Travel Guides and Stories

Let me first answer the questions many of you asked.

1. What’s the background song?
“A Little Bit of Like” by Deng Furu. I like adding a background track to my travel notes. That song captures how I feel about Australia. If it’s noisy for you, feel free to mute it.

2. Why is the logo in Korean? Are you Korean?
Do we really need that many whys in life? I used that logo mostly out of laziness. I was looking for PS assets while editing my Australia photos and saw a pretty Korean font. Those words mean “a journey away from winter,” which fit my trip, so I PS’ed “Australia” onto it. Ten seconds, done. That’s all.

3. What camera did you use?
A commenter nailed two of them: a Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 35mm f/1.4L, a Nikon FM2 + 50mm f/1.4, and my beloved Minolta TC-1. The last two are film cameras.
Yup, that’s it.

I’ve drifted through 20-something years like this. Friends always warned me that for women 25 is a turning point—put bluntly, the parabola starts its downward arc. Imagine only just starting to think about what to do with my future a month or two ago, books still unfinished, and suddenly I’m “leftover.” Tragic and funny.
As for what to do next—I never had grand dreams. In primary school when kids raised their hands to answer “what do you want to be,” my mind went blank. Twenty-some years later, when friends entered the workplace one by one, I was still blank. While fretting over my thesis and wondering what I should do, I smoothly boarded a flight to Australia.
The key word is “smoothly.” If you’ve ever burned through six plane tickets in a year and twice got turned away at the airport for various reasons, you’ll know the pure joy of just getting on the plane—especially when it’s a bargain fare that’s 5,000 RMB more a month later. You’d be grinning to yourself on board too.

Visa:
There are tons of guides online. Honestly, I recommend reading the Australian embassy site. A lot of “required docs” on forums aren’t even listed on the official site. If something’s missing, the embassy can call you. If I didn’t get approved, I’d take it as a sign 2024 wasn’t my year to travel, so I kept my docs super simple. There’s a question about the source of funds during your trip; gurus online write long essays like “I’m a student sponsored by my parents.” I wrote just two words: cash+card. No flattery letter to the officer. I still got approved. Yet again: the Aussie visa is not that hard. If you want to DIY, skip the agency and save a few hundred bucks.

Flights:
I dragged my feet because a course wouldn’t finish until mid/late December, so I didn’t dare book. In early November, the professor announced the final lecture date, so I rushed to book. I wanted Shanghai–Sydney round-trip; by my timing the cheapest online was ~7,500 RMB, and I was ready to book—until Ctrip said those were “from” prices requiring application, with the real cheapest at 8,500+. I checked Seoul–Sydney; similar cost after transfers, so I might as well fly out of Seoul instead of also paying for Seoul–Shanghai. The hunt was brutal—eyes glazed, comparing routes. In the end, thank goodness I didn’t snag the 7,500 ticket: I found a China Southern one-way Seoul–Melbourne via Guangzhou for ~2,500 RMB, with a free overnight hotel due to same-day connection not possible. Incredible value. Considering Melbourne–Sydney alone cost 1,000 RMB, China Southern instantly won points with me.
In short, international plus domestic Australia segments totaled just over 9,000 RMB, no backtracking, during the Christmas peak—very satisfied.
Seoul → Melbourne 2,500 (steal)
Melbourne → Sydney 1,000 (not worth it—Christmas Eve eve pricing is like our New Year’s Eve, no cheap seats)
Sydney → Cairns 1,600 (also pricey—public holiday period)
Cairns → Shanghai 4,100 (not cheap but worth it; new MU route launched late Oct, only twice a week; cheaper than flying back to Sydney first)

Accommodation:
Cairns was a hotel; Melbourne and Sydney I stayed with friends. Can’t offer much on Melbourne/Sydney hotels, but from what I read they’re pricey—compare booking and agoda.

