Travel Guides and Stories

Back from Australia. After more than a month of on-and-off planning, I finally turned my paper itinerary into muddy footprints on my shoes over 14 days. I’m writing this to share and also to reminisce. [Long content, summarized as follows]    
   1. Route: Brisbane – Lamington National Park – Whitsunday Islands – Cairns – Great Barrier Reef – Sydney
   Time: Early December 2022
   2. Travel Activities (covered in this travelogue) include:
   ① Observing Australian wildlife (birds, mammals, fish) (Brisbane, Lamington NP, Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef);
   ② Sailing (Whitsundays);
   ③ Diving (Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef);
   ④ Seaplane (Whitsundays);
   ⑤ Hot air balloon (Cairns);
   ⑥ Bushwalk/hiking (Lamington NP, Whitsundays);
   ⑦ Biking tour (Sydney).
   3. Travel mode: Flights between cities, local travel by bus and on foot. No self-driving.
   [Notes]
   1. Pictures: Most taken with Canon 5D Mark II (underwater/phone photos are noted). Images are downsized for upload. Only a few have had brightness adjusted in Canon DPP; no other editing.
   2. Planning: All arrangements (including hotels) were self-planned, mainly referencing Lonely Planet (book) and Tripadvisor (website). In my experience, Tripadvisor is more reliable than Lonely Planet, haha.
   3. Travel Apps: Kayak + Tripadvisor + Packing. Having Kayak on your phone and entering your entire itinerary is super convenient—Kayak’s MyTrip can be browsed offline, so you can check your info any time, even without WiFi. For restaurants and attractions, I used Tripadvisor reviews—especially the negative ones! For packing, I used the app Packing—very detailed, just check items off, worry-free.
   4. Recording method: I’ve divided my notes into itinerary, activities, attractions, food, and transport for easy reference.

Day 1: Outbound Flight
   1. Airline: China Southern
   2. Time: Depart Beijing 16:30, stopover Guangzhou 19:45, depart Guangzhou 22:00, arrive Brisbane next day 8:55.
   3. Aircraft: A330 (not much legroom)
   4. Inflight entertainment: iPad loaded with enough movies, books, and music to pass the time (clear background apps, turn off Wi-Fi and location, and the iPad easily lasts 10 hours).
   5. Food: China Southern’s food as always is bad. It’s a skill to consistently make food taste bad.

Day 2: Brisbane
   1. Itinerary: Check in at Fern Cottage - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - Stroll in Brisbane city
   2. Activity: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
   After checking in at Fern Cottage and meeting friends in Brisbane, we had a quick lunch nearby and headed straight to the koala sanctuary. Reasons for choosing Lone Pine: 1) We only had one afternoon in Brisbane; 2) I love animals and couldn’t skip koalas; 3) Founded in 1927, it claims to be the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary.
   Tickets: Adult AUD 32. Koala photo: AUD 16. Website: ***
   Mostly, we just watched the koalas lazing around.

…and sleeping.

Only lively when munching on eucalyptus leaves.

Besides koalas, there’s a whole mob of fearless kangaroos (pictured: male chasing female, and you can spot his, um, anatomy =.=|||).

But their business quickly got interrupted by a stronger male, who charged in and broke up the fun.

Some were luckier—evidence of romance, like this joey cleaning its paws.

There are daily presentations; we joined the koala talk, sheepdog demo, and sheep shearing. Lots of Chinese tourists here, too.

A few shots of Brisbane streets:

3. Accommodation: Fern Cottage, a B&B found in Lonely Planet, booked by email before departure. Price: AUD 155/night. Hosts Geoff & Mary—Mary is very kind, Geoff a bit more serious. Room was clean with en suite, A/C, free WiFi/computer, breakfast to fit our schedule (bread, juice, yogurt, fruit), free coffee/tea, water/juice/yogurt in fridge. Geoff gave us free lifts to the metro or nearby transport. Downsides: room is small. Website: ***

4. Transport: Airport to city by Airtrain, AUD 15/person to Roma Street. Taxi to koala sanctuary. On way back, a kind bus driver let us ride for free due to lack of change. Buses in Brisbane are generally friendly—on one night bus, the driver stopped closer to our B&B so we didn’t have to walk far.

