Kangaroo Country Is Not Just 'Tu Ao' | There Are Many Ways for Me to Encounter the World
With this article, I bid farewell to yesterday, meet today, and look forward to tomorrow.
Skydiving from 15,000 feet – a birthday gift to myself in 2019.
At midnight on my birthday, I crossed the equator and, with my most sincere wishes, arrived at the opposite side of my world – Australia.
Summary in one sentence: five working days to fully enjoy all nine days.
The Southern Hemisphere with Christmas in summer isn't unfamiliar to us; it's like two parallel worlds colliding in magnetic fields.
This trip to Australia only covered two cities: Sydney and Melbourne.
Sydney – a city many mistake for the capital (the real one is Canberra), a city with my good friends.
Melbourne – a city named the most livable for many years, a city with Emma (my travel companion this time) and her dream stadium.
Every time I travel, the feeling of WALK IN brings the greatest surprise. And this time, our main goal was only skydiving.
Everything else was just experience and follow fate.
Not recommending the hotel in Melbourne – aside from being cheap and in a great location, nothing else was satisfactory.
My prime criteria for choosing a hotel: surrounded by bars, drugstores, supermarkets, and convenient public transport.
My spending is flexible – spend according to your means.
Tu Ao isn't actually that rustic; there are plenty of places to spend money, if you want.
You can buy luggage on TB a day ahead based on actual needs; if you get a nice ground crew lady, she might even check an extra bag for free!
One side note: UGG is everywhere in Australia, but the logo is different from the UGG back home. Their woolen snow boots are all called UGG. On sale, a pair of UGG (same style as in China) for around 100 AUD is a good deal.
Two side notes: a few LEGO sets in Australia are quite affordable – LEGO fans can pay attention.
Three side notes: Buying GUCCI in Australia is indeed good value. Arrive at the airport 4 hours early for the return flight; tax refund takes time. Download and register the tax refund app TRS (Tourist Refund Scheme) in advance – convenient and fast for everyone.
Four side notes: The tax refund is not 10%, but your purchase value divided by 11, because you prepaid 10% when consuming.
In Australia, the last thing you need to worry about is disappointing your Chinese stomach. World cuisines are at your fingertips.
Emma has a typical Chinese stomach, so we leaned towards light Asian dishes, mixed with some restaurants recommended by friends and small WALK IN places.
I won't include hotpot and Hong Kong tea – isn't Haidilao and Chacha Canteen Bing Shi just as good?
Pancakes on the rocks – the name says it all, the signature bomb.
I planned to watch weekend fireworks at Darling Harbour after my birthday dinner, but they were all cancelled due to the bushfires in Australia at that time.
Silently added Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks to my TO DO LIST.
Hurricane's Grill – recommended by several friends, so it became my final meal of this Southern Hemisphere trip.
Australian meat is really good, excellent.
Note: they charge extra service fee on weekends – try to come on weekdays if your schedule allows.
A random pick Italian restaurant near St Kilda Beach – when we heard the waiter's thick accent, we strangely felt confident about this place. Life is full of surprises. Give it a LIKE!
Hunted Gathered+ – claiming to be the best canelé and brownie in Melbourne? All of Australia? A very quality chocolate workshop, slightly sweet but not cloying, rich and slightly bitter – my kind of thing.
I decisively took three cans of cocoa powder and the chocolate chips they sell. Thanks to my courage for carrying them all the way; at the start of 2020, they'll add some sweetness to my life.
Note: closed on weekends.
A superb Spanish paella place near Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne – El Rincon, small shop, big warmth.
The handmade cake was covered with the owner sister's care. Again, thick Spanish-accented English guaranteed the taste.
Note: if you want to visit Queen Victoria Market, check the hours – we arrived late and it was already closed.
There are many great places for skydiving in Australia, with the top one being Wollongong near Sydney.
I chose a landing spot near St Kilda Beach in Melbourne, and went with the well-known SkyDive company.
Purchased on TB – various packages: pure jump/handheld GoPro/third-party filming (only before the parachute opens; no filming after).
I bought the pure jump on TB, added photos and videos on site, plus the mandatory 35 AUD tax per person. I also bought insurance on site (40 AUD?). After all, I have to be cautious while being reckless.
Sign – weigh – pay – suit up – board plane – jump – open parachute – land.
Personal thought after jumping: photos and videos are not that meaningful; I always believe eyes are the best record, the witness of the world's beauty.
The wind up there was strong. The goggles and wind combined made my cheek muscles feel like they'd had twenty syringes of hyaluronic acid. I tried with all my might and could barely open my eyes to a slit.
But! Even after such an ordeal, I still saw scenes I'd never imagined through the slits.
For the first time, I saw the beautiful curve where sea meets sky.
For the first time, I saw every shade of blue in the ocean blending purely together.
For the first time, I felt nature's gift is selfless giving.
The wind kept blowing, but the passion in my heart didn't fade. I love this world.
You ask if I was scared? The moment I was pushed out from 15,000 feet, it wasn't that scary.
Relax your body, arch your back, follow the instructor, and enjoy the view.
No feeling of weightlessness, no feeling of weightlessness, no feeling of weightlessness!
Now, let's open the album and enjoy some weird photos of me, the first-time skydiver.
This is the first skydiving photo in my email – it cracked me up!
I'll forgive you if you laugh like a goose here. Forced smile.jpg
I really tried hard to open my eyes!!
Sorry, it's too ugly, I can't bear to look.
The various glamour shots of pretty girls online don't exist for me!!
Trust me, it's worth a try – that way you can better meet yourself and meet the world.
Birthday gift accomplished! My TO DO LIST and I have taken another step forward.
Taronga Zoo in Sydney was a huge unexpected joy – the second highlight. Highly recommended!
Scenery and animals in one sweep, and from the highest point in the zoo you can see both the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
I bought a round-trip ferry ticket + entrance at Circular Quay, which also included the zoo cable car.
You can also buy in advance from various agency websites; the price won't differ much.
The ferry is convenient and comfortable, and you can get a close-up view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. A great win-win.
The variety of animals is very rich; although they are in captivity, they still have space to move, the outdoor areas are spacious, and the density is sufficient.
The zoo explains every animal in great detail, with some educational content, telling you the differences between two animals of the same family and how to tell them apart.
All four Australian national treasures can be found at Taronga Zoo – koalas, kangaroos, emus, and platypuses. Follow the map and you can't go wrong!
Note: in the state where Sydney is located, you are not allowed to hold koalas.
Accompany a fan to chase her dream.
Accompany me to chase my star.
Filming location of RUNNING MAN!! Any girls out there who watch the same Korean variety shows??
I hid in a small bar near 38°C St Kilda beach in autumn clothes.
A glass of Gingerale full of ice washed away the heat. The weather forecast was all lies. Hmph.
This small street is full of treasures – every shop says 'I'm delicious'.
St Kilda Mangrove Boardwalk
Our first lunch – the rotating buffet lunch at Sydney Tower, a classic tourist photo haha.
Online question: how to quickly integrate into the local life? Urgent!
Online answer: if you want water, see the picture below.
In a place where others are tired of living, you can see a lot of things they are tired of seeing.
Hi, Vivi, happy birthday!
Travel notes contents:
1. Itinerary
2. Expenses
3. Food
4. Skydiving
5. TARONGA ZOO
6. WHAT I SAW IN AUS
7. SOMETHING INTERESTING IN AUS
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