Australia 2012

Yup, you heard us right. In April, we braved a 7 day holiday in Australia with a 3.5 year old preschooler and a 3.5 month old baby. Did we survive? Of course we did. And we all came back in one piece =)

The purpose of the trip was to attend hubby's colleague's wedding in Sydney. So since we were traveling all the way to Australia, we decided to visit Melbourne as well. Melbourne was our home for 3 years when the hubs and I were studying for our degree at the University of Melbourne. It is always nice to go back there - for the food and for the memories.

Of course the grandparents, especially the grandmothers shared their concern. Moreover, it was approaching winter in Australia and they were concerned about the boys, especially baby Bryant. I was having second thoughts too, after B was diagnosed with reflux. However, hubby and some other close friends were very supportive and managed to allay my worries. So we purchased the tickets, booked our accommodation and got ready for our first holiday as a family of 4.


Here's a picture of the boys, at the SIA check-in counter. B slept on the way to the airport and only woke up after we had breakfast at the lounge. Perfect start to the holiday huh? =P

B was very well behaved during the 7 hour flight. He only fussed a bit. No loud crying or screaming. Needless to say, he received compliments from our fellow passengers. 

We were only in Sydney for 4 days, including the days we travel in and out. So basically, only 2 full days in Sydney. No strict itinerary. We had planned to meet up with an old friend beforehand and so we headed out early the next day as soon as we all got ready. 

The two boys, Joshie and Oscar, before we headed into the Sydney Wildlife Park. They have not seen each other for 14 months. They were a bit shy at first but warmed up quickly. The indoor park had a wide array of animals for the kids to see. Perfect since the weather outside was so hot and sunny.

After that we headed to the Darling Harbour playground where the boys had a blast. Here's Joshie on the mini flying fox. 

We did not do much for the rest of the day. Headed back to hotel to rest and in the evening, had a long walk to Chinatown for dinner. Nothing to shout about. 

The next morning, we woke up bright and early as we wanted to have breakfast at the Sydney Fish Market before the wedding. It was a real disappointment. The food wasn't half as good as it was 9 years ago when I ate there. And we had to wait nearly 45 minutes just to get a cab. Because we have a baby. Unlike Singapore and Malaysia, Australia has a strict ruling regarding the use of car seat for infants. So we had to get a cab with a car seat. 

Rushed back to hotel and got ready for the wedding. It was a long bus ride to the church. Here's a quick picture of the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. Luckily both boys were well behaved during the church wedding. 

After that, it was a mad frenzy getting the boys back again to the hotel. Feeding time and bath time before we all got ready for the wedding dinner. Can't remember the venue but it was overlooking the Opera House and the Sydney bridge. Beautiful scenery. And lovely picture, thanks to our camera-friend. =)

The following day, we were up early again, getting the boys ready and packing our stuff before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Melbourne. We were in Melbourne for 3 full days. Only took a few pictures in Melbourne. We felt so at home, so didn't feel the need to take pictures =) LOL. Anyway, Melbourne was a lot colder than Sydney and it was raining a lot too. Cold wind pressing against our cheeks each time we were out. B didn't really like it and he was quite fussy, but still manageable. As for J, the hubs and I are really amazed. He loved the weather and didn't complain about the cold at all. We had to force him to wear his sweater. 

Here's the two boys, on a cold rainy morning in the city where their parents first fell in love!

 So how did we survive out trip?
1) Make no solid plans. Let your itinerary be flexible. I'd rather see/eat less but have happy kids who are not too tired.
2) Pack only what is necessary. Of course medication is, and everything related to the kids. The hubs and I packed very little for ourselves. I wore the same dress for the church wedding and the dinner =) All in, we only had 1 big luggage, 1 check-in sized luggage, a diaper bag and a sling bag each for the hubs and I. I managed to stuff all the diapers in and brought a container to cold sterilize B's bottle. So no need for the bulky steam sterilizer.
3) Remember to bring the kids' loveys or favourites. I brought B's pillow and his white noise machine. As for J, I brought some of his favourite toys and books.
4) Bring the iPad!!! LOL.....at least J had the iPad to entertain him when we needed a break from his constant chatter.

Will we travel with our kids again? Of course........can't wait for our next trip in December =)

Short holiday at Rasa Sayang Penang

The hubs has been wanting to stay at the newly refurbished Rasa Sayang hotel in Penang but we have always ended up at some other hotel, mainly because of the price. However, last September, I bravely went ahead and booked a room in the Rasa Wing (more expensive than the Garden wing). I told myself that we've not had a holiday this year so it's ok to spend a bit more =) hahahaha.........

There are additional perks for Rasa Wing guests; namely that we have our own lobby, fast check-in and out, all-day drinks (coffee, tea and soft drinks) and titbits at the lounge, high tea and pre-dinner drinks. Oh, and we have our own Rasa pool too, but children are not allowed.

Here's Joshie and daddy at the Garden wing pool. Cooling and shady. Mummy was lounging on the chair =)

A picture just before sunset. Joshie took this for us, with some guidance from daddy.

Our walk amongst the lush greenery.

