Horsey Aspects of These Cities/Areas Down Under?

[dressagetraks]

I have an opportunity in July 2011 to go with a musical group and sing at the Sydney Opera House. Long way off, but plans already being considered. 9 days of half rehearsal/half fun, then the concert. Marvelous. I've always wanted to go to Australia, and to actually perform at the SOH, not just be a tourist, is a great opportunity.

However, I'm debating what to do then. There is an option to stick around Australia for 3 more days afterward as a pure tourist. The group is arranging four different shoot-off directions from the musical tour, or of course, I could just do something on my own, I suppose, although I'd have to arrange my own transportation to elsewhere down under and back home, in that case. All will include free time for whatever you choose, as well as arranged tours of top local sites.

Which of the following has the most horsey aspects, nearby horsey things, stuff for a horse-lover to do? Farms to tour? Great tack shops? Great movie sets nearby? Anything equine related?

Sydney. Definitely there for 9 days, with a whole lot of rehearsal, but plenty of free time, too.

Option for 3 more days in one only of the below:
A. Melbourne.
B. Gold Coast.
C. New Zealand (I know, that covers an awful lot of ground. Mt. Eden is mentioned in the information.)
D. Cairns.
E. Other horsey mecca to go explore for myself?

Thanks.

[Polydor]

What time of the year are you going at??

If its around late october to early november, melbourne is the heart of throughbred racing. And at that time is the spring carnival with the Melbourne Cup the 1st tuesday of november.

Loads of stud farms in the Hunter Valley (close to Sydney) ... Darley , Coolmore and pretty much all the top stud farms. You can do tours of them but have heard that you don't get off the bus (could be wrong). Might be able to book privately if you talk directly with the stud farms.

There are some trail rides, overnight trips in the blue mountains which are close to Sydney. Also some where "the man from snowy river" was filmed down close to Melbourne i believe.

Not horsey but climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a definit MUST!!! Totally worth the $200 some dollars. The views are incredible. Yes its high but very very safe !

edit: Not sure how much say you have in this but i would highly suggest flying with Singapore Airlines. By far the most reliable, nicest people, great food in my opinion.

P.

[Janie]

July. It's cold. Winter. Okay, maybe not cold to you, but cold to us.

You'll be too early for the Spring Racing Carnival.

If I were you, with that spare time, I'd be saying "bugger the horses, I'm going to Cairns". It's the perfect time to go - weather will be divine. You can swim and go out on the reef.

In terms of Sydney stuff, you can go to Centennial Park - there is a big boarding complex there. It's in the heart of the city. Well, more or less.
http://cpequestrian.com.au

You could have a squizz at SIEC (Sydney International Equestrian Centre). It's a ways out though, and I wouldn't bother unless there was something on.
http://www.equestriancentre.nsw.gov.au/index.php

The best way to see what events are on is to keep an eye on the Equestrian Australia website
http://www.efanational.com

and in particular, the Equestrian NSW calendar.
http://www.efansw.com.au

There are some tack shops in the city - Brighton and Goodwoods are two that spring to mind, and no doubt there are more.

What's your equine poison? What disciplines are you interested in?

ETA: Let me give you my opinion of the other suggestions:

Melbourne. I LOVE Melbourne. But July in Melbourne vs July in Cairns? No competition. Melbourne is COLD. Biting. Love the trams (dingdingding!). Love the food - best food in Australia! Love the laneways and quirky bars and cafes. Just love it. But ... Much as I love it, and I happily travel to Melb in the winter (my daughter lives there) if I were touristing , I would be doing it in Cairns. If you do Melbourne, let me know - I will give you restaurant recommendations.

Gold Coast. Well. Tourist mecca or tourist hell. Depends on your POV. Me, I hate it. Overdone, big, blowsy, full of "worlds". Sea World, Dream World, Movie World. If "worlds" are your thing, it's the place to go. Warm, but not as warm as Cairns. It's the off season so it would be fairly quiet.

New Zealand. Beautiful. But also winter and also cold. If you want to do cold, go right ahead. It's more bucolic that Melbourne, but the cities are small. You'd probably do the jet ski thing and the bungy jumping thing. It is beautiful, but you'd spend quite some time travelling.

I live in regional NSW and am happy to pass on any information that might be useful to you. Just pm me.

