Two weeks in Australia: 2015 Trip Report
 

I have posted many Trip Reports on this forum, but almost always I would start writing them the moment we returned from a trip, when memories were still fresh in the mind. This time, work pressures have necessitated a 45 day break from our return ; have started penning the report down from today, while I can still recall most of our journey (aided of course by a small notepad of travel jottings).

We are a couple from India in their late 50’s, avid travellers of the independent variety, who have already been to more parts of the planet than most. Australia has been high on our agenda for long, but has been getting short-changed for other destinations repeatedly, despite a Lonely Planet guide for Australia being on my bookshelf for over two years. This time the planning witnessed no change, and we made it through to the land down under.

Our rough itinerary was :
Melbourne : 2 nights
Great Ocean Road : 2 nights
Port Douglas : 4 nights
Ayers Rock : 2 nights
Sydney : 4 nights

Here goes the Trip Report in many instalments.

Day 1 : Saturday/Sunday, May 9th/10th : For once, our flight out of India was in the afternoon, and not in the middle of the night ! Left our hometown Pune at 7 am in the morning, reaching Mumbai airport by 10 am. We were flying business class in Malaysian Airlines all the way to Australia. The check-in was smooth and efficient, and their Lounge at Mumbai was excellent. Our outward flight was marginally late, but we had an uneventful journey to Kuala Lumpur, reaching at 9 pm local time.

The Malaysian Airlines Lounge at KL was nice, but the food there was not to the liking of us vegetarians. We snacked a bit, then had a brief stroll through the airport shops, and then boarded our 11:30 pm flight for Melbourne. This sector had wonderful seats, fully reclining beds adjustable to multiple positions. Food and service quality were top-notch, and we had a very comfortable sleep through the night.

We landed on schedule at Melbourne at 9:30 am local time on Sunday. Realized that my international SIM card on the cellphone was not working. With some difficulty we located a friend who had come to the airport to receive us, and loaded our baggage in his car. We were booked at the Sofitel Hotel on Collins Street in CBD area, where we headed immediately. On reaching there we were told that there may be a long wait till our room got ready. We had a light breakfast at the Atrium Bar of the hotel, and managed to get our room just before noon. A welcome shower, and we were ready to go by 2 pm.

One of the nice things about Melbourne is the free tram service all through the CBD area. There was a tram stop just outside our hotel, where we boarded a tram to Queen Victoria Market. Roamed around this very interesting market, and then hopped on to another tram to Flinders Street. We crosses the bridge on foot, past Federation Square, to the Arts Centre Makers market, which operates on Sundays, and had an interesting walk through the pavement stalls.

From here we took a taxi to St Kilda area, where we had heard a very nice Sunday market springs up. Alas, it was a cold and windy day, and the market had folded up early. The waterfront looked nice, and the pier looked inviting, but it was too cold and windy to venture anywhere. Having had a late breakfast, we had skipped lunch, and we ducked indoors into an Italian restaurant for some pizza. We called up some old friends from India, now settled in Melbourne, and set up a meeting with them at our hotel for 6:30 pm. We took another taxi back, and were overjoyed to meet our friends whom we had not seen for 16 years. We all caught up with old times and current affairs of our lives, and went to some nearby restaurant for Mexican food. The food was average, but the evening was great, and we all had a lovely reunion. Finally, returned to our hotel and crashed into bed at 10 pm.

Looking forward to reading the rest. Sounds like you did a lot on your first day!

Kay

Day 2 : Monday : May 11th : Sofitel is a lovely hotel, and its beds were really comfy. Of course we were tired, and slept for a full 12 hours, waking up at 10 am in the morning ! Luxury of being on a holiday. We got ready, and were off by 11:30am or so.

We headed to Degraves Street for brunch. It was a really thin alley, full of pavement restaurants – a really cute place indeed. Had a very nice brunch of fluffy omelettes, till we were stuffed to the neck. Next we embarked on a ferry ride to Williamstown and back. It was a leisurely ferry ride, with nice views of Melbourne city from the Yarra river, until we disembarked at Williamstown. This was an antique town, preserved with all its quaintness and antiquity, and a delightful place to stroll around. Unfortunately, we did not have much time, as our ferry would leave in about 30 minutes. So we saw what we could, and boarded the ferry again on its return journey.

