Melbourne, February 2016
Day 1 - Departure from Singapore
It was a rainy Friday evening as we headed to the airport. It was difficult to get a cab and we had to try several apps and taxi hotlines before finally securing one that brought us to the airport in good time. Thank God! We checked in without any issue and had our dinner and some drinks before our flight. Some photos at the London display too. Brought back some memories of our London trip. :)
It was a rainy Friday evening as we headed to the airport. It was difficult to get a cab and we had to try several apps and taxi hotlines before finally securing one that brought us to the airport in good time. Thank God! We checked in without any issue and had our dinner and some drinks before our flight. Some photos at the London display too. Brought back some memories of our London trip. :)
We flew by Emirates as the tickets were cheaper than SQ. Had high expectations for the service but was a little disappointed with the slow service and food as well. We had to ask and wait a long time for the bassinet, baby set, activity set and food.
Faith was too long for the bassinet so was not allowed to use it. Papa had to hold her on his lap throughout the whole flight as the flight was full and mummy's tummy is too bulging for her to sit for too long... The lotion from the baby set was great for our trip as the weather was a little cold and dry. The activity book was beyond her but she did have fun with the lion drawing board. Faith no longer like mashy baby food, preferring our table food instead.
Faith was too long for the bassinet so was not allowed to use it. Papa had to hold her on his lap throughout the whole flight as the flight was full and mummy's tummy is too bulging for her to sit for too long... The lotion from the baby set was great for our trip as the weather was a little cold and dry. The activity book was beyond her but she did have fun with the lion drawing board. Faith no longer like mashy baby food, preferring our table food instead.
Day 2 - Arrival in Melbourne, Queen Victoria Market, Brighton Beach
Arrived early in the morning and took a while to clear the customs as well as to do the bag checks. Had to declare the milk powder for Faith but seeing her with us, there wasn't much questions asked and we were ushered out like many others. We got our prepaid SIM card with router at Optus while sis when to get the package tickets for some of the places of interest which we will be visiting for our trip. Then, we had head out of the airport to the shuttle bus stands for the shuttle which will bring us to the car rental company. Did the paperwork and got our car, a Kia Carnival, for our trip. Faith fell asleep very soon as she did not get a good rest on board the flight.
We first checked in to our apartment at the St Kilda area and then headed to the Queen Victoria Market for lunch (first meal of fish & chips) and some grocery shopping. All the fruits and vegetables are so affordable and fresh, we came out with bags of them; mushrooms. broccoli, corn, oranges, grapes and peaches just to name some. Looking forward to feasting on them the entire trip.
We stopped by Aldi on our way back and got more supplies; milk, bread, eggs, snacks, biscuits and even diapers for Faith. Brought our groceries back and had a little rest for going to Brighton beach in the evening. Took a while for us to pinpoint the exact location where the famous bath houses are. It did not disappoint, the colours of the photos look wonderful. It was quite breezy and cold and Faith was shivering a little. Fortunately, we had brought her thick jacket out (the same one she wore in Korea when she was 5 months). We took the photos hurriedly and got back to our car. Managed to catch a photo of the beautiful sunset too. Homecooked dinner for the night, thanks to my Papa and Mummy. :)
We first checked in to our apartment at the St Kilda area and then headed to the Queen Victoria Market for lunch (first meal of fish & chips) and some grocery shopping. All the fruits and vegetables are so affordable and fresh, we came out with bags of them; mushrooms. broccoli, corn, oranges, grapes and peaches just to name some. Looking forward to feasting on them the entire trip.
