my all-time fav san francisco has 2 contenders now...First, Zermatt and now Aust.So SF's down to No. 3..oops!
i love aussieland. Gold coast and surfers paradise...love it.. :)
We are truly lucky to be with the experienced ones throughout our whole stay i.e Bil and Sil. If you were to know the no. of times Bil had been there, you'd be amazed..So yeah the husband and I were in very good hands.. :)
Of the 3 worlds we visited, (Movieworld, Seaworld and Dreamworld)my favourite has got to be Movieworld for its thrilling rides especially its latest, Superman ride! I purposely made it my last ride at Movie World cos' I need to build up my courage first la..heh! And boy oh boy, it was all worth it! Any takers?
see the steep rollercoaster ride at the background? that's the Superman Ride!
Sil and I at Movieworld
At Dolphin Cove..Seaworld
4 of us at Dreamworld..
4th Sept
The day we visited Australia Zoo was also THE day Steve Irwin was stabbed by the venomous barb of the stingray. Unfortunately, he succumbed. We were only informed of his demise by our coach driver John, after we exit and hopped onto the coach at abt 3:30pm (Aust time). It was approximately 2hours after his demise was made public. Everyone was struck with disbelief. And as the coach left the zoo's premises, we noticed the press looming around the management. Later that evening, people from all walks of life started streaming into the zoo to pay their tributes to the late crocodile hunter. While in the zoo, we made some harmless comments like how somber the mood in the zoo seemed to be and how the 'Crikey' show lacks its usual energetic appeal. At that point in time, we didn't know about his demise as yet but something was just lacking, we thought. Apparently the staff already knew of the tragedy since the show was ard 1230pm while he already passed away at 1152am that morning. Throughout the whole week, we read, we watched news updates and tributes after tributes on the late Steve Irwin. It was especially heartbreaking when videos of his young family were shown. He was eventually buried at Australia Zoo but even the funeral procession was not telecast, by request of his family members. His father was the only spokesperson for the family. No interviews with his wife Terri, not even with his best mate, Wes. Although the Aust govt offered a state funeral, his family declined for he was just a normal Aussie bloke, the father said. Such humility. He's also known for being a WYSIWYG. His demise is definitely heartwrenching not just for the Australians but for the world, for he was such a dedicated conservationist who wanted to be remembered for his enthusiasm and passion. He'll be truly missed by all.
the late Steve on video before 'Crikey' show starts..
Crikey Show at Crocoseum
Next up, we went on a full day to Byron Bay,known as the "alternative lifestyle" capital of Australia. On the way to Byron Bay, we visited the coastal village of Bangalow, which reminded me so much of Sausalito in San Francisco. We also had a short visit to Byron Bay Lighthouse. On our way back, we travelled through banana plantations before going for chocolate tasting at Chocolate Expo followed by a visit to the renowned SuperBee where we lugged bottles after bottles of honey back home.
Byron Lighthouse
Byron Bay Arthouse
Bangalow Antiques
Our final scenic tour was to Springbrook Mountain, home to 5 cascading waterfalls nestled over 1000m above the Surfers Paradise Skyline. When we reached the best lookout at the mountain top, all that we could feast our eyes on was only fog and more fog as it was a very foggy morning...No luck...brrr..But still a nice morning walk amongst the lush greenery....The waterfalls nestled in the mountain tho' were simply magnifique! On our way back, I had the opportunity to feed the rainbow lorikeets at the homestead. 2 of them just had to perch on my head. duh. finally, the day ended at the tropical fruit farm where we had our first taste of the chocolate pudding fruit, not avail in sgp....yummyzz..
Aussieland is simply fantastic! there's also Surfers paradise night markets that I am so in love with and Harbourtown, which is so similar to Woodburn and last but not least 'Lego-like' Pacific Fair Shopping Haven... :)
All other pics will be up in my multiply..when I find the time to upload them yea..teehee!
