August 2010 started off with a bang. Alright, I know it's already September but hey, it's my blog and I decide what I want to write and when. You can choose to skip this, no worries =)
Youngest sister flew back from Korea during the last few days of July and the whole family then flew to Tasmania, Australia to visit my second sister. We were in the Land Down Under for 12 days. I've planned (really!) to post an entry about this family trip weeks ago but since that was evidently unsuccessful, let's just be content with this. Anyway, we took Airasia and reached Melbourne in the early hours of 2nd August. Contrary to frightening stories we heard about Airasia's seats or Melbourne's notoriously strict customs officers, our trip was surprisingly pleasant. It was also during this flight that a Chinese lady who was seated next to me (and who I might say, enjoyed herself a bit too much in laughing at my lack of ability to inflate my neck-pillow) turned out to be my Mom's ex-colleague. As I justified to my sister during the flight, who would have known that my (unintentional) sit-down comedy would be the means that connected my Mom with her long lost friend!
The above is what two bored sisters did while waiting for their flight
Our (rented) car before the attack(s) of the Tasmanian birds
Mom and Dad waiting while we bought packets of rice with spicy beef curry. Picture was taken during our first day in Lonnie.
And that's the most frequented Brisbane Street where Wendy's on one corner and Myers on the other
Mom and Dad in front of Woolies.
Syazana having her picture in front of Lonnie's sole Korean Church
Waiting for dinner at Morty's Food Hall. This was during the second night in Lonnie.
How's this for pancake? The whip cream and bananas simply left us wanting more
Devonshire pancakes. This was Syazana's and my second trip to Morty's while the parents stayed at home
Syazana trying to show that she can enjoy both for dinner
Us and the Tasmanian version of 'Death by Chocolate'. I must say, their chocolate cake is waaaayyy richer than ours.
We did go to the Cataract Gorge for a ride on the 'Basin Lift' on 5th August 2010 (and since my youngest sister missed the trip, I accompanied her again on 10 August 2010) and some mini trekking in the cold weather before calling it a day. It was especially entertaining to see my parents rode the chairlift. Oh, and while we didn't manage to catch sight of kangaroos, we did see lots of wallabies. Let the pictures describe it better =p
We tried to get the concessions for adults (the chair lift ride) but since no one else was around, the attendant gave us the family package =)
Dad's gleeful expression as they boarded the chair lift
Welcome to Cataract Gorge. I'm a little shy so I hope a side glimpse of myself will do.
Two camera-friendly wallabies going their way to welcome visitors
The parents and the lone wallaby
The walk after the wallabies
Mom about to walk on the Alexandra suspension bridge. If you can see the words, someone had altered it to 'Please do rock the bridge!'
Mom and Dad with what must be the tallest (and most humongous) tree we've ever seen. Now, if only they'll play the music so that my parents can indulge in a Hindi movie scene
Dad: This is what happens when one is married far too long. You just follow your wife!
I know they're my parents (forgive my bias) but isn't this picture just adorable? =p
Us on the Alexandra Bridge
Syazana showing us why three's a crowd
The whole family also embarked on a cross-country trip to Hobart, a 2 hour drive from Lonnie. As usual, I was the appointed driver and while my sisters snoozed the hours away, I had to make do with miles and miles of open land space as well as a high number of sheep and gigantic cows.
What are you looking at?!
Syazana and her many admirers
And all I got were pictures of their behinds!
On our way to Hobart, we stopped at this place called Campbell Town for a short break before reaching the Cadbury Factory.
The first picture taken in Campbell Town. It certainly was not the last for Syazana
Trying to have a conversation in front of a historic log. Well, weirder things have happened elsewhere
Okay, am seriously unsatisfied with this picture. For the record, I just happened to be standing on the lower end of the street. Honest!
It was in Cadbury Factory that I realised I died and went to heaven. There was nothing worth mentioning about the tour because watching a video on how chocolates are made just don't count! But the chocolate shop (which again, added to my collection of chocolates rather extensively) and the super delicious chocolate hot drink really made my day.