It was late afternoon, and we spent the next few hours walking all over CBD in Melbourne. Of particular interest were the thin alleyways, with good street art on the walls. We also walked through Block Arcade, Royal Arcade, the Bourke Street Mall, where we did do some shopping in a Myers store. Then over to Chinatown.

My wife wanted to meet a friend of hers who lived near the St Kilda area, near the ISKCON temple. We had purchased all day transport passes for today, and we boarded a Tram to St Kilda, alighting near the temple. A short walk, and we were at the very pretty ISKCON temple, where my wife also met up with her friend. A brief meeting with her family, and we boarded the tram back to CBD.

We returned to Chinatown, and dined at “Flower Drum”, an upscale Chinese restaurant. I had a very fiery preparation of prawns and scallops, while they managed to conjure something vegetarian for my wife. It was an excellent meal, and we loved it. After dinner we went to Southbank for a brief stroll. But the place was dead, perhaps because of the cold weather, and we quickly retreated to our hotel for the night.

Hi KayF, nice to see a reader already following this report. Yes we were quite rested on the comfortable flight, and did manage to do a reasonable bit on the first day.

Day 3 : Tuesday : May 12th :
GREAT OCEAN ROAD :
Woke up at 8 am, and managed to check out of the hotel by 9:45 am. Had a light breakfast at a café below the hotel building, and took off with our bags in a taxi, to the Thrifty car rental office in downtown. We had booked an automatic Camry, which we got, and by 11 am we were on our way.

Getting out of Melbourne was easy, and after a little driving, we were on the Great Ocean Road. Driving here was smooth and a lot of fun. Our first stop was at the Visitors’ Centre at Torquay, where we collected maps and information. Then off to Bells Beach nearby, where we gazed at experienced surfers hitting the waves. Next lookout stop was at Point Addis.

Driving on the Great Ocean Road is a great experience. Sometimes you are right next to the ocean, which makes for excellent scenery as you drive, and sometimes the road veers a little inland. Sometimes the road seems to head straight into the ocean, which is exhilarating, until it suddenly turns parallel to the water ! I enjoyed every bit of the drive, and we stopped ever so often to admire the views and click pictures. At Anglesea, we managed to spot a large group of kangaroos on the golf course (our first spotting of kangaroos in Australia !). At Airey’s Inlet, we stopped and walked to the Split Point Lighthouse, which made for some great photo ops. On the way ahead we must have stopped at many scenic points, but I remember the Cinema Point as being one of the better ones. Finally, we reached Lorne for a late lunch.

It was 3 pm, and Kafe Kaos which we had earmarked, had already closed. We did find another café which was open, where we had lovely burgers and fries. At about 4 pm, we went to Teddy’s Point in Lorne for great views, and then proceeded on the GOR. Mount Defiance made for another lovely stopover, and then we rushed on, as it was beginning to get dark. We reached Apollo Bay in the evening, and stopped for coffee, but it was already dark. It was also beginning to rain heavily, with gusty winds. So without any further stoppages, we drove all the way to Port Campbell, where we halted for the night at Portside Motel, making it there before 8 pm.

It was a decent motel, and we had not expected anything fancier at this place. On the host’s recommendation, we went to nearby “Club Bar” for a quick dinner, and retired to bed.

Day 4 : Wednesday : May 13th :
GREAT OCEAN ROAD :
We tried to get ready and check out of the hotel as early as possible. The weather forecast continued to be grim, with gusty winds, although not much rain. We had breakfast at a nearby “Waves” restaurant, which was quite good, and we were on our way.

On the motel host’s recommendation, we drove further west on the GOR for about 30 minutes, to Bay of Islands, which was very pretty. From here we started our return journey eastwards on the GOR, stopping first at Bay of Martyrs, and next at the Gorge lookout, which was fabulous.

As we drove further east, going past Port Campbell, we stopped at London Bridge, and next at the Arch. Both were super viewpoints, and we loved them. If only the fierce winds had not been beating our faces, I am sure we would have enjoyed more. Next stop was the Loch Ard Gorge, which I consider to be the best sight on the GOR. You could easily spend two hours here. Loved the Razorback and other sightings here. Finally, we stopped at the famed Twelve Apostles, where a nice viewing area has been constructed. True, the Apostles were nice, but I thought they were a bit of an anti-climax after the Loch Ard Gorge. Just my views.

