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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.

We spent quite a bit of time watching wildlife.

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. 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). 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

Australia video clips

Our Australia destinations on map

Hiking in Australia

 ☞ Maps of our four hikes in Australia

Highlights