wrote:
> I planning to go to Bali and the eastern islands of Indonesia in March this
> year. After two months in Indonesia we (2 people) are going to Oz. We plan
> to travel from cairns to Brisbane (or Sydney) by land but need good tips on
> how to get to Carins cheaply from Indonesia. Driving through parts of
> Australia (from f.ex Darwin) is not out of the questions. Travelling by boat
> is also an option we are considering. Any help from anybody who has done the
> trip or has any experience travelling in Australia would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Andreas..
Gday Andreas,
Depending on how far east you are planning on going in Indo, you can fly
from Kupang on Timor to Darwin. There are 2 flights a week with Merparti Airlines (a subsidiary of Garuda).
There are also 3 flights a week direct from Bali to Cairns if you aren't going all the way to Timor.
If you don't want to see Darwin and the NT, its probably worth flying
straight to Cairns, as it is a fairly long and expensive trip by road, plus time and hassle in Darwin.
Keep in mind you will need a flight ticket out of Indonesia before you
arrive there, otherwise they won't let you in!! This pretty much rules
out the boat option, unless you have your own boat. Then all you need to do is a mountain of paperwork, and get a special visa (they cost $100 here in OZ) and maybe a small tip to the immigration officer when you arrive / depart. I know this 'cause I've done it by yacht.
Probably the cheapest way would be to get the leg included in your
existing ticket. Indo is an expensive country to buy plane tickets in for some reason, plus the aformentioned visa issue.
Sorry there isn't better news on a magic cheap way to do it, but probably better to find out and plan now.
Cheers
--
Milton
Australia and NZ Travel Mall
http://www.oztravel.com.au
