My husband and I lived in Australia for a number of years and each time we
travelled back and forth to Ireland we broke our journey somewhere different
in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Beijing. We are home in
Ireland now and are due to make one more trip to Australia and I was hoping
you could advise on a stopover destination? Maura Byrne, Ireland
Sunday Times travel expert, Richard Green, responds: The good news is
that there are more airlines competing on the Kangaroo Route than ever
before, and that means more tantalising stopover options too. In fact
there's now a choice of more than 20 stopover cities on the way to
Australia; including Taipei, Brunei, Kuala Lumpur, and Shanghai, in Asia,
and Doha and Dubai in the Gulf.
However, if this might be your last planned trip, you could always arrive into
Oz super-chilled from a spell on Mauritius. This exquisite Indian Ocean land
has outstanding beaches, stylish hotels, and famously hospitable locals. As
well as relaxing by the sea, you can tour an old plantation house, trek
through lush tropical jungle, and enjoy some great diving. Air Mauritius
flies from Heathrow to Mauritius and from Mauritius to Perth, Sydney and
Melbourne.
Alternatively, San Francisco is the plumb choice of the westerly options
with Vancouver and Los Angeles the runners up. It's a beautiful city, with a
welcoming atmosphere and fascinating diversity. See the Golden Gate Bridge,
ride on a Streetcar, visit Fisherman's Wharf, and take a tour of the old
Alcatraz prison. United Airlines flies from Heathrow to San Francisco, and
then onwards to Sydney and Melbourne.
Travel companies that specialise in helping you plan trip to Australia with
stopovers include Trailfinders
(0845 0585858), Austravel
(0870 1662020), or Travel
Mood (0871 2266111).
Further to Maura Byrne's quandary to find an interesting and different Oz stopover, we whole heartedly recommend beautiful Cape Town for anyone exiting Oz from Perth as it makes a great half-way point for the journey home (check the map, it makes sense).
Sue Smith, Middlesbrough, UK