Day 5: Sydney

5 Dec 2008, FRIDAY

We packed and moved to Harbourview Hotel where we were booked for 2 nights. http://www.viewhotels.com.au/hp_hv.asp The hotel was offering some special deals and we decided to splurge a little. For a price of A$428 for 2N stay, we got to enjoy a bottle of sparkling wine, chocolates, 3 course dinner for 2, complimentary garage parking, drinks voucher, buffet breakfast for 2, $25 petrol gift card and late check-out. We thought it was a good deal...and of course, the harbour view from our room was priceless!

As the room wasn't ready, we just parked the car in the garage and left the suitcases in the car boot. Then we took off to explore Sydney via the rail. The North Sydney subway station was just adjacent to the hotel. We bought a CityHopper ticket each for A$5.60 which allowed for unlimited all day travel around 11 stations within the city area. There are also other value for money leisure tickets that you can purchase depending on your travel needs http://www.cityrail.info/fares/leisure_tickets.jsp

I have always loved the Sydney rails. The trains' seatings are available in 2 split levels and the trains are spacious and quite comfortable. Depending on the direction in which the train is travelling, you can actually flip the backrest over so as to be in the same direction where the train is heading...this is especially useful for someone like me who tends to get motion sickness when having to sit in the reverse direction of the movement of the train.

As the train headed into the city, we caught a quick glimpse of the beautiful harbour bay area from the harbour bridge. Our first stop was at Town Hall station. We had wanted to visit the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) http://www.qvb.com.au/IPOH/QVB/me.get?SITE.home

Like many other Victorian architectural buildings, the QVB was a feast to the eyes. Not only did it look amazing on the outside, the interior was equally impressive. It is no wonder that some people hailed it as the most beautiful shopping centre in the world! I particularly loved the central dome where a 3-storey tall x'mas tree had been erected. And the beautiful stained glass windows and skylights on the roof not only looked terrific but also let natural light into the building. The intricate colonnades, arches and vibrant wall colors all served to make the exterior looked totally opulent and fit for the queen indeed. There are also 2 mechanical clocks ornamented with moving figures which depicted the history of Australia.

Outside of QVB, we caught sight of a street artist drawing a picture of santa using colored chalks. I always admire the passion of these street artists and performers and I make it a point to make a small contribution in support of their efforts.

After QVB, we walked down George Street and from a distance, I saw this beautiful building with the most intricate decorative detailing on the facade. As i walked closer, I suffered a rude shock to find, to my disgust, the golden arches of the infamous global food chain prominently displayed at the foyer of the building. The historical Plaza Theatre has been converted to a MacDonald's! *horror* I must say that was one hell of a MacDonald's with huge crystal chandeliers, beamed ceiling covered with beautiful motifs!

From George Street, we eventually made a right turn and headed towards Darling Harbour. Although not as pretty as Circular Quay, Darling Harbour does have its own charms http://www.darlingharbour.com/ There are many things to see and do around here i.e. take a cruise, visit the Sydney Aquarium, Widllife World, Australian National Maritime Museum, Powerhouse Museum, catch a movie at IMAX or try your luck at the Star City Casino. There's also the Sydney Visitor Centre where you can pick up NSW travel brochures and maps from a very extensive range....so that'd be a good place to make your first stop if you are planning to explore Sydney and the NSW region.

There was a college band performing festive tunes while we were there. Despite the photo below, the band was actually quite good. The tunes brought on a very christmasy spirit to the waterfront area.

From Darling Harbour, we walked for about 10min to Paddy's Markets http://www.paddysmarkets.com.au/. Good old Paddy's still looked and felt the same. However I noticed that almost all the stalls are now being run by asians. I thought I used to see more Australian stall owners in the past? Paddy is a good place to pick up souvenirs for your family and friends. We bought 6 t-shirts for A$40. Do note that Paddy's is only opened from Thu-Sun & on Public Holidays.

Apart from the usual tourist souvenirs, there's also a fresh food section where you can buy anything from vegetables, fruits to fresh meats. The produces looked really fresh and were very reasonably priced. I noticed many locals doing their grocery shopping there.

There are also many eateries, supermarkets and shops located on the upper levels of Paddy's Markets. I found one supermarket selling mostly asian products. From Paddy's, we walked back to Town Hall and took the rail to Circular Quay. The weather was beautiful and I managed to capture many pretty shots of the quay area and its 2 most iconic structures.

