Travel Guides and Stories

It's been over 2 months since I returned from Australia, yet all I've written is less than 500 words of random thoughts jotted down at McDonald's in Canberra. Instead of joining a tour group, I went on an educational trip exploring Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. After unpacking, I found I'd kept my flight tickets, Adelaide map, and all the wonderful memories of Australia. In Adelaide, I stayed with a lovely British gentleman named David and his stern German wife in their homestay. Air China was actually decent compared to Qantas - at least the landing wasn't as bumpy as a kangaroo's hop!    Itinerary:    - Adelaide: 2 weeks    - Melbourne: 2 days    - Canberra: 2 days    - Sydney: 3 days    Without following a strict itinerary, and by avoiding organized tours, I was able to discover Australia's unique character.    Adelaide - South Australia, an Overlooked Gem    I first heard of Adelaide through the TVB anniversary drama "Triumph in the Skies." Most Australian tour groups skip Adelaide, perhaps because it's not considered remarkable, but my two weeks living there made me fall in love with this peaceful city. It's perfect for retirement and escaping the hustle and bustle. South Australia truly is an overlooked treasure.    February 11th: Walking past the park behind Rundle Mall, the Fringe Festival lights were already twinkling. Bus 179F zoomed past the R1 stop as I adjusted my earphones, the female vocalist's voice blending with the summer cicadas. That morning, David told me, "Nan, you should have come a week later or stayed longer - you're missing Adelaide's vibrant season." Indeed, I wished I could have witnessed this typically quiet weekend city during its lively period. But this year's Fringe Festival, like some people I hoped to meet, was destined to be a missed connection.    TIPS:    Transportation: Adelaide's public transport is far superior to Sydney's and Melbourne's. Buses and trains can get you anywhere you need to go. Student passes cost 14.80 AUD for 10 trips, which is quite economical. Tickets are available at marked locations and convenience stores, and unlike Sydney, you can also buy tickets on board. Single-journey tickets are blue, student tickets are red, and special time period tickets are black. You can find information centers like this in the CITY area where you can also pick up timetables.

Shopping: Must-buy items in Adelaide include Haigh's chocolates and wine. Haigh's chocolates are partially handmade, with their factory located in Adelaide's city center. It's considered a premium chocolate brand in Australia. They offer daily samples of freshly made chocolates to customers and have beautifully packaged gift boxes during holidays - perfect for bringing home as gifts. I particularly liked the hazelnut variety, though it was a bit too sweet for my taste.    As widely known, South Australia is a wine paradise. During our second week, we visited the Barossa Valley, home to numerous wineries offering tastings. Adelaide locals truly love their wine - my homestay hosts encouraged me to try some every day. There's a unique South Australian wine that can be mixed with milk, perfect for female drinkers!    Other shopping can be done at Rundle Mall, though most shops close around 5-6 PM, so you need to shop efficiently.    Food: Australia is a multicultural nation of immigrants, so you can find cuisines from around the world, though they all have a distinctive Australian twist. Must-try recommendations include:    - Ice cream at Glenelg Beach    - Chocolate-covered coffee beans at Central Market    - The excellent Thai restaurants    Fish & Chips are available at Victoria Harbour, though more people prefer getting them at Sydney's Darling Harbour.    Since I was combining study with travel in Adelaide, I didn't follow a strict itinerary, but here are some must-visit places:    City Center: Adelaide is truly compact. You can explore the entire city in just 3 hours, excluding the hills area. On my first day in Adelaide, the temperature soared to 40 degrees Celsius - dry, scorching heat with sunlight that felt more intense than in the tropics. A Japanese colleague from PCE showed us around Central Market, Adelaide University, and Chinatown. If Australia is considered a big countryside, Adelaide felt like a rural corner on my first day. But after leaving, I found myself missing the daily bus rides home on the 179F, reminiscing about Haigh's chocolates, and remembering all those friendly faces with their warm expressions.

The arcade opposite PCE - Haigh's chocolate is the first store, filling the air with its sweet aroma daily

I absolutely love this donut shop - there's one below David Jones in Rundle Mall, and another at the corner of Grenfell Street intersection.

