Travel Guides and Stories

Mar 25–Apr 9, 2024, Annie finally set off on her long-dreamed self-drive adventure in Australia
(We paused in Kuala Lumpur on the 26th and 27th.)
Within Australia we visited Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.
I jotted a playful poem to sketch the route, with details and photos below.
Day 1 Endless Malaysian eats — foodie fun in Kuala Lumpur
Day 2 Majestic Petronas Towers — never enough from near or far
Day 3 First taste of Australia — unwinding by the Yarra
Day 4 Hitting the road abroad — the Great Ocean Road at its best
Day 5 Otway drenched in green — sunset bathing the Apostles
Day 6 Sunrise with the Apostles — heads down, miles to go
Day 7 Lazy weekend markets — wild, stormy night drive
Day 8 Dawn climb at Australia Rock — small-town views, big love
Day 9 Strolling a leafy campus — Darling Harbour by night
Day 10 Bondi sunrise chase — smitten with the Bridge and Opera House
Day 11 Skimming The Rocks — feasting at the Fish Market
Day 12 Easter vibes in the air — kangaroos and koalas melt hearts
Day 13 Gold Coast is unbeatable — street snaps and shopping both done
Day 14 Surfers with no regrets — bombshells turning heads
Day 15 Homeward after a long day — thoughts still lingering in Oz
To give you a quick feel, I summarized each day’s main activities—hoping to offer an instant, vivid snapshot of the journey.

Day 1 Endless Malaysian eats — foodie fun in Kuala Lumpur

Day 2 Majestic Petronas Towers — never enough from near or far

Day 3 First taste of Australia — unwinding by the Yarra

Day 4 Road trip begins abroad — all the beauty on the Great Ocean Road

Day 5 Otway lush with green — sunset paints the Apostles

Day 6 Sunrise with the Apostles — eyes on the miles, not the sights

Day 7 Casual weekend markets — gale and night rain, nerve-racking drive

Day 8 Early climb at Australia Rock — charming townscapes en route

Day 9 Easy wander through campus — glittering Darling Harbour by night

Day 10 Sunrise hunt at Bondi — in love with the Bridge and Opera House

Day 11 Skimming The Rocks — feasting at the Fish Market

Day 12 Easter spirit in full swing — koalas and roos too cute to handle

Day 13 Gold Coast is epic — street strolls and shopping both checked

Day 14 Surfer boys never regret — fiery girls steal the show

Day 15 Home at last after a day on the move — heart still in Australia
Prep notes:
As usual, Mr. L handled all the planning; I mostly joined and executed. I didn’t micromanage the prep, so please forgive any gaps in details—I’ve shared all I know. Key milestones:
1) Flights: Booked late December on AirAsia, four segments (Hangzhou–Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur–Melbourne, Gold Coast–Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur–Hangzhou) a bit over 4,000 RMB per person incl. tax—great value.
2) Visas: Applied ourselves in February (no agency). I was worried: single woman of “marriageable age,” only Southeast Asia stamps, no house/car, just employment and bank proof. Online advice said officers don’t reject for low savings—they worry you’re not traveling for tourism. So we printed a dozen photos from prior trips (Thailand, Philippines, domestic) to show genuine tourism with my boyfriend. Result: smooth approval within a week, no calls. If you’re similar (single, minimal assets), bring curated past travel photos to show true tourist intent.
3) Car rental: Trip was late March; booked in early March with Hertz, door-to-door service in Shanghai (HQ around Yan’an W Rd & Panyu Rd). In Melbourne our reserved Toyota wasn’t available; got a same-price Ford hatch—perfect for two.
4) Shopping: For a first Aussie run we split tasks. He bought tech: Contour action cam (car/hand/surf), iPad card reader (pop SD from DSLR into iPad—highly recommend), paid offline AU map app for Android to use a spare phone as GPS, etc. I grabbed outfits and hats for photos, haha.
5) Stays: 15 nights total (Mar 25–Apr 9). Nights on planes: Mar 25 and Apr 8; one night on a Sydney–Brisbane bus; 12 nights in accommodations. Eight nights prebooked (Kuala Lumpur and Sydney in hotels, four YHAs elsewhere). Four YHA nights booked on the fly in Australia—easy. I made a price table; details later.
That’s the prep. I also tried a “lose 50g a day” month-long ‘devil’ plan for the trip—didn’t exactly pan out…
OK, day-by-day time!
D1–2 Foodie paradise!!!
Kuala Lumpur wasn’t our main focus, but we had a blast—chicken done every way, every meal, and never tired of it. For someone who’s not into red meat, KL is heaven! First night we met Mr. L’s Indonesian friends near KLCC for dinner and drinks—hit CBD sights and caught up. Two birds, one stone!

