Travel Monkeys

Australia Trip Report: Day 14

Alice Springs – July 30, 2025 (Author: J)

Alice Springs has pink cockatoos, lots of pink cockatoos.

We arrived in Alice Springs in the wee hours of July 30 and went straight to bed. I awoke the next morning to a beautiful day. As usual, I was the first person up, so I went to the gym at our hotel: the Doubletree. Because the hotel wi-fi was spotty in the gym, I couldn’t do a strength training video as planned. Instead, I did some cardio and puttered around with the free weights. Fortunately, by the time I was done with my workout, everyone else was awake. We got dressed and walked to the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens for breakfast.

If you are not familiar with Alice Springs, it is a town of about 30,000 located roughly in the center of Australia. The main part of town is to the west of the River Todd; both the Doubletree and the Botanic Gardens are to the east of the river. Oh, and the river usually doesn’t have any water in it.

As I mentioned, it was a lovely day, so we had a pleasant walk along the dry riverbed to the gardens. The Olive Pink Botanic Gardens (named for a woman called Olive, and not for two of my favorite colors) is a large garden featuring native dry-climate plants and some sculptures. It is also home to some rock wallabies, who made themselves scarce during our visit. Once in the gardens, we went directly to the Bean Tree Café for breakfast. The café has outdoor tables surrounded by red hills and garden plants. I got the sense that we were the only tourists there, mainly because the rest of the diners were teenagers in school uniforms.

P and I had the cinnamon toast (delicious) and D had eggs (always eggs). We also got some coffee drinks for the adults and a smoothie for P. The food and drinks were excellent, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the colorful garden birds were just the right amount moochie. (They hopped around where we could enjoy watching them without ever hopping onto our food). After breakfast, we had a wander around the garden and then forded the river to visit the main part of town.

Based upon my research, it seems like tourist numbers are down in Alice, and taxi operators are therefore few. That meant that we were limited to places we could reach on foot. We settled on visiting the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The RFDS provides medical services by airplane in remote areas of Australia. As Americans, we found it to be an interesting alternative to our system of providing no medical services in remote areas. The RFDS Visitor Centre has some historical exhibits, some planes you can climb on, a VR experience that simulates flying on one of the medical planes, and a gift shop full of stuffed koalas dressed as medical professionals. P took the kids’ scavenger hunt activity quite seriously, dutifully filling in the map of RFDS stations. The little booklet is still in the pocket of his fleece.

After visiting the RFDS, we walked back to the hotel for a late lunch. We hadn’t eaten any of our bus provisions the previous evening, so we made cheese sandwiches and ate them in our room. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting in our room. A little before 4 pm, we went downstairs to wait for our shuttle to the Kangaroo Sanctuary. While we were waiting for the bus, we saw an interesting animal run past the hotel. P followed at a safe distance and was able to get a photo. We think maybe it was a dingo.

The Kangaroo Sanctuary is what it sounds like. It is a place where orphaned kangaroos are fostered and released back into the wild. It is also home to a mob of kangaroos that cannot be released because they have physical limitations that would make them easy pickings for the dingoes. The sanctuary founder, Chris Barns (aka Brolga) was the star of a show called Kangaroo Dundee, which I had never seen. But the driver ran clips on the bus television while we drove out to the sanctuary.

If you like animals, or need your faith in humanity restored, or just want to watch the sunset in a peaceful location, the Kangaroo Sanctuary Sunset Tour is for you. I built our entire itinerary around being able to visit the sanctuary before boarding the Ghan (which means you need to be in Alice on a Wednesday and board the train on a Thursday). It was worth it. We spent about 2.5 hours walking around the property learning about Chris’s work and interacting with the baby kangaroos. They should be in mom’s pouch, so they enjoy being carried in pillowcases. Once the babies are older, they either join the mob hopping about the property or, if they can be released, they are sent to a separate area to be de-habituated to humans.

After the tour, I had booked dinner at Hanuman, an Indian/Thai restaurant conveniently located in the lobby of the Doubletree. I had noted on our reservation that we were celebrating our 20^th anniversary, and they had glasses of sparkling wine waiting for us. We also went ahead and ordered some fancy cocktails. Hanuman has a nice selection of vegetarian dishes, as well as a number of meat items that can be made vegetarian. (They use tofu for the meat). We ordered a selection to share. Everything was delicious.

At the end of our meal, we ordered a slice of cake to share. Because it was our anniversary, the restaurant added a sparkler. Having grown up in a classier neighborhood than I did, P never had the experience of running around with lit fireworks. So, he didn’t realize that you cannot blow a sparkler out. He huffed, and he puffed, and then he dumped an entire glass of water on the cake. I decided to try it anyway.

“How is it?” P asked.

“A little too moist,” I replied.

P was not amused.

After dinner, we made the short walk upstairs to our room. It had been a relaxing day full of excellent food – overall my favorite day of the trip. To think that we only stopped in Alice to catch the Ghan.

In the next installment: we catch the Ghan.

Australia Trip Report: Day 13

Ayers Rock Resort to Alice Springs – July 29, 2025 (Author: J)

Our final day at Ayers Rock Resort was something of a filler day. Our bus to Alice Springs was picking us up at 19:00, which left us with a lot of time to kill after hotel checkout at noon. While the time gap was less than optimal, I was not able to find a better option. Best as I can tell, there are only two companies that offer buses between Uluru and Alice Springs: AAT Kings and Emu Run. The two operators run buses on alternating days. On the day we were traveling, Emu Run was our only option, and their only bus was in the evening.

We started the day with a late breakfast at the buffet in Sails in the Dessert. Though expensive, Ilkari really set the standard for buffet food on this trip, both in terms of variety and quality of the food. We were happy with the splurge (but gave the dinner the edge if we had to choose one meal to eat at Ilkari). After breakfast, we finished packing and wheeled our luggage to reception to be held for the day. It was barely 11 am, so we had a lot of hours left to pass.

Our plan for the day was to take advantage of as many of the free guest activities at the resort as possible. We walked over to Town Square where we found that the painting workshop was full, but the didgeridoo workshop was just getting started. The workshop involved a demonstration of the technique for playing the instrument, a talk about the history, and a few songs. It seemed like the target audience was Australians because the presenter spent a lot of time dispelling misconceptions about the didgeridoo. As an American, I didn’t have any conceptions, mis or otherwise. (I can’t recall anyone every acknowledging the existence of Australia in my 12 years of public school. My son tells me he did a whole unit in his social science class this year, so maybe future groups of US tourists will be better informed).

After learning about the didgeridoo, we got on the shuttle bus and travelled to the Camel Farm. The Camel Farm offers camels rides to paying guests but is also free to visitors who just want to have a look around. In addition to the camels themselves, there is a small museum about camels in Australia and some other farm animals. We petted some cows, admired the camels from a safe distance, and watched a large group of wild cockatoos taking advantage of the easy pickings in the other animals’ feed troughs.

Once we were done with the farm animals, we returned to Town Center for some souvenir shopping. D had expressed some interest in purchasing a painting by one of the Indigenous artists’ whose work was displayed in the Gallery of Central Australia. However, he ultimately settled on the less expensive option of buying a table runner printed with work licensed from one of the artists. I also purchased a pair of socks with kangaroos on them. We vetoed P’s request to purchase a hand painted Australian football because they were too expensive to be used as sports equipment.

After shopping, we walked up to an outlook for our final glimpse of Uluru. Then we returned to Geckos Café for a late lunch. I hadn’t been too impressed with our first meal there, but P really wanted pizza. Fortunately, the food was better the second time around (though the service was lacking). Our final stop before returning to Sails in the Dessert was the grocery store where we purchased some bread, cheese, and snacks for the bus ride.

