Australia

Australia – Day 10

Australia Jose Micheri

This is our last morning in Australia. 

We checked out and got an Uber to get to the airport. Since we were trying to get seated together we got there with plenty of time. We were able to quickly talk to an agent and get seated together. 

The security and customs process was extremely efficient and we made it to our gate with almost two hours to spare. 

We found a nice breakfast place close to the gate and ordered three different egg dishes. Everything was delicious. 

We spent our last coins and dollars on candy for the flight and spent some extra on ice cream and chocolate. 

The boarding was very fast and once onboard, we started watching movies. The flight on this return leg is shorter at twelve and a half hours compared to fifteen hours coming to Australia. 

Once in the air, we were fed and had plenty of food and airline provided snacks throughout the flight. 

We landed in LAX and transferred to the domestic terminal for our Delta flight. Since we were not able to select seats at check-in for the domestic flight, we ended up on separate seats for our last leg. 

Finally back in Denver. 

Australia – Day 09

Australia Jose Micheri

We woke up early and said goodbye to the beach. 

Tip: Palm Cove was a great place to spend some time away from the busy city but it is close to various attractions. One thing we didn’t get to do was to visit the town of Kuranda and its koala gardens, butterfly sanctuary, and bird habitat. 

Drove back safely to the car rental place and took the shuttle to the airport to go to Brisbane (our final destination for the trip).

This time we took the low fare airline Jetstar and just like Tigerair they will weigh in your carry-on. I believe the additional purchased weight allowed is less on Jetstar. 

Once at the Brisbane airport we looked for the pre-booked signed to get our Uber. 

For this last hotel, we didn’t spend too much time looking for a good deal and got a more convenient location for the night. The hotel turned out to be a massive tower and our room ended up on the 68th floor. We had a great view of the east side of the city. 

The first thing we did was to get the transportation card called Translink Go-Card. It is $10 for a deposit and an additional amount to top-up. 

Be aware that to get your $10 deposit you need to surrender your Go-Card. See https://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/go-card/refunds for more details 

We also learned to not use the back door of the bus to enter. You will be charged a $5 fee as is you had not tapped on boarding the bus. The system assumes you left the bus when you used the wrong door. 

Once we realized the mistake we made we were out of cash on our cards and decided to walk back to other sites after lunch. 

We walked first to Streets Beach which is a man-made pool with a whole section with white sand. The location has a lot of shops and restaurants as well as lockets, showers, and bathrooms. Also next to the beach there was another pool and an awesome kids playground including large slides, spider rope climbing, and a giant hamster wheel. 

As we. Continued our walk north we encountered a forest walk leading to a Nepalese pagoda, The Wheel of Brisbane ( a giant Ferris wheel), the Brisbane sign and a long boardwalk. 

Pay attention to the signs of shared bicycles and pedestrian walkways. Some lanes are for bicycles only and they come fast. Avoid getting injured. Also I noticed that Australian walk on the left side of the path. 

We continued our way north toward the Queensland Museum and Science Centre. We. Only had one hour to visit but since it is free, it worked out for us. 

The museum starts with a preserved young great white shark and a giant squid. Also on this floor, there are dinosaur bones on display. 

On the 4th floor, the museum has a large animal section area displaying every type of animal you can think of. 

After the museum closed at 5:00 PM we continued to a well-rated steakhouse called Black Hide Steakhouse. Since it was our last night, we decided to splurge on some Australian wagyu beef. We got to the restaurant as they opened and were able to accommodate us. We got a Ribeye, Rump steak and we got their famous short ribs for the little one.

The service and food were excellent. 

On the way back to the hotel we did a long walk back to the Brisbane sign to take pictures of the city at night. After this, we called it a night and said goodbye to Brisbane. 

Australia – Day 08

Australia Jose Micheri

We decided to visit the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas. It is located about thirty minutes north of Palm Cove. Along the highway, you will see the beautiful coast and beaches of the north coast. Keep an eye for a great stop with a fantastic view called Rex Lookout. 

Once at the habitat, we decided to add the breakfast with the birds. The option is an additional $23 AUD for a breakfast buffet next to the temporary bird enclosure. It is an expensive addition, but the food and experience were well worth it. 

After breakfast, we started our morning with a bird feeding tour with one of the staff members. This was so informative and it is one of many activities happening during the day.

As you get deeper into the park you can feed the kangaroos and Wallabies.

I learned that they will eat a little from your hand then stop and chew the food for a while then come back for more. 

Later in the day, we went to the croc feeding experience. There was a smaller croc that the staff member baited with a piece of meat and it was impressive hearing the thumping of the jaws when it missed the food. The larger 500 kg croc got close and opened its Jaws but did not take the bait. 

We cut our visit short to have time at the beach back at the hotel, but there were other activities that I would have enjoyed to participate in. 

