AUSTRALIA

Introduction  

        The Land Down Under!  Australia, to most of us in the Western Hemisphere, is really off the trails!  Australia has the honor of being the only country that is a continent.  It is the smallest continent, but it’s a huge country!  For example, driving from Sydney on the coast to Ayers Rock in the center of the Outback is about 44 hours.  Australians have their own culture!  Before you travel,  we suggest you do a little research and become familiar with customs, expressions, and the geography.   While it might be 75 F in Cairns, it could be 40 F in Hobart.  We will show  you small towns, big cities, museums, the bush, some nightlife, quiet evenings, beaches, and adventures.  We’ll be in Sydney, Ayers (Uluru) Rock, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Hobart, and Cairns.  We at offthetrails.com flew from San Francisco International Airport on Qantas.  Planning a trip like this takes time, patience, research, and the willingness to budget.   To all our families, friends, and my students, we are finally on our way!  First stop – Sydney.

         We chose Qantas because it gave us the most for our money – $788 per person including all fees and surcharges.  We flew Airtran from Ft. Lauderdale to  San Francisco through Atlanta for the same reason, but you should research the best prices in your area to San Francisco.