For next Feb I booked a ticket to Sydney and 4 weeks later a return from Brisbane.
But the ongoing bushfires (which might be still around after two months ?) makes me doubting to go to NSW at all, so I would rather go to Qld, changing my arrival to Cairns (if possible at all with my ticket) or take a Greyhound bus a few days after arrival in SYD to BNE and later traveling around Qld. I think Qld (particularly northern part) is less prone to heatwaves and bushfires. Is that true ?
In summer the farther south you are the better. Tasmania would be the safest bet, although they can have bushfires too. Southern Victoria and Tasmania haven't been afected by the drought that most of the country is experiencing.
Cairns is a beautiful place near the reef and with lots of greenry.
However, peak cyclone season is from January to March. Even without cyclones, visitors often find the heat and humidity difficult during those months.
The best time to visit Cairns is in July to Septemper.
I'll echo Bob's comment here too; if you are not used to temperatures in the mid 30's (centigrade) & humidity up around 80% you will not enjoy Cairns or anywhere in northern Australia at that time of year.. Throw into that the unpredictable (with any great precision) nature of cyclones & you are taking a chance of having a very interesting but, not very enjoyable visit.
If you are looking at astronomy opportunities as well, that time of year is for us extremely hit & miss, mainly miss & even if it is clear, the seeing is not the best due to humidity.
I'd have to agree with others & suggest Southern Victoria or Tasmania as the better options for February...
Thanks for the tips.
Indeed, Cairns is Bali hot as I remember from NYE 1999/2000, so Victoria or even Tasmania might be a better option.
A 40+ºC dry heat is better to stand than a 80% humidity 33ºC.
And about astronomy, transparency and lack of light pollution is more important for me for astrophotography for both widefield (14mm) milky way shots and deep sky shots with my ED110 which I'll bring.
Last year we were in north coast NSW with sometimes very nice skies, but due to bushfires, we'll probably avoid this.
In summer the farther south you are the better. Tasmania would be the safest bet, although they can have bushfires too. Southern Victoria and Tasmania haven't been afected by the drought that most of the country is experiencing.
Northern Australia will be hot and humid.
I live in Tassie and I wouldn't bother coming here. Its become a wall to wall tourist trap thanks to corrupt, inept, incompetent government. Expensive as hell over the Summer and virtually impossible to move. Have not seen a star for 2 months.
I'd head for New Zealand.
When does the Tassie tourist season slow down Rom?
It doesn't anymore. Used to be a time when you could track down to Bruny and have a beach to yourself, in Winter at least. Now, multi hour waiting times to get on the ferry and the same applies to anything else that is popular. Foreigners driving like Kamikaze pilots everywhere.
The same applies to most other places. This governments, "development plan", has led to homelessness, the destruction of central Hobart which is now a concrete nightmare and massive increases in prices for everything.
Tasmanian's are now rapidly being priced out the market for everything as cashed up "mainlanders" buy up the real estate to escape the climate nightmare, and the developers are having a bloody field day.
This state used to be a real paradise. Its now royally F'ed up. Don't waste your time or money coming here.
It doesn't anymore. Used to be a time when you could track down to Bruny and have a beach to yourself, in Winter at least. Now, multi hour waiting times to get on the ferry and the same applies to anything else that is popular. Foreigners driving like Kamikaze pilots everywhere.
The same applies to most other places. This governments, "development plan", has led to homelessness, the destruction of central Hobart which is now a concrete nightmare and massive increases in prices for everything.
Tasmanian's are now rapidly being priced out the market for everything as cashed up "mainlanders" buy up the real estate to escape the climate nightmare, and the developers are having a bloody field day.
This state used to be a real paradise. Its now royally F'ed up. Don't waste your time or money coming here.
I've visited four times this year including trip to Bruny. Never found it like that and liked it so much I'm planning to move there as soon as I can finish working. We always have a chuckle at the GPS navigation that announces "traffic is light as usual". You should try living in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to get a benchmark for expensive property and awful traffic.
I've visited four times this year including trip to Bruny. Never found it like that and liked it so much I'm planning to move there as soon as I can finish working. We always have a chuckle at the GPS navigation that announces "traffic is light as usual". You should try living in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to get a benchmark for expensive property and awful traffic.
Smellbum and Skidney prices and congestion are already here. Prices are ridiculous. It used to take me 20 minutes to cross Hobart, now its an hour if I am dumb enough to go there. By all means, stay where you are. Its the invading hordes that are screwing this state. Health system is on the verge of collapse as well. Stupid government has jammed over 150,000 people in the state without even considering the impact on essential services. It's getting so bad, I am seriously considering abandoning ship. Alas, Macquarie island is already booked out.
Rom, God I love ya mate!
He is secretly building a James Bond style mega observatory and needs no more secret agents to thicken the sky.
I live in Hobart -about 10 minutes from the CBD, most of the development is on the eastern city side so that has screwed my skyline N & NE unless you want to do NB.
Pointing west is still a good sky from a city (bortle 6) but if they build the fabled cable car on the Mountain that would screw that.
About 20-30 minutes North of Hobart you are in a rural flat land and if you can afford it (I wish I could) you have great skies.
It's not NZ sky reserve but it is better that the cities.
Feb NSW youd like to think some summer rain has come in and all the crap weather has moved south , time will tell , north QLD can be brutal in mid summer and a greyhound bus with all its stops and diversions is the worst transport I've ever gone with under 200kms dusting off 2000kms or close to it god knows please hire a car and travel you will cover less distance and be able to find nice skys IMO.