We stayed at this boutique hotel in Chinatown. Great value, in-room Wi‑Fi, prime spot, street eats everywhere—I definitely gained weight!

Dinner and drinks by the Twin Towers. KL at night rivals Shanghai—past 1 a.m. and still buzzing!

I loved this exotic building near Chinatown—shoes off to enter; “ticket” was like RMB 0.4.

The KL Tower! Love this composition.

KL’s “monorail” is adorable—sad I didn’t ride it. PS: my hair’s gotten long!

Under the famous Petronas Towers—jumping and hyped!

Blue and yellow—my fave contrast. The poster bottom-right protests subway construction harming heritage—felt quite democratic!
D3 Hello, Australia!!!
Melbourne was our first Aussie stop—arrived bright-eyed after a 9+ hour flight. First impression: impossibly blue skies and gorgeous weather (except one night’s heavy rain on the road trip; otherwise perfect throughout!).
Nature’s thriving: while Mr. L got a SIM at the airport, I saw sparrows casually chilling on seats inside the hall, totally unbothered by people. Later I realized birds here are universally unfazed—pigeons, sparrows, seagulls—barely budge. Such a contrast with China!
Melburnians love fitness: cyclists, skaters, rowers on the Yarra—so energetic!
Fun observation at night: wild outfit mashups. Early autumn swings: from tanks and flip-flops to light puffers and boots—a runway city. As a Shanghai girl, I’m used to this, though our spring+autumn combined barely last a month back home…

By the Yarra—like Shanghai’s Huangpu for Melbourne (right-bottom: kayakers on the river)

Chinatown by night—love that mural (top-right)

Church—snapped a few sneaky iPhone shots, couldn’t resist

A very cute duck by the Yarra—so tame (duck… or goose?)

A peaceful riverside pause—autumn sun lighting up dreams

City scenes—trams, churches, stations—love them all

Federation Square—didn’t go in; it’s right by the Yarra

Another Yarra shot—can’t get enough of this river!

Street bits: Easter coming—give me a chocolate egg? (After you find that wallet at bottom-right!)
D4 The Great Ocean Road!!!
Finally hitting the GOR and the open road! Even though I didn’t drive, packing our snacks, juggling navigation, stopping at will—freedom feels amazing. Our last road trip was just Shanghai to Qiandao Lake—this time: coastal cliffs, forests, cities, towns, six days till returning the car in Sydney—the core of our Aussie adventure!
Route: depart Melbourne, overnight in Apollo Bay

That Contour cam from the prep notes—pull over for chips, cola, photos, and footage. That’s life on the road.

Hit a lively beach—time to play with the seagulls! Here the birds barely move till you get really close—so fun.

Bottom-left: our ride. Also, Easter bunny scarf—did you spot it?

An empty beach, lots of seaweed, funky smell—snapped a few and bailed

Lend me a lazy afternoon, I’ll return it as pure leisure

Waves and boards—so close, yet so far, ha

Price tags—BTW I genuinely didn’t know what the bottom-right was when I shot it… oops

Checked into Apollo Bay YHA; out for dinner—late, chilly, borrowed Mr. L’s jacket

First time in a YHA—fresh and fun. Spirit is “self-serve, self-discipline.” Loved the communal kitchen and lounge. Booked a 4-bed dorm but it was just us—top and bottom bunks: campus nostalgia and a bargain!
D5 Twelve Apostles!!!!!!
Our most exciting, fullest day! (Overnight: Port Campbell YHA)
I finally saw wild koalas.
I wandered a dreamlike national park.
I took my first helicopter ride.
I stood face-to-face with the Apostles.
I watched a breathtaking, calming sunset.

