Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent. It is
a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes
and climates including deserts and tropical rainforests. Australia is
the largest country by area in Oceania and the sixth-largest country in the
world. Its population of over 27 million (54th in the world) is highly
urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, and its
population density is only 3.6/km^2 (244th in the world). Canberra is
the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and
Melbourne, both with a population of over 5 million.
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south-east
Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the last glacial period.
Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures on
Earth. The Dutch are the first Europeans that recorded sighting and
making landfall on the Australian mainland in 1606. The Dutch charted the
whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent
"New Holland" during the 17th century, although no attempt at settlement
was made. Following the loss of its American colonies in 1783,
the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the First Fleet, under the
command of Captain Arthur Phillip, to establish a new penal colony in New
South Wales. Most early settlers were convicts, transported for petty
crimes and assigned as laborers or servants to "free settlers" (willing
immigrants). The colonies federated in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of
Australia.
Getting there ...
We had a late night flight on
8/22 (Day 0) from SFO to Melbourne (MEL), and then transferred to a
domestic flight from Melbourne to Adelaide on 8/24 (we lost 8/23 "Day
1" during the flight). It's a long 16-hour flight from SFO to
MEL, and we got delay for more than an hour when we were still on
the ground at SFO due to some "weight balance" problem. When
we cleared the immigration, got the luggage, and checked in the
domestic flight in Melbourne, it was already past the boarding time
of our next flight.
Luckily, the connecting flight was also delayed for more than half
an hour, so we had enough time to pass through the security and
walked to the gate with a few minutes of rest at the gate.
Our
trip plan started from Adelaide in South Australia (SA) and went to
Kangaroo Island (unfortunately we did not go due to bad weather),
drove through Great Ocean Road to Melbourne in
Victoria (VIC), flew to Uluru in Northern
Territory (NT), and then flew to Sydney and
visited Blue Mountains in New South Wales (NSW). |
 |
8/24 (Day 2) ...
- Adelaide
We arrived in Adelaide at about noon,
and it's a short drive from the Adelaide airport to the downtown. After checked in to the hotel
and had a quick break, we
walked to visit Adelaide Oval for a tour at 2PM. It's interesting to
know that Adelaide is in Australian Central Standard Time (ACST, UTC+9.5),
which is only 30 minutes different from Melbourne in Australian Eastern
Standard Time (AEST, UTC+10).
Adelaide
Oval has been headquarters to the South Australian Cricket Association
since 1871 and South Australian National Football League (SANFL) since 2014.
Established in 1871, the structures and grounds underwent significant
redevelopment between 2012 and 2014. Although we know nothing about
cricket games, it's still quite fun to visit such a beautiful stadium
and see how passionate Aussies are about their sport stars.
We walked to the
downtown shopping area after
the tour, and found most stores were closed at 5PM (it's Saturday!).
Our first meal in Australia was a delicious pizza in a bear garden.
8/25 (Day 3) ...
- Adelaide Biplanes
I always dream about flight, and taking a romantic flight in a vintage
biplane was a dream come true. I found Adelaide Biplanes
has a flight in a
Waco biplane for 2 persons to sit side-by-side in the front (as long
as the combined weight is less than 200kg). It was a perfect
30-minute experience for me (may not be so much for Woanyu) to enjoy both
scenic and exciting rides. It's also lucky for us that it was a
calm morning (9AM) for the flight before the wind came and the weather
deteriorated in the afternoon (more about weather later...).
- The d'Arenberg Cube,
McLaren Vale
Only 45 minutes south of Adelaide in South Australia,
McLaren Vale is home to sustainable winegrowing, world-class wines and
culinary experiences, as well as pristine natural attractions.
After the biplane flight, we drove to the d'Arenberg
Cube, a five-story building situated within the d'Arenberg
vineyards. It combines wine tasting and modern arts in a very
unique architecture (including their
restrooms) with panoramic
views across the McLaren Vale region. We also had a nice lunch in
their restaurant, Singapore Circus, a melting pot of South-East
Asian inspired cuisine.
Our original plan was to take a ferry to Kangaroo
Island at 3PM after the wine tasting and lunch. When we were at lunch,
I got a message from both the ferry company (SeaLink)
and the Airbnb host to inform me that there was a storm forecast and the
afternoon ferry was cancelled. SeaLink further told me that the
weather forecast for our return day (8/27) was not good either, so it was
possible that even we could delay the trip to the next available ferry (in
later tonight or tomorrow), we may not be able to come back on 8/27
(Tuesday). So we decided to cancel our trip to Kangaroo Island, and
re-arrange our travel plans for the next 2 days.