We spent our last few hours in Uluru lounging about in the lobby. At about 18:40, we went outside to wait for our bus. At 19:00, an Emu Run bus entered the pickup/drop-off area, slowed down, and then drove off. I confess that I panicked. I called Emu Run’s emergency number and got no answer. So, I ran back to the reception desk thinking that I would ask them to call the bus. Then, I realized that I was risking missing the bus, so I ran back out to the bus pickup/drop-off. Another traveler noticed me flapping about and assured me that she was also on the Emu Run transfer. “Buses here are always late,” she said.

15 minutes after our pickup time, a second Emu Run bus entered the drop-off/pickup area and picked us up. I was surprised to see that the bus was full. Apparently, most of the people on the bus had done a day tour to Uluru from Alice Springs. That meant that they travelled 5 hours for a barbeque and hike at Uluru and then turned around and travelled 5 hours back to Alice Springs. I suppose if it’s the only way that someone can see Uluru, then it might be worth it. But it didn’t sound like a fun day to me – especially for the bus driver.

Our driver gave us a briefing on how to use the emergency phone and explained the bus safety features, including the roo bar. About 20 minutes later, we got to see the roo bar in action when we hit an animal on the highway. Then, we continued our journey. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We had a bathroom stop at a closed roadhouse (for which our driver had a key). We otherwise drove straight through to Alice. I have no complaints about the journey, but I slept for most of it.

D apparently had a different experience. After we hit the mystery animal, he spent the rest of the trip worrying that we might break down somewhere in the outback. This was probably his comeuppance for making fun of my little freakout before the busy picked me up, or maybe his penance for not listening to the safety briefing. We arrived in Alice Springs around midnight, checked into our hotel, and went straight to bed.

Overall, I highly recommend visiting Uluru. For us, it is probably a once in a lifetime visit, but it was full of memorable moments – most of them good.

Next up, my favorite day of the trip.

Australia Trip Report Day 12

July 28, 2025: Ayers Rock Resort (Author: J)

Day 12 of our trip was another early start, this time at 5:55 am for a sunrise visit to Kata Tjuta. This tour was offered through Uluru Hop on Hop Off Bus. But, unlike the Uluru bus, the Kata Tjuta bus does not run regularly throughout the day. Instead, they run a sunrise and a sunset bus to Kata Tjuta. This arrangement makes sense given the relative popularity of Kata Tjuta and Uluru; lots of people seem to visit just the latter. However, there are drawbacks to this arrangement that prevent me from recommending Uluru Hop on Hop Off for a trip to Kata Tjuta. The reasons for this will become apparent as I describe our adventure.

Like our other activities at Ayers Rock Resort, the confirmation for the bus specified that we should be at the bus stop in front of the hotel 10 minutes before embarkation time. Not wanting to get up any earlier than necessary, we packed our day bag – including a breakfast of muffins and juice boxes – the night before. When our alarm went off at 5:20 am, we dressed, brushed our teeth, grabbed our bags, and made the short walk across the property to the bus stops in front of the lobby.

The bus arrived a little after 6 am. Therein followed the same confusion and digging in pockets we had witnessed the previous morning. (The top tip here is to have your park pass ready for any activity that takes you into Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.) A little more than 30 minutes after boarding the bus, we pulled up to a viewing platform overlooking Kata Tjuta. This time we were early enough to see the sky change colors as the sun rose and lit up the rock formation. It was worth getting out of bed for.

There were plenty of other tour buses and cars at the viewing platform, but it is large enough that we didn’t feel crowded. We were able to take pictures, enjoy our muffins, and move around to take in the different views of the 30+ rocks in the formation. When it was officially “sunrise,” we shuffled back to the bus for our next stop: a bathroom break.

Our driver dropped us at the restrooms with instructions to ignore the “men” and “women” signs on the doors and use whichever bathroom had the shorter line. Everyone dutifully disregarded his instructions and queued up according to the sign directions. (In fairness, I don’t think it made much of a different because the lines were long for both restrooms). While I was waiting in line at the women’s room, a park worker walked over to the bathroom door, removed the “women” sign, and replaced it with “men.” “Evens out the toilet paper use,” he said with a wink. Somewhere in the US, a politician tossed and turned in his sleep. In Australia, I waited in line, used the bathroom, and then met P and D back at the bus.

After taking care of business, we had the choice between completing the Walpa Gorge Walk or the longer Valley of the Winds Walk. We opted for the latter. The driver dropped the first group of people at the Walpa trailhead and then briefed everyone else on the Valley of the Winds. The gist was that we had 3 hours to complete the walk, which was plenty of time for literally any human, and that if we didn’t make it back to the bus 3 hours and 15 minutes after we were dropped off, we would be abandoned in the National Park. After we got off the bus at the trailhead, the driver briefed us on how to use the emergency intercom at the trailhead, something that we needed to know because cell phone service is spotty at Kata Tjuta. He helpfully explained that missing the bus would not be a suitable reason to use the emergency intercom.

We started our hike by taking a photo of the trail map, which described the Valley of the Winds as a “moderately challenging 3-4 hour hike.” “We can always hitchhike back to the hotel if we miss the bus,” I reassured myself. “After all, what are the odds that anyone would kidnap a group of hitchhikers – I mean – other than that one famous Australian serial killer who kidnapped groups of hitchhikers….”

I kept those thoughts to myself as we set off on the first leg of our hike. Unlike the flat trail around Uluru, the hiking at Kata Tjuta is uneven and sometimes steep. The trails allow you to walk between some of the rocks in the formation. Even so, the first leg of the hike to Karu Lookout is a fairly easy 1 kilometer or so. We reached the lookout in about 30 minutes, took in the views, and then pressed on.

The next stop was Karingaṉa lookout. Getting there was more of a challenge because the trail was narrow with loose rocks. We didn’t have ideal footwear for those trail conditions – just regular sneakers – so we needed to pick our way carefully over the tricky places on the trail. It was during this portion of the hike that I noticed a pain in my left foot. I ignored it and pressed on.

A little over an hour after starting our hike, we reached the 2^nd lookout. The views there were spectacular. There was also a sign that indicated that photography was restricted because it was a culturally sensitive area. I found the sign somewhat unclear. Was all photography prohibited? Just certain views? I decided to err on the side of not taking any photos from the lookout (and minimal photos after that). Hopefully, none of my photos are inappropriate.

At the Karingana lookout, we had a decision to make: finish the loop or turn around and go back the way that we came. Based upon the recommendation of a guide who was hiking with a group of 20-something backpackers, D advocated for finishing the loop. This option was advertised as longer but more flat. P and I weren’t sold, but we went along with the recommendation. It was a mistake.

It took us a little less than 2 hours to complete the rest of the loop, which included some steep portions. Because the trail didn’t have a lot of markers, we didn’t have a good way to assess our progress. We therefore kept a fairly punishing pace, stopping only when the pain in my foot became more than I could handle. (It turned out that I had a small splinter of wood in my sock, which had cut my toe. Without the 2 women from our bus who stopped to offer me a bandage, I’m not sure that I would have made it).

After all that, we made it back to the drop-off point with about 10 minutes to spare. Our bus started back towards Ayers Rock Resort precisely on schedule, and presumably carrying everyone who had purchased a ticket. But only our driver — and anyone he may have left behind — knows for sure.

So, who is the Uluru Hop On Hop Off – Kata Tjuta Sunrise Return tour good for?

Very fit people who prefer not to look around while hiking;
Moderately fit people who don’t mind a 50 km walk back to Ayers Rock Resort after their hike; and
People of any fitness level who don’t mind pushing the emergency call button even though being abandoned by your bus is “not a real emergency.”

