journey to the..(day 3)

Journey to the Great Ocean Road (Day 3)

encountered in the afternoon. We quickly rushed out of our comfy quarters to catch the rest of the sights along the great ocean road at port campbell before doing a detour back to the town ofthe third day began again, this time with a much clearer sky than the darkly speckled one we Geelong via the inland route which definitely was the smarter choice giving its shorter length and less windy paths.
the picture above shows the path leading to gibson's steps which offers a scenic route down to the beach where the contrast between the high cliffs and the floating apostles are more evident. A path highly recommended by my brother's friend. Pity its close this season, probably due to the strong tides...

so there you have it, the infamous london bridge which was nothing more than an arch disconnected from the mainland. Still the rugged coastline and the fierce waves made an awesome spectacle even for a weary traveller a little sick of facing the same coast for the past few days...
Following our final viewings, we bid a final farewell to the rugged coast and headed down along the inland highway to the town of colac to have our mini picnic before continuing our journey down to geelong for proper lunch!

my mini snack! kit kat chunky..cookie dough style!!! i'm going to try the strawberry chocolate version next! tee hee..
the view from our picnic spot off the red cliffs. Apparently this place is sitting on top a volcanic plain giving rise to the formation of lakes in the region! COOL!
our proper lunch before heading onwards to queenscliffe to catch the passenger/ferry to sorrento (morington peninsula) where the great round about journey continues (in fact most people find our travel plans rather amusing considering the fact that we manage to compress a few day trips all into one!)
a few pictures taken at the pier at geelong. the weather was perfect.. blue skies, sun up high above head and slightly chilly gusts of wind.. a total change from the weather we had been experiencing the last few days..
and finally, the day ended off with a boat ride on the car/passenger ferry bound for sorrento on the morington peninsula. After finding accomodation for the night, we settled in for a night of dvd and crappy gossips shows on the tv and tried to catch some sleep for the ventures of the next day...

meanwhile! here's a shoutout to babe! i'm so glad i changed the flight! can't wait to see you in sydney soon! *muackz*

great ocean road2

Journey to the Great Ocean Road (Part 2)

and so the story continues with our next stop at cape otway to see the famous light house (AGAIN?!) This would have been just another light house till we caught the video at the information center then did we realise the historical importance of the place and its role in past migration activities from Europe to Australia. Was a real eye-opener for the 3 of us. By the way, there is an admission fee to this place that allows access to the lighthouse keepers quarters, the radar base as well as the lighthouse. A must go i say as it offers some spectacular views from the top of the tower. Hold on to you hats of course, its soo windy up there that walking about is a hazard!

did i mention that the devonshire tea (Scones, jam and cream) served there are especially impeccable. Sitting at the window sipping on a big mug of hot chocolate and chewing on some lovely scones made the miserable weather just so much better. Soon we were ready to battle the storms out there once more. Recharged!Next up, we heading deep into the national park.. from the powerful oceans to the foggy forests insets. The fresh air and deep green settings put us in a mood for some trekking. And hence we set out to look for triplet falls within the park premises. Told to be one of the more spectacular falls ard.

and sure enough, it did not fail. Scenary from the trails of the cascading flow was beautiful on and off the camera.

and as you guys know, since winters in aussie are pretty short. lasting till about 5pm each day, we had to rush to our next destination to catch the awesome views in slight disparity of sunlight. Fortunately we made it.. with little daylight to spare of course. Behold, the 12 Apostles nestled in Port Campbell. JUst as i've seen from all the pictures. They were beautiful. works of art done by God, shaping his hands (the waves) and moulding pure rock into figures of beauty and stature. For now we'll just let the pictures do the talking...

the razorback, another spectacular creation of God.

and finally, to end of this post, a lovely photo showing wild flowers rolling in the ferocious winds as the sun sets over the horizon. This marked a very comforting scene for me, one that shows that with every beginning, there must be an end, and with that, may still encompass beauty and brilliance in a way that may not be comprehendable by all. But if you look carefully, this beauty is one that can and must be appreciated as it lasts. A beautiful ending to mark the end of our second day of journey...

the tired crusaders lay to rest the night...

