An Afternoon @ StarVista

Kaeden remembered the Kampung Fiesta that was happening at the atrium. He asked in his ever sweetest voice if we could try to accumulate $50 worth of spending here at the Star so as to exchange for the entry pass.

Well, I gladly oblige by suggesting lunch at Bornga Korean BBQ, a place that the kids dreaded... Probably due to large amount of vegetables served! Haha

It was our 2nd time patronizing the restaurant and food was still as good as I remembered it to be. We ordered one Bibimbap for the kids to share and two servings of Samgyeopsal...

Indeed a satisfactory lunch for me! And definitely a boring lunch for our fussy eater who decided that sleep seemed more 'tasty' than the food in front of her...

Well, at least she woke up in time for some old school games and yummy treats at the Kampung Fiesta :)

Paradise Country

11 June 2014

Following the checkout from our awesome service apartment from Mantra Circle, we headed straight to Paradise Country where we got to see more of Australia's Native Animals such as the Koala, Kangaroo, Dingo and Emu.

The admission ticket has a lunch option which we took it up to save us the hassle of driving out for food since there wasn't any food outlet within the vicinity.

We were handed a copy of the farm tour timetable with all the activities planned out nicely for us. The kids wanted to try out Gold Fossicking which in my humble opinion, was a pretty waste of money. Nonetheless, I am still glad they had fun.

We approached the Kangaroo and Koala Enclosure next, where most of the kangaroos were spending their afternoon lazing around. Haha... it got Ash rather upset that none of the kangaroos were keen to be fed...

At the Sheep Sheering Show & Ram Parade... our brave boy volunteered to go upstage as "Muscle Man".

Our quick lunch @ the outback restaurant...

Last show of the day featuring stockmen and their dogs rounding up a flock of sheep, milking a cow and throwing a boomerang...

And then it was time to say "Goodbye"...

I felt that Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Paradise Country were both somewhat similar with the later being catered for tourist. The shows were intended for laugh rather than for educational purposes. For a real Aussie Native Wildlife / Farm experience, I would strongly recommend paying a visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary instead.

Accommodation for the next 3 nights in Gold Coast... Sea World Resort!

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary & Super Bee Honey World

10 June 2014

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary isn't the typical zoo we all known and seen. Instead, its a place very close to nature, close to the home of the Australian Native animals.

Past the entrance of the sanctuary, we were greeted by Australia's very own cuddly Koala Bears!

Aren't they cute?

There are a whole lot of activities for the entire family ranging from educational animal shows, animal feedings or just enjoying a ride on the miniature train that runs throughout the sanctuary...

Our favorite had to be the free roaming kangaroos at the Kangaroo & Emu enclosure! The kids were so happy just spending the afternoon feeding and patting the mob of kangaroos hopping around.

Super Bee Honey World is located just across from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Its a shop that not only sells various range of honey products, they have "Live Beekeeping Show" going on every half-hourly as well. Glad that we were able to make it for the last show of the day as it was an informative lesson on bees' behaviour, how honey were made and harvested. Different flavors of honey are available for tasting too!

Mount Tamborine

09 June 2014

We drove up the mountainous region of Gold Coast... Mount Tamborine, known as the "Green" behind the "Gold"!

The drive wasn't that bad if not for the so-called "NeverLost" that led us down a couple of dead ends...

Our 1st stop at Cedar Creek Winery where both the Glow Worm Cave and Frog Hollow are located.

The glow worm caves at Mt Tamborine were built to help in the preservation of glow worms whose habitats have been diminishing due to climate change and human impacts. It was an informative tour as we learnt what exactly are glow worms, why they glow and their entire life cycle from an egg to an adult.

Being able to experience the glow of light created by these tiny little creatures in an entire caves of darkness was indeed amazing.

We also visited the Frog Hollow next door where the kids were introduced to more than 10 different species of Australian Frogs. They had lots of fun trying to spot those well-camouflaged frogs who blended in so well with their surroundings.

Daddy suggested checking out the new eco-adventure which is a tree top walk in the rainforest of Mount Tamborine, just a few minutes drive away from where we were.

The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk has lots of beautiful rainforest canopies, flora and fauna. The entire walk took us approximately 45 minutes and totals about 1.5 km.

It was a pleasant surprise that both the kids enjoyed the little hike, especially Ash who managed to complete it on her own with no fussing at all! Bet the wonderful weather played a huge part in her good mood! My poor legs suffered though... Haha!

Carrara Markets & Harbour Town Factory Outlet

08 June 2014

After a well-rested night, we were all up early for our morning at Australia's biggest permanent weekend marketplace, Carrara Markets which is centrally located at Carrara on the beautiful Gold Coast, a stone's throw away from where we stayed at Surfers Paradise.

The market is opened every Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm with over many stalls selling stuff ranging from plants, fashion, handicrafts, bric-a-brac and just about everything else.

They also have quite a few cafes serving local breakfast at reasonable price and we got to enjoy the bustling of the market while we kick back and relax...

They also have quite a few cafe serving food at reasonable price and we got to enjoy the bustling of the marketplace over sumptuous breakfast and a cup of coffee/smoothie like the local Aussies.

We left about noon and headed for some shopping at Harbour Town Factory Outlet. Quite a disappointing trip I must say... Thankfully the wonderful dinner at Bangkok Thai made up for it :)