s motto. Read his first post here. [...]

East Coast Australia with Kid, Parts 3 & 4 | Viator Travel Blog Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:34 am

[...] Editor’s Note: These are the 3rd & 4th posts in a series from John “traveler, father & wit�? Ryan. Somehow we forgot to publish John’s post from Bellingen, so we’re making up for lost time with today’s double-post. Have kid, will travel is John’s motto. Read his first post here. [...]

0 Comments For This Post

East Coast Australia with Kid: Part 2 | Viator Travel Blog Says:
November 14th, 2007 at 12:15 am
[...] Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd in a series from John “traveler, father & wit” Ryan. He’s taking the family from Melbourne up along Australia’s eastern coast. Have kid, will travel is John’s motto. Read his first post here. [...]
East Coast Australia with Kid, Parts 3 & 4 | Viator Travel Blog Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:34 am
[...] Editor’s Note: These are the 3rd & 4th posts in a series from John “traveler, father & wit�? Ryan. Somehow we forgot to publish John’s post from Bellingen, so we’re making up for lost time with today’s double-post. Have kid, will travel is John’s motto. Read his first post here. [...]