4-Person 14-Day Self-Guided Tour of Australia
Preface: Let me introduce the four of us—two couples. We got our passports a year in advance. The visa for Australia was applied for by ourselves, filling out the materials, submitting salary slips, property deed, passport, driver's license, and itinerary. The visa we got allows 6 entries within a year, each stay of up to 3 months. The visa is a piece of paper; we printed 3 copies each and brought it on the plane. No one asked to see it. We bought 4 Australian SIM cards with 10GB of data from a Chinese online store, and they also gave us a guide for filling out the arrival declaration form on the plane. We brought one pack of cold medicine and declared it truthfully. After landing, customs checked the declaration form and asked, and we answered honestly. One of us had to return 3 days early due to insufficient vacation days, and we wrote that truthfully too. The customs officer just said, "Unlucky~"
I. Fly from Beijing to Melbourne
In February 2019, we bought tickets from Beijing, China to Melbourne, Australia—Malaysia Airlines, about 1,400 RMB per person. Depart from Beijing at 23:00, arrive in Malaysia at 7:00 AM for a transfer, then to Melbourne (land at 9:30 PM Australian time). I don't remember the exact details; the itinerary is lost. Ctrip's orders can't be searched for more than a year ago, which seems like a bug.
II. Check into Discovery Parks Melbourne
We booked Discovery Parks Melbourne in advance. Since we arrived at 10 PM local time, we emailed the hotel from Beijing to inform them of our late arrival. We took an Uber from Melbourne Airport to the hotel, costing 418.60 RMB (it's actually a park with many standalone single-story "villas"). There was no guard at the park entrance; we called to communicate for a long time before finding the key. There was a mailbox under the window of their office, and after being given the code, I opened it. Inside was an envelope with my name, containing the key and check-in rules. The supermarket next to the park was still open, so we bought some food. The hotel allowed self-cooking; we had fried eggs for dinner and steak the next day. While we were washing dishes and folding blankets, around 10 AM, the staff knocked on the door to remind us it was time to check out.
After packing, we went to the RV base to pick up our motorhome. The four of us carried two backpacks and pulled two small suitcases. On the way, a foreign girl voluntarily gave way to us and gave a thumbs-up, which means "okay, no problem" there, not a compliment. The feeling in Australia is courtesy—cars yield to pedestrians, unlike in China where people yield to cars. During our 10 days in Melbourne and Cairns, cars always yielded to people. But the last two days in Sydney, it was like being back in Beijing—people yielding to cars, lots of people and cars. I think it's about pace of life; maybe in Chengdu, cars yield to people too. I'll find out when I go next year or the year after.
II. Melbourne RV Trip
The RV was booked on May 6, 2019, through the WeChat public account "RV Nation," a Mighty for 6 people. We arrived at the pickup location at 11 AM: Central West Business Park, Building 2 / 9, Ashley Street, Braybrook, Melbourne, VIC, 3019, Australia. There was Chinese service. We bought express return and driving insurance. I recommend both insurances because on the day we returned the RV, it rained in Melbourne city. Traffic was heavy, roads were slippery, and the left door of our RV hit a small truck. The truck driver took us to the side to sort it out. I called insurance, but the operator was Chinese and only spoke Cantonese. I couldn't understand, so he switched to English. He asked us to take photos of the damage and the other driver's license. We then went back to the RV base. The lady from before was still there; we left the RV and walked away. No further deductions from the credit card. Lucky. Also, RV Nation translated two driver's licenses for free, but only one of us was an experienced driver (2 years of driving). Before departure, all our mothers specifically told the driver to be careful. Well, the young man has his own ideas. Oh, and in Australia, due to historical reasons, the driver's seat is on the right, while in China it's on the left. After getting the RV, please test drive it in the yard until you're familiar enough before driving out.
II. Road Trip Around the Great Ocean Road (June 1, 11 AM to June 3, 3 PM)
Download Google Maps in advance; it works well for navigation in Australia, with accurate information on nearby gas stations, shops, restaurants, etc.