Joshie and daddy sliding down the mega slide at the kids adventure zone. The adventure zone is situated at their sister hotel, Golden Sands which is just a mere 5-10 minute walk away.

Bali - Day 4

A very backdated post. Was running through my list of posts when I saw this unpublished one.

On Day 4, we woke up bright and early and got ready to go to Ubud. We left the hotel at 8am after a really quick and simple breakfast. The driver informed us that the journey to Ubud would take roughly 2 hours.

Bali traffic is quite bad, although not as bad as Jakarta. The journey seemed really long for me, mainly because I had to entertain my very cheeky son. Moreover, I was also having gastric at the same time =(. Really bad timing to fall sick.

The driver suggested that we stop by the batik factory and souvenir shop. As I was planning to look for a batik sundress, we agreed to take a look.

Balinese batik painting in the background.

Following that, we stopped by "Rumah Orang Bali" (a typical Balinese house) before heading to the temple. I can't really remember what was the name of this temple. We had to cover the lower part of our bodies before entering the temple. Also, women who are menstruating are not allowed to enter as they are deemed "unclean".

Stopped for lunch and the scenery of the paddy fields was breathtaking. Village life seems so serene as compared to the hustle and bustle of city life.

This was where we had lunch. I highly recommend this place. Bebek Bengil, which translates to Dirty Ducks.

We had two plates of their famous crispy duck. The meat was really tasty. Tender and crispy. Joshie loved it too.

After lunch, we headed to the Monkey Forest. Bought a comb of bananas to feed the monkeys. I was quite amused to see the monkey peeling the banana carefully before gobbling it up. There were monkeys everywhere. I got followed by a monkey because I was carrying the bananas in my hand. To save myself, I quickly threw the bananas to hubby.........=P Let him handle the monkeys. He's much braver than I am.

The driver also brought us to view the hilly paddy fields as pictured below.

After that, we left Ubud for Kuta. Went to Hard Rock to get myself a t-shirt =) Then walked along the beach. The weather was really hot and I felt that the sun was biting my skin!!!

That's all for Day 4.

Bali - Day 3

Won't blog in detail about day 3. Else will be too boring and might put my readers to sleep =)

Joshie and I stayed in the hotel practically the whole day. The highlight of the day was the spa! Hehe, yes even Joshie had his fair share of enjoyment and relaxation. The spa, Jiwa Spa at Conrad Hotel also caters to children. We signed up for the "Mum and Me" package. Mum gets a footbath and a 1 hour massage while the kiddo gets a footbath, 30 minute massage, chocolate bath and snacks which comprises chocolate milk & cookies.

Here are the pictures:

The cheeky modeling in his spa attire.

Footbath

Massage time. I had to ask the masseurs to place the beds right next to each other because my son refused to lie down on his own.

He also had his chocolate bath. And after that, they fed and entertained him while I relaxed. Even managed to take a catnap! =)

We walked around the hotel before heading to the restaurant for our lunch and then back to the room for our afternoon nap. Life is bliss eh?

Bali - Day 2

I had already planned to do some shopping so right after breakfast, I got the driver to bring us to Seminyak whilst the hubs attended his conference. It wouldn't be sensible to bring Joshie along to Kuta and Legian which is packed filled with people so I had to settle for Seminyak. Already did my own research before going to Bali.

I had two streets in mind - Jl Raya Seminyak and Jl Oberoi. The latter has more expensive shops so I only ended up buying 3 tops from the former. It was really hot and sunny. Both Joshie and I were already sweating like crazy and I was tired. It was not fun carrying a toddler on my hips while tackling the broken pavement along the road. It was only 11am when I told the driver I've had enough and would like to go back to the hotel to rest. He suggested that I visit Seminyak Square before heading home as it's just down the road. So we went there but I didn't buy any clothes, ended up buying ice-cream for the both of us.

Reached the hotel slightly after noon. Had our lunch and the cheeky took his nap without much fuss. After he had woken up, I brought him to the pool.

Crystal clear water with a breathtaking scenery.

His signature smile.

After playing for a while, we headed to the kids club. He had his face painted and it ain't free. Cost me IDR40,000 for face painting and tattoo. And the lady was really very slow. Kept referring to the book too. In the end, the enthusiastic boy got fed up and ran around. Didn't finish the face painting.

After taking a shower, we headed to Bumbu Bali with hubby. That's us in the restaurant, right in front of the kitchen.

The food was really superb. The seafood satay was succulent, juicy and tasty. Vegetables appetising. Beef curry was also flavourful and the meat was tender. Too bad Joshie didn't enjoy the food. He ended up eating biscuits!!!!

That's the end of Day 2.

Bali - Day 1

The hubs had to attend a conference in Bali last week. So the cheeky and I packed our bags and followed too =) Hehe, I've never been to Bali before so better grab this opportunity.

By the time we arrived at Conrad hotel in Tanjung Benoa (near Nusa Dua), it was already evening. After checking in, we quickly got into the car and headed over to Jimbaran. I know the best place to watch the sun setting is Tanah Lot but it's way too far for us. Moreover, there's nothing much to do there other than watching the sunset. Thought of heading over to Cafe Menega for our dinner as I've read good reviews from the internet. However, the driver recommended Jimbaran Bay Seafood (JBS), which according to him was nearer too. Without thinking much, I agreed as I was worried that we'd miss the sunset. It was already close to 6pm then.