We stopped by Aldi on our way back and got more supplies; milk, bread, eggs, snacks, biscuits and even diapers for Faith. Brought our groceries back and had a little rest for going to Brighton beach in the evening. Took a while for us to pinpoint the exact location where the famous bath houses are. It did not disappoint, the colours of the photos look wonderful. It was quite breezy and cold and Faith was shivering a little. Fortunately, we had brought her thick jacket out (the same one she wore in Korea when she was 5 months). We took the photos hurriedly and got back to our car. Managed to catch a photo of the beautiful sunset too. Homecooked dinner for the night, thanks to my Papa and Mummy. :)
Car rental: Apex Car Rentals (http://www.apexrentacar.com.au/)
- $74/ day The rates offered by Apex was more economical than those with cars stationed at the airport. There was a little inconvenience as we need to wait for their shuttle van to pick us from the waiting to their company about 5-10 mins away. We got a Kia Carnival 8 seater for our trip with 6 adults and 1 toddler, which was comfortable enough. Zero excess and GPS included in fee. Extra drivers and child seat provided free. Stay: Crest on Barkly, St Kilda area (http://www.crestonbarkly.com.au/) - Three-Bedroom Apartment (2 nights) The apartment given to us was on the second level, up 2 flight of steps. It was a little inconvenient but the lady was nice to help us with our luggages. The inside was spacious and kitchen well-equipped. The electric flask was rusty but we had no issues as we've prepared our own. A portacot was provided for Faith so the papa and mama can rest comfortably. The room with single beds faces the road so not advisable for light sleepers. |
Day 3 - Church, Mount Dandenong, Flinders Street Station and surrounds
It's a Sunday and we went for church this morning at VFC Melbourne church. Glad to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. Got recommendations to visit Mount Dandenong and we headed there after church. Had a nice lunch and enjoyed the great view. Had a little stroll around the gardens before heading to downtown Melbourne.
We visited the Flinders Street Station as well as the St Paul's Cathedral. Stopped at Macca's (Aussie's term for McDonald's) for some ice cream and a toilet break. Walked the area a bit before shopping at Target. Then, it was dinner at McDonald's before getting some groceries at Coles and heading home for our rest.
It's a Sunday and we went for church this morning at VFC Melbourne church. Glad to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. Got recommendations to visit Mount Dandenong and we headed there after church. Had a nice lunch and enjoyed the great view. Had a little stroll around the gardens before heading to downtown Melbourne.
We visited the Flinders Street Station as well as the St Paul's Cathedral. Stopped at Macca's (Aussie's term for McDonald's) for some ice cream and a toilet break. Walked the area a bit before shopping at Target. Then, it was dinner at McDonald's before getting some groceries at Coles and heading home for our rest.
Day 4 - San Remo, Philip Island
We checked out this morning after breakfast and headed towards Philip Island. It was quite a drive and we reached the San Remo area slightly past 11 am. Faith was delighted to see the playground. Faith turns 20 months today and what a nice spot to take a photo for this milestone! Just love the playgrounds in Australia! See how much fun Faith is having! Love the nice cool weather too, though slight rain and drizzles on some days of our trip.
Since we were early for the Pelican feeding session at 12 pm, we went ahead to order our Fish & Chips for lunch. There was a lot of chips! Faith had her special meal of chicken porridge and soup lovingly prepared by Grandma and a little of our fish & chips. :P Then, it was time to catch the pelicans in action! Look at their huge mouths! Faith was amazed and we used this to "trick" her to open her mouth like the pelican as she had her fish (and meals) during the next few days of our trip and it works! :)
After lunch, we drove in to Philip Island and unloaded our luggage to our apartment for the night. It was easy to navigate with the GPS. The house is spacious and Faith loved running around. There was a good-size living room and another living area next to the dining area. There was a huge outdoor deck and lawn area for outdoor BBQ and play too, which we did not utilise due to the lack of time. We are glad that we made the right decision to stay for a night on Philip Island. We left our luggage in the house before we went on our activities (more space for the last row of seats in the car without luggage) and threw in some clothes for washing.
First up was the activities at Churchill Island Heritage farm. Activities started rather promptly as per schedule at around 2pm. We were just in time. All the activities were around the same area. Personally, I find it rather pathetic as each show shows one to two animals only and there were not enough seats for all the tourists around.
2.10 pm - cow milking
2.30 pm - sheep shearing
2.45 pm - whip cracking
3.05 pm - working dogs
3.20 pm - sheep shearing
Next, was the Koala Conservation Centre which was more interesting. We even managed to spot a little wallaby here. Since we were a little early, we sat down for some coffee, tea and muffins before exploring the conservation. There were some special tea set promotion and it was rather affordable. After resting our tired feet, we went along the tree top walk and spotted some of the koalas - awake! :) Faith was initially sleeping but managed to wake up in time to take photos with a few of them. According to the keepers, the koalas that we see are already beyond their breeding age of 15 years.
We were still too early for the Penguin Parade. The Penguin Parade during the February period is quite late at about 8-8.30 pm. We went to the supermarket to top up some groceries and returned to our rented place for a quick early dinner (of pizza and canned soup) before we headed out again for the Penguin Parade.