The historic campus of the University of Adelaide

I've always dreamed of experiencing university life like this

Another shot of Adelaide Uni

The Art Gallery of South Australia, right in front of the university

Rundle Mall is a must-visit in Adelaide - it's the busiest shopping district with prices similar to Sydney. It's easy to navigate, so if you're lost, just head toward Rundle Mall.

This sculpture is of a woman named Adelaide, commemorating the city.

City center. Victoria Square is just across from here

The famous CIBO cafe at the other end of the arcade. Every morning before class, there's always a long queue. Their cappuccino and espresso are excellent.

Quite expensive, run by Southeast Asians. Definitely avoid the bubble tea here...

This is Adelaide at 6 PM... eerily quiet. Both here and Melbourne close early, so if you want extensive shopping, head to Sydney where stores stay open past 7 PM.

In the evening, David drove me to their clinic. As expected, the streets were nearly empty. I love this street, even when the weather isn't so bright.

The charming train we took to the beach. RUI takes this home every day. It costs the same as the bus.

Central Market. I went here with Lisa for market research - it's lovely! Located next to Chinatown, prices are cheaper than outside. There's a great bakery on the street front - large portions at good prices. Worth exploring if you have time, and you can even try kangaroo meat.

This coffee shop is right at the entrance. The young staff are very friendly and helped answer many of our questions. Their chocolate-covered coffee beans are especially good - ready to eat with an amazing coffee aroma!

We encountered a Wikipedia protest that day. On the weekend, Cherry's family and I had dinner together - I made spaghetti, she made authentic Australian desserts, and UTE brought tiramisu. We ended up spending 4 hours over dinner! Haha

My spaghetti - looks can be deceiving, it was actually quite good

Adelaide locals love family gatherings - these meals can last from afternoon until evening. Glenelg Beach - we went on Friday, which was good timing as weekends get extremely crowded. Take the train from King William Street in the city center to the last stop. It's quite a famous beach.

You can get fish & chips by the beach, though it's pretty average.

First view after getting off the tram. Simply amazing!

You must try the ice cream here - the shop is easy to find and it's a famous beach specialty recommended by everyone

海滩遇到的放鸽子的老人，就是特别和平的感觉

Children playing in the fountain in the middle of the street

It reminded me of watching the scenery in Sanya, but it's different - at least, the feeling is different

These skateboarding guys are everywhere in Australia... but all I got was this shot from behind

We were lucky to have such great weather in Adelaide, especially on our beach day.

The last view before leaving the beach. Port Adelaide - if you're here on weekends, take a bus to Port Adelaide for the flea market and dolphin-watching cruises. I was lucky enough to spot two dolphins. Along the way, you'll see Mexican-style bars with passionate singers perfectly matching the beautiful weather.

Much smaller than Sydney Harbour Bridge, but that afternoon I suddenly thought - this is the kind of view I'd want to share with you

You can take these cruises to watch dolphins - about 10 AUD per trip, including a harbor tour

The waterfront is full of young people on weekends, some even performing circus acts

There's a good pie shop at the harbor entrance - surprisingly, the one I ordered had the same sauce as the spaghetti I made last night

Cherry's homestay dad is Dutch and owns a yacht. He took us to the private marina next to the port - it felt very Dutch

Barossa Valley - all my Australian vineyard dreams came true here. Unfortunately, we visited off-season and couldn't see ripe grapes, but this is truly a wine lover's paradise. We took a minibus tour with a lovely female guide.

It looks especially beautiful when the grapes are fully ripe! Has that grand ranch feeling

Everyone left with a few bottles

The vineyard. Shame it wasn't the right season. Besides wineries, there are many interesting shops worth visiting along the way.

I love this laid-back lifestyle

Many cute, low-rise wineries along this road

I loved this shop - it's full of incredibly realistic wooden crafts. No photos allowed unfortunately, but if you visit the Valley, you must check it out, though it's quite expensive. You can also visit the Haigh's chocolate factory, and we went to Cleland Wildlife Park. Take the bus from Grenfell station directly to Cleland. Note that koala holding has time restrictions, and there aren't many kangaroos - I heard there's a better wildlife park near the harbor.