On the 1st, during the day, we drove the RV to the supermarket and bought a lot of food: a case of bottled water, a big pack of toilet paper, steak, eggs, MasterFoods BBQ sauce, bread, cake, bananas, and 2 cartons of milk. The exchange rate then was 1:4.96, relatively expensive. Meat, eggs, and milk in Australia are relatively cheap, but vegetables are expensive. Even on sale, tomatoes cost about 20 RMB per jin (500g).
The RV had water, gas, a bathroom, and beds. It rained almost constantly on the Great Ocean Road from the 1st to the 3rd. We ate and slept in the RV. We initially planned to stay at an RV park for one night to refill water and empty the toilet, but it was expensive, and we only saw one RV park along the way.
At night, we stayed near a pub. There was a pier with a beach below—lots of seaweed on the sand. People were fishing from the pier, catching very large ocean fish.
On the 2nd, during the day, we went to Great Ocean Rd & Booringa Rd, Princetown VIC 3269, the Twelve Apostles. It was still raining, temperature around 13-15°C, very windy. Umbrellas were useless. White seabirds were everywhere; they were quite scary when close, especially when flapping their wings before taking off, as if they were about to snatch my bread.
Around 3 PM on the 2nd, we drove the RV onto a large ferry. Up one level was a cabin with a bar selling coffee, bread, etc. We spent 10 AUD on a coffee (the size of a disposable cup in China) and 15 AUD each on four sandwiches. Then we went up another level to the deck. It was drizzling, and even in sweaters and windbreakers, it was a bit cold. Around 5 PM, we arrived at an island hot spring—Peninsula Hot Springs in Mornington (address: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria). The entrance fee was 184 RMB per person. The whole hill was hot springs; there was a smell of mountain rock distilled water. Lots of people. Despite the rain, many people in swimsuits were looking for pools. It wasn't cold in the water, but getting out was freezing. Luckily, we rented bathrobes (here's the English you need: "I want to rent 4 robes, credit card, thank you." My mind went blank, and I said, "I want 4 pieces of white cloth," pointing at the robes. They understood, hahaha). We returned to the RV around 10 PM and slept. The rain that night was weird: 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, repeating all night. We didn't sleep well.
On the 3rd, we had breakfast at 7 AM and drove back to Melbourne to return the RV. As mentioned earlier, it rained, we crashed, we panicked, but everything ended fine. We took an Uber to a local's house near the airport, preparing to fly to Cairns the next morning. I usually compare prices on different booking sites for the same room type and book where it's cheaper. This was a two-story villa, very large, costing about 600+ RMB. The host and her husband lived downstairs; we had two bedrooms upstairs. We went out for dinner and returned around 9 PM. There were few people on the street, maybe because of the drizzle. I suggest not going to Melbourne in early June; it's the transition from summer to autumn, damp and cold. As a northerner, I dislike this weather.
On the 4th, we took a taxi to Melbourne Airport at 6 AM and ate at McDonald's. Not too crowded; hot coffee warmed us up. The flight tickets were about 300-400 RMB each; I can't find the transaction record.
On the 4th, Cairns had weather over 20°C, perfect for shorts, T-shirts, and skirts. I love this weather. At 11 AM, we checked into Rainbow Resort Cairns, booked in advance, costing about 500-600 RMB per night. For four people, it was very cheap. In the afternoon, we went swimming in the lagoon. Birds are not afraid of people; they eat bread when offered. We then strolled around town. Cairns has a DFS duty-free store. I bought a luxury bag, 2,000 RMB cheaper than in China. The staff told me that when leaving Australia and going through customs, I should carry the bag and show the invoice to the officer, then either check it in or carry it on board. She was right!