5. Food: Lunch at a nearby Vietnamese place, dinner in the city. Average meal 20–25 AUD/person (not including drinks).

Day 3: Lamington National Park
   1. Itinerary: Brisbane – Lamington NP
   2. Activities: On the way: Gallery Walk, alpaca farm; In the park: Check-in at O'Reilly’s, Wildlife Encounters Animal Show, Tree Top Walk, Glow Worm Tour.
   Stopped in a small town for coffee and some local wine/tea shopping.

Met a girl dressed as a fairy.

Stopped at an alpaca farm—lots of products for sale, but I spent all my time watching the adorable alpacas.

Hello, alpaca!

Feeling lazy…

The legendary fluffy butt.

After leaving the farm, we headed straight to O’Reilly’s. The O’Reilly family has lived here for a century, and run the lodge for generations. Besides accommodation, they have their own vineyard and daily activities. If you don’t just do a day trip, but stay at O’Reilly’s, you can: 1) Join their organized activities; 2) Explore the park on your own—there are lots of walks, all well-mapped. We bought the “Best of O’Reilly’s” package: 2 nights’ stay + all activities + free afternoon tea + two breakfasts + dinner (starter, main, dessert). Price: AUD 372/person. Booked via email. Website: ***

For convenience, I’ll combine both days’ activities here. Note: a) All activities must be booked at the front desk; b) If you don’t buy the package, some activities are charged separately. At check-in, you get a schedule of activities with times, descriptions, and fees to plan as you like.

(1) Wildlife Encounters Animal Show: Half an hour interacting with Australian wildlife. Our keeper, Mark, introduced three adorable animals: the Sooty Owl, Sugar Glider, and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Besides seeing the animals up close, Mark’s talks on their habits, conservation, and his personal views were fascinating. Here Mark introduces the Sooty Owl.

Tempting the greedy sugar glider out with honey. Once out, it clung to the honey jar for a snack…

The quoll devoured a whole chick in front of us.

(2) Spotlight and Glow Worm Tour: Evening activity. Mark led us by bus to a field, where his flashlight revealed lots of pademelons (small wallabies). Then we walked into the bush to a creek, sat in the dark, and watched glow worms sparkle—magical! No photos, but unforgettable.

(3) Early Morning Bird Walk: An hour in the forest with a guide to spot and learn about birds and hear fun stories. Shy whipbird:

Eastern Yellow Robin:

The bower of the Satin Bowerbird—famous for decorating its nest with blue objects, like bottle caps, pens, and even a bit of a credit card. This one even had a little white skull!

(4) 4WD Bus Tour: Two hours by 4WD bus to visit local sights, ending with tea and honey on bread in the wild.

(5) Birds of Prey Flight Show: An hour-long demo with several raptors, introducing their habits. Afterward, you can have your photo taken with an owl or eagle on your (gloved) arm—AUD 10 each. This guy is so energetic!

They can be cute too.

…Or land on your head!

“Sir, do you have a ticket?”

Not so cute when they’re being fierce.

“Let me eat in peace…”

Besides the activities, we spent a morning hiking for over two hours to a waterfall. If you have time, you can explore deeper into the park. The wild forest:

Waterfall:

Not far from O’Reilly’s entrance is the famous Tree Top Walk—a boardwalk suspended over 20 meters up in the trees.

3. Accommodation: O’Reilly’s offers both rooms and villas. Our package included a mountain-view room—simple, old-fashioned but well-equipped, with en suite. (Here’s a pic for reference.)

And a sunset view from the balcony (views may vary by room).

4. Transport: We took a shuttle minibus from Brisbane Transit Centre at 8:30 a.m., AUD 73/person (booked with the hotel). The driver acted as a tour guide, speaking English and Japanese, and gave an incredibly detailed commentary. Return to Brisbane was via the same shuttle.

