The Detailed Itinerary You NEED for an Adventure in Australia (You'll Need to Save This)
Introduction
Let me help you take the guesswork out of your planning. My wife and I recently explored Australia for our honeymoon. Here is the DETAILED itinerary from that epic trip!
General Itinerary
May 2-4: Fly to Sydney
4: Sydney (booked bike tour)….buy OPAL travel card
5: Sydney (booked bridge walk)
6: Sydney (find a zoo ferry that day/booked tickets for the Opera House)
7: Sydney (booked blue ribbon blue mountain tour)
8: Hamilton Island (Booked sunset sail)
9: Hamilton Island (open)
10: Cairns (open)
11: Cairns (booked Seastar Cruises)
12: Alice Springs (booked sunset camel ride)
13: Alice Springs (booked 1-day Uluru trip)
14: Melbourne (open)
15: Melbourne (booked bike tour)
16: Melbourne (booked GOR tour with GoWest Tours: 7:30 pickup)
17: Melbourne (booked with Viator Yara Valley Wine Tour)
18: Sydney /Fly to Chicago
Flights in Australia
2-4th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats)
United Flight UA639 from Chicago/Flight UA839 from LA
Depart: 7:17 pm (05/02) ORD
Arrival: 6:45 am (05/04) SYD
8th: Fly to Hamilton Island (confirmed with seats)
Virgin Australia 1281
Depart: 9:55 am SYD
Arrival: 12:30 pm HTI
10th: Fly to Cairns (check in at the airport for seats together)
Qantas 2504
Depart: 11:55 am HTI
Arrival: 1:10 pm CNS
12th: Fly to Alice Springs (confirmed with seats)
Qantas 1949
Depart: 8:15 am CNS
Arrival: 10:10 am ASP
14th: Fly to Melbourne (confirmed with seats)
Qantas 797
Depart: 12:35 pm ASP
Arrival: 3:40 pm MEL
18th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats)
Virgin Australia 809
Depart: 6:45 am MEL
Arrival: 8:10 am SYD
18th: Fly to Chicago (confirmed with seats)
United UA870 from Sydney/UA458 from San Fran
Depart: 10:30 am SYD
Arrival: 4:11 pm ORD
Hotels in Australia
4-8th: Sydney
Sydney Harbour Bed and Breakfast
142 Cumberland St., Sydney
+61292471130
Checkin: 2:00 pm
Checkout: 10:00 am
8-10th: Hamilton Island
Whitsunday Apartments
14 Resort Drive, Hamilton Island, 4803, AU
+61749699999
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: 10 am
10-12th: Cairns
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
121-123 The Esplanade and Florence St., Cairns, QLD, 4870
+61740506070
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: ?????
12-14th: Alice Springs
Chifley Alice Springs Resort
34 Stott Terrace, East Side, NT, 0870 Australia
+610889514545
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: ?????
14-18th: Melbourne
Heather’s Airbnb
377 Little Collins Street 31, Melbourne, VIC 3000
+61410872530
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: 10:00 am
Directions: Our preference from the airport is the Skybus which drops you at Southern Cross Station at a cost of $19 per person, you can buy tickets at the airport or online. One of us can meet you at the bus terminal, and it's a short tram ride to the apartment. The taxi fare is $50-$60, and the trip is about 25 minutes.
Tours
4-8th: Sydney
4th: Bike Buffs Sydney Bicycle Tours
Meeting Point: MEETING PLACE FOR YOUR TOUR IS THE GARRISON CHURCH AT THE CORNER OF ARGYLE STREET AND LOWER FORT STREET, WELL JUST OPPOSITE, ACTUALLY ON THE VILLAGE GREEN. 0414 960332
Start: 10:30 am
5th: Sydney Bridge Climb
Meeting Point: 3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000
+610282747777
Start: 12:05 pm (arrive 15 minutes early)
5th: Open PM (Tasting Tour???/Bondi or Manly Beaches)
6th: Open Am (Ferry to the Zoo???)
6th: Sydney Opera House (Concert Hall)
Meeting Point: Bennelong Point, GPO Box 4274, Sydney, NSW 2001
+69712101035
Start: 8:00 pm (arrive 30 minutes early to pick up tickets)
7th: Blue Mountains Tour
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up.
+0421892760
Start: 7:00 am?????
Notes: Email them between 7 am and 2 pm the day before, and include the conference number and our address. We will receive the pickup time then.
8-10th: Hamilton Island
8th: Sunset Sail Whitsunday Islands
Meeting Point: Resort Centre Tour Desk next to Sails Restaurant (7 am – 7 pm)/Reef View Hotel Tour
Desk in the Hotel Lobby (8 am – 5 pm)
+0749468305
Start: 4:45 pm (until 6:15 pm)
10-12th: Cairns
11th: Cairns Seastar Cruises (Great Barrier Reef): Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef Day Cruise
75 Esplanade, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia
Meeting Point: Pier E1 of the Marlin Marina
+0740416218
bookings@seastarcruises.com.au
Start: 8:00 am (boarding starts at 7:30 am)
Notes: $15 fee per person is payable on the day of boarding; call 48 hours in advance to reconfirm.
12-14th: Alice Springs
12th: Sunset Camel Ride
Pyndan Camel Tracks, 21259 Jane Road, White Gums
+0416170164
pyndan@cameltracks.com
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up 30 minutes before (4:30).
Start: 5:00 pm (until 6:00 pm)
Notes: Call or text 48 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour.
13th: Uluru Adventure
Gray Line Office
Shop 7-9 Capricornia Centre (opposite Information Centre), Gregory Tce, Alice Springs
+610889522177
alicesprings@grayline.com
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up at 5:50 am.
Start: 6:00 am (until 12:30 am)
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour.
14-18th: Melbourne
15th: Freddy’s Bike Tours
Meeting Point: See notes.
+61431610431
james@freddysbiketours.com
+0431610431
Start: 11:00 am
Notes: They will send details about the meeting point the day before, or you can meet 15 minutes prior at their shop in Batman Park.
16th: Great Ocean Road Day Tour
Go West!
+0394855290
info@gowest.com.au
Meeting Point: Pickup at Adina Apartments, 189 Queen St.
Start: Pickup at 7:35 am
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour????
17th: Yarra Valley Food and Wine Day Trip from Melbourne, including Lunch at Yering Station
Vinetrekker Wine Tours
Melbourne city hotels or St Paul's Cathedral/Cnr of Swanston & Flinders Streets, Melbourne. Located opposite Federation Square and Flinders Street Train Station.
+61 3 96998148
Meeting Point: approx 8:45 am-9:00 am (confirmed the night before)
Start: 9:00 am
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour????
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Golden, Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