On the 5th, we had tickets for the Big Cat catamaran. The two men went snorkeling at Green Island Great Barrier Reef, while we two women joined the glass-bottom boat tour to see fish. Then we watched the guys snorkeling from the beach. The sun was very strong; without sunglasses, the silver sand was dazzling. One used his own snorkeling gear, which worked well and prevented swallowing seawater. The other rented gear on the Big Cat, which was hard to use; he swallowed a lot of water in a few minutes. On the beach, there was a group of Korean middle school students on a summer camp. The teacher taught them how to snorkel, but once in the water, they started splashing and playing noisily; no one seemed to go snorkeling. Note: Do not feed the "ground chickens" (bush chickens) in the forest on the island; they will chase you in groups for food. These gray-black birds walk on the ground constantly; you might accidentally step on them. Also, don't feed the white seagulls on the beach. You might imagine a beautiful scene with blue sea, white sand, and feeding the birds, but in reality, one piece of bread leads to several seagulls fighting over it, and some will even dive at your bread. Quite scary. We saw a green monitor lizard, about 80 cm long. It was still, and we didn't dare move. It was our first encounter with a live one; we didn't know what to do. After about 5 minutes of stalemate, it went the other way. Thank heavens.
On the 6th, Kuranda trip. We set off at 9 AM and decided to rent a car to explore farther out from Cairns. There were many car rental shops near the hotel. We chose a cheaper one, WICKED CAMPERS. Their cars were covered in graffiti, and the roof had cooking utensils—pots, pans, etc. But we didn't use them; too lazy to wash.
At this rental shop, we only saw two people: a Chinese man who was a mechanic and an Australian girl handling payments and registration. I went inside with the girl to pay and sign. She was enthusiastic. She photocopied my credit card and translated driver's license, and had me sign. She told me there was a mileage limit, and exceeding it would cost extra. The gas tank was filled to 20%, so we needed to return it with 20% remaining. She also said if we returned late, we could park outside the yard and drop the key into a metal pipe that led to a locked box.
The driver chatted with the Chinese man outside. We learned he used to work in Cape Town, Africa, then returned to China for 2 years but couldn't adapt, so he came to Australia. He got a work invitation and a visa, working while learning English. His rent was 130 AUD per week; our hotel was 120 AUD per night. He usually got up early on Mondays to go to the docks, where fishermen sold fresh catch at about 70% of supermarket prices. Once he passed the English exam, he could apply for permanent residency. I wasn't that interested, so I didn't pay close attention. If you want to live and work in Australia, you can look it up. Policies change often, but English skills are important everywhere—more skills don't hurt.
We drove to Kuranda Village (address: Kuranda Village, Kuranda QLD 4881). We visited a koala zoo, a kangaroo park, a butterfly house, a parrot garden, and saw the train (126-144 Bunda St, Cairns City QLD 4870). At the koala zoo, holding a koala for a photo cost extra, and the koalas were not very clean. We had been eager to hold one before entering, but once inside, we lost that idea. They were all sleeping in trees; we didn't want to disturb them. The kangaroos in the park were very relaxed and unafraid. One was lying down in a very seductive pose. Some people bought food to feed them, and the kangaroos even rejected it, haha. The butterfly house had a decent variety, but since I grew up in the mountains and often saw butterflies, it wasn't that new. There were no rare species here. The parrot garden: imagine being in a small forest, with 10% of the space taken by visitors, 50% by trees, water, and paths, and 30% by colorful parrots. They had plenty of food, so you didn't need to buy feed. Some people put birdseed in their palms, and friendly parrots would land on their arms to eat, fluttering their large wings over their heads. Honestly, that feeling was on the edge of whether the birds would attack or not. I'm a bit scared of flying things.
A Chinese girl flew a drone over Barron Falls. There was little water; maybe the rainy season hadn't started. On the way back to Cairns, we stopped at the harbor. They wanted to see if there were any fish. Shortly after getting out, it started drizzling. The beach had a concrete pier, probably for kayaks to slide into the sea. In the water, there were many thumb-sized crabs running in groups; we couldn't catch them. There was an elderly couple traveling around Australia, living in their car, which was the same size as ours. We could see a tent and cooking utensils inside. The rain intensified, and we ran back to the car. We returned to Cairns around 7 PM. Since the parking lot closed at 5 PM, we parked outside the yard. Near the DFS duty-free store in Cairns, there was a large food court with many self-service options: 20 AUD or 15 AUD for self-serve. We wandered for a long time and finally got fish-fragrant shredded pork rice! As long as you could stack braised pork on top, you could pile it high. The satisfaction was indescribable. On the 6th, discovering this food court was the best, most comfortable meal we had on Australian soil!