The weather was rainy, but not too cold. And what do we do while waiting for the penguins to arrive? Take more photos - with our umbrellas and raincoats.We enjoyed the view of the sunset from our seats while some chose to be on the sand to be closer to the penguins. And as dusk falls, the keepers gave the reminders of not taking photographs, with or without flash and gave a short introduction of the penguins and the conservation works. Everyone was so excited when the first group of penguins arrived! Those who tried to stand up were given reminders by the keepers. :P
After seeing a few groups of the penguins arriving, people started to leave and moved along the board walk where more penguins can be spotted as they make their way to their home for the night. And we were glad to make our way back too and be under our warm blankets. :)
Stay: Beach Shack Ti Tree Cowes, Philip Island (https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/3006823)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Airbnb - This was the perfect place for our night's stay on Phillip Island. There was plenty of room for our party of six. There were full kitchen facilities and the washer and dryer were very useful. Location was also good, and a short drive away from the grocery store in Cowes. However, we did run out of hot water before everyone had taken a shower.
We checked out this morning after breakfast and headed towards Philip Island. It was quite a drive and we reached the San Remo area slightly past 11 am. Faith was delighted to see the playground. Faith turns 20 months today and what a nice spot to take a photo for this milestone! Just love the playgrounds in Australia! See how much fun Faith is having! Love the nice cool weather too, though slight rain and drizzles on some days of our trip.
Since we were early for the Pelican feeding session at 12 pm, we went ahead to order our Fish & Chips for lunch. There was a lot of chips! Faith had her special meal of chicken porridge and soup lovingly prepared by Grandma and a little of our fish & chips. :P Then, it was time to catch the pelicans in action! Look at their huge mouths! Faith was amazed and we used this to "trick" her to open her mouth like the pelican as she had her fish (and meals) during the next few days of our trip and it works! :)
After lunch, we drove in to Philip Island and unloaded our luggage to our apartment for the night. It was easy to navigate with the GPS. The house is spacious and Faith loved running around. There was a good-size living room and another living area next to the dining area. There was a huge outdoor deck and lawn area for outdoor BBQ and play too, which we did not utilise due to the lack of time. We are glad that we made the right decision to stay for a night on Philip Island. We left our luggage in the house before we went on our activities (more space for the last row of seats in the car without luggage) and threw in some clothes for washing.
First up was the activities at Churchill Island Heritage farm. Activities started rather promptly as per schedule at around 2pm. We were just in time. All the activities were around the same area. Personally, I find it rather pathetic as each show shows one to two animals only and there were not enough seats for all the tourists around.
2.10 pm - cow milking
2.30 pm - sheep shearing
2.45 pm - whip cracking
3.05 pm - working dogs
3.20 pm - sheep shearing
Next, was the Koala Conservation Centre which was more interesting. We even managed to spot a little wallaby here. Since we were a little early, we sat down for some coffee, tea and muffins before exploring the conservation. There were some special tea set promotion and it was rather affordable. After resting our tired feet, we went along the tree top walk and spotted some of the koalas - awake! :) Faith was initially sleeping but managed to wake up in time to take photos with a few of them. According to the keepers, the koalas that we see are already beyond their breeding age of 15 years.
We were still too early for the Penguin Parade. The Penguin Parade during the February period is quite late at about 8-8.30 pm. We went to the supermarket to top up some groceries and returned to our rented place for a quick early dinner (of pizza and canned soup) before we headed out again for the Penguin Parade.
The weather was rainy, but not too cold. And what do we do while waiting for the penguins to arrive? Take more photos - with our umbrellas and raincoats.We enjoyed the view of the sunset from our seats while some chose to be on the sand to be closer to the penguins. And as dusk falls, the keepers gave the reminders of not taking photographs, with or without flash and gave a short introduction of the penguins and the conservation works. Everyone was so excited when the first group of penguins arrived! Those who tried to stand up were given reminders by the keepers. :P
After seeing a few groups of the penguins arriving, people started to leave and moved along the board walk where more penguins can be spotted as they make their way to their home for the night. And we were glad to make our way back too and be under our warm blankets. :)
Stay: Beach Shack Ti Tree Cowes, Philip Island (https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/3006823)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Airbnb - This was the perfect place for our night's stay on Phillip Island. There was plenty of room for our party of six. There were full kitchen facilities and the washer and dryer were very useful. Location was also good, and a short drive away from the grocery store in Cowes. However, we did run out of hot water before everyone had taken a shower.