The Circular Quay Wharf is the terminus for all public ferry routes in Sydney. From here, you can catch a ferry to Manly, Taronga Zoo, Mosman Bay, Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Parramatta and many other locations http://www.sydneyferries.info/

I had really wanted to do the bridge climb but it was just too costly at almost A$200/pax http://www.bridgeclimb.com/default.htm A much cheaper alternative is to climb up 200 steps to the Pylon lookout - a similar view as that of the bridge climb but for only a minute fraction (A$9.50) of the price of the bridge climb http://www.pylonlookout.com.au/

We saw a big group of japanese high school students on an overseas excursion.

A street performer playing on his Didjeridoo at the quayside.

Saw this cute installation opposite Circular Quay Wharf. Reminded me of my own tan lines.

From Circular Quay, we took the rail again to Central Station where we walked around the area and then found a nice cafe where we had a hot cup of coffee each (our first cup of decent coffee after so many days in Australia!).

We then headed back to the hotel as we had made dinner reservations for 7.30pm. Dinner was at the LB's Harbourview Restaurant. From where we were seated, we had a nice view of the Lavender bay towards the harbour and the city. The food was great but it was such a pity that my appetite wasn't good as I was still sick from flu and fever. Somehow, our dessert orders were much delayed (according to the restaurant manager, the chef had burnt RG's pie)....and to make up for their delay, the cost of our drinks were waived.

We turned in early for the night as I was still running a fever. I figured if my temperature didn't subside, I'd have to call for a doctor by tomorrow. At least I'm covered under travel insurance.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

Department of Homeland Security Introduces Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Visa Waiver Program Travelers.

Effective January 12, 2009, for travel to or connecting through the U.S., the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will require all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nationals to obtain an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding.

This new authorization is known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA.

Nationals of the following countries are currently eligible to travel under the VWP:
Andorra
Iceland
Norway
Australia
Ireland
Portugal
Austria
Italy
San Marino
Belgium
Japan
Singapore
Brunei
Latvia*
Slovakia*
Czech Republic*
Liechtenstein
Slovenia
Denmark
Lithuania*
South Korea*
Estonia*
Luxembourg
Spain
Finland
Monaco
Sweden
France
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Germany
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Hungary*

* ESTA is required from November 17, 2008

Exempt from the ESTA requirement are:
* VWP nationals who are U.S. residents
* VWP nationals who hold a visa for a specific trip to the U.S.

The DHS is now accepting voluntary ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

VWP travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States before they apply for an ESTA authorization, but it is recommended that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a VWP traveler begins to plan a trip to visit the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure to the United States.

There is no cost for the application and once the application is submitted online, in most cases, ESTA will respond with an almost immediate determination of eligibility for travel. If approval is not granted prior to check-in, boarding may be denied. Passengers may experience delayed processing, or denied admission at a U.S. port of entry. At this time it is not fully known what role carriers will play in ensuring the customer has obtained ESTA approval.

Approval will be valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is earlier

Once ESTA approval has been granted, it is not necessary for the VWP national to obtain approval before each trip within the two years (unless a new passport is obtained)

An ESTA is not required for Guam or Saipan

An ESTA may be denied due to: overstays, previous criminal history, issues associated with a prior visa

Receipt of ESTA is not valid for travel

More information may be found in http://www.CBP.GOV/ESTA.

ESTA applications are available at the ESTA Website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

Day 4: Coffs Harbour to Sydney

4 DEC 2008, THURSDAY

So today was gonna be a long day as we planned to drive from Coffs all the way to Sydney. Based on our estimate, the ~530km drive would almost take 7hr or possibly even longer 'cos we were planning to stopover at Forster (which our friends had strongly recommended). Hoping to start our day earlier, we were the first at breakfast. The breakfast area was lovely with full ceiling to floor windows and from where we were seated, we had a fantastic view of Diggers Beach - basking in the golden rays of the rising sun.

The buffet spread was great and tasted delicious. And while we were eating, a little Kookaburra decided to perch itself on the window railing. We realised it must be a regular "customer" seeing that it looked so at ease and not afraid. Then one of the waiters approached it gently with a piece of ham and the Kookaburra just took it from his hand and then flew off. It was an interesting sight for us indeed.

After breakfast, we decided to take a quick stroll to the beach. Along the way, we caught sight of several more Kookaburras, perched high on the trees.


