the wandering spot: Eastern Australia 2019

We covered a lot of ground on our three-week Eastern Australia trip: travelled ~100 km on foot, 200 km by boat, 280 km by train/tram/bus, 2850 km by car and 7800 km by plane (SYD-CNS-DRW-MEL). Plus of course 30000 km round trip to get there.

North 12°23’44″S (Darwin) to South 38°47’35″S (Great Otway) = 2919 km
West 130°49’19″E (Darwin) to East 151°17’32″E (Manly) = 2225 km

“No after dark driving” restriction affected our travel plans/choices, especially with high mid-day temps in Top-End. “No driving on unsealed road” too, but to a lesser degree. Of course we knew about these restrictions in advance.

The distances translated to dramatic changes in landscape and wildlife, and temperatures. Mostly sunny and dry weather. We recorded travel/hiking temps between 15℃ and 43℃. With 5℃ recorded at night in Grampians, we experienced almost 40℃ swing. No wet season though.

We could not hike as much as we would like to but managed quite a few mostly short hikes – in Top-End limited to 60-90 min segments to avoid heat exhaustion. Many trails in Top-End were closed (seasonal or due to bush fires). We spent quite a bit of time watching wildlife.

Liked everything and plan to return to visit East Australia.

Australia 2019 itinerary

Sep	20	Fri	Chicago		ORD➜ (Qantas)➜SFO➜SYD
	21	Sat
	22	Sun	Sydney	Sydney Harbor NP	Clontarf-Manly trail, The Rocks [@ Mercantile Hotel]
	23	Mon	Sydney	Sydney	Opera, Botanic Garden, Art Gallery NSW, CBD, St Mary Cathedral, Hyde Park, Town Hall, State Library
	24	Tue	Sydney	Blue Mountains NP	Wentworth Falls-Valley of the Waters trail, Echo Point, Three Sisters ➜ Sydney
	25	Wed	Port Douglas	Daintree NP	SYD ➜ (Qantas)➜CNS➜PortDouglas, Four Mile Beach [@ Pandamus Tourist Park]
	26	Thu	Cape Tribulation	Great Barrier Reef	PortDouglas ➜Dubuji Boardwalk ➜Cape Tribulation, Snorkeling Mackay Reef [@ Noah Beach Campground]
	27	Fri	Julatten	Daintree	Cape Tribulation ➜Madja Botanical Walk ➜Daintree Ice Cream Company ➜ Mount Alexandria Lookout ➜Mossman Gorge ➜Julatten [@ Tableland Van Park]
	28	Sat	Yungaburra	Tablelands	Julatten ➜Mareeba ➜Curtain Fig NP ➜Peterson Creek ➜Crater Lakes NP ➜ Yungaburra[@ Genazzano Campground]
	29	Sun	Cairns	Tablelands	Yungaburra ➜ Malanda Falls ➜ Nerada Tea Plantation ➜ Cairns, Botanic Gardens [@ Dreamtime Travellers Rest]
	30	Mon	Cairns	Great Barrier Reef	Snorkeling Michaelmas cay & Hastings Reef, Cairns waterfront
Oct	1	Tue	Corroboree	DRW-Marrakai	CNS➜ (Jetstar)➜DRW ➜Marrakai, Corroboree Billabong Cruise [@ Corroboree Tavern]
	2	Wed	Jabiru	Kakadu NP	Marrakai ➜Mary River ➜South Alligator River➜Mamukala Wetlands➜Jabiru, Bowali Center [@ Kakadu Lodge]
	3	Thu	Jabiru	Kakadu NP	Nurlangie, Anbangbang Billabong, Bubba Walk, Mirrai Lookout
	4	Fri	Jabiru	Kakadu NP	Cahills Crossing, Guluyambi Cruise/East Alligator River,Bardedjilidji Walk, Cahills Crossing
	5	Sat	Batchelor	Litchfield NP	Jabiru ➜Adelaide River ➜Window on the Wetlands ➜Hympty Doo ➜Batchelor ➜Byley Rockhole ➜Florence Creek and Falls ➜Magnetic Termite Mounds ➜Batchelor [@ Batchelor Holiday Park]
	6	Sun	Batchelor-Darwin	Litchfield NP	Greenant Creek and Tajateaba Falls, Wangi Falls, Walker Creek, Tolmer Falls➜ Darwin/DRW
	7	Mon	Fitzro Melbourne	Melbourne	DRW➜ (Jetstar) ➜MEL ➜ Fitzroy, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ian Potter Centre, Yarra River Walk, Botanic Gardens, National Gallery of Victoria, CBD [@ Friends]
	8	Tue	Fitzroy Melbourne	Melbourne	Victoria Market, State Library of Victoria, St Kilda
	9	Wed	Apollo Bay	Great Ocean Rd	Fitzroy ➜ Melbourne CBD ➜ Split Point Lighthouse ➜ Lorne ➜ Erskine Falls ➜ Teddy’s Lookout ➜ Kennett River ➜ Apollo Bay [@ Stony Creek]
	10	Thu	Warrnambool	Great Ocean Rd	Apollo Bay ➜ Otway Lighthouse Rd ➜ Melba Gully ➜ Gibson Beach ➜ Twelve Apostles ➜ Loch Ard Gorge ➜ Shebrook River ➜ Bay of Martyrs ➜ Bay of Islands ➜ Warrnambool [@ 22 Banyan St]
	11	Fri	Halls Gap	Tower Hill WR Grampians NP	Warrnanbool Beach ➜ Tower Hill ➜ Piccaninny ➜ Halls Gap, Brambuk Centre [@ Grampian Nest]
	12	Sat	Halls Gap	Grampians NP	Pinnacle-Sundial Peak trail, MacKenzie Falls, Reed’s Lookout, Brambuk Centre
	13	Sun	MEL	Ballarat	Halls Gap ➜ Sovereign Hill/Ballarat ➜ Melbourne ➜ MEL ➜ (Qantas) ➜ SFO ➜
	14	Mon	Chicago		SFO ➜ ORD