Australia Vacation

Our last trip while living in Shanghai - Australia. We spent 2 days in Melbourne & 3 days each in Port Douglas & Sydney - which we found to be just right to get a good taste of the city. It was a great escape from the bone chilling Shanghai winter as the season's are opposite N. America & China. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to visit the Outback or explore some of the more "adventurous" areas of Australia. Luckily, Josh was able to dive the Great Barrier Reef 3x -- so he was satiated.

Melbourne

What struck us most here was the Victorian buildings admist modern architecture and...the abundance of food! We've never had such confusion as to where to stop for lunch since everything looked so delicious! It's a great city to stroll or take the free metro that goes around the perimeter of the city to give you a good feel for what is where. Unfortunately, it rained a lot while we were here. Hence, we did not get to enjoy all the picturesque restaurants and cafes that dot the Yarra River.

Sights:

• Federation Square - city's center along the Yarra River
• Ian Potter Center - in Federation Square, houses several art galleries worth a look
• Queen Victoria Market - largest market in Melbourne selling food, trinkets, great place to find souveniers
• Docklands - historically a docking area now developed into high rises, restaurants and shopping areas

Restaurants:

• The Oyster - located on Little Bourke St, great seafood appetizers and entrees, our favorite meal while in Australia!
• Koko Black - a chocolate cafe with all kinds of chocolate inspired desserts/drinks located in Carlton (Italian district), there are a ton of family owned Italian restaurants/gelato parlours in this area to check out if you're in the mood for Italian
• Flinders Lane - hosts a variety of cafes and little restaurants filled with soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Great for breakfast/lunch

Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef)

This is a great area to stay if you are looking to explore the Great Barrier Reef. It's located 1 hour north of the Cairns airport and has a good selection of dive outfits. The quaint beachy downtown area is lined with restaurants, shops and bars. We learned soon after we arrived that December is "stinger season" so you aren't able to go swimming in the ocean, also weather was extremely hot - about 95 degrees during the day so probably better to pick another month to go visit this area if this is not what you're looking for.

Sights:

• Great Barrier Reef - There are several different tour/dive/snorkel boat companies that will take you to the reef from the Port Douglas dock. Plan to be gone for the day as it takes about 1.5 hours to get out to reef from the port. We took the Calypso tour which we highly recommend, it's a decent sized boat with lots of deck space to sit out in the sun, well organized operation with great lunch/snacks on the boat. While the diving was good, it did not live up to it's hype. We went out one day - a brilliantly sunny day with some of the calmest waters they've had all year. Despite a few shark sightings, we felt the diving and snorkeling was better in the French Polynesian Islands (Moorea, Bora Bora, etc.). Josh did manage to see a huge Sea Cucumber (photo). Despite it being worth a lot of $$ in China, he had to leave it behind. : (
• Rainforest Habitat - Showcases native animals such as koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles and birds. Gives you opportunity to feed them which Josh loved of course :o). They also offer "breakfast with the birds" where the birds are literally perched on your shoulder waiting for a bite.

Restaurants:

• La Cucina - located on Wharf Street, great dishes and quaint atmosphere
• Court House Hotel - huge portions, live entertainment, great place to sit outside
• Under Wraps - sandwiches, salads and wraps that are made to order
• 2 Fish - higher end seafood restaurant located right on the corner of Wharf and Macrossan St
• Port Douglas Yacht Club - great views of the Dixon's Inlet, very relaxing, low key, order at the bar

Sydney

This was our favorite city that we visited in Australia and is one of Josh's all time favorites. It combines metropolitan city life with sun and surf. We stayed at the Sheraton in Darling Harbor which was a great location since the entrance to Darling Harbor was right next to our hotel. It is a beautiful city, situated right on the water. We spent 3 days exploring every inch of the town.

Sights:

• Darling Harbour - waterfront shopping/restaurant/pub area along Cockle Bay including an IMAX theater and the Sydney Aquarium, you can also cross Pyrmont Bridge to get to the Sydney Fish Market
• Royal Botanical Gardens - This was the biggest, most beautiful garden we've ever seen. The sign when you walk in says: "Please walk on the grass. We also invite you to smell the roses, hug the trees, talk to the birds and picnic on the lawns."
• Opera House - Australia's most recognizable icon. Hosts 2400 hundred events a year, offers tours from 9-5pm
• Harbour Bridge - You can climb, walk or drive across. Climb up the staircase to the Pylon Lookout for views of the harbour and opera house
• The Rocks - Sydney's first European settlement, tons of restaurants, shopping and bars all along the harbour
• Bondi Beach - Most famous beach in Sydney including boardwalk filled with cafes, rocky scenic points and beautiful beach

Restaurants:

• Nicks - Located in Darling Harbour, great seafood (I know this is sounding redundant but the seafood there was sooooo good and fresh!) and views of the harbour
• Icebergs - Perched on a cliff with views of Bondi Beach and the ocean. This place was spendy but excellent food and dining experience, we highly recommend

That's it for now. We'll be in Switzerland househunting mid-Jan and plan on being moved into our new place and all settled in by early March. We will send more updates then!

Happy New Year!