It’s long, so three parts.
Part 1 Melbourne (2024.12.18–2024.12.23; the fabled doomsday slipped by quietly)

Part 2 Sydney (2024.12.23–2013.1.1; going to Sydney felt like going back to Chongqing—super laid-back; I probably did less in all those days than other travelers do in three)

Part 3 Cairns (2013.1.1–2013.1.6; the earlier Australia days were more about mooching off friends—now the real travel starts)

Part 1 Melbourne
The moment I boarded on the 18th, my anxiety settled. The comfort wasn’t about starting a new journey; it was simply that I’d made it onto the plane. I’d been on edge for half a month—ever since seeing on Weibo that a honeymoon couple was stopped at Beijing airport. I started doubting my luck because I needed to enter Guangzhou then exit again; I called the airline to confirm, called Korean immigration about my visa, and checked my Aussie e-visa online. That’s so not me—but being my usual self might have meant getting stopped a third time in 2024. (If curious, read my tragic Summer 2024: The Best of Times http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/960198.html—that’s where the drama began.) Once I ruled out force majeure, there was no reason to be denied. I waited calmly for judgment. Everything went smoothly; they even through-checked my luggage to Melbourne—and it arrived with me. Another gold star for China Southern. If you think “of course luggage arrives with you,” trust me: with rotten luck, bags can end up on other continents.
I landed in Melbourne the night of the 19th, past 9 p.m. local. By the time I cleared border control and met my friend it was near 11. I encountered the famed Aussie sniffer dogs; my suitcase had nothing but an authentic Chongqing hotpot base. I stayed chill—if they sniffed it out, I’d play dumb. Guess they didn’t consider hotpot base “food,” so I sailed through.
Typing now, I’m not sure where to start on Melbourne. At every stop I asked my friend to tell me the name so I could “write it down later,” but the English names went in one ear and out the other. So I’ll recall what I can. Let’s start with the airport road that’s been under construction for three years. My friend says wages are high and pace is slow, so it might take another three years.
She lives in Zone 1—20 minutes from the airport by car. On departure day I took a taxi; with call-out fee it was 40 AUD. I read there’s an airport bus around 30 AUD round-trip (check others’ notes). When we got home, she’d prepared loads of food. I was moved. I’d left Seoul at 5 a.m. in -10°C, dragging two suitcases, alone, living on airplane meals. Having a friend there was heaven.

Though I arrived on the 18th, the 20th was my “official” Day 1.
These houses—everyone grows flowers and shrubs. It lifts your mood for the whole day.

On the 20th we wandered around the city—stroll when you feel like it, eat when tired. If you use my notes for sightseeing, compress them: my three days equal most people’s one. Useful info is sprinkled in; please hunt patiently. I wish Mafengwo had advanced search.

I was there over Christmas and New Year, so lots of festive decor. But Christmas in summer?! How does Santa ride a sleigh? Macaron Christmas trees—tempted?

Melbourne isn’t big—you can hit N sights along one street.
My friend said this station is a landmark; I’ve seen it in many trip reports.

Such a Christmas vibe—if only there were a little snow.

Famous St Paul’s Cathedral—free entry. We rested quietly for an hour. It felt sacred; we barely spoke.

Another Melbourne icon.
Landmarks aren’t my thing—that’s my dad’s love. Given a choice between walking five extra minutes to see a landmark or taking an escalator, I’d pick the latter. When I asked about escalators, my friend said, “We’re not going that way.” Halfway there she revealed, “There’s a landmark ahead.” I said I could skip it. She added, “Show Lo filmed a video there.” Fine—let’s go take a photo. Turned out it was over my head—no way to fit it in a selfie.

Melbourne transport is trams, cars, and “trains” (plus taxis, of course).
Me: “No, that’s the metro.”
Friend: “No, it’s a train.”
Conclusion: a metro pretending to be a train.

Tickets are a maze—single, day, week, return, Zone 1, Zone 2—and Melbourne differs from Sydney. Sydney has 10+ types. Big country, leisurely people—endless “reasonable complexity.”

Our main goal that day was Geelong Beach. My friend loves cute things and said there are lots of adorable pillars. I did zero planning this trip—hands off everything. I skimmed a few posts on Mafengwo just in case my friend missed me at the airport. Sights? I ignored them.

To get to Geelong, change at Southern Cross Station. Intercity trains run about hourly; get off at Geelong. Like Korea, no one checks tickets proactively—you rely on honesty. If you’re inspected without a ticket, you’re dead meat. In the city it’s about a 200 AUD fine; for intercity, likely more.

Pigeons are everywhere in Australia. Signs say “don’t feed them.” My friend says they’re already too fat to fly. If they had checkups, every bird would be told to lose weight. I even saw a hefty pigeon waddling across a crosswalk.

If you’re tired, you can take the little beach train loop. It’s not far—even a lazybones like me walked it. Then my friend said there’s much more ahead—we just turned back early.

This ice cream melted in seconds—dripping everywhere. It was just over 20°C; I kept whining about the cold. The sun peeked out for a few minutes and I praised it as “proper summer.” In that “cool” weather I got seriously sunburned, so badly I looked awful for days. The UV is vicious—and my skin unlucky.