5. Food: O’Reilly’s has two options—restaurant or café. Dinner at the restaurant must be reserved (the café closes at night). Our package included breakfast and dinner; à la carte, dinner averages AUD 30/person (no drinks). Café food is more basic but generous. Watch your food—parrots will try to steal your fries! Here’s one caught in the act:

Day 4: Lamington National Park
   1. Itinerary: Lamington National Park
   2. Activities: Already detailed above. One thing to note—the O'Reilly’s SPA is said to be excellent, but we didn’t book in advance and it was fully booked when we tried. Such a pity. The infinity pool at the SPA was almost empty, so my husband went for a swim.

Transport, accommodation, and food same as before.

Day 5: Lamington National Park – Brisbane
   1. Itinerary: Lamington National Park – Brisbane
   2. Activities: The return bus to Brisbane left the hotel at 14:15. Official check-out is 10:30, but we did the 4WD Bus Tour in the morning; checking out at 12 was no problem after a quick word with the front desk. Picked up a few souvenirs and sent postcards from the gift shop before leaving. Saw more Chinese tourists today than the previous days—lots of day tour groups. The café was lively.
   3. Accommodation: Back to Fern Cottage in Brisbane; Mary gave us a slightly bigger room this time. Price as before.
   4. Transport: Same as before.
   5. Food: Back in Brisbane, we caved to my husband’s craving for Ajisen Ramen. Nothing more to say about that!

Day 6: Airlie Beach
   1. Itinerary: Brisbane – Airlie Beach
   2. Activities: Check in at Whitsunday Moorings B&B, wander Airlie Beach, relax at the Lagoon.
   It rained as we left Brisbane, but stepping off the plane at Proserpine, we were hit by 30°C heat. Not much activity today—just travel, check-in, lunch, and then, despite the Lagoon being right next to our B&B, I insisted on dragging my husband in the blazing sun to a spot where I thought we could swim in the sea. After 20 minutes, nearly melting, we learned from a shop that swimming is banned along the shore due to jellyfish. We took a taxi back to the Lagoon, where half the town seemed to be cooling off.

3. Accommodation: Whitsunday Moorings B&B, found on Tripadvisor, AUD 190/night. Hosts Libby and family moved here from Sydney 12 years ago and never left. Super friendly and helpful—Libby arranged all our sailing, seaplane, and ferry bookings, and even drove us to the port, marina, and seaplane base, saving us taxi fares. The room was old-fashioned and a bit dark without the lights, but fully equipped with en suite and free WiFi/computer. The little garden faced the marina. Downside: it’s up a steep hill—just a few minutes’ walk, but a real workout in the heat. The breakfast here was amazing: Libby would set a table in the garden with fresh fruit, juice, cereal, yogurt, tea/coffee, then eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and toast. We ate our fill every morning.

The breakfast table, just the first course of fruit.

Even the parrots enjoyed breakfast in the garden.

4. Transport: Two airports serve the Whitsundays—Proserpine (30 min from Airlie Beach) and Hamilton Island. Since most activities depart from Airlie Beach, we stayed there. Jetstar from Brisbane to Proserpine, 8:40-10:20. Shuttle or taxi from airport to Airlie Beach is AUD 15/person. The shuttle dropped us right at Moorings’ door. The main street has all the restaurants and shops, so walking is fine; taxi for farther trips.
   5. Food: All the restaurants and bars are on the main street. We had pizza at Mr. Bones (Tripadvisor’s top pick). Most places are casual, probably because of all the backpackers. After dinner, hit a bar for drinks and live music—bring ID! The bigger bars are lively.

