I finally have time to write my travel diary about Australia (it’s been almost 8 months hhkk..) and I chose the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which is February 19, 2019 ( Air tickets in Australia are super after the Spring Festival) Cheap! I originally wanted to go to Perth this year, but after thinking about it I decided to change my place to spend the winter)
visa:
The Ctrip app can help you very easily and quickly. Once you communicate with the customer service, it will be ok. I have signed a three-year visa exemption for Australia. Hehe, I think...I mean I think, I can go at any time! O(∩_∩)O
Travel route:
Guangzhou → Sydney (4 days) → Uluru (3 days) → Melbourne (7 days) → Guangzhou
It was summer in Australia when I went there, but even so, you have to be careful when choosing clothes. The temperature difference between day and night in Australia is huge, so you need to bring a light jacket in addition to a beautiful short skirt and suspender skirt. The most important is to remember to bring an umbrella (I stayed in Sydney for 4 days, and it rained every day! People say that there are very few rainy days in Sydney a year, yes, it happened to us!)
On the recommendation of a friend, I chose an apartment hotel in the center of Sydney: Meriton Suites Kent, which is affordable and very convenient. 250m from the supermarket and 300m from the subway station Town Hall station. When I checked in, I asked the handsome guy at the front desk to arrange the room on a high floor. Although check-in is only available at 3 o'clock, I am still very excited to live on the 55th floor! The apartment has a washing machine, dryer, kitchen, etc. It is small and exquisite, and the experience can be said to be very good.
Traveling in Sydney is very convenient. When you get off the plane, buy an opal transportation card and recharge 30 Australian dollars. It is basically enough for 4 or 5 days. If you can’t buy it at the airport, you can Buy a transportation card in a supermarket or convenience store, download the Opal app on your phone, and bind it to visa to recharge online.
Bus: Sydney's bus stations will post a timetable, and the approximate time the bus will arrive will be displayed. It should be noted that buses in Sydney will not announce their arrival station! So at this time you can only rely on navigation and maps. You have to swipe your card once to get on and off the bus.
Subway: In fact, it is very convenient to take the subway in Sydney. It is easy for tourists to use google map to check the routes to scenic spots and take the subway. It will be ok if you are a little careful. The subway is also very comfortable, and the air conditioning is a bit powerful! Generally speaking, there are seats available, and the subway will announce the station name when you arrive at the station.
When getting off the plane, it is best to buy a local phone card whose operator is telestra . Its biggest advantage is that the signal is very strong in remote areas (such as Uluru) and can be used anytime and anywhere. google map, ins and facebook, etc.
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Tickets: FREE Play time: 2-3h
The University of Sydney is a top university in the southern hemisphere, and its architectural style is also my favorite, retro European-style architecture.
The University of Sydney also has the famous Harry Potter Building, which is like the Harry Potter School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the movie Harry Potter. On the day I happened to go there, there were dark clouds and scattered drizzle, which made me feel like I was in a magical world.
THE HARBOUR BRIDGE
Tickets: FREE Play time: 0.5-4h
The Harbor Bridge is a must-visit place when coming to Sydney. The scene of taking pictures while standing under the bridge is quite spectacular. The most interesting thing is climbing the Sydney Bridge.
Tickets for boarding the bridge are available on Ctrip, the official website and at the bridge boarding point. I bought it on site at the time , 303 knives per person, which is about RMB 1,500 yuan. Both adults and children can participate. There are Chinese groups (there may only be 2 per day and reservations are required), English groups, Japanese groups, Korean groups, etc. There is no doubt that the English group is the most popular!
Climbing the Harbor Bridge is a very safe extreme sport. It is held by a rope throughout the entire process. Basically anyone can complete this challenge if they are not afraid of heights.
Before you can climb the bridge, you must pass a spirometry test, a breathalyzer test, and go through a metal detector. You must also sign a medical certificate and contract form before you are allowed to climb. Everyone will receive a climbing suit before starting. In addition, if you are climbing at night, there will be light special lights for bridge climbing. The entire bridge climbing journey lasted 3 hours. Visitors who successfully reach the top of the Sydney Bridge will receive a commemorative photo and a certificate of successful bridge climb.
