Self-driving Travel Notes in Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns and Other Places (Part 2)

📍 Cairns · 👁 9066 reads · ❤️ 36 likes

Melbourne - Cityscape

Melbourne - Federation Square

Melbourne - Yarra Valley - Vineyard

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - 12 Apostles

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - Loch Ard Gorge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Apollo Bay - Belles Beach

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - Loch Ard Gorge

Canberra - Lake Burley Griffin

Sydney - Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney - Sydney Opera House

Sydney - Cityscape

Gold Coast - Coolangatta Beach

Gold Coast - Surfer's Paradise Beach

Gold Coast - Suburban scenery

Brisbane - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - Koala

Cairns - Port Douglas

Australia boasts world-famous attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, the Great Ocean Road, and the Great Barrier Reef. It has unique flora, fauna, and natural landscapes, with abundant tourism resources, making it a popular destination for Chinese travelers going abroad.

May is autumn in Australia. In this pleasant season of golden autumn with cool breezes, we were fortunate to visit this picturesque country, starting a 16-day free and independent travel and self-drive tour, with a total driving distance of over 2,400 kilometers.

During this trip, we visited many scenic spots in Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road, Canberra, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, the Great Barrier Reef, and other places. The delicious food and beautiful scenery along the way greatly satisfied our taste buds and eyes. The local customs and traditions of the foreign land were unforgettable, and everything left us with wonderful memories.

Sydney - Cityscape

Melbourne - Yarra Valley - Vineyard

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - London Bridge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - Loch Ard Gorge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - 12 Apostles

Canberra - Suburban scenery

Sydney - Sydney Opera House

Sydney - Queen Victoria Building

Gold Coast - Coolangatta Beach

Gold Coast - Surfer's Paradise Beach

Gold Coast - Suburban scenery

The specific itinerary is as follows:

D1 (May 1) Christchurch - Melbourne

Qantas flight QF204 20:30-22:15 from Christchurch, New Zealand to Melbourne (direct flight, about 4 hours, including time difference)

Stay: Melbourne Oaks on William Melbourne studio (35 sqm), paid parking, paid WiFi

D2 (May 2) Melbourne

Visit: Victoria Arts Center: not only the most striking building locally, but also the best place for opera, ballet, symphony, art, installation art, etc.; Yarra River: the mother river of Melbourne; Federation Square: the most iconic building in Melbourne, a microcosm of Melbourne's art, with profound meaning hidden beneath its magnificent exterior; St Paul's Cathedral: representative work of Australian Gothic architecture; Carlton Garden: World Heritage; Royal Exhibition Building: World Heritage; Fitzroy Gardens: planted with tall elm trees, in autumn the paths and lawns are covered with yellow fallen leaves, full of poetry; Cook's Cottage; The Block Arcade: a well-known local building, one of the best-preserved 19th-century shopping arcades; Stroll along Melbourne streets

D3 (May 3) Melbourne

Visit: Yarra Valley, located about 40 km northeast of Melbourne, famous for its wineries, a green kingdom with winding valleys and neatly arranged vine trellises, like a fairy tale world far from city noise; Stroll around suburban Melbourne, visit relatives and friends

Complete car rental procedures (Hertz Car Rental)

Melbourne - Victoria Arts Center

Melbourne - Federation Square

Melbourne - Yarra River bank

Melbourne - Cityscape

Melbourne - Flinders Street Station

Melbourne - The Block Arcade

Melbourne - St Paul's Cathedral

Melbourne - Carlton Garden - Royal Exhibition Building

Melbourne - Fitzroy Gardens

Melbourne - Fitzroy Gardens - Cook's Cottage

Melbourne - Yarra Valley - Vineyard

D4 (May 4) Melbourne - Apollo Bay 190 km

Visit: Great Ocean Road: a winding coastal highway nearly 300 km long, officially opened as a national park to tourists in the early 1980s, the most famous self-driving route in Australia, and one of the best tourist viewing spots globally, with quiet beaches, lush rainforests, magnificent waterfalls, and world-famous "12 Apostles"; Split Point Lighthouse Tours; Eagle Rock; Gate (Great Ocean Road); Apollo Bay: located in the middle section of the Great Ocean Road, offering excellent views of the vast bay

Stay: Apollo Bay Apollo Bay Waterfront Motor Inn two-bedroom apartment (50 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

D5 (May 5) Apollo Bay - Port Campbell 90 km

Visit (Great Ocean Road Day 2): Great Otway National Park; Cape Otway Lightstation: the eucalyptus forest along the road has many lovely wild koalas; Gibson Steps; 12 Apostles: the most iconic landscape on the Great Ocean Road, sedimentary rock formations composed of 12 uniquely shaped individual rocks, resembling human facial profiles from afar, hence the name; Loch Ard Gorge; The Arch; London Bridge: not actually a bridge, but a naturally formed sea-eroded cliffscape, with surging waves passing underneath carving huge arch-shaped holes, creating a spectacular sight

Stay: Port Campbell Southern Ocean Villas luxury villa (99 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

