NSW 2013: Joylaine Beach House, Shellharbour

After few days of spending time in the heart of Sydney, we headed down to south, got ourselves checked-into a very cosy holiday house in Shellharbour.

Shellharbour is a tranquil city located in the Illawarra region of NSW (New South Wales). It's framed between the sparkling waters of the Tasman Sea and the magnificent Illawarra Escarpment, with Lake Illawarra to the north and the Minnamurra River to the south.

Initially I planned to staying in the city of Wollongong, but when I searched for a place to stay, Shellharbour gave more choices and impressively more family-friendly. I had never heard of Shellharbour, frankly. But the more I researched on South Coast, the better understanding I had. The location of Shellhabour is a perfect spot to base one-self while exploring the wider Illawarra area, i.e. to Kiama and Illawara Tree Top.

The house that I booked prior to our arrival was Joylaine Beach House, approximately 50 metres from the water's edge and just few streets away from Addison Street and the foreshore. Basically, we were a couple of minutes walk to restaurants, specialty shops and cafes. The price? A$450 for 2 nights of weekdays and another A$300 for a weekend night.

Aug 2013: Doctor for a Day

This is my firstborn, dressed up in scrubs, paying attention to an explanation in the "Emergency" station of one programme called "Doctor for a Day" in Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital. Each and every session was taken up fast. But thanks to Jean of Wee Stories' for getting extra slots for SMBs, I managed to sign her up for it in the end.

The programme is part of the hospital's community outreach effort, where children can role-play as doctor in the hospital setting, and have a taste of being a General Practitioner, a Surgeon, as well as bathe, clean and diaper a baby in a nursing room. Brilliant idea to inspire young generation to be doctor in future.

However, it didn't conjure her to be One immediately. She may consider to be a nurse though. 

Overall, she had an amazingly good time there. Once she reached home, she made Bomber a patient and they had few rounds of role-play with the stethoscope given in the goodie bag.

Looks like she learnt to be a doctor to her baby sister. 

Credits: Michelle Coleman's Lucky in Love; Sahlin Studio's Art & Soul, Wild Blueberry Ink; Studio Romy, and the paper medallions from here.

NSW 2013: Sydney, Here and There

Walking is the best mode to travel, in my opinion.

Invariably, walking in a very dense city is an interesting thing to do. Imagine every few steps of walk, there is things to see, to touch, to hear, even to smell. Evidently, my girls enjoyed very much from the very eventful stretch from The Rocks to Opera House, through Circular Quay. No second of dullness, no ground to throw a fuss.

Back to the Nature! SBWR

Do you know that there is a 130 hectares wetland site in Singapore?

Over the long weekend (due to Hari Raya Puasa and Singapore's National Day), I dragged my family to visit Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR), a home to a multitude of wetland flora and fauna. 

According to SBWR, more than 35% of the world's mangroves are already gone. In Singapore, mangrove forest cover has been reduced from an estimated 13% in the 1820's to less than 0.5% of the total land area today.

So, I thought: Must go before it's gone!

NSW 2013: Australian Museum

Australian Museum, the oldest museum in Australia. Established in 1827, it is the home of a wealth of exhibits encompassing natural history, skeletons, minerals and gems, Australian fauna and Aboriginal culture. Among all, seeing fossil dinosaurs in the dinosaur exhibition was the highlight of our visit. All because of my dear daughter is a fan of Dinosaur Train and has learn a lot about the extinct creatures. As a mother, I should ride on her interest to pay a visit to the Museum.

NSW 2013: The Rocks

So I did zip around the alleys of The Rocks like a local. Well, because we stayed in the quaint neighborhood.

If not because of the opportunity, we were like many, have walked past without realising the history and significance hidden in its walls. In my previous trip, I enjoyed the ever colourful The Rocks Markets, one of Sydney's greatest; I lost my manner when I gulped down the pork rib in Pancakes on the Rocks. Admittedly, I had little knowledge about The Rocks.

But not after my second trip to Sydney. The Rocks is not just a tourist and leisure destination, it is where Sydney began.

NSW 2013: The Rocks Cottage

I admit, I was attracted very much by its tastefully furnished interior. I wanted to experience the living in there so much that I shifted my itinerary, just to have this terrace house booked and tasted a living in The Rocks. 