Who isn’t the Uluru Hop On Hop Off – Kata Tjuta Sunrise Return tour good for?

People of any fitness level who like to hike at a leisurely pace admiring their surroundings;
Unfit people;
People with mobility issues;
People with young children;
Anxious people;
People who didn’t pack hiking books to save weight on their luggage;
People who prepare for vacation by listening to podcasts about famous serial killers from their travel destination;
People whose 12-year-old sons are likely to hold a grudge about completing a 3-4 hour hike in less than 3 hours to avoid being abandoned by a tour bus; and
People with a little splinter of wood in their left shoe.

After our hike, we walked directly to Ayers Rock Resort Town Square for lunch. We selected Kulata Academy Café because our first choice, Ayers Wok, was only open for dinner. Kulata Academy Café had assorted sandwiches and baked goods. We all chose the halloumi and roasted tomato sandwich, and D and P also purchased some donuts. It was a beautiful afternoon, so we ate outside in the company of various colorful, mooching birds. After lunch, we went back to our room (which had been cleaned that morning based upon my request to the front desk the day before) to relax.

Our plans that evening were to attend Wintjiri Wiru Twilight. This is a sunset wine, cheese, and dessert reception overlooking Uluru, followed by a laser and drone show. The show tells the Mala story, which is the story of how the Mala people journeyed to the Uluru area. Our pickup time for the show was 6 pm. We were surprised to see someone from the resort already checking people in when we arrived at the bus stop at 10 minutes to 6. As it turned out, her purpose was to confirm whether anyone wanted to cancel or rebook. Because of wind conditions, there was a good chance that the drones could not fly. It was our last night at Uluru, so we chose to keep our booking.

Wintjiri Wiru takes place on a large platform overlooking Uluru. It has stadium riser type seating and an area behind it with a bar and some cocktail tables. When we arrived, there was already a group seated and eating a meal. They were the “Sunset Dinner” group. Our wine, cheese, and dessert option was approximately $100 AUD per person cheaper. On arrival, our group was greeted with a selection of wine, beer, and soft drinks. Shortly after that, we each received a box of food. The adult box contained a few types of cheese, some grapes, fruit paste, assorted crackers, and a little cake. The kids’ box had just one type of cheese, grapes, apples, crackers, teddy bear cookies, popcorn, and a little cake. Given our late lunch, it was plenty of food.

While we were eating and watching the sun set over Uluru, the staff did some wind tests to see if the drones could safely be flown. Unfortunately, the final verdict on that was no. We were treated, instead, to a laser and music show (and a fairly substantial partial refund because of the drone show cancellation). D and I enjoyed the experience and would recommend going even if there is a risk that the drones will be cancelled. The sunset was beautiful, the wine was unlimited, and the laser show was relaxing. P, on the other hand, was very disappointed that we had scheduled Wintjiri Wiru for the one evening of our trip that the drone show did not occur.

My lessons learned from this day were: 1) Kata Tjuta is definitely worth seeing; 2) if you would like to see Kata Tjuta without self-driving, spend the money for a guided hike and the peace of mind that you won’t be left behind at the Valley of the Winds trailhead; and 3) book Wintjiri Wiru on your first night so that there is the option to reschedule if the winds are strong.

Australia Trip Report: Day 11

July 27, 2025 – Ayers Rock Resort (Author: J)

On our first full day at Ayers Rock Resort, we were up before sunrise for the Uluru Sunrise and Segway Tour. We booked this and all our other activities through Sails in the Desert. The tour comes with a light breakfast, so we just got dressed, packed our day bag, and headed to the bus stop in front of the hotel. We arrived 10 minutes before our 6:30 am pickup time as instructed in our reservation. 20 minutes later, a small coach arrived. The driver then slowly verified that everyone had purchased a parks pass for Uluru/Kata Tjuta. We waited as folks scrambled to find their passes or pull them up on their phone. Finally, we were on the road.

As we made the 20 minute drive to the park, the sky began to lighten and change colors. By the time we arrived at the parking area for our breakfast, it was after 7 am and the sky was more or less a solid shade of blue. However, my research indicates that sunrise was at 7:10 am that day, so technically we saw sunrise over Uluru. Was it worth getting up early to be at Uluru technically at sunrise? No.

While we were watching the sky make its final transition from bright to slightly brighter, our driver set up a light picnic breakfast of muffins, granola, fruit, coffee, and juice. We ate while milling about admiring Uluru.

If you are unfamiliar with Uluru, it is the world’s largest sandstone monolith. In other words, it is a really big rock. (This distinguishes Uluru from nearby Kata Tjuta, which is several really big rocks). The description doesn’t make it sound that interesting, but somehow it is. You probably need to go to understand why. There’s something about the feeling of the place that makes it special – and you can only experience that feeling by going.

After breakfast, there was a bathroom break. Then, we were driven to the staging area for the Segway tour. Once there, we were divided into two groups. Our group was assigned Segway practice, then short hike. The other group would hike, then Segway.

We received helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads. Then, we were each assigned a Segway. Segways are two-wheeled people transporters commonly used by mall cops in the United States and by groups of tourists worldwide. This was our first experience with them. I selected a Segway tour because I wanted to circumnavigate Uluru, and I thought that doing so on foot would prompt whining from my child.

As with any new activity potentially involving athleticism, I was worried that I might not be able to master Segway riding. Fortunately, there’s not much of a learning curve. You lean forward to move forward, backward to go backwards, and so on. For the first minute or so, I lurched along the practiced course. But once I got the hang of body positioning, the ride smoothed out. After two laps around the practice course, I was feeling confident. (P and D were satisfied with one lap each).

Once everyone in our group had proven themselves proficient in scooting along, we were assigned numbers and glided off in single file for our tour. The tour takes you around the base of Uluru, with some stops to learn about sites of religious significance to the Anangu people. These stories are shared by a 20-year-old white woman who, in fairness, had permission to share the level of lore that is considered appropriate for people who are not part of the Anangu culture. Because of their religious significance, there are certain portions of Uluru that visitors are asked not to photograph. The guide was careful to point those out, so my photos were all taken from approved locations.

We really enjoyed Segway-ing around Uluru. Zipping along while admiring the rock was a lot of fun. As we approached the end of our route, I noticed a low hanging branch to my right. To my left, were a few small puddles. (Although our trip was during the dry season, there had been an unusual burst of rain the day before.) I made the snap decision to veer left to avoid the branch. That is how I learned that Segways wobble on wet sand. I held on for dear life and engaged my core to keep the Segway from tipping; I managed to avoid a wipe out. Behind me, P struggled; he put his foot down to stabilize himself and all was well. D stopped to aid P, thereby avoiding the struggle altogether.

Unfortunately, the woman behind D was far enough back that she didn’t see what had prompted D to stop. When P, D, and I were back in scooting formation, she also veered left into the treacherous wet sand. She could not keep her Segway steady, and it fell, pinning her leg. She ultimately got back on the Segway and scooted the short distance to the staging area. But we saw her in a wheelchair later in the trip.

After we turned in our Segways, we took a short walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole. This is another site of spiritual significance to the Anangu. Unfortunately, due to pollution, it is no longer a good water source for wildlife. According to our guide, that explains the relative lack of kangaroo and emu near Uluru. Also unfortunately, the caves near the waterhole, which contain rock paintings, were closed to visitors. Apparently, a modern-day artist had decided to improve upon the paintings, and his additions were being removed. After the walk to the waterhole, we boarded our coach for the short return trip to Ayers Rock Resort.

Would we recommend the Segway tour? Yes. It was a lot of fun. And it accomplished my goal of making it all the way around Uluru without so much as a dissatisfied snort from P. I would not, however, recommend the sunrise tour. The shuttle simply does not leave early enough to provide the sunrise experience that you would expect – i.e., watching the sky turn pink and yellow behind Uluru. Sleep in and take the regular morning or afternoon tour instead.

