December Trip -brisbane To Sydney

[Stuart]

Hi All,

My wife and I are trying to plan a trip down to Sydney from Brisbane whilst her mom is visiting from South Africa.

Ideally, we would have liked to drive down to Sydney and be there for New Years but given the crazy accommodation prices, in Sydney over New Years, this will not be possible.

We have limited time to do the trip and were thinking of the following :

- Leave Brisbane early on the 29th December and stop over in Port Macqaurie for 2 nights. Ideally looking for as close to the beach as possible.

- Leave Port Macquarie on the 31st December and stop in Hunters Valley region to have a look see at the vineyard region. Are planning to do some wine tasting but daughter would also love some horse riding, if possible. Stay for 2 nights, leaving on the 02nd January and arriving in Sydney late morning on the same day.

- Stay in Sydney for 2 nights. Ideally looking for a central location and near some good beaches and other Sydney attractions i.e. Bondi Beach. Leave Sydney on 04th January 2012, stopping in Coffs Harbour for one night on the way back. Arrive back in Brisbane on the 05th January 2012.

Travelling will be 3 adults and my daughter (toddler of almost 3 years old).

Can anyone advise on places that are nice for families whilst being well maintained and close to attractions etc ?.

Thanks.

[MrsMupersan]

Hi Stuart.

Have a look at stayz.com.au and last minute.com.au. Yiu could also try wotif.com.au. Also search Google for the holiday parks with cabins.

However, from experience in wanting to plan a similar trip, you will find it very difficult during peak season to book premium accommodation for only a couple of nights at a time. Most places over the xmas/new year period have a minimum of 5 or 7 night stays. The only chance of getting shorter periods is to wait until the last minute & see if there are any places that have 1 or 2 nights free in between longer bookings. Even some camping spots have a minimum stay over that period.

Your best bet at that time of the year is to base yourself somewhere central for the whole time and do day trips to the places you want to see. So drive down in one go (sharing the driving with wife & mom) and find a cheap spot in the city. Remember that if you book in the city, to ask about parking. Most hotels have a deal with a parking garage nearby and get a discounted daily rate (around $40 per day). Or if you go outside the city centre, make sure you're near public transport so you don't have to drive & worry about traffic. :-)

[pkn]

in sydney you may want to look at Manly as well, its less crowded and may be cheaper than Bondi, use the ferries and public transport as much as you can in Sydney, saves on tolls and parking fees, and you see so much more of the beautiful city from a ferry, no worries with toddlers in strollers, wheel on and wheel off!