Up close, the koala's charm somewhat fades

The feeling of leaving Adelaide didn't really hit until I was on the Qantas flight. Jane hugged Cherry and me, saying Australia would be our second home. Adelaide is truly small. You see the same passengers on the half-hourly bus, and that handsome guy you saw at David Jones appears again around the next corner. Like Simon - whom I thought I'd never see again, but each encounter was so dramatic. A group photo, passing by in the arcade, a mention of loving Xi'an - all these memories of Adelaide suddenly felt complete because of that golden light. Leaving with so many emotions and regrets, but it was time to move on. I wish I had met you while I was in Adelaide, but if not, I must visit there with you someday. On February 12th, I really left Adelaide. Next stop: Melbourne!

The University of Adelaide's gym

You can smell rich coffee aromas along this street in the early morning

So cute! Part 2: Australia - Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney. Except for the two weeks in Adelaide, the rest of the trip was mostly for sightseeing. We took Qantas with our group leader to Melbourne. I can't hide my love for Melbourne - driving past the F1 circuit park, spending that wonderful afternoon at Federation Square. Adelaide and Canberra were too quiet, while Sydney can make you feel insecure. Melbourne was just right. I wrote a short story about Melbourne in high school, but now I realize how pale it was in comparison. Melbourne is messy, crowded, luxurious, and flashy, but it gives you that stinging sense of life like a drug. It was easy to find a taxi from the airport, and since there were 7 of us, it was more economical than taking the bus or metro. The car quickly arrived at Elizabeth Street. We stayed at Formule 1 Hotels on Elizabeth Street, which was very convenient to both the central station and shopping district, though it didn't have WiFi. After dropping our luggage, we explored Melbourne's city center - it was so different from Adelaide!

Melbourne's CBD area, just walking into Elizabeth Street, crowded during lunch time

A modern city that hasn't lost its classical charm

Very similar to Matsukoshi at Ginza 4-chome, this street leads to the shopping district. Melbourne's transportation is much better than expected

Elizabeth Street, with Central Station at the end. I love cities with tram tracks. Melbourne has so many things I love

Street performance art in Melbourne

In Melbourne's city center you can take these trams, while trains serve the suburbs. Or you can choose a horse carriage for that nostalgic feel

I really love Elizabeth Street, hence the extra photos

While exploring the neighborhood, we discovered this amazing place! Full of artistic youth graffiti, really atmospheric

This is my favorite graffiti piece

Melbourne shops also close surprisingly early, so we could only go for Vietnamese food. The next afternoon, we were at Federation Square. I love this corner - the Indian-style Central Station in front, the modern SBS TV station behind, and St Paul's Cathedral on the right. There's an interesting story about this Central Station: apparently when both Melbourne and New Delhi were building stations under British rule, the blueprints got switched during transmission from Britain. That's how Melbourne ended up with this Indian-style station, while India got a European-style one... quite fascinating!

Bustling station

The building behind is actually gold-plated!

A Melbourne afternoon, sunbathing with dogs

Sitting on these steps, watching street performances - that's the moment I fell in love with this city

Free drinks being handed out on the street, ice cold and gone in one gulp

Adorable kids interacting with the performers

Passersby joining in, creating a joyful atmosphere. The 10 o'clock hymns at St Paul's Cathedral, standing in the last row of wooden seats, my mind filled with fragmented images. On a Melbourne weekend, watched an hour of performances at Federation Square. A laughter-filled afternoon with the Indian-style station on the left, St Paul's Cathedral on the right, and the modern SBS TV station behind. Meanwhile, I held a lemon Bundaberg, lost in my own world amidst cheers and applause, watching hurried travelers and noting the traces of life they carried.

St Paul's Cathedral

The building behind the cathedral looks like Shanghai. In the afternoon, Cherry's classmate took us shopping at the Southern Hemisphere's largest shopping center - comprehensive brand selection with varying prices. Interested shoppers won't leave disappointed!

Since we were heading to Crown that evening, we decided to have dinner along Melbourne's river. It brought back that holiday feeling.

That tall spire-like thing marks Crown's location... incredibly luxurious

Has that resort feeling

Lively Melbourne evening

Beautiful scenery

Riverside views... completely different at night

Melbourne's night view, beautiful as a painting!