By the time we arrived back at the resort, it was lunchtime. So, we got off in Town Center and went to Geckos Café for lunch. Geckos Café has Italian fare. We ordered arancini, salad, and pizza to share. I was not too impressed by the food, but it was edible.

Mohawk bird would like to share your lunch.

After lunch, we returned to our room. It had not yet been made up, so I called down to the front desk to request housekeeping. Then, we packed all our dirty laundry into a single suitcase and wheeled it to the laundry room. On longer trips, we usually pack enough undergarments for the entire trip and wash our pants and shirts in the sink. However, because I knew we would have access to laundry facilities at Sails in the Desert, we were able to pack fewer undergarments and minimize sink laundry. As a bonus, the laundry room at Sails is free to guests; laundry soap is even provided.

After starting our laundry, I set a timer on my phone. Then, we went to the lobby bar for coffee – mainly because we were stalling our return to the room to allow housekeeping time to do their work. When the timer went off, we made our return to the laundry room to move our wash into the dryer. Then, at long last, it was back to the room to rest. D and I returned to collect the laundry when it was dry (which took 2 cycles in the dryer).

For dinner that evening, we took the shuttle to the Outback Hotel to eat at Outback BBQ. This is an outdoor restaurant and bar where you grill your own protein and then pair it with sides from a salad bar. Surprisingly, they have plant-based schnitzel (a breaded chicken-less cutlet) as one of their mains. The schnitzel is cooked in the kitchen and brought out to you, so we missed out on the grilling experience. But we still enjoyed our meal and thought it was good value. After dinner, we went back to the room. D and I shared a beer on the patio while we looked at the stars. P briefly joined us before retreating to his bed to tap on his phone. Then, it was early to bed to prepare for another sunrise tour.

Australia Trip Report: Day 10

July 26, 2025 – Sydney to Uluru (Author: J)

After an enjoyable five nights in Sydney, our next stop was Uluru. With a mid-morning flight, there wasn’t a need to rush to the airport. But we wound up waking up before our alarm, which meant we were packed and ready to go by 7. We decided to head to the airport early to allow for a sit-down breakfast.

When we excited the elevator at the ground floor of the Intercontinental, we were met with white sheeting blocking off a portion of the lobby and a visible police presence. One of the staff members noticed us stunned and milling about; she directed us to another part of the lobby. As she checked us out, she explained that the police were responding to a medical emergency. I didn’t ask for more details because it was really none of my business (though I was certainly nosey). However, I appreciated the reassurance that we weren’t in danger.

Outside the hotel, one of the bellmen hailed a taxi for us. The taxi arrived quickly. The driver loaded our carry-on bags and then looked around for the rest of our luggage. He seemed surprised when we told him he already had the lot. (Maybe the Venn diagram of people who stay at nice hotels and people who travel carry-on only doesn’t overlap much?). We bucked up and set out for the airport. There was not much traffic to speak of, so the trip took less than 20 minutes.

We were flying with Jetstar, an Australian budget airline. Jetstar has low marks on Tripadvisor (and elsewhere) for reliability. But they had a direct flight to Uluru on a day that worked with the rest of our itinerary, so I decided it was worth a gamble. At the airport, both the check-in and security process were quick and easy. That meant we had quite the wait before our 10:35 am flight.

Our circumnavigation of the terminal didn’t lead to the discovery of any sit-down breakfast options. So, we split up to procure food from several of the takeaway stands. Then we took our yogurt parfait (me), muffin (P), and egg sandwich (D) to the gate area to eat. There didn’t seem to be much to do in the airport, so we spent the rest of the time before boarding reading and scrolling on our phones.

Like Scoot, Jetstar has a combined weight limit for carry-ons and personal items. We had paid for an extra 7 kg of weight for each of us (bringing us to 14kg per person), so I was not worried that our bags were over the limit. Still, it may be helpful for readers to know that no one checked the weight of our bags during boarding. The gate agent did check with P (who was carrying his own passport and ticket for the first time) to confirm whom he was travelling with and whether he knew us. Fortunately, he’s been drilled not to joke around when responding to these types of questions, so he admitted that D and I were his parents.

Our plane for this flight had a 3/3 seat configuration with a middle aisle. We were seated together in row 10. The seat comfort and space were on par with US carriers (and superior to some of our budget airlines *ahem* Spirit). Really the only issue was the lack of entertainment. There’s supposed to be an option to stream content on your personal device, but that did not work for us during the flight.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew came through to take food orders. We each ordered a cheese and tomato relish toastie and drink combo (for $15 AUD per meal). It was nothing groundbreaking, but I was happy to find a hot vegetarian meal option on a budget airline. The flight passed uneventfully and we arrived on time at Ayers Rock Airport around 1:40 pm. (There’s a 30-minute time difference, so total flight time was about 3.5 hours). It was a lovely, clear day so we had nice views of Kata Tjuta and Uluru as we came in for our landing. Overall, we had no complaints about Jetstar and would not hesitate to fly with them again on a domestic route in Australia.

If you are staying near Uluru, you are almost certainly staying at Ayers Rock Resort. This is a complex with 7 different accommodation options ranging from a campground to a fancy hotel. The accommodations are organized around a town center that includes shops and restaurants. There’s even housing for the resort staff (which made the whole setup remind me of my time working at Disney World as part of its college program). The whole resort is connected via a shuttle bus that does a continuous circular route from mid-morning until midnight.

Ayers Rock Resort also offers an airport shuttle service. 3 buses were waiting for our flight when it landed. We found the correct bus and climbed aboard. 10 minutes later, we arrived at Sails in the Desert. I got up, started shuffling off the bus, and then noticed that P was not behind me. I turned back to find him struggling with his seatbelt, which had somehow gotten stuck. I also could not get the belt to release, so I went to grab the driver for help. This prompted a moment of panic for P, who worried that the bus would drive off with him pinned to the seat. Instead, his increasingly agitated fumbling finally succeeded in unbuckling the belt.

The hotel check-in process was fast. The desk clerk confirmed that the activities that I had prebooked were linked to our room, gave us an overview of the property, and sent us on our way.

Sails in the Desert is the fanciest of the hotels at Ayers Rock Resort. For that reason, I was somewhat surprised to find that the buildings that housed the rooms were not connected to the main lobby. Our room was at the far edge of the hotel grounds, past the swimming pool and a large central green.

We dutifully followed the signs for our room, turning left and right as we snaked our way between buildings. There was some grumbling about the distance. However, when we finally arrived at our room, we realized that the signs had just taken us on a winding tour of the hotel grounds. We dropped our bags and took a more direct route back to the lobby.

Our next destination was town center. We had some early tours planned during our time at Uluru, so we wanted to provision our room with breakfast items and snacks. It was a short walk from Sails in the Desert to the town center (and it is hard to make a wrong turn because there’s really just one big loop road connecting everything at the resort). We visited the grocery store, where we brought the now familiar combo of muffins, juice, and fruit.

From there, we boarded the resort shuttle to Outback Pioneer Hotel, which is the site of the resort’s only bottle shop. D selected a six pack of beer. D rejected my offer to test my long dormant skill of opening beer bottles on the edge of a table; apparently, that’s not acceptable behavior at a nice hotel. This meant that we also needed a bottle opener. So, we ended our errands with a visit to the gift shop at the Outback Pioneer. (Our commemorative bottle opener keychain currently decorates D’s car keys). Finally, we boarded a shuttle back to Sails in the Desert.

