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 :)

Down Under Adventure

06 & 07 June 2014

Australia has always been a place Daddy Walker wanted to visit and this June holidays... he finally got his wish fulfilled. It was a very last minute trip and I am glad everything turned out well!

The weather was bright and sunny yet wonderfully cool when we reached Brisbane International Airport after our red eye flight the previous night.

Very safe and efficient country was our first impression of Aussie. It was just a matter of minutes at both the immigration and rental counter before we were off to collect our rented car for the week.

It was about an hour plus drive to our 2 bedroom Ocean Spa Apartment @ Mantra Circle on Cavill...

Check out the magnificent view from our 30 storey unit!

The apart-hotel has a great location situated next to the supermarket and has easy access to both the malls and beach. Haha! No prize for guessing where we got our dinner for the first night!

It was a relaxing evening spent exploring the surroundings including the legendary Surfers Paradise!

River Safari with the Birthday Boy

We deliberated on the topic of having a birthday party for the longest time ever and eventually came to a compromise...

Let the birthday boy do the planning!

My jaw almost dropped when Kaeden suggested a trip to the River Safari (... of all the places in Singapore!) but well... how could we disappoint him right?

The weather in the morning was perfect for an excursion into the 'wild'. Since Ash did not meet the minimum height requirement for the boat ride, we stayed on the viewing deck while the boys went ahead on their Amazon River Quest expedition...

 

The kids continued their exploration of the safari for another couple of hours before they finally surrendered to the hot sun. It was definitely an eye-opener for all of us to have such up-close encounter with the enormous river animals and giant pandas.

 

How better to end the day with a nice lunch at the sure-must-visit Mama Panda Kitchen!

Disney Magic - Part 2

21 March 2014

Kaeden and Ashlyn were thrilled when they knew that our breakfast companions were none other than their favorite Disney characters!

There were 2 sessions (7:30 AM and 9:30 AM) for the character dining at the Enchanted Garden Restaurant and we booked the later slot for a less hectic morning.

Ash was straining her tiny neck looking for Mickey and Minnie before we even got to our allocated table.. And it was...... Chef Pluto who made the first appearance!

Initially, she seemed pretty wary of this life-size walking dog that had its paw all over her but they soon became friends...

Following the excited screams of little fans (Ash included!), out came Mickey Mouse and Daisy Duck coming over to say "Hi"!

Mickey, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy took turns stopping by every table for some interactions with the children and adult-alike. There is ample time for photo opportunity, a game or two and even stealing a hug or kiss!

We were glad to let Ash experience Disney in the most magical way we could. Don't expect too much from the food though, its not that fantastic although the spread was pretty decent. Then again... its Mickey and friends that we came to meet!

Its then back to Disneyland again, much to the kids' anticipation!

Our highlights for Day No 2 in Hong Kong Disneyland... Mystic Point, Toy Story Land and Grizzly Gulch revisited!

Mystic Point...

P/S: The ride at Mystic Manor can be a tad too frightening for young children like Ash. She practically buried her head behind Daddy's arm! Do take note, ya?

Toy Story Land...

Ash's favorite Slinky Dog Spin!

And yesssssshhh... We are back to Grizzly Gulch again!

Ash definitely enjoyed herself at the parade yesterday looking at the way she swayed and danced to the music. Little did I expected Kaeden to enjoy it too! He even requested to watch it again...

After the "less-than-pleasant" experience with the crowds yesterday, we decided to watch the parade in comfort at the Corner Cafe along Main Street instead...

We went on for more rides... bought more souvenirs... caught the fireworks... and bade farewell to the Happiest Place on Earth at its closing hour for the day.

Thank you Hong Kong Disneyland for the two days of wonderful memories!

Disney Magic - Part 1

20 March 2014

It was definitely a day that the kids were looking forward to... Disneyland!

Cab to MTR Olympic Station ---) MTR Sunny Bay Station ---) MTR Disneyland Resort Station

After checking out of Royal Plaza Hotel, we hopped onto a cab to Olympian City for our long awaited dim sum breakfast at Tim Ho Wan. Cab fare was about 45 HK dollars (SGD 7.50).

Tim Ho Wan has yet to open for the day but locals were already forming a queue outside... Food must be good, isn't it?

and indeed was good!

Tim Ho Wan
Shop 72, G/F, Olympian City, 18 Hoi Ting Road, Tai Kok Tsui
Olympian City Mall
Hong Kong, China (Mongkok)
Opening Hours: 10:00 am to 09:30 pm

The MTR Olympic Station is connected to the UG/F level of Olympian City 2. Very convenient and pretty hassle free for family like us with kids, stroller and luggage in tow.

Within minutes and we were on the train bounded for MTR Disneyland Resort Station!

We settled the registration for our stay at Disney's Hollywood Hotel, left our luggage, redeemed the park's tickets and started our Day 1 of 2 exploration of the Happiest Place on Earth!

Exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland are the 3 newest themed lands - Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land.

Grizzly Gulch reminisces an abandoned mining town set amidst mountains and woods, founded on 8 August 1888 - the luckiest day of the luckiest month of the luckiest year, by prospectors looking to discover gold.

The centerpiece of Grizzly Gulch is The Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Car, a thrilling adventure on a runaway train that goes forwards, backwards and crisscrosses in and around the entire area! This was Kaeden's favorite ride in the entire theme park!

Mystic Point is set in 1909 at an adventure's outpost established in 1896 in a dense, uncharted rain forest surrounded by mysterious forces and supernatural events. The site features Mystic Manor, sets as a home to a world traveler and adventurer.

Toy Story Land is designed to "shrink the guest" down to being the size of a toy, and to play in Andy's backyard with his toys from the movies. It was done through using bamboo as giant blades of grass surrounding the area and many themed props and characters from the Toy Story movies.

The highlights of our first day in Hong Kong Disneyland...

We managed to cover almost all the attractions in Fantasyland and Grizzly Gulch in that few hours while we were there. Did some shopping, caught the parade (which got Ash super excited!) and left early for our dinner at the award winning Crystal Lotus...