Sorry, I have been absent for a while.

You may remember that I recently became an Australian citizen by descent (still have to queue for days to get my passport though).

We are about to book our flights for our big family holiday of a lifetime which will take place in August.

We will fly first from London to Tokyo for a 2 night stopover on our way to Australia.

Flying into Cairns, then Uluru than on to Sydney. Whilst staying there we will drive up to Tamworth to visit a friend for a day or two and return to the city before flying to Brisbane in time for the family wedding on 17th. We will then drive up the coast to Gladstone and Rockhampton to visit my new-found cousin and see places my mother would have known. Also stopping off at Bribie Island to visit an old lady who went to school with my mother and found me three years ago!

We will leave Brisbane on 26th and stopover on Hong Kong on the way home.


This is such a huge journey for us. Firstly because of the expense but also because I will get the chance to find out so much about my roots, meet some of my family for the first time and meet my husband's Australian family for the first time (who live in the same area - what a coincidence!).

Do any of you have any tips for things we should try to do in any places you are familiar with. As far as Sydney is concerned; we won't be doing the bridge climb, and won't be trying to go see an opera. But any other tips?

Hong Kong: we want to see it, but don't know what to expect really. Also we are likely to be both clobbered and broke (in every sense of the word, I suspect!)

I am a Sydneysider, and have a couple of suggestions. Because it is August, it will be midwinter, so a dip in Bondi Beach would not be advised, however, a wander along our most famous strip of sand would still be worth it. You can do a tour of the Opera House without actually waiting for an opera to happen, too.

Taronga Zoo is world-class, and well worth a visit, and it is only a quick ferry trip over the Harbour. Darling Harbour has a couple of museum-type attractions, Sydney Tower shows Sydney from quite a different perspective, and Katoomba will be pretty at that time of year; it is about 90 minutes west of the city.

Sorry I didnt see this thread, it may be too late
How long are you in HK?? Where are you staying
If you CAN, Pm me and I will give you my number and maybe help with suggestions.