I've been to the chocolate lovers' heaven / haven!!!
The Cadbury lady showing us how they would pour the chocolate concoction into those ice-cube plates. Wanted to snap a picture of the replica of the machine but where I was seated was just not good enough
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my home away from home. The Cadbury Shop :)
I was not satisfied with the bags of chocolates we bought so I decided to take along the life-size cadbury bar with us.
You do know I'm kidding right?
Tired with chocolate shopping (it was an arduous task, mind you), we had to enjoy cups of hot chocolate at the Cadbury Cafe
Three cups of hot chocolate ranging from mildly sweet to the super-duper really fattening drink. Not a good idea if you're watching your weight
The next stop was Mount Wellington which my sister recommended for us to have a full view of Hobart. We drove up the mountain and what started out as rain pellets turned out to be snow!!! It was sheer amazing because no one expected snow at this late stage of winter. The scenes leading up to the peak of Mt. Wellington could have been mistaken as pictures one will usually see in Hallmark's movies or Christmas cards. We did not manage to view Hobart (because the snow was just too heavy) but we did enjoy ourselves frolicking in the snow. Enjoy the pictures below!
Minutes after arriving on Mount Wellington. The car looked clean because Dad had braved the chilly weather and literally 'snow-washed' the car =p
Mom, my youngest sister and myself. There is another picture of my incorrigible sister dropping snow on my head but obviously, I won't put that picture here.
Mom and my second sister.
Syazana just could not resist the 'flying' pose. I can never figure out why.
In front of what I could only describe as 'lots and lots of snow'.
Our only family picture on Mount Wellington. Took Dad a lot of persuasion to leave the heated comfort of the car.
Just to prove a point that we've reached the 'Pinnacle'.
We made the 'Mayfair Plaza Motel' our home for the next two nights in Hobart. Having stayed there, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to visit Hobart. It's close to attractions and restaurants are plenty within walking distance. The fact that McDonalds is our next door neighbour really helps too. Coles and Woolies are also nearby should there be a need to stock up on the foodstuff.
As our visit to Hobart coincided with the weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the famed Salamanca Market. Well, I could now understand its famed repute as we could get great bargains and good food for reasonable prices. I do believe our wallets were considerably lighter after visiting the market. We bought quite a variety of things, from sunnies to huskies as well as more clothes and tasmanian leatherwood honey!
Part of the long stretch of stalls that make what Salamanca Market famous. Noticed the mountain? It's Mount Wellington on a clear day.
The photographer, the model (the one with the red beret) and yes, the one who likes to pose in what he calls as the 'korean style'
Mom and me before the shopping onslaught
Syazwina trying to haggle. She ended with Henry the Bear and Syazana later bought Henry II. See below
And here's Henry II!
Henry the Bear with a beary (fairer) cousin as well as Syazana's friend (who is also considered Syazwina's twin)
Me trying to contain my 'glee' before the first bite of ferrero rocher gelato
It was coincidental that Mom was in the shadows and Dad with the 'halo' effect
It was also in Hobart that my sister and I had this pretty funny encounter with two Greek guys (I think they were greek) who ran the 'Mykonos' fish-n-chip takeaway shop. Dad was pretty famished and he told us to get the customary fish and chips sets as well as an extra bag of chips for dinner. When we reached the shop however (which is barely 3 minutes away from the motel), we changed our minds. We settled for one fisherman's basket, one fish and chips and the extra bag of chips as requested by Dad. The Greeks looked at us (two tiny Asian girls who could easily be blown off by the Tasmanian wind) and I guessed they must be perturbed by the amount of food we ordered. In fact, they asked us how many exactly are sharing the meals and even when we said three pax, they repeatedly asked 'More chips?!'. Only after we received the packages do we understand the incessant 'More chips?!' as the portions were nothing less than humongous!