Halfway on the drive, three cars pulled over; people gathered under a big tree—wild koalas spotted! I yelled to stop—dream come true!

After koala-gazing, time for a pose—holding the octopus mini-tripod for our Contour

PS: That mint tulle skirt—my fave, though I rarely dare wear it in the city

Pull-off lookout routine: park, lock, shoot, roll. Beauty you must take home.

Otway National Park: GPS said “you’re here,” but we looped 7–8 km finding a “gate.” The park blankets the whole range—no big entrance sign or fences. Tip: follow other cars; don’t expect a grand gate.

Green shade, green dress—call it “Annie in Wonderland”?

Few people and no ticket—so, more room to pose!

Plants galore—couldn’t name them (even with good English, those botanical terms!)

Main event: Apostles by helicopter! Prices were ~A$95 for 10 min, A$190 for 20 min. We did 10—enough.

I expected fear (I’m height-averse), but once aboard it was pure thrill. Four seats: pilot+Mr. L up front; me and a grandma in back—queen of solo adventures!

iPhone shots of every angle of the Apostles

Off the chopper and into the park—only a fraction of the beauty can be captured

Light wasn’t right for a full-face shot with me and the stacks—side profiles it is. I love all their faces; hope they like my side, too.

A friend titled the middle pic “Beauty within reach.” I like it!

Another viewpoint; sun already low—hats help when you run out of poses, ha

Salted egg yolk sky!!

Love that salted egg yolk glow!!

Port Campbell YHA that night—smaller kitchen than Apollo Bay’s, but we had a double room at similar price, and 30 minutes of free Wi‑Fi (rare in AU; usually A$5/hour).

D6 Flat-out driving!!!
Longest driving day: Port Campbell to Lakes Entrance. Besides another sunrise look at the Apostles, no sightseeing—also my only jeans day (no need to pose, haha) and a makeup break. Skin was super dry in Australia—maybe the season change. Even with nightly aloe, pores felt parched; lip balm hourly; by Gold Coast I was flaking… sigh.

Just past 6 a.m.—one DSLR, one iPhone shot

Cloudy light, but sunrise Apostles feel different from sunset

Empty beach by the Apostles—jeans kill my posing mojo

iPhone sunrise collage—peep those clouds. He shot DSLR; I stuck to iPhone—fun contrast!

Days above the clouds, Apostles below

A blink of sunrise

All drive after that—shot roadside scenery from the passenger seat.
D7 Pace and panic!!!
A lazy morning turned into a tense night. We overnighted at Lakes Entrance; stumbled onto the weekly second-hand market—fun rummage: pots, scuba bits, books, clothes, plants—even a hand-drawn chainsaw sign (Saw vibes). Prices are fair for locals but less tempting for Taobao-tempered Chinese, haha. Then beach time and afternoon driving.
At 6 p.m. the skies opened while we were in the forested GOR section: no streetlights, single carriageway, heavy rain, dark woods, mountain bends… The 2-hour night drive was nerve-wracking. I handled navigation (distance to next turn), he focused on the wheel. We made it to Narooma, saw a YHA, checked it out, and decided to stop—though it was only after 8. In hindsight, he admitted it was scary even for him—black, rainy, narrow roads—but he kept calm so I wouldn’t worry. Phew.

Lakes Entrance weekend market—anything and everything

This dog was as docile as a cat. Mr. L joked it smelled my Pomeranian back home…

Swans by the lake—free-roaming and unbothered, strolling right past me

A famed stretch of coast at Lakes Entrance—we played at one end; water a bit chilly

Walking the edge

A farm near a pit stop town (bathroom break!)

Refreshed post-break—jumping with joy

576 km down—yeah!