We continued our return journey, and some distance before Apollo Bay, we took a detour to Otway Fly. Here we took the rainforest walk at the elevated walkway, walking at the top level of eucalyptus trees. It was a wonderful experience, and we enjoyed it fully. It was also very informative, and one learnt a lot about rainforests and the plant species in it.

After that was a long and uneventful drive to Melbourne Airport. We stopped again for coffee at Apollo Bay. Then drove on to Geelong and then on the freeway to Melbourne International Airport. Somewhere along the way, I was detected speeding by the speed cameras (allegedly driving at 108 kmph instead of 100 kmph !). This was to later land me a speeding ticket of $ 185 (plus a service charge of $ 66 to Thrifty !). Turned out to be an expensive drive.

It was late evening by the time we reached. We were booked at the Parkroyal Hotel, adjoining the airport building. The car rental returns were just below the hotel, where we dropped the car, and checked in. Called for dinner in the hotel room and retired to bed.

Cannot say we enjoyed Melbourne city very much, but the Great Ocean Road had been fabulous. If we had been blessed with a little less wind, it might even have been better. Anyway, we were now looking forward to the next leg of the vacation at Port Douglas.

I’m enjoying reading about your travels, indiancouple. Too bad about the wind, and the traffic ticket! In Western Australia, which we visit every year, they are very rigorous in enforcing the speeding limits. They don’t let you get away with 10km or more over the limit the way we are accustomed to in North America.

Hi eliztravels. In no other country have I ever got a speeding ticket, because they all seem to ignore violations of upto 10-15 kmph in excess. There were hundreds of vehicles all around me in Australia doing the same, but I guess they were cautious when the speed cameras came near. I was a bit complacent, and paid the price !

Following along too. You sure packed a lot into your trip. You mentioned seeing your first kangaroos. Did you see koalas in the Otway?

Hi indiancouple,

just found your TR and decided to read it as your TR to NZ was so good and useful for our visit there. [thanks, BTW if I haven't already said so!]

This time you are following us, at least to PD - looking forward to seeing what you thought of it.

Hi tripplanner, no we did not see koalas in the Otway. We saw some at Port Douglas, but they were not in the wild but in a Habitat Centre.

Welcome aboard annhig; we have been meeting each other at this forum quite often. PD reports follow shortly, and we just thought PD to be amazing.

Day 5 : Thursday : May 14th :
PORT DOUGLAS :
Checked out of the hotel in the morning, and sauntered across to the airport terminal, where we had breakfast. Boarded a 9:20 am flight to Cairns, on which we slept most of the way. Landed at Cairns at 12:45 pm. We had pre-booked a transfer to Port Douglas through Krystal, who were there waiting for us. An hour’s drive to PD, and we were deposited at out apartment hotel : Reflections of Port Douglas on the happening Macrossan Street..

We had booked a 2-bedroom apartment, and it was gorgeous and comfortable, complete with a huge living area, washer & dryer etc. It was already 2:15 pm by the time we arrived, so we hurried out to have lunch, at the nearby upmarket restaurant called “Zinc”. It was a super lunch, and anyone visiting PD must dine here atleast once.

The Thrifty car rental office was also next door, where we picked up our pre-booked car. Just wanted to spend the afternoon visiting Mossman Gorge, which was only 20 minutes away. No traffic on the roads, and very easy to get to. We took the shuttle bus to the gorge, and walked through the Mossman Gorge area for about 90 minutes. It was very pleasant. A few people swimming here and there. Nice rainforests, and scenic surroundings.

We wanted to dine at Mojo’s restaurant in the town, of which we had heard so much. But we were too early, and it was not supposed to open for another hour. So we abandoned the idea, and drove back to PD. Strolled all over Macrossan Street, stopping for beer at Ironbar. Had dinner at a Thai restaurant across the street from Ironbar – one of the best Thai soups I have ever had. Nice and fiery ! It had been a long day, and we retired to our apartment for the night.