One of the best things about the habitat is that you are inside a lot of enclosures and get really close to the animals. All the animals look very happy and well taken care of. 

Back at the hotel we got ready and headed out to the beach. The waters had strong waves so we decided to take on an offer from the hotel Manager to borrow a bodyboard. Matt had a blast learning how to use a bodyboard as well as how to read the waves. 

Paradise On The Beach Resort was a fantastic option for our stay. The staff made us feel welcomed and like part of the family. Highly recommended if you want to stay in Palm Cove. 

We worked an appetite and decided to head back to the hotel and go get some food but once back we decided to check out the pool. The pool was on the cold side so we jumped on the hot tub and spend more time with the family. 

By the time we left the pool, it was no longer lunchtime and more like dinner. We finally got out of the pool and went out to a restaurant called Lucky Fish for a quick fish and chips. It was amazing. 

Now with something in our bellies we did the long walk on the beach to the south part of town. 

We decided to eat some pasta at Vivo Palm Cove. We had beef cheek ragù, crab linguine and some of the best calamari I’ve had in my life. Highly recommended. 

To end the day we decided to keep walking and get some ice cream. White chocolate and macadamia nuts were the best. 

Australia – Day 07

Australia Jose Micheri

Woke up early to enjoy the Great Barrier Reef. 

We had early breakfast at the hotel and went straight to our vessel since we were able to check-in the day before and get our boarding passes. 

After boarding the SilverSwift we navigated the rough seas for about two hours to arrive at our first snorkeling location.  On the way there the snorkelers and divers were briefed on their activities.

If the seas are rough, you can avoid getting seasick with medicine (offered by the crew for a cost of $3) or you can work on looking out the window and look at the horizon. 

On the first site, we had about an hour of snorkeling. We were able to see the abundance of different kinds of fish. You could admire huge and different types of coral as well as a lot of destroyed parts of the reef. There is so much beauty that we need to protect not only on the reef but wherever home is. 

We navigated to the second site which was about five minutes. On location, we opted to have lunch before going snorkeling. We ate as fast as we could to get back in the water. Once in the water, we saw similar things but the sun will peek from time to time we were able to see more of the beautiful colors the reef has to offer. Between lunch and water time we spent about an hour and a half at sight two. 

The third site was not too far as well. The little one was tired from all the previous swims and decided to take a break while I snorkeled with the wife. On this site, we had a guided tour with one of the staff members and he pointed out different corals and giant clams along the bottom. We were able to see a turtle but missed the rays that are known to live in the area. We snorkeled for a total of one hour and near the end of our time, I got to spot a white tip reef shark. 

White Tip Reef Shark

On the way back we had carrot cake, brownies, and rough seas. The boat was speeding and we made it back to the port by 4:30 PM. The crew was fantastic and made the day a great experience. 

Back inland, we rushed to get our bags and go pick up our rental car for the next two days. After the Uber dropped us off at the East Coast facility we got our car and the adventure of driving on the left side of the road begins. 

Look at that level of concentration!

Besides the obvious of having the steering wheel on the other side, it took me a while to get used to having the turn signal lever on the right side of the steering wheel. I continued to turn on the windshield wipers on every turn or lane change I was trying to make. I was constantly very focused on the intersections remembering to stay on the left lane after a turn. 

After making it safely to our hotel on Palm Cove we went out for a walk around town and find something to eat. We settled on Japanese food at Kushi where they have Takoyaki (octopus balls) and a variety of recommended kebabs. The balls were very good but the kebabs were not what we expected for the prize. 

  • Takoyaki

On the way back we got ice cream to feel better about dinner.

Australia – Day 06

Australia Jose Micheri

Today we are flying to Cairns on the northern coast of Queensland. We flew using the low fare airline Tigerair and it was a good experience (this compared with the low fare airlines in the US). 

Be aware that the airline will weigh in your carry-on bag. You can purchase some additional weight if needed. 

We landed on a beautiful sunny day in Cairns. We walked to the ride-booking zone to wait for our Uber, it was about a fifteen-minute ride to town. 

In town, there are a lot of options for eating. On our walk around town, we came across Rusty’s Markets. The market offers many good eating options like crepes, Thai food, Japanese, etc. We had a little of everything including natural sugarcane mixed with other tropical fruits. 

After all the food we continued to explore the town and found Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. This is a free public pool in the city by the shore. It looked like a lot of fun for those hot summer days. After a few minutes, it started to rain and we decided to go back to the hotel and take it easy. 

Later at night, we went out for some highly rated Indian food. We went to 7spices Indian Restaurant and Bar. The staff was great and helped us pick some of the traditional dishes. The food was very flavorful and delicious. 

