Travel Guides and Stories

Day 1: Hong Kong – Sydney QF098 (2245/0930+1)
   Flight from Hong Kong to Sydney, overnight rest on the plane.    

   Day 2: Sydney
   After arrival, city sightseeing: visit the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Royal Botanic Gardens, etc. The Botanic Gardens overlook the beautiful Sydney Harbour, with a gorgeous environment surrounded on three sides by the sea. It’s the best spot for photographing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge; you can also sit on Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair and reflect on history. Nearby is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, built with unique Australian sandstone—majestic and classic, housing works from Aboriginal art to European masters.    
   Lunch at the Fish Market, Sydney’s biggest seafood hub, with a dazzling array of fresh seafood and both Western and Chinese cooking styles—sure to satisfy any foodie. In the evening, check into your hotel and rest.
   Recommended hotel: The Sebel Surry Hills Sydney or similar    

   Day 3: Sydney – Brisbane – Gold Coast
   After breakfast, fly to Brisbane. Upon arrival, transfer to the beautiful Gold Coast and visit Currumbin Sanctuary, one of Australia’s largest private wildlife reserves. Ride the little train around the park, see giant parrots perform (actual “Angry Birds”!), and feed kangaroos with coins. The giant aviary houses many bird species, but the highlight is the 4pm Rainbow Lorikeet feeding: adults and kids gather with plates of bread soaked in honey and milk, and suddenly a flock of noisy, colorful lorikeets descends! Be ready with your camera to snap birds landing on your kids—or let the park photographers capture the moment, which you can buy at the photo center.    
   Recommended hotel: Sea World Nara Resort or similar    

   Day 4: Gold Coast
   After breakfast, head to Sea World to see Australia’s unique marine life: a vibrant undersea world from whales and sea lions to tropical fish. Don’t miss the amazing dolphin show—funny and clever dolphins will make you laugh! There are also spectacular waterski shows, with pros performing thrilling stunts.
   Recommended hotel: Sea World Nara Resort or similar
   Notes:

1. Sea World has lots of water rides, especially the “Pirate Ship” where riders and bystanders shoot water guns at each other—you’ll get wet! Bring spare clothes/shoes or a raincoat.

2. Grab a schedule at the entrance to plan ahead for the many shows.

   Day 5: Gold Coast (Crab Catching) – Dolphin Island
   After breakfast, take a cruise for the fun “crab catching” activity: in the winding river, try catching mud crabs and flower crabs with the captain’s guidance, then taste your catch (half a crab for kids, whole for adults). In the afternoon, head to Brisbane and take a 5pm ferry to Tangalooma, the beautiful and serene Dolphin Island. The pure water and white sands are like paradise.    
   Recommended hotel: Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort    

   Day 6: Dolphin Island
   After breakfast, feed pelicans—these big birds (up to 2 meters long!) compete for fish, which is hilarious to watch. Then (extra cost) ride a 4WD bus to the island’s desert for sand tobogganing, a fun activity for all ages. Sliding down 200-foot-high dunes is an unforgettable thrill (A$35 adults, A$20 kids).    
   In the evening, head to the beach pier to feed wild dolphins—an amazing, free experience for resort guests. Every night, rain or shine, the wild dolphins come to greet tourists. Feeding these smart animals by hand is unforgettable!
   Recommended hotel: Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort    
   Notes:

1. Sand tobogganing suits all ages, but you must book with your guide before arrival to reserve a spot.

2. Feeding dolphins is free for resort guests, but since dolphins’ eyes are sensitive, no flash photography allowed. Staff will take photos for you, which you can purchase before leaving.

3. There are special quad bikes for children, but numbers are limited—book as soon as you arrive on the island for your preferred time.

   Day 7: Dolphin Island – Brisbane
   After breakfast, relax on the island, then take the afternoon ferry back to Brisbane and check into your hotel.
   Recommended hotel: Watermark Brisbane or similar    

   Day 8: Brisbane – Hong Kong QF097 (1205/1855)
   After breakfast, head to the airport and fly back to Hong Kong. Trip ends.

Sand tobogganing on Dolphin Island is exciting and very safe, but has limited spots—book in advance before arriving.

Kids playing by the water at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

Sydney Fish Market’s seafood is fresh, cheap, and cooked to order.

Even in Australia’s winter, kids can play in the water.

Ferry to Dolphin Island (Tangalooma).

Morning on Dolphin Island—the beach is especially comfortable and the sky is clear.

Beautiful scenery and pleasant climate on Dolphin Island.

There’s a spa on Dolphin Island.

There are plenty of relaxing spots on the island.

Little Bingyu’s daytime outfit.

Sunset on Dolphin Island.

Kids love riding quad bikes on the sand.

The kids’ ATV convoy is impressive!

Sunset on Dolphin Island.

Gold Coast.

Time to catch crabs! First, catch some bait.

Freshly caught (freshwater) mud crab.