We started climbing at 2 o'clock in the afternoon that day. Because it was raining, the higher we climbed, the colder we got. Fortunately, our hiking clothes were equipped with a very windproof and rainproof jacket, which was really useful. Along the way, the tour leader will explain to us the history of the Harbor Bridge, its structure and interesting things about Sydney.
As you climb all the way up, you can see more things, such as the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbor, etc. Passers-by under the bridge and cruise ships passing under the bridge will also say hi to you enthusiastically when they see you! During the climb, to ensure safety, you are not allowed to carry anything, including mobile phones and watches. Don’t worry, there will be a tour leader to take photos for you!
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Tickets: outside FREE; backstage tour AUD 140/RMB 928/person
Play time: 0.5–3h
Sydney Opera House is a very representative of Sydney land mark. Seeing it in person, you will still feel that it has a strong sense of art. We did not go inside to visit, but just walked around the periphery.
There is also a very good restaurant below the Opera House. As a tourist in Sydney who does not drive, you can buy a bottle of beer and sit on the beach, listen to the sound of the sea lapping on the shore, and see seagulls (very cute, but I am really afraid of birds) , it takes courage to take a photo with them!) Take a beautiful photo together.
The funniest thing is that when my foreign friends saw my funny photo pose in front of the opera house, they covered their mouths and laughed /a little embarrassed.hhh... (I was wearing pants...)
THE ROCK MARKET
Tickets: FREE Play time: 2-3h
I specially chose Saturday to come to the rock market, because the rock market holds creative market activities every weekend.
Many interesting shops will set up stalls here to display and sell their own creative works. Remember, NO PHOTO! No photos allowed! Otherwise you will be warned!
The happiest thing is that I found a silver ring that I really like at the Yan District Market. really like! Wear it every day!
QUEEN VICTORIA BUILDING
Tickets: FREE Play time: 2-3h
QVB is a Roman-style building built in 1898. It is known as "the most beautiful shopping mall in the world"! If you stand on the 3rd or 4th floor and overlook the European-style clock downstairs, it is very beautiful! Walking inside feels like walking on the street. There are not too many people. It is a great shopping mall.
There is a grand piano on the second floor of QVB. When you pass by, you can hear pianists (amateur or pro) from different countries playing beautiful music! There are many colorful glass windows near the stairs in QVB, which are very beautiful for taking pictures.
DARLING HARBOUR
Tickets: FREE Play time: 2-3h
Darling Harbor (Darling Harbor) is also called Darling Harbor. It is located in the northwest of Sydney city center, 2 kilometers away from Central Station and connected to Chinatown. It is a place for major meetings and celebrations, and is also a good place for shopping.
The scenery is beautiful and the space is vast. There were very few pedestrians on the road when I went, so it was very comfortable. There is a Ferris wheel in front of the Sofitel Hotel where you can sit on it and go sightseeing.
HYDE PARK
Tickets: FREE Play time: 2-3h
Sydney Hyde Park is located in Sydney The east side of the city center was first built in 1810, it has a history of more than 200 years. There are large clean lawns and towering trees over a hundred years old. It is a good place for leisure.
We walk past Hyde Park every day. It’s a really big place. It’s really rare that there is such a large park in Sydney where land is so precious. I just happened upon an event called “don’t kill the live music”, haha, the atmosphere was great.
St.MERY’S CATHEDRAL
It is Australia's largest and oldest It is a religious building, just opposite Hyde Park, with a strong Catholic atmosphere. When we arrived, it was dusk, and after a heavy rain, the sky was full of dark clouds, which cast a mysterious veil over St. Mary's Cathedral.
Australian Museum of Modern Art
(MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART AUSTRALIA)
Ticket: FREE Play time: 1h
The Australian Museum of Modern Art is an excellent place for artists to showcase their artistic talents. Although I don’t have any artistic talent, I am really amazed by all kinds of interesting works of art. (It’s very close to the Sydney Opera House!) It’s recommended to go there!
Each exhibition includes free public forums, tours, seminars and special events. The Australian Contemporary Art Center will be closed between the two exhibitions for installation and placement of facilities.
THE BONDI BEACH
Tickets: FREE Play time: 1-2h
When I went to BONDI BEACH, it happened to be a violent storm, but we insisted on going there and the wind and rain did not change! From the center of Sydney, it only takes 25 minutes to reach your destination by subway. There are not many people in BONDI. The closer you get to the beach, the fewer pedestrians there are. Along the way, you can see a lot of interesting graffiti and the houses are all colorful.