By this time, it was getting to be late in the day. We decided to relax on our patio until it was time for dinner at Ilkari, the main restaurant at Sails in the Dessert. Ilkari is a fancy, expensive buffet: $105 AUD for adults and $64 AUD for P. Despite the high cost, I think the experience was worth the price. The taste and quality of the food exceeded the other restaurants we tried at the resort, and there was a nice variety of food for different dietary options, including full displays of vegan and gluten free dessert options. Service was also solid; we had no issues ordering a second round of drinks during this meal.

After dinner, we walked back to our room. On the outskirts of the hotel grounds, all was quiet and peaceful. We sat on our patio, and I revised my original opinion of the hotel’s layout. I was happy to be away from the lights of the lobby and pool bar looking up at the stars.

Australia Trip Report: Day 9

Spotting Dolphins on Bondi to Coogee Walk

July 25, 2025 – Sydney (Author: J)

Our final day in Sydney started with a leisurely morning. For breakfast, we grabbed pastries and coffee from one of the stands at Circular Quay. The food was just about to the standard of our grocery store muffin meal two days prior. But it was quick. After eating at some of the tables in the hotel lobby, we went back to the room to change into our swim gear.

The indoor pool at the Intercontinental is an excellent place to spend a lazy morning. It is located on one of the higher floors in the hotel, in a room with large windows overlooking the harbor. From above, it is clear why Sydney Harbour is considered one of the world’s best. And we had another clear day to admire the bridge, the opera house, and the various islands visible from the hotel windows.

The pool itself is heated to a comfortable temperature, allowing for long swims. Once we were in the pool, P revealed that he had packed a tiny squishy American football in his backpack. I don’t understand P’s enduring fascination with playing catch, but we indulged him until another family joined us in the pool area. Before they jumped in the pool, they pushed a button that started some jets in one corner of the pool, converting it into a lukewarm jacuzzi tub. We abandoned the football game in favor of the novelty of a jetted pool. After the swim, I topped off my relaxing morning with another visit to the sauna in the women’s locker room and some more time lounging in the pool area day beds admiring the views.

It was hard to pull ourselves away from the pool, but eventually our tummies told us that lunchtime was approaching. We went back to the room to change. Unfortunately, we had not remembered to hit the “make up room” button before going for our swim, so we returned to unmade beds and towels on the floor. (The default in the US is that rooms will be serviced unless the “do not disturb” sign is out. The default in both Singapore and Australia seems to be the reverse; you must put out the “make up room” sign to receive housekeeping). I made a call to the front desk to explain our mistake. Then, we called an Uber to take us to Bondi Beach.

Before our trip, I read lots of advice about the best coastal trails in Sydney. The majority suggested that the Bondi to Coogee walk is not number 1 despite its ubiquity on social media. But Bondi Beach has something that the starting points for other trails does not: a vegan pie shop.

After a twenty-minute Uber ride, we arrived at Funky Pies. The shop has a variety of vegan “meat” pies and even vegan “sausage” rolls. We ordered a butter chicken pie, a beef style pie made with mushrooms and topped with mushy peas and gravy, a sausage roll, and a pizza roll. We really enjoyed this meal. My only complaint was that they used puff pastry on the pies instead of pie crust. But the beefless gravy made up for it.

After lunch, we walked down to the beach to locate the trailhead. I knew from watching a million YouTube videos that the trail started somewhere near the Icebergs pool, a saltwater pool set right on the ocean. Although it was a pleasant day for walking, 18.4 C/65 F is – in my opinion — a bit chilly for swimming. That didn’t stop a handful of folks from doing laps as the ocean waves washed over the edges of the pool.

Close to the pool is a public washroom, which we took advantage of before setting out on our walk. From there, we followed the crowds to the start of the trail. The Bondi to Coogee walk is a 6km coastal path that passes through several beachy suburbs of Sydney. D and I agreed that the views reminded us of the ten years that we spent living in Los Angeles. (This seems to be an unpopular opinion among Australians, but I suspect that’s because most tourists in LA stick to LA proper, i.e., Venice Beach. Bondi reminded us of the beach towns to the south of LA.) There are, of course, plenty of differences in flora, fauna, and even rock type in the cliffs. But something about the vibe on the Bondi to Coogee walk hit us the same way that SoCal does.

The first half of the walk from Bondi to Bronte beach passed quickly with everyone in good spirits and keeping an eye out for whales and seabirds. But the second half of the walk seemed to drag as P became less patient with the excursion. By the time we reached Waverly Cemetery, a Victorian era cemetery set on some prime oceanfront real estate, P had flipped from enjoying the walk to enduring it. I was faced with a choice between keeping the peace and finishing an activity that I had been looking forward to. I opted for the latter.

It was a slow and grumble-filled walk from Waverly Cemetery to the end of the trail in Coogee Beach. But our perseverance was rewarded when a pod of acrobatic dolphins greeted us as we arrived on the outskirts of Coogee.

Having forced my child to walk 2.5 km against his will, the plan was to reward him with gelato. Fortunately, Gelatissimo Coogee is just a half-block or so from the beach. The shop had a nice variety of flavors, including some non-dairy options. We enjoyed our scoops and then called another Uber to return to the Intercontinental.

Finding a ride from Coogee proved a bit of a challenge. After waiting for our driver for 20 minutes, he cancelled the ride when he was just a few feet from us. We’re not sure what happened, particularly because we were waiving at him when he cancelled the ride. Uber assigned another driver, who was also 20 minutes away. So, after 40 minutes of waiting, we were on our way back to the Intercontinental. On the plus side, our 2^nd driver was very excited to pick up a group of Americans. He spent the ride back to the hotel regaling us with stories of his travels across the US.

Back at the hotel, it was time for a long rest. Our dinner plans for the evening were to visit the Chinatown Night market. The market is held on Friday nights and features several blocks worth of food stalls and trinkets. It is a short trolley ride from the Intercontintal to Chinatown. The trolley was busy with folks heading out for their Friday evening plans, but we squeezed our way on. Once we reached our stop, we procured some cash from a nearby ATM, and then walked through the Chinatown Ceremonial Gates to experience the market.

There were plenty of people out enjoying the market, which created a lively and enjoyable atmosphere. After milling around a bit, we made our first food selection: an assortment of vegetarian skewers from a barbeque stall. They had tofu, mushroom, and gluten. Then, realizing that our produce intake for the day had been limited, we shared some fruit. Finally, we wrapped up our dinner with Jian Bing, a Chinese savory crepe. Ours was stuffed with egg, crispy noodles, cabbage, and a savory sauce. This was our first time trying Jian Bing, and we all enjoyed it.

On to dessert. At the far end of the market was a pastry shop with glorious pictures of egg tarts in the window. Sadly, there were no egg tarts in the shop. We settled for two fruit pastries, one with a durian cream. My first experience with durian in Malaysia involved a spit take. My second experience with durian at the night market also involved a spit take. To me, it tastes like dirty socks. D was determined to get our money’s worth, though. He reported that the pastry was fine to eat — as long as you held your nose while doing so.

After our pastries, we grabbed a 10 pack of Emperor’s Cream Puffs, custard filled mini pastry available from at takeout window near the Ceremonial Gates. We took our puffs back to the hotel with us. Once the tedious chore of repacking our suitcase was complete, we enjoyed the puffs with tea.

With that, our time in Sydney was at an end. Next stop: Uluru.

Australia Trip Report: Day 8

July 24, 2025 – Sydney (Author: J)

After a decent night’s sleep, we woke up to another beautiful day in Sydney. It was once again clear with highs in the mid-60s Fahrenheit, which is as comfortable as can be for sightseeing as far as I’m concerned. As usual, I was up first, so I visited the gym, followed by enjoying some coffee and a few chapters of my book in the room. Even though we didn’t pay extra for a harbor view, we did have a view of the harbor – just not the opera house or bridge. We also had a great view of several conference rooms in the neighboring office building, which was almost close enough for us to read the presenters’ slide decks during meetings.