Kids get half a crab, adults a whole one!

Have A$2 coins ready so kids can buy kangaroo food.

Here’s the “parrot air force”—super fun! Every day at 4pm, they arrive at the wildlife park for feeding.

If you want to ride the “Pirate Ship” at Sea World, bring a change of clothes so you can swap out after the “battle.”

The highlight of Dolphin Island—feeding wild dolphins. Free for resort guests.

Sand tobogganing is thrilling and suitable for all ages—just be brave!    

   Although it wasn’t my first time in Australia, I was still excited—this time I brought Bingyu for her holiday. Every year when she has breaks, I rack my brain for the best places to take her. This year I hesitated between Europe and Australia, but a call from Jiaxin’s dad helped me decide: let’s go to Oceania! Now Bingyu has visited four of the five continents.    

   I started carefully planning the route—how to keep it fun for kids, but not boring for adults. Good preparation is the key to a great trip. After we got back, everyone wanted more—especially Bingyu, who immediately started asking to go again (she never wants to leave the place we just visited!).    

   Here are some tips from our trip:

• Flights: Cathay and Qantas are both good, but you can choose a flight after 10:00 from Sydney to Brisbane for a more relaxed pace. Ours was changed to 8:45am, which was tough after an overnight flight. If you book with Cathay, have them confirm the domestic leg early to avoid this.

• Hotels: All our hotels were great—Dolphin Island’s hotel is excellent, but on weekends you may not get a sea view. The Sea World hotel is even more convenient as it’s part of the theme park. Some Gold Coast companies offer apartment hotels, which are spacious and well-equipped, but have no restaurants—you’ll need to cook for yourself.

• Attractions:

• Sydney’s sights are mostly “classic”—the Opera House and Bridge are best from a distance. Not much else made a deep impression, so don’t spend too long there.

• Brisbane–Dolphin Island ferries run daily at 10:00 and 17:00. If you only stay one night, take the 10am boat; if two nights, take the afternoon one. The ferry is about 1.5 hours. We took the 17:00 and arrived as the dolphins were being fed.

• The island’s activities for families include sand tobogganing and quad biking. Prices: Quad bike—A$58 (single), A$85 (double, driver needs a Chinese license). For ages 6–9, 10–12, and adults. Only 7 kids’ quads—book in advance! Tour is 45 minutes. Desert adventure & tobogganing: A$38 adult, A$20 child; 200ft dunes, set times, book ahead, time/weather permitting. Tour takes 1.5 hours. Don’t worry about the time—climbing the dunes on foot is tiring! Three slides is plenty. Bring goggles or a mask for the sand. The first slide takes courage, but after that it’s easy. If you stop halfway, you’ll have to walk down!

• Segway: A$55 (25min), A$99 (50min), must be 50kg+ or 12+ years old, so most kids can’t do it. Whale watching: A$65 adult, A$45 child, best June–October. We skipped it due to the 3-hour boat trip and risk of seasickness, but it’s a rare chance to see whales up close. Feeding dolphins: Free for hotel guests, but if you don’t want to get wet, you can rent a suit for A$10. Highly recommended for kids!

• On the Gold Coast, you may want to adjust your plan. Warner Bros. Movie World is a bit awkward for 10-year-olds: the big rides are too scary, the kiddie rides too childish, so you could skip it and spend more time on the island’s quad bikes. Many of Movie World’s attractions are at Sea World anyway. The crab catching/fishing trip is great for all ages—catching and eating your own mud crabs and fish is a novel experience for kids, and adults will love the mangrove scenery and fresh taste.

• Sea World: Fun for all ages—wear sandals and bring spare clothes for the water fights! The dolphin show, cable car, roller coaster, etc., are all kid-friendly.

• Gold Coast Bird Park: See iconic kangaroos, koalas, etc. If you want to feed kangaroos, bring A$2 coins. Go after 4pm to see the parrot feeding frenzy—colorful parrots will fly in and compete for food, some even perching on your head! I got “bullied” by one and could only laugh—it didn’t leave a “souvenir,” thankfully.

• Shopping: We avoided shopping tours by requesting a “no-shopping” quote—slightly more expensive, but worth it for peace of mind. We bought food for the kids at local supermarkets—milk, yogurt, milk powder—so cheap and delicious! Even the chocolate and nuts are much cheaper than in China. You can also buy local colostrum powder at reasonable prices.

• Best time to go: We worried about going in the southern winter (Chinese summer), but the weather in Sydney and the Gold Coast was excellent—just a bit cool in the mornings/evenings. A long-sleeve tee and a fleece or windbreaker were enough; by 10am, you don’t need a jacket. The kids wore shorts comfortably. In contrast to summer, you don’t need loads of sunscreen.

• Itinerary planning: For family trips, avoid rushing and try to stay two nights in each place for a relaxing holiday. Kids’ happiness will rub off on adults, making for an enjoyable trip.