On our last day, it started raining in Melbourne

Leaving Melbourne on a Qantas flight. Monday morning, carrying my suitcase at the busy train station intersection, repeatedly hit by Melbourne's unique atmosphere. A city where I only stayed 2 days, yet you can deeply explore its corners - either love it completely or hate it to the bone. Life is about encountering different cities, just like meeting different people. Often you want to embrace it but can only brush past. Sitting on the Qantas plane, row 20F perfectly captured Melbourne's coastline as we took off. Unlike leaving Adelaide, there weren't as many emotions, just some regret about all the experiences I didn't have. That dream of traveling the world with a big suitcase grew stronger - you should learn how to live, how to accept.    Canberra: Valentine's Day 2011, I was in Canberra. A large tub of $4.98 ice cream from Woolworths, accompanied by Canberra's cool evening and my anxious mood. They all say they like Canberra - it's a bit like Yangzhou, infinitely peaceful. An ANU professor said she sees two kangaroos jumping down from the mountain when taking her kids to school in the morning, just like a documentary. Only Canberra, seemingly unremarkable, could be placed in any corner of the earth yet encompass all of Australia's diversity, harmony, and self-enjoyment of life.

Captured this mother and joey kangaroo at Cleland Wildlife Park. When they saw us coming, the mother blinked, protected her baby, and hopped away. Our group leader's daughter works at ANU and picked us up by car.

My first impression of Canberra was its excellent transportation. Almost no traffic jams on the way from airport to hotel. Sister told us that ten cars in a row would be considered a traffic jam... such a big difference from Beijing. The whole city has great greenery, though Australia's environment is generally good. Because we needed to visit Parliament House before closing, we headed there right away.

Spotted this interesting bicycle on the way, had only seen it on TV before. Quickly snapped a photo before it left...

New Parliament House right ahead, with Australia's flag on top. Very convenient to city center, with large underground parking. Recommend not bringing too many items when visiting Parliament House as security is strict.

This is the interior of Parliament House. It's actually quite small.

This is similar to our Great Hall of the People. The Prime Minister holds meetings here. You can also visit the House of Representatives and Senate, and if lucky, you might see actual sessions in progress! They say if you're even luckier, you might see MPs fighting...

Since Parliament House is on a hill, you can see the old parliament opposite - the low white building.

You can overlook all of Canberra from Parliament House. The traffic planning is excellent, and it's like the city is soaking in greenery. Remember thinking how small Canberra looked from the plane...

This is the entire exterior of Parliament House - sunny weather improved our mood! The old parliament is opposite the new one, completely different from what I imagined....

View from the old Parliament House angle

This is the old parliament... can't even call it a "house" anymore

Interior visits are no longer allowed, so we just looked around outside... ANU Tour: Thanks to our teacher's daughter, we visited ANU's Economics School. Must say ANU is really excellent - great teachers, excellent facilities, combining enjoyment with academics!

ANU felt huge right from the start! It was registration period so there were many students around. Even parking is well-organized, and we saw drama society girls in unique costumes!

The outdoor bar is lovely! The professor treated us to lunch at the restaurant behind, which had walls full of special Australian masks, similar to Venetian ones, though we later learned at Sydney Opera House they're different... If only our school had such relaxed spaces...

The library is so spacious! Ensuring ample study space for everyone

Sneaked a peek at their dorms - the photo-covered walls showed me the joy of overseas university life

The courtyard behind their dorms - apparently they have BBQ parties every weekend! Actually have many more ANU photos, but felt they couldn't capture the feeling the school gave me, so I'll just share these. My final impressions of Canberra centered on the museum. What should have been a sunny day turned rainy, fine but pouring. Too busy to take photos, so I kept those final scenes as corner memories. Can't say exactly what's good about this city, but you certainly can't forget it.

Can you imagine this is Canberra's city center? No skyscrapers... but people are content

Whether at Parliament House or National Museum, we saw groups of children, same in Sydney... Can't help but sigh that none of our childhood spring tour plans ever became reality - teachers were too worried about children getting hurt, leaving us without childhood memories

Leaving the museum, sure enough we encountered pouring rain... quickly ran away

Last look. Canberra, like this photo, is ordinary enough to fit in any country, yet gives you an indescribable sense of familiarity - as if it were a familiar shape from your dreams. Sydney: Imaginations of Sydney are complex - in Adelaide, Melbourne, or Canberra, there were a hundred different versions of Sydney in a hundred different mouths. Actually, upon arriving in Sydney, I realized it's just an ordinary metropolis, full of skyscrapers and hurried people. The Sydney Opera House is packed with tourists, its wall paint long faded from its original purity. Perhaps like Sydney itself - as a symbol that brought Australia into the world's view, it carries its own pride, reluctance, and loneliness. It shares many similarities with Shanghai and Hong Kong - people living here are like lonely seeds, not yet rooted but not yet disappointed with the world.

