Hi Mike/Connie
Lets hope that the POPC do have a good lot of staff now to push through those visas and also allocate CO's to those of us lot still waiting.
On our first trip to Australia we started at Melbourne with my cousin and went to Sovereign Hill, Rickets (both great places to visit if you have not already done so) we also did the Great Ocean Road, then flew to Sydney and did all around there and the blue mountains then drove all the way to Brisbane for a few days stopping en route as and when we felt like it and then we flew to Cairns for the last 5 days before flying home.
Second trip we again started at Melbourne with my cousin and did a few places again then drove to Sydney (as we flew before) and went to the zoo there which was great.
We then flew to Brisbane (drove first time) and stayed with our Daughter and Son in Law who took us all around the area and also to the Australian Zoo and like you Steve Irwin was there unnanounced with his Wife Terry and as you have said he was a great showman.
After staying with our Daughter for 9 days we drove to Cairns for our last leg (flew that first time) so all in all we have over two trips driven from Melbourne to Cairns.
We are both photographers so the country is great for the likes of us.
If you get a minute maybe you and others reading this thread would like to check out our web site as there are some Australian pics on there.
www.beckhamdigital.co.uk
Hope you get your visa real soon and are on your way to a new life and who knows when we are in Melbourne maybe we could meet for a coffee.
Caz