The Great Aussie Holiday
Caution: Lengthy post and huge volumes of photos. Get your J Co Donuts and coffee before you sit down tight....It was practically a whirlwind holiday!!! 7 days, but due to flight arrangements, we only had 5 full days in Aussie-land and how did we go about filling up those 5 days to the brim? Well, here goes...
Flight to GC was at 9:40pm from LCCT and the 8 hour journey got us to Coolangatta Airport at about 8am local time. Picked up our rental car (a 2-door M Yaris) and proceeded to check out the maps provided. Based on plan, it was Tweed Heads first before heading off to the colder climate of Tambourine Mountains.
The drive to Mt Tambourine was via a scenic drive, taking us thru hills and valleys, lined with giant trees, meadows and rolling plains. Some small villages and lookouts dotted the route and the scenery was refreshing and calming...
Huge life-sized carvings by the side of the trails
Gigantic trees lining the route
A stop at the Springbrook National Park was rewarded with lovely waterfall views and fresh air amongst the foliage...
Peaceful. Serene. Calm.However, due to the long hours on the plane (I know some flights are way way much longer, but try driving for long stretches right after an overnight flight), we we're pretty much lethargic and in need for a stop and power-nap.
Taking a power nap in the middle of nowhereMt Tambourine is a quaint little town, with a slow pace and friendly people. The Gallery Walk is a must visit, but the shops were mainly closed when we got there... Antiques, knick-knacks and what-nots are all to be found...
The fish and chips shop where we ta-pau-ed our dinner2nd day, destination was Brisbane, it was a pretty much short drive on the highway to Brisbane. The drive out to the highway was littered with excellent lookout points and offered expansive views of the mountainous region.
Rotary lookout... great view... not talking about her..
Before getting onto the highway, we managed to buy some avocados from an un-manned roadside stall. The concept is, you pick your avos and you put the money into a coinbox at the stall. I guess Aussies are way much more trusting than locals here. If this were to be the situation in KL, within 10 mins, ALL the avos AND the coinbox would be missing!!
Yes.. she did put money into the coin box...
Whole day in Brisbane was spent traipsing all over the city on foot (we prolly covered >15kms on our 2 weary pairs of feet)... The Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane CBD is the largest subtropical parkland nested in a City Centre in the world, and boasts of a multitude of flora unsurpassed by any other.
Roma Street ParklandOne thing you notice about Australia is that there are many parks in and around the city centre and these parks are always full of people, playing and enjoying themselves in the sun. Family and camarederie play a pivotal role in these people's lives.
Took a walk across the Brsbane Bridge to the Southbank, an al fresco area with lively activities and pretty much the 'in' place I guess.. Outdoor movies, food kiosks, shopping avenues, it was all there.
Al fresco dining... and people watching..
Brisbane in dusk...Tired out, we managed to drag ourselves back to the motel at night, and after a spot of cooking by J, it was zzzzzz's all the way...
From the heady lights of Brisbane, the next day's travel took us to the suburbs outskirts of the city. Early morning stop at the Farmer's market in Brisbane Powerhouse was enjoyable, pretty much like our local version of Pasar Tani or Pasar Minggu. Buying some Macadamias and cherries and nectarines made the walk around the market even more fun...
Buying red succulent cherries...
The real deal.. nothing like the chemical induced fakes we have on birthday cakesOn the way, we stopped at Ipswich for lunch. Panini's, cappucino and mocktails taste just much better when you're away from home!!
Before reaching Toowomba (our stop for the night), we also had a pit stop at Gatton, where we did some posing and cam-whoring at Lake Apex. He he..
Toowomba is pretty much larger than Mt Tambourine, but nowhere near Brisbane, size-wise. Its like Sitiawan, compared to Ipoh (Brisbane) and Bota Kanan (Mt Tambourine)... Ehem.. However, I'd say that I enjoyed Toowomba very very much... Lovely place, with a not too fast pace, great architecture, loads of food choices, dotted with parks... just plain lovely.
J promoting the city council
They take their decorations real seriously..Did a quick round the town centre early the next morning for some photo taking before proceeding with the rest of the journey..
One of the parks in Toowomba...
Lovely architecture...
Warwick and Boonah round up the pit-stops on our way back to GC. Warwick have some stupendous sandstone buildings that stand till today and are a fine reminder of architecture marvels from yesteryears... Boonah was a much shorter stop, but we drove all the way up to Mount French National Park and had a bird's eye view of the surrounding valleys of Cunningham Gap. When you see a view like that, you just forget all your worries and leave the world behind...
One thing I will never forget is the sight of a truly wild kangaroo bounding across my path as I was driving thru the Mt French trail... The roo was barely 6 metres away and I had to jam my brakes to ensure I did not hit him/her... That was one close call...
Froggy froggy...
One of the many sandstone buildings in Warwick..