On the 7th, Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation trip. We went back to the rental shop in the morning. We rented the car from 9 AM on the 7th until 11 AM on the 11th. We drove north of Cairns again, with light rain along the way. We stopped for 20 minutes at a rest area near a ferry to look at a river and use the toilet. Then we drove about 10 minutes to the ferry payment point: 20 AUD one-way, 38 AUD round trip. We had to return before 4 PM, or the ticket would expire. They asked where we were from and gave us a paper map in both Chinese and English—lots of Chinese tourists go there. We waited 10 minutes, then drove onto the ferry (a wide river with cables connecting both sides; the ferry was like a platform attached to the cables). Soon after entering the mountains, it started raining. The rainforest was very green, with moderate light. There were quite a few cars, both ahead and behind. Locals would overtake when appropriate. Once in the Daintree Rainforest, there were very few cars—maybe one every 10 minutes. At one spot, there was a big billboard for "Daintree Rainforest." We parked there. A river ran under a bridge; two people went down to touch the water, basically just looking. Following the billboard up the mountain path, I thought there would be restaurants, but we only saw a fenced cottage that had an owner—we saw a car drive up and someone enter. We went back to the car and continued north. We stopped at Cape Tribulation and walked into a forest with many treehouses. It just happened that a group of foreign middle school students were checking in. Honestly, in that damp, dark environment, I would hate to stay even one night. We walked along a path to the beach—white sand, no one else. The four of us walked along the beach for a long time. They wanted to catch fish and shrimp; I just admired the scenery. There were many crab tracks in the sand. A small stream flowed from the forest through the beach into the sea. The water was clear with many cobblestones. Two Australian girls came over barefoot; the sand and water were quite cold. After half an hour on the beach, we left because it started drizzling again! There were many coconut trees, and some boys were vigorously smashing coconuts. I asked for a piece and tried it—tasted just okay, not better than in China. We drove down the mountain back to Cairns. It rained most of the way. Some areas had no signal, but luckily the driver remembered the road. There weren't many cars, but it was very dark, and some roads were narrow. Since the driver's seat is on the opposite side, we drove slowly. A few cars behind us must have been frustrated; they zoomed past when they could overtake, disappearing in a flash. Our driver and navigator burst out laughing, waking us up in the back.
Near Cairns, it stopped raining. I must mention the Vietnamese noodle shop near Cairns DFS. If you search Google Maps for food, you'll find it—13 AUD a bowl. We ate there twice. The noodles were good, and the chili sauce was outstanding. We ended up back at the Chinese buffet food court. There were many restaurants on that street, but we really craved Chinese food. During that week, we mostly ate hamburgers, bread, steak, fried eggs, homemade rice porridge, boiled corn, tomato salad, pizza, fries, and drank a lot of milk, cola, and water. Also, four bottles of red wine. We bought a lot of snacks from the supermarket, still fast food, because we were about to travel far!
On the 8th, one team member went solo. The remaining three drove to Airlie Beach. Our teammate had to return early due to work holidays, so he went to Sydney on his own, starting a journey of wandering, visiting, and going back home:
He went to the lagoon, where fishing boats were. Going out to sea on a fishing boat was his dream. Lucky for him, he found a boat that took him out for half a day, costing 600 RMB. The foreigner even bought him local beer. They didn't catch any fish. With him were a group of Taiwanese people working in Sydney, vacationing in Cairns. His flight was at 18:45 to Sydney, so the captain made sure to return early. The foreigner was quite hospitable. He booked his hotel in Sydney himself, slept one night, then went out the next morning (9th) to find another fishing boat. This time he caught two fish. In the afternoon, he took them to his elementary school friend's place, and then went straight to the airport for the return flight to Beijing. He carried just a backpack and moved freely. When traveling, he never brings too much stuff.