Day 6 : Friday : May 15th :
PORT DOUGLAS :
This was the day we had looked forward to – the trip to the Great Barrier Reef. I had researched this a lot, and followed popular advice to book ourselves on the Wavelength Tour. They were supposed to pick us up at 8 am, and our hostess had recommended a restaurant nearby that would be open for early breakfast. The breakfast was good, but the waitress was very rude, and we vowed never to return here.

We were picked up on schedule, and we reached the marina, where we boarded the Wavelength boat. The captain was checking out everyone’s comfort level with swimming and snorkelling, and soon discovered that my wife was quite anxious and nervous. He said that it was supposed to be a windy day, which meant choppy waters, and not the best day for an inexperienced snorkeller. He highly recommended that we transfer to an alternate tour run by Quicksilver, which has a much bigger boat, goes to an anchored pontoon, and he strongly felt that my wife would enjoy that more.

With a heavy heart, I consented to the switch, noticing the anxiety on my wife’s face. The Quicksilver vessel was to leave later, at 10:15 am, so we bided our time having coffee at the marina. It was a huge vessel, hence a smooth ride out into the ocean, and we were there at the pontoon at 11:15 am.

We started off by taking a ride in the semi-submersible vessel of the pontoon, which was a small glass walled and glass bottomed vessel which went for a short ride underwater around the pontoon, where we could see the corals. This over, we changed into our swimming attire, put on the snorkelling equipment, and plunged into the waters off the pontoon. It was my first attempt at snorkelling, and despite various attempts, I was not comfortable breathing through the snorkel tube – I always ended up sucking in water ! I am otherwise a good swimmer, so I finally decided to ditch the snorkelling tube, and just swim slightly below the surface while holding my breath. Found this far more comfortable and enjoyable.

The next hour was absolutely exhilarating, exploring the coral reefs all around the pontoon. It was a strange feeling to swim amongst the colourful fishes, and I was loving it. There were portions where the coral reef was extremely vivid and colourful, and not very far from the surface. My wife was still scared, and did not venture very far from the pontoon platform in the water. Maybe it was a good idea to have switched to the Quicksilver vessel.

Next we had a lovely buffet lunch on the pontoon. Then I rented an underwater camera from the vessel, and dived into the waters again, this time clicking a lot of pictures underwater near the corals. There were periods when the crew did fish-feeding near the pontoon platform, which was a sight to behold as zillions of fish would zero in to have the feed. Kept swimming around to my heart’s content, knowing that I will never return to the GBR ever again. The winds were indeed strong, and it was a little difficult to swim around, but I managed and enjoyed to the hilt.

We finally set course for the return journey, and landed back at the marina at 4:30 pm. We were dropped off at our hotel, where we dumped our swimming gear, and put in some clothes for laundry in the washer. Returned for a stroll on Macrossan Street. We loved the feel of this town – very laid back and relaxed, and a very “vacation” feel about it. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant, that served super-hot food, and we required ice-creams later to cool our tongues ! Then off to bed.

Day 7 : Saturday : May 16th :
PORT DOUGLAS :
We had a leisurely wake up in the morning, and ambled out at about 9 am. Went for breakfast at a cute restaurant called “The Little Larder” on Macrossan Street, which had people waiting to be seated. Popular places are popular for a very good reason, and we soon discovered why. The breakfast was outstanding, and one of the best we had on this trip. Must visit this restaurant at PD.

Today was our Kuranda day, and the operator picked us up from the hotel at 10:15 am. Picked up many other tourists in PD, before heading out to Cairn’s Skyrail station. We boarded the skyrail at 11:45 am. It stopped at two stations enroute, and at each station we took the recommended 15 minute walk, which is highly recommended for the views. We finally reached Kuranda at about 1 pm.

Kuranda town is one of the cutest places on earth. We walked to the village centre, and strolled on the main thoroughfare. Lovely shops on both sides. Had excellent coffee at the Coffee Republic, and moved on. We roamed the Heritage Markets, which were great, and bought a lot of souvenirs there, including my kangaroo leather belt (which I now wear everyday). Had lunch at the Frogs Café which did not disappoint.

After lunch we walked through the Old Traditional Market, which was not as interesting as the Heritage markets. Wife bought some flavoured natural honey, and shopped for clothing. The town was cloaked in mist, and felt like out of a Harry Potter movie. Alas, it was already time to return, and we felt that the stopover provided in Kuranda was too short. Would have loved to stay here a few hours more.