Day 5 - Great Ocean Road (GOR)
We woke up later than planned and made the decision to forgo our Mornington. Well, that's the whole point of our own self-drive holiday - to have the flexibility of amending (add or skip places) our itinerary accordingly. A check of the weather forecast says it'll be hot and sunny today so we dressed ourselves in summer wear. :)
With Mornington out of our plan, there was a little extra time so we stopped by the Philip Island Chocolate Factory. We arrived just after it opened and there was just one or two other couples around. See the chocolate penguins at the entrance, aren't they cute? The chocolates were displayed so nicely, seems too delicate to touch. Prices on the pricey side; more for tourists perhaps. They do conduct some tours which we didn't go for.
It was gonna be a long drive as we headed for the Aireys Inlet and Split Point Lighthouse. We stopped by the South Melbourne market area for lunch. The market was not opened on a Tuesday so we went for lunch at a cafe nearby. It was quite popular and we had to wait a little while for our seats. Faith was satisfied in the meantime with some orange juice we got for her from the nearby supermarket.
We were glad to have reached the Lighthouse, our first stop along the GOR. It was rather windy, but we like it. Even Faith is so happy too! We even stopped by the nearby playground for some fun. It is difficult to find swings in our local playgrounds now; I wonder why? We didn't teach Faith what to do on the swing but automatically she knows how to bend back and kick her legs. :) Next, we stopped by the Erskine Falls and Teddy's Lookout. The Teddy's Lookout sign was low enough for Faith to have a photo with it.
The accommodation tonight doesn't have great cooking facilities and we decided to eat out. We were walking along the stretch of eateries and spotted Cuda Bar. A look at their menu shows affordable prices.
Dinner place: Cuda Bar (http://www.cudabar.com.au/)
- This place is rated #2 of the restaurants in Lorne and we were pretty amazed with our find. Lorne is a place for beach and surfing activities and we were there before sunset, ahead of other diners. We headed in and were presented with great service. Seeing us with Faith, they brought out a baby highchair and even cleaned it well before bringing it to us. We ordered BBQ 1/2 chicken and Barramundi, both at $29 each and a huge portion of 500gm beef for sharing. Great choice for food here! And we satisfied our Daddy with the beef that he has been longing for. :)
Stay: Avarest House, Lorne, Great Ocean Road (https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/5720812)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Airbnb: Like with all the other reviews say, the view from the lounge area is simply amazing! Location was also good and easy to locate. Though the toilets appear to be newly renovated, general upkeep of the rest of the house could have been improved.
- Ventilation was poor within the house. The windows of the rooms cannot be opened and it does get rather stuffy. We only found one fan in the house and we had to leave our room doors open during the night. Air-conditioning was only available in the lounge. View from the lounge was good and sisters woke up early for the sunrise the next morning.
We woke up later than planned and made the decision to forgo our Mornington. Well, that's the whole point of our own self-drive holiday - to have the flexibility of amending (add or skip places) our itinerary accordingly. A check of the weather forecast says it'll be hot and sunny today so we dressed ourselves in summer wear. :)
With Mornington out of our plan, there was a little extra time so we stopped by the Philip Island Chocolate Factory. We arrived just after it opened and there was just one or two other couples around. See the chocolate penguins at the entrance, aren't they cute? The chocolates were displayed so nicely, seems too delicate to touch. Prices on the pricey side; more for tourists perhaps. They do conduct some tours which we didn't go for.
It was gonna be a long drive as we headed for the Aireys Inlet and Split Point Lighthouse. We stopped by the South Melbourne market area for lunch. The market was not opened on a Tuesday so we went for lunch at a cafe nearby. It was quite popular and we had to wait a little while for our seats. Faith was satisfied in the meantime with some orange juice we got for her from the nearby supermarket.
We were glad to have reached the Lighthouse, our first stop along the GOR. It was rather windy, but we like it. Even Faith is so happy too! We even stopped by the nearby playground for some fun. It is difficult to find swings in our local playgrounds now; I wonder why? We didn't teach Faith what to do on the swing but automatically she knows how to bend back and kick her legs. :) Next, we stopped by the Erskine Falls and Teddy's Lookout. The Teddy's Lookout sign was low enough for Faith to have a photo with it.
