Topic: Melbourne or Brisbane? (Read 5383 times)

jerrygrasso96 · « **on:** February 01, 2007, 12:14:54 pm »

My wife and I might have a timeshare opportunity to travel to either Melbourne or Brisbane this November for just a week. This will probably be our only opportunity to ever go this far around the world again, so I'd like to pick a base of operations that will satisfy the following criteria:

C1) I'd like to have a variety of choices for landscape/seascape/cityscape that the average tourist might not normally visit, especially locations within an hour travel from this base to capture sunrise/sunset light. Any specific suggestions?
C2) I'd also like to try shooting some wildlife, in addition to birds. Any specific suggestions?
C3) I'd like to keep cost down, so I guess we will rent a car and drive to these locations on our own. I'm not particularly fond of heights or windy, tight roads with no guard rails!

Questions:
Q1) What can we expect from the weather at that time of year?
Q2) What can we expect from "biting bug issues" at that time of year?
Q3) Any rainyday photo opportunities/suggestions?

Any help/info that anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated!

David Anderson · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2007, 05:01:02 pm »

Hmmm, Melboring or Brisvegas...

I would go Melbourne, it's a great city for photos because it's kept most of it's original charms like the trams, but also has many modern arty touches like docklands, all the stone buildings are nice as well.
The restraunts and cafes are excellent.

Brisbane has a couple of almost interesting things like the story bridge or the river side walk, but mostly it's just under plannned and over developed..
Also some of the worst meals I've had in my life have been in Queensland, for example tell me where else in the world would you be served a Thia curry that has pasta in it ?

November is a good time to visit Australia, if you pick Melboune ( and you should ) know that the place has a reputation for four seasons in one day, it could be cold and damp one minute and hot and dry the next.

Have fun..

ddolde · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2007, 05:40:56 pm »

Mmmmm Vegemite.

jerrygrasso96 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2007, 07:08:05 pm »

Thanks, David for the feedback! We are looking forward to this trip. It will be our first since putting our kids through college...

jule · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2007, 07:20:41 pm »

Quote

My wife and I might have a timeshare opportunity to travel to either Melbourne or Brisbane this November for just a week. This will probably be our only opportunity to ever go this far around the world again, so I'd like to pick a base of operations that will satisfy the following criteria:

C1) I'd like to have a variety of choices for landscape/seascape/cityscape that the average tourist might not normally visit, especially locations within an hour travel from this base to capture sunrise/sunset light. Any specific suggestions?
C2) I'd also like to try shooting some wildlife, in addition to birds. Any specific suggestions?
C3) I'd like to keep cost down, so I guess we will rent a car and drive to these locations on our own. I'm not particularly fond of heights or windy, tight roads with no guard rails!

Questions:
Q1) What can we expect from the weather at that time of year?
Q2) What can we expect from "biting bug issues" at that time of year?
Q3) Any rainyday photo opportunities/suggestions?

Any help/info that anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated!

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Don't say that this may be your only opportunity to travel around the world again - you just never know

Disclosure - born in Brisbane , lived 20 years there, and 20 years one hour north of Brisbane - travel to Victoria and Melbourne regularly. Love both places.

Criteria 1. You would be hard pressed to find a location that a normal tourist would not visit within an hour of any capital city around the world. Bearing that in mind though there is probably more geological variation within one hours drive of Melbourne than Brisbane, purely because the city is larger and there are larger freeways which enable you to reach further from the city.
Brisbane you could do beach; Stradbroke Island, Bribie Island, Caloundra, Moreton Island. Coast; Sandgate, Redcliffe, Wynnum. Bush; hinterland Sunshine Coast, hinterland Gold Coast, Brisbane Forest Park. Waterways; Brisbane river, North Pine river, Logan river.
Melbourne- Beach Mornington Peninsula right around to Lorne. Coast;Great Ocean Road. Bush; Dandenongs, Gippsland, combination of all- Wilson's Promintory historical interest - goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo. River; Yarra

With regard to light - Melbourne in Summer - November has much longer twilight.

Criteria 2. Lots of birds in wetland areas. Wombats and kangaroos at Wilson's Promintory-Melbourne

Criteria 3. Get your wife to drive and close your eyes a bit - there are sections of windy roads all over the hinterland areas and along the Great Ocean Road, and some bushland near Melbourne but most have guard rails.

Question 1. Hot generally. Brisbane - hot and sometimes humid. Melbourne - Hot and dry, could be freezing and hot in one day. snowed on Christmas day in parts around Victoria and NSW this year - mid summer

. So for Melbourne - be prepeared for all seasons.

Question 2. Biting bugs - mozzies in Brisbane in late afternoons only. Sandflies in coastal areas on dusk in QLD. Fkies can be a bit pesky in some areas of Victoria depending upon the wind direction.

Question 3. Rainy day opportunities??? We wish!!!!!! we are experiencing severe drought at present across most of the country. I have just spent a couple of weeks around Victoria and the earth is dry, cracking and parched in regions. Fires have been extensive. Paddocks are yellow with dry grass, houses are cracking and large trees are distressed. Both cities are on high level water restrictions. Brisbane and environs is much greener at present as a result of some early summer storms, but no water in the dam catchment areas. Melbourne has had no rain to speak of.

My outline of suggested places above is very brief. I love my home town the best, and Melbourne is so wonderful, but for your purposes Melbourne may have more diverse photographic opportunities.