Another beach—had to hop out; sand was so soft

A motel sign boasted “A View to Die For”—had to verify, haha

Nice view indeed—but “die for” is a stretch

Sunset falls—beauty

Each sunset, a new kind of beauty—captured by your lens, kept in my heart

Narooma YHA that night—the only YHA that provided towels, slippers, etc. Cozy double room at a fair price.
D8 Small-town surprises!!!
We hadn’t planned to stay in Narooma—rain made the call. Morning brought delights: a serene dawn, dozy sea lions, kayakers, and the famous Australia Rock. Best part for a dog lover like me: the YHA had a huge, super sweet dog!

Why won’t dogs ever look at the camera…

iPhone snap with the gentle giant (and I’m not tiny!)

Narooma’s quiet morning—I didn’t dare break the peace

Red dress, morning light, Annie

Australia Rock and Mr. L doing The Thinker (I’d have climbed it too if not for the long skirt!)

Found a baby sea lion—so lazy and cute. Wildlife here is just… everywhere.

A lifesaver ring on nearby rocks—prop time. Nezha vibes, haha

Afternoon drive through a town we originally planned to stay in

A splash of red, a patch of white

Sails, clouds, and me—those mid-sky cloud shapes are my favorite

Picnic lunch! Love the towel. Roast chicken is such value here, haha.

Pretty woods and our Ford—doors and trunk flung open like wings
D9 Back to campus!!!
Overnighted in Wollongong YHA—room a bit stuffy, kitchen small, but Sydney hotel was next—spirits high. Morning at the lighthouse for lots of fun shots; afternoon strolling Wollongong Uni—lush like a botanical garden with wildlife to boot. Didn’t pose much on campus—it’s not a tourist spot, and there were many Asian students. I just blended in as one of them, haha.

Lighthouse, rocks, blue skies—the sound of the tide

White lighthouse—shine on my path!

Jump and pose, pose and jump

Another lighthouse—I really love them!

Forced perspective—looks like I’m on a yacht, right?

A different lighthouse—less pretty, more play

UOW really is garden + zoo vibes—so envious!

I can pass as a student, right? If not undergrad, at least grad, haha (no spoilers!)

Rolled into Sydney at night—finally! Night views

Darling Harbour at night was so gorgeous we returned two days later
D10 Sydney, I’m here!!!
Checked into the hotel the night before—worlds apart from Wollongong YHA. Great stay, great mood. Early to Bondi, then returned car at Hertz, and walked churches, Opera House, parks—easily 10 km. Proud of myself!

Bondi morning—breakfast by the sea, joggers, dog walkers, sunbathers. Lifestyle gap noted!

Beach, I’m coming! (Yellow makes me look tanned… hmm)

Purple blooms—contrast I love

A downtown church

Top-left looks like Shanghai’s Xujiahui Cathedral

Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House—finally in person!

The Bridge and me

Me and the Bridge

Opera House (wish we’d caught a performance—budget!)

Sunset, park, silhouette

City bustle by night

D11 Goodbye, Sydney!!!
Day two: strolled Darling Harbour again, then walked to Sydney Fish Market for lunch, wandered The Rocks, and ended at the Queen Victoria Building—elegant and grand. 6 p.m. bus to Brisbane—two swift days in Sydney wrapped.

Landmarks near our hotel—eclectic architecture that I loved

Back to Darling Harbour—by day it’s playground central. Kids were having a blast; so did I!

This free play area is packed—older kids in groups; little ones with parents—pure joy

Lots of these birds by the harbour—no idea what they’re called—totally chill

Daytime Darling Harbour—less neon, more clouds

“Day doesn’t know night’s black; night doesn’t know day’s white.” Two visits—worth it.

More choices, more laughs—Sydney Fish Market!

A dozen oysters each, sashimi, and more—went all in. Feared tummy troubles (and yes, it happened… but so worth it!)