At 8 AM on the 8th, we three drove to Airlie Beach. We headed south from Cairns on the Bruce Highway. We stopped to refuel a few times, swiping credit cards and paying with cash. Our goal was to spend all 2,000 AUD we brought to Australia and not take any home. There weren't many cars on the road. There were roadworks, and we saw several women holding signs saying "Slow Down, Roadwork Ahead." Gas stations were usually near small towns. In one town, there were almost no people on the streets; in the park, we could see two or three people playing. Leaving the town, we saw a plot of land full of flowers—lots of pink and white. Only on closer look did we realize it was a cemetery. Each grave was small, very close together, with neat little headstones and flowers beside them. It was our first time seeing such a place; it felt very warm. (Forgive me; I've seen many cemeteries in "The Vampire Diaries," not like ordinary American ones or witch gathering places. I've never visited the expensive cemeteries in China; our ancestors had land in the mountains with large tombs and pine trees.)
On stretches with no cars, we went fast. There were many dead pigs, kangaroos, and birds on the roadside. We passed several farms. We saw few kangaroos, but many cows. We booked a hotel in Airlie Beach online, comparing prices on different platforms because some have subsidies. The hotel was Whitsunday on The Beach Airlie Beach (address: 269 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach, Queensland, 4802, Australia). It had three beds, a bathroom, a fridge, and kitchen supplies. There was a pool behind the hotel, and many shops and restaurants around.
At 3 PM, we were still speeding on the Bruce Highway when we got a call from the hotel asking when we would arrive. I said 6 PM, and they said "See you later" and hung up. Then I immediately received a text with the door code and the key's mailbox code. After our experience at Discovery Parks, this was a piece of cake.
The driver was going quite fast. When we arrived at 5 PM, we saw the sunset spreading over the sea, a large area of white sailboats in the bay, and white seabirds flying with the wind—it looked like a movie scene. We dropped our luggage and looked for a place to eat, getting familiar with the surroundings. Three travel agencies were already closed. We strolled to the seaside. There was a wedding party at a beachfront pub; the bride wore a crown and a sash that said "Bride to be." It was our first time seeing this type of foreign wedding celebration. Usually, I just buy such accessories for my clients.
On the beach, a couple was taking wedding photos against the backdrop of the sea, sailboats, seabirds, and sunset. Even with my Honor 10 phone, the photos looked like blockbusters.
On the 9th, beach free time. In the morning, we bought breakfast at the corner McDonald's. Then a travel agency opened. We booked a fishing trip for the driver (the guy who was our designated driver). If he caught fish, he could bring them to a restaurant to have them cooked for a fee. He left at 1 PM, costing 500+ RMB. In the morning, we wandered around the hotel, went to the dock, played in the sea, and rested while waiting to send off the driver. The driver's English was at junior high level. Before he boarded, I told him there would be afternoon tea on the boat, as stated on the ticket. We two went to the supermarket to buy snacks for the next day's trip. We also spent some time in the pool. Around 5 PM, the driver returned. The fish we were hoping for didn't come back with him; he didn't catch any. Out of 15 people on the boat, only two crew members caught fish. So we went out to find a restaurant. About 400 meters from the hotel, there was a pizza takeaway shop with many customers. We ordered two pizzas—they were really, really good. The driver told us about his afternoon: no fish, even in deep water. The crew fed the fish with big prawns. He said he even wanted to compete with the fish for food (pathetic~). He ran out of water and remembered that afternoon tea was offered. He saw a foreigner take some food from the boat's fridge, so he thought it was self-serve. He opened a can of beer. A foreigner in his 40s or 50s looked at him in surprise. He said, "You want?" The foreigner said something the driver didn't understand (he didn't study English well in junior high, and Australian English is also different from what we usually learn). I specifically made him download the Youdao Dictionary app earlier—it can convert spoken Chinese to English audio. Good thing I was foresighted. He said he was lucky he downloaded it. Eventually, he understood: the old man just followed the boat to fish for fun, and the beer was his own stored in the fridge. The boat's afternoon tea was water and cookies. We laughed for a long time. The driver said at that moment he was stunned, thinking the old man wanted to take his beer, and he thought, "I'll just hand him another one."
On the 10th, Whitsundays Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet day trip. The three of us on a speedboat like the one in the picture, but we weren't as spectacular. My feeling: the seawater hitting my body was sticky and very uncomfortable. I really wished I didn't have bangs and had a headband—hair whipping around my face was annoying.