Once D and P were awake, we set out on foot for the Rocks, a historic colonial neighborhood established in the late 1700s. I was interested in learning more about the history of Sydney, and P was interested in eating pancakes. The Rocks had something for both of us.

We started with breakfast at Pancakes on the Rocks. This is a dinner style restaurant with an extensive selection of pancakes – a slightly more upscale Australian version of IHOP. It currently has a bunch of bad reviews on TripAdvisor, but I don’t think the pans are warranted. The quality to price ratio struck us as more than fair for a restaurant in a touristy area. (US travelers, keep in mind that the menu prices in Australia generally have the service charge and tax built in, so what initially looks more expensive than US prices often is not). P had berry topped pancakes, I had macadamia, and D had eggs (always eggs) with a side of plain pancakes. The specialty pancakes come with ice cream on top, so P was delighted.

After breakfast, we wandered around the neighborhood for a bit before stopping in at the Rocks Discovery Museum. This museum, set in a historic house, covers the history of the neighborhood and features artifacts from the area. It’s not a big museum, but we thought it was well presented. It’s also free, so there’s no reason not to stop in if you are in the neighborhood.

When we were finished exploring the Rocks, we walked back to the CBD for some shopping. Our first stop was Ultra Football to see if they had restocked their jerseys. This time, P found 2 jerseys in his size for local football teams: 1 for Sydney Macquarie and 1 for Melbourne FC. He purchased both. (He’s always mindful of offending local fans when we travel, so he saves all his souvenir jerseys to wear at home). Then, I rectified my failure to pack my fleece jacket by purchasing a new fuzzy fleece. It’s pink and fuzzy and generally looks like someone skinned a Muppet; I was just as pleased with my purchase as P was with his.

We also went into the Queen Victoria Building, a Victorian era market building that is now a shopping colonnade. There are lots of nice places to eat in the QVB, but – after our sit-down breakfast – we decided to get something quick and simple for lunch. That meant leaving the QVB and heading to a food court for falafel (me) and burritos (P & D). After lunch, we went back to the Intercontinental for a swim and rest.

Inertia exerts a strong force on P. Whenever we take an afternoon rest, it is a struggle to get him out of the hotel room again. So, it was with great effort that we pried him from the room around 4 pm and coaxed him across the street to the Museum of Sydney. We chose the museum because it was literally across the street from the Intercontinental. That made it one of the few locations in town that we could reach before things started closing at 5 pm.

The Museum of Sydney covers the history of Sydney, including in-depth exhibits on the history and culture of the First Nations people and a diorama of the First Fleet, the boats from England that carried the first European settlers to the continent. There is some overlap between the subjects covered at the Museum of Sydney and the Rocks Discovery Museum, so you may not want to combine both into a single day. But we thought both were worth visiting. After exploring the galleries and coloring some native animal pictures to hang on the museum wall, we went back to the Intercontinental to get ready for dinner.

We had reservations at Midden by Mark Olive. Midden, which is located at the Sydney Opera House, has a menu based around indigenous Australian ingredients. One thing to know is that the restaurant has an outdoor dining room. On a dry winter evening, it was a pleasant place to dine under the heat lamps while admiring view of the Harbor Bridge. On a wet or hot day, it might be less pleasant.

We started our meal with some cocktails, the Australian cheese platter, and an order of damper, a traditional Australian bread. For my main, I had the vegetarian option – stuffed eggplant. D had barramundi. P had the kids pizza with bush tomato sauce. Bush tomato, I am told, tastes like tomato. For dessert, we shared a pavlova. Overall, this was a good dining experience. The only complaint was that it was difficult to find our server when we were ready to order a second round of drinks. This was a pattern at many of the restaurants we ate at in Australia. Is it a critique of service standards, or a critique of our alcohol consumption? Who’s to say. After dinner, we had a short and pleasant walk back to the hotel, where we turned in for the night.

Australia Trip Report: Day 7

July 23, 2025 – Day Trip to Kangaroo Valley (Author: J)

Kangaroos in the valley of the same name

P’s one request for this trip was to see “kangaroos and wombats,” but not koalas. (“Over-rated, lazy, and smooth-brained.”) Downtown Sydney is conspicuously devoid of wild kangaroos and wombats, so I planned a day trip to the aptly named Kangaroo Valley. If, like us, you would like to see wildlife in its natural habitat without the need to self-drive, the Wild Wombat and Kangaroo Tour by Perfect Day Sydney may be for you.

Our day started with a leisurely breakfast in our hotel room. We enjoyed muffins, apples, juice boxes, and coffee made in the hotel room coffee maker. Mercifully, this was before a TikTok influencer shared the hack of using the hotel room coffee maker to clean your underwear, so I enjoyed my coffee without any sanitation concerns.

We left our hotel room a bit before 10 so that we would be on time for our 10:15 am tour pickup. Perfect Day Sydney picks guests up at two locations in the Sydney CBD. The location closest to us was the Thomas Sutcliffe Mort statue. That’s not Thomas Sutcliff, mort (i.e., dead) as I originally thought. It’s Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, an Australian industrialist with 3 names. Across the road is a building that was used in the wool trade of the 1800s, which I assume explains the placement of the statue.

Dave, who owns Perfect Day Sydney, picked us up in his minibus right on time. Unsurprisingly, most of the tourists who had been studiously admiring Mr. Sutcliffe Mort were part of our tour. All together, I’d say there were about 20 people in the tour group, which was about the capacity of the bus. As we set out for the countryside, Dave asked everyone to introduce themselves, which is how I know that our group was primarily Americans, with just a few British tourists mixed in. In addition to P, there was one other non-adult on the group, a girl a few years younger than P.

The highlight of the Wild Wombat and Kangaroo Tour is seeing the aforementioned wild wombats and kangaroos. But since wombats and kangaroos are mostly active at dusk and dawn, the tour includes several other stops along the way to pass the time until the main event. Our first stop was Sublime Point Lookout, about an hour from Sydney on the South Coast. From the lookout, which is at the edge of a cliff, you can see the coast for a long way in either direction.

While we were stopped at the lookout, Dave put out a selection of Australian snacks, including chips and assorted Tim Tams. Tim Tams are a chocolate dipped biscuit cookie. We had our choice of double coat (the original but with more chocolate), caramel, sweet and salty, and white chocolate. The double coat was my favorite. As we were eating our snacks and admiring the view, a local who said he worked for the park system in New South Wales pointed out some landmarks for us. But we had to tear ourselves away when we noticed the rest of the group returning to the bus to continue our journey.

From Sublime Point, we headed inland. As we approached Macquarie Pass National Park, Dave asked if anyone got car sick and offered around some barf baggies. There were no takers. As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, this detail would not have stuck out in my mind if everyone who politely demurred had made the right choice. As it turns out, the little girl sitting in front of us on the bus had a history of vomiting in cars in the US. As we sped down the bumpy, windy road in the National Park, the little girl got to have the experience of vomiting on a whole new continent. We spent the rest of the drive to our lunch stop with the windows down, while I prayed that P had overcome his early childhood tendency towards sympathy barf.

Arriving at Robertson Pie Shop was a happy occasion. With relief, we scrambled off the bus and headed inside the roadside pie shop. Dave runs a well-oiled machine, so our order of pies was ready and waiting when we arrived. I had the veggie pie (veggies and gravy in a pie crust) and D and P had the vegan pizza puff, which has puff pastry and tomato and tastes – I am told – like a cheese pizza.

