Family trip to Australia from 14 May to 19 May 2015
This year, my family and I went to non-Asia country for family trip! We went Australia! Since I had been Australia for a few times, I was the designated tour guide. Mega stressed! My sis helped to book air tickets and applied for Visa, I helped to book accomodation while Alan helped to settle car rental.
13 May 2015 & 14 May 2015
At 10pm, Jianhui and I went downstairs to wait for the Mercedes Chauffeur which Alan had arranged for us. We saw a guy with a black Mercedes so we couldn't be sure if it was him. We didn't dare to approach him as it seemed to be rude to ask somebody if he's a driver. Hmm.. After waiting a while, he finally approached us and so off we went to the airport!
There was some typo errors for my mother's Visa and so we were delayed by a while. By the time, we were done, it was almost time to go to the gate to board the plane.
To our relief, it was an empty flight! I could take 3 seats and I was so comfortable lying down to sleep! I skipped snacks and supper! Before I knew it, it was already 6am+. First time the flight seemed to be so short. I had breakfast while watching a chinese variety show.
When we touched down, we went to get prepaid SIM card. It cost AUD30 for 3GB of data - way too much but it was the only prepaid SIM card available. Then, we went to get our car from Thrifty! The car looks good but unfortunately, it was super noisy!
Using my google map on iphone as a veh com, my dad drove us to Brisbane city to meet my sister's friend for lunch. It was so difficult to drive in city and find parking! We were so relieved when we finally found the parking for the shopping centre near to our destination.
We had lunch at Vapiano which they served really nice pizza and pasta.
Then we drove to Mantra Circle on Cavil! Once again, we had parked at the wrong place and we had to pay a hefty parking fee.
Anyway, the apartment was really spacious and lovely. It came with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - one bathroom even has a nice spa bath tub! Gwyneth totally loved the room! I booked this apartment as it at a good location, Surfers' Paradise with good seaview!
Then we drove to Harbourtown to shop at Factory outlet to see if we can get any good winter wear for sister as she only brought a leather jacket. Luckily, we managed to find a good buy at Espirit - Nice and cheap!
We also had dinner at Nana's Steakhouse at Harbourtown before going back to rest. Sis and I went Woolswoth to shop for fruits and bread for breakfast.
15 May 2015
Today was a happy day as we were going to Movie World! It was a short car ride to Movie World. There was already a long queue to buy tickets. We queued about half an hour before we could finally enter the theme park!
Gwyneth went for the Justice League ride and she totally loved it as she got to shoot! Haha. Then, we went for the Scooby doo ride which was thrilling and scary! Maybe I was getting old, the ride seems much scarier to me compared to 5 years ago when i came with Jianhui.
Then, we also paid AUD20 to take photos with Tweety Bird and friends! I love Sylvester! He's so cute!
We went for the 4D Rio movie show before we went to watch the Hollywood stunt drivers. The drivers were really good in drifting!
Then it's time for lunch! We had burger and fries (again!). By now, my parents were very sick of fries as they would always serve mountain full of fries to us and we could never seem to finish them.
Gwyneth really tried all rides that she could take. I tried bumper car with her and it was really fun!
By 4pm, there weren't many people at the Theme Park and so there was no queue. By 5pm, the theme park was closing. The thing about Australia was, it would really get dark by 5pm so it made you feel like it's already very late. Haha. This time round, I was so busy playing with Gwyneth that I didn't have time to buy souvenirs.
We drove back to Mantra Circle on Cavil. We put things in our room then we went to look for food!.
Dinner at Surfers' paradise
As per my dad's request, we had expensive Chinese meals for dinner. He was so happy! =p
16 May 2015
Early in the morning, we checked out and drove to Brisbane domestic airport. It was about an hour drive from Surfers' Paradise to the airport. It was quite easy to find the rental car park and so we returned the car with ease.
As Alan didn't fly with us, we only had 40kg of check in luggage. We had to adjust our luggage and hand carry some.
And so off we flew to Melbourne by Tigerair. It was a short flight to Melbourne. Melbourne domestic airport was under renovation so it was quite confusing. Luckily, I came to the airport not long ago, I could find
This time round, they gave us a really nice and big car!
According to the driver, this car was really good! Haha. We drove to Pegasus but the rooms were not ready yet. So, we had a quick lunch at Queen's Kitchen for pizza (again!).
Then it was a long 2 hours plus ride to Phillips Island for the penguins. It was already 4.30pm when we reach there so we didn't get to see the Koalas. We went straight to the Penguin Parade.
We started waiting for the penguins since 5.30pm. However, the penguins didn't come back until 6pm+. It was really cute to see the penguins coming back.
As we walked back, we got to see the penguins real close up. They were really small!
Then, it was another 2 hours ride back to Melbourne City. Along the way, we ate our dinner at KFC! =p
17 May 2015
We had our breakfast at Pie Face before we checked out to drive to Warrnambool! As Great Ocean Road was closed due to race, we decided to drive in land.
It was a 3 hours drive to Warrnambool. Along the way, we saw many many sheeps and cows (black, brown, black & white). The drive was not as scenic as Great Ocean Road though.