Day 7: Whitsunday Islands Sailing
   1. Itinerary: Board at Airlie Beach, sail the Whitsundays, snorkel, visit Whitehaven Beach.
   2. Activities: Sailing, snorkeling, Whitehaven Beach.
   Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays, and everyone comes here to get out on the water. There are all kinds of boats and routes. For our first time sailing, to avoid seasickness, we chose a two-day, one-night trip, and preferred a smaller group—only 7 guests (plus crew) on Iceberg, a former racing yacht now used for tours. The trip included 2 snorkeling stops and 2 attractions (weather-dependent). Private cabin for two people: AUD 798 total.
   Our trip had 2 Chinese, 1 Korean, and 4 Swiss passengers. Iceberg’s website: ***
   Brilliant weather at the marina before sailing:

Setting sail!

Cruising among the islands. Apart from stops, we rarely saw other boats.

If we did, it was at a distance.

The wind picked up, and under the captain’s orders, we raised the sails!

Engine off, sailing by wind alone—beautiful! A dolphin leaped by, but I missed it with my camera. Here’s the captain at the helm.

Bikini time for the girls!

After lunch, our first snorkeling stop. Everyone got a stinger suit and mask. After a safety briefing, we took the dinghy to the snorkel site. Compared to the Great Barrier Reef, there were fewer fish and more bleached coral, but visibility was good.

Next, the Whitsundays’ must-see: Whitehaven Beach. Before hitting the sand, we climbed to Hill Inlet for a panoramic view—go before high tide for the best patterns (later, when I saw it from a seaplane, the effect wasn’t as magical). Landing on the island:

The classic view from Hill Inlet of Whitehaven Beach.

That boat in the foreground was actually grounded in forbidden waters—took ages to get free.

The sand really is pure white (the black specks are dried leaves).

After Hill Inlet, we had two hours to enjoy the beach. I brought a wedding dress and beer for the occasion, haha.

Didn’t want to leave, but we had to get back before the tide. The sun was setting, so we sailed back with sunset on one side…

…and the rising moon on the other.

Surrounded by clouds, the captain let the boat drift.

A lazy seagull landed on the dinghy.

Everything was peaceful and beautiful.

We spent the night anchored with a few other boats. After a big dinner, we watched the moon from the deck and went to bed early.

3. Accommodation: Private cabin on the boat—just enough space for a double bed and luggage, no A/C, but the night breeze was cool (and a bit damp). Shared bathrooms and showers.
   4. Transport: N/A.
   5. Food: No alcohol is provided on board; there’s a fridge with soda and chocolate (pay on honor system). You can bring your own drinks (beer must be canned). Meals are cooked by the crew—lunch was roast chicken, potatoes, and salad; dinner was beef stew, rice, and salad. After a day at sea, everyone ate heartily. The crew were humorous, hardworking, and made the trip extra fun!

Day 8: Whitsunday Islands Sailing
   1. Itinerary: Langford Island – snorkeling – back to Airlie Beach.
   2. Activities: After breakfast, we set out again, arriving at Langford Island in the morning. Because of the tide, the sand spit was isolated by water on all sides.

On the way to the sandbar by dinghy, we saw a sea turtle.

Two hours free to explore—lots of rays and baby sharks in the shallows.

With low jellyfish risk, we swam a bit too.

After Langford, before lunch, we did our second snorkel—this site had bigger fish, and I saw a wild Napoleon wrasse for the first time (no waterproof camera, alas). On the way back, we got lucky with a perfect wind, allowing us to sail at a sharp angle—“PERFECT WIND!” said the captain. At top speed, the boat heeled over 45 degrees, as if in a race!

We returned to port, totally unwilling to leave the sea. And sunburnt—my skin (even my scalp) was burned. Remember: bring waterproof sunscreen SPF 30+, aloe gel, aspirin, and a hat that won’t blow off. Drink lots of water. Don’t skip the sun altogether—getting a tan is part of the fun! For seasickness, we took pills before boarding, but ended up not needing them.
   6. Sailing tips: Weather is luck—clear, windy, and good seas make all the difference. Pick your boat and crew carefully for the best experience.