It was decided that on our way back to Lonnie, we would drive to Ben Lomond for a spot of skiing. Yet, we were also pushing our luck by settling for a leisurely ride home, stopping in small villages like Sorrel (where we had our breakfast in Penny's) and Ross (dubbed the cleanest village in Tasmania!). We also opted not to take the highways and instead, opting for the unbeaten track between the Tasman and Midland Highways. It was again miles and miles of land and flocks of sheep providing the visual entertainment. We even drove to parts where we believe the 'Bogans' live and stopping for any reason was out of the question. By the time we drove up Ben Lomond, specifically Jacob's Ladder (which was quite dangerous as it required vehicles to be equipped with snow chains and we had none with us!) it was already dark. With my parents already insisting that we call it a day, we had to drive away, our hopes of skiing remained unfulfilled.
Dad and Syazwina walking on the streets of Ross village. Picture was taken by Syazana from inside our car. I have to ask this - don't you think this picture has that paparazzi-ish feeling?
We did manage to stop in Kings Meadow (another small town), had a customary visit to the local Coles before finally reaching home. Another two days were spent in Lonnie where we (finally) visited Syazwina's faculty and took a few shots around the city.
We passed Albert Hall countless time every day we were in Lonnie. Dad said we must take pictures in front of the yellow-green building so we did.
Having seen Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, I kinda like how Lonnie's Albert Hall is very much similar
There was also a funny episode to be recorded. We had already driven ourselves to the Launceston Airport about twenty minutes from my sister's home, hauled out the luggages and was about to return the car when my Mom realised something. In her bid to ensure that nothing of our stuff got left behind, she had unwittingly brought along my second sister's winter jacket. I could understand her position as my sister's jacket is the same colour as mine and Mom must have thought that the extra jacket was mine. In the end, Mom and I had to drive back to the house we thought we had bid farewell to while Dad and my youngest sister wait in the airport.
The flight back to Melbourne was uneventful. As we reached Melbourne around 3 pm on 11 August and our flight to KL was only at 9 am 12 August 2010, Dad suggested that we take the shuttle bus into Melbourne City and see what the city has to offer. On paper, that was a good idea as one would be crazy to wait in the airport for a period of more than 12 hours. However, by the time we reached Melbourne City, it was already close to 5 pm and shops close latest at 6.30. We did however, managed to reach the Southern Cross Bus Terminal, had Subway at Spencer Street Mall, did a spot of shopping and took a 2 hour ride pass on their Metro trams. We returned to the airport close to 10 p.m. before sleeping the night in the airport. Apart from me who experienced sleeping a night in an airport (it was in the Dubai International Airport to catch a flight home to KL from Vienna), this experience was the first for my family members. Seeing that there were suspicious characters loitering around (they did not seem to be travellers waiting for their flights. Instead, they tended to wait by the entrance doors), we took turns to sleep as our hand luggages need to be watched. It was also an experience for my family members to have their 'sahur' with McDonalds as the next day marked the first day of fasting. Needless to say, the flight home was pretty much sleeping the hours away without the usual food.
Dad must be thinking why on earth did he agree to join us for this ride
On the way to Spencer Street Mall
Dad and me in the Melbourne tram. Gosh, that red hat is very striking but I can't resist buying it from Salamanca
Drinking her last bottle of water before imsak (Tullemarine, morning of 12 August 2010)
Fancy a flight to Beijing Sgwtghai? =p
It had been a long time since our last family trip and I definitely hope for another one in the near future. While my second sister is still in Australia, I think it will take little persuasion for my dad (and none at all for my Mom who is an avid traveller) to join us (my youngest sister and myself, both who are ready to drop everything and go) for yet another Lonnie sojourn. Perhaps we could be more ambitious the next time around and hop over to New Zealand for a couple of nights. We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Youngest sister flew back from Korea during the last few days of July and the whole family then flew to Tasmania, Australia to visit my second sister. We were in the Land Down Under for 12 days. I've planned (really!) to post an entry about this family trip weeks ago but since that was evidently unsuccessful, let's just be content with this. Anyway, we took Airasia and reached Melbourne in the early hours of 2nd August. Contrary to frightening stories we heard about Airasia's seats or Melbourne's notoriously strict customs officers, our trip was surprisingly pleasant. It was also during this flight that a Chinese lady who was seated next to me (and who I might say, enjoyed herself a bit too much in laughing at my lack of ability to inflate my neck-pillow) turned out to be my Mom's ex-colleague. As I justified to my sister during the flight, who would have known that my (unintentional) sit-down comedy would be the means that connected my Mom with her long lost friend!
