Maybe some of the readers notice that I have been updating the stories about my experience discover Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in September 2018. In this topic, I would like to share some tips for travelers who are planning the trip going to Australia soon. Maybe these tips will be useful to you before going there, especially to Malaysian tourists. 

Here, the extra notes of the tips I would like to share before you're planning travel to Australia.

That is all my extra notes tip of discovers Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in September 2018 with my mom and sister. It is a wonderful and amazing memory to me of discovering new places. I have been learning many things during this trip. 

Here, the link to the continued stories about the Discovers Sydney & Melbourne, Australia in September 2018 – Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, and Day 8.

On the previous post, I was updating the stories about discovers Sydney City and also Melbourne City on 13th September 2018 (Thursday) until 19th September 2018 (Wednesday); which is Day 1 until Day 7. So I would like to continue my story on Day 8, 20th September 2018 (Thursday); which is this day is my last day at the Melbourne City, Australia.

I'm feeling sad to say goodbye to my final day at Australia. Like people say ‘every story will have the ending', but it depends on which kind of ending you want to end in each story did you created. 

Actually, our flight schedule back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is on midnight. But we've to book the hotel room until 19th September 2018 (Wednesday). Since we have a tour on that day, so we've to check-out from the hotel on the early morning then we ask the hotel's staff to keep our luggage at the lobby hotel while we're going today tour. After back from our last tour, we're straight changing our clothes and take a light dinner before we're going to Melbourne Airport. 

It is the same airport we've arrived from the Sydney to Melbourne, Australia but this time we're using the international terminal. Actually, the different is by the terminal did you going to use, which is international terminal or domestic terminal. The standard stand-by for international flight is 3 hours before departure. Just arrived there early to avoid any kinds of problems. 

The journey from our hotel to Melbourne Airport is taken around 30 minutes to 40 minutes and it's depending on the traffic condition too. Once we've arrived at Melbourne Airport, we're straight going to the check-in luggage counters by Singapore Airlines. 

Just to your information, the check-in luggage counters of Singapore Airlines in the Melbourne Airport is required you to do self-check-in by printed the boarding pass at the self-check-in machine. It is easy but while you're not confident to do so, just ask the staffs, then they are willing to help you anytime. After you done printed your boarding pass and the luggage tag, then you have to queue to the drop luggage counters, just behind the self-check-in machine. 

TIP 18 – if you have the transit flight like me (MEL/SIN/KUL), please make sure you printed both boarding pass and double check your final destination. Once your feeling have some not right, you need to ask the staffs before you do the drop luggage.

After all, is done, we're straight walking to the body checking by immigration Australia. It's a long queue but it does not take a long time. When it is done, we're going to immigration for check our passport before we're going to the free duty stops in the airport.

TIP 19 – kindly give the cooperation with the immigration Australia if they ask to do so. As a standard rule of international security, you can't bring the liquid more than 100 ml on the carry bag and the hand carry bag weight not more than 7 kg. Just follow the standard rule of international security. It is the same even in Australia.

The journey of the international flight from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to the Changi International Airport (SIN) is taken the time around 8 hours, same with the time I'm the flight from SIN to SYD. The flight number is SQ218. The departure time is 00:05 (12:05 am) from MEL, on 20th September 2018 (Thursday). It is just my tired day, so I didn't have the mood to snapshot the photos while we're waiting for the plane.

A plane is a double-decker plane from Singapore Airlines. The economy class area, I seating is on the main deck in the plane and the seat arrangement is 3 – 4 – 3. The seating area for the economy is also quite a big space for me. We're lucky to get the seating 1 row (3 seating) beside the window together with my mom and sister. It's petty nice and comfortable flight.  

The cabin crews give us a welcoming warm towel, then they give us the snack and juice after the plane is stable. We also get the small pillow, blanket, earphone, and small pocket bag (stocking and toothbrush & toothpaste). The entertainment on this plane is quite nice and many choices of the movie but since I'm so tired, then most of the time I'm sleeping on the plane. 

On this journey, we're got meals two times; which is the snack and the breakfast. Before they serve the meal to the passenger, they are given the menu to us. In my opinion, the meals on board Singapore Airlines is just okay and it is not really suited on my tastes, maybe. It's because most of the meals, I can't finish it. 

After the 8 hours journey from Melbourne, Australia to Singapore – finally we're safely arriving at the Changi International Airport on 06:00 am on 19th September 2018 (Thursday). Just right on time. Then, we're straight walking to another terminal to take our flight to Changi International Airport (SIN) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). We only have the conjunction time of transit is 1 hour so we've to rush after we go out from the plane. The situation is almost the same with the time we're the flight from KUL to SIN on 13th September 2018 (Thursday), Day 1.

The journey from SIN to KUL is just taken the time around 1 hour. The flight number is MI322. The departure time is 07:10 (07:10 am) from SIN and we've arrived at the KUL on 08:05 (08:05 am), 20th September 2018 (Thursday). It's just a small plane of the seat arrangement the 3 – 3. Since it's a short journey from SIN to KUL, then I got the orange juice in the plane with the wet tissue. 

That is all my stories on day 8 of this trip. It is a wonderful and amazing memory along my holiday to discover Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in the first time in my life. I also never miss doing one small amazing souvenir to myself, which is write a postcard and post to my home at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I do it in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia once I saw the Post Shop. Both of my postcards arrive at my house after 2 weeks. 

Just for your information, I have been writing the extra note tip about discovers Sydney and Melbourne, Australia based on my experience during this trip. Feel free to read it. 

Here, the link to the continued stories about the Discovers Sydney & Melbourne, Australia in September 2018 – Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7.

On the previous post, I was updating the stories about discovers Sydney City and also Melbourne City on 13th September 2018 (Thursday) until 18th September 2018 (Tuesday); which is Day 1 until Day 6. So I would like to continue my stories on Day 7, 19th September 2018 (Wednesday). On this day, we're going the outside parts of Melbourne City again like on Day 5 and Day 6 but it's another outside part in Melbourne, Australia. 

Actually, on our itinerary, this day is the day of free and easy activity but some of the members in this group decide to join the optional tour by arranging of our tour leader or a.k.a our tour guide too. On this optional tour, we have to pay extra AUD $120 (RM 378.60) per person; just for transport only but including the driver. 

As you know, we have to check out the hotel room on 19th September 2018 (Wednesday) since this day is our last day at Melbourne City. So we have to check-out early because out tour starts at 07:30 am, after breakfast. We just ask the hotel's staff to keep our luggage at the lobby hotel until evening. 

The first place we visit is the Brighton Colourful House. This is one of the famous landmarks in Melbourne, Australia. The Colourful House is located at the Brighton Beach. The Brighton is an affluent coastal suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Bayside. Brighton is named after Brighton in England. 

Brighton houses some of the wealthiest citizens in Melbourne with grand homes and the development of large residential blocks of land. Brighton is also well known for its Dendy Street Beach with its 82 colorful beach boxes, a row of uniformly proportioned wooden structures lining the foreshore at Brighton Beach. 

I just know from our tour guide, each of this colorful beach boxes art design is represented by the person who built it. Most of it, owned by the rich family and they will use it during the summer season. It is just a nice and unique spot location to take the photos.

TIP 15 – during the time I go there, the temperature is cold and also windy so be prepared for the long jacket when you go there in the spring, fall, or winter season. If you go there in the summer season, it is normally full of people on the beach. 

The next location we're visited is the Great Ocean Road. Along of this Great Ocean Road, it has the famous landmarks of Melbourne, Australia; which is the Twelve Apostles. The journey from the Brighton Colourful House to the Great Ocean Road is taken around 3 hours and 30 minutes by ride a van. Yes, it's a long journey of this tour. Even it is a long journey; I still can enjoy the beautiful scenes outside from the van. 

The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243 km (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial. Winding through varying terrain along the coast and providing access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the road is an important tourist attraction in the region.

The Great Ocean Road starts at Torquay and travels 244 km westward to finish at Allansford near Warrnambool, the largest city along the road. The road is two lane (one in each direction) and is covered by a speed limit changing between 50 km per hour and 100 km per hour. The road travels via Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay, and Port Campbell, the latter being notable for its natural limestone and sandstone rock formations including Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto, London Arch (formerly London Bridge) and The Twelve Apostles.

The first stop along the Great Ocean Road is the London Bridge. The London Arch (formerly London Bridge) is an offshore natural arch formation in the Port Campbell National Park, Australia. The arch is a significant tourist attraction along the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell in Victoria. The stack formed by a gradual process of erosion, and until 1990 formed a complete double-span natural bridge.

The span closer to the shoreline collapsed unexpectedly on 15th January 1990, leaving two tourists (Kelli Harrison and David Darrington) stranded on the outer span before being rescued by a police helicopter. No one was injured in the event. Prior to the collapse, the arch was known as London Bridge because of its similarity to its namesake. Nowadays, it known as the London Bridge has fallen down. We just walk and snap some photos around this place in 30 minutes. 

TIP 16 – the windy of this place is strong rather than the Brighton Beach. Meanwhile, the season at that time is early spring, so the temperature is quite cold. I recommend preparing well. I just can stand there around 20 minutes, after that I can't feel my hands even I wear the gloves. 

Since it's in the afternoon so it is time for lunch. In this optional tour is not include the lunch but the driver took the place for us to lunch by ourselves. He brings us to the Port Campbell town. The Port Campbell is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Shire of Corangamite. It is a small town so not much we can choose for our lunch expect the fish and chip restaurant.

Next, we're have been visited the Loch Ard Gorge. The Loch Ard Gorge is accessed via the Great Ocean Road, 3.5 km northwest of the Twelve Apostles and about 3 minutes' drive west of the Twelve Apostles. Stairs allow visitors access to the beach and a pathway allows access to the eastern side of the gorge.

The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Arch, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1st June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew, only two survived: Tom Pearce, at 19 years of age, a ship's apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwomen emigrating with her family, at 19 years of age.

According to memorials at the sire, Pearce has washed ashore and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help. Pearce then proceeded to climb out of the gorge to raise the alarm to local pastoralists who immediately set into the plan a rescue attempt. After three months in Australia, Carmichael returned to Europe. Four of her family members drowned that night. Pearce was hailed as a hero and continued his life living until age 49. He is buried in Southampton, England.

The last stop along the Great Ocean Road is the Twelve Apostles – one of the landmarks in Melbourne, Australia. The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. There are eight Apostles left, the ninth having collapsed dramatically in July 2005. The name remains significant and spectacular, especially in the Australian tourism industry. 

The apostles were formed by erosion. The harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 50 meters high. Because of this erosion, there are eight remaining.

The site was known as the Sow and Pigs (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the ‘Sow', and the smaller rock stacks were the "Piglets", the Pinnacles or the Twelve Apostles. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks. 

In 2002, the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association unsuccessfully attempted to block the creation of a proposed marine national park at the Twelve Apostles location but was satisfied with the later Victorian Government decision not to allow seismic exploration at the same site by Benares Energy, believing it would harm marine life.

The stacks are susceptible to further erosion from the waves. On 3rd July 2015, a 50-meter-tall (160 ft) stack collapsed, leaving eight standing. On 25th September 20019, it was thought that another of the stacks had fallen, but this was actually one of the smaller stacks of the Three Sisters formation. The rate of erosion at the base of the limestone pillars is approximately 2 cm per year. Due to wave action eroding the cliff face existing headlands are expected to become new limestone stacks in the future. 

TIP 17 – the windy at this place is not funny. Sometimes I face a hard time just to find the right position and style to snap the photos. Mostly all the time, this place is full of people and tourist so try to be patient about it. 

After that, we're going back to Melbourne City by drive a van with the 3 hours journey. It's a long journey but I've learned many things on this day. I also enjoy my day in Melbourne City.

That is all my stories on day 7 of this trip. Just for your information, I have been writing the extra note tip about discovers Sydney and Melbourne, Australia based on my experience during this trip. Feel free to read it. 

Here, the link to the continued stories about the Discovers Sydney & Melbourne, Australia in September 2018 – Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 8.