Tour - Overview:     

Munich - Kuala Lumpur - Sydney - Brisbane - Fraser Island - Whitsunday Islands - Cairns - Alice Springs - Red Center (Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Watarrka) - Darwin - Litchfield N.P. - Kakadu N.P.

Tour planning:

We booked a flight at Travel Overland, which is a very experienced travel agency specially for long distance trips (from Europe). We chose the best value offer from Malaysian Airlines which have an interesting stopover program with special hotel and tour prices and even free in-country flights. Check this out! We decided to make a 3 day (2 night) stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Tourism is a page for further information about the land. Hotel information is available from asiatravel.

29.9.2001 Munich - Kuala Lumpur

Flight with Malaysia Airlines (Boeing 777-200) to Kuala Lumpur with a 1 hour stop in Rome. A personal video system even in the tourist class lets the long time go by a little quicker. There is a six hour time difference between Germany and Malaysia.

30.9.2001 Kuala Lumpur

At the exit of the KL International Airport we were directed to a shuttle bus by a Mayflower Tours employee (Mayflower handels the Malaysia Airlines stopover program). It takes about one hour into the city (56 km) but a new highspeed railway is built at the moment and should be finished in 2002. We checked in at the Park Plaza Hotel. This hotel as well as the guided city tour were prebooked via the Malaysia Airlines stopover program which offers very good rates and even domestic flights in Malaysia. The KL Tower - the world's fourth highest tower - as well as the world's highest building (the Petronas Twin Towers) - are very close. The room was very nice and every air conditioning is appreciated because of the humidity and heat at the beginning of the wet season. The 3 hour sightseeing tour started at 2 p.m. and we were fetched right at the front of our hotel. After a stop at a "handy-craft-center" we visited the palace of the "Agong" (King of Malaysia). Malaysia has 13 countries and nine of them have their own sultan. The role of the Agong rotates every 5 years. Other stops where a twin tower photo stop, the National Museum, National Monument and at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building at the heart of the city.

1.10.2001 Kuala Lumpur

We walked to the KL Tower ("Menara Kuala Lumpur") - it was very hot on the way up the hill to the base of the tower. 8 RM (Ringgit) entry fee per person (this is about 1,5 US$) and a elevator brings you to the view deck in less than a minute. Just the towers in Toronto, the one in Moskow and one in China are higher. The tower itself is built in an architecture reflecting the islamic believe. Back at the base you can watch a nice movie about the tower construction with lots of interesting details - this is included in the entrance fee and worth watching. We went into the Mall at the base of the Twin Tower for dinner. There are a lot of restaurants for every taste.

A hint for Malaysia and other asian countries concerning food:
Cook it, boil it, peel it or leave it!

2.10.2001 Kuala Lumpur - Sydney

Flight MH0133 to Sydney takes a little more than 7 hours for about 7000 km and 2 more hours time difference. After grabbing our luggage the immigration was no problem and went straight ahead to the airport visitor information. We bought a 5-day-SydneyPass for A$ 120.- which is not cheap but you can take nearly every public transport (except the Monorail) even harbour cruises and ferries - so the deal is not too bad. The Airport Express Bus (No. 300) takes you directly to the Sydney City Central Hostel. The Airport Express Bus is included in the ticket but just two times and the second time you use the express bus invalidates your SydneyPass they told us. The hostel is very popular so it should be prebooked. There is a restaurant belonging to the hostel but it closes at 9 pm (except Fr, Sa).

3.10.2001 Sydney

We got onto the Sydney Explorer Bus which stops just 100 m away in front of the Central Station. There are two major hop-on-hop-off busses in Sydney, the (red) Sydney Explorer bus and the (blue) Bondi Explorer and both are included in the SydneyPass. Our first stop was at Darling Harbour (a few stops with the bus) a former dock area which has become a nice area with shops, cinemas and museums. It is just a short walk across the Pyrmont Bridge to the next bus stop at the Sydney Aquarium. After some more minutes by bus we got out at Campbells's Cove very close to the famous Harbour Bridge. From the little park you have a great view to the Sydney Opera and it is a short walk to "The Rocks" - the oldest part of Sydney. If you need more information about Sydney the Visitor Information Center is just round the corner. Because of the sunny weather we decided to join the "Afternoon Harbour Cruise" at 1 pm starting from Circular Quay. The SydneyPass gives you unlimited travel on all Sydney Harbour Cruises. It is recommended to sit on the starboard (right) side of the boat because the cruise travels anti-clockwise and all the explanations refer to the right side. You get a great view of the skyline and you will see lots of very nice neighbourhoods along the different bays. With a booklet from the Visitor Information you can walk a self-guided tour through "The Rocks" area and you will find a place for dinner there as well. For the sunset and a night shot of the city skyline we walked onto the Harbour Bridge (also called coat hanger). You can climb the south-eastern stone pylon of the bridge but it closes (too early) at 5 pm. At 6:30 pm it was quite dark and the last round trip from Circular Quay with the Sydney Explorer Bus departs at about 5:20 pm (early again!) so we did a second cruise - the Night Cruise - because we had to use the CityRail to get back to the hostel anyway. The Night Harbour Cruise leaves at 8 pm and returns 1 1/2 hours later.

4.10.2001 Sydney

Our intention was to visit the AMP Tower so we got out the CityRail at the Town Hall stop and we walked directly into the Queen Victoria Building (QVB). This is an old and exclusive mall in a beautiful building. The Sydney Tower is close by and stands out of a shopping complex. The ticket for the Observation Deck includes a "Adventure Skytour " (consisting of a movie, an audio impression of Australia and a 3D movie) which is only nice for kids but a must to purchase - this is really bad! The Observation Deck opens a good view onto the city and free guided tours (explanations) start every hour. These explanations are quite interesting - for example the towers of old St. Mary's Cathedral got their spires just for the Olympic Games - because it looks better :-) - no joke! We walked to the Opera house and through the Botanical Garden (most of them are free in Australia) to Mrs. Macquaries Point where you get a spectacular view of the Opera House AND the Harbour Bridge - both will fit on a single photograph. From there it is just a single stop with the Explorer Bus to the NSW Art Gallery - a collection of Australian and Aboriginal Art. It is worth walking through and there is no entry fee. We spent the evening planning for the next week

5.10.2001 Sydney

We catched the first bus of the Bondi Explorer at 9:15 am from Circular Quay. The blue Bondi Explorer starts every 30 minutes for its 2 hour circle to the outer areas and beaches. Some stops of the bus are scenic photo stops only - i.e. stop 8 with a great panoramic view of Sydney Harbour and the city. The tour takes you in a clockwise circle along Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay (they say: Double Bay - Double Pay) to Rose Bay and Watsons Bay. We hopped out and walked through the Gap Park and along the cliffs to the next stop. The next interesting point was Bondi Beach where we spent the time till noon. On the way back to the city we visited St. Mary's Cathedral - take the time to go in! We made our way back through Hyde Park passing the Achibald Memorial Fountain. In the afternoon we spent our time shopping at Darling Harbour and visiting the Sydney Aquarium (where you get 25% off with your YHA membership card). Walking through transparent underwater (Aussie pronunciation: woda) tunnels all the fish including sharks and rays swim besides and above you.

6.10.2001 Sydney - Brisbane

in work :-)  - still