On the way back to the hotel Matt remembered a Taiwanese shaved ice place near the hotel called Seet Tea and begged to go. We had a bowl of chocolate ice since they had run out of vanilla for the day. After this massive dessert, we had to call it a night. 

Shaved ice fotos

Australia – Day 05

Australia Jose Micheri

Today we woke up to a foggy morning in Sydney with plans to visit the aquarium. On our way there we decided to have breakfast again at Gazzi. We tried the Mediterranean breakfast and poached eggs over bacon. Like last time service and food were amazing.

Once inside, the aquarium keeps you moving along a determined path where you will see a large variety of smaller creatures as well as larger ones. There are two long half cylinder sections that you will go underwater and experience sharks, rays and a variety of fish. Also, don’t miss the penguin section and experience them up close through the glass.

The cost was $36.80 AUD for adults and $26.40 AUD for children. We spent 2.5 hrs during our visit.

After working an appetite we walked back to Show Neua Thai Street Food and enjoy their Pad Thai one last time.

Since we have failed to visit the Opera House, we made it our goal to make it there today. We boarded the train and headed straight to Central Quay Station to walk to the building. As we got closer we noticed that the roof has a tile pattern and not a smooth surface as I thought.

Once inside there was not much to see, all hallways we blocked off for different events. Since we had time before going to Luna Park we decided to see if we could see a show. There were three seats available to see a Game of Thrones theater parody. We paid more than we wanted to spend, but we were already there and this was a different opportunity to experience. The show covered the highlights of the show and made fun of a lot of situations that happened through all eight seasons. The show was fantastic and I recommend you to see it if you have seen Game of Thrones.

After the show, we took a ferry to Luna Park (the correct ferry this time). Once we got there the place was packed. Looked like everyone else had the same idea.

The place is like going to Conney Island in New York, it has the old school rides and carnival games. There are a few more modern rides but are for riders taller than 130 cm. We had a good time but only had time to ride about five rides in the two hours we spent there due to the number of people visiting. We ended the night playing some carnival games and Matt won a Luna Park bobblehead.

You can take the train to/from Luna Park, it is just a ten-minute walk to/from the station.

Australia – Day 04

Australia Jose Micheri

Started the day with a delicious Colombian breakfast from Colombia Organik.

From there we boarded the train west stopping at the Blacktown station and transferring to the bus ** bus number ** to Featherdale Wildlife Park. The entrance was $32 for adults and $19 for children.

The park starts with a section to feed Wallabies, but there are other sections to feed more animals further into the park.

Along the way, you will admire numerous birds, cassowary, wombats, kangaroos, dingoes, and other farm animals. We spent over two hours around the park.

Around noon we headed back to Sydney to explore the west side. We had ramen for lunch at Ramen Kan.

With full bellies, we visited the Chinese Garden of Friendship. These beautiful gardens are in the middle of the city and are a great short visit (we spent about half an hour). The entrance was $6 for adults and $3 for children.

On the way to Darling Harbour, we stumbled into a very nice park north of Tumbalong Park. It had a huge web to climb, a large slide and even a zip line (Matt’s favorite thing).

Great walk along the harbor. As you get closer to the Sydney Harbour Bridge you can see the unique architecture of the tall buildings and new development. Since rain continued to come down we decide to take the ferry to Circular Quay to visit the Opera House.

We boarded a ferry and went to the top floor to take pictures of the bridge and the Opera House. As we got closer we noticed that the ferry continued past the Opera House and did not go into the expected wharf. We continued for a long ride all the way northeast to the town of Manly.

We remained on our seats and talked to the captain about what had happened shower after began our journey back to were we started. At least we got to see the sites up close and got to see the Manly port.

This time we took the train to Circular Quay and met with my wife middle school friend from Colombia. We had dinner across the Opera House at The Squire’s Landing and tried the local Rump steak.

Matt and I decided to head back to the hotel after dinner. That night at the Central Station the city was preparing for a train expo which included rides on some classic trains. We had the opportunity to see them at the station.

Australia – Day 03

Australia Jose Micheri

Started the day by getting an Opal card. This is used for all public transportation methods in Sydney and it is the most convenient way to get around.


The card is free, I started with $20 dollars for adults and $10 for children. For three days of constant traveling, we spent about $50 for adults and half for the little one. Using the app was convenient to add money to our accounts on the go.

Now with our transport card, we start looking for breakfast. We settled on Gazzi, a restaurant with a delicious Mediterranean and contemporary Australian menu. I had a baked Shakshuka which is eggs cooked on top of a tomato sauce. My wife had the Gazzi breakfast consisting of two poached eggs with bacon, roasted tomato, fresh avocado, feta on sourdough Eggs. Great flavors and service.

