Travel Guides and Stories

Last December, I happened to spot a flight from Hangzhou to Australia via Kuala Lumpur on the AirAsia website—round trip for 4500 RMB. Not the absolute cheapest, but irresistible enough for me to book it on the spot. Right before the National Day holiday, Jia and I escaped the hustle and bustle of China and flew south to Australia. The whole Aussie trip lasted 12 days, though three of them were spent entirely in transit. We flew from the warm, late summer in China to the hot city of Kuala Lumpur, and after a brief layover, landed in Melbourne just as early spring was starting—still a little chilly.    Our itinerary looked like this:    
   September 23: Beijing to Hangzhou T31 16:55~9:00
   September 24: Hangzhou train station to Xiaoshan Airport
   Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur D7 303 14:10~19:10
   Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne D7 214 21:55~07:55
   September 25: Melbourne airport to Melbourne Central YHA
   Immigration Museum, Flinders Station, Visitor Centre, Federation Square, free city shuttle, University of Melbourne, Queen Victoria Market, State Library of Victoria, Bourke Street Mall, Chinatown
   September 26: Great Ocean Road day tour
   September 27: Phillip Island day tour
   September 28: Melbourne to Cairns JQ692 1:40~4:45
   Cairns Central YHA, Cairns city sightseeing, Visitor Centre, Esplanade, Cafe China
   September 29: Mareeba Hot Air Balloon, Cairns Museum
   September 30: (Green Island & Great Barrier Reef), Cairns to Perth JQ978 18:15~21:25, Perth City YHA
   October 1: Perth city tour, Visitor Centre, shopping streets, Western Australia Museum, Perth Mint, the Bell Tower, King’s Park (didn’t make it all the way)
   October 2: Wave Rock day tour
   October 3: Fremantle day trip
   October 4: Perth to Kuala Lumpur D7 237 6:50~12:30, Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou D7 306 17:20~22:30
   October 5: Hangzhou to Beijing CZ3906 12:05~14:30

When you’re in Melbourne, you can’t miss the Great Ocean Road. It’s considered one of the most scenic self-drive routes in the world.

The Great Ocean Road traces Victoria’s spectacular southwest coastline, winding past the famous Twelve Apostles. These ancient rock formations, up to 45 meters tall, stand side by side with the mainland, creating dramatic gorges and cliffscapes like Loch Ard Gorge, the Blowhole, and London Bridge.

Early spring brings more tourists, but it’s nothing like the crowds back in China. With fewer people, the quality of the experience is much better.

The Twelve Apostles

Coastal plants here look rugged and resilient—full of vitality.

Warning signs remind visitors to stay within boundaries.

In the afternoon sun, the Twelve Apostles quietly enjoy the sea breeze.

Loch Ard Gorge—its name translated directly from Chinese

Looking out over the Pacific Ocean – another way to see these sights is by taking a scenic helicopter flight. Since we didn’t plan ahead, Jia and I just visited the local information centers everywhere we went to ask about day tours. Luckily, Australia’s tourism industry is very well regulated—you get what you pay for! Even though we had one or two hiccups later on, overall I was very satisfied with this trip. The information center staff are always smiling, enthusiastic, and ready to help you find the best itinerary. The tour guides are generally professional and have a great sense of humor. Experiencing Aussie humor firsthand was a highlight—and something I wish guides back home would learn from.

Next up: sheepdog show!

Sheep shearing demonstration

Looking at the lush green pastures, I bet you wish you could stay here forever!

Kids get to go into the field with staff and take part in the show

This is the beautiful Churchill Heritage Farm

After visiting the farm, our next stop was Phillip Island to see the penguin parade. With time to spare before the penguins arrived, it was clear the island really belonged to the seagulls.

Under the golden sunlight, the seagulls basked and relaxed.

Tourists are nothing—the seagulls are the real locals!

Waiting for sunset and the little penguins to come ashore.

Even the souvenirs in the visitor center are all about penguins.

A kangaroo outside the window

The penguins came ashore in the distance

Bundled up in all our clothes, we waited for the penguins to arrive

The women’s restroom at Melbourne Airport even had automatic phone chargers—pretty cool!

St. Paul’s Cathedral across from Federation Square

The organ: first played in 1891 at the cathedral’s consecration.

On the back wall of the altar is a piece of art. The scene above the center of the cross is the Last Supper and the Passion of Christ.

From the outside, St. Paul’s Cathedral is a classic example of Gothic architecture.

Looking back at the spire of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the city square

On our first day in Melbourne, we wandered around the city and popped into the Immigration Museum. Turns out, Aussie museums prep lots of hands-on activities for kids—here’s a group doing paper-cutting crafts.

Exterior view of the Immigration Museum

A fun sign on the main street: “No drinking water—$100 fine.” Office workers rushing by in the cold wind hurriedly polish off their sandwiches for lunch.

The tall building behind Flinders Station is the Eureka Skydeck 88—the tallest public viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere. From the 88th floor, you get a 360-degree view of Melbourne, including the Yarra River, Port Phillip, the Arts Centre spire, and dazzling Federation Square.

Flinders Station is an iconic building and still one of Melbourne’s busiest stations.

The clocks above the entrance show the time until the next train.

The distant spire is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Right beside Flinders Station is the famous Federation Square. Even though it’s still chilly in early spring, the brilliant sunshine draws lots of people out with prams to soak up the sun.

The tall spire in the distance is the National Gallery of Victoria, another landmark in Melbourne.

Most Aussie banks now let you withdraw local currency with UnionPay cards, and cards starting with “62” can even get you discounts at many attractions.

In front of the State Library of Victoria, flocks of seagulls wait for tourists to feed them.

Aussie coins are interesting—the higher the value, the smaller the coin!

Melbourne’s Chinatown spans several blocks.