Down Under

11th December

• Late night flight from Indore to Chennai (Indigo)

• Stay at Raaj Bhavan Clarks Inn

12th December

• Breakfast at hotel

• Lunch at Yaa Mohaideen Briyani (Chicken Briyani and Bread Halwa)

• Afternoon flight from Chennai to Singapore (Indigo)

• Late night flight from Singapore to Melbourne (Singapore Airlines)

    - In-flight entertainment

        ♪ Singin' in the Rain

        ♪ Elemental

        ♪ No Hard Feelings

    - In-flight food

        ♪ Four-cheese pizza (with cola and                       coffee)

         ♪ South-Indian fare + Nasi Lemak

13th December

• Arrival at Melbourne airport

• Flat white coffee at WHSmith

• Afternoon flight from Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania

• Car rental - Hyundai Tucson

• Food 

  - Stuffed and seasoned rotisserie chicken 

  - Aussie snack: Tim Tams

• Tasman highway drive - Hobart to Port Arthur

• Sightseeing:

 - Tasman Natl. Park Lookout

 - Tesselated Steps

 - Pirate Bay Drive

• Stay:

 - Fox and Hounds Historic Hotel, Port Arthur

   Review: Really picturesque property -                   spacious room with a kitchenette       

The famed Aussie TimTam - It's a bit like a Bourbon biscuit coated in chocolate 

Tesselated Pavement and Pirate Bay

This is a natural geological phenomenon formed over several hundred million years!

The Tassie Rental - Hyundai Tucson

Scenic Tasman Highway

Tasman Bay

Eclectic Sculpture at Hobart Airport

Fox and Hounds Historic Hotel - A really quaint place to stay at :)

14th December

• Port Arthur

   - Port Arthur UNESCO Historical Site

   - Remarkable Cave, Tasman Natl. Park

   - Port Arthur Lavender Farm

        ♪ Sampled lavender candy and oils

• Fossil Bay

  - Blow Hole

  - Doo Town

  - Fossil Bay Lookout

  - Tasman Arch

  - Devil's Kitchen

• Freycinet Natl. Park

  - Wineglass Bay Trek

  - Coles Bay Lookout

  - Wineglass Bay Lookout

• Bicheno

  - Bicheno Blowhole

  - Bay of fire-like orange coastal lichen                  landscape

• Bicheno to Launceston drive 

  - Encountered multiple baby kangaroos (narrowly avoided the prospect of a few of them becoming roadkill, oof)

• Stay:

Coach House Launceston, Launceston

Review: Although it looks like a typical American motel from the outside, the stay was exceptional. A spacious room with comfy beds, a smart TV with a wide selection of programming, free WiFi and a Nespresso Dolce coffee machine. And to top all of this, the highlight was a jacuzzi - right in the bedroom. Oof.

15th December

• Launceston

   - Cataract Gorge Reserve

   - Tamar Valley Vineyard drive

   - B'fast - Hungry Jack's

   - Lunch - Roast chicken panini with                     Philadelphia sweet chilli cream cheese             and triple chocolate ice cream

   - Aussie snack: Iced Vovo                

• Lees Orchard and Cherry Farm

  - Bought cherries right from the farm shed of the cherry orchard - possibly the tastiest and juiciest cherries I've ever tasted in my life

• Deloraine

  - Cruisin' in the 50s Diner - an aesthetic diner       with 50s decor and memorabilia

  - Great Western Tiers visitor centre

  - Van Diemens Land Creamery, Elizabeth

    Town - tasted their award-winning flavours,        but it seemed rather overrated

• Cradle Mt. Natl. Park

   - Picturesque views of Cradle Mt. and                 surrounding peaks

   - Wildlife, including kangaroos and some *hedgehog-like rodent*

• Mumma Buzz Café, Deloraine - Flatwhite          with extra shot - pretty good coffee

• Drove from Deloraine to Hobart

• Stay: Rydges Hotel, Hobart

16th December

• Hobart

   - Salamanca Saturday Market

   - Salamanca Square

   - MONA: Museum of New and Old Art

     One of the best and most unique museum experiences ever - *note to self: write in more detail here, add pics*

   - Mt. Wellington: Saw a rainbow, caught a cold. But the huey skies over the panaromic entirety of Hobart was worth a few days of no ice cream.

   - Cascade Brewery

   - Constitution Dock and Going South                   Sculptures   

• Food:

  - Jackman and McRoss: Lamington

  - Parklane Espresso: Large flatwhite coffee        with extra shot espresso

  - Flippers Cooked Seafood: Battered *insert.      fish name here* fish and chips

  - Tom McHugo's: Chicken Parmy with chips

  - Derwent Park Pizza: Derwent Park Spl.              takeout pizza

• Cradle Mt. Natl. Park

   - Picturesque views of Cradle Mt. and                 surrounding peaks

   - Wildlife, including kangaroos and some *hedgehog-like rodent*

• Stay: Travelodge, Hobart Airport

  

17th December

• Hobart to Melbourne flight

• Car Rental - Hyundai Tucson

• Visited parents' old college friends

• Geelong

   - Waterfront

   - Floating Christmas tree

   - Food: Takeout toasties from Kalina Café (Ham& Cheese, Chicken, Avo & Cheese)