The above is what two bored sisters did while waiting for their flight
The parents. I do not know why Mom's expression was like that. Perhaps she was trying to stop us from taking pictures, haha.
Once we reached Melbourne, we had barely a few hours before catching the Jetstar flight to Launceston. Everything was great (we breezed through customs while others had everything in their luggage scrutinised or in worse cases, seized) until we discovered that Melbourne Airport was experiencing problems with their luggage conveyor belts. This would repeat itself during our Melbourne-LCCT flight home. Seriously, one would expect that an international airport such as Melbourne's would be accustomed to a high number of flights and that they should always have a back-up plan if there's a glitch. People were queueing in loooonnnggg lines and while we had actually reached the front of the line, we were told to leave as our flight was 2 hours away. And when we actually came back within the stipulated time (i.e. 1 hour before our flight), the line was still long. Hence, we had no choice but to apply for special permission to go straight to the counter for bag drop or we risk missing the flight!Launceston was everything that I remembered it to be. Although a little 'kampung' for most people, my parents and I do find Launceston a similar city to Cardiff Wales. With grid-like shops that close at 5.30 p.m. sharp and a lone cinema which caters to every Lonnie resident, it was a small quaint city. And because we had rented a car for the entire period, Mom and Dad need not take the Metro buses which ply most parts of Lonnie. Now, the car was superb. In fact, our rented car was better than our own cars in Malaysia. It was a shiny grey Ford Falcon with seriously huge boot compartment. I'm not kidding. Initially, we thought the car rental company was just giving us the usual 4-door sedan and because of that, we have to make a few trips to transport our luggages. With Ford Falcon however, one trip was more than enough as we managed to stuff around 100 kgs to be brought to my sister's house!
Our (rented) car before the attack(s) of the Tasmanian birds
My sister's house is a small 2 bedroom place on Windsor Street, a stone's throw away from her campus. Except for the part that the house can get pretty cold during night time, we had nothing to complain about. Oh wait...I forgot the fact that most Tasmanian birds must have slept in front of my sister's house because come every morning, there will be reminders of their visits. I've seen birds' poo in other countries but they cannot challenge the Tasmanian birds in any way. With the Ford Falcon's grey exterior as the background, these birds somehow managed to poo-sue artistic endeavours by leaving their poo splattered all over the car. And we're not talking about miniscule poo. We're talking about big chunks of poo which were hard to remove and in some cases, even provided an insight into what the birds had for lunch!
Truth be told, we did nothing much in Lonnie. Mom and Dad were contented to be driven to the local supermarkets (I can never view Woolworths, Coles and Kmart the same away again.) almost every day. There was always something to be bought for the house or for my sisters. On my part, I learned from my second sister that the fun in getting a good chocolate deal is exhilarating! Their supermarkets would compete in giving chocolate bargains and that would leave me totally crazy! At the end of our stay, I must have purchased more than 20 kg of chocolates.
Mom and Dad waiting while we bought packets of rice with spicy beef curry. Picture was taken during our first day in Lonnie.
And that's the most frequented Brisbane Street where Wendy's on one corner and Myers on the other
Mom and Dad in front of Woolies.
Syazana having her picture in front of Lonnie's sole Korean Church
Waiting for dinner at Morty's Food Hall. This was during the second night in Lonnie.
How's this for pancake? The whip cream and bananas simply left us wanting more
Devonshire pancakes. This was Syazana's and my second trip to Morty's while the parents stayed at home
Syazana trying to show that she can enjoy both for dinner
Us and the Tasmanian version of 'Death by Chocolate'. I must say, their chocolate cake is waaaayyy richer than ours.