We boarded the Scenic Rail on the return journey. The train station and the carriages were the most beautiful I had ever seen, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The views from the carriage window on the journey were to die for. Finally, we reached the destination train station, and boarded our bus back to PD.

Tonight we had a round of beer at an Irish Pub on Macrossan Street, followed by dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Then back to Ironbar to watch the cane toad races. Interesting for a while, but too bizarre for our taste ! Some ice cream again, which always tempted us on our way back to the hotel, before we called it a day.

Day 8 : Sunday : May 17th :
PORT DOUGLAS :
This was our last day in PD, and the only day when we would actually be in Port Douglas the whole day. We were out of the hotel by 8:15 am, and boarded a shuttle bus to the Wildlife Habitat Centre on the edge of town.

We opted for an entry ticket which included “Breakfast with the Birds”, which was quite an experience. Excellent buffet breakfast, with birds all around you. Some of them waddle up to you and poke you for food. Others perch themselves on a vacant table, and start feasting on the sugar sachets lying there ! Volunteers come around with exotic bird species, which they perch on your shoulders or arms for photo ops. Had a whale of a time here.

We first roamed the Wetland section of the Habitat, where we saw a lot of birds, and many koalas (who spend most of their time sleeping). Next a tour of the Rainforest section, replete with crocodiles. By then it was show time, and everyone congregated to the show area, where volunteers brought two koalas to pose for pics. We could take turns holding the koala, petting him, and having our picture taken with him. What an experience ! Finally we toured the Grassland section, where there were kangaroos all around, who allowed you to pet them. Also saw the uncommon Tree Kangaroo species. Overall, a very enjoyable experience indeed.

We left at noon, and returned to PD town, where a Sunday market was in full swing at one end of Macrossan Street. There were a very large number of tented stalls, selling all kinds of artistic stuff. We purchased a lot of souvenirs, decorative artefacts and stuff, which were all of high quality. Then we had a round of beer at Ironbar, and a late and heavy Italian lunch. I went back to our apartment for some rest, while my wife shopped around Macrossan Street.

Late afternoon, at about 4 pm, we left for the Marina, where we boarded a sunset cruise on a gentle boat called Lady Douglas, on the inland waters. Pleasant relaxed outing, with wine and snacks, with tons of crocodile spotting. We returned to the marina by 6 pm, and we made a repeat trip to the Thai restaurant for dinner . Went home early to pack up, as we had an early ride to the airport the next day.

Port Douglas had been the perfect relaxation on this holiday, and a lovely place to spend 4 days. It lived up to all the expectations that we had.

sounds like you liked PD as much as we did, indiancouple. Our stay there was slightly ! marred by my eating something dodgy and its aftermath, but overall it didn't spoil our fun. Definitely a place I'd like to go back to one day.

The Port Douglas area sounds delightful. It's on our list for our next trip to Australia, hopefully in 2017.

Yes annhig, if we ever make it back to Australia, I am sure PD will be high on our list to revisit.

Tripplanner, anyone going to Australia for the first time is sure to include the Great Barrier Reef in their itinerary. Having taken that as a sure visit, it is much much nicer to base in PD rather than Cairns.

Day 9 : Monday : May 18th :
AYERS ROCK :
We had to get up at 4 am in the morning, to make the 5:15 am pickup by Krystal transport, which deposited us at Cairns airport within an hour. Our flight to Uluru departed on schedule at 7:15 am. Felt bad to leave PD, but Ayers Rock was equally enticing.

We slept through the flight, which landed at Ayers Rock airport at 9:45 am local time. Yulara had a complimentary shuttle to pick up passengers, which deposited us at “Sails in the Desert” hotel in a short while. The rooms were not ready yet, so we left our luggage and walked over to the Shopping Centre nearby. We picked up our car rental from Hertz, which we had pre-booked (highly advisable to pre-book here, as inventory of cars is limited). We poked around the various shops there, and had a decent lunch at Gecko’s Café. Returned to the hotel to find our room ready, and we rested there for a while. We had read people trashing the Yulara hotels no end, but we found the Sails in the Desert to be a great hotel. Overpriced, yes, but only to be expected at such a remote location. But otherwise nothing to complain about at this hotel. The décor and furnishings were top notch.

