Solo Australia Part 12: Watching Dolphins at Port Stephens
7-9 PORT STEPHENS Port Stephens is located at Nelson Bay, more than 230 kilometers north of Sydney. I had to catch an early bus to get there. Along the way, I passed a reptile park and wandered around a bit to relieve the travel fatigue. Since I had already been to Taronga Zoo and planned to hold a koala in Queensland, I didn't go in—the ticket was 22.5 dollars. First, I went to Anna Bay. The coastline there is also very long, and what's special is that behind the coastline lies a desert stretching 30 to 40 kilometers. The desert here moves inland at a rate of one inch per year. You can take a four-wheel drive to the center of the desert to go sandboarding, which is similar to surfing and skiing. If you take photos from the bottom up, it really looks like an endless desert, especially with the silhouette of camels. Be careful not to let fine sand get into your camera. Feeling hungry and it being noon, I went to eat. I drove into Port Stephens, where there was a boat offering a自助午餐 (buffet lunch). After eating, I went out to sea to watch dolphins. The cost was 45 dollars in total. The buffet lunch included pasta (sweet...), rice, beef stew with carrots (also sweet), fried fish fillets, fries, and salad. I ate my fill because I didn't know when I would return to Sydney in the afternoon. After eating, I strolled around the boat waiting for departure. The captain's cabin was very quaint, with wooden interiors. Out to sea! The boat sailed out of beautiful Port Stephens. A seagull followed the boat, appearing to hover motionless directly above, which allowed me to capture this clear flight photo. The weather was great, sunny and calm. Port Stephens is home to hundreds of friendly bottlenose dolphins year-round, and this trip was specifically for watching dolphins. The tour boats guarantee you'll see them. Here you can get close to them and even swim with the dolphins. However, it was already winter, so none of the passengers got into the water! The dolphins were very friendly, leading the boat and occasionally crossing from side to side. After two hours at sea, we returned. Looking up, I saw a few fading advertising words in the sky—local companies often advertise this way. Besides watching dolphins, Port Stephens offers many other water activities, and fishing trips are also popular. Look at all the fishing gear these people have. On the way back, I passed a winery and wandered around again. Unfortunately, the grapevines were all bare. Still, there were many people tasting wine, and some even brought their own flasks to fill up. I joined a tour group for the day's itinerary; the transportation cost was 20 dollars. The zoo, sandboarding, and boat trip with buffet lunch were optional purchases, and the prices were quite reasonable. I returned to Sydney in the evening and immediately rested because I had plans the next day.
Solo Australia Full Series
Solo Australia Part 27: Shopping
http://you.ctrip.com/travels/australia100048/1885842.html
Solo Australia Part 26: Strolling Around
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Solo Australia Part 25: Sydney Taronga Zoo
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Solo Australia Part 24: Paddington Market
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Solo Australia Part 23: Sydney Bondi Beach
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Solo Australia Part 22: Sydney Rocks Market
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Solo Australia Part 21: Wollongong
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Solo Australia Part 20: Sydney Blue Mountains
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Solo Australia Part 19: Gold Coast Sunrise, Koalas, Q1 Building
http://you.ctrip.com/travels/goldcoast456/1884681.html
Solo Australia Part 18: Gold Coast Movie World
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Solo Australia Part 17: Gold Coast Sea World
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Solo Australia Part 16: Brisbane, Capital of Queensland
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Solo Australia Part 15: Gold Coast Whale Watching
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Solo Australia Part 14: Gold Coast Rainforest 4WD
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Solo Australia Part 13: Gold Coast Glowworm Caves
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Solo Australia Part 12: Watching Dolphins at Port Stephens
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Solo Australia Part 11: Melbourne City
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Solo Australia Part 10: Melbourne Gold Panning
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Solo Australia Part 9: Melbourne Great Ocean Road
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Solo Australia Part 8: Melbourne Phillip Island
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Solo Australia Part 7: Canberra
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Solo Australia Part 6: Parks, Markets, Zoo
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Solo Australia Part 5: Sydney City
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Solo Australia Part 4: Integration
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Solo Australia Part 3: Transportation and Communication
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Solo Australia Part 2: Arrival
http://you.ctrip.com/travels/australia100048/1884873.html
Solo Australia Part 1: Preparation
http://you.ctrip.com/travels/australia100048/1884664.html