The accommodation tonight doesn't have great cooking facilities and we decided to eat out. We were walking along the stretch of eateries and spotted Cuda Bar. A look at their menu shows affordable prices.
Dinner place: Cuda Bar (http://www.cudabar.com.au/)
- This place is rated #2 of the restaurants in Lorne and we were pretty amazed with our find. Lorne is a place for beach and surfing activities and we were there before sunset, ahead of other diners. We headed in and were presented with great service. Seeing us with Faith, they brought out a baby highchair and even cleaned it well before bringing it to us. We ordered BBQ 1/2 chicken and Barramundi, both at $29 each and a huge portion of 500gm beef for sharing. Great choice for food here! And we satisfied our Daddy with the beef that he has been longing for. :)
Stay: Avarest House, Lorne, Great Ocean Road (https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/5720812)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Airbnb: Like with all the other reviews say, the view from the lounge area is simply amazing! Location was also good and easy to locate. Though the toilets appear to be newly renovated, general upkeep of the rest of the house could have been improved.
- Ventilation was poor within the house. The windows of the rooms cannot be opened and it does get rather stuffy. We only found one fan in the house and we had to leave our room doors open during the night. Air-conditioning was only available in the lounge. View from the lounge was good and sisters woke up early for the sunrise the next morning.
Day 6 - Great Ocean Road (GOR), Twelve Apostles
Morning, we took some time to play with bubbles which we got from Target a few nights ago. It was drizzling a little. We are supposed to have a great view of the ocean from the house, but this was obstructed by the cloudy weather. As we continued our drive along the GOR, we spotted herds of cattle, but Faith was asleep most of the time and did not see them.
Arriving at the highlight of the GOR, Twelve Apostles, the weather was still rather bad and it was raining. And there were many tour groups around! We managed to take a few photographs but they were not fantastic due to the weather. Still, you can see Faith having fun. We decided to skip the rest of the lookouts as the weather was not in our favour. We drove to Port Campbell to get the keys to our accommodation for the night. The owner of the place actually runs the cafe in town too.
We spotted the place where we got some fresh lobsters during our last trip with friends. A pity they are not in season at this time of the year. We headed to the only supermarket in town and decided on some beef steaks for dinner. Not much choices in the small town and the prices are more expensive than in the larger towns. On hindsight, we should have gotten our groceries at the start of our drive today.
We enjoyed a good meal of steak tonight prepared by Chef Bernard. There was fish fillet for Faith too. Great that they actually provide a booster seat and portacot for the little one; made our stay more comfortable. After dinner, there was ice cream for everyone and Faith had a few licks too. It's just so awesome to enjoy an ice cream in the cold weather! Yumz! :)
There was not much to do in the rainy weather and we retired early for the night. The place has a huge nice veranda but we couldn't step out much in the rain. :P
Stay: House on the hill, Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road (Link)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Stayz: Great place for a stopover along the Great Ocean Road. Facilities in the house were sufficient. The view from deck was also amazing. Too bad it was a rainy day when we stopped over at Port Campbell.
Morning, we took some time to play with bubbles which we got from Target a few nights ago. It was drizzling a little. We are supposed to have a great view of the ocean from the house, but this was obstructed by the cloudy weather. As we continued our drive along the GOR, we spotted herds of cattle, but Faith was asleep most of the time and did not see them.
Arriving at the highlight of the GOR, Twelve Apostles, the weather was still rather bad and it was raining. And there were many tour groups around! We managed to take a few photographs but they were not fantastic due to the weather. Still, you can see Faith having fun. We decided to skip the rest of the lookouts as the weather was not in our favour. We drove to Port Campbell to get the keys to our accommodation for the night. The owner of the place actually runs the cafe in town too.
We spotted the place where we got some fresh lobsters during our last trip with friends. A pity they are not in season at this time of the year. We headed to the only supermarket in town and decided on some beef steaks for dinner. Not much choices in the small town and the prices are more expensive than in the larger towns. On hindsight, we should have gotten our groceries at the start of our drive today.