- Moana Beach
We booked a hotel in McLaren Vale
(not far from the winery d'Arenberg) so we could have a place to rest
and think about our plan. The wind started to kick up and the rain
began to pour down (we actually drove around in the rain to Cleland
National Park but we did not even get off the car).
The sky finally cleared up in the late afternoon and we went to the
nearby Moana Beach for sunset. I was stupid enough to drive our
car onto the beach (many people said you could do so on Google)....
8/26 (Day 4) ...
- Punchbowl Lookout, Onkaparinga River National Park
The rain
returned in the morning. We decided to take a short hike in
Onkaparinga River National Park, about 30-minute drive from our hotel.
When we got to the parking lot, we had to wait in the car for a while
until the rain became lighter. To our surprise, we encountered a
group of wild kangaroos not far from the trailhead. Although the
destination of the trail (Punchbowl Lookout) was all obscured by the bad
weather, the wild kangaroos were a much better reward for us for not being
able to visit Kangaroo Island :-)
- Gorge Wildlife Park
The Gorge Wildlife Park is a privately-owned sanctuary in the
Adelaide Hills about 30 km northeast of Adelaide.
The Gorge Wildlife Park opened in 1965 and is still
operated by the same family. The main reason to come here was you
could hold a koala to have a cuddly encounter with such a beautiful and
gentle creature. In fact, it is illegal to hold and
physically support the weight of a koala in most of Australia except in
Queensland and South Australia. It's an interesting experience to
hold a fuzzy koala (the one we held weighed 11kg) although I actually
prefer to hold a baby :-)
- Erato Teppanyaki, Adelaide
We drove back to Adelaide city to stay for a night (the same place as
our first night). We went to a fancy Teppanyaki
place to have a nice dinner for both senses of taste and sight. We
had a good chat with the chef who was also from Taiwan.
8/27 (Day 5) ...
- Adelaide Gaol
The Adelaide Gaol is one of the oldest remaining colonial public
buildings in Adelaide and is the site of some of the State's more
interesting, grisly past. Adelaide Gaol is a former Australian
prison and it was the first permanent one in South Australia and
operated from 1841 until 1988. Approximately 300,000 prisoners
passed through Adelaide Gaol during its working 147 years and 45 people
were executed. Their bodies are buried within the grounds of Adelaide
Gaol (therefore many ghost stories and ghost tours).
- Grunthal Brew, Hahndorf
Hahndorf is a picturesque German Village nestled in the Adelaide Hills.
Settled by 19th-century Lutheran migrants, it’s known for its original
German-style architecture and artisanal food. We went to Grünthal
Brew to have a "Greatest of Grünthal" (one Grünthal gin and tonic, two
Grünthal beers and two Hesketh wines served with five matching cheeses)
and a "Grünthal Beer Paddle" (eBEER™ - Pale Ale - Session Ale - Hazy
NEIPA). It's really nice to sample so many different things in a
cozy environment.
- Urimbirra Wildlife Park
Urimbirra Wildlife Park is a 40-acre open-range wildlife park where you
can feed kangaroos and emus, pat a koala (not hold), and hold a snake.
It's a relaxed and natural setting for people and animals to mingle
together.
- Granite Island, Victor Harbor
After checked in to the hotel in Victor Harbor, we walked to Granite
Island before sunset. Known to the Ramindjeri people as
Nulcoowarra, Granite Island is home to a rich cultural history, as well
as an array of natural flora and fauna. The island spans over 60 acres
and attracts visitors due to its distinctive landscape and variety of
walking trails.
8/28 (Day 6) ...
- Driving to Great Ocean Road
It's a long 8-hour
driving day (from Victor Harbor, SA to Port Campbell, VIC). It
was a pleasant drive through the beautiful countryside and the
scenery along the way was changing constantly (same as the weather...).
