You should fly via Los Angeles (unless you have alternate travel plans to get there). The flight out of New York will be in the afternoon or evening and depending on your flight/airline, you should have a 2+ hour stopover in LAX. It will be a night flight to Sydney from there. You will arrive in Sydney between 6am - 9am. Please note, you lose a day going there but then gain a day on your way back. For example, leaving Wednesday evening from NY will get you into Sydney on Friday morning. Coming back from Sydney and leaving on a Sunday morning, you will land in NY on Sunday evening. Please keep this in mind when booking your flight.
We are more than happy for you to bring your kiddies, but we will leave this up to you. There is plenty to do with kids in Sydney/Newcastle and I will be looking into babysitting service for anyone looking. Stayed tuned. I'll update this section with more details when I have them.
I will check the weather closer to the date, but it will be Autumn/Fall. You most likely will only need a light jacket or coat. It is still very warm this time of year and may turn slightly cool in the evening. You will still be able to go to the beach and swim etc..
If you choose to hire a car (which you can for up to 3 months with an English language driver license), just remember everything is opposite to what you know. Please stick to the speed limits - the police are everywhere and won't hesitate to pull you over. Especially on the highways and schools zones. Here are some additional tips for driving in Australia https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g255055-c128307/Australia:Tips.For.Driving.In.Australia.html
If you are driving from Sydney to Newcastle, just use your GPS and it will get you there. Its around a 2 hour drive, depending on where you are staying. Sydney traffic can be a bit of a mess during peak hours, so avoid the time around 7am - 9am and 5pm - 6pm (Monday - Friday) .
You will need a travel visa to go to Australia. You can purchase it from this site. Should be around $20 per person. Make sure you get this at least 72hrs prior to your travel date https://www.eta.homeaffairs.gov.au/ETAS3/etas
Depending on your provider you will be able to use your phone while in Australia - I would recommend using the app Viber as well.
Exchange some cash at your bank instead of the airport or in Australia. It will be cheaper for you. Depending on your bank they may need to order the cash in, so do this a week before you leave, just incase. You can use your credit cards there, but just don't forget to notify your bank before leaving.
Cocktail
Camilla will be in Australia from the 4th of March and James the 7th. We will be there until the 16th before heading to Fiji!
No need for this unless you want to. Everything is included in the final total (including GST - Tax).
We have different outlets back home, so you can probably pick an adapter up from the airport or order from Amazon before you leave.