We tried to get the concessions for adults (the chair lift ride) but since no one else was around, the attendant gave us the family package =)
Dad's gleeful expression as they boarded the chair lift
Welcome to Cataract Gorge. I'm a little shy so I hope a side glimpse of myself will do.
Two camera-friendly wallabies going their way to welcome visitors
The parents and the lone wallaby
The walk after the wallabies
Mom about to walk on the Alexandra suspension bridge. If you can see the words, someone had altered it to 'Please do rock the bridge!'
Mom and Dad with what must be the tallest (and most humongous) tree we've ever seen. Now, if only they'll play the music so that my parents can indulge in a Hindi movie scene
Dad: This is what happens when one is married far too long. You just follow your wife!
I know they're my parents (forgive my bias) but isn't this picture just adorable? =p
Us on the Alexandra Bridge
Syazana showing us why three's a crowd
What are you looking at?!
Syazana and her many admirers
And all I got were pictures of their behinds!
On our way to Hobart, we stopped at this place called Campbell Town for a short break before reaching the Cadbury Factory.
The first picture taken in Campbell Town. It certainly was not the last for Syazana
Trying to have a conversation in front of a historic log. Well, weirder things have happened elsewhere
Okay, am seriously unsatisfied with this picture. For the record, I just happened to be standing on the lower end of the street. Honest!
It was in Cadbury Factory that I realised I died and went to heaven. There was nothing worth mentioning about the tour because watching a video on how chocolates are made just don't count! But the chocolate shop (which again, added to my collection of chocolates rather extensively) and the super delicious chocolate hot drink really made my day.
I've been to the chocolate lovers' heaven / haven!!!
The Cadbury lady showing us how they would pour the chocolate concoction into those ice-cube plates. Wanted to snap a picture of the replica of the machine but where I was seated was just not good enough
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my home away from home. The Cadbury Shop :)
Digging out the moolah
It's all mine. MINE :)
It's all mine. MINE :)
I was not satisfied with the bags of chocolates we bought so I decided to take along the life-size cadbury bar with us.
You do know I'm kidding right?
Tired with chocolate shopping (it was an arduous task, mind you), we had to enjoy cups of hot chocolate at the Cadbury Cafe
Three cups of hot chocolate ranging from mildly sweet to the super-duper really fattening drink. Not a good idea if you're watching your weight
Minutes after arriving on Mount Wellington. The car looked clean because Dad had braved the chilly weather and literally 'snow-washed' the car =p
Mom, my youngest sister and myself. There is another picture of my incorrigible sister dropping snow on my head but obviously, I won't put that picture here.
Mom and my second sister.
Syazana just could not resist the 'flying' pose. I can never figure out why.
My two sisters. I used to call them the twin terrors.
In front of what I could only describe as 'lots and lots of snow'.
Our only family picture on Mount Wellington. Took Dad a lot of persuasion to leave the heated comfort of the car.
Just to prove a point that we've reached the 'Pinnacle'.
We made the 'Mayfair Plaza Motel' our home for the next two nights in Hobart. Having stayed there, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to visit Hobart. It's close to attractions and restaurants are plenty within walking distance. The fact that McDonalds is our next door neighbour really helps too. Coles and Woolies are also nearby should there be a need to stock up on the foodstuff.
As our visit to Hobart coincided with the weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the famed Salamanca Market. Well, I could now understand its famed repute as we could get great bargains and good food for reasonable prices. I do believe our wallets were considerably lighter after visiting the market. We bought quite a variety of things, from sunnies to huskies as well as more clothes and tasmanian leatherwood honey!
Part of the long stretch of stalls that make what Salamanca Market famous. Noticed the mountain? It's Mount Wellington on a clear day.
The photographer, the model (the one with the red beret) and yes, the one who likes to pose in what he calls as the 'korean style'
Mom and me before the shopping onslaught
Syazwina trying to haggle. She ended with Henry the Bear and Syazana later bought Henry II. See below
And here's Henry II!