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National
Heritage-listed 240-kilometre (150 mi) stretch of road along the
south-eastern coast of Australia, between the Victorian towns of Torquay and
Allansford. Winding through varying terrain along the coast, it
provides access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve
Apostles limestone stack formations
- Bay of Islands, Great Ocean Road
- The Grotto, Great Ocean Road
-
London Bridge, Great Ocean Road
The London Bridge stack was a
complete double-span natural bridge until 1990 when the span closer to
the shoreline collapsed (like the nursery rhyme...).
- Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road
The Twelve Apostles are a
collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National
Park, and their proximity to one another has made the site one of the
popular tourist attractions along the Great Ocean Road.
Eight of the original nine stacks remain standing at the Twelve
Apostles' viewpoint, after one collapsed in July 2005. It was so
windy today that I could not even set up my tripod. Unfortunately
it was also too cloudy to give us a dramatic sunset lighting.
8/29 (Day 7) ...
-
Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road
- Loch Ard Gorge, Great Ocean Road
- Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road
This was my
3rd time to visit the Twelve Apostles at a different time of the day.
It was calmer than before, but you could still feel the power of the
waves.
- Gibson Steps
Located about 2 minutes drive from The Twelve
Apostle, Gibson Steps are 86-step staircase leading down to the
stretch of beach. I think we were first people to come down to the
beach today because there were no footprints on the beach before us.
The lighting and the reflection of seastacks on the smooth beach were
really amazing. We stayed for about 15 minutes and we had the
whole beach to ourselves; no one else came until we were ready to move.
- Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
Maits Rest, located in the heart of
the beautiful Otway Ranges near Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road,
is an 800m circular walk that takes you through the temperate rainforest
and exposes you to some of the region’s most spectacular scenery.
- Apollo Bay
We had a quick lunch at a local cafe, and then went up
to a hill behind the town for a panoramic view of the Apollo Bay.
- Melbourne Airbnb
The view from our Airbnb on
the 42nd floor at
the center of Melbourne CBD was fantastic!
8/30 (Day 8) ...
- Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne was built in 1879–1880 as
part of the international exhibition movement. It hosted the
Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880–81, and then hosted the even
larger Centennial International Exhibition in 1888, and the formal
opening of the first Parliament of Australia in 1901. On 1 July
2004, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens became both the
first Victorian place and the first built heritage site in Australia to
be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
We booked a 10AM guided tour (Royal Exhibition
Building Dome Promenade) which provided visitors a unique opportunity to
overlook the gardens and view the Melbourne skyline.
- Melbourne Chinatown,
Parliament House, and
Old Treasury Building
We had a nice dim-sum lunch in the Chinatown after the Royal Exhibition Building
tour, and then we walked by the Parliament House (could not enter if not
in a guided tour) and the Old Treasury Building (a free museum today).
-
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the largest stadium in the
Southern Hemisphere, and the second-largest cricket arena by capacity
globally (only shadowed by Narendra Modi Stadium in India, the largest stadium in
the world open in 2020). Since it was built in 1853, the MCG
has undergone numerous renovations. It served as the main stadium for
the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and two Cricket
World Cups: 1992 and 2015. Although we still do not know anything
about the cricket, we enjoyed the tour and MCG very much.
- After the MCG tour, we walked to Melbourne downtown area and we were
greeted by a beautiful rainbow overhead.
- Hosier Lane & Flinders Street Area
Since the late 1990s,
Hosier Lane has become a popular tourist attraction due to its street
art although graffiti in the area is illegal. I think there were
some quite mix of quality in the street arts here...
- Skydeck
The
observation deck (Melbourne Skydeck) occupies the entire 88th floor of
the Eureka Tower and is the highest public vantage point in a building
in the Southern Hemisphere at 285 m (935 ft). It opened to the public on
15 May 2007. I booked the Ultimate Skydeck package which included
Skydeck admission, VR Voyager Theatre, Edge + Digital Photo, VR Plank,
and $5 Bar 88 Voucher. The VR Voyager Theatre
is a nice immersive journey across 16 iconic Melbourne and
Victorian experiences. The Edge is a glass box which
projects 3 m (9.8 ft) out from the building with visitors inside,
suspended almost 300 m (980 ft) above the ground. The glass is opaque as
the visitors enter the box in the building. Once fully extended over the
edge, the glass becomes clear (however, I don't think the glass was
clear enough to have the clarity of the ground below to give you the
thrill feeling). VR Plank is a VR zipline through the parks and
streets of Melbourne (I think it's a total waste of money). When
the sun came out from the cloud, a circle of rainbow appeared and it's
quite a view to see a rainbow from this high vantage
point.
