Saturday, June 23, 2018

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

sightseeing Melbourne and Sydney's best tourist attraction
June 08 to 11, 2018

"That might have a lot to do with it, but you know, I probably don't show fear, but I suffer from fear like everyone else. - Steve Irwin"

My 58th solo backpacking trip67th countries visited so far, 4th continent on my list and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure. I did not research much for this country as I planned to concentrate on sightseeing the cities by foot only.

Australia is sixth-largest country by land area and world famous for its natural wonders and wide open spaces, its beaches, deserts, "the bush", and "the Outback". As Australia is in the southern hemisphere the winter is June-August while December-February is summer. The winter is the dry season in the tropics, and the summer is the wet. Australia has strict quarantine requirements regarding importing animal and vegetable derived products (any food, wooden products, seeds, etc). 

https://wikitravel.org/en/Australia

timezone - UTC +0800H to +1000H      capital - Canberra      

language - English                                currency - Dollar (AUD) 1 USD = 1.35 AUD
visa - Philippine passport holders need to apply first before travel

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

Interesting Facts about Australia:
 
1. The Box Jellyfish – which is found in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef – is responsible for more deaths than snakes, sharks and saltwater crocodiles combined
2. Koalas sleep for about 20 hours per day
3. While Kangaroos are considered a national icon, with over 40 million estimated throughout the country, they can also be considered a pest in some locations and are sometimes culled
4. Australia is the driest of any continent on earth other than Antarctica
5. Australia is the only continent covered by a single country
6. The Great Barrier Reef is regarded as the world's largest living organism,
7. Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano
8. Most of Australia's exotic flora and fauna cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
9. Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 DAYS SOLO TRIP IN WINTER AUSTRALIA ITINERARY (JUN. 2018)


Preparation:

​Online visa application 419 AED
VFA Global Biometrics 237 AED
Jun7 2205H Abu Dhabi to Melbourne Jun8 1720H 1,140 AED EY460
Jun8 All Nations Backpackers 53AED
Jun9 1950H Melbourne Southern Cross to Sydney Central Jun10 0656H $92=268 AED CLK622
Jun10 790 on George Backpackers 65 AED
Jun11 1210H Sydney to Beijing Jun11 2215H 609 AED QF107
Total: 2,791 AED

Day 0: June 07, 2018 Thursday

2230H ETD Abu Dhabi UTC +0400H

Day 1: June 08, 2018 Friday

1800H ETA Melbourne UTC +1000H; immigration and check-out
money exchanger + commission $50 = 50 AUD; local sim 5GB 10; Skybus express 19.5
walk to hostel, Nomad Backpacker; money exchanger $250 = 325 AUD
night walk; KFC meal 7; UBar drinks 8
Total: 44.5 AUD

Day 2: June 09, 2018 Saturday

0830H ETD Hostel; city walk to St. Kilda Beach; McDo breakfast 9
1200H St. Kilda sightseeing; walk back to center; KFC lunch 7
1500H Old Melbourne Gaol 28; Pho Express 11; Souvenirs (shirts, fridge magnets) 55.5; refreshments 6
1920H Southern Cross Station Platform 1
1950H ETD Melbourne; night train to Sydney, train CLK622 Economy Class
Total: 116.5 AUD

Day 3: June 10, 2018 Sunday

0700H ETA Sydney; McDo breakfast 8.5; Hyde Park, St. Mary's Cathedral
Sydney 4 attraction pass 75; Sydney Tower, Madame Tussauds, WildLife Sydney Zoo, SeaLife Aquarium
1300H KFC lunch 7; 790 on George Hostel 23.5 (10 AUD key deposit); snacks and dinner 16.5
Vivid Sydney (lights show)
Total: 130.5 AUD

Day 4: June 11, 2018 Monday 

0730H ETD Hostel; claim 10 AUD deposit; walk to Opera House; morning photo-ops; Hungry Jack breakfast 10
0930H ETD Circle Quay Station 18.5
0945H ETA Sydney International Airport; check-in and immigration; McDo 15
1215H ETD Sydney
Total: 43.5 AUD

TOTAL: 44.5+116.5+130.5+38.5 = 335 AUD ($258) + 2,791 AED ($758) = $1,016


4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

4 Days Solo Trip in Winter Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

I used an Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne with around 13 hour flight. Before landing, mandatory announcement has been made via IFE for the strict quarantine requirements regarding importing animal and vegetable derived products (any food, wooden products, seeds, etc). On my turn to Immigration / Passport Officer, I brought the hard copy of my visa but he did checked on it. He just asked my why only 4 days, I told him I have limited holidays only. After that, he just gave back my passport without stamps. Maybe, that's their usual practice when someone is staying only on less than a week. Then, changed my USD to AUD (with commission), bought first local sim 10 AUD for 3GB, and went straight to airport express to Southern Cross Terminal (Central Melbourne) for 18.5 AUD with 30 mins travel time.

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