Friday, June 03, 2005
Melbourne 2005
I am back! ^^My one-week holiday in Melbourne, Australia, was splendid! I would love to go there again, or perhaps, consider taking graduate studies at Melbourne University. That all depends, of course. Well, I guess I will start blogging about my trip, and I should probably start from the moment we stepped into KLIA ...
We took the night flight. If my mum had told my dad the exact departure time, we would have missed the flight to Melbourne. You see, my dad sold the car to my cousin, Desmond. That evening, dad decided to take the car to him after which, Desmond can test-drive the car as he sends us to the airport. Five minutes after we entered KLIA, my dad realized that he left his camera and video-cam bag in the car. Desmond managed to make a turn back to return it. We got the bag, proceeded to the check-in counter and queued. However, as we got to the end of the line, my mum realized that there was one luggage missing ...
Naturally, my cousin had to turn back to pick my mum up and send her home to get the luggage. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 9.15 p.m. but without mum's "white lie" (she told us that it was departing at 8.30 p.m.), we would have missed the flight. Interesting scene, eh? It was scary because my dad was angry and he blamed us for not getting everything ready properly. Oh well :P
We arrived at Melbourne airport at 6.45 a.m.. By the time we got the rented car out on the road, it was already 7.30 a.m.. Our plan was to head straight to Warnambool, Victoria. Since we were quite hungry and dad was tired of driving, we stopped by at the next big city - Geelong, Victoria. There, we ate breakfast and spent about an hour at the National Wool Museum.
-National Wool Museum, Geelong-
It was a great experience. We learnt lots from this visit to the wool musuem; from the type of sheeps to the machinery used to make woolen clothes, carpets and socks. A friendly guide explained to us how the wool industry came about, and how some of the machines work. At the end of the brief tour, my sister and I each got a sample of stockings from him :)
Without further delay, we continued or journey to Warnambool. Guiding dad with the map is not an easy task but without our help, dad would not have been able to drive around. Fortunately, they have very organized road systems (unlike Malaysia *ahem*). I considered it a big bonus in this trip! ^^
First, we went to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warnambool. We were a little late to tour the village but we bought tickets to see the sound & laser show at night. After that, we went to the whale watching bay. No whales were in sight but the scenery was breathtaking. To my surprise, the sea was very rough and the wind was strong. It was chilly!
I must say, the sound & laser show was not very fantastic. It was just some true story about a shipwreck. The laser show was ... I would grade it 3 out of 10. They can do better than that :P
The next morning, we went back to the Flagstaff Hill Village. Every scenic place in Australia is beautiful. It is definitely a perfect get-away for nature-loving tourists!
We continued our journey along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay. It was quite a boring drive for my dad but we did see a lot of farms, cows, horses and sheeps! Very beautiful indeed. At Apollo Bay, we stopped by the Bay of Islands. Then, we went to see the 12 Apostles. We could only see five distinct ones but we were informed that the others were somewhat hidden. Still, it was a great view.
-The 12 Apostles-
-Bay of Islands-
We also went to see a majestic lighthouse.
-The Lighthouse-
We spent a night at Apollo Bay and drove up to Melbourne city the next day. We were at the city for about four days. There was shopping, visits to my aunt margaret's place, and a half-day of golf for my dad (very important to him, you see) ...
-Spencer Station, Melbourne City-
It is interesting to know that, besides buses and taxis, public transport in Melbourne city does not run on underground rapid trains. Instead, they use trams. And these trams can take you pretty far into the suburbs! I do envy the public transportation systems in Australia. Very organized, well-planned, and convenient. I would say far better than my place in Canada.
Also, they are very strict about drinking and driving. There was a random test on the freeway and our car got pulled over. It was my dad's first time using the breathalizer, haha! You cannot drive even if you had a sip of alcohol. Not even a sip.
We did take a tram to Melbourne Zoo. It has been more than 8 years since I last went to the zoo. I was very excited to see the animals. I wanted to see the kangaroos so badly, haha! However, the kangaroos at the zoo were lazy asses. They just sat and lazed around, and stared at the people who came to visit them. I guess they are changed by the nature of their habitat. At the zoo, you get fed! So why move around and hunt for food? Bunch of lazy roos!
-The Emu, Melbourne Zoo-
We were suppoze to go to Ballarat to see the gold mines, but dad decided that it was not worth the trip. Instead, we went to the Yarra Ranges where the vineyards and winery cottages are. It was ... beautiful. I bet it would be even prettier in the summer when the grapevines are in growth!
-At the carpark. Domaine Chandon, Yarra Valley-
-Domaine Chandon, Yarra Valley-
-The lake-
-The vines, Domaine Chandon Vineyard-
We also went to the Heathesville Animal Sanctuary. Unfortunately, my camera was out of battery, and so I do not have any pictures from this lovely place. We paid a little more than the entrance fee to the zoo but it was definitely worth it. I touched a koala bear! And the kangaroos there were so close to us! Maybe just 10-20 feet away from us!! It was fun. I was happy to be in close contact with these animals, especially the kangaroos!
On our last day in Melbourne, we woke up early to check out of the hotel. We decided to stop by the Royal Botanical Gardens before heading to the airport. Again, it was beautiful :P What more can I say?
-Mum & Dad. Queen Victoria's Park-
-Royal Botanical Gardens-
-Royal Botanical Gardens-
That's it! Now, I that I am back home with nothing much to do ... I need to look for a part-time job!!! T_T
about me
Home: KL, Malaysia
School: U of A
I am someone who frets a lot - I call it a psychological disorder. I am constantly trying to escape my complex mind which, very often, drives me and my close companions to the edge of insanity. Born under the sun star Libra, I am greatly affected by a disease called "indecisiveness". Nicknames were never part of my dictionary until I met some people who decided to name me "turtle". Soon, I was representing a zoo of hamsters, "sotongs", pigs, cats, etc...
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