[to be continued]

the great ocean road

Journey to The Great Ocean Road (Day 1)

literally as how my cousin Trevor puts it. The past few days have been part of a crazy ass trip to the great ocean road all the way to the port campbell into a circle thru the town of Colac and back thru the queenscliffe linking up to morington peninsula and back to Melbourne. As long as this trip sounds, i shall spare you all the agony of long literary details and provide you with graphics instead! Apparently I'm having some sort of mental block now. Must be the meticulous droning of the guitar nearby, courtesy of my brother who just confessed that he is tone deaf. Good grief...

that's breakfast before we headed on the freeway. Poached eggs on toast?! heavenly.. just wish i could find eggs done this way in Singapore. Or perhaps I shld set up a cafe called poached eggs. hehe. I'm sure all the australians will be flocking there.
after breakie, we headed down to eurocar to collect our precious. they gave us a white car?!?! hmph.. possibly to ease the task of spotting the scratches in the end. *bleah*.. but still it was pretty spacious for the 3 of us.
Okay, so in our 4 days trip, no mishaps happened. Like some sort of miracle or something... haha. the rainbow at the start of the trip as we hit the coast line marked the beginning of an exciting journey for the 3 of us (all of us happen to be middle childs. haha..just a pattern i noted)

Trevor posing with the great ocean road coast line. It was cold, cold cold and the strong chilly winds didn't help much either. Freezing our pants off and holding on to our items as we trudged out was a novelty at first for the 3 of us, but towards the end of the trip, we shunned the strong blowing winds. our first stop! Split point lighthouse on Airey's inlet. The light house was gorgeous, a quiet spot on the hills which looked perfect for cuddling with a loved one. i miss you babe..

the bright skies and etherally blue clouds were gorgeous..

what did i tell you, rugged coasts, blue skies, the warm sunrays spilling on your back. We just stood there stunned by the silent yet fierce beauty of our surroundings. as we ventured furtherdown, we reached the town of Lorne.. from there after a quick trip to the information center and a mobile lunch. Bread and jam again!!? (MUAHAH) Well, just to note, food here in australia is reallie reallie expensive. Each meal averaging 10 aud at least! thats around 13 sing...EXPENSIVE! so... jam and bread! the way to go!view from teddy's lookout... and us looking out into nothingness...

a photo taken as the sun rays spread over the dark droping hills... an inspirational sight for all of us.

and finally settling in for the night at our first accomodation site at Apollo Bay. A very quiet and lonely spot along the highway. I reckon its just the winter, everyone seems to be migrating to the north to catch some sun... crazy chinese!!! But still, it provides us with cheap rates. A double room meant for 4 people spread over 2 levels! how great is that? fully equipped with a kitchen, microwave, toaster and everything! wow.. if only i got to stay there a few more days. But folks, we all know the show goes on..

Stay tuned!

letter of consent

Letter of Consent

Its the second day. I woke up with a strange feeling in my gut today. Where was I? took me a while to realise that my foreign presence in australia was true and not a dream.

After a hard-knocking time getting my kor out of bed this morning, we proceeded to fetch Trevor from spencer street before meeting Cheryl at melbourne central. To make things short, life in melbourne was pretty much about walking in circles since Melbourne city was built in a rather angular and circular fashion. We made our way to lygon street, the acclaimed and well proven Italian street of Melbourne City. Paving the way were rows and rows of italian eateries, pizzas, pastas and gelatio shops what not. Most irritatingly, there were students everywhere. Like some sort of infestation. I wonder whether australian kids here get a pocket full of allowance daily. Fancy eating side by side with them at an italian eatery that was not too shabby.

okay, so here's the consolidated plan that we've drawn up so far. all we need is some sort of consent from my mum and dad. Hence the title (if you notice). Firstly, the three of us cheryl, Trevor and I plan to rent a car. Take a drive down the great ocean road... most likely we'll spend a night out at port campbell or apollo bay as we intend to make several stops along the scenic route just to trek a little and visit the many sightings along the way. Our great ocean road tour would most probably end at port campbell where we then head back to queenscliffe and take a ferry/ passenger cruise over to morington peninsula. PLay a little over there. Stay the night or maybe 2. then head back to Melbourne city. Of course, we wouldn't miss having devonshire tea, scones and cream at dandenong on our way back! Woots. Its going to be so much fun. So what's your say mum and dad?

Okay.. here's a little something for you guys then since you all are most probably bored to tears with all my written nonsense. Photos!!!