First thing in Sydney was rushing to Woolworths to buy lots of stuff for the fridge. Had chicken pies for three mornings - still not enough!

This is Sydney Tower. Later watched an excellent Skytour film there, so I have quite good impressions of it.

Our neighborhood, like every corner of Sydney... but day and night are so different! The famous Kings Cross...

Looking for food at night, walking this street had a special flavor - lots of restaurants, all kinds of international cuisine!

Decided on Japanese food, found a really nice restaurant. Chatted a bit in Japanese with the owner, and the couple next to us specifically asked for chopsticks instead of forks. Mmm, the ochazuke was delicious!

Kings Cross intersection - ran out alone at 10 PM after an argument, but got scared and sheepishly went back. The only restaurant I ate at on this street was McDonald's! A guy in our group even wanted to get a tattoo because of heartbreak... I firmly talked him out of it

The neighborhood easily visible from Sydney Tower - we went up and down this intersection daily.

The next day we explored the city center. Always thought this intersection was special - later learned it was the famous QVB! Spent quite a bit there

All these cute boys! Smiling at me... The final days in Australia spent in Sydney really felt like a vacation, wandering around the city center. Sydney, searching for shadows.

First time in Sydney, might as well take this city sightseeing bus... can also transfer at Central Station to buses to Bondi Beach. Bought a 24-hour pass, there's a stop at Kings Cross, and hotels have the timetables.

Haven't seen traffic jams like this in a long time - Sydney is indeed different.

QVB became my navigation landmark - there's a metro station below, and you can shop while you're there.

Inside QVB - I love this architectural style

Passing by the NSW Library, came across a group of students with DSLRs, probably a photography club - very lovely. Going through Chinatown, not sure what to photograph, so just took this landmark shot to show I was there.

The weather in Sydney was overcast that day, with brief showers, but amazingly cleared up when we reached the Opera House - how lucky! I love viewing the skyscrapers from across the harbor, feeling like I've stepped outside to observe the changing scenes from afar.

Trains speeding by overhead - Sydney's transportation fits all big city characteristics: complex and expensive. I miss Adelaide, where I could count license plates while riding the bus - reaching home at number 36.

Looking through photos later, I found many shots like this. Half skyscrapers, half old buildings. Half gleaming, half weathered. Like the people here - mixed accents, skin tones, hair colors - yet this miraculous collision of cultures feels warmly acceptable, even making you hope to become part of it in such a short time. Here's an interesting story: After touring the Opera House, we planned to take a water taxi to Darling Harbour. Got on this yellow taxi, but the female captain misheard our destination and dropped us on a small island... Used iPhone GPS and found we'd gone the wrong way! Oh no... Too scared to knock on local doors, walked for half an hour without seeing anyone... Finally returned to where we landed to wait for them to pick us up. The captain finally came back after an hour and took us to the harbour... And right when we reached Darling Harbour, the weather cleared up! What a lucky day!

I didn't take many photos of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Well, I never liked taking pictures in crowded places, and these landmarks probably look better on postcards anyway...

The small island where we were stranded... Looking for houses everywhere. The homes looked like they were from Korean dramas, with chocolate-colored garage doors - I really liked them.

After much adventure, we finally reached Darling Harbour. Mr. Allen said we must come to Sydney and sunbathe at Darling Harbour

Found a restaurant for lunch, but discovered seagulls pecking at everything, even flying to tables with leftover food and drinking people's Coke!

This is where we had lunch - had to sit far back because it was crowded... Still quite romantic though

Had Fish & Chips for lunch. Turns out it's literally just fish and chips!

Such beautiful sunshine! Rui and Cherry were eager to see Titanic at IMAX

Looking back at Darling Harbour - this angle really is beautiful

The last photo is because I saw an elderly couple inside sharing ice cream - made me think how romantic Darling Harbour really is! The Aquarium wasn't particularly special, but seeing the penguins got me excited!!! Penguins, take me to Antarctica!