We left the hotel at 2:30 pm, and drove to the Park, heading first to the Cultural Centre. Spent over an hour there, learning about the Aboriginal culture and history, and browsing through the lovely art shops. We left at 4 pm, taking a drive all around Ayers Rock, which was simply awesome. We stopped at the Kuniya carpark, and did the easy Kuniya Walk till the waterhole and back. At 5:30 pm we drove to the Car sunset viewing point, and watched the sun go down till 6:15 pm. It was a beautiful sunset, but no magical change in Uluru’s colours was visible.

We drove back to Yulara. Had a forgettable dinner at Ayer’s Wok, and went to bed.

Day 10 : Tuesday : May 19th :
AYERS ROCK :
We woke up at 5 am, but it was almost 6:40 am by the time we left. We had to speed up to reach the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku Sunrise viewing point before the sunrise happened. Managed to reach there in the nick of time, just as the sun was about to break from the horizon at 7:10 am. Once again, the sunrise was beautiful, and both Uluru and the Olgas were visible from here, but the magical change in colours of the rocks that we were waiting for, did not happen.

We drove to the Cultural Centre, and had a light breakfast at their café. Then drove to the Mala carpark, and started the Base Walk around Uluru at 8:45 am. We had mentally prepared ourselves to do this, and were hoping that our fitness level would allow us to complete this. It turned out to be far less strenuous than what we had imagined. The weather was pleasant, which helped a lot. The views of Uluru from every angle were different, and we thoroughly enjoyed the walk. It is amazing as to how different the rock looks from different vantage points. We completed the walk by 11 am, in less than 150 minutes.

We drove to the Cultural Centre for one last time, to purchase some Aboriginal paintings by local artists. Then returned to Yulara, where we lunched at the White Gums restaurant of Desert Sands hotel. Poor quality of food. Then to our room for a two hour nap, as there was nothing to do in the middle of the day.

We left the hotel at 3:30 pm, driving to the Olgas this time. As we approached, the Olgas looked just as impressive as Uluru, but quite different. First stop was at Walpa Gorge, where we did the Walpa Gorge walk. It was an easy walk, taking only 40 minutes return, and rewarded us with great views.

Then we drove to the Olgas sunset viewing point and waited patiently. The sunset started around 6 pm. It seemed like an ordinary sunset at first, and at 6:05 pm, some people had even started walking towards their vehicles. Then suddenly, the magic happened. The entire Olgas glowed in a deep orange-red colour. As if God had suddenly switched on a thousand spotlights on the rocks. It was truly mesmerizing for a full 4-5 minutes. We watched with jaws drooping, not believing what we were seeing. I would not have believed it had I not witnessed it. Regular tour guides who were around admitted that this sight today was one of the best ever – a rare experience.

We returned fully satiated, happy that our patience had borne fruit. Had a nice dinner at Gecko’s Café and went to bed.

Day 11 : Wednesday : May 20th :
AYERS ROCK / SYDNEY :
We got up early again, and left by 5:45 am to drive to the Kata Tjuta Dune viewing area for sunrise. Reached there by 6:35 am, well in time today. It was a short walk to the sunrise viewing platform, and we reached and waited. Lovely views of both the Olgas and Uluru from here. Today, the rising sun was blanketed out by a thick cloud cover. Hence no possibility of a magical change of colours of the rocks.

We next drove to the Valley of the Winds carpark, and walked to the Karu lookout point. It was not strenuous till here, taking only about 20 minutes to reach there. Breathtaking scenery. Going further required high fitness levels, and we were not up for it.

We drove back to Yulara, and had breakfast at the Town Centre. Filled up fuel in the car and dropped it off. Packed up, and the Yulara bus transported us to the airport. Managed some lunch at the airport, before boarding our 2:20 pm flight to Sydney, which reached there at 5:50 pm local time. Took a taxi at Sydney airport, which took us to our Meriton Serviced Apartments at Campbell Street in downtown Sydney. The apartment was very well appointed and comfortable, and extremely well situated, next to Haymarket and Chinatown.