Post-seafood stroll through The Rocks

Charming buildings—but scorching hot; the walk was tough

Queen Victoria Building—smitten with its stately elegance
D12 Animal carnival!!!
Overnight bus to Brisbane—arrived afternoon. We mainly treated Brisbane as a hop to the Gold Coast, but heard you can hold koalas here—had to go! After days of only seeing koala butts, how could I leave Oceania without a cuddle?
The sanctuary was great—petting roos to my heart’s content and finally holding a koala. Surprise: Brisbane’s night views are stunning—bridges aglow, modern skyline, lively riverside park and night market. Maybe boosted by Easter, but the cityscape and public spaces really won me over—happy accident!

View from our YHA balcony—those clouds!

Poolside pose before heading out—middle-bottom is our waterproof Contour

Big YHA with a pool! Learned it was BBQ night—A$5 per ticket—count us in

Off to the koala sanctuary—public transport is pricey: ~15 km bus was A$6.4 one-way (about A$13 return). Worth it though!

Kangaroos! Soft, fluffy, super chill—happy to be petted. But wow, they can hop fast.

Feeding time for the parrots—so many beauties!

Koalas! Fluffy and dopey in the best way—absolute love. Their sleeping poses are hilarious and adorable. We found the koala-hold spot—free to hold; staff bring one over. Photos cost ~A$15, but we skipped and kept the memory. You must stand still like a tree; the koala hugs your neck and waist; hands off. I tried to sneak a fingertip touch—caught and stopped, oops. Still—weight, warmth, breath—magic!

Other animals and scenes (that birder’s setup was pro!)

On the way back we saw an “Annie” musical poster—hey, that’s me!

Brisbane’s architecture—sleek and modern

A gingerbread-looking church—made me hungry

We met two Taiwanese students at the bus stop—we’d all waited at the wrong stop. Post-sanctuary, we invited them to our YHA’s BBQ dinner (A$5: a main + bread—solid value here; mains were steak or kangaroo). I chose steak but shamelessly nibbled a bit of roo… I’d petted one that afternoon—guilty!

Brisbane’s nightscape stole my heart—totally underestimated the city

Loved that blue bridge—walked it round-trip. On the bridge you can’t see it whole—“only within the mountain.”

Riverside park (with a man-made beach) and night market—note the hanging prop on the far left; it spooked me at first…
D13/14 Unbeatable coast!!!
Checked out of Brisbane YHA near noon; bused just over an hour to our final stop—the Gold Coast. Mr. L was thrilled to surf again; I couldn’t wait to wear a bikini and play on the sand.
The Gold Coast feels both chill and chic—endless beach with a skyline. Bikini-clad gals and board-toting guys everywhere—such everyday scenes here.
Our D13 YHA was the priciest of the trip (peak season + resort town) and not the best hardware-wise, but the 3‑minute walk to the beach made it all worth it.

Top-left: amphibious tour bus—I wanted to try, but it seemed pricey

Gold Coast streets—style everywhere

At last, the beach—people chilling and all kinds of water sports

Next morning’s clouds—dreamy

Beach on one side, towers on the other—not something you get in Southeast Asia

Posing away—then a wave soaked me

New swimsuit—my favorite lilac

Mr. L’s surfboard became my prop…

Another bikini better for actual swimming. Diet failed—these will do for now, sigh
D15 Hate to leave!!!
Goodbye day. Less than two weeks in-country, but the memories will last: that blue, those clouds, the sunsets, the highway, the beaches, the koala, the Apostles, the chopper—my private treasury, forever.
Return route: Gold Coast–Kuala Lumpur–Hangzhou–Shanghai. It was a slog—nearly a full day of transit—but worth it. Call it accidental weight loss!

Homeward! Didn’t buy many souvenirs—gave most away. Kept the boxing kangaroo in the middle—too cute!

One last shot—goodbye, Twelve Apostles; goodbye, Australia!
I also compiled some themed collages—hope you like them
1) Transport—planes, trains, trams and more

2) DIY eats—pan-fry, deep-fry, stew, roast

3) Dogs—adorable overseas puppers

4) Back views—soft and sentimental

5) Outfits—skirts twirling in the breeze

6) Selfies—cheeky and playful

Finally, here’s my summary table rating all the places we stayed—hope it helps fellow DIY travelers to Australia.