Geelong Beach is perfect for sea breeze and spacing out. Dogs in Australia live the dream—fresh air, huge spaces, endless lawns.

Give me a good book and I’ll sit there all afternoon.

Because there aren’t many pedestrians, you have to press the button to cross at red lights. If no one presses and you’re alone, you’ll be standing at attention forever.

Back in Melbourne for dinner at a Malaysian place my friend loves—papparich. The receipt even had a Weibo handle. There are so many Chinese in Australia.

Most people put the Great Ocean Road at the top of their Melbourne list.
I can’t say I loved it or didn’t. Okay—pretty. That’s all.

The Twelve Apostles... I’m basic; I haven’t grasped the “depth” of its beauty. The Great Ocean Road is about the mindset you bring to the journey.

Before Australia, I assumed late December “summer” would be warm. Melbourne nearly froze me—I almost pulled out my Seoul winter coat.

Drive on left left left left left…

We got home late—almost 10 p.m. We’d been up since 6—what a full day. At this latitude it gets light before 5 and dark near 10, so night shots were hard.

On the 23rd I flew to Sydney. We wandered near my friend’s place. The day I left, Melbourne’s temps shot up—summer finally arrived.

In Melbourne I never felt like “I’m traveling.” I stepped off the plane into an old friend’s arms; we chattered in Chongqing dialect every day. It felt like meeting for afternoon tea in a pretty, unfamiliar city. Calm and cozy. I didn’t expect that in Sydney I’d get even lazier. I kept yelling at my friends, “I’m here to travel!” So with that mindset, we arrived in Sydney the night before Christmas Eve.

Part 2 Sydney
We landed an hour late. Let me rant about Aussie airports: a one-hour delay is nothing—under two hours doesn’t count in China. But in Sydney and Cairns the baggage claim is basically the exit—anyone could grab a bag. Worse, luggage trolleys cost 3 AUD. Someone please let Aussies earn RMB so they stop treating AUD like gold.
My friends were later than me. Airport Wi‑Fi is a myth—connects but never works. I found a public phone (who knew those still exist?), dropped 50 cents, dialed, and told them I’d arrived. Parking was a nightmare. The 50 cents vanished in seconds, but message delivered. I sat down to wait—they should find me. Before I warmed the seat, a fatty and a little fatty waddled over. After I roasted them, they said, “Look in a mirror—you’re not any better.” Hey, I came from the frozen north at -10°C—prime fattening season. How could I not gain weight?! Back in Chongqing my mom’s first words were, “What happened to you?” She kept dunking on my hairstyle over dinner. Fine—real courage is facing a bleak reality.

Day 2 at noon we hit the fish market. My absolute fave. The night before my friend made me a huge plate of sashimi that I finished alone. At lunch I insisted on more. For the next 10+ days, I ate a giant plate of sashimi daily. I’ve sinned. But believe me: I truly love you, sashimi.

I have two friends in Sydney. To distinguish them, I wanted to call them Fatty (M) and Little Fatty (F), but she just added me on Mafengwo—if she sees that, I’m dead. Let’s call her Xiaoyu.
On Christmas Eve, a friend of Fatty’s hosted us, so after lunch at the fish market we ambled to his place. We spent the afternoon playing “Ghost.” Dear universe, please make me dumber—I think I got smarter again.

I planned to take tons of photos on Christmas Eve and Day. Three reasons I didn’t: 1) Christmas in summer has zero vibe—Eve belongs to a snowy winter. 2) It poured all day on the 25th—Sydney usually gets showers, but that was a deluge. We stayed in and played Three Kingdoms Kill. 3) Most importantly, I was sunburnt in cool Melbourne—so ugly even I couldn’t stand myself, let alone photos. So for 24–26, just a few shots.
I heard Sydney’s metro gates are open on weekend nights—you can pass without tapping.

On the 26th we got up not too early, not too late, and did a quick city loop.

Boxing Day crowds are expected—the malls were packed. On this global holiday, there’s no nationality when it comes to bargains—everyone’s in hunt mode. The deals were great; even I—vowing to buy nothing—grabbed a skincare set.

David Jones—Australia’s oldest department store, probably the best too.

Bondi Beach is pure chill—everyone comes to sunbathe on holidays.