Day 9: Airlie Beach, Seaplane Over Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef
   1. Itinerary: Seaplane tour – back to Airlie Beach.
   2. Activities: After a big breakfast, Libby drove us to the seaplane base (Air Whitsunday). We did a 1-hour flight over the islands and reef, including Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef, AUD 260/person. Website: ***

The pilot, Daniel, wore a Santa hat for the holidays.

Daydream Island from the air—one of the Whitsunday group’s 74 islands.

Whitehaven Beach from above.

Not sure which island this is.

Boats sailing below.

Suddenly, the Great Barrier Reef appeared under us.

The famous Heart Reef—the pilot circles so both sides of the plane get a good look.

More of the reef.

Another view of the reef.

We did a quick water landing on the reef, then took off again. Below is a dive boat.

The aerial views were truly magical.

Islands and reefs.

After the flight, we returned to the B&B. I was so sunburned I did nothing but rest. Remember: sunburn can ruin your trip!

3. Accommodation: Moorings again.
   4. Transport: Libby drove us to Air Whitsunday; we took a taxi back (the front desk can help call one).
   5. Food: Lunch was a quick pasta; dinner was take-out fish and chips. Honestly, frying such fresh fish and shrimp seems a waste!
   6. On scenic flights: Seaplane vs. helicopter—seaplane is cheaper and does water landings; helicopter might allow for more hovering for photos (haven’t tried it). The Whitsunday side of the GBR is more spectacular from the air (Heart Reef is here).

Day 10: Cairns
   1. Itinerary: Airlie Beach – ferry to Hamilton Island – flight to Cairns.
   2. Activities: After checking out, Libby took us to the marina for the ferry to Hamilton Island. The airport is tiny, but the flight to Cairns lets you see the reef from the air one more time! In Cairns, we checked into the Sebel Cairns (harbor view, AUD 159/night, booked by email). The hotel is in the CBD, walkable to everything, 15 minutes by taxi to the airport. Room was just OK, with a small balcony, but felt damp. Sebel takes RMB for payment—first hotel on the trip to do that (likely due to lots of Chinese guests).
   4. Transport: Only way to Cairns is by flying from Hamilton Island via Qantas. We picked the 9:55-11:20 a.m. flight (not the earliest). Taxi from Cairns airport to Sebel about AUD 24.
   5. Food: Cairns has lots of Chinese restaurants, but we didn’t go. Lunch at Dundee’s, dinner at a Japanese place near the Night Market. Average AUD 25–30 per person without drinks.

That night we stumbled upon Cairns’ annual Carols by Candlelight—Christmas songs performed by kids to a packed park, ending with a 5-minute fireworks show from the Hilton’s rooftop. Simple but festive!

Day 11: Cairns – Great Barrier Reef
   1. Itinerary: Hot air balloon – GBR diving – return to Cairns.
   2. Activities: With only one full day in Cairns, I really wanted to do both ballooning and diving, so we booked a combo package: AUD 388/person, plus balloon insurance (AUD 30) and GBR environmental fee (AUD 5.5). Hot air balloon with HOTAIR, GBR cruise with GREAT ADVENTURES. Pros: Do both in one day. Cons: You can only choose the big boats for diving (because ballooning only gets you back to Cairns around 9 a.m.). GREAT ADVENTURES carries 200+ people, mostly tourists, so it’s crowded and noisy, and there’s only one dive site. The boat also detours to Green Island, cutting into GBR time. It’s better for sightseeing than dedicated divers. If you get seasick, take medication! I rented an underwater camera (Canon IXUS 220HS + waterproof case), AUD 34/day.

What’s this white blob underwater?

Next: hot air ballooning. Balloons launch at Atherton Tablelands, so even though the flight is just 30 mins, you have to get up at 4 a.m. (hotel pickup included). Back in Cairns by 9. Lighting the burners!

Higher!

Views of the suburbs, plantations, and wild kangaroos running from the burner noise.

We even helped pack up the balloon at the end—a real workout.