8/31 (Day 9) ...
- Trestle Bridge, Dandenong Ranges National Park
The Dandenong
Ranges is a rainforest getaway on Melbourne's doorstep, and it's an hour
drive from Melbourne CBD. We first came to the
Trestle Bridge where the train from
Puffing Billy Railway will
come across the elevated wooden bridge. I have researched the
surrounding area on Google Map and found a good place to see the train
cross the bridge. I timed our arrival to see the train departed from
Belgrave at 10AM.
- Kokoda Tack, Dandenong Ranges National Park
The Kokoda Track Memorial Walk (aka the 1000 Steps Walk) departs from
Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground, winding up a steep hill along a creek
through lush rainforest, before emerging into a clearing where you can
enjoy great views of Melbourne through the trees. The 1000 Steps
Walk is a one-way uphill trail so you will take the Lyrebird Track back to
complete the loop. Unfortunately it started to rain pretty hard
when we began our climb on the 1000 Steps, and we were
totally soaked
when we were back to the trailhead.
- We were back to Melbourne city and had a late lunch at a Ramen
place just downstairs from our Airbnb. We also ordered some fried
lotus roots to take home to have an afternoon snack with beer and
rainbow.
- State Library Victoria
Located in Melbourne CBD, State Library Victoria
was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it
Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in
the world. It is also Australia's busiest public library. The
landmark Domed Reading Room (La Trobe Reading Room) was opened in 1913.
Its six story high octagonal space was designed to hold over a million
books and up to 600 readers; It is 34.75 meters in both diameter and
height, and its oculus is nearly 5 meters wide.
We then walked to the nearby shopping malls and
bought a puffy jacket at a Uniqlo for Woanyu because I misread the weather
for Ayers Rock (when I typed "Ayers Rock" in weather
channel, it actually found a place in New Zealand instead of
Australia....).
9/1 (Day 10) ...
- Flight to Uluṟu (Ayers Rock AYQ)
We had a morning flight at 9AM from MEL to AYQ (11:35AM). After a short 30
minutes into the flight, the lush green scenery changed to brown barren
desert views.
The Ayers Rock National Park was recognized in
1950, and Kata Tjuta was added to the national park to create the Ayers
Rock-Mount Olga National Park in 1958. In 1985, after more
than 35 years of campaigning, Anangu were recognized as the Traditional
Owners of the park and handed back the deeds to their homelands. The
park was officially renamed Uluṟu-Kata Tjuta National Park in 1993.
- Uluṟu
Uluṟu (aka Ayers Rock) is considered one of
Australia's most recognizable landmarks, and has become a focal point
for Australia and the world's acknowledgement of Australian indigenous
culture. Uluṟu is an inselberg, meaning "island mountain".
The remarkable feature of Uluṟu is its homogeneity and lack of jointing
and parting at bedding surfaces, leading to the lack of development of
scree slopes and soil. These characteristics led to its survival, while
the surrounding rocks were eroded.. Uluru rises 348 meters above
the surrounding plain and has a total perimeter of 9.4 km. The
local Aṉangu do not climb Uluṟu because of its great spiritual
significance. On 1 November 2017, the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National
Park board voted unanimously to prohibit climbing
Uluṟu. The ban took
effect on the 26 October 2019.
- Uluṟu Sunset
Uluṟu
is notable for appearing to change color at
different times of the day and year, most notably when it glows red at
dawn and sunset. The reddish color in the rock derives from iron oxide
in the sandstone.
- Astro Tour
Uluṟu is one of the best places for the dark sky in the world. I booked
an Astro tour which went back to the Bus Sunset Viewing area in the
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuta National Park (the park was closed at night so no
other people can access). It turned out the tour had a second
guide (and a photographer) who conducted the tour in Chinese (about half
of the group were Chinese...) so we could hear all stories in both
Chinese and Western versions. Woanyu liked to learn all these
constellation and stars, but it's still quite difficult for me to
recognize them in the sky.
9/2 (Day 11) ...
-
Sunrise
We went to Talinguṟu Nyakunytjaku - Uluṟu Sunrise Viewing
Area, which was very popular in the early morning (I did a quick
stop at the Sunset Viewing Area to take a silhouette photo first).
