Day Fifty-Six: Melbourne @ 4am

What were we thinking when we booked our flight at 7am?!!!! Obviously we didn't think about wake up time =(

We all got up at 4am and left the house at 5:10am to catch our train to the airport....I was having headache already..bad start =(

JetStar airline:
Nice seats neh :D
We arrived around 9:30 am @ Avalon airport. As we were landing, I looked out the window, and I saw sheep along the runway munching grass. I wondered...where am I? Stepping into the terminal...I swear my house is bigger than that. Avalon is a very interesting airport to say the least....small and cute...middle of nowhere...with sheep. Nonetheless, I arrived safe but still with a headache.

My hostel: The Nomads
It looked pretty decent. I lived with 7 girls in a room with 4 bunk beds. The beds squeaked like no other..so annoying. The bathrooms and the showers are separated and everything seem to be mini-sized. I guess I paid for what I get, although I would never live in another hostel any more, not after this one. =) So yeah..my first and last experience of a hostel.

We were suppose to meet our group at 3pm..so we had some time to kill. We went to the Queen Victoria Market:
This market dwarfs any market in Sydney. It is HUMONGOUS!!! It sells anything from a boomerang, to postcards, to shirts, to shoes, to kangaroo skins, to handmade soap, to mini cacti, to lip balm, to fruits, to dry foods, to livestocks, to candies....just about anything you want for souvenirs.

I had to post this picture, because it says American on it =)
This candy store makes the most delicious and fun candy ever. All their candies are handmade and some even have writings in them....like Thank you, It is a Girl, and I love you.
They are making a banana flavored rock candy with banana designs in the middle (the white stuff are the banana designs, they are wrapping them in a colored coating).
All rolled up
And then he pulls...
Tahda~~~~end product..delicious!!!
Check out their website, http://www.suga.com.au/, it is quite entertaining!

Then we toured the alleys of Melbourne..where the true culture lies...
Often it is hidden in these allies that you get to experience what Melbourne is all about. These are the places where only locals will know. We happened to stop in this one:
Madame Brussels. As described by one of my study australia people: plush and slightly naughty, this bar is named after a brothel keeper. Expect indoor fake grass, an outdoor terrace and a hostess called Miss Pearls. They have the most refreshing drinks ever:

A mix of citrus fruits with a hint of peppermint ♥

We concluded the day with a dinner at a traditional Chinese dumpling restaurant. It was really nice and homelike for me. This trip already looked better =)

First impression of Melbourne....it is a place to relax, if you want to work go to Sydney.

Day Forty-Seven: Manly

My parents went to Melbourne for three days. I didn't follow partly because I have to study, and also I have already signed up with my study abroad agent to visit Melbourne next weekend. I figured I don't need to waste another $450 to go to Melbourne again.

While they are enjoying Melbourne, my housemate, Shamika, and I visited Manly.

What a name right?! Manly? haha. Manly is a northern suburb of Sydney. From my apartment, we took the bus to Circular Quay and took the ferry to Manly...about an hour all together. Manly is named by Captain Arthur Phillip after being speared by the local indigenous people. He gave the name because of the "confidence and manly behaviour (oh my god, I am spelling like a British..I seriously didn't even think about it when I typed it out...) of the local people".

I like Manly..kind of away from the busy city, the noises..and just a very relaxed ambiance. It is a resort like village..people come here to have a vacation. And there is plenty to do there as well. You can head down to the beach..get a tan or something. You can rent a bike and bike down 4 different paths and explore the village. You can shop in their little cute stores. Or you can have a filling dinner.

My housemate and I decided to go for a bike tour on our own =)
The beach(abundance in Australia!):

Childhood revived!!! I haven't ridden a bike in ages...umm since middle school?

We chose 2 paths. One is along the beach which is easiest of all. Then we challenged ourselves a bit and went for the mountain biking.

First the beach: Now the mountain...=.=" It took us about 1 1/2 hour to get to the top. We rested in the middle where we just sat in the middle of the side walk, and picnic-ed basically. There were people walking by, looking at us funny, but neh..we didn't care quite frankly. We just want our rest and fruits. :D
We didn't bike all the way. We came down and walked with our bikes. Even with that we were still sweating like pigs...huffing and puffing...>.<" Shamika's face says it all.
Finally we reached the top and ahhhhh~~~~~ it was worth it. We were in for a treat!!!
Taking the view in (love this picture):This next picture was taken by a couple who too took the challenge and came all the way to the top. We all acknowledged the fact that we made it and that it was all worth. It was kind of cool..it is like they understand us, and we understand them..the battle of biking uphill =)
Can you see Sydney in the distance?
We were all happy and content afterwards. Time to zoom down that hill..wahahahahahahhaha. It only took us 5 mins...7 mins TOP. =)
Sun is setting....
Back on the ferry overlooking Manly...so beautiful =)

Day Forty-Five: Cruise with Family

After so many days of getting up early and returning late to the hotel, my family decides to take a day off. They spent the day wandering in the city, observing the locals, checking out the Opera House, eating, taking pictures...basically being tourists.