Unfortunately, while Dave had snacks and barf bags a plenty in the bus, he didn’t have any cleaning supplies. So, we returned to a bus that had been wiped clean but didn’t smell much better than when we left. The mom of the little girl who had gotten sick offered P an essential oil stick that he could rub behind his ears to cover the unpleasant bus smell. I won’t say that it fixed the issue entirely, but it did allow us to make it to our next stop without any further incidents.

That stop was Carrington Falls. This is usually a guided hike where Dave spots wildlife for you. But, bus cleaning duty called, so Dave instead told us to be back in 30 minutes, and he returned to the bus to try to MacGyver up a solution the persistent smell. Carrington Falls has a short walking track with views of the falls. Walking the whole track takes about 30 minutes, so we had plenty of time to see what there was to see here. In addition to the scenery, there were a lot of colorful songbirds in the picnic area near the start of the walking track.

After our walk and a lamington tasting in the picnic area, it was back to the bus (which could have smelled better but also could have smelled worse). From Carrington Falls, it was on to Fitzroy Falls, an even more dramatic waterfall that plunges down a cliff face. I was fascinated to learn that there were platypuses in the area, but I didn’t manage to locate any in the shallow river near the walking trail. After visiting the falls, we went inside the visitor centre, which had some exhibits on local wildlife and a gift shop. Anticipating that we would see wombats later in the day, we purchased a wombat magnet to add to our fridge collection.

By this point, sunset was rapidly approaching. Our final stop before wombats and kangaroos was St. Joseph’s Church. St. Joseph’s is a small white church that looks like many other small white churches. The biggest differentiator is that the churchyard is home to a large colony of flying foxes – enormous bats with long dog-like snouts. I’m personally a fan of bats (or sky-puppies), so I was excited for this stop. Some others in the group were less enthusiastic.

After photographing the bats, it was at long-last time to make the short drive to Bendeela Recreation area for wombat and kangaroo viewing. Bendeela, a camping and picnic area, is also home to mobs of kangaroos and wisdoms of wombats – mobs and wisdoms being the respective names for groups of these marsupials. We saw our first kangaroos as soon as we turned into Bendeela. While Dave promised there would be many more kangaroos to come, we did stop to take pictures of this first mob of female and juvenile roos.

Then, we drove a bit further to our parking place for our time at Bendeela. Near our parking spot, we saw our first wombat. Dave quickly diagnosed the poor guy with mange and put in a call to whomever de-manges the area wombats. Apparently, there is a solution that can be poured on the animals to kill the parasites causing hair loss. Unlike kangaroos, wombats don’t appear to be at all skittish, so I would imagine it isn’t too much of a challenge to get their meds applied.

We spent about an hour wandering around Bendeela looking at the kangaroos and wombats. If you stand a few feet behind a wombat, you can get low angle shots that make it look like you are right next to the little guys. (Well, medium sized guys). There is therefore no need to kidnap any baby wombats for selfies, regardless of what you may have seen on the Tik Tok. The landscape, beautiful sunset colors, and abundant wildlife came together to create a wonderful experience. My only complaint was that my thin jacket was not warm enough for the chilly evening. It was clear that I had made a mistake when I removed my fleece jacket from my suitcase before departing the US. An extra layer would have been just right.

As it started to get dark, Dave gathered everyone up and led us back to the bus. Then it was back to Robertson for a pub dinner. On the way home, we made a final stop in a field to look at the stars. I think it is accurate to say that I have never seen more stars in the sky (although we experienced 5 minutes of clear sky in the Amazon rainforest that was comparable). D, who is interested in astronomy, was so excited that I had to stop him from wandering off by reminding him that we had no idea if there was another cliff concealed in the darkness.

By the time Dave dropped as at our hotel and handed us a parting package of Tim Tams, it was closing in on bedtime. Overall, the day had been nearly perfect. If you like seeing animals in the wild, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Perfect Day. I’m sure Dave’s gotten the bus deodorized at this point.

Australia Trip Report: Day 6

July 22, 2025: Sydney

On our first full day in Sydney, I woke up at 6 am – a normal time for me to be awake. I was pleased that my plan to recover from jetlag in Singapore had apparently been a success. P and D are much better sleepers than I am, so I left them a-snooze in their beds and went to the gym.

The Intercontinental’s gym is on the 31st floor of the hotel and shares a locker room area with the pool. The gym is clean and modern with a decent selection of free weights and cardio equipment. I was the only early bird in the gym, so I seized the opportunity to do a 20-minute strength training routine on my favorite fitness app followed by a quick 10 minutes on the elliptical. After my workout, I headed to the locker room. This gave me the opportunity to peek at the pool area, which has stunning views of Sydney Harbor and the Opera House. I topped off my gym time with a quick visit to the sauna.

By this point, I thought that my family might have noticed my absence. So, I returned to the room where I found D and P barely awake. I got myself cleaned up and then spent some time trying to figure out why I didn’t have cell service. Our wireless provider is Google-Fi. One of the reasons that we use them is the option to switch plans from month to month. A few days before we travel internationally, I switch us to their highest tier plan, which includes data in 200+ countries. My phone had worked fine in Singapore, but I was getting an error message that said there was no service available in Sydney. My efforts to fix the issue were ultimately fruitless. After 20 minutes of trouble shooting, the rep told me that the issue was that there were no cell towers in Sydney. At that point, I decided my time was better spent enjoying my vacation. (I suspect that the issue was my older phone’s compatibility with Australian cell towers. In hindsight, my decision to put off updating my phone until after our trip was the wrong call).

Fortunately, despite the lack of cell towers in the 2^nd largest city in Australia, P and D both had service on their devices. We used D’s phone to research places to eat breakfast, settling on Bennies. Bennies is a café in Circular Quay with view of the Harbor Bridge. We were quickly seated in the heated outdoor dining area. P ordered pancakes and juice. D got eggs and a latte. And I had the banana bread, which came topped with ricotta cheese, honey, and bananas, and my first flat white of the trip. We were happy with this meal. The prices were quite reasonable given the location steps from the Opera House, and our food was tasty.

After breakfast, we continued walking along the harbor until we reached the Opera House. I have wanted to see Sydney Opera House for a long time – ever since the early 90’s, when I read an article in one of my nature magazines about monuments that were threatened by rising sea levels due to climate change. The Opera House more than lived up to my expectations. Photos don’t really convey the scale of the building or the way that it just seems to fit its location. Other than a small group of backpackers, we were the only tourists poking around, so we had lovely unobstructed views from every angle.

The Opera House is adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, so we continued our walk through the gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens have to be one of the most beautifully situated gardens in the world. Like the Opera House, they are perched along the harbor, so you get amazing views of the water as you walk. The gardens also have a wonderful array of bird life. We followed the sound of squawking to an area that had trees full of cockatoos and then spent some time admiring aquatic birds in a pond. By this point, we were thirsty (and realized that we had left our water bottle in our room), so we stopped at a café in the gardens for some drinks.

After all of that exploring, it was still only about 9:30 am. The Australian Museum, which P had selected as our main destination for the day, didn’t open until 10 am. We decided to leave the gardens and walk slowly towards the museum. Our walk took us past the Art Gallery of New South Wales; it also wasn’t open yet, but we did get to admire some of the outdoor sculptures.

When we arrived at the Australian Museum, there was a long-ish queue to enter. We quickly realized that was because it was merely 9:55. We decided to sit next to a fountain across the street from the museum and wait for the doors to open. Precisely at 10, the queue started to move. We crossed the street and joined the line.

The Australian Museum is free to enter, so the line moved quickly. We hung our jackets in the coatroom and started our visit in the Wild Planet gallery, which has a variety of taxidermy animals. Some of the animals were quite old and – by the looks of things – the museums original taxidermist didn’t have a lot of experience with live animals. P was delighted, or maybe appalled, by a colobus monkey that appeared to be wearing ill-fitting dentures.

