Returning from the Waves, Unforgettable Blue Sky, White Clouds, and Ocean...! — Documentary of a Self-Drive Tour in Australia 2019 (Part 1)
There are many, many reasons to go to Australia!
To see the unique Great Barrier Reef, to see the world's largest rock Uluru, to feel the sea breeze at the Great Ocean Road!
To feed kangaroos, hug koalas, ride ponies, and shear sheep!
To watch a performance at the Sydney Opera House, to surf at the Gold Coast!
.........
Besides these reasons, I have an even more important reason: to accompany my little princess on a journey across the world! Haha, this reason is grand enough, right!
Australia, the only country in the world that occupies an entire continent, with a sparse population, abundant resources, and a beautiful environment, is deeply loved by people. During the 2019 Chinese New Year, we finally set foot on this magical land. Along the way, the blue sky, white clouds, and ocean were breathtakingly beautiful!
For this trip, we started planning six months in advance, making lists for visas, hotel bookings, route planning, attraction selection, self-driving precautions, etc., and finally compiled a detailed travel guide.
No matter how thorough your plan is, there will always be a gap between reality and the plan. As we set off, various awkward situations kept occurring. Let's treat these as the anecdotes of the journey.
Confused flight cancellation: On Hamilton Island, heavy rain caused the flight to be canceled. Based on domestic experience, the airline would handle accommodation, meals, and rebooking, but in Australia, the airline only gave a cancellation notice and nothing else. Faced with all hotels on the island being fully booked, our broken English completely failed us. Fortunately, we met a female English teacher from the same city who helped us resolve the situation smoothly.
Circling Google Navigation: From Jervis Bay to Sydney, we arrived in Sydney at 5 PM. According to the navigation, there were still 30 minutes to the Circular Quay Marriott Hotel. Due to road reconstruction in Sydney, the main road to the Marriott was closed. The navigation kept taking us around the hotel; we could see it but couldn't reach it. We were anxious, and then it started raining heavily, testing our spirits. During the search, we asked several people, but with poor English, it was like talking to a brick wall. We couldn't find the hotel. So we had to park the car, call an Uber, and get taken to the hotel. It turned out there was a small path from the building where we parked that led directly to the Marriott. We spent an extra 85 Australian dollars, and after 4 hours, we finally arrived at the hotel at 9 PM.
There were also moments like not finding the fuel tank switch, not reading the landlord's email and not finding the Airbnb, being too clever and taking a wrong road without navigation and almost crashing... Of course, these confusing stories will be helpful for future travels.
The twenty-plus-day journey was generally smooth, with a few experiences worth sharing:
1. Hotel booking: Usually compare on Ctrip and booking.com. Overall, Ctrip has better prices, but booking.com does not require any payment for reservations. For Airbnb, be sure to read the landlord's email; they will tell you how to find the place and check in.
2. Flights: We ordered tickets six months in advance, but later found the prices were even cheaper. For domestic Australian flights, sometimes direct flights are cheaper than connecting ones. For example, flying from Hamilton Island to Melbourne, a direct flight was cheaper.
3. Car rental: Renting from a big company ensures good car condition, convenient pickup and return, and there are Chinese service staff for easier communication. When picking up the car, learn about the car's various features as much as possible.
4. Self-driving: Road conditions in Australia are worse than in China, with narrow roads, and some highways have only two lanes in one direction, but Australians drive fast. The right-hand drive felt a bit unfamiliar at first. Just remember: the driver's seat is always on the road's center line, ensuring you won't drive on the wrong side.
5. Clothing: Although February in Australia is summer, some places are quite cold. For example, on the Great Ocean Road, after sunset, when the wind blows, it is very cold. Wearing a down jacket in summer is normal, so bringing one or two thick clothes to the Great Ocean Road is necessary.
Hamilton Island is known as the "Heart of the Great Barrier Reef." If you want to see the Great Barrier Reef, this is the first choice! It is said that the famous heart-shaped reef symbolizes love; proposing here greatly increases your chances of success!
Hamilton Island is located in Queensland, Australia, and is an ideal holiday island. With its good climate, azure waters, beautiful beaches, desirable coral reefs, charming flora and fauna, exquisite food and wine, and rich water activities, it offers an unprecedented vacation experience.
