A trip to Clayton

Went to Clayton with Juls to visit Jun Jie and Chon Jin at their campus.

Now I know what it truly feels like to be in such beautiful and big campus!

A small lake (and fountain but switched off that day)

The modern cafetaria, with a wide array of GOOD food! Seriously, I had a scrumptious Japanese lunch for a resonable price!

Souvenir shop in UNI??!!!

Trees, lakes, gardens, pathways... makes Melbourne Uni feel like a shop lot. hahahaha The Monash campus even have its own recreational park!!! And a lot of space to move around =D

Recreational park!!!!

The campus is filled with state-of-the-art buildings with very futuristic interiors, the facilities are fantastic, and the fact that it's surrounded by nature gives it a very comfortable feeling.


Thanks to Jun Jie and Chon Jin for being the tour guide! Taking us all around the campus: gym, library, Campus Centre etc, eh we didn't get to go to the museum and the fossil exhibition in uni?

We then walked over to Chon Jin's apartment, luxurious-nya! There we were served with iced lemonade and chatted for around 1 hour plus? heheh, thanks for the hospitality!

In his bedroom, tired people (host on the floor, guest on the bed!!! )

Us with some toys!

XD

Around 5-ish, JJ, Jul and I left and bid a very sleepy Chon Jin goodbye!

I guess, minus the long/tiring trip (esp back home) and the rainny chilly weather, this has been a great trip to Clayton! A very beautiful suburb, but they reckon it's too boring as compared to the city. haha



Thanks JJ and CJ for the wonderful tour! =D

Great Ocean Road

A road trip, 7 girl friends and a bus.

Pardon the absence of human in any of the following from my collection of scarce pictures. With friends' to-die-for cameras snapping away all around me, mine would do a little justice on those breathtaking picturesque sights.

The Twelve Apostles (Eight left)

Loch Arch Gorge

Razorback

Country view along the way

A lagoon where 2 survivors, Tom and Eva, of a disastrous shipwreck in 1878, were washed up the shore.
(but not of a romantic ending like in the Titanic haha)

and where the waves soaked my socks, shoes and jeans with the sandy water of Loch Arch..
(not necessarily in an intended way)


Upcoming: More pictures (like way more) in facebook !

Bumpy and wining ride there, turning our stomachs outside down and made us green and nauseous when we stopped for lunch. But it all proved worthy for the pinnacle of the 12-hours road trip - The Twelve Apostles, Loch Arch Gorge and the London Bridge.

The weather was wild - gale force winds with occasional hails (ouch!). But the scenery were nonetheless breathtaking and amazingly calming (amidst those damaging winds - to our hairs that is). Places that just make you feel unwilling to leave, places that you vow to come again, perhaps not in the near future, but definitely one more time in life with loved ones.. to once again take in these world wonders, to feel the tranquil within, to witness the waves rushing up the apostles, creating white clouds of violent splashes. And also to acknowledge the mighty forces of nature - those bringing upon the collapses of these structures, which had stood majestically for centuries.

Who knows when these remaining apostles would eventually submit to natural forces, at the current erosion rate of 2cm/year? Who knows, perhaps at the point when we were enjoying the view, other small rocks and earth were actually forming, working their way to establishing apostles of their own, capable of living up to their precedents' recognition, centuries later?

This trip has been truly enlivened with the company of 6 friends (Jia Yen, Pei Wen, Juls, Mel, Andrea and Gloria), home-made sandwiches, snacks, while overlooking the simple yet soothing country view along the 9 hours bus ride.
And a light-hearted chat over dinner after our arrival back to the city.


After-thoughts:
A rewarding adventure seeking the truth nature could offer.

Back from adventure!

Nah, nothing like Indiana Jone's, just my version of adventure!

Packing, dragging luggages to bus and train stations, hailing a taxi, walking around with a map, imagining, making new friends (Manny (Philiphines) and Susu Angene (New Zealand) during my 11-hours train rides @.@)..