Walking thru Mt French National Park...J cooked up a sumptuous meal for 2 in GC... we had wild mushroom soup for starters, and for mains, pork steak with apple sauce and mango chutney, with broccoli and potatoes on the side. She does whip up a mean dish when she wants to...
Lip-smacking the yum yum..Last full day in GC was pretty much unforgettable. In the morning before checking out, we walked around Harbour Town (GC's duty free shopping arcade) and after checking out of the hotel, we decided to go to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, just outside of GC city.
The Sanctuary was fabulous. In tune with Mother Nature, we were literally a touch away from kangaroos and other wildlife. The place is huge, and it takes a whole day to explore every nook and corner of the sanctuary. It was a trigger-happy affair, with loads and loads of photos of kangaroos, koalas, birds, reptiles, and all forms of wildlife, mainly those native of Australia of course...
Feedin the roos...
The pretender to the Wombat throne...
Mr Wombat himself makes a guest appearance...
Croc-king being fed by Crocodile Dundee... This macha is 5.1m long!!
Croc-king feedin on yours truly...
One of 'em native lizards that flares its hood when it gets an orgasm.. 
Can you spot the tree branch?
Traditional dance....Higlights definitely have to be the bird show and Lorikeet feeding... just look at how happy J is... =D
Hope that one didn't poop on her head..
Spent the last night in GC walking around Surfer's Paradise and taking in the atmosphere of Christmas eve...
Surfer's Paradise at night... one of the quieter parts la that is..An early morning flight out of GC marked the end of a quick but enjoyable holiday down under. Got home to KL in late afternoon, happy and tired.
The Year That Was....
Wow. 3 days to the end of 2007.
Another chapter of my book of life is closing. It has been a quite above-average book so far, but chapter 2007 was at best, I believe, mundane. Not really the page-turner or roller-coaster ride I had expected at the beginning of the chapter, but nonetheless sprinkled with some highlights that would deem it mildly spicy and deliciously entertaining and some continuous pages of stuff akin to watching paint dry...
The author would like to take this opportunity however, to thank the contributors to this book, with main main contributor J taking the biggest plaudits for always being there and constantly spicing and peppering up the book.
This book of life is probably 1/3 on the way to closure and epilogue and here's hoping the chapters to come will be filled with excitement and twists and surprises. Good ones that is. This book is rated 'U' remember? Its also suitable for kiddies and beginner readers, with a feel good theme thru-out...
Closing chapter 2007, I would like to recap some of the highlights of the 365 pages that have just been turned, and they are listed in no particular order...
1. Visiting Gold Coast / Brisbane / Suburbs. Lovely. Enlightening.
2. Walking for
12 hours straight. Walking thru the pain.
3. Spending my 1st CNY with in-laws. A home away from home.
4. Running seriously. My own time and space.
5. Stepping into the dark dank bottomless pit that is Facebook.
6. Getting a raise. Twice. And a promotion. Its worth working for good bosses.
7. Stupidly getting
cupping therapy. The reminder is still there. Ear candling was way breezier.
8. Catching Transformers and 300. "This IS Sparta!!" Stupendous.
9.
Shaved my legs. Both of them. Clean.
10. Survived the 1st year of marriage. Intact. And hoping for endless years to come. Till this book ends.
So readers, come with me into chapter 2008 and enjoy the rest of the book with me!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!!!!
We're Back!!
Still really tired... so just a quick update...
A couple of Australian icons for you...
Aiya.... wrong photo pulak... need sleep.... need sleep...............
.......
Uhhhh..... ummmm... oh here they are....
The REAL Australian icons...
Sleepy koala and curious roo
More updates and pics later...!!!
Going Down Under....
Its the final countdown!! Ta da di da... da da di di da..
In 48 hours from now, J and I will be going down under!! (No... not at each other... you perv!) 1 week away from the hustle and bustle of work and stress.... 1 week of total enjoyment and fun... and for the 1st time in my life, I'll be celebrating Christmas away from home... (err... not that it means much to me.. haha)
Getting stuff packed and ready is the hardest part... worries abound that we might miss out necessities. Hafta go thru the to-do-list and packing list again and again and again and again to make sure we got everything covered... I mean, we wouldn't wanna end up in foreign land and forgetting something important like my night face cream now would we?? =P
Pack me up, baby...
1 week worth of clothes, incl beach wear & board shorts... woohoo!
Night face cream and other vanity essentials... ehem.
Huge big-whoop-ass backpack to put it all in....
My means of recording the sights and views and memories, since my brain is only 3% functioning.
Hugely hugely important destination currency to be gladly accepted and welcomed with open-arms by the locals...
and most importantly....
A soft comfortable pair to traipse around Gold Coast in...
Wait for photos and updates when we get back!!! Till then, Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year from BunnyLand!!!
Bare
I feel naked.
The Story of my Holiday
Thank you Sultan for having your birthday today. I dunno how much you enjoyed your day, but I sure as hell enjoyed mine!! Why dun you decree that you have a birthday every month? Enjoy la sikit, then we dun need to work so much.... ehek.