With beautiful expectations, we faced the sunrise, pierced through clouds and fog, and arrived smoothly at Hamilton Island. Following the four-day, three-night vacation product guide, we easily boarded the hotel bus and began our four-day, three-night holiday.
We stayed at the Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Island. The beach is right in front of the hotel. The hotel has three restaurants. For breakfast, you can choose any one; lunch and dinner require advance booking. The hotel also has a swimming pool, gym, and offers various water activity bookings.
After checking into the hotel, we took the free island shuttle bus to the marina. This is the center for shopping, dining, and various sea activities on the island. The marina's seawater is azure, yachts are gathered, the hills are lush with trees, and there are few pedestrians on the streets—a leisurely and lazy living picture.
The next day, the sun shone brightly, the sky was crystal clear without a trace of dark clouds. After a lazy breakfast, we wandered for about ten minutes in the small zoo next to the restaurant. It was called a zoo but had only a dozen or so small animals. At noon, we set off for Whitehaven Beach. The boat was very stable, a 30-minute trip. The boat provided drinking water, one-piece swimsuits (to prevent jellyfish stings), and tents (for shade and changing on the beach), and snacks and tea on the return.
Whitehaven Beach is indeed the most beautiful beach in Australia, with pure white sand stretching for several kilometers, soft and fine, and emerald-green seawater so clear you can see the bottom. You can snorkel or swim, and children love playing in the sand.
We thought we were lucky, but from the second night, it started raining continuously, as if the sky was grievously wronged and couldn't stop crying. On the third day, the rain ruined our Great Barrier Reef helicopter trip and broke our spirits. We could only stay in the hotel to watch the wind, rain, and fog. In the afternoon, when the rain lightened a bit, we rented an electric cart and drove in the rain, finding fun in the rain!
After being trapped on Hamilton Island for two days, we finally boarded the flight to Melbourne in the drizzling rain. After a transit in Brisbane, we set foot on Melbourne at 9 PM.
The Grand Hyatt is located in the center of Melbourne. After checking in, we headed straight to Chinatown, walked into a spicy soup restaurant, and wolfed down our meal, finally satisfying our Chinese stomachs that had suffered for the past few days.
Due to the heavy rain on Hamilton Island delaying us, the original two-day city tour of Melbourne had to be shortened to one day. Although time was a bit tight, we still slept in the next day. We left the hotel at 10 AM, took the manual "Route 11" car (walking), and began to experience Melbourne's beauty on foot. The first thing that caught our eye was Melbourne's blue sky, as if just washed, so clean it made us envious.
A ten-minute walk brought us to the famous graffiti alley, a hub for street art and a platform for grassroots artists. From the graffiti alley, a few minutes south is the famous Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, and St Paul's Cathedral, like three sisters standing side by side, complementing each other.
From Federation Square, cross Princes Bridge to reach Queen Victoria Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, located on the south bank of the Clerk River. The gardens are lush with trees, fragrant grass, and winding paths. Sitting by the river, the water is clear, the sky is blue, and the air is filled with the scent of grass and flowers. Groups of seagulls play leisurely on the riverbank.
Summer temperatures in Melbourne can reach over 30°C. Strolling along the bank of the Clerk River, enjoying the gentle river breeze and the coolness under the shade of trees, we truly wished time could stand still.
With reluctance, we set off again on our "Route 11 rickshaw" (walking).
In the afternoon, we arrived at Melbourne's famous Fitzroy Garden. The garden is lush with green trees, birds singing, and flowers fragrant, with a strong romantic English countryside atmosphere. Wandering in the garden, history and beauty blend, as if stepping into an English painting.
After touring Fitzroy Garden, our stomachs were also protesting. Considering that tomorrow we would start the self-drive on the famous Great Ocean Road, where Chinese restaurants are scarce, we quickened our pace and headed to Chinatown again to satisfy our taste buds.
Tomorrow, the self-driving journey officially begins! The road is under our feet, and the story will continue!
Travelogue Table of Contents:
1. Part 1: Origin of the Story
2. Part 2: Story Script
3. Part 3: Anecdotes and Sharing
4. Part 4: Chapter 1: The Rain on Hamilton Island (Day 3-7)
5. Part 5: Chapter 2: The Blue of Melbourne (Day 7-9)
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