Trying out new food, strolling along the beach, getting in tune with nature (with animals at a distance), fresh air, imaginations..


Paddy's Market

Intro to the Almighty Pines!

Sydney skylines in the evening
Sydney harbor from Milson's Point at night




Sydney Opera House
Angle from the ferry
Interesting flowers in the Royal Botanical Garden


Aborigines at work? Lightening the atmosphere too!
Joined him the second day.
Manly Habour, whee~
Baked lobster, yums!

Simply my favorites, meet Gorgeous Coniferous!
Bidding them goodbye on ferry, they got further and further and... T.T





Ahh~~

Travelling is all about exploring, relaxing, sight-seeing, eating, city-hopping and of course, jakun-ing!



"Wah, this is how you pay tips huh!"

*blank stares from mum*



Visited Darling Harbor, Sydney Opera House, King Cross (red light district @.@), Circular Quay, Manly Beach..

And I've made my trip to the Anzac War Memorial and the Reflection Pool! Yes!
*ticks off wish list*


Anyway, what's most immeasurable was the time spent with mum, since the nature of her work has always been 24-7. Felt so long since we last talked all night, on a night ferry, overlooking the magnificent night view of Sydney harbor...


Career, life-long motivations, family, future, marriage (hmm, rare) and priceless insights.. Things I never knew..


And shockingly,


"Find a bf la~"
"Pang sai also boh eng" - my best defense

"Yao mou?"




Ahhh~~~~~~the wonders of traveling, how carefree!

Thanks mum for the memorable albeit short trip!

Just 2 pictures with mum (others contain only me - 'cause mum says age's catching up), in Sydney harbor.



*back to reality*


-unpack and do laundry
-no more eating out
-start cramming law T.T (Jia Yen, help!)


*yawns*

tomorrow laa~~ T.T

Of Penguins, Movie and Fruit picking!

Part of the vineries.. (Sorry can't seem to drag pics down to match their descriptions)

Part of fruit-picking (details below)

Went to Phillip Island on Saturday, to see penguins, it was a three-hour drive from Doncaster, where my uncle lives.

Weren't allowed to take any pictures, because penguins are "lawfully protected and should not be harmed by flashes", a staff claimed when I snapped a picture (below) of the beautiful view, and was told to "keep your camera in your bag".

Being the smallest species of penguins in the world, they are of 33 cm of height and lives underground or between huge rocks. (which contradicts with my previous ignorant images of South Pole's big penguins living under the ice)

According to research, penguins have a 17% dirvorce rate, and male penguins always argue when other male penguins return to the wrong home. =p

They were so plump and the way they wiggled their way home was adorable! It was my first time being just 5 cm away from penguins!

On Sunday, Aunt who came visiting from Malaysia, treated us a movie "10000 BC" in Eastland. Was elated at the thought of watching a movie here, after all it's $12.50 per ticket!!!!!

The storyline was a bit of a put down, though I concede that the graphics and soundtracks were commendable.

On Monday, we went fruit picking the whole day! First it was the Bushy Park Orchards. Picked alot of juicy Nachis!

We later went to the Vineyard which grows grapes for both agricultural and vinery industries. Beautiful, the scent of fruits in the air stays vividly with me.

(some pics at beginning of posts)


And we went strawberry picking in Mornington, but I can't seem to post pics, some problem here. Oh well, we picked 4 boxes of fresh strawberries and later had them with ice creams!


All in all, it was a pleasurable 4 days with my uncle's family! Cousins and I share secrets, exchange songs, enjoyed great food and company!


Thanks! Hope to see you all soon again, next hols perhaps?

Mount Dandenong and Puffing Billy

Puffing Billy Station in Belgrave, it somehow made me felt nostalgic and sentimental, it is still carrying on what meant a lot in the past.


It felt as though we have stepped into the past.

A almost pic-only post.

Summary: Got in touched with nature, and it was truly revitalising and inspiring. Family bonds grew closer, and I'm glad.

ps: ignore that look i had with the parrot, animals and I just don't coexists.