JOAN SCALESanswers your questions
We’re off to Australia. Where should we begin?
Q We are a couple in our 60s travelling to Australia in August. After a few days in Melbourne we will have four weeks in the country. We would love some ideas as to how we should spend our time there. We are not city lovers and would like to experience things we would never see in Ireland. We have a reasonable budget. ER, Dublin
From Melbourne, hire a car for a two- or three-day tour along the stunning Great Ocean Road to Adelaide, passing the Twelve Apostles. You can then walk along sections of this road. Greatoceanwalk.com.au has walkers’-lodge accommodation.
From Adelaide you can hop across to Kangaroo Island (www.tourkangarooisland.com.au) to see koalas, seals, rare birds and, of course, kangaroos. A night or two here, with a good guided tour, will give you an insight into the island’s Aboriginal history and Australia’s wildlife. For a treat stay at the island’s Southern Ocean Lodge (www.southern oceanlodge.com.au).
Visit Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock) for an outback experience. This is a good time to visit the Red Centre and the northern half of Australia (www.centralaustraliantourism.com). Fly to Alice Springs and take a tour from there to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, or fly direct to the rock.
From the Red Centre head to Cairns, in tropical north Queensland, home of the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest. August is the ideal time to visit northern Australia, as the weather is lovely. You can explore the reef and the Whitsunday Islands – perfect for snorkelling, diving and relaxing. You could also take a trip to Daintree Rainforest, where the reef joins the rainforest – a meeting of two World Heritage sites.
See www.australia.com for more on things to do, places to stay and events to go to.
Q My daughter plans to travel to Melbourne next month to spend four months at university. She would like to make one stop on the outward journey. On her return journey, in December, she hopes to fly from Sydney to New York, to visit friends for Christmas, and then return to Shannon. What are her best options without having to buy an around-the-world fare? If she were to return home direct from Sydney and fly to New York from Shannon, would that work out cheaper? BB, Limerick
The most convenient journey to Melbourne is with Etihad (www.etihadairways.com) from Dublin via Abu Dhabi; fares start at €1,160 return. Flights from Shannon to New York after Christmas will cost from €410 with Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) and €460 with Aer Lingus (www. aerlingus.com). An around- the-world fare will probably cost more, as your daughter is travelling back in high season. Joe Walsh Tours can give you a quote on 01-8722555.
Q We are a family of five who booked last February to fly by Ryanair to Treviso, in Italy, this month. As we will be bringing checked luggage we were not allowed to check in online, so I paid for airport check-in. But since then I have heard on the radio that Ryanair is phasing out its desks at Dublin airport, so I'm concerned we will be asked for further fees, which I believe could amount to 40 each. I'm also worried that we will have problems in Treviso. JC, Tipperary
This change by Ryanair has confused many people. As you booked before May 21st and are travelling before October 1st, you can still check in at the airport, where there are still check-in desks. Allow plenty of time to check your bags in. You can use online check-in at no extra cost. If you do, bring your bags to the bag-drop desk. From October 1st there will be no check-in desks. Returning from Treviso, you will be able to check in at no extra cost, as you have already paid for it.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com.