Julie

jule · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2007, 07:31:10 pm »

oops - forgot the actual city part of the equation.

I love Brisbane and it has a Beautiful river and city, BUT just isn't quite like Melbourne which has the edge culturally. The Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery, cafes in side alleys...and yes.... the food is heaps better generally in Melbourne than Brisbane. I think because the weather is so bad down there, they have do do something - so eating plays a greater part in one's life. There are trams which enable travel efficiently throughout the city to pockets of cultural and food heaven. Melbourne has magnificent parks and trees within the city area. The builtings are historically I think a little more diverse and interesting, and often reflect more clearly the changes in architecture over 200 years more substantially than in Brisbane.

David, there are a couple of restuarant gems in Brisbane which would rival any in Melbourne, but one needs to know where they are because the general standard is not that flash. The number is dwindling though as my favourite chef has just been poached by a Melbourne restuarant

Julie

Ray · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2007, 09:40:32 pm »

Quote

C1) I'd like to have a variety of choices for landscape/seascape/cityscape that the average tourist might not normally visit, especially locations within an hour travel from this base to capture sunrise/sunset light. Any specific suggestions?
C2) I'd also like to try shooting some wildlife, in addition to birds. Any specific suggestions?
C3) I'd like to keep cost down, so I guess we will rent a car and drive to these locations on our own. I'm not particularly fond of heights or windy, tight roads with no guard rails!

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

One should bear in mind that there's a lot of rivalry that takes place amongst the few largish cities we have in Australia. Melbourne has the reputation for being the cultural centre of Australia, but you are not asking for advice on that. Also the fact that there might be a greater number of finer restaurants in Melbourne than in Brisbane seems a rather poor reason for photographic opportunities.

I've visited Melbourne only once, a few years ago in late October. True to form, it was often drizzly in the morning, fine at mid-day and showery in the afternoon. It reminded me a bit of English weather, perhaps the worst in the world.

I was very impressed with the pristine environment at Wilson's Promontory. The penguins at Philip Island were cute, but photography is discouraged unfortunately.

It's difficult to advise anyone on such matters without knowledge of personal preferences. Only you know that. The Brisbane area has a reputation for fine weather. Beautiful one day, fantastic the next. Melbournians often retire here. Cost of living is also cheaper in Brisbane.

If you do decide on Brisbane, I'd recommend a day trip in your hire car to O'Reilley's at Lamington National Park (setting off early in the morning and expecting to get back late in the evening). That's another prisitine environment set in the rainforest. Lots of waterfalls, birdlife and the amazing Antartic Beach trees that are still growing at the same site where they were in Gondwana Land several million years ago.

Have a great holiday, whatever your choice.

jerrygrasso96 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2007, 08:08:48 am »

WOW! Thanks, Jule and Ray for taking time to really give me some great suggestions! I can feel the warmth and pride for your country in your words. I was impressed by the writeups I read in the Brisbane area about the several World Heritage locations with their world class mountains and wildlife. But I would also love to take the Ocean Drive near Melbourne, especially where the 12 Apostles are! Decisions...decisions...thanks again for the help!

simonr · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2007, 10:00:43 pm »

Melbourne would be my pick also...

cgf · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2007, 12:37:10 am »

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Mmmmm Vegemite.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98774\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Lovely stuff!

Although it might be an aquired taste... I once gave some to a Peruvian taxi driver, who sniffed it and then applied it liberally to exposed skin in an attempt to keep the mosquitos away...

Oh, and to the original question... photographically, choose Melbourne.

Gregory · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2007, 09:07:53 am »

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But I would also love to take the Ocean Drive near Melbourne, especially where the 12 Apostles are!

I believe it's just 11 now. one fell down last year???

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Mmmmm Vegemite

I love it. the Hong Kong locals hate it! ;-)

cgf · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2007, 05:53:06 pm »

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I believe it's just 11 now. one fell down last year???
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=99010\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That collapse took it down to just 8. The southern ocean pounds them constantly, given another 10-15 years they will all be gone

alexc · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2007, 01:59:35 am »

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C1) I'd like to have a variety of choices for landscape/seascape/cityscape that the average tourist might not normally visit, especially locations within an hour travel from this base to capture sunrise/sunset light. Any specific suggestions?

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I happen to live up on Mt Dandenong, which is one hours drive from the City of Melbourne. The scenery up here is stunning, being Rain Forests and so on.

The Dandenongs and the Yarra Valley provide infinite photo opportunities.

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C2) I'd also like to try shooting some wildlife, in addition to birds. Any specific suggestions?

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Up here on Mt' D there is an abundance of birds and wildlife; parrots, possums and so on.

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C3) I'd like to keep cost down, so I guess we will rent a car and drive to these locations on our own. I'm not particularly fond of heights or windy, tight roads with no guard rails!

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Melbourne is well situated for any number of day trips.

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Questions:
Q1) What can we expect from the weather at that time of year?
Q2) What can we expect from "biting bug issues" at that time of year?
Q3) Any rainyday photo opportunities/suggestions?

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's fairly mild here that time of year. No real bug problems either. And rainy mornings in a rain forest are just amazing.

I've only been to Brisbane once, but I'm sure it's got great options as well.

Pretty much everywhere in Australia has amazing landscapes, wildlife and scenery.

But if you like it a bit warmer and bit more humid, then Brisbane is the place to go.

Author Topic: Melbourne or Brisbane? (Read 5383 times)

ddolde