Henry the Bear with a beary (fairer) cousin as well as Syazana's friend (who is also considered Syazwina's twin)
Me trying to contain my 'glee' before the first bite of ferrero rocher gelato
It was coincidental that Mom was in the shadows and Dad with the 'halo' effect
It was decided that on our way back to Lonnie, we would drive to Ben Lomond for a spot of skiing. Yet, we were also pushing our luck by settling for a leisurely ride home, stopping in small villages like Sorrel (where we had our breakfast in Penny's) and Ross (dubbed the cleanest village in Tasmania!). We also opted not to take the highways and instead, opting for the unbeaten track between the Tasman and Midland Highways. It was again miles and miles of land and flocks of sheep providing the visual entertainment. We even drove to parts where we believe the 'Bogans' live and stopping for any reason was out of the question. By the time we drove up Ben Lomond, specifically Jacob's Ladder (which was quite dangerous as it required vehicles to be equipped with snow chains and we had none with us!) it was already dark. With my parents already insisting that we call it a day, we had to drive away, our hopes of skiing remained unfulfilled.
Dad and Syazwina walking on the streets of Ross village. Picture was taken by Syazana from inside our car. I have to ask this - don't you think this picture has that paparazzi-ish feeling?
We did manage to stop in Kings Meadow (another small town), had a customary visit to the local Coles before finally reaching home. Another two days were spent in Lonnie where we (finally) visited Syazwina's faculty and took a few shots around the city.
Our family picture (minus the actual student - Syazwina) in front of the only available university emblem. Kindly excuse my dad's pose, he's just displaying a bit of the matrix cum queer eye for the straight guy persona
We passed Albert Hall countless time every day we were in Lonnie. Dad said we must take pictures in front of the yellow-green building so we did.
Having seen Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, I kinda like how Lonnie's Albert Hall is very much similar
There was also a funny episode to be recorded. We had already driven ourselves to the Launceston Airport about twenty minutes from my sister's home, hauled out the luggages and was about to return the car when my Mom realised something. In her bid to ensure that nothing of our stuff got left behind, she had unwittingly brought along my second sister's winter jacket. I could understand her position as my sister's jacket is the same colour as mine and Mom must have thought that the extra jacket was mine. In the end, Mom and I had to drive back to the house we thought we had bid farewell to while Dad and my youngest sister wait in the airport.
The flight back to Melbourne was uneventful. As we reached Melbourne around 3 pm on 11 August and our flight to KL was only at 9 am 12 August 2010, Dad suggested that we take the shuttle bus into Melbourne City and see what the city has to offer. On paper, that was a good idea as one would be crazy to wait in the airport for a period of more than 12 hours. However, by the time we reached Melbourne City, it was already close to 5 pm and shops close latest at 6.30. We did however, managed to reach the Southern Cross Bus Terminal, had Subway at Spencer Street Mall, did a spot of shopping and took a 2 hour ride pass on their Metro trams. We returned to the airport close to 10 p.m. before sleeping the night in the airport. Apart from me who experienced sleeping a night in an airport (it was in the Dubai International Airport to catch a flight home to KL from Vienna), this experience was the first for my family members. Seeing that there were suspicious characters loitering around (they did not seem to be travellers waiting for their flights. Instead, they tended to wait by the entrance doors), we took turns to sleep as our hand luggages need to be watched. It was also an experience for my family members to have their 'sahur' with McDonalds as the next day marked the first day of fasting. Needless to say, the flight home was pretty much sleeping the hours away without the usual food.
Dad must be thinking why on earth did he agree to join us for this ride
On the way to Spencer Street Mall
Dad and me in the Melbourne tram. Gosh, that red hat is very striking but I can't resist buying it from Salamanca
Drinking her last bottle of water before imsak (Tullemarine, morning of 12 August 2010)
Fancy a flight to Beijing Sgwtghai? =p
It had been a long time since our last family trip and I definitely hope for another one in the near future. While my second sister is still in Australia, I think it will take little persuasion for my dad (and none at all for my Mom who is an avid traveller) to join us (my youngest sister and myself, both who are ready to drop everything and go) for yet another Lonnie sojourn. Perhaps we could be more ambitious the next time around and hop over to New Zealand for a couple of nights. We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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