Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Adelaide Day 2 - Kangaroo Island

Day 2 was an exciting day. We are heading across the straits to Kangaroo Island, including our cars. Kangaroo island is actually bigger than Singapore. Among its many attractions are the seal and penguin population along the coastline, Remarkable Rocks, Little Sahara, Vivonne Bay and Admiral's Arch.
Sophia getting grouchy by the constant demands and tantrums of both Oliver and Heidi. Both of them acquired the habit of removing their shoes in the car during long journeys.
The main transport across to the island is the SeaLink freight and passenger vessel operating between Cape Jervis on the mainland to Penneshaw, the 2nd largest town on the island.
Vehicles and cargos are transported on the vessel at scheduled interval throughout the day. I spotted a truckload of sheeps from the farm of Kangaroo Island heading to South Australia.
Oliver was quite excited to see a ship carrying cars across the sea.
After we landed on the island, we headed inland towards our first destination. It wasn't really on our itinerary but we chanced upon Prospect Hill along the route. We decided to climb up the flight of timber steps to the summit. There are 512 steps leading to a rewarding view over American River, Pelican Lagoon, the Southern Ocean and Pennington Bay. Oliver did what Captain Matthew Flinders did in 1802, climbing