We spent the whole afternoon there—posing, tanning, sea breeze, people-watching. What a life. While Xiaoyu and I were lamenting my hopeless hair from every angle, a squad of hunks drifted past behind me—such presence, such physiques—that I endured my unfortunate face to share these with you.

This “grassy” salad—someone actually ordered it (not me). The moment I got a whiff of raw greens, the fork retreated, and I went back to gnawing my pork chop with zero grace.

To make up for the lack of photos earlier, we even shot downstairs at home.

Off to the Blue Mountains. Is every city fond of naming a “South Mountain”? Seoul has one, Chongqing has one, Sydney too. I searched “South Mountain” on Weibo and got a bunch in Canada. There are so many “South Mountains.” From Central, trains to Katoomba run about hourly—check times.

Katoomba Station

The Blue Mountains Explorer Bus—we bought a combo with bus, cableway, and the 45-degree railway. Full price is 60+; student discount brought it to 55 AUD each.

See the dark patch on my nose? That’s the sunburn from days before. Honestly, the scenery here isn’t better than the mountains around Chongqing. China has no shortage of landscapes like this. While Westerners raved, we just smiled—come visit our motherland’s grandeur.

After the mountains we aimed for a Japanese place my friend swore by. She warned it often isn’t open. Sure enough: closed for Christmas through Jan 10. What a vacation.

This photo reminds me: ladies heading to Australia, bring hydrating masks. It’s extremely dry. Look at this poor tree, dried to a crisp. In Seoul I often skip washing my face; in Sydney I washed daily and used my friend’s hydrating masks—still not enough.

Another sunny day. We’d planned to go to Wollongong with Xiaoyu’s friend—two hours by train—meeting at Central at 8. But after hiking, we were wrecked. We woke at 7:30 and debated calling it off. Turns out the kid is diligent—up at 5 and already near Central. So we pivoted: have her come to us and go to the zoo instead. Good thing she’s chill. If it were me, I’d grab a knife. Xiaoyu said she wanted to stab herself. Then we pulled the covers up and kept sleeping. Heartless, I know.

To reach the zoo we took a ferry from Sydney Harbour—there are several departure points.

Before we knew it, it was the 30th. The plan: wander and check off the major sights. I still got tired quickly—intent matters most.

If I remember right, this is Victoria Street.

We strolled toward Darling Harbour and the Sydney Opera House.

At the Royal Botanic Garden, we strolled and snapped.

Seeing newlyweds lifted our mood too.

By six, our stomachs protested. We hit the supermarket, bought a haul, and finally used the Chongqing hotpot base I’d carried across borders.

Dec 31 had one purpose: the legendary fireworks. So we slept in to conserve energy.

Sydney shuts roads once a year—buses and cars stop running.

There are many vantage points—check ahead. We had dinner and wandered over; only one lookout still open—the rest were at capacity.

We’ll end Sydney with my daily trio of sashimi and cherries. Sydney, you were wonderful because of them.
Part 3 Cairns
Finally, the Great Barrier Reef. Before Australia I told my friend I was going only for the Reef.
Cairns itself isn’t much to “see.” When I learned the shoreline is mostly reef rock with only a tiny man-made lagoon-like beach, I had zero expectations. Yet people still flock here and stay days, because it’s a gateway to the Reef.
From Dec 23, Australia has a two-week public holiday. Flights to Cairns on Jan 1 were crazy expensive. We found a relatively cheap, very early one—6:25 a.m. from Sydney. I landed wearing boots and layers and nearly died in tropical heat. A short taxi to the hotel and we were told check-in at 2 p.m. It was barely past 8 a.m. (Cairns is an hour behind Sydney). I’d slept 2–3 hours, it was scorching, and it was day 2 of my period—a cool bed was paradise. The Reef could wait. I sat on the lobby sofa to “heal” while my friend discussed our activities with the owner.
About the hotel—really good. The owners were lovely. We booked Reef Palms (礁棕榈), highly rated on TripAdvisor/Booking. We paid 125 AUD/night plus 10% tax, free cancellation beforehand.
There’s a board of activity options—book at the desk or by phone. They patiently explained and compared per our requests. You don’t pay upfront—settle everything with the room on checkout. Seeing that final bill is… eye-opening.

Daily free offerings are on the little chalkboard—keep an eye on it.

The room was large and spotless. We had a triple, plus a single by the door. Full kitchen—just buy ingredients and cook. There’s a poolside BBQ for guests. That BBQ sold me—but we never used it. If you go, please fulfill our BBQ dream.

Day 1 was just planning, napping, a quick wander, dinner, then back to horizontal.