We enjoyed a good meal of steak tonight prepared by Chef Bernard. There was fish fillet for Faith too. Great that they actually provide a booster seat and portacot for the little one; made our stay more comfortable. After dinner, there was ice cream for everyone and Faith had a few licks too. It's just so awesome to enjoy an ice cream in the cold weather! Yumz! :)
There was not much to do in the rainy weather and we retired early for the night. The place has a huge nice veranda but we couldn't step out much in the rain. :P
Stay: House on the hill, Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road (Link)
- Three-Bedroom (1 night)
- Review from my sis on Stayz: Great place for a stopover along the Great Ocean Road. Facilities in the house were sufficient. The view from deck was also amazing. Too bad it was a rainy day when we stopped over at Port Campbell.
Day 7 - Great Ocean Road (GOR), Twelve Apostles, Melbourne City
We had our breakfast and uploaded our luggage into the car again. Due to the rainy weather and the crowd yesterday, we decided to visit Twelve Apostles this morning again. We reached there before the day trip buses and had more space to ourselves. It was still drizzling a bit though. With prayers, the sun did come out towards the end of our visit and we managed to capture a few nicer and clearer shots of the Twelve Apostles. Next, we headed to a few more lookout points - The Lord Arch, The Thunder Cave and the London Bridge.
Then, it was time to make the long drive back to Melbourne City again. We kept Faith entertained with some books, toys and music and snacks too! :) It was evening time when we reach our accommodation for the last 3 nights of our trip - Ashley Gardens Big4. It was the smallest out of all the accommodation for our trip but the place seems newly renovated and cooking utensils too. What's great was there was heating in the bathroom to keep us warm once we step out of our shower.
There was a playground within the holiday park and Papa and mummy brought Faith out for a little fun before dinner time. It was homecooked dinner for the night! :)
Stay: Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village, Braybrook (Link)
- Villa 6, 2 bedrooms (3 nights)
We had our breakfast and uploaded our luggage into the car again. Due to the rainy weather and the crowd yesterday, we decided to visit Twelve Apostles this morning again. We reached there before the day trip buses and had more space to ourselves. It was still drizzling a bit though. With prayers, the sun did come out towards the end of our visit and we managed to capture a few nicer and clearer shots of the Twelve Apostles. Next, we headed to a few more lookout points - The Lord Arch, The Thunder Cave and the London Bridge.
Then, it was time to make the long drive back to Melbourne City again. We kept Faith entertained with some books, toys and music and snacks too! :) It was evening time when we reach our accommodation for the last 3 nights of our trip - Ashley Gardens Big4. It was the smallest out of all the accommodation for our trip but the place seems newly renovated and cooking utensils too. What's great was there was heating in the bathroom to keep us warm once we step out of our shower.
There was a playground within the holiday park and Papa and mummy brought Faith out for a little fun before dinner time. It was homecooked dinner for the night! :)
Stay: Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village, Braybrook (Link)
- Villa 6, 2 bedrooms (3 nights)
Day 8 - Healesville Sanctuary, Highpoint Shopping Centre
Healesville Sanctuary is where we'll be going to this morning. It is mainly the Australian animals that we will be seeing here. It wasn't too crowded when we got there. There was like some local senior citizen group outing, a few local school outings and a few families. We headed straight for the 2 available shows at the start. First up, was the Tales from Platypus Creek where they also introduced the turtle and a local crustacean (need to search for the name). What's great was they actually do not allow latecomers to join in the audience seats until the interval.
We arrived a little late and had to stand a while before taking our seat. Faith had time for a few rounds on the slide at the playground before we head to our next show. She had some fun chasing the birds too. We learnt they were called the Ibis. The next show was Spirits of the Sky where we saw the parrots, owl and eagle. We were early for this show and had to wait a little in the hot sun. It was really hot! It was rather late by the time the show ended and we went for lunch at the Sanctuary Harvest restaurant; to rest our tired legs too. We found great seats next to a koala enclosure and we did see the koala leap from one branch to another in the midst of our meal! :)
During the visit we had chance to feed the smaller parrots some nectar and seeds too and managed to capture some photographs up close and personal. We followed a seniors group and came to the Wildlife Health Centre. There was a wombat in an actual treatment room going through some checks. According to the keeper, the wombat was born premature when the mother met with an accident. It is interesting that they have a play room in the centre for children and Faith had some fun here dressed as the zookeeper and vet, and playing with the stuffed animals and play equipment. Mummy took the chance to rest her tired feet while Papa kept her accompanied. :)
Highpoint Shopping Centre is one of the major shopping malls in Victoria and the fourth largest in Australia. The number of stores and services stands at a whooping 500 and it is just minutes from where we are staying! It was great to be there on a Friday evening as there is late-night shopping till 9 pm. It was difficult to shop together as a big group so we set a time and agreed to meet at one of the entrances at 9 pm. The velcro from the Faith's shoes were not working well and her shoes came loose several times along the way and we thought of getting a new pair for her, but didn't find anything suitable. We all had some snacks and ice cream in between the shopping. It was late dinner at Hog's Breath Cafe before heading back to our accommodation. Bernard and sisters had to head out again to the supermarket to grab some last minute groceries for our outing the next day. A good thing the supermarket is just a stone's throw away.
