Bus Service on Aussie Coast

Q: I would like to tour the east coast of Australia between Cairns and Sydney. I do not want to drive alone, so I am interested in other forms of travel that will allow me to spend time along the route. Can you recommend a bus service that travels this route? - Andy James.

A: Greyhound has an extensive bus service which covers this interesting route. You have various options available to you. Firstly, you can buy a kilometre pass, which permits you to use the purchased number of kilometres within a 12-month period (from 500 to 20,000kms). This would obviously work best when you expect to travel a long distance over a lengthy period of time. For trips of shorter duration, it would be best to opt for a day pass. This allows you to travel for a selected number of days on the Greyhound network. These are available for 3, 5, 7, 10, 20 or 30 consecutive days. You can travel at your own pace, travelling as far as you like each day. The final option is to buy a travel pass, which allows you to travel a specific route within a set number of days. You can get on and off as many times as you like, provided the entire trip is completed within a set number of days. If you are certain about your route, then a travel pass is a good bet. The Mini Traveller Pass specifies that travel between the cities must take place within 45 days. If you intend to take longer, you will need the Traveller Pass, which allows you six months to complete the journey. The Mini Traveller Pass cost 368 Australian dollars, while the six-month ticket costs only a little more at 390 Australian dollars. The other alternatives are less cost-effective for your purposes. You would need at least a 3000kms pass for the trip from Sydney to Cairns (actual distance 2630kms), which costs 509 Australian dollars. A 10-day pass (with a 3000km limit) costs 371 Australian dollars. For further information, check the www.greyhound.com.au website. If are aged 18-35, you may want to consider the Oz Experience flexible touring pass, which is also a bus service that allows you to get on and off wherever you want. However, you always have a tour guide on board and, because of the age limit, it is very popular among international backpackers. The "Bruce Pass" allows you to set off from either Melbourne or Sydney and includes activities like a climb up Mount Kosciusko, a surfing lesson and a visit to an outback cattle station. The Bruce Pass is priced from 550 Australian dollars. (30 Aug 2009)