I am sure the QVB is absolutely STUNNING at Christmas time! I can't believe I missed this in my research. The QVB wasn't originally on my sightseeing list. We had stopped at a street corner and were looking at our map, so obviously tourists, when a woman asked if we needed help, and she recommended the QVB. I only wish we had more time there for drinks or dinner to savor the beauty.

We walked through Hyde Park to get to the Australian Museum. I wish we had more time here. Looks like a lovely park.

Hyde Park

The Anzac War Memorial is dedicated to all Australians who have served their country. Located in Hyde Park.

The Frazer Fountain in Hyde Park - a drinking fountain.

The entrance to the Australian Museum, which is a combination of science, culture and nature museum.

Australian Museum

Skeleton of Sir Hercules and a rider. Sir Hercules sired 18 big race winners.

Artifacts and masks from Papua New Guinea

Captain James Cook's feathered cape

Raven Head Mask

Tasmanian giant crab

I deleted a duplicate post.

And last but not least, The Chinese Friendship Garden. The garden was opened in 1988, and symbolizes the friendship between Guangzhou, China, and Sydney. An oasis in the middle of lively and busy Sydney.

The main entrance to the Chinese Friendship Garden.

There are ponds and pavilions

The garden is a lovely place to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Sydney.

Traditional architecture

Iced coffee at the traditional Chinese Teahouse.

Graceful weeping willows

The Clear View Pavilion sits at the highest point of the garden. Considered the jewel of the garden.

This peaceful garden is filled with ponds, waterfalls, and winding paths.

Anyone hungry for Koi???

Friendly lizard

And another friendly lizard sunning himself.

October 31: Leaving Sydney and Arriving in Christchurch, New Zealand

We had an early morning flight on Emirates Air from Sydney to Christchurch. This is a 3-hour flight, and I was amazed that they fed us breakfast! When we flew from Boston to San Francisco, a 6-hour flight, they gave us a small bag of peanuts, or a cookie, or a granola bar. And a non-alcoholic beverage. That was it!

I think it would be helpful to explain what we had to do before and after our arrival in Christchurch. Firstly, we had to show the Emirates agent at Sydney a paper copy of our return flights back to the US along with a paper copy of our NZeTA.

For those who don’t know, New Zealand has strict regulations about what you can bring into their country. We had to complete a very lengthy Declarations form on our phone for each one of us. I think that you could get a paper form while on the plane, but the agent recommended that we complete our form online before we boarded. We declared some chocolate bars, for example. If we didn’t declare them, we would be fined quite a hefty fine. When we arrived in Christchurch, and after we got our checked luggage, our luggage had to go through security again in Christchurch. And there were dogs in the area, too, sniffing for whatever – drugs, food, plants, meat, etc.

So be prepared and make sure you have paper copies of important documents. I always do. I am old-fashioned 😊 and I refuse to rely solely on digital copies.



SUMMARY AND FINAL THOUGHTS:

Except for our accommodations in Port Campbell and a few disappointing meals, we loved everything about our travels in Australia. We weren’t disappointed in any of the places we visited. Of course, having perfect weather helps, too!

Of course, my husband loved re-visiting places from his days as a young teen-ager. And getting to know his relatives and meeting his long-time friend, David, for the first time in 62 years.

And we do have our favorites. Two absolute top highlights are:

The Great Ocean Road – this stunning coastal drive surpassed our expectations. I feel so fortunate that we were able to spend 3 nights here. I know that many people visit as a daytrip from Melbourne which would make me very frustrated. I recommend that if you have the time, please spend a night or more in this beautiful area. You won’t be disappointed. Of course, seeing the GOR as a daytrip is better than not seeing it at all, which is my motto about many places.

Sensational Sydney – We loved, loved every minute in Sydney and wish we had more time here. Four nights should be an absolute minimum. We loved everything we did, from the Harbour Bridge, to the Manly ferry, to the illuminated city and harbour a night, and the 3 outstanding museums we visited. We expected to love Sydney and I can say it surpassed our expectations.

Some wonderful surprises – places we enjoyed more than we thought we would – and where we have special memories:

Philip Island – I am so happy we purchased the 3-park pass for Philip Island and spent a whole day and night here. All 3 parks added up to a very special experience. I know that many people, because of limited time, visit the Penguin Parade as a tour from Melbourne, but I think we would have been disappointed if we had done that. If you have the time, stay overnight and spend a day on Philip Island.

Bendigo – We were surprised at how much we enjoyed Bendigo. A lovely city with good restaurant choices and interesting sightseeing, from the Chinese Dragon Museum to the Art Gallery to the Deborah Gold Mine Tour.

Bright and Wandiligong – Bright is a pretty place to stay and not crowded in the spring. And we loved exploring Wandiligong and searching for my husband’s summer camp site and the Chinese miners’ camp. An overall wonderful and meaningful experience.

Wildwood Gardens in the Blue Mountains - not commercialized at all. A lovely family-run quiet and serene gardens with whimsical touches. Very pretty and relaxing.

And meeting Northie and her husband for dinner in Melbourne at the awesome Cumulus Restaurant!

Thank you to everyone who has been following along. I appreciate your kind words, and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!

When I am ready, I will start a new thread for New Zealand!

Love the way you travel Karen. Thanks for sharing your journey in Australia, and I’m looking forward to New Zealand 🌸

I really enjoyed your report and learned we missed a lot on our much shorter visit to Australia. We may need to go back!

Thank you sartoric and KTtravel!

KTtravel, IIRC, you fractured your ankle on your trip. I always worry that something like that could happen to one of us.

I sat down to read this report instead of watching something on Netflix, and wow, it did not disappoint! What a great trip with beautiful scenery, weather, and photos. I've never had too much of an interest in traveling to Australia because it's seemed like a really long way to go for a culture that is similar to the US, but now my interest has been piqued!

Errrr ... memejs ... I think you may find Australian culture is quite dissimilar to that of the US in a number of significant ways.

You should come & find out

Bokhara2 is right, memejs. You should come and find out. And the country is beautiful with vibrant cities and gorgeous coastlines. And different animals and vegetation than what you see in the US. And different food. Between Australia and NZ, we must have seen millions of sheep!

KarenWoo – You sure had a great time on this beautiful trip, and I admire how you get the best of every detail and locations. Your pictures are spectacular. Loved seeing the Twelve Apostles, Sydney (with so many places to visit), and so beautiful costal views and nature. Thanks for sharing!

leifields, thank you for reading and thank you for your compliments!

We are going to Italy in May and your Italy trip report from last year was very, very helpful to me in planning our trip. I plan to re-read your TR before we leave.