After the sunrise, we went to the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa
Cultural Centre to pick up the rental bikes from
Outback Cycling
at 8AM. Uluṟu Bike Ride is one of the
best-value activity options at Uluru. You can discover ancient
rock art and wondrous waterholes around the base of Uluru in your own time
and pace (and much faster than on foot).
- Kantju Gorge
We first rode the bike to hike to Kantju Gorge
where you will find a dry waterfalls and a cliff wall at the end of the
trail.
- Biking around Uluṟu
We then biked the
Uluṟu Base Walk in the counter-clockwise direction to go around
the whole circumference of the rock. The trail was mostly flat and
easy (except a small sandy section south of Kantju Gorge).
Each section will look and feel completely different. Some areas are
surprisingly green and lush, while other sections feel open and vast,
with little shade. The Aṉangu request that visitors do not
photograph certain sections of Uluṟu, for reasons related to traditional
Tjukurpa (Dreaming) beliefs.
It took us about 2.5 hours to finish the bike ride
(including the hike to Kantju Gorge) for a total
distance about 15 km. It's a very enjoyable ride without much
difficulty at all.
- Kata Tjuta
Formerly known as the Olgas, the 36 domes of Kata
Tjuta cover more than 20 square kilometers and soar up to 546 meters
above the surrounding plain. Located 40 km (25 mi) to the west of
Uluṟu, it might not be as instantly recognizable as
Uluṟu, but Kata Tjuta is just as impressive as its famous
neighbor. After a lunch break back in our hotel room, we
headed to Kata Tjuta to hike a small section of the
Valley of the Winds trail to Karu Lookout (2.2km round-trip).
- Tali Wiru
I booked an outdoor dining experience
Tali
Wiru from the Ayers Rock Resort (I was debating whether we should do
a sunset helicopter ride or a fine dining experience....). Tali
Wiru, meaning 'beautiful dune' in local Anangu language, encapsulates
the magic of fine dining under the Southern Desert sky. Instead of
walls, this open-air restaurant has magnificent views of
Uluṟu and the distant domes of Kata Tjuta. We were greeted
by glasses of Champagne and Didgeridoo performance when we arrived on
site. The dinner (4 courses paired with iconic Penfolds wine) was
served at 2-person private tables (so we did not have to share a table
with any other guests). Star gazing and Indigenous storytelling
concluded the night with memorable experiences.
9/3 (Day 12) ...
- Sunrise
I went to the Kata Tjuṯa Dunes Viewing Area for sunrise.
It was quite crowded on the small platform of the view area, but the
views of both Uluṟu and
Kata Tjuṯa were truly amazing.
- Kata Tjuṯa Dunes Viewing Area
We
checked out of our room at about 8:30AM, and headed to
Kata Tjuṯa for our last visit to the national park.
- Walpa Gorge
Waḻpa means windy, so named for the refreshing winds
that pass through the gorge. Indeed it was the most windy place we
have experienced in Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa.
Kata Tjuta, with its 36 domes, translates as ‘many heads’ and this short
walk takes you into the deep cut between two. The gorge is flanked on
one side by Mt Olga, towering 546 meters above the plain.
The walk is 2.6 km round-trip between sandstone domes with a seasonal
stream & wallabies.
- Flight to Sydney
After the pizza lunch at the Ayers Rock Resort,
we returned our car to the airport to catch our flight at 2:20PM.
It was right after sunset time when we approached Sydney for landing.
After getting our rental car, we drove for about 2 hours (tried to avoid
tolls and had a quick McDonald's dinner) to our next destination:
Katoomba in Blue Mountains.
9/4 (Day 13) ...
- Sunrise
We were amazed by the fantastic views
from our balcony when we woke up (it was already too dark to see
anything when we checked in last night). I booked a Corner View
Suite at the Echoes Boutique
Hotel. I think it has the best view of the Jamison Valley when
I searched for the hotels in the Blue Mountains. I would say I was
not disappointed at all :-)
- Scenic World
After
breakfast, we drove (a 5-miunte drive) to Scenic World, a popular
tourist destination in the Blue Mountains. Scenic World is
home to four attractions, 1) the Scenic Railway, the steepest passenger
railway in the world with a 52° (128%) incline, 2) the Scenic
Skyway, suspended 270 meters above ancient ravines and gliding between
cliff tops with panoramic views of Jamison Valley, 3) the Scenic
Cableway, a 510-metre cableway gently descending into the Jamison Valley
with a unique vantage point for viewing iconic rock formations including
Three Sisters, Orphan Rock and Mt Solitary, and 4) Scenic Walkway,
a 2.4-km elevated boardwalk through ancient rainforest.