Woke up to a fabulous morning. Not too sunny, no rain, just the right degree of cloudiness. Breakfast(ed) with J before she left for work (yea, it sucks working in KL) and I spent the rest of the early part of the morning reading papers and browsin the net... ran some errands and ended up in a shopping mall in Subang before lunch.
And since I was hungry, I proceeded to buy meself a pair of Teva's. Errr... that doesn't sound right. But that's what I did anyway... hahaha... My first pair of Teva's and I'm wearing them while blogging now... kakakkaa... feel sooo comfortable, oh sooo comfortable.. eat your heart out crocs.
Teva Hurricane 3 - Manzanita Sage
Pretty solid built with 12 months warrantyThey're gonna be adorning my weary feet as I traipse all over Gold Coast and Brisbane next week.... Yeah!
Came home and with the weather lookin real fine, decided to strap on my helmet and tights and ride to Bukit Tinggi (the Klang one la... not the Pahang one siut..) and back. But 'fore that, had to do a pit stop at the bike shop to adjust my derailleur and pump both tires (prolly my heavy ass keeps squeezing the air out of the tires). Bike lane on Kesas Highway is pretty low traffic and I had a moderately tiring (to the quads) ride to Bukit Tinggi interchange and back... Prolly 25kms or so I think...
After putting the bike away, gulped down 2 glasses of watertonic (water + isotonic) and stripped myself naked. In the house of course. I proceeded to put on my swim trunks, and jumped into the pool (not from my balcony la dei..) and did a couple of laps. Couple means quite a few also la... lost count. Saja saja enjoy the pool cos the weather was soooo good.
...... And then as if to spite me.... it started to
drizzle... and the drizzle became a
DRIZZLE... then it became
heavier... had to get out and go back upstairs...
Showered, put on a pair of old-man boxers, slurped down a banana and started switching on me laptop... then I started blogging about my day ... And that is the story of my holiday... up to now la.... THE END.
10 Things To Do B4 You Turn 30
Got a mail from J this morning that had me thinking... Have I done enough in my past 28 years to warrant having lived a fulfilling life? Are there still things that I have not done that would have me wondering... "Now what if..??"
Go check it out
here for Cynthia Brodrick's 10 things to do before you turn 30... I've only got 2 more years before I crash the big 3-0, so here's my take of Cynthia's stuff to do...
1. Drive a wickedly cool car, even if you have to rent it.*I've already failed "to-do stuff" numero uno... I've never driven anything fancy, and I'm pretty sure those lil cars that you use your feet to paddle when you were 5 doesn't count...
2. Date against type.*I've ALSO failed item #2. I have never dated anybody gothic, with a face for a pincushion or loaded with tattoos... and on the other hand, I've not actually dated Ms Super Saint Holy Mother of Jesus Goody-2-Shoes either... (J, No no no you're not)
3. See the world.*Can't say I totally failed this and can't say I aced it either... Been to more than a couple of countries, lapped in the culture and become a better person out of it... But that's not to say that I have seen enough... You never ever see enough...
4. Live in a cool place.*Gagal jugak. I dun think I've stayed in cool places... Holidays don't count... Never stayed in the jungle, in a longhouse, at the beach, in the mountains... heck I've never even stayed in a caravan. The coolest place I've ever stayed is my room right now. Got air-cond ma.
5. If you're going to drink a lot, do it when young.*I dun drink (alcohol I mean), so I also kaput in this. Now, if we talk about normal beverages pulak, then different story... I know why Cynthia says if you wanna drink a lot, do it when young.. cos its gonna be a hassle to change your adult diapers when you're old.
6. Take risks with your job.*I dunno... I think Asians are more conservative when it comes to these kinda stuff... Think the majority of us would not give up a stable good-income job and leave and go do something lesser just because it is fulfilling. I have however left a comfortable job for riskier avenues, so I guess I can say been there, done that.
7. Do something physically adventurous.*Some stuff I've done... race kapchais without a helmet @ 175km/h, done paragliding, 12-hour walk... guess it might pale in comparison to some who swim with sharks, or hunt lions or run a marathon in the south pole... but I think I'm doin fine in this..
8. Take your parents to dinner.*Sap sap sui. (Translated to wet wet water... meaning easy job.)
9. Do volunteer work.*Yeap. Done some volunteer work before. Not as much as I would be proud of, and that makes me ...actually.. sad to say so... sigh.
10. Use this decade to go to extremes.*I haven't bought life insurance yet. Period.
Guess I haven't lived my 20's to the fullest yet. With only 24 months to go, I guess I'll start with the wickedly cool car... Heheh.
What about you guys? What have you.... not done?
What should I call her?
Looks like hours n hours of fun...We're so gonna have fun together.... the thing is, what should I call her?
Suggestions anyone?
