<p>i heard australia would be in winter during this time so that kind of hinders my decision.....</p>
<p>but australia is on the 24th parallel, so even though it will be in “winter” it will still be relatively warm.</p>
<p>We were there last year middle of July. It was around 60ish, definitely not a beach weather. It really depends on what you want to do. Australia is very expensive - food, lodging. Sydney’s public transportation leaves a lot to be desired, especially at night. You would most likely need to cab it if you want to go out. If you are going to Australia, you should look into cell phone before you get there. My daughter was there for a semester. It took her over a month to get adjusted to Sydney. Now she can’t wait to go back.</p>
<p>We haven’t been to Australia. Been to Costa Rica and loved it. Costa Rica has 2 seasons - dry and wet. We were there during the dry season, june/july are in the wet one. You should consider this fact before booking your trip.</p>
<p>Australia!</p>
<p>I’m from Australia so I’ll say Costa Rica but I don’t know if I’d stay for an entire month, probably visit other places as well! </p>
<p>In winter it doesn’t get too cold here. Nothing compared to some parts of America! You can still go to the beach if its not raining. Would be bad if it rained a lot during your holiday though. People say food here is more expensive but I had an exchange to the US and found there wasn’t much of a difference. Clothes are more expensive here. Prepaid phone calls are a lot cheaper here. Transportation around Sydney is ok but not the most efficient. There are trains, buses and ferries. Taxis are expensive. Oh and it’s a 14 hr flight from LA so you can watch plenty of movies on the plane :)</p>
<p>I was in Cairns one summer during July and August. It was warm enough to be in a tank-top and shorts. Sydney was rather colder, however.</p>
<p>We lived in AU for 6 months - Jan - June. Brisbane. January was broiling. There was a run on floor fans. Never been so hot in my life and we are from southern New Mexico. June was freezing. We used to turn on the oven, open the door and all sit around it swaddled in blankets to stay warm.'</p>
<p>I would go back in a heartbeat!</p>
<p>It’s rainy in Costa Rica during that time, but beautiful nonetheless. It rains everyday, but not all day so you still have time to do things.</p>
<p>I recently volunteered in Costa Rica for a month so I’m biased, BUT I figured I would mention a few things in case if you haven’t already decided.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do you know Spanish? Obviously Australia speaks English but if you don’t know spanish then certain areas of Costa Rica could be a little more difficult to manage. Although a lot of the developed areas by the coasts speak English too.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve never been to Australia but CR is nice because you can go to OTHER countries other than just CR. If you’re in Australia, well, you don’t have as many options. I know a guy who went to Nicaragua after being in Costa Rica for a few weeks. He just decided to go visit another country while he was in the area.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hope that helps a little :)</p>