Australia - Sydney and Melbourne (21 Oct 2009 to 30 Oct 2009)

I went to Australia with my father. The first 5 days, we joined EGL Sydney group tour.
To my surprise, the group tour meals were quite good.
Ater the group tour, my father stayed in Sydney with my aunt and cousin for 5 more days.
I flew from Sydney to Melbourne for 3 days and then back to Sydney and come back Hong Kong with father.
Thanks aunt, cousin and cousin's family so much for taking care my father and me in Sydney.
They are very nice to us. Thanks again.

Cash exchange rate : 1 AUD = 7.1 Hong Kong dollar

Expenses before trip	AUD	HK Dollar
EGL Tour, $5299 each	N/A	10598.0
Australia VISA, $150 each	N/A	300.0
HK, Australia Airport Tax and Fuel Surcharge, $1579 each	N/A	3158.0
Travel Insurance, $184.5 each	N/A	369.0
Domestic Flight from Sydney to Melbourne	N/A	852.63
Domestic Flight from Melbourne to Sydney	N/A	237.84
Misc (eg gift)	N/A	320
Total		15835.47

21 Oct 2009
Hong Kong

• Although the seats of Virgin Atlantic are not spacious, I like the game, video on demand and the food.

Expenses on 21 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Nil	0	0
Total	0	0

22 Oct 2009
Sydney

• Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Sydney Fish Market, father and I had some oysters and lobster (cooked not raw)
• Queen Victoria Building which is one of the top 10 department store in the world
• Had Thai cuisine lunch
• Went to Circular Quay, travelled to Taronga Zoo by ferry, back to hotel by bus through Sydney Harbour Bridge

Expenses on 22 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Half lobster	18.5	131.35
Oyster, AUD 2.5 each	5.0	35.5
Hunter Valley, AUD 165 each	330.0	2343.0
Total	353.5	2509.85

23 Oct 2009
Sydney

• Breakfast in hotel, I dropped the lip of a beaker, saw someone did the same thing every morning
• Wine tasting, cheese, chocolate, olive (no honey) in Hunter Valley
• We had fish and chips lunch, coffee tea break there
• Dinner in China Town
• Friday night stalls in China Town

Expenses on 23 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Americano Coffee	3.0	21.3
Cold Milk	3.0	21.3
Dinner Curry Beef Rice	6.0	42.6
Dinner Garlic Chicken Rice	6.0	42.6
Total	18.0	127.8

24 Oct 2009
Sydney

• Breakfast in hotel
• Visit Rock Market
• Chinese cuisine lunch
• Visit Echo Point and view Three Sisters Rock
• Scenic World of Blue Mountain, view Three Sisters Rock, Blue Mountain, Old Mines, Special plants, cable car, tram
• Guide took us to a duty free shop and an abalone shop
• Chinese cuisine dinner

Expenses on 24 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Tips for EGL guide, $600 each	N/A	1200
Total	N/A	1200

25 Oct 2009
Sydney
Melbourne

• Breakfast in hotel
• Check out hotel
• We left our luggages in the hotel
• We meet aunt, cousin and cousin's husband in China Town
• My father stayed with aunt and cousin
• I went back to the hotel until the heavy rain stopped
• I walked to the train station, but the train service was stopped, so I travelled to the airport by bus
• The flight to Melbourne was delayed because of the bad weather
• To reduce the luggage weight, I put on jacket, hat, glass, watch, mobile phone, wallet, camera and even umbrella
• I had sandwiches in Subway of the airport
• I had sandwiches in Subway of the airport.
• When I arrived Melbourne airport, I travelled to the city by Sky Bus
• I had fried rice in a restaurant in King Street
• Then I checked in King Street Backpackers
• Then I walked along King Street, King Bridge and then Crown Entertainment Complex
• I could not booked Great Ocean Road local tour because it was very late at night

Expenses on 25 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Hotel phone call charge	1.0	7.1
Misc (eg gift)	200.0	1420.0
Bus to airport	3.2	22.72
Sandwiches in Subway	9.75	69.225
Round Trip Sky Bus	26.0	184.6
Fried Rice	4.8	34.08
King Street Backpackers, AUD 24 per night	96.0	681.6
Misc entertainment	20.0	142.0
Total	360.75	2561.325