We had lunch at Fish & Chips at Northpoint (a shopping centre in Warrnambool). We also bought a lot of things at Coles. I simply love supermarkets in Australia. Haha. We also bought a bottle of Brown Brothers Moscato at AUD15 only!
We checked in to Quality Suites Deep Sea. It was a spacious room with 3 big beds and spa with seaview!
After settling down our things, we went to Logan Beach for whale watching. However, we had no luck so we didn't get to see any whales. What a waste!
And so, we went back to our hotel to swim! It was heated pool but it was quite cold to swim!
As for dinner, we had yummy cup noodles with magnum ice cream!
18 May 2015
We checked out at 8am to drive to the highlight of this road trip! To 12 Apostles! It's only an hour drive to 12 Apostles!
Totally in love with the blue sky which makes all photos so nice!
We also went to Loch & Gorge for some photos before we made our way back to Melbourne City.
It's another 3 hours plus drive to Melbourne City. We picked Alan up then we went back to Pegasus to check in. This time round, the rooms were ready! We got the keys and put our bags before going out for lunch.
As we were too hungry, we decided to eat Korean food which we found along the way! Lunch was not bad though I had eaten nicer Korean food in Singapore I must say.
After lunch, we went to Chinatown so that my parents could get souvernirs for his friends. Finally, he got the placenta cream! Then, we went back to Pegasus to wash up and get ready for my sis' graduation.
We left around 5.30pm which happened to by their peak hour so the traffic was really slow moving. Luckily, we managed to reach Monash campus for my sis to collect her gown by 7pm.
We got seated by 7.30pm then we waited patiently for the ceremony to start. The graduation started punctually at 8pm. This reminded me of my own graduation which seemed so long ago (10 years ago)!
I was really proud of my sister. She worked hard and got her Master degree in Early Childhood. It was definitely not easy to juggle work, studies and family at the same time. She did it! Well done, sis! I could imagine how proud my parents were of her.
The ceremony ended around 10pm and we were really hungry, so we had some bites before we made our way back to Pegasus.
19 May 2015
It was our last day at Melbourne and for once, it actually rained in Australia. It was really cold as it was windy!
After a quick breakfast in the room, we walked to Queen Victoria Market which was really near our hotel. Queen Victoria Market was really a great place for shopping for winter wear, souvenirs and nuts! I always enjoyed my time here!
As we got to check out at 11am, we went back to hotel around 10.15am to pack our luggage first. We finally checked out at 11am then we continued to shop at Queen Victoria Market.
We bought all that we need to buy then we had our lunch. We bought Chinese food at the foodcourt. It was freaking expensive but I guess my parents were just to happy to have some Chinese food.
Then, we drove to the airport which was a short 20 minutes drive. We found the car rental parking and returned the car.
It was really the end of our holidays! We were going home! Yeah!
Happy to be back home! I hope my family had enjoyed the trip as much as I was. Thanks my sister, father and Alan for being the driver for the trip. Thanks my sister for helping to book the air tickets, application for Visa and insurance. Thanks Alan for booking the car! =p And yes, thanks Jianhui for helping me to plan the itinerary and giving me tips along the way!
Though I wish I don't have to go back to work. =p
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Angeline winks
at |3:41 PM|
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Hot, Hot & Super Hot @ Danang from 8 May to 12 May 2015
If you think Singapore is hot, you should travel to Danang then you will experience another level of humidity and hotness! After my trip to Danang, I really appreciate the trees around us! They provide shade and make the weather cooler by a bit. In Danang, there aren't many trees so basically there is no shade. The moment we stepped out our hotel, we would start to perspire. Also, language is a big problem. They don't really understand English and if you show them the address in English, they probably don't understand too. Most of the time, we have to get the hotel staff to tell the taxi driver where do we wanna go. We also learnt that when you take taxi in Danang, just give them a few thousands Dong more than the usual fare, they will be happy.
8 May 2015
After waiting for so long, this is finally a trip with hubby! Things didn't start well for us as we nearly couldn't get a cab to the airport. Luckily, we finally managed to get one and happy to go to the airport. We were excited about this trip as both of us needed a break from work.
While queuing to check in our luggage, a yellow shirt guy came over to us and informed us that Vietnam Airline is checking all athletes USD600 to fly the bike to and back to Singapore! WHAT? We were super shocked as we had brought Che Che to NZ and Australia and this is the first time that we need to pay extra for bike! When it was our turn, we tried to understand from the Airline staff more about this extra charges. We tried to check if there is other flight to take but we couldn't find any cheap ones or suitable timing. In the end, we had no choice but to pay USD150. =(
We were also told that we got to collect our luggage at Ho Chi Minh airport and check in again to fly to Danang! What? Shouldn't the airlines help us to settle the luggage? Sigh.
By the time we settled everything, we didn't have much time and it was about time to board the plane.
The good thing about Vietnam Airline is, the air ticket is really cheap - SGD600 for 2 pax and there's meal provided also. But then, for us, it is super bo hua as Che Che's air tickets cost USD600 - much more than our air tickets! Haha.
