Australia Day 11: Wrapping Up Sydney Free and Easy Trip, Heading Home Journey

The last day of the Australian trip has arrived 🎈. To allow enough time for the long journey back, we chose to spend this special day in Sydney, planning to buy souvenirs and take a ferry to enjoy the view of the Sydney Opera House.

The weather in Sydney was perfect, with sunny days throughout the entire trip ☀️. For breakfast, we picked a Chinese restaurant next to Mascot train station. Restaurants in Australia generally open quite late, with most Chinese restaurants opening around 10-11 am, but this Taiwanese noodle shop opened earlier and served very generous portions 🍜.

Using the Opal card for the ferry is super convenient; once you reach the daily spending limit, no more fees are charged (though some privately operated ferries may charge extra, only public transport is within the limit) 🚢. After the meal, we headed to Circular Quay to catch the ferry, passing by Luna Park on the way 🎡.

After disembarking, we dove into souvenir shops, where the fridge magnets were particularly attractive 🤩. Then, we took a city walk to Macchiato, an Italian restaurant we had arranged to meet friends at. This place is very popular on Xiaohongshu, so it’s recommended to book in advance on Google, as there can be long waits during peak times.

The five of us ordered four dishes: sweet Beef ribs, which were tender and juicy; pizza, which was standard; octopus, a refreshing cold dish; and chicken panini, recommended by the staff, but it wasn’t very good, leaving a lot left over 😣.

After lunch, we continued shopping. We first went to Woolworths to buy lanolin and emu oil 🛍️, then to CW to pick up sunscreen. We also bought fruits and snacks for the airport and the flight at a supermarket before heading back to the hotel to collect our luggage and go to the airport.

At the airport, tax refund was the top priority. There weren’t many people when we went, so the process was smooth. Here’s a guide to the tax refund process 👇:
1️⃣ Go to the tax refund office (Australian Border Force, ABF) on the arrivals level to check your refundable goods (you can find it near H check-in counter, just take the elevator down).

The staff will verify the amount on your receipts and stamp them (the lady who helped us wasn’t very friendly 😒).
2️⃣ After getting the stamp, proceed with check-in and security.
3️⃣ After security, go to the tax refund window (Tourist Refund Scheme) near gate 10 to get your refund (it can only be refunded to a credit card).

Remember to download the TRS app in advance, fill in the invoice amount and other information as prompted, and generate a QR code to give to the staff.
⚠️ Important! You can get a tax refund if you spend over 300 AUD under the same ABN, and the receipt date must be within 60 days of your departure date 📄.

After receiving our tax refund, we leisurely explored the airport, eventually picking up a few more souvenirs. To my surprise, I stumbled upon the exact same souvenir—a charming row of little koalas—that my aunt had given me years ago. It seems that Australian souvenirs could use a touch of innovation! 😂

Our Australian adventure has now come to a close, and every moment of the journey has been etched into my heart as cherished memories.