[dressagetraks]

Thanks, folks. I'd love a tour of Darley, Coolmore, etc., even if just by bus.

Well, duh, I totally forgot that the seasons are reversed. No, I DON'T like cold much. Also easy to forget that Australia is big enough that there would be a significant range in temp.

Sydney Harbor Bridge is DEFINITELY on the list. About the planes, round trip is provided by the musical organizers, so I probably don't get to choose. It does say we will leave LA when heading for Sydney.

I ride dressage.

I'm really excited about this, even with almost two years to go. I've always wanted to see Australia. :yes::cool:

[Janie]

Emirates Park and Coolmore studs are a good 4 or 5 hours + from Sydney, so it would be a long day trip.

[Larksmom]

I went in 86 for the World Championships in 3 day eventing. Strictly as a 'professional spectator!';) Before we got to Gawler, we stopped in Cairns. It is a MUST DO. We went up the coast to I think Port Arthur{?} and took the Quicksilver Catamaran that you see in the Outback steakhouses! Got to go literally 'swimming with the fishes' on the Great Barrier Reef! It was the greatest day of my life! We then flew to Alice Springs which was ok, but we DIDN'T get to see Ayres Rock. [major disappointment]. No one even mentioned the horses till we got to 'the Alice' and as we loaded onto the planes to go to Adelaide, I heard some distinctive mooing-we were feeling like cattle being shunted about! You know, you should do what you want, but this is a spectacular country, as big as the US with less than 50 million people! When you fly overland, you will see--------NOTHING! it is amazing! Enjoy your trip. I so want to go back! Someday, maybe I will.

[Janie]

Yes, we have quite a bit less than 50 million. Like 20. Or is it 22 million now?

You would have gone to Port Douglas. It's lovely.

[broughton_sporthorses]

I'm from Australia as well, so if you want to PM me feel free.

About 1.5 Hours south of Sydney is Berry, it's a lovely little town, a big horse area, and lots of wineries, and also close to the coast! (It's where I'm from, haha). There are lots of B & bs around the area too.

Also close to Sydney (around 1.5hrs) is the Southern Highlands, which is nice, but it is very cold in Winter. Lovely old (and new) estates and properties, also a horse area. Also has lots of wineries too!

Hmm... maybe do a harbour cruise? Climb the bridge... I can't think of any real touristy things to do. Oh, you can go to one of the revolving restaurants in Sydney, you get the most amazing views of the harbour and the rest of the city.

If fine dining is your thing, try to get a booking for Tetsuya's, it is one of the best restaurants in the world. You need to book about 6 months before though, I think.

I really love Melbourne, but it will be quite cold in winter! It was freezing in Summer when I went! Really great food and shopping.

I think we have 20 something million people, not too sure these days.

I can't think of any more things at the moment!

[broughton_sporthorses]

Ahh Janie I see we have the same tastes- I love Melbourne, and I hate the Gold Coast! Some people love it though...

[Janie]

I am sure they will have touristy things organised for you. If I were you (I'm not, but I can pretend) I would do the following in Sydney:
1. Harbour Bridge Walk. They won't let you climb it unless you spell it properly though (j/k)
2. Harbour Cruise - with Captain Cook or some other such mob, Really touristy but lots of fun. And the harbour is the shining jewel in Sydney's crown so make the most of it.
3. A wander around Circular Quay, then a ferry ride to Manly. Some hot chips at Manly, perhaps stroll the Corso, then back again.
4. Catch another ferry to Taronga Zoo (if zoos don't ick you out too much). Or a bus to the zoo and a ferry back - that's a nice way to do it - you walk down towards the ferry and do everything in the zoo downhill. Make sure you see the bird show.
Can you tell I like Ferries? I do, almost as much as trams.
5. A walking tour of the Rocks if you have time, it's the oldest part of Sydney and kinda quaint
6. Stroll through the Botanical Gardens. They are just up from the Opera House. Sit in Mrs Macquarie's chair and survey the harbour. Pretend you were there in the early 1800s waiting for a boat from England to bring you news from home
7. Stroll through Hyde Park. If you like art, check out the Art Gallery of NSW. It's just through the park and down a little. There are some lovely works there. Be sure to check out my favourite Brett Whitley while you are there.
8. You might want to get dinner in Chinatown. Many people do.
9. If you are a bibliophile, make sure you go to Kinokuniya. It's in TGV in George St and is sensational.
10. Lots of people like wandering around Paddington. It's cute, lots of terrace houses and wrought iron. There's a nice patisserie at the Five Ways.

