Activies while in Australia

Here's a quick summary of where we'll be and what we've booked when we're down unda:

We arrive on Friday, August 3 and will take the 9:00 a.m. bus on Saturday morning to Canberra: http://www.murrays.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=9 Once there, we will be meeting up with some new friends that we have been put in touch with who have graciously offered their home to us, Cindy and Kevin. We'll be going back on that same bus line to Sydney the evening of Monday, August 6. Both pre and post Canberra, we'll be staying at the Sydney YHA: http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/details.cfm?hostelid=29

Once in Cairns (August 7 to 10), we're going to maximize our time out on the Great Barrier Reef! We're going to book a full day outing on the 8th and a half-day on the 9th, but have yet to settle on a company. I do know that when we're there, we're staying at the Cairns YHA: http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/details.cfm?hostelid=42

In Darwin (from August 11 to 14), we're going on a 4-day safari! Details here: http://www.billycan.com.au/skkl4.htm Pre and post safari, we're staying at the Darwin City YHA: http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/details.cfm?hostelid=242

To get from Darwin to Alice Springs (August 15 to 16), we're taking the train! Details here: http://www.ntescapes.com.au/ghan/the_ghan.html PS I've booked us daynighter seats.

In Alice Springs and Uluru aread (August 16 to 19), we're renting a camper van from here: http://www.campertravel.com.au/vehicle_details2.asp?code=HITOP2 We're going to drive around the sights with destinations to be determined, but of course, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a must (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru-Kata_Tjuta_National_Park for description)

We leave for Sydney on August 19 and remain there until we leave on August 25. We're staying at the Sydney YHA: http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/details.cfm?hostelid=29 Some activities have been planned at this point in time, but not everything. Here's what I can tell you now:

• We've booked a "Best of Sydney" day-long harbour cruise on August 23 with this company: http://www.viator.com/tours/Sydney/Best-of-Sydney-Tour/d357-3998_252
• Opera tickets to see Barber of Seville the evening of August 24: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/ I'll be having dinner with my boss and his family beforehand!
• We'll be going to the Tarango Zoo http://www.sydney.com.au/zoo.htm and Blue Mountains http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/ on Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21 respectively (not confirmed)

Flights are booked!

To and From NZ/Oz:

25 JUL 07 -
1. WEDNESDAY UNITED AIRLINES FLT:8453
LV EDMONTON INTL 830A AR LOS ANGELES 1100A 03HR 30MIN

2. UNITED AIRLINES FLT:9549
LV LOS ANGELES 25 JUL 07 WEDNESDAY 930P
AR 27 JUL 07 FRIDAY AUCKLAND 515A 12HR 45MIN

03 AUG 07 - FRIDAY AIR NEW ZEALAND FLT:707
LV AUCKLAND 530P AR SYDNEY 700P 03HR 30MIN

25 AUG 07 - SATURDAY
1. UNITED AIRLINES FLT:870
LV SYDNEY 240P AR SAN FRANCISCO 1057A 13HR 17MIN

2. AIR UNITED AIRLINES FLT:6502
LV SAN FRANCISCO 610P AR EDMONTON INTL 1006P 02HR 56MIN

Within Oz:

07 AUG - TUESDAY AIR VIRGIN BLUE AIRLINES FLT:387 EQP: BOEING 737-700
SYDNEY 1030A 03HR 05MIN AR CAIRNS 135P NON-STOP

10 AUG - FRIDAY AIR QANTAS AIRWAYS FLT:800 EQP: BOEING 737
LV CAIRNS 635P 02HR 30MIN AR DARWIN 835P

19 AUG - SUNDAY AIR QANTAS AIRWAYS FLT:791 EQP: BOEING 737
LV ALICE SPRINGS 105P 02HR 55MIN AR SYDNEY 430P

Friday, March 16 - We got a game plan!

Now that we spoke to you, Teresa, we have come up with a game plan for our time in Australia.

We arrive in Sydney at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 3, 2007 and I will make my own way to yours; we will return back to Sydney the night of Monday, August 6 as we leave for Cairns on Tuesday, August 7. Given neither of us has been to the tropics, we would like to maximize our time in that area! We would spend four days/three nights there.
From Cairns, we would like to fly the to Darwin, leaving on Friday, August 10. We need to overnight in Darwin on that night as we need to be up and ready for the 7:00 a.m. departure time for a 3 day/2night Kakadu/Litchfield camping safari tour: http://www.billycan.com.au/skl3.htm
We need to be back in Darwin by Tuesday, August 14 as we want to take "The Ghan" (http://www.ntescapes.com.au/ghan/the_ghan.html) which only leaves Darwin for Alice Springs on Wednesdays/Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. arriving at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, August 16 (which is Ethan's 13th birthday)! We would then spend a few days in the Alice Springs/ Uluru/Kata Tjuta area and then, we would fly back to Sydney, leaving Alice Springs on either Sunday, August 19 OR Monday, August 20 until our departure at 2:40 p.m. on August 25th.
I have already booked a few things once we're in Sydney, including going ot see "The Barber of Seville" at the Sydney Opera House on Friday, August 24th! Whew! It's gonna be a helluva trip!