When we touched down Ho Chi Minh, we went to collect our baggage immediately and rushed over to the check in counter. We met our new Singaporean friends, Dong Yang and Geraldene who shared with us that at least at this airport, they charged the cost based on weight. In the end, we only need to pay 550K Dong which is about USD25+. At least this is more reasonable. Haha.
We reached Danang about 7pm+ and we shared cab with Dong Yang and Geraldene. We stayed at Vinpearl which was just beside Hyatt as Hyatt was fully booked. We were really hungry so we were happy that we could eat dinner at Vinpearl. In fact, they provide 3 meals in a day!
Then it's time to rest (for me) while Jianhui fixed Che Che. Che Che is ready!
9 May 2015
We had breakfast at Vinpearl before we went to the race expo at Hyatt to collect race pack. The race expo was crowded with many people and I would say it looked like a grand event!
The goodie bag was really heavy with lots of bottles of drinks and they gave us a Vietnamese hat which I would have wanted to buy! Haha. We bought 2 tee shirts before we went back to our hotel.
We relaxed in our hotel and went for our lunch. By now, we were quite sick of the food at Vinpearl. Haha. But I'm happy to eat lots of fruits! After lunch, we went to Hyatt again to check in Che Che.
We waited a while for the race briefing. We met Dong Yang again at the race briefing. He came to our room after the race briefing to check out our bike box.
Today is basically a relaxing day as we needed to save energy for race tomorrow. We had our dinner at Vinpearl so we could rest early.
10 May 2015
It's race day! Jianhui at the bread we had taken from our hotel buffet last night. At the starting point, I met Firmin! He's here to race and he was staying at Hyatt. He even gave me the password for Hyatt so that I could use the athlete tracker. =p
We also met Melvin and Dong Yang. We took some photos before the guys went to the starting pen.
When Jianhui started his swim, I went to the place where they would run to the transition area. I cheered for other participants too!
Here comes Jianhui! Looking good and happy from the swim!
I ran to the transition area and saw him cycling out but he didn't notice me. As he would be out cycling for 4 hours, I went back to Vinpearl for breakfast. I had a simple breakfast before I went back to room to bathe and relax. Meanwhile, I was constantly checking the athlete tracker.
Around 11 plus, I went back to Hyatt. I saw Dong Yang coming back from his bike. It was really hot and I was almost melting. I can imagine how bad it would be for the participants.
I was really happy to see Jianhui back!
Then he went for the run.
After he went for the run, I went to a nice cafe to relax. Then Geraldene whatsapp me and told me Jianhui was with her. At the moment, I was worried about Jianhui what could have happened to him. Jianhui came to look for me at the cafe. The hot weather had taken a toll on him.
Then, we went to collect Che Che. Along they way, they gave us sandwiches, fried rice and fruits which can be out lunch. So, we went back to hotel to shower and rest. It was so hot that Jianhui was burning hot.
At night, we met up with Melvin for dinner at Babylon Steakhouse. The steak was really good. It was a good catch up session as Melvin was really funny.
We walked all the way to Cau Rong Bridge. It was supposed to blow fire or water at 8.30pm but apparently it didn't happen and we took a cab back.
(Okay, we were told by the locals the next day that the dragon will blow water and water at 9.30pm instead.)
11 May 2015
It's rest and relaxing day for us! We had breakfast and strolled at the beach.
We checked out from Vinpearl and we went to somewhere near Dong Yang's hotel for lunch! We had chicken rice which was really good! The chicken was very tasty that we ordered 2 drumsticks!
Then we went to a Brown Coffee Bean cafe. It was cosy and cooling. Nice place to relax.
About 2pm+, we went back to Vinpearl to get our luggage to check in to Hyatt! Yeah! We finally can stay at Hyatt!
When we check in our room, we know we've made the right choice to stay here! It's lovely! It's so nice that I just want to nua in the room!
We went for a swim at the pool and the sea! The waves at the sea were really massive and would push us back to the shore! It was fun! Haha. The water was quite salty though. Haha.
For dinner, we decided to go to the city to explore. But, in the end, we ended up eating at KFC and the chicken was really pathetic. Haha. Lucky we weren't too hungry. Then we went to Keys Cafe which was highly recommended by tourists. The boss was there and we chatted a long time about Vietnam and Singapore.
Then we went back to our nice hotel to rest.
12 May 2015
Jianhui woke up very early and he managed to catch the beautiful sun rise. It's so beautiful!
Then it's time for us to check out as we got to catch our flight at 11am+. We took a cab to the airport.
Yeah! We are finally going back Singapore! I seriously miss Singapore!
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Angeline winks
at |1:44 PM|
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I'm back
I'm back! After flying to Vietnam and Australia, I am finally back in Singapore! From 8 May to 19 May 2015, I had taken a total of 7 flights! Bleargh!
Home is still the best! I miss all local food!
Stay tuned for my blog for updates about my trip to Vietnam and Australia! =p
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Angeline winks
at |12:38 PM|
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