As we left the hotel, I remembered reading somewhere that there would be a farmers' market on in Coffs on every Thursday. The problem was we haven't the slightest idea where the market was located. So we just drove around the town centre and we actually found it without much difficulties. So we parked nearby to check out the market. There were just a row of make-shift stalls selling fresh local produces. I must say all the fruits, vegetables and home-made pies and cakes looked really fresh and yummy.

Coffs bananas which colors looked so vibrant!

Fresh spring onions which were much bigger than the ones we see in Singapore.

We also spoke to a sikh stall owner who was selling what looked like really huge samosas. He happened to be a immigrant settling counsellor and he was telling us to go and live in Australia as the quality of life is good there. He said it ain't that hard to obtain permanent residency there....although that wasn't exactly what we have heard from others.

Anyway, we hit the road again after spending some time at the farmers' market. It took us ~3hrs to reach Forster. RG must have been quite exhausted having driven so much without a break....so we decided to find a nice spot at J Holland Park to just sit down for a little picnic. We always brought along with us in the car some cookies, bread/cakes, chips & drinks....good for a little picnic as and when we felt like it. The food items also came in handy whenever we wished to lure the birds/animals to us so that we could get a closer look at them.

The water at Forster was a deep shade of aqua-green and really clear such that you could almost see to the bottom of the reserve. There was a big flock of pelicans and seagulls nearby who were eyeing our food. They swam to us as soon as they saw us throwing food bits into the river. I managed to get a few good shots of the beautiful birds.

The detour to Forster probably costed us an additional couple more driving hours..but it was worth it 'cos the reserve and lake were really quite pretty.



We thought we would be done with beautiful beaches when we left Gold Coast but we found more nice beaches in Forster. And they were much less crowded as compared to those in Gold Coast.

If the natural beaches weren't enough....we even found a man-made infinity pool with fresh seawater which was probably a safer option for little kids to swim in 'cos the waves could be quite big.

After enjoying a short break at Forster, we continued on our way to Sydney which was probably another 4hr drive away. Our next stopover was at Raymond Terrace where we had lunch and stretched our tired legs. Lunch was horrible asian takeaway 'cos we wanted to save time.

We were nervous about driving to Sydney 'cos we were worried about getting lost or going on toll roads without realising it and getting fine for it. Luckily for us, we had brought along our old Sydney street directory which was still very much relevant. In order to avoid having to drive into the city, we had booked our accommodation in North Sydney. We managed to find our hotel - Rydges North Sydney without much difficulties. We had only booked Rydges for 1 night as we had wanted to stay at North Sydney Harbourview hotel but it wasn't available on that particular night of our arrival. The Rydges room was A$162 for a parkview room and it included garage parking. Our room was overlooking St Leonards Park and it was nice to see all the green...quite a change from the coastal views that we have had for the past couple of days http://www.rydges.com/hotel/0/RNNSYD/Rydges-North-Sydney.htm

Because it was already quite late, we decided to just drive to the nearby McMahons Point near the Lavender Bay for an evening stroll and to enjoy some views of the harbour bridge and opera house. There weren't many people there, unlike other touristy spots where you get to view the two sydney icons...we were able to spend some quiet romantic moments at the park, watching the bridge and the opera house light up as the sky turned dark. But I felt really cold as the wind was really chilly and I wasn't warmly dressed. As a result of that, I caught a cold almost immediately and I started to spike a fever. Thank god I brought along flu medication.

So we went to bed early 'cos we were quite exhausted after the long drive....tomorrow, we would be exploring Sydney!

Day 3: From Gold Coast to Coffs Harbour

3 DEC 2008, WEDNESDAY

So we left paradise and continued on our journey. Next stop would be Coffs Harbour. Google map had indicated the distance from Surfers Paradise to Coffs to be roughly 317km. We expected the entire drive to take approximately 4 hours...but of course, we had given ourselves sufficient time allowance for "distractions" along the way for food, shopping and sightseeing. What we didn't plan on was to get stuck behind a mobile home for quite a long distance. As most of the roads were either 1 or 2 lanes the most and the house was an oversize load which occupied more than 1 lane, there was no way we could overtake it without causing danger to ourselves and other road users. So we just had to resign to fate and followed slowly behind the mobile home until it finally made a turn-off.