Healesville Sanctuary is where we'll be going to this morning. It is mainly the Australian animals that we will be seeing here. It wasn't too crowded when we got there. There was like some local senior citizen group outing, a few local school outings and a few families. We headed straight for the 2 available shows at the start. First up, was the Tales from Platypus Creek where they also introduced the turtle and a local crustacean (need to search for the name). What's great was they actually do not allow latecomers to join in the audience seats until the interval.
We arrived a little late and had to stand a while before taking our seat. Faith had time for a few rounds on the slide at the playground before we head to our next show. She had some fun chasing the birds too. We learnt they were called the Ibis. The next show was Spirits of the Sky where we saw the parrots, owl and eagle. We were early for this show and had to wait a little in the hot sun. It was really hot! It was rather late by the time the show ended and we went for lunch at the Sanctuary Harvest restaurant; to rest our tired legs too. We found great seats next to a koala enclosure and we did see the koala leap from one branch to another in the midst of our meal! :)
During the visit we had chance to feed the smaller parrots some nectar and seeds too and managed to capture some photographs up close and personal. We followed a seniors group and came to the Wildlife Health Centre. There was a wombat in an actual treatment room going through some checks. According to the keeper, the wombat was born premature when the mother met with an accident. It is interesting that they have a play room in the centre for children and Faith had some fun here dressed as the zookeeper and vet, and playing with the stuffed animals and play equipment. Mummy took the chance to rest her tired feet while Papa kept her accompanied. :)
Highpoint Shopping Centre is one of the major shopping malls in Victoria and the fourth largest in Australia. The number of stores and services stands at a whooping 500 and it is just minutes from where we are staying! It was great to be there on a Friday evening as there is late-night shopping till 9 pm. It was difficult to shop together as a big group so we set a time and agreed to meet at one of the entrances at 9 pm. The velcro from the Faith's shoes were not working well and her shoes came loose several times along the way and we thought of getting a new pair for her, but didn't find anything suitable. We all had some snacks and ice cream in between the shopping. It was late dinner at Hog's Breath Cafe before heading back to our accommodation. Bernard and sisters had to head out again to the supermarket to grab some last minute groceries for our outing the next day. A good thing the supermarket is just a stone's throw away.
Day 9 - Puffing Billy Train, DFO Essendon
Riding on one of the Puffing Billy steam engines is one of the iconic tourist must-dos in Melbourne. We initially had planned for the 11.10 am train but arrived in good time for the 10.30 am train. We thank God that we were able to get a parking lot just outside the compound too! Another must-do is of course to take lots of photos of the historic trains. We heard music coming from the train station when we were parking the car and we traced the source to be from the man playing a traditional instrument called the barrel organ.
We wanted to go as near to the train's engine as possible but Grandma advised against it as the smoke could get too choking. So we looked for seats a few cabins back. Everyone was excited as the train started puffing, and everyone continued snapping more photos as the train choo-chooed away. The weather was excellent as the train moved along its tracks and though some forest and wonderful landscape. The Puffing Billy workers and volunteers, as well as residents along the tracks waved to us as the train went along its way and all the passengers waved back. Such friendliness we've experienced from the Aussies.
The first stop was Menzies Creek and train stopped for a short while and some passengers including us went down for some phototaking. The next was Emerald where we spotted Thomas the train engine and some weekend markets where there were many families. However, it was just a brief stop and passengers were advised not to alight. Very soon, we arrived at our destination Lakeside. We alighted with all our barang barang for a quick picnic lunch as we were supposed to board the return train back to Belgrave. Our ticket actually allows us to go all the way to the end station Gembrook but we would be returning too late...