The spectacular scenery. This cafe's not too crowded and the beach is clean too.

Joshie was so excited when he saw the sand and immediately took off his shoes =)

A family picture

Bought this grilled sweet corn from one of the beach vendors. I actually read about grilled sambal sweet corn in Bali before but since we were sharing it with Joshie, I told the hubs to buy a non-spicy one. It turned out to be sweet.........and it was really delicious too!

Our dinner - grilled prawns, fish and clams and deep fried calamari. It was a set dinner and it came with chicken soup and sambal kangkung too. So how was the food?????? Not nice! Disappointing in fact. I was regretting my decision to listen to the driver! Should have gone to Cafe Menega! And it wasn't cheap too. Costs us IDR800k +++++.

So did we patronize Cafe Menega? If yes, how was the food? Stay tuned.

Farm tour

One of the highlights of our Sunshine Coast holiday was the farm tour. Joshie was really excited and quickly took his afternoon nap when we told him that he'd be feeding the animals after his nap.

We saw the chickens at the car park area right after stepping out of our studio.

The cheeky approaching the chickens. The farmer was carrying a big bowl of fruits for them and they quickly followed him down to the barn. It was amazing to see their little beaks pecking so quickly at the food.

Right opposite the chicken barn were the alpacas. Three of them, one beige, one brown and a black one. The brown one was pregnant and the farmer commented that she has been a bit moody recently. Not sure if it's because her labour's approaching. Alpacas carry their babies for 11-15 months and they have control over when they want to give birth. We were told to stay away from her, cause she has the habit of spitting at people or the other two alpacas after eating. True enough, we saw her spitting at the black alpacas.

The ponies. Joshie tried to feed them a green apple but he chickened out when their mouths approached his hand.

A ride on the tractor. The farmer gladly obliged when Joshie said he wanted a ride.

Finally, he was brave enough to feed the cows!!!! Bravo, little boy!

Jacaranda Creek Farmstay

A different but beautiful experience. When I was looking for accomodation in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, I decided to check out farmstay out of curiosity. However, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was paying a deposit for Jacaranda Creek Farmstay. Ditched the idea of staying at Sheraton Hotel and bravely went through my decision, hoping that the photos on their website represent a true picture of what we will be experiencing.

Thankfully, it was within our expectations. Or should I say more. The scenery was breathtaking, as can be seen from the picture below. Blue skies, lush greenery, clean fresh air.

This is the view from the main building. Besides a tennis court, they also have a solar heated swimming pool for guests.

The main building. The owners stay on site. There are 3 homestead rooms and a studio.

The entrance to our studio. It's in a separate complex. There are 2 self-contained studios in this complex and a common dining & living area.

This is where the hubs and I slept =)

Joshie sleeps in the living room on the sofa bed.

We really enjoyed our farmstay experience. And the farmer was a really good cook! There was cereal, fruits, yoghurt and toast everyday. And she would cook a different hot breakfast everyday. We had a variety of home-baked muffins, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, hardboiled eggs, pancakes, baked tomatoes throughout our 3 day stay there.

Oh, and another good and memorable experience, especially for Joshie was the farm tour. Will blog about that in my next post. Stay tuned.

Carlton Garden in Melbourne

When we were in Melbourne for a short holiday last week, we did not go to any tourist spots. Reason being, the hubs and I have already been to the popular ones (Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula etc etc) when we were studying there seven years ago. Moreover, Joshie is only 2. So we ate ate and ate. Did some shopping, walked around the city and also catch up with some friends. But the whole trip was mainly about eating!

However, we did spare some time to go back to Carlton Gardens. The hubs used to stay at the walk-up apartments opposite this park. This was also one of the places that the hubs (then boyfriend) and I went during our initial dates. =)

Here are some pictures taken at Carlton Gardens.

Clean, broad pathway. Lush greeneries on both sides.

Cheeky running after the birds.

Cheeky and I on the green grass.

Daddy and cheeky sharing a quiet moment together =)

He was so tired after running around in Carlton Gardens that he fell asleep in the car. Didn't even wake up when we carried him out of the seat, which he usually does!

Food, glorious food!

We came back from our holiday on Monday. Since then, I've been trying to go on a diet as we were on a eating spree in Australia. We just ate everyday, didn't even go to any tourist spots in Melbourne. The hubs and I studied in Melbourne for 3 years so we were back there to meet up with friends and also to eat whatever we have missed over the past 7 years.

Here are some pictures to make you drool.......

Marinara pizza from Papa Ginos at Lygon Street.

Sizzling beef from Shark Fin House, Chinatown.

Lobster noodles also from Shark Fin House.

A variety of desserts from Brunetti.

Of course our little cheeky also ate a lot. He put on quite a lot of weight till his jeans were tight........ We were having our dinner and he was so uncomfortable that he took of his jeans. =) After dinner, we had to coax him to wear his pants again. In this picture, he was giving us a cheeky smile while the hubs was trying to pull up his pants.