The Australian Museum has a hodge podge of exhibits ranging from dinosaur bones to displays on the Eora people, the Indigenous People of the Australian Coast and Torres Strait. Unfortunately, the intriguingly named “Surviving Australia” exhibit on native wildlife was closed for refurbishment. But we spent a good 2 hours enjoying many of the other exhibits. We could have spent a bit longer, but our tummies were telling us it was time for lunch.

P requested pizza. After reviewing nearby options (a task made easier because a number of restaurants were not open for lunch on Tuesdays), we settled on Macchiato Wood Fired Pizza and Coffee. That meant another short and pleasant walk. This time, we passed through Hyde Park, the sight of the Anzac Memorial.

When we arrived, Macchiato was doing a steady business serving lunch to office workers. There were a few available tables, though, and we were seated immediately. We ordered 2 pizzas, a salad, and a soda for P. D ordered a lunch beer. That meant it was appropriate for me to have a lunchtime glass of wine. A pattern was established. Macchiato was another solid lunch choice. Our food was enjoyable and it was a good value for the price. (Keep in mind that the AUD/USD exchange rate in July was about 100/65, which did influence my perception of value everywhere we went).

After lunch, we poked into some shops looking for local football jerseys for P. There wasn’t anything in stock in his size, but the staff at Rebel – a sporting goods store – suggested that we check back later in the week. We accepted defeat and decided to return to the Intercontinental for our afternoon rest. Back at the hotel, P went up to the room, while D and I took a quick detour to a grocery store to pick up breakfast for the following morning – plus an assortment of local candy bars for room snacks.

We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the room. For dinner that evening, we had our first experience on Sydney’s light rail, which we took to Spice Alley in Chippendale. Spice Alley is a Southeast Asian Hawker-Centre style dining location. It has a bunch of different food stalls surrounding an open-air dining area. We shared some spring rolls, dumplings, and laksa, and each got our own fancy fruit iced tea from the drinks and desserts stall. The vegetarian options were all clearly marked, which made it easy to find things we could eat.

As we ate, I enjoyed the ambiance that the glowing lanterns and “street art” created. Before we arrived, I had been a little worried about whether we would be uncomfortable eating outside. After all, it was winter and the sun sets early in Sydney (6pm). Happily, my worries were misplaced. There were plenty of heat lamps, enough that I didn’t even need to wear my jacket while I ate. After dinner, we walked to KOI Dessert Bar for fancy desserts and tea. Then, it was back to the Intercontinental for bedtime.

Australia Trip Report: Day 5

July 21, 2025: Singapore to Sydney

After 3 nights in Singapore, it was time to head to our next destination – Sydney. We were travelling on a Scoot flight that departed at 9:55 am, so I prebooked an airport transfer via Grab the night before our flight. This was our first experience using the book ahead feature on Grab, and it worked well. Our driver’s information and his ETA were waiting for us on the app when we woke up in the morning.

By 7:15 am, we were ready to check out of the Pan Pacific. We headed down to the lobby with jackets in hand, something that felt a bit odd in steamy Singapore. But wearing our heaviest pants and carrying our jackets ensured that our carry-on bags were under Scoot’s weight limit.

The lobby of the Pan Pacific, Singapore.

Our driver arrived at the Pan Pacific ahead of schedule, and we were on our way to the airport within minutes of arriving in the hotel lobby. We had no bags to check, so we printed our tickets at a kiosk and head straight for terminal 1 departures. This requires passing through an electronic immigration checkpoint, something that took just a few minutes. The lack of lines was a stark contrast to our usual departure experience at US airports.

By 8 am, we were sitting at the World of Tiger Beer, which we selected because it has a Western style breakfast menu. No matter where we go in the world, D only wants eggs for breakfast. There was a time when I found his adherence to routine endearing. But when routine gets in the way of my breakfast roti, I am not inclined to be generous. After some grumbling on my part, we made our selections: avocado toast for me, eggs for D, and a veggie burger for P. Everything was well-cooked and our bill was reasonable by airport standards. I’m still holding a grudge about the roti.

In Singapore, security screening is conducted at the airport gates. So, after a final bathroom break — essential because there are no bathrooms once you pass through security — we found our gate and joined the line that had already formed for security. Other than some additional screening of the Ziplock containing our sunscreen and bug repellant, it was a painless process. In particular, no one weighed or measured any of our bags. (Your mileage may vary as we did take care to ensure our bags were the correct dimensions and were not overstuffed).

I was a little nervous about taking a long-haul flight on a budget airline. But our Scoot tickets were about $800 US total (including adding on meals), as compared to $700 per person on Singapore Airlines. How bad could Scoot be?

I think that your answer to that question will vary depending on where you live. If, like me, you are used to flying US-based airlines, then you should have no complaints about Scoot. The seat space and comfort were on par with economy on American or Delta. The key difference was the customer service; Scoot offers some.

Scoot does have a few negatives that you might want to weigh if you are considering booking. First is the lack of in-flight entertainment, free or otherwise. Second, meals and snacks are not included; even water has its price. (But, as I mentioned, the overall price including added on meals was quite reasonable). Third, the windows have a dimmer instead of a shade. This was my first time seeing a window dimmer on a plane and I was excited by the novel technology. However, the windows were locked in the dimmed position at certain points in the flight, which might be a negative for folks who like to look out the window.

It was an uneventful flight. When we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew came through with meal service. Prebooking offered more hot options, but there were also a selection of meals and snacks that you could purchase on board. We had ordered a curried fish dish for D and vegetarian biryani for P and I. The meals each came with a drink and dessert item.

After I ate, I fell fast asleep. By the time I woke up and stretched my stiff neck, we were less than 2 hours from Sydney. We ordered some snacks (milk tea for me and a box of cookies to share), and I cued up an Australian history podcast that I had downloaded. I alternated between listening and reading my book for the rest of the trip.

Flying time between Singapore and Sydney is about 7.5 hours. With the 2-hour time difference, we landed in Sydney at around 7:45 pm. The windows were dimmed during the landing, so we didn’t get to see the view on arrival. On the other hand, it was dark outside, so perhaps there were no views to be had.

Like Singapore, Australia has automated its immigration process. You scan your passport, answer a few questions, and a gate opens to let you into the country. (All of this assumes that you obtained your ETA before arrival). Despite this relatively simple process, we did encounter a snafu. P asked how he should answer the question, “Are you the parent or guardian of [this minor]?” I told him to answer, “no,” reasoning that he was not his own parent. But apparently the questions were set up on the assumption that an adult was answering on behalf of the minor. The “no” meant that P needed to be manually processed through immigration. The line for manual processing was short, so my mistake took us no more than 5 minutes and an apology to rectify.

Once through immigration, we headed to the airport taxi stand. It was about a 30-minute ride from the airport to the Intercontinental. At the hotel, we were quickly checked in by a friendly desk clerk. We dropped our bags, cleaned ourselves up, and came back downstairs for a light dinner at the hotel.

View from the pool area at the Intercontinental Sydney.

The Intercontinental evolved from a Treasury building constructed in the mid-1800’s. The hotel’s lobby bar, the Treasury, takes full advantage of the historic features of the building. It is surrounded by the old stone arches of the original building. Its lovely atmosphere was mostly lost on us in our exhausted state. Still, we enjoyed our cheese tray, veggie and hummus tray, order of chips, and round of drinks (a wine, a beer, and a soda). After our meal, it was back to our room for an early-ish bedtime. I can’t say that we had made the most of our first day in Sydney but we had — at least — arrived.