One of the great things about travel is that it gives us a chance to be a creative planner of living in faraway land(s). At the same time, ensuring impact of the change is exciting (to the little ones). I wanted to visit South Coast of NSW for the first few days of our trip to Sydney, then return to and roam around Sydney until the every last day of the trip. But because the lovely house was only available during the first few days of our trip, I swapped the two major parts of the plan just to get the opportunity to stay over in the convict heritage and explore the historical neighbourhood. My excel spreadsheet (the itinerary) was a mess for a while.

So, there we were in The Rocks Cottage. The Rocks Cottage is part of the original Argyle Street shops from 1863 and the terrace house have been renovated to heritage standards and comfortably furnished. "It is a gorgeous property, everything literally at your doorstep", according to Desiree, the property agent who I liaised with (via email) to secure my booking of the house for 4 nights. This is a 4-bedrooms terrace house actually. But because I only needed 3 bedrooms for 5 adults and 2 children, she charged me A$375 per night, excluded the bedding (A$100) and cleaning fees(A$150). It was a good deal, frankly, and everyone had no complain to stay there... except the whirling staircase, kind of, for the young and the old.

And Desiree was right, its locality is very close proximity to Circular Quay (being one of Sydney's most significant public spaces). Everyday we stepped out from the the house, strolled and admired old charm and historic houses, pubs, cafes and restaurants in the area, passed by Observatory Hill, The Rocks Visitors Centre, towards the Museum of Contemporary Art and finally Circular Quay. The girls didn't complain a word about walking everyday and night. For the record, this was the very first time for us staying in the heart of a city. It was pretty extraordinary. 

NSW 2013: Koolewong Foreshore Reserve

This is Koolewong Foreshore Reserve, overlooking at the calm water of Brisbane Water. The expanse of blue amid the untamed green, together with some boats moored quietly there, it formed a picturesque landscape. It is incredibly beautiful!

You can see more about Koolewong Foreshore Reserve here.

It was a surprise found when we drove our way to Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf for our late lunch. As you can see from the map below, Keelowong Foreshore located between West Gosford and Woy Woy along a stretch of waterfront on Brisbane Water Drive. The scenery caught our attention while SC was driving along Brisbane Water Drive. He made an impromptu decision to park at one of the car park area. The girls were asking, "Why are we stopping here?"

No reason, just felt nice to find a place to stretch out. The tranquil blue reminded me of the glorious blue horizon in Busselton and why I wanted to re-visit Australia again. I love the expanse of blue.

And lucky us, we got to pass by the foreshore twice.

NSW 2013: Our Adventure Began

Did you see alligators? Lazing around the pond...

We were in Australian Reptile Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, about an hour drive north of Sydney. It was not in my planned itinerary, my aunt highly recommended it. We were staying over at her place in one suburb of northern Sydney. I kept the day free to wander the suburb where my aunt and her family are staying, while she and her family at work and in school. But, she thought that it made sense for us to go further north on our own, ie Central Coast for a day trip.

It was 3 in the afternoon when we reached at the entrance of the Park. We were told that the Park is closed at 5pm and because of only two hours of visiting the park, we got a special rate for the tickets. Apparently most shows or guided tourswere no more available for us too.

As such, there were not many visitors, the ambiance became quiet and pretty (ahem) spooky for us, especially where top trees reduced the sun light penetrating in the bushland and there was only us, no other people could be seen. The chirping of insects and birds were sure added injected the fun to explore the park.

The Post Travel Syndrome

We were away from the tropical for 11 days, including two days of sitting in the plane, gluing our eyes to small screen, with mum's gentle reminder to off the screen (once or twice) and rest their eyes. 

Needless to say, it was a wonderful trip. Despite a lousy improvised decision of putting three elderly and two kiddos at Double Bay Wharf in the dark(it was after 6pm), under the rain, waiting for the next (and possible very last for the day) ferry to bring us back to Circular Quay, every part of the trip was tremendously awesome! 

And now that we are back to the reality of routine and tension, I am having withdrawal syndrome from the awesome trip. 

I don't remember I had this kind of syndrome before.