As we didn't eat much for breakfast, we decided to stop over at Ballina Fair Shopping Centre for a quick bite at Subway which had a very special breakfast deal - sandwich + coffee for only A$3.95. Although I was quite put off by the way the eggs were being cooked (cracked into a paper container & sprayed with loads of oil and then microwaved!), I must say that the sandwich was totally yummy (as compared to the Singapore versions!). The coffee (as with most Australian brews) was however just too watered down for my liking.

After breakfast, we figured we could afford to spend some time checking out the seemingly big mall. I had wanted to buy a new bathing suit without having to burn a big hole in my pocket....so I headed straight for Target and managed to find a 2-pc swimsuit for less than A$40 after discounts! And since there was a sale, I just couldn't resist buying the really pretty cotton slips - ohh, in a few different colors too! =P

With much encouragement from me (the No. 1 Crocs fan!), RG finally bought his first pair of Crocs and for only less than half the retail price in Singapore. Feeling a little guilty from spending so much time/$ at the mall, we decided to make up by driving a longer distance before stopping for a later lunch.

We finally arrived in Coffs in the late afternoon....and had to cancel our original plan to visit The Big Banana as it closes quite early at 4.30pm (NSW time). We only managed to catch a glimpse of the iconic big banana on the way to our resort.

We were booked for 1 night at Aanuka Beach Resort http://www.visitcoffsharbour.com/aanuka/ . It was a very good deal at A$123/night and inclusive of breakfast. There wasn't much of a view but we were just a stone throw to the Diggers Beach. We just checked in, left our suitcases in the room and made our way to the harbour in the hope of catching the sunset.

We parked at the Fisherman's Co-op car park and walked along the northern breakwater. The waves were quite big and strong and the fact that there were signs that warned of waves overtopping the breakwater kinda made me a tad nervous.

However, the beautiful coastal and marina views soon made me forget my fears.

Having walked to the end of the breakwater, we continued onwards to the Muttonbird Island. It is a tiny little island and the paved walkway from one end of the island to the other is only 1km return and would take about 30min to walk. The island is the migratory home to thousands of muttonbirds that would fly to this island to breed each year. Their burrowed nests can be seen on the ground all over the island and to avoid trampling on the burrows and killing the birds, visitors are to walk only on the paved walkway and nowhere else.

The walk is a medium grade one as some parts of the track is pretty steep as shown in the above photo. But it was definitely worth the trip for us as the views from the island were amazing.

The view of the marina where the boats are moored from Muttonbird Island.

And at the end of the walkway, we came to a lookout platform where we enjoyed breathtaking views of the vast ocean and the nearby Solitary Islands Marine Park. We were also told that that was a great spot for whale watching as the humpback whales often visit from the months between June to October. As I stood there staring out into the horizon and trying to figure out the actual vastness of the Tasman Sea, I suddenly realised how small and insignificant I am....and that we are all but just a very microscopic part of a much much bigger picture.

As the sun began to set, the view towards the marina was awesome..especially with the reflections seen in the stillness of the water at the marina. And as we walked along the deck of the marina back to the carpark, we had stopped to look at the fishes in the shallow waters...and had also spotted crabs, mudskippers and many other marine creatures in the nooks and crannies of the pier.

We had a lovely time at Coffs Harbour and would recommend everyone who's passing through to make a stop here to explore its beauty....it's definitely worth it!

Day 2: Springbrook National Park & Gold Coast

2 DEC 2008, TUESDAY

Because it was summer, sunrise was early at 5-6ish in the morning. We got up early and were rewarded with the most amazing view of the rising sun painting the sky into a deep orangy red.

And as the sun rose higher into the sky, its rays were bounced off from buildings, the sand and the sea and everything just turned into gold! It was truly magnificent.

So today, we decided to explore Springbrook National Park and the entire stretch of Gold Coast. Springbrook NP wasn't that far from Surfers Paradise...but there was quite a stretch of narrow and windy roads and it took us slightly over an hour to get there.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park/index.cgi?parkid=31

Although it ain't a huge place as compared to others, there are still several sections which would probably take us a few days if we really want to cover it in full. So we picked the plateau section to explore. Our first stop was Purling Brook falls. It ain't a big waterfall but the height of the drop was still impressive.

Anyway, before we left the hotel, I had put on a mossie patch thinking that there would be many mossies and insects at the park. However, I was totally wrong....unlike tropical rainforests, there ain't a single mossie at the Springbrook park. It was also very pleasant to trek through the reserve 'cos the weather, although sunny, was still pretty cool and the air was fresh and crisp. There were hardly any people around and it was almost like we had the entire place to ourselves (apart from the chirping birds & crickets!).