We bought the tour on Ctrip; you can check details there. A shuttle bus picked us up from the hotel to the marina—not far; we had walked there the day before. At the marina, there were some shops. We got off, checked in via self-service registration. The guide advised anyone snorkeling to rent wetsuits because the water was cold. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at a bay. Those snorkeling got off one by one (they had changed into wetsuits before boarding, with their clothes in bags stored under the seats). There were only two crew members: a male driver and a female assistant who also explained about the wealthy islands and such. The female was Chinese; she explained first in English and then in Chinese. Very nice. On the boat was a family of four: grandmother, son, daughter-in-law, and a baby under 2 years old. The wind was strong; the father held the baby the whole time, and the baby didn't cry. They were from Germany—tough! Also on board was a Chinese girl studying in Sydney. Her summer vacation had started and her lease had ended, so she was traveling with her luggage, planning to return to Sydney after a few days. She studied AI technology and wanted to open an AI robot shop back in China. I wish her success.
Whitehaven Beach has white sand—very white, blindingly so. You must wear sunglasses, or you'll feel like you're going blind. Wear bright-colored dresses for great photos. There is a unique blue-purple crab the size of a fingernail that walks straight (unlike regular crabs that walk sideways). They were in groups in the sand rivers—when disturbed by people, they burrow into the sand.
Then we went to another island and got off (I wasn't sure if the meal was included with the ticket or needed to be ordered separately). After getting off, we sat in a pavilion and ate the bread we brought, went swimming. The water was very, very clear; you could see the sand rising and falling with the waves. Others ate on the boat, Australian-style cooking.
On the return trip, the captain showed off with acceleration and S-curve drifts—thrilling. Even though we held onto the boat, our bottoms left the seats. Luckily, my brother-in-law grabbed me. Thank heavens. Everyone on the boat cheered. My inner thought: I can't swim; good thing I didn't fall off...
I highly recommend a Mexican shop near our hotel: Kebab Mia & Pizza (Kebab Mia & Pizza), which sells fries, pizza (sold by the slice, cut into 10 pieces), chicken nuggets, and burgers. You must get the fries—they are amazing, thick-cut, not the thin ones from KFC or McDonald's. $5 for a small portion (enough for one person), $8 for a large (enough for two). This is mid-to-low price for travel food. If you don't know what to eat, open Google Maps, search for food, read reviews (like Baidu Maps), and choose 4-star places—fairly reliable.
On the 11th, back to Cairns. We packed up the hotel, loaded the fridge contents (milk, cola, bread) into the car, and left Airlie Beach at 7:30 AM. We booked a room at Rainbow Resort on the way. We drove fast because there were few cars. Only stopped three times. The driver, 190 cm tall, found driving a car shaped like an Audi A6 quite painful for his legs. No choice; SUVs burn more gas and rent is expensive. We arrived at Rainbow Resort at 2 PM, checked in, took our luggage to the second floor, and returned the rental car. Then we wondered if the rental company knew we had exceeded the mileage limit. Actually, they did—see the bill below (an extra 70.25 AUD).
On the 12th, we flew from Cairns to Sydney. We checked out around 7 AM, took an Uber to Cairns Airport. There was a luggage scale; our luggage was slightly overweight. Cairns was about 24°C, Sydney about 20°C, so we threw away some thick clothes and half-eaten MasterFoods BBQ sauce. Compared to checked baggage fees, it was wise to discard unnecessary items.
In Sydney, we stayed at Sydney Hotel CBD (88 Liverpool St, Sydney, Darling Harbour area, NSW 2000). After dropping our luggage, we went out. Across the street, there was a Mexican shop, Kebab Mia & Pizza, similar to the one in Cairns. We bought pizza, burgers, and fries. At the corner, there was a big supermarket; we bought cola and had a wonderful meal together. After an hour's rest, we went for a stroll. Our main purpose in Sydney was shopping; we originally planned to buy a lot. The biggest impression of Sydney was the number of people—comparable to Beijing, with an Asian-to-European face ratio of about 1:3. There were many cars; I didn't see cars yielding to pedestrians. After walking 5 minutes, we found a big supermarket at a corner and bought some chocolates, coffee, and other snacks for colleagues back home. Then we went to Chemist Warehouse and bought some Swisse calcium tablets, DHA, etc., mainly checking the exchange rate and promotions. If cheaper than in China, we bought; if more expensive, we skipped. Items bought at CW are eligible for tax refund, so keep the receipts.