We have a young nephew living in Sydney, and he reached our apartment to greet us. We dumped our luggage, and embarked on a walk with him to Darling Harbour, where we dined at Zafraan, an Indian restaurant. We had not eaten any Indian food this entire trip, and were craving for the same. It was a treat for us to feast on Indian food after almost 2 weeks. We stuffed ourselves to the brim, and then took a taxi back to our apartment.

We drove back to Yulara. Had a forgettable dinner at Ayer’s Wok, and went to bed.>>

but you won't forget the name of the restaurant, will you?

lovely description of the sunset - thank you.

and for anyone who needs it, a recommendation for what I assume is a good indian restaurant in Sydney!

Yes annhig, the Zafraan restaurant in Sydney is a highly recommended Indian restaurant. Apparently has some celebrity chef there, and excellent location, looking out on Darling Harbour.

that's good enough for me, indiancouple, i'll book our table now.

hold on a sec.... there's the matter of about 10,000 miles to consider.

oh well, it'll have to be the local indian takeaway then.

Seems you enjoyed Uluru and Kata Tjuta as much as we did. Cannot wait for your impressions of my most favorite city: Sydney.

Lovely report, indiancouple. Like your traveling style.

Thanks Treesa. Will post balance installments soon.

Day 12 : Thursday : May 21st :
SYDNEY :
Got up comfortably in the morning, and had excellent breakfast at a cute café near our hotel. Then boarded the Free Tourist bus # 555 to Circular Quay. From there we just strolled towards the Rocks area. I had visited Sydney several times on work during 1998-99, and every time I had stayed at the Regent hotel in the Rocks area. Located the hotel, but it has changed to the Four Seasons Hotel now. Still we wandered inside to relive nostalgic memories !

Next we walked towards the Harbour Bridge. We did not want to climb to the top, but located the stairs to walk upto the level where cars cross the bridge, and started walking across the bridge. It was a wonderful sight, to see the Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge, and I went berserk clicking my camera. An extremely photogenic setting. Must have walked halfway across the bridge, when we decided to retrace our steps and return, admiring the views all the way.

On coming down from the bridge, we walked to Circular Quay, and took a Captain Cook cruise ferry to Manly. They stopped at various points on the way, and offered good commentary on the journey. The views from the ferry were excellent, specially getting the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in a single picture. After a thoroughly enjoyable ferry ride, we alighted at Manly, and got directions and maps from the Visitor Centre just outside the marina. We walked the lovely thoroughfare till we reached the other side, i.e. where Manly Beach really was.

The waters at Manly Beach were a pristine blue, and we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. We started walking in the direction of Shelley Beach (Cabbage Tree Bay), and almost walked till there, when we retraced our steps. The whole area and the scenery were to die for. Back at the starting point, we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant and relaxed our feet. Then we poked inside several shops as we walked back to the marina – we just loved this part of Sydney ! Finally, caught a Captain Cook ferry back to Circular Quay.

We took a Bus # 555 back towards our hotel, getting down near Strand Arcade. We roamed around this classy shopping centre, and inside Queen Victoria Building, before returning to our hotel to dump our day’s shopping. Then went to Darling Harbour for dinner, where we dined at a nice Italian restaurant, and caught a taxi back home.

Day 13 : Friday : May 22nd :
SYDNEY :
The weather forecast for the day was horrible, with lots of rain forecasted. We decided to escape Sydney for the day, and chance our luck with the weather at Blue Mountains. We had planned to leave early, and catch an early train from Sydney Central to Katoomba. The Central station was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel, but as we were preparing to leave, there was torrential rain, which forced us to stop. Attempts to get a taxi were in vain, and we just had to wait for the rain to abate before we could venture forth to Central station. Once there, we bought our Katoomba tickets, and had a quick breakfast at the train station, before boarding our train.

The train ride was comfortable, and scenic in parts. It took about 2 hours to Katoomba, and once there, we purchased the Lyrebird Pass for the hop-on-hop-off Explorer bus, which included all the attractions at the Scenic World. When we set off, it was raining quite a bit at Katoomba, but within 30 minutes, everything miraculously cleared up, the mist went away and so did the rain, and we had a wonderful day.