Day 2 we booked Kuranda Rainforest. Pickup at 8; we impressively woke 10 minutes before. Keeping people waiting is a no-no, so we threw on clothes and ran. My mom later roasted my look all day—especially my oily hair.

Kangaroos! And koalas. I didn’t dare hold one. A while back, a student dropped a koala and got deported. These creatures are that precious. If my return ticket weren’t already bought, maybe deportation would have saved me one.

Fatty insisted on the historic railway—“how can you not?” So we paid ~40 AUD extra for nostalgia. I boarded and promptly lay down to sleep—worth it: soft seat turned sleeper.

The rainforest was meh—neither cheap nor stunning. If you have one day, better spend it on another island.

Finally, my long-awaited moment: skydiving at the Reef. I came to Australia for this. We planned it for the 4th, but the Moore Reef tour on the 3rd was full, and the 5th was our road trip day. So: jump on the 3rd, period cramps be damned.
In the van they handed us waivers—paper and electronic—basically “if you die, not our fault.” They offered optional insurance for 20 AUD. I didn’t buy. There’s a pro strapped to me—worst case: one life for another. Fair enough.
Signed behind my parents’ backs. It’s been ages since travel made me feel pure excitement. This alone was worth 20 days in Oz.

Two hours flew by with scenery out the window.

Our instructors—honestly, handsome.

Welcome back to earth.

My instructor’s name on paper was “Kiwi.” I joked it must be a woman. A giant of a man appeared. Great name.

The video uploads black out, so forget it—my ugly face can stay private. Watching mine first, Xiaoyu almost died laughing—my face warped in every frame. Then we watched theirs—oh my god. Compared to their films, mine was art-house. “Lost in Thailand” has nothing on their silent tragedies.

Post-jump photo with the plane—my love. I won’t say goodbye; we’ll meet again. I thought I’d feel sick, but I was fine—thrilled, even. Stepping on rainbow clouds in midair, I thought, “Worth dying for.” Meanwhile Xiaoyu threw up nonstop. For someone so tough on land, she falls apart in the air and sea. Poor instructor.

Day 4: the Great Barrier Reef at last. We did the Moore Reef outer reef tour. Not for everyone—not because it isn’t pretty, but because the two-hour open sea ride wrecks you.
Case in point: Xiaoyu puked upon boarding, and half an hour later the whole boat joined in. Shout-out to myself: besides crew, I was the only one unfazed. Cockroach-level resilience.

Modern women should soar the skies and dive the seas—even during “special times.” At 170 AUD per person—enough to play in Phuket for a week—if I didn’t get into the Reef, I’d be letting too many people down.

Final day: rental car road trip. Problem: Fatty’s license was in Sydney, only I had an international permit. Bigger problem: I was nervous—first time driving after failing the road test three times, plus left-hand traffic. Plan: once out of sight, switch drivers. But under the rental agent’s nose, how could I? It’s an automatic—what could go wrong? Well…
I couldn’t reverse. I was in R. Fatty: “Try a little gas.” I pressed; tiny move. Let go; no move. “A little more gas.” Tiny move again. Something’s off. I looked up and met the agent’s death stare—looked down and saw the rental papers covering the handbrake. Cue expletives. The handbrake wasn’t released, and Fatty told me to gas it—trying to die together? I released it and wanted to flee before the big scary Aussie lady came out. Of course she stopped us: “You don’t know how to drive!” I swallowed my inner rant about needing to practice somewhere quiet to avoid future crashes. She lectured us and let us go. After a few kilometers out of sight, I happily handed the wheel to Fatty.

Coles became my most-visited “sight” in Australia—we shopped there almost daily.

Tip: I searched all of Cairns for an ATM with UnionPay—none, not even at the domestic terminal. Finally found a tiny ATM with the logo next to KFC on level 2 of the city’s only department store. Don’t ask which one—you’ll know; it’s a small town and there’s just one.

In 2024 I traveled a bit, trying to find inner peace on the road. I’ve often wondered why I keep leaving familiar places for the unknown—hoping to find another kind of beauty. But when travelers praise your hometown with genuine love and envy, you almost forget it’s the place you wanted to escape. So we ask: where is the ideal paradise? Fortunately, at the end of 2024, a force nudged me to grow—bringing calm and a budding strength, clarifying my direction.
At the end of 2011, in Lijiang, my friend and I wished for our 2024. In 2013, I just want to be a better me.

THE END
BY TILINCA