3. Accommodation: Sebel Cairns.
   4. Transport: Sebel is walkable to the marina.
   5. Food: After returning, we splurged at Ochre, one of Cairns’ most famous restaurants. Website: ***
   Pro tip: If you dive (not just snorkel), don’t fly or go above 300m within 12 hours (24 hours for multiple dives). Since we flew to Sydney the next morning, we skipped diving and just snorkeled and did the “Scuba-Doo” scooter (not worth it at AUD 140/person).

Day 12: Cairns – Sydney
   1. Itinerary: Flight to Sydney, hotel check-in, Opera House tour, visiting friends.
   2. Activities: Jetstar flight, with Sydney on daylight saving time, so although it’s a 3-hour flight, we left at 9:30 and arrived at 13:25. After settling in at the Radisson Blu (booked via Hotels.com, RMB 1,752/night—nice but small rooms, free WiFi), we visited the Opera House and joined a Mandarin guided tour (AUD 48/person, see the official website). Afterwards, wandered the Royal Botanic Garden and visited friends in the evening.

3. Accommodation: Radisson Blu, see above.
   4. Transport: Airport train (AUD 15/person) then taxi. The Radisson is central, but Sydney is a big city—you’ll need transit.
   5. Food: At the Radisson, breakfast is AUD 32/person, but it’s filling enough to last you until dinner.

Day 13: Sydney
   1. Itinerary: Bike tour from The Rocks, across Harbour Bridge, to Luna Park, Wendy’s Secret Garden (Lavender Bay), lunch at The Rocks, then Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Hyde Park, Archibald Fountain, St Mary’s Cathedral, Royal Botanic Garden, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Farm Cove coast, Opera House, Circular Quay, back to The Rocks.
   2. Activities: Bike tour! With only one day in Sydney, walking would have been too slow and buses too impersonal, so we booked a day-long bike tour with BIKEBUFFS and guide Graeme Dodd (AUD 85/person, 10:30–17:00, highly recommended). The group met at The Lord Nelson Hotel (Sydney’s oldest licensed pub, established 1841).

Riding on the dedicated bike lane across Sydney Harbour Bridge.

At Luna Park. That’s Mathew, another member of the tour, who shared Sydney’s geography and history all day.

The classic entrance.

Wendy’s Secret Garden in Lavender Bay—created by artist Brett Whiteley’s widow, Wendy, on a former trash dump after his death in 1992.

We happened to see Wendy herself (the woman in black in the center) filming a documentary in the garden.

Inside the garden.

After lunch at The Rocks, we met a couple biking around the world—so inspiring!

Through Darling Harbour to Chinatown—here’s a grumpy clown at the entrance.

The famous Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park.

St Mary’s Cathedral. The bike tour is flexible—you can request stops with Graeme. After Mathew’s explanation inside the cathedral, Graeme gave us a full tour.

I loved cycling through the parks—Hyde Park’s tree-lined avenues are a joy to ride.

At Farm Cove. My three favorite parts of the ride: Harbour Bridge, Hyde Park, and the coast along Farm Cove—it made me feel like I was truly part of the city, not just a visitor.

After a perfect day, we returned to The Rocks. In Chinatown, Graeme even stopped at a mall and bought us a stuffed koala as a wedding gift. So sweet!

3. Accommodation: Still at Radisson Blu.
   4. Transport: Walked to the tour start, took a taxi back (many Sydney cab drivers are Chinese). Always check your route—one white cabbie gave us the runaround.
   5. Food: After the ride, we dined at China Doll in Woolloomooloo Bay—a fusion Chinese restaurant, delicious and a treat after so many days without Chinese food. Website: ***

Day 14: Sydney – Beijing (Return Flight)
   1. Airline: China Eastern
   2. Time: Depart Sydney 12:00, arrive Shanghai 19:20, then fly to Beijing at 21:10.
   3. Aircraft: A330
   4. Inflight entertainment: iPad as always.
   5. Food: A bit better than China Southern, but you know how it is in economy on Chinese airlines—barely edible.