On the 13th, went to the outlet. I suggest everyone skip this part. I'll briefly explain: taxis are expensive in Australia (actually the same price as in China, but in AUD, so the same distance that costs 60 RMB in China costs 60 AUD x 5 = 300 RMB for an Uber). My research might have been off. We planned to walk, thinking it would take an hour, but it didn't. We started from the CBD hotel, walked through Darling Harbour, across the Harbour Bridge, and that day we took 50,000 steps. Then we realized we were going in the wrong direction, so we took a taxi. The driver said we were correct initially but went off track. At the outlet, we only bought shoes. My friend who wanted a bag didn't buy because she was in a bad mood; I was exhausted. We took a taxi back to the hotel, dropped off our stuff. Nearby was the University of Sydney, and we found a Chinese restaurant. We bought fish-fragrant shredded pork rice, kung pao chicken rice, and a bowl of lamian noodles. We wandered around a bit and went to sleep—too tired.
On the 14th, we woke up late and wandered around the neighborhood. When I booked the hotel, I knew it was on Sydney's second most prosperous commercial street, with many duty-free shops nearby, not too far from the Sydney Opera House. On the 14th, on George Street, I bought a necklace and a bracelet at Pandora, kept the receipt for tax refund at the airport. At the DFS duty-free store at 155 George Street, I bought a Gucci bag and some Clarins skincare products. I must explain about duty-free goods. If you're going to buy duty-free in Australia, read carefully. First, we bought the Gucci bag, charged 1,500 AUD. The staff, a Chinese person, put the bag in a black-edged sealed transparent bag along with the invoice, and told us to show the invoice to customs for a stamp, then we could take it on the plane without checking it. The Clarins products were handled similarly. But here's the weird part: In September, I received a text from Bank of China credit card saying DFS needed to collect tax from me. I called customer service, and the Beijing branch replied. They said this happens often. Apparently, after getting customs stamp, you need to put the invoice in a collection box, so DFS knows you left Australia. The bank then checked with the Australian partner bank, which took three months. In December, they sent me two forms to fill out, print, sign, and email back. The deduction in September was just a hold; I didn't need to pay it. After December, the hold was canceled. My question: We bought two different duty-free goods at different DFS counters, but only the bag required tax supplement, not the skincare products. Strange! I will never go to that store again—terrible!
After DFS, we went to the pier to see the Sydney Opera House and the light show on nearby buildings. We strolled for a while and returned to the hotel. We had to catch an early flight the next day. Finally time to go home.
On the 15th, we packed, threw away everything we didn't need, cleaned the room, and put trash aside. Each of us had a 20-inch carry-on suitcase filled with Australian health products, coffee, chocolates, etc. Clothes took up only a small space. We took a taxi to the airport in the morning. There was traffic, but luckily we left early, arriving 3 hours ahead. Then we went for tax refund. Many people gave up due to time constraints. We had downloaded the app and entered the amounts in advance, so customs just checked the receipts against their system—fairly quick. Our suitcases were small, so they didn't ask to open them.
We had a layover. On the Sydney to Fuzhou flight, we could watch TV shows and play games. I watched 10 episodes of "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace." Due to air traffic control at Beijing Capital Airport, we waited in Fuzhou for an extra 3 hours. We arrived home after 2 AM.
This 14-day trip cost about 16,000 RMB per person for food, accommodation, and activities. We visited most of Australia's famous attractions, but June isn't a good time. I recommend not going to these places in the Australian autumn. Bring a credit card; some banks have promotions. Although Australia accepts WeChat Pay and Alipay, the exchange rate is not controllable. I have credit cards from China Merchants Bank, CITIC, Bank of Communications, and Bank of China. I compared and chose Bank of China because it had a 10% rebate on overseas spending. I signed up and actually got the rebate.
I have a friend in Singapore with a boat; you can go fishing with him~