The moment I saw the sea, I became extremely excited. "This sea is too blue!" It's so blue that it makes people's hearts beat! That blue is Tiffany blue! Beautiful cry!
There is a western restaurant near BONDI BEACH, the location is very good! Called ICEBERGS. You need to book a seat in advance (woohoo, I’m so sad that I didn’t get a seat (>○
There is also a rock swimming pool below ICEBURGS. When the tide is high, the sea and the swimming pool will merge into one, which is beautiful.
SYDNEY CITY HALL
Ticket: FREE Play time: 1h
The town hall is in a Victorian architectural style. I went to Sydney for 5 days, and the town hall was closed, which was sad. It is also a landmark of Sydney. The town hall also has a subway station, so you can see a lot of pedestrians around the town hall. You can also visit the internal front office, financial office and council room.
CHINA TOWN
Play time: 0.5h–3h
I feel that Sydney’s Chinatown is prettier than Melbourne’s haha, I love the train on the road! Very colourful! Mainly Chinese red. There are Chinese restaurants everywhere! But it doesn’t taste as delicious as I imagined, haha.
As for eating, I would recommend the three restaurants that impressed me the most! I really don’t know what else to recommend, haha. When I go to Sydney, I always look for Buddhist food. I eat Korean food, Japanese food, Southeast Asian food, pizza... they are all pretty good. I really haven’t found much Australian native cuisine.
The first one:RIBS & BURGERS THE ROCKS
I found it after visiting the rock market, it's nearby! Because I want to eat French fries, a burger, and a steak! And this store is exactly what I want! (Actually, I saw it while passing by) The decoration inside is just an ordinary Western simple style, but there are many people inside!
But luckily we went after lunch time! We ordered a burger called THE AUSSIE. As you can see in the picture below, it contains beef patty, egg, lettuce, etc. Anyway, when it was served, the boss and I were both shocked. , the burger is very tall! We have to eat it layer by layer... (Our little cherry mouths are wondering if we are really eating burger??) But even if we eat it layer by layer, we are still very touched! Because the bacon and meatloaf are grilled just right! tasty!
We also ordered a classic ribs, and you will find that the portion is even more amazing! But it’s so delicious that you’ll linger for a long time. The meat on the ribs is slightly overcooked, but very juicy, with a bit of honey sweetness, and it’s sweet without losing the beef flavor!
We also ordered a bottle of ginger cider, which is a little spicy and gingery, just right to relieve tiredness.
The second one:PANCAKES ON THE ROCKS
I have heard about this store for a long time. The store I went to is near Darling harbour. We were so hungry at that time, so the two of us ordered a pizza, a Caesar salad, a banana cinnamon pancake and a strawberry pancake.
Pizza seems to be a simple pile of ingredients, but I don’t know why it tastes so good! Caesar salad is just for relieving fatigue. Even the combination of bread crumbs, tender chicken breast cubes with black pepper sauce and lettuce is so good!
The boss and I both regretted it as soon as the pancake arrived! Not because it’s not delicious, but because the portion is too big! But anyway, we had very little left because it was so delicious. Hmm...all the food ordered are delicious beyond imagination! But my cousin said that there are even more delicious ones! Ha ha!
The third one: BLACK STAR PASTRY.
It’s the place to eat internet celebrity watermelon cake! A must eat when in Australia! The one I went to is opposite QVB, and there is also one near Sydney University. There are quite a few branches in Sydney. The super-looking watermelon cake comes in many sizes, for two or four people. The layers of the cake are clearly visible. The top layer is jelly, fresh strawberries and rose petals, the dense cake and crispy watermelon are in the middle, and the bottom is a cookie base, a perfect combination!
The lychee cake is also very tempting. It tastes sweet, like lychee honey. The sesame chiffon is very fragrant, the chiffon is very smooth, and overall it’s pretty good! Promise me, you must eat watermelon cake!
Finally, I want to share some random photos.
——–the end——–
(This is a photo from the 2019 Sydney Spring Festival to celebrate the Year of the Pig! Haha, here comes RACHEL!) Melbourne travel notes, I am still hesitating whether i write it down or not.