Sunrise from the porch along drummond street

desserts from yesterday. Sticky date pudding and toblerone cheesecake. the former was good and the latter.. a moussey disappointment despite its larger than life size.Lunch along Lygon street Papa Gino! they offer good value for money pizzas and pastas! (note: please steer clear of the meat lovers pizza there though. a little too much on the sweet side due to the added bbq sauce)

desserts! the cake counter was to die for and all the cakes on display looked superb!

After having the toughest time choosing, we decided upon the pistachio and almond torte as well as the nutella ricotta cheesecake. Both were as good as they looked.. Wish i could get such cakes in singapore.

A classical shot of the fed-ex delivery man. First he delivers pizza to the rural beaches of malaysia. Now he even does it to the city of Melbourne!

Okay. done! I know its a little stingy in the photos department but it will have to do. Especially since i've been so incredibly lazy about taking photos. Pardon me folks... Stay tuned though. Promise I wouldn't leave this blog untouched for the time being. So for the last picture before i sign off. Here's the Skyline taken from the Yarra River... gosh nothing else to say. Brain shutting down pretty quickly.... *bewww..*

touch down!

Touch Down!

okay, so I admit it wasn't the smoothest ride i ever had. Felt nauseous and really sick from the whole ride. The process of meditating, silent prayer and deep breathing was slow and ardous work; it lasted the entire 6 and a half hours of the way. Thinking of you did help to. Your touch, you gentle smile and your warm hugs...

Took a walk around the city alone on a cold monday's morning. It was strange, yet enlightening. Seeing the people grabbing their daily dose of caffeine. The rugged smell of coffee waffing from every street corner. I was tempted, yet my feet refused to stop; by the whole morning, i had covered almost the entire perimeter of the city centre.

Then i stopped to rest, grabbing rest in the lodge's main hall area on one of the lonely matresses. It was cold.. very cold. But my tiredness proved to overpowering, luring me into deep slumber within minutes. I woke up to a warm cup of coffee, engaged in small talk with the people of the lodge. Friendly chaps they are... very hospitable too!

The rest of the day dragged on. Accompanied my Brother on some routine affairs and did a little trip planinng with Cheryl.

The rest of the days here look exciting. I say this with wat seems the least enthusiasm in my voice. Perhaps tommorrow will be a better day. Perhaps I'm just a little too tired. Perhaps I miss him too much. Silly girl i am.

before i leave

Before I leave...

Just for you a guys, that's how i looked like with my drug allergies. I swore my face was on fire and I had to endure the burning sensation of a thousand ants nipping around my eyes. Trust me, my eyes were so swollen and my face puffy that it was even hard peering at the world thru those tiny slits. Thanks Dear for standing by me whilst i looked like a living freak. Your presence comforts me.

It is also my fortune that I've gotten to know about the drug allergy now rather than whilst some medication adminstration during an operational procedure. Then I would run the risk of cardiac arrest which would only lead to some fatal effects; especially with my asthmatic history. Thank you Lord.

Some other random photos taken during the day, we went to sunset to get our hair cut. No, not me.. Just the two brothers. Weiquan a no. 4 and Kor a no. 1. Now i totally understand the lingo yar! Perhaps one day i'll get my locks chopped off as well. Certainly must feel liberated to have all your hair shaved away. Just a notion people... no intentions yet. hehe.

My brother is enlisting tommorrow by the way. Must be a pretty nerve wrecking experience for him and my mum. But I'm just laid back and chilled. It can't be that bad yar. Especially if he's just in the administration line? MOreover, I'm heading to Australia tommorrow. No point worrying now do I? *sniggers*

We settled for a nice take out dinner provided by the lovely sisters Mum and Er-yi. Sushi and Sashimi courtesy of Daddy. All was good apart from the gargatuan portions offered at the table and the weird fusion of cusines that somehow didn't go down so well for me. One moment you're slapping a piece of salmon belly in the soy sauce, the next, reaching out for piece of that crispy wedges across the table then you are gobbling down a slice of hard crusted bread slathered generously with blue cheese? Ain't it all a little strange?

Still, the spread was not one to be missed...

Last but not least. the last order before my long absence from the baking frontier. De bijou de la nuit ( a.k.a jewel of the night); a lovely request from my customer for fathers day. Caramelised bananas sandwiched between rum soaked chocolate sponge covered by the glossiest bittersweet glaze with a wall of decorative sponge and crowned with a bundle of strawberry kisses.

So whilst i ponder about the long list of things I have to fulfill by tommorrow, I wish everybody out there a pleasant night filled with nothing but the sweetest dreams...

Till we meet again...