Ken and I have a trip planned to Australia. Many thanks to everyone who wrote in with suggestions! Australia is a very popular place. If you think you want to visit, read In a Sunburned Country. It’s great light travel reading, with lots of insight, and will definitely make you eager to visit.

We’re the type of travellers who have to have every night’s hotel planned before we leave. Unfortunate for spontaneity but good for avoiding stress. Here’s the plan:

Mar 1–6 Sydney

Get over jet lag, enjoy Sydney, take it easy. And go to Sydney Mardi Gras.

Mar 6–10 Tasmania

Hobart, Strahan, and Devonport. The big plan is to ride the West Coast Wilderness Railway, but there’s lots to see. Unfortunately the world famous Freycinet Lodge was full.

Mar 10–17 Melbourne, Victoria

People say Melbourne’s even better than Sydney, particularly for food. We could only squeeze in three days in the city, because then we’re headed inland to the gold town Ballarat, the river town Mildura, and Bendigo, another gold town.

Mar 17–21 New South Wales

Back towards Sydney to see the beautiful areas near the city; the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains.

Australia is a huge place. Even touching only one this one corner we’ve got about 28 hours of driving planned and three different domestic flights. Have to leave Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Alice Springs, Cairns, and the whole middle of the country as well as The Reef for another time.