a few days of love
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travelling
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so yes, i did managed to change my internal flight to an earlier date just so to meet up with Zhiheng and friends during his stay in Sydney ( at a price of course!), but still i attribute it to God's grace. During which, i spent the best 4 days together with Babe. Though we were surrounded by company all the time, most of the time, it just felt like the world that revolved on a non-stop basis had the courtesy to slow down its pace for awhile just so that we could mingle in each others company for longer.
Together with his best friend Kengyang(who most generously put us up at his house at Randwick; many many thanks!), Tom (Babe's travelling partner) and Robin (the roommate); we took off on a crazy journey! imagine setting off on a roadtrip at 5 am in the morning only to arrive back at 9pm? the trip plan, Sydney up north to Port Stephen and then cross over west to Hunter Valley in time for wine tasting! AMBITIOUS!.. but still, nothing wets the sprits of these young boys... did i mention that we trekked up a crazy ass sanddune that resembled a ski slope?!?!
After a quick stop over at the town of newcastle for breakfast and my lifesaving coffee, we took a walk up to nobbies point at the end of town. In view of this, i was terribly in love with sydney all of a sudden. Think blue cloudless skies, the bright sunrays warming the skin in contrast to the gloomy conditions over in Melbourne. That leave little to be contested for. Furthermore the beach was a scene of serene perfection with pure white sand-dunes stretching far and wide...
It was utter bliss just walking hand in hand with him down the beach. With no eyes staring down our backs, no restrictions, no parents, and the whole entire world before our eyes...
Soon after we made our move from the area in a furious bid to stick to the schedule, we arrived at port stephen. Made a quick stop over at the visitors centre for more information before embarking on several small expeditions. the first one took us over a long distance over the white sand beaches. And i must say, it got reallie exhausted just trudging down the beaches. Especially at the pace of the eager group of guys who cldn't care less of a girls existance. at some points, i was perpetually running just to keep up the pace. *phew*.. good workout nonetheless.
The beach was beautiful, in an immense sort of way, the beach stretched out to a far point where a narrow spit connected the mainland to a nearby island that allowed for exclusive views to whales residing near the coast. Unfortunately once we were done covering the distance, the spit had disappearaed underneath the fercious currents. Stupid high-tide!
The guys again came up with an ingenious way to avoid walking the sandy beaches and decided to head up the sand hill instead and pray that we hit the connecting road outside. madness once again. the fine sand made it such a chore to walk thru. walk 3 steps and slide back 1. woah.. i was perspiring by the end of it all. and even after getting out of the wreck, we ended up having to bash thru the forests to find the track. Woah.. what do you expect from 2 army regulars. *bah*
The next part of the day was spent at Hunter Valley, a 1 1/2 hour drive across from Port Stephen.
In case you guys are not aware, Hunter Valley is a very famous wine county in Australia. Home to many famous australian wineries, the weather conditions as well good soil conditions contribute to the success of the many wineries. Winter was perfect for wine tasting and i was ecstatic to be able to do so since it was a far more interesting experience being able to hear the descriptions, see the actual vineyard and then taste the wine.
Did i mention that the landscape was beautiful.. lush meadows with rows and rows of vines lining the gentle hills. It was awe-inspiring in a way.
Rosemount estate! *woots*... having actually purchased and drank wine hailing from this winery before, i was even more game on trying their produces. Then again, it was obvious that i would take a liking to the fruitier whites and sweeter dessert wines. like DUH! i'm a girl after all yar.
Best buy: 'O' from Rosemount estate. Crystal clear and producing sharp notes of fruitiness. It left a tingling sensation on my palette as it slid down my throat. OUTSTANDING! just released in 2008, i got to have the first hand at this one!!! *smiles contentedly to herself*
preceeding all the wine tasting and cheese tasting at a few wineries, we decided to call it a day since the night was approaching fast. Sunset over the wine county was again a grand spectacle with romantic colors, crimson, violet and lavendar splashed across the sky..
One blessed day had come to past. I frowned at the thought of the approaching seperation date. He pulls me close with a hug that encompasses assurance, comfort and love. I smiled, took a deep breath and basked in the glory of the setting sun; all the worrying thoughts gone with the wind.
