Explore Australia Freely: Best Tips for Unforgettable Travel Adventures 🇦🇺

Just got back, and I’m excited to share our self-guided Australia 🇦🇺 travel plan with you!
From November 6 to November 17, we embarked on a memorable honeymoon journey across the stunning landscapes of Australia. Our itinerary took us through five captivating cities during the Australian winter.

**Route:**
– Shanghai (Xiamen) – Sydney
– Sydney – Gold Coast
– Gold Coast – Brisbane
– Brisbane – Cairns
– Cairns – Melbourne

The total cost for both of us was around 40,000 RMB, which translates to over 20,000 RMB per person. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

**[Visa]**
We successfully obtained our DIY visas in just 2.5 working days, making the process smooth and hassle-free.

**[International Flights]**
We booked our international flights five days in advance using a third-party app.
– Outbound: Shanghai-Xiamen-Sydney – 2847 RMB/2 = 1423.5 RMB per person
– Return: Melbourne-Shanghai-Guangzhou (equivalent to a direct flight from Melbourne to Shanghai)
– Refunded 81 RMB for the second half of the journey
– Insurance compensation: 1487.26 RMB
– Final cost: 2397.37 RMB per person
– Total round-trip international flights: 3820.87 RMB per person

**[Accommodation]**
– 2 nights in Sydney at Mercure Sydney: 2870 RMB
– 1 night in Gold Coast at Woodroffe Hotel: 1003 RMB
– 1 night in Brisbane at Spring Hill Mercure: 803 RMB
– 3 nights in Cairns at Coral Tree Inn: 1855.62 RMB
– 2 nights in Melbourne at Dorsett Melbourne: 970 + 1112 = 2082 RMB
– Total accommodation cost: 8614 RMB
– Cost per person: 4307 RMB

Everything was going smoothly until we encountered a hiccup with our domestic flights in Australia. Despite the unexpected cancellation, we managed to navigate through it with some adjustments.

**[Domestic Flights]**
– Total cost: 9866.1 RMB (after insurance compensation: 7613.95 RMB)
– Sydney to Gold Coast: 948 + 1052 = 2000 RMB
– Brisbane to Cairns: 3121.1 RMB (insurance compensation: 2247.15 RMB) + 1239 = 2112.95 RMB
– Cairns to Melbourne: 1600 + 1906 = 3506 RMB
– Qantas: 650.23 AUD * 4.

8 = 3121.1 RMB (flight rescheduled by Virgin at noon on the day of departure, resulting in a refund and repurchase of tickets)
– The higher cost of each ticket is due to the purchase of checked baggage allowance, ensuring we had all the essentials for our journey.