The Skyway brought us cross the
Jamison Valley to the East Station, where we went out to Cliff View
Lookout and down to Katoomba Cascades.
Since the Unlimited Discovery Pass allowed us to
get on these rides as many times as you want, we took another ride of the
Scenic Railway down and up before we left the park.
- Govetts Leep Lookout & Evans Lookout
After lunch at the
Scenic World, we drove to the northern part of the Blue Mountains, Govetts Leep Lookout
and Evans Lookout.
The Blue Mountains is best known for its soaring
sandstone ridges blanketed in native bushland. Nestled within the
wilderness, it encompasses steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls
and villages dotted with guesthouses, galleries and gardens.
- Scenic World & Prince Henry Cliff Walk
After a short break
back in the hotel, we walked to the East Station of the Scenic World
(5-min walk on the road) to ride the Scenic Skyway because our
Unlimited Discovery Pass was still valid for the day (the last ride was
3:30PM). After the scenic round-trip Skyway, we took the Prince
Henry Cliff Walk to get back to the hotel.
- Three Sisters
The Three Sisters is an iconic formation probably
most recognizable in the Blue Mountains. These three weathered
sandstone peaks set among the cliffs of the Jamison
Valley from millions of years of erosion has spawned many
different versions of the Aboriginal story over thousands of years.
It's a pleasant walk (via the Prince Henry Cliff
Walk) from our hotel to the Echo Point Lookout, which has the best view
of the Three Sisters in the late afternoon.
- More photos from the balcony throughout the day
9/5 (Day 14) ...
- Katoomba
We headed out to hike to Katoomba Falls in the early
morning (before breakfast) because we only walked to
Katoomba Cascades yesterday. It's quite windy and chilly today and
gave us a more wintry feeling.
We had a late breakfast (relative to our normal
schedule) after we returned to the hotel from the walk. We intended
to make it a hearty brunch so we could skip our lunch when we moved to
Sydney later today :-)
- Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney
We drove to Sydney Airport to return our rental car at about noon,
and then took the train to our hotel at Circular Quay in Sydney CBD.
Our room has a view of the full harbor (including the Opera House and
the Bridge) and also gives us the access to the Executive Club which
provides complimentary breakfast, drinks, afternoon refreshments,
gourmet canapés with selected wines, etc.
- Sydney Harbor
It's a short walk to the Sydney Harbor to take a
few iconic postcard-like pictures of the
Sydney Opera House.
- SkyFeast
SkyFeast is a revolving restaurant with 360-degree views at the 82nd
floor of the Sydney Tower. The dinner buffet had more than 30
international dishes, including seafood and desserts, and unlimited
wines with the beverage package. I booked our early dinner at
5:15PM so we could enjoy the sunset while we were eating. I
was not a big fan of buffet, but I was happily fed with these incredible
views.
- Queen Victoria Building (QVB)
After the dinner (buffet + unlimited wines), we needed to take a walk to
help us digest. We walked to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB)
for a glance of Sydney shops. Usually the shops in Sydney
close early at 6PM except on Thursdays they stay open till 9PM. We
found a hobby shop in QVB, Hobbyco,
which has everything I like :-)
9/6 (Day 15) ...
- Ferry to Taronga
We took a ferry from the Circular Quay to
Taronga at about 8:30AM. The views of the Sydney skyline from the
ferry in the early morning were the best!
- Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is a government-run public zoo located on the shores of
Sydney Harbor. I wanted to visit the Taronga
Zoo not only because its animal collection, views of animals and Sydney
skyline, but also because I have been watching the TV show, "Secrets
of the Zoo: Down Under", a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes
to run the Taronga Zoo Sydney, for many years. When we got
to the zoo at about 9AM (it's open at 9:30AM), I ran to the gift shop to
buy the special tickets for the "Capybara
Encounter" since there are only 4 tickets available per day (at
11:10AM) and we were so lucky to get the last 2 tickets of the day.
Capybara is a largest living rodent native to South America.
Capybaras can weigh up to 70kg and they can dive and stay underwater for
up to five minutes at a time. It's a super fun experience to feed
and play with these super-sized guinea pigs :-)
- Ferry back to Sydney
We rode the ferry back to Sydney CBD at
about 1:00 PM and went back to hotel's lounge to enjoy their free
afternoon refreshments and beer/coffee (free lunch!).
- The Rock, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and Observatory Hill
After a
break, we walked to the Rock, a neighborhood of historic laneways
in the shadow of Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Rocks is the birthplace of
modern Sydney. With the arrival of European settlers in 1788, it was
here that the convicts first set up house and shop. The close
proximity to Circular Quay and the views of the iconic Harbor Bridge, as
well as some of Sydney’s oldest pubs and many of the upscale
restaurants, makes the Rocks very popular with both locals and tourists.
- Sunset
Since Woanyu wanted to join an online event for her
favorite K-pop group EXO, I decided to go out alone to see sunset.
I walked to the eastern end of the Royal Botanic Garden to have a good
view of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge silhouette in
sunset. It's about 30-minute walk (one-way) passing through the
busy Circular Quay and then nice tranquil grounds (lawns and trees) in
the Botanic Garden.
9/7 (Day 16) ...
- Sunrise
I went back to the Sydney Harbor and tried to find a
different angle for the sunrise. Unfortunately there was a
cruise ship
coming in and they closed the pier access to the public. The
cruise shop docked right before the sunrise and totally blocked the view
of sunrise :-(
- Sydney Opera House
After sunrise, I called Woanyu to ask her to
come down to join me to walk to the Sydney Opera House to take some
pictures when there were no other people around. It's really an
iconic architecture that every angle gives you a different view.
- Hyde Park Barracks
A UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of contemporary Sydney, the
Hyde Park Barracks is an extraordinary record of the living legacy of
colonial Australia. Originally constructed between 1817 and 1819
as a brick building and compound to house convict men and boys,
the Barracks also served as a women’s immigration depot and asylum, and
later law courts and government offices. The museum is free with a
very nice audio tour using immersive audio technology which is designed
to make visitors feel as if they themselves have stepped back in time.
As you move around the museum, the technology can tell where you are and
make sure that what you hear through the headset matches your
location.
- Art Gallery of New
South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) is the
most important public gallery in Sydney and one of the largest in
Australia. The gallery's first public exhibition opened in 1874.
The collection has a wide range of Australian art (including Indigenous
Australian art), European and Asian art.
- Train & Light Rail in Sydney
- Sydney Opera House Tour
I booked a 4:15PM guided tour to learn the history, architecture and
extraordinary story of the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera
House is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and
distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed by an Australian
architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building was formally
opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973. In the
middle of construction Utzon was forced to
resign in 1966 because of the conflict with the new Minister Davis
Hughes. Utzon was invited to the opening ceremony by the Premier
and while pleased by the invitation, he declined. He was, however,
to be recognized later when he was asked to design updates to the
interior of the opera house in late 1990's. When the Sydney Opera
House was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became
only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his
works during his lifetime.
The Sydney Opera House includes a number
of performance venues: Concert Hall (2679 seats), Joan Sutherland
Theatre (1507 seats), Drama Theatre (544 seats), Playhouse (398 seats),
Studio (280-400 seats), Utzon Room (200 seats), and Outdoor Forecourt,
etc.
- Sunset Boulevard, Sydney Opera House
The final highlight of our
Australian trip was to attend Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece
"Sunset Boulevard", starred by
Sarah Brightman,
at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
Sarah Brightman is the iconic artist who originated the role of
Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera both in the
West End and on Broadway. Since then, she has become the world’s
best-selling soprano, topping the charts across the world. This
historic theatre event marks her first theatrical role in almost three
decades.
9/8 (Day 17) Going Home...
After our last breakfast at the Four Seaons' Executive Club, we took the
train to Sydney Airport for our journey back home. Australia is a BIG
country (and a continent). From modern architectures to
aboriginal cultures, from seastacks along the Great Ocean Road to
Uluru in the desert, from rainforests at the Blue Mountains to the
unique marsupial mammals (kangaroos, koalas, etc.),
Australia is so diversified and has a wide variety of landscapes and
climates. A 2-week trip there can only sample a few iconic places.
We will definitely think about when we should come back for more places in
Australia in the future.
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