It depends on you. If you have a history of suffering from jet lag, then it probably will. I don't have that problem but plenty of people in here do and they can probably give you some advice on how to handle it.
It depends on when you arrive in Melbourne. If you are arriving the day the tour begins, yes, it will affect you. Our tour began on a Monday, and we arrived on Saturday. If you are traveling from the USA, you will lose a day (we left on the 15th from LA and arrived at 9 AM on the 17th). I was surprised about how active we were on the first day. Our room was ready (great news), we went out for lunch and then took the Circle Tram and ended up at the Melbourne Gaol in time to see the Ned Kelly re-enactment ("Such is Life"...that just made my day!!). If you don't know anything about Ned Kelly, I suggest you read up(Peter Cary's The Ned Kelly Gang is a Booker Prize winner). After that we wandered about (buying compression socks at a department store as my feet were so swollen from the 15 1/2 hour flight), and then ended up back at the hotel for appetizers and a glass of wine. That was all she wrote! We made it until 6 PM and then crashed until the next morning. The next day we took the tourist bus, went to the Rialto Tower, the casino, the Victoria Market, and wandered about some more. We had a fabulous dinner at the Melbourne Oyster Bar and then went to bed at a normal time. On Monday, the day the tour began (with the welcome dinner at the Tram Restaurant, which was wonderful...think they no longer do that ) we toured some more (it was Chinese New Year time and there were lots of activities) and felt fit and fresh to start the tour. I think arriving so early gave us time to acclimate at our own pace. There is so much to see and do in Melbourne beyond what Tauck covers, arriving early makes sense.
I have come to the view that if I travel half way around the world to see something a) I really want to see (and appreciate) and b) have paid a lot of money to do it, I don't want to spend the first 3 - 5 days asleep when I shouldn't be and or worse, ending up getting sick. Both issues are an anathema to me. So I arrive early. I spend 5 days getting to know the tour departure city, or a conveniently situated international gateway city close to the departure point. Apart from jet lag, it's a wonderful way to really get the measure of a new place.
As for Melbourne specifically, Joyce has given you some excellent pointers. Peter Carey, although still a proud Aussie, has been a NYC resident for many years now.
I had know issue with jet lag. I flew in 2 days early and on the day took the bus around town just to get a lay of the land and went to bed normal time. The next day I took a all day tour to go to the 12 apostles. Got back late and went to bed. The day the tour started I did some of the museums in town and was fine. You keep busy will not get jet lag is my motto.
This year I fly into Glasgow for my Scotland tour early and catch a bus to go to my 1st pre-destination. I am going for a few days to the Isle of Skye before the tour starts. Just hoping don't fall sound asleep on the bus ride and miss my stop. It is ambitious, but only way to do the Jacobitte train.
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As for Melbourne specifically, Joyce has given you some excellent pointers. Peter Carey, although still a proud Aussie, has been a NYC resident for many years now.
Cheers,
Jan
This year I fly into Glasgow for my Scotland tour early and catch a bus to go to my 1st pre-destination. I am going for a few days to the Isle of Skye before the tour starts. Just hoping don't fall sound asleep on the bus ride and miss my stop. It is ambitious, but only way to do the Jacobitte train.