At the Scenic World, we rode the scenic rail down to the valley, and the cable car back up, which was fun. But the highlight was the Skyway cable ride, which went over the waterfalls. It was very scenic and in the clear skies, the sightings were spectacular. Had some coffee and snacks on return, and proceeded again on the Explorer Bus.

We continued the Blue Mountain tourist loop all day, alighting at the main vantage points like Echo Point (for the Three Sisters), Leura Cascades, Gordon Falls, and finally Leura village. It was an extremely enjoyable experience, and we enjoyed every bit of it. Had a late lunch at Leura village, shopped around the very cute town, and finally boarded the return train to Sydney from Leura itself. Another 2 hours to Sydney, and we returned to our hotel.

This evening we had promised to spend with our nephew and his wife. We met them at Martin Place, and walked over to their apartment nearby. Had some good wine at their place, and were persuaded to have dinner there itself, which we consented to and enjoyed thoroughly. Tonight was the first night of the Vivid Sydney light festival. After dinner, we took a taxi to the Rocks area, and wandered about, enjoying the lovely lighting of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and all the buildings around. It was truly a sight to behold. Sat down at a café for chocolates and coffee, and continued wandering about. Finally took a taxi home and retired to bed.

Day 14 : Saturday : May 23rd :
SYDNEY :
Today was the last day of our holiday. The morning was reserved for shopping. First over to the Haymarket for some shopping, where we also had some gozleme for breakfast. Then over to the Rocks area, where an attractive weekend market springs up on the pavements. This was really a huge and colourful market, where we purchased lots of souvenirs. Finally into souvenir shops at Circular Quay to complete our Australian shopping. Went over to Sydney Opera House, walked all around, and sat at a waterside table for some coffee. Divine experience at such an iconic location.

Returned to our hotel to drop off shopping, and had a quick lunch nearby. Then we were picked up by an old college friend of mine, who is now settled in Sydney, whom I had not met for the last 35 years ! He and his wife picked us up from our hotel, and at our request drove us to Bondi Beach. Here we parked, and did part of the walk to Coogee Beach. Did not walk all the way, but part of the distance, till our legs would permit. It was a lovely walk, and the views were spectacular.

Our friend dropped us back near Darling Harbour, where we visited the Sydney Aquarium, which was a wonderful experience. That done, we made a repeat visit to the Indian restaurant Zafraan, which we had enjoyed so much a few days earlier. Had an excellent Indian dinner, and returned to our hotel for the last time.

Day 15 : Sunday : May 24th :
BACK HOME :
We had an early morning flight at 7:20 am from Sydney back home. Had to leave the hotel early, before 5 am, and take a taxi to the airport. Had breakfast at the Malaysian Airlines lounge at the airport. Then a comfortable flight to Kuala Lumpur, where we had a reasonable stopover. Left our handbags in a locker at the airline lounge, and shopped around the airport shops. Finally, a comfortable flight back to India, reaching at night.

This brings me to the end of a wonderful vacation in Australia. Would be happy to answer any questions that readers may have.

Thanks for sharing your travels with us. Sounds like you had a great time Down Under.

yes, thanks for taking us with you, indiancouple. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as well did!

Hi tripplanner and annhig. Yes we surely enjoyed Australia a lot, and were blessed with good weather most of the time.

Enjoyed your journey seeing my country through others eyes. My daughter was on GOR last week and saw a koala in Otway Park just 30 cms from her face.
Re speeding fine : Victorian law allows 3 kms over - apparently the lowest tolerance in world!!

Thank you for this wonderful detailed report, Indiancouple.
We're going to Australia for a month in April and your report is so helpful. I now have a much better sense of what we can experience in the places on your itinerary.
And, for sure! I'm looking forward to a great meal at Zafraan in Sydney. Love Indian food. . . Now I'm off to read your report on NZ where we'll be in March.

Hi northie and glover. Much thanks for the kudos.

The speeding fine still rankles !

Glover,glad to know someone will use this TR.

Excellent report - thanks for sharing.

Don't wait so long to come back!

Great trip report. Would you consider Melbourne a good base for a longer stay in Australia? We do not like to move so many times when we travel and are trying to decide what city would be our best base. We would probably fly into Sydney and stay for 5 nights and then fly to another location to make it our base?