After breakfast, we boarded the bus toward Bondi Beach. From the Museum Station near Liverpool Street, it was about 30 minutes on bus 333. Once there we were greeted with a sunny day and a wonderful view of the beach. There were almost no tourists when we arrived but plenty of surfers catching waves. We spent a few hours just walking and people watching.

There are coin-operated lockers and restrooms if you want to spend some time at the beach.

Around 11:30 am we left the beach and walked on the trail along the side of the cliffs. This leads you to another beach. There are great views along the way.

We were getting hungry mad hiked to a seafood restaurant for some fish and chips. Bondi Road Seafood is a great small place if you are looking for fresh seafood. The place was clean and the staff was wonderful.

We decided to go back to town and explore the Central Park Mall. The building has a very unique architecture, covered with vegetation. The area has plenty of restaurants to choose from as well as an open space south of the building to relax.

A great find was gelato from Anita, the gelato was creamy and they had plenty of delicious flavors. I got pistachio swirl with white chocolate and Ferrero Roche. Later I learned that there was another Anita on Bondi Beach.

One thing I wish I had done on day one was to buy a local sim card. I got a prepaid sim card with 36GB of data, local and some countries calls included for $29. There were some cheaper plans as low as $15 for 3 GB.

Between the months of May and mid-June Sydney has different light and music shows around the city. We went north to see the show displayed on the outside of the Opera House.

At this point of the night, Matt was tired and hungry, we decided to call it a night. On the way back we found a Thai restaurant (Show Neua Thai Street Food) and decided to give its Pad Thai a try. It was a great way to end the night.

Australia – Day 02

Australia Jose Micheri

Still flying…

Got to sleep some hours on the plane leaving me with only eight more hours to go. Started watching movies but took some breaks in between movies to play games with Matt. You had four multiplayer games that you could play with other passengers.

During the flight, we got a gourmet version of a pizza hot pocket for a. Snack and two hours before landing we got an omelet with bacon and potatoes.

After too many movies we can finally see land.

Past immigration and customs we headed out of the airport looking for transportation. We found that to take an Uber you need to wait for them in the priority pick-up area. Follow the signs throughout the airport.

After driving through traffic on a rainy morning, we arrived at our hotel The Ultimo.

The staff was extremely helpful and were very kind in letting us check in early.

We quickly left our bags and headed out to get cash and food. Next, to the hotel, we found multiple items and across is a mall with plenty of food options. We opted for Taiwanese beef noodle soup and crispy chicken.

With our full bellies and cash for emergencies, we started walking north to explore the city. Along the way, you can admire the mix of new and old architecture showing what parts of the city have been modernized.

Next, to Hyde Park, we visited Saint Mary’s Cathedral. Very beautiful cathedral both from the outside as well an inside. When visiting go to the crypt below the main floor, you will see more information about its history and wonderful floors.

The ticket to the crypt can be purchased at the store for $5 AUD

Along the way, we visited the Australian Museum. There is a lot to see; from extinct animals, a dinosaur exhibit, many birds, local Australian culture, etc. We spent two and a half hours going through the museum.

We continued to walk north toward Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. This is a good spot to see both the bridge and the opera house. To get there we walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens. This was a beautiful walk through very tall trees and beautiful landscape. We took many pictures along the path. The weather continued to switch between rain and glimpses of sunlight.

From here we tried to walk to the opera house but it proved to be too much for Matt. He was exhausted from all the walking and the long flight. We decided to head back to the hotel and eat somewhere along the way.

We decided to try the famous xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung restaurant. The shrimp and pork dumplings were the best, the regular pork ones were OK, they did not have enough soup inside.

Australia – Day 01

Australia Jose Micheri

Left for the airport around 5:30 PM giving ourselves more time to check in at the counter.

There was no line at the counter but Ir took about 20 minutes to resolve a double booking done by the company I used to book the flights. Security was quick and now at the tram to Terminal A.

It’s the little things that matter… Matt loves sitting down at the window at the end of the tram.

We had a short flight to LAX and now we wait for our long 15 hr flight to Sydney. Once there we had to transfer to terminal 3/B (international). We were hungry and looking for food. Almost no options were available near the doors, so we kept going and hoped that there was something good by our gate. We found a food court with various options. We chose to get burgers from Umami Burger but didn’t like the LAX Burger. The wife had the Cali and an order of truffle fries.

LAX Burger
Our plane ready for take

As we were in line to board I noticed that Matt’s plane seat was five rows behind ours. I quickly ran to the counter to resolve the issue. Luckily they were able to find three seats together.

Just after takeoff, we learned that they were going to give us dinner after takeoff. We were not ready for more food after our burger dinner but not wanting to go hungry later we ate.

Now with a full belly, I tried to watch a movie and go to sleep later in the hopes of adjusting my sleep schedule to Sydney. By the end of the movie, I was so tired that I stopped fighting and decided to sleep.