BYe BYe Melbourne
Labels:
food,
travelling
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So the last days in the city were spent touring the backalleys and familiarising myself with the streets of Melbourne. To the extent that it was becoming like a home to me. We walked down the South Bank along the Yarra river at night. Enjoying the beautiful sky-line of the city.
Indulged in the coffee culture to the max. Stopping by for a cuppa whenever needed... what else but grab a sweet strawberry eclair or passionfruit tart from that chic patesserie?
Walking around the Queen Victoria Market and spotting the best buys. Eating one of the best bratwurst sausages i've ever tasted...
Enjoying cool jazz in the backalleys of Melbourne on Benett Lane. A jazz club featuring talented artists every night. Singapore should bank on this culture as well... the music is really good!
Revisiting the same Gelato shop twice in 3 days just to taste all the flavors. the Rocher flavor is to die for...
Now, we bid farewell to Melbourne... BUt the journey doesn't stop here...
Sydney! HERE I COME!!! be meeting Babe and friends in a while.. can't wait...
Grampians
Labels:
travelling
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finally, a much awaited post. On my part that is.. to be honest, I was stunned by the views offered by my great surrounding. And the feeling of being little again was immenient as i glanced out from the toweing cliffs into the flat plains below. Though the Grampians stood zero to a hundred in comparison with the spectacular sights that i had indulged in while i was younger. It was still a good chance for me to recollect on my thoughts and immerse myself in nature in the meanwhile. Finally, after a long while of being in Australia. I finally felt like i belong...
Its unexplanable... the rush that you derieve waking up in the morning to drive up the shadowed mountain tracks to the summit to view sunrise. The skin pinching cold gales didn't help the process. But still the inch of warmth derived from the approaching sun certainly did help to warm our hearts.
And as the day went by, we engaged in long hikes over rough terrains showered with gargantuan rock formations and dangerous cliffs. Finally a bit of sweat leaks out afte staying in the cold for two weeks.. it felt good... I can hardly imagine a life without perspiring in the cold for more than a month. Think I would probably suffer from depression in the end. 
aftera while, or what seemed like eternity especially if you dread the feeling of cold limbs while sweat drips down your back.. we finally came to the 'silent street', a path formed between narrow gorges with towering rock formations on both sides forming walls.
I loved the entire layout of the background.. with tall toweing boulders of rock on both sides and a thin narrow passage leading through. It reminded me of Lord of the Rings where Frodo and Sam ventured to Mordor. hehe.
finally after 3km of battling upslope.. we reach the pinnacle!!! a steep drop offering views of the low lying plain below. Now.. the view on top was superb. Awe-inspiring in fact.. the strong winds kind of made it treacharous in a way as it attempted to blow us of the cliffs. We held our ground (and coats) of course and lived...
the guys doing stupid things as usual...
mackenzie falls where we trekked to for lunch break!
Lunch under the tree with a great view of the falls to boot. Whats for lunch? Bread, canned tuna, jam, bananas and chocolates!!!Guess what? we left our ham, milk and cream cheese all back at our previous night's accomdation. Talk about being forgetful... must have been my bad influence...
The view from the other lookout point. We sat here and basked in the mid-day sun and pondered many life issues. It certainly was the perfect moment to ponder and reflect.HOw i wish the sun didn't have to set so early.
The Jaws of Death as i would call it. Can't reallie recall the real name of this rock formation as it is. BUt then again.. it was nthing much. Just a rock formation resembling the jaws of a dragon protruding over the valley. Guess I'm a hard woman to please. hehe.
Still i must admit that the Grampians were indeed a worthwhile trip despite its further distance from Melbourne City (roughly a 4 hours drive at 110km/h). Guess this destination is worth the extra mile for any person in Melbourne. A place so out of this world where one can immerse in the beauty of nature...Dandenongs
Labels:
desserts,
food,
travelling
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So what's a trip to Melbourne without savouring some of its well-known scones in the Dandenong ranges? Okay.. so it might be a pretty far drive from the city just for the tasting. But trust me, its laid back ambience is worth the road trip.
So we headed on down to the dandenongs at mid-day hoping to catch Miss Marples in her less busy hours...
After about an hour drive up the mountains and braving the chilly winds, we entered the shop. It was warm, cosy and incredibly endearing. I was taken to the whole rose wall paper look and the quaint tea pots and china plates they served their food in. This ambience was perfect for any weather rain or shine...