Sydney Tower: Finally, we visited Sydney Tower. We planned to have dinner up there but found out... ah, it was too expensive, and everyone was dressed in fancy formal wear. A place I hadn't expected much from ended up being surprisingly impressive! There's a 3D or 4D movie called Skytour at Sydney Tower, telling Australia's history and culture, flying you across the whole country!!! Left a really deep impression on me - two thumbs up!

The view from Sydney Tower is just okay, not much different from viewing Japan from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - all skyscrapers. But I really wanted to try what these people were doing! They were walking on Sydney Tower... haha, on the outside! Looks thrilling!

Next morning, rushed to buy Peter Alexander pajamas and Haigh's chocolates, and saw this arcade on George Street. Passing by hurriedly, it became the last memory of my Australian journey.

Suddenly realized I have many small details to share, so here are some fun photos as travel highlights.

On my last day in Adelaide, went to the coffee shop David highly recommended. Think it was called "Perfect Cup"? Can't remember clearly, but I loved their cups - every set was beautiful.

This is the matchbox craft shop we found in the Hills. Quickly snapped a photo avoiding staff - incredibly detailed and expensive!!! But all so cute

This is a candy shop near Rundle Mall in Adelaide. They sell candies like from Harry Potter - one normal flavor, one unusual flavor matching the color. Ugh! First try I got toothpaste flavor!!! So unfortunate, but at least I avoided baby diaper, centipede, and pencil sharpener flavors... Must buy a box to take home, great for pranks! Haha, should be 4.50 AUD

Nothing beats a relaxing afternoon at a café, especially when you meet a handsome guy with his dog

On our last day in Adelaide, the local teacher treated us to Thai food... Pretty good, Thai food with an Australian twist.

First time trying caramel sundae in Australia... at McDonald's in Canberra. Just found it too sweet... Guess I really can't handle it

While exploring Sydney's Chinatown, found this shop. The dog inside is real, startled us at first! But later thought it was so cute!

Friend watched a sunset at the beach near their homestay

Let this be the final beautiful memory of Australia.... Collected some more photos from travel companions' albums.

In Sydney, we bought a combo ticket using our Adelaide student cards, haha, used it for the city tour bus too. The combo ticket covered Sydney Tower, Zoo and Aquarium. The Aquarium was nice, just felt a bit small...

In Melbourne, saw residents in an old building across the street enjoying afternoon tea - so relaxing

Horse carriage on Melbourne streets

Finally found that extraordinary bicycle in Canberra

Melbourne's night view. Amazing!

Performance encountered in Sydney's Chinatown

Sydney streets

Another relaxing afternoon. About to go to Phuket soon, and while organizing my camera found so many more photos... Australia really was an unforgettable time~ This feeling is great, like when you're really hungry and suddenly find some money in your pocket for emergency~ That kind of happiness feels more obvious than usual! Don't know if this is the last update, but really want to return to Australia after graduation. Adelaide

First day of school, arrived an hour early... Streets were so quiet. This is downtown!!! At 8 AM! In Beijing, it would be packed with people by now~

This is where I caught my school bus... 179F, from stop 36 to the city, about 40+ stops~ In Adelaide, you can't go anywhere without transport~ But the bus drivers were super friendly, since I was always the first passenger on this route~

Because I arrived early, I'd already explored the surroundings~ When the teacher showed us around in the afternoon, I realized I already knew everything~ Haha, Australia has many arcades like this, Sydney too, feels very European

This is lunch my classmate's homestay made for him one day... Their host was a big-bearded dad who made cookies that looked like people! Haha! Looked exactly like the real person

At the port, saw many middle-aged people fishing like this - now that's a relaxed life

Many street performers on Rundle Mall, including kids just wanting to practice. Really admire this little boy's courage!

Cute little house we passed while visiting someone on First Avenue on weekend...

Adelaide captured on the way to port... Finally seeing some traffic

Really wanted to photograph all the handsome Australian guys, but it's not easy! There are so many! You can see lots of eye candy just walking down the street~

Canberra Museum. Actually, the most memorable thing in Canberra was being treated to Australian lobster! Never had such large amounts of lobster in my life! Really didn't want to leave~

This QVB shot turned out quite nice... Though I didn't know it was QVB when I took it