It was quite an experience having our lunch of dried noodles by the lake. The water hens and ducks were attracted by the sight of us and our food. One brave one even pecked a piece of peach from Faith's hand! We were tired on our return trip and a few of us including Faith fell asleep, with the nice rocking from the train. :)
After Puffing Billy, our next destination was more shopping at DFO Essendon. The shops here were more of outlet sales and mostly for clothes. Still some of us managed to get some stuff here, including some clothes for Baby Edward. Dinner was special for the night as we were invited to Bro Cyril's place. Thanks for his hospitality and generosity - look at the amount of food he had prepared for us! And we had it the very Asian style of steamboat, with Tom yam paste too. God had blessed him with a wonderful house where we could enjoy the sunset too. We were glad to have enjoyed fellowship with him and Ps Ray who was also there with his family. :)
Riding on one of the Puffing Billy steam engines is one of the iconic tourist must-dos in Melbourne. We initially had planned for the 11.10 am train but arrived in good time for the 10.30 am train. We thank God that we were able to get a parking lot just outside the compound too! Another must-do is of course to take lots of photos of the historic trains. We heard music coming from the train station when we were parking the car and we traced the source to be from the man playing a traditional instrument called the barrel organ.
We wanted to go as near to the train's engine as possible but Grandma advised against it as the smoke could get too choking. So we looked for seats a few cabins back. Everyone was excited as the train started puffing, and everyone continued snapping more photos as the train choo-chooed away. The weather was excellent as the train moved along its tracks and though some forest and wonderful landscape. The Puffing Billy workers and volunteers, as well as residents along the tracks waved to us as the train went along its way and all the passengers waved back. Such friendliness we've experienced from the Aussies.
The first stop was Menzies Creek and train stopped for a short while and some passengers including us went down for some phototaking. The next was Emerald where we spotted Thomas the train engine and some weekend markets where there were many families. However, it was just a brief stop and passengers were advised not to alight. Very soon, we arrived at our destination Lakeside. We alighted with all our barang barang for a quick picnic lunch as we were supposed to board the return train back to Belgrave. Our ticket actually allows us to go all the way to the end station Gembrook but we would be returning too late...
It was quite an experience having our lunch of dried noodles by the lake. The water hens and ducks were attracted by the sight of us and our food. One brave one even pecked a piece of peach from Faith's hand! We were tired on our return trip and a few of us including Faith fell asleep, with the nice rocking from the train. :)
After Puffing Billy, our next destination was more shopping at DFO Essendon. The shops here were more of outlet sales and mostly for clothes. Still some of us managed to get some stuff here, including some clothes for Baby Edward. Dinner was special for the night as we were invited to Bro Cyril's place. Thanks for his hospitality and generosity - look at the amount of food he had prepared for us! And we had it the very Asian style of steamboat, with Tom yam paste too. God had blessed him with a wonderful house where we could enjoy the sunset too. We were glad to have enjoyed fellowship with him and Ps Ray who was also there with his family. :)
Day 10 - Woolworth, South Melbourne Markets, Home Sweet Home
Holiday always zooms past so fast and it is our last day in Melbourne before departing for home. We had some time before our evening flight and it was more shopping today. After packing up and clearing up the house, we headed to the nearest Woolworth's to get souvenirs for our family and friends. We got hold of some cartons and packed the items into them, easy for check-in later. Next up, we went to the South Melbourne Market and we got our last batch of fresh fruits and vegetables, we ate some as we walk along and remaining to be air-flown back home. Managed to get a plate of fresh oysters for sharing too. None for preggy Mama. :P We had lunch within the markets before returning our car at the rental company near the airport. It was more playtime for Faith before boarding our flight. She's so adorable that an air stewardess volunteered to have a photo with her. Thank God that it wasn't a full flight and Faith was able to lie down across 2 empty seats. The crew for our return flight was more professional and friendlier and gave Faith lots of goodies too! Great thing that we brought along our DSLR to capture all these wonderful photos. We thank God for an excellent family holiday time overall! Looking forward to our new addition very soon! :) |
Korea, December 2014
Papa has to be in Korea for some work and we decided to turn the work trip to a family trip too. Faith was just 5 months old but we decided to bring her along. Grandma and Yiyi came along too. Here are some beautiful pictures taken during the trip. We stayed around the Myeongdong area and it was accessible via the airport bus and with a stroller, it was easy to move around. We took the taxi to most places as it was affordable. The weather was cold but we had fun. We managed to see some snowing on our last day as we made our way to the airport too.