There were little rivers and creeks along the way. We saw parrots and birds of all sorts....we heard strange whipping sounds which we subsequently realised were made by the Eastern Whipbird. A local told us that there's even a breed of bird that mimics various sounds i.e. nokia ring tone and truck honks!

The walking tracks were mostly shaded by the trees. Somehow I was reminded of the "Enchanted Forest" stories by Enid Blyton that I used to read when I was a little girl. It all seemed almost magical as the trees swayed their branches in the gentle breeze and their leaves rustling like they were whispering some secrets.

Our next stop was the Canyon Lookout. We parked the car and took a stroll to see the Twin Falls and Rainbow Falls. That was our rental car in the photo - taking a rest in the shade after the long drive to Springbrook.

Next stop was "The Best of All Lookout". We figured we couldn't afford to miss this....given its name. Well, we were glad we went 'cos the view from there was awesome. At this highest lookout on the plateau, we got a great panoramic view of Mt Warning, Byron Bay and Coolangatta. We were lucky that the skies were clear that morning as fog and mist could really turn this Best of All Lookout into a total letdown.

We met this nice family who had travelled all the way from west coast of USA (in the photo). As we chatted, we realised that they had just driven up from Sydney and had gone to most of the places that we were planning to visit. So we exchanged travel tips and they told us to definitely not miss places like Byron Bay, Forster and Coffs Harbour. Forster wasn't in our original list of places to visit as it was a long detour from the main highway but since it came highly recommended by our newfound friends...we decided to rework our driving route to include Forster. Well, that's the fun part about road trips....your itinerary is as unpredictable as the day's weather!

The above photo is of 2 ancient Antarctic beech trees which may be more than 2,000 years old and they could be found just a short walk from the Best of All Lookout. The fact that they exist indicated that the climate might had been much colder a long time ago. They kinda reminded me of the trees that came to life in the Lord of the Ring.

On our way back from Springbrook, we stopped by Tweed Heads to grab a quick lunch. We found this quaint eatery called Scale Seafood that served fish & chips and other seafood which was located along the Tweed river. Lunch was fish & chip and calamari...they were absolutely delish and one of the best that we had eaten so far!! We noticed that the eatery also had a section selling fresh seafood. Many locals were buying their seafood from there and everything looked so fresh. It was no wonder that our battered fish and calamari tasted so fresh and good! We had to wait quite long to get our food 'cos their business was very good. Lunch by the river with a lovely view as shown in the above photo...all that was missing was a glass of ice cold beer and life (at that moment) would have been perfect.

After lunch, we checked out Point Danger and then made our way up North to explore the entire stretch of Gold Coast all the way from Coolangatta to The Spit. Here are some shots along the way.

Surfer dudes in their golden tan and carefree live-for-the-moment attitudes.

An Australian White Ibis - sunbathing and enjoying the beautiful scenery perhaps.

The waves were actually quite big and people were expected to swim between the red & yellow flags. Most of the beaches are patrolled to ensure safety. Here's a patrol car parked in the shade - keeping a constant lookout for any signs of danger.

The eagle spreads its wing at the top of Kirra Hill.

From the southern most of Gold Coast looking north, all we saw was miles and miles of the beach and also the beautiful skyline of Surfers Paradise.

Having read about the Q1 in one of the online travel sites, we just had to check it out. According to wiki, Q1 is the world's tallest residential tower and the tallest building in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere.

So while I was taking photos, 2 crazy chicks...obviously very high on something...ran in front of my camera and started jumping up and down. So I asked them to pose for a photo and they were only too keen to oblige.....after several poses and quick snaps on my cam, they ran away as fast as they had appeared...without a care in the world, laughing hysterically and madly waving to all the cars that were passing them. Well.....you are only young once, I guess.

The entire stretch from Coolangatta's Point Danger Lighthouse to The Spit is approximately 33km long...which should take you less than an hour's drive. However, there are so many things to see and do along the coast that you'd probably need to spend days if you wanna to explore each and every section of the beach along the entire Gold Coast. And when you are done with the sun, sand and sea....and would like some retail therapy, I'd highly recommend the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre http://www.pacificfair.com.au/ ....and trust me, you don't want to leave your cash/credit cards at home.