You can do all of that within an easy walk or bus ride of the cbd. I assume you'll be staying in the cbd.

If you are a wine hound, then there are treats a-plenty within 2/3 hours of Sydney. The Hunter Valley is sensational. Lots of nice mainstream wineries, plus a lot of boutique ones.

The food in Sydney is good, and in some cases great. Lots of people love Doyles - do you like seafood?

[dressagetraks]

YES, I most definitely am a bibliophile! I'll check out Kinokuniya. Thanks. Always on the lookout for books, horsey and otherwise (note HR aspect).

Zoos are neat, too. I want to see koalas.

Things mentioned on the expanded info prospectus that I just received:

Featherdale Wildlife Park, Harbour Cruise, the Rocks, Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour, Manly, and lots of "additional sightseeing" in Sydney.

4 optional spinoffs:

Melbourne: Penguin Parade, Observation Deck, "real country life on a working sheep farm," Cathedrals, Arts Centre, Tramcar restaurant, free exploration (is that in terms of price or itinerary? ;) I like the idea of free tourism as in price, but I doubt it works that way.)

Gold Coast: Animal Sanctuary, Australian Sheep Station with sheepdogs, Rainbow Lorikeets, Tamborine Mountain, Seaworld, BBQ.

New Zealand: Mt. Eden, Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, Whakarewarewa Thermal Park (thermal park? And how the heck do you pronounce that?), Maori hangi dinner, farms, sheepdogs.

Cairns: Sailing, coral reef, naturalist-guided tour through rainforest on a duck (presumably the vehicular variety), animal sanctuary, Skyrail through rainforest, Aborigines, boomerangs.

From the above, all seem to have an animal aspect. NZ specifically mentions farms (horses?). Cairns definitely gets a bonus point for warmest, though.

I watched the Man from Snowy River last night, just warming up. Beautiful country.

Thanks for all the tips! This is said to be flat price, a pretty decent flat price, for trip including round-trip transportation from US and all transport in Australia, all lodging in 3-4 star hotels, 2 meals a day, tour manager, performance details, everything but air tax, travel insurance, and "personal." I have a feeling that "personal" might add up, though. I'm surprised at their figures and have been looking at that with a fine-toothed comb, trying to find what I'm missing. Even the spin-offs are under a thousand more each. Of course, we are doing the big concert and presumably selling tickets, so that might offset cost some. But even with a spinoff, this is cheaper than a full trip to WEG, and that doesn't even involve leaving the country.

I'm doing at least part of WEG next year, dressage and maybe eventing. If I actually had a vacation 2 years in a row, I might go into shock.

[Janie]

Personal costs - well, if it makes any difference, you don't have to tip much over here.

Pron. guide - more or less - fuh-kuh-ray-wuh-ray-wuh. the "wh" at the beginning if a word is pronounced "f". It's the Rotorua area - full of thermal springs, boiling mud, very cool. Or hot.

And if you want real country life on a working sheep farm, my FIL will be shearing 3,000 sheep, want us to wait for you? It's an easy 8 hour drive from Sydney. Can you pen up? Do you want a job as a rouseabout?

[Sue from Auckland]

New Zealand: Mt. Eden, Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, Whakarewarewa Thermal Park (thermal park? And how the heck do you pronounce that?), Maori hangi dinner, farms, sheepdogs.
Mt Eden is one of umpteen extinct volcanic craters in Auckland - not sure why it would be specifically mentioned (you'd do better to go up One Tree Hill or out on the harbour to Rangitoto). The Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is also in Auckland (generally just referred to as Kelly Tarltons - http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/). The Maori Arts & Crafts Institute and Whakarewarewa are near Rotorua which is further south in the North Island (it's said fairly phoenetically and every vowel is the end of a syllable - so wha-ka-ray-wa-ray-wa) and there would be places there that would do the hangi dinner (or some that are cooked in the hot pools in the area). Farms and sheepdogs are everywhere but I think there is a Sheepworld place/display in the Rotorua area too. There won't be a lot horsey happening in July as it is generally (to us) cold and wet.