We ordered two sets of Devonshire tea. 4 scones completed with a free flow of cream an homemade raspberry jam. Also a waffle set (two waffles with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, fresh cream and mixed berry compote)
and lastly, a chocolate pecan cake. For drinks, we had their in house special yorkshire tea, earl grey and lady earl grey. I tended to the last the most, with a bit
more extravagence over the usual earl grey..The 5 of us had an incredible time cleaning out the plates. The portions were big and the servings rich. Still.. it was bliss till the max...
Every inch of the table was occupied, either by tea pots, cups or cups of cream and jam. It was an incredibly majestic spread.
Despite the whole hype about the scones from Miss Marples, I felt that they were just mediocre. Possibly a slide in quality due to the huge publicity. Still, i would pay for the ambience and the teas they serve up at the resturant.
After that whole sweet indulgence, Trevor was still hungry for more...
Hence we headed up the mountain a bit more till we reached Pies in the Sky! A shop featuring award winning pies! YUM! now we all need a little savoury for lunch don't we?
I had the rather rare thai green curry chicken pie which was stunning! while the rest had the usual burgundy beef.. and steak and guiness pies and what not.. BORING! but they were still good nonetheless!
bet you're just sitting there drooling at the incredible foods featured... hehe. *evil laughter*..
Hence we headed up the mountain a bit more till we reached Pies in the Sky! A shop featuring award winning pies! YUM! now we all need a little savoury for lunch don't we?
I had the rather rare thai green curry chicken pie which was stunning! while the rest had the usual burgundy beef.. and steak and guiness pies and what not.. BORING! but they were still good nonetheless!
bet you're just sitting there drooling at the incredible foods featured... hehe. *evil laughter*..Next up will be more on the trip up to the Grampians! Beautiful mountains ranges and magnificant rock formations... so pls keep reading on and dropping your comments! Will be great to hear from your guys. Kind of feeling like no one reads my blog anymore. haha.oh well..
great ocean road part4
Labels:
food,
travelling
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so with this post, we mark the final day of our trip around the Great Ocean Road thru to Queenscliffe then to Morington peninsula and back to Melbourne. the three "Maria's" as my Kor calls us decided to save on a nights accomodation and head back to the city to catch some rest before heading back down to Dandenongs for their famous scones. Moreover the more the merrier since Kor and friend were interested to join us on the trip.
on our final day, we decided to check out the wetlands and maze at Morington Peninsula. wow.. mazes made of tall hedges. Kinda reminds me of a scene out of Harry Potter...
hmph, i got to the middle the fastest! Woots.. and was joined by this Korean Family whom i helped take a photo for. Recieved a playful slap from the youngest son. hmph.. brings me to realisation that kids now a days are indeed a little more violent than in the past. Tsk tsk..
Besides the mazes and the wetlands, there were the giant boardgames like puzzles and a lifesize chess board. we had plenty of fun playing those as well as figuring out those mindboggling puzzles. Made us feel a little stupid at points of time though... Can't believe we failed to figure out that number puzzle?!?!
the giant 'connect-four' game... my favourite game for some reasons...hehafter that. we went up to the highest point of morington peninsula arthurs seat to catch some of the sights of the bay. Evidently this was a region for the well-to-do people.. big houses with lavish drive ways line the coastline. Beautiful... Unfortunately, the rain clouds came in and shaded the entire sky. Pity though that we were unable to capture the view.
so we figured out it was time for food! lunch was at a sandwich bar... roast beef with gravy sandwich. Ultimate satisfaction.. and did i mention that beef here in australia is indeed top notch! soft and tender.. uber yummy.
then we took a walk around the town and found colorful beach houses on the sand. wow.. i can already imagine this place bustling with activity in summer...
our last stop of the day was the wildlife reservation where our two noobs get their first sighting of the koala bear! i mean like duh! since its trevor's first time here in australia. But Cheryl?!?! shame on you... hehe.
the wallabies and kangaroos were pretty friendly. prancing around the reserve.. teasing us for our food pellets that we got upon entry.
Trevor getting a taste of rejection.. *ouch*
Alright, since its a miracle that anyway be hanging on to the last word of this post. I shall jus stretch my luck a little..
next up: delicious scones and devonshire tea at Dandenongs. Stay tuned to drool...
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