I didn't join them. Why?!!
Well, it is a super duper ultra lame reason....I HAVE TO STUDY. Seriously man, why do professors assign major assignments and exams over the break?! I had 3 papers to write plus an exam to study for. Good god!!! It is break!! Do they know what break means?! I think it is just bad planning on their part. Isn't just common sense that no homework is to be assigned...haiz..apparently not to them. =(

But, my dad did signed us up for a dinner on the cruise. It wasn't the same cruise I went on in February, but it was still around the same harbour. We had a satisfying dinner. It was a buffet....apple salad, green bean salad, dinner roll, oyster, shrimp cocktail, pasta, noodle, steamed fish, beef curry...all sorts..It was good. I haven't had a dinner with my dad in uber long time...over a year maybe? I lost track of time >.<

My parents:

Day Forty-Four: Blue Mts and Jenolan Cave with Family

The guy that we signed up tours with told us that if we are in Sydney we have to visit Blue Mountains...so I took my family to it.

The Three Sisters.
I just like this picture a lot...layer after layer...Up, up and up..to the Katoomba Fall.
Isn't it just fun to say Katoomba over and over again??? Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba Katoomba KatoombaKatoomba.....!

We also went on the Scenic Skyway. It takes you over the ravine on top of the moutains. You can see everything up there. There is another option, Scenic Railway. It goes deep into the valley at an angle, and it let you down at the bottom and you walk around, and hop on the cable to take you back up. That one is unsuitable if you have elders with you. If you have a chance, try it (I wanted to hehe).

Off to the Jenolan Cave.
Approaching the entrance..
The entrance
going in...
Up we go..
The inside:
The mushroom!!

Stalactite
The music chamber. Our tour guide turned off all lights in the chamber. It was pitch dark. And then the music came on with the light show. These curtain looking crystals are formed form water trickling down the wall sloooooooooooooowly
The shifting of the ground caused the columns to break and separate. It is stll currently growing..it is possible that they connect again...*shrug*
The famous column! It often appears in advertisement for Jenolan Cave.

Day Forty-Two: Port Stephens with Family

finally,
FiNaLlY,
FINALLY,
F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!
mid-semester break!!!

You have no idea how much I look forward to this break. Two reasons...(1)I deserve it, and deserve it well, (2) my parents and grandma are coming to visit me =)

They arrived the day before. I booked a room at The Great Southern Hotel on George St for them. The room is alright, enough for them to stay in for few days. BUT, there is one thing that bothers me..and that is the fact that they have to charge us separately to use the safe key. Why why why??!!!! It is not like someone else can use the key, right? (at least I hope not). There is key is just there...why do we have to pay extra to use it? so dumb.

Anyhow, the first day, I just took them down to Darling Harbour and spend the afternoon chatting on a bench there. Soaking in the sun, feeling the breeze, just a fun family time.

Second day, we signed up a tour to Port Stephens to see dolphins =). We met at the Rawson Place at 7 am (so so early =.=). We had an entertaining bus driver/tour guide. He talked the entire way to and back, but the funny thing is no one minded. He told us all sorts of stories, things to do in Sydney, and of course some jokes (he laughs at his own jokes..lol).

First Stop: Australian Reptile Park
Not everything there is reptile
He snatched the bag full of food from me =.="...hungry guy.
awww....cutie =)Can you see the joey?
I actually have been there twice. First time was before the wine tasting, but this time I came with my family.
My family
Next stop: Port Stephens, the highlight of the day =)
We boarded a ship at the dock. Our ship's name, Moonshadow.
Views of the port:
And out we go!!!!
Now the dolphins! This is the first time that I saw wild dolphins. There were so many of them. The captain told us that dolphins like to swim next to the ships like in a race. I couldn't get clear pictures so you'll have to look closer >.<. and some videos (sorry about the bad quality..)

After the cruise, we head over to the sand dunes. Australia is a very interesting place. It has everything...beaches, ocean, deserts, waterfalls, mountains, rain forests...just about everything. At this point, we were only about 2 hours from Sydney and we were in the middle of nowhere or the desert. Never been to a desert in my life and I was amazed at this place. The sand was very fine, it is a massage walking on them =)
Camel!!

We hopped on a 4-W and drove across the sand dunes to a place where we go sandboarding. Yup!! Sandboarding. It is like snowboarding only not with snow but sand. You get a board and you sit on it and slide down hill. My dad and I did it together. It was really fun and what an experience. haha

The hill we slid down =)

After 20-30 min of sandboarding, we were exhausted. Walking back to the bus..we stopped by the beach...
Time to head back...
A day well spent =)