D6 (May 6) Port Campbell - Canberra 880 km

Visit: Scenery along the way

Stay: Canberra BreakFree Capital Tower Apartments two-bedroom lakefront apartment (109 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Gate

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Apollo Bay - Eagle Rock

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Apollo Bay - Split Point Lighthouse

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - Gibson Steps

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - London Bridge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - Loch Ard Gorge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - London Bridge

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell National Park - 12 Apostles

Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Great Otway National Park - Wild Koala

D7 (May 7) Canberra - Sydney 290 km

Visit: Parliament House: a world-renowned building; Lake Burley Griffin: located between Capital Hill and Mount Ainslie, a symbol of Australia's capital Canberra

Stay: Sydney Meriton Serviced Apartments Zetland two-bedroom apartment (82 sqm), paid parking, free WiFi

D8 (May 8) Sydney

Visit: Sydney Harbour Bridge: an early representative building of Sydney, known as the world's largest single-span arch bridge; Mrs Macquarie's Chair: a must-visit for tourists in Australia, the best spot to view the Sydney Opera House; Sydney Opera House: not only the cultural殿堂 of Sydney but also the soul of Sydney, recognized as one of the 20th century's top ten world wonders, this white building stunning under the blue sky and sea; Martin Place; Queen Victoria Building: Sydney's largest shopping center, on the second floor you can also see the unique Royal Clock and other rare historical collections; Pitt Street Mall; Hyde Park; St Mary's Cathedral: located east of the Hyde Park musical fountain, a magnificent Gothic Revival cathedral; Royal Botanic Gardens: besides a dazzling collection of plants from around the world, it's a great place to view the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge; Watch a symphony concert at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

D9 (May 9) Sydney

Visit: Darling Harbour: composed of port docks, green spaces, water features, and various building complexes, the most vibrant tourism and shopping center in Sydney; Sydney Fish Market: Sydney's largest fish market, selling various freshly caught seafood

Canberra - Parliament House

Canberra - Suburban scenery

Sydney - Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney - Sydney Opera House

Sydney - Cityscape

Sydney - St Mary's Cathedral

Queen Victoria Building

Sydney - Fitzroy Gardens - Conservatory of Plants

Sydney - Cityscape - Night view

D10 (May 10) Sydney - Grafton 640 km

Visit: Scenery along the way

Stay: Grafton Clarence River Bed & Breakfast three-bedroom cottage (approx. 120 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

D11 (May 11) Grafton - Gold Coast 250 km

Visit: Surfer's Paradise Beach: almost as famous as the Gold Coast itself, a must-visit spot for tourists, with endless golden beaches and excellent surfing conditions, combined with luxurious seaside apartments and stores, forming a perfect paradise; Stroll around the city and streets

Stay: Gold Coast Meriton Serviced Apartments Broadbeach sea-view two-bedroom apartment (99 sqm), paid parking, paid WiFi

D12 (May 12) Gold Coast - Brisbane 85 km

Visit: Coolangatta Beach: charming beach, clear surfing waters, and bustling shopping area make it an ideal travel destination; Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: the only place in Australia where you can hug a koala, and the largest koala reserve in the world

Stay: Brisbane The Summit Apartments Brisbane two-bedroom apartment (75 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

Grafton - Bed and Breakfast

Grafton - Scenery along the way

Gold Coast - Scenery along the way

Gold Coast - Coolangatta Beach

Gold Coast - Surfer's Paradise Beach

Gold Coast - Suburban scenery

Brisbane - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - Koala

Brisbane - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Brisbane - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - Kangaroo

D13 (May 13) Brisbane - Cairns

Visit: South Bank Parklands: site of the 1988 World Expo in Australia, later converted into a waterfront park

Complete car return procedures

Virgin Australia flight VA791 16:50-19:20 from Brisbane to Cairns (about 2.5 hours)

After arriving in Cairns, complete car rental procedures again

Stay: Cairns Mantra Esplanade city-view two-bedroom apartment (95 sqm), free parking, free WiFi

D14 (May 14) Cairns

Visit: Port Douglas: a place combining ocean, tropical rainforest, and desert, picturesque and serene, with unique scenery attracting many travelers; Shopping and wandering

D15 (May 15) Cairns - Great Barrier Reef

Visit: Great Barrier Reef: one of the seven natural wonders of the world, a World Natural Heritage site, the world's largest and longest coral reef system, stretching along the northeast coast of Australia, a natural landscape Australians are most proud of, also known as the "transparent clear sea wild kingdom"; Outer reef day trip: Moore Reef, snorkeling, underwater walking

D16 (May 16) Cairns - Hong Kong - Shenzhen - Shantou

Visit: Stroll around Cairns

Complete car return procedures

Cathay Pacific flight CX146 12:45-17:55 from Cairns to Hong Kong (direct flight, about 7 hours, including time difference)

Hong Kong - Shenzhen - Shantou

Brisbane - South Bank Parklands

Cairns - Port Douglas

Cairns - Kuranda

Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Moore Reef

Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Moore Reef - Snorkeling

Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Moore Reef - Instructions for underwater walking

Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Moore Reef - Underwater walking