• Stay: Nightcap at Gateway Hotel

18th December

• Drive from Geelong to Tintinara

• Food: Roast Chicken and Garlic Butter panini; fresh raspberries, strawberries and blackberries

• Aussie snacks: Arnott's Milk Coffee biscuits and coconut creme TimTams

• Coffee: Large flatwhite at Blax Coffee

• St. Anne's Wineyard - wine tasting

• Ballarat - city sightseeing

• Grampians Natl. Park

   - Lake Bellfield

   - Halls Gap

   - Boroka Lookout

• Roadside Attraction: Giant Koala, Dadswell Bridge

• Food: "The Exit Wound" pizza at Bonnie and Clyde pizza bar, Horsham

Unexpected gem encountered as a roadside stop. Really flavourful marinara sauce and overall a great tasting pie.

• Roadside Attraction: Pink Lake, Dimboola

• Stay: Motel on Becker, Tintinara

19th December

• Drive from Tintinara to Adelaide

• Roadside attractions:

  - Coonalpyn Silo Art

  - Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village

  - Murray Bridge and Bunyip at Murray Bridge

• Hahndorf

   - German Town with picturesque shops

   - Hahndorf Academy (museum and gallery)

   - Food: The German Bakery and Cake Shop:       Beesting dessert - flavourful and creamy           with a distinct honeyed texture that left a           long-lasting pleasant aftertaste

- Food: German Arms Hotel: Chicken Schnitzel (served with salad, chips and mushroom sauce), Garlic Bread - really flavourful and filling. The restaurant atmosphere and vibe was great too.

• Mt. Lofty

  - Panaromic view of Adelaide

  - The Summit Café - Hot Chocolate

• Haigh's Chocolates - Factory visit 

  - Tried/bought an assortment of truffles, including dark chocolate, mango chilli and cherry liquor ones

• Adelaide - Himeji Japanese Gardens

• Port Adelaide

   - Lipson street mural

   - Outer Harbour Lookout - Dolphin watching

   - Saw loading docks at Flinder's dock

   - Largs Jetty

   - Semaphore beach

   - Esplanade tourist drive

   - Tennyson sand dunes

• Food: Milky Lane Adelaide: Triple Cheese with Onion burger (triple smash patty), mac and cheese croquettes, chicken popcorn, loaded fries and chocolate thickshake

20th December

• Adelaide Oval

• South Australia Parliament House

• Adelaide Central Market

- Cumbia Bar Kitchen: Chorizo empanada

- Skala Artisan Bakery: Cornish Pastry 

- Lucia's Pizza and Spaghetti Bar:

    - Mushroom Pizza

    - Flatwhite

    - Cappuccino

- Michael's: Purchased a variety of apples

- Nut shop: Made peanut butter ourselves on-spot

• Sit Lo: Vietnamese-style Grilled Chicken Noodle Bowl

• Botanic Garden

• Natl

• South Aust

• Lib

• Art

• Rundle 

• Adelaide Arcade

• Barossa Valley

  - Purchased Jacob's Creek wine

  - Barossa Sculpture Park

  - Drove through vineyards

  - Viewed sunset on a drive across landscaped notable wineries

• Oporto: Best of Bondi Box: Bondi Burger (spicy grilled chicken patty), Quarter Chicken (spicy basting), Fries

• Haider's: Takeout Pakistani-style chicken kebab (really succulent chicken kebab on a bed of flavourful rice)

21st December

• Food: Abotts and Kinney: Hazelnput Pain Au Chocolat and Flatwhite coffee - This was a perfect little neighbourhood coffee shop. Perhaps a tad understaffed with a poor barista managing everything alone. Liked the atmosphere, loved the coffee and the pain au chocolat.

• Food: KFC, Victor Harbour: Chicken 

22nd December

• Food: KFC, Mount Gambier: Double fillet zinger with jalapeno mayo and chicken tenders

• Food: Rebecca's Café, Port Fairy: Café Espresso flavoured Ice Cream

23rd December

• ONA Coffee: Large Maple flatwhite coffee

• Queen Victoria Market

  - American Donut Kitchen: Hot jam donuts        

  - Market Espresso: Large flatwhite

  - Purchased "Australia, Melbourne" blue hoodie

• ACMI

• NGV: Ian Potter Center

• National Gallery of Victoria - First

• Sal's Pizza: Pepperoni and Margherita doublr slice combo

• My Goodness: Large veggie pizza

• Easey's: Oklahoma Double Smash with onions, Chocolate Thickshake, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Dim Sims

• Fed. Square: Christmas Light Show

24th December

• Industry Beans, Fitzroy: Fitzroy Iced Coffee, Flatwhite

• Lune's Crossanterie, Fitzroy: Pain Au Chocolat 

• Hector's Deli: Beef and Pickles sourdough toastie with extra cheese and hectic sauce, Seasoned fries

25th December
Phillip Island penguins
Gozleme + Ayran 

St. ALi's coffee - Magic coffee
McDonald's for food - only place open outside the city

26th December

THE BOXING DAY TEST @ MCG!!!!!!

Canberra

Sydney

SydNYE @ Harbour Bridge !!!!