26 Oct 2009
Melbourne

• As I was very tired, when I woke up, it was 3pm, I did not have breakfast and lunch
  
• I could not manage to book the Great Ocean Road local tour through travel agents in the city, therefore, I asked King Street Backpackers staff to book the tour for me, it was Ture Blue Tours
• I walked around the city, Melbourne Aquarium, Crown Casino, Parliament House, Princess Theatre, St Patrick's Cathedral, Fitzroy Garden, City Museum, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station,St Paul's Cathedral, Yarra River, Prince's Bridge, Queen's Bridge, King's Bridge, South Gate, ...
• I had steak dinner because I wanted to know whether one steak set can be shared by two people as
  told by my guide book

Expenses on 26 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Great Ocean Road of True Blue Tours	95.0	674.5
Dinner Steak	18.0	127.8
Total	113.0	802.3

27 Oct 2009
Melbourne

• Big big breakfast in King Street Backpackers
• Waited for pick up service by True Blue Tours, but I did not know why True Blue Tours was changed to Go West, anyway it was good because the tour by Go West costed aud 120 (higher than aud 95 byTrue Blue Tours)
• We stopped at Bell's Beach. There were only two surfers because the wave was not big
• We meet wild Koala, fed birds in the Great Otway National Park
• Then we had lunch in the Apolla Bay, however, no restaurant accepted my lunch voucher from True Blue Tours. Fortunately, I was not hungry because I had big big breakfast in King Street Backpackers and Ihad tea and biscuits by Go West in a stop of Great Ocean Road
• We had a guided walk in the tropical rain forest
• We visited Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge
• On the way back, I had dinner in Mc Donald
• Go West drop me back to King Street Backpackers very late at night (around 23:00)

Expenses on 27 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Mc Donald Dinner	6.4	45.44
Total	6.4	45.44

28 Oct 2009
Melbourne

• My friend, colleague and the King Street Backpackers room mate recommended me to go to St Kilda
• I bought a Metlink one-day-pass
• I travelled to St Kilda by tram, walked along the shopping street, amusement park and beach
• I travelled from St Kilda back to city by tram
• Then I travelled from Southern Cross station to Parliament Station by train
• Then I travelled to Dockland by shuttle bus
• Finally, travelled from Dockland to King Street by tram
• I had Chinese style fried beef rice noodle lunch
• Took rest and dinner

Expenses on 28 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Metlink one-day-pass	6.8	48.28
Fried beef rice noodle	7.0	49.7
Dinner	13.95	99.045
Misc entertainment	23.0	163.3
Total	50.75	360.325

29 Oct 2009
Melbourne
Sydney

• Check out King Street Backpackers early in the morning
• Domestic flight from Melbourne to Sydney
• Travelled from airport to Central Station by CityRail
• Kept my luggage in a tourist service centre
• I had burger in Hungry Jack (Burger King)
• I walked to the Museum Station, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building and Circular Quay
• I did not take ferry from Circular Quay to the Manly Beach because it was raining
• I travelled to China Town by shuttle bus
• I had beef rice lunch in China Town
• The abalone shop near China Town was not opened, I wait for more than half an hour and then I made
  a phone call to the boss. Then I bought 10 abalones
• I also bought some Abalone Macadamia nuts
• Then I meet my father and my cousin in China Town
• We had dinner in a Chinese restaurant

Expenses on 29 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
CityRail	15.0	106.5
Luggage Storage	14.0	99.4
Burger in Hungry Jack	6.55	46.505
Misc entertainment	15.0	106.5
Beef Rice Lunch	9.5	67.45
Abalone	285.0	2023.5
Abalone Macadamia Nut, AUD 8.75 each	43.75	310.625
Total	388.8	2760.48

30 Oct 2009
Sydney
Hong Kong

• Early in the morning, my cousin's husband drove me to a shopping mall
• We had coffee and cakes in a cafe
• As my cousin knew that I did not go to the Manly Beach, she drove us to the Bondi Beach
• After having laksa noodle lunch, we went to the airport

Expenses on 30 Oct 2009	AUD	HK Dollar
Nil	0	0
Total	0	0

Expenses after trip	AUD	HK Dollar
Nougat candies	N/A	354.0
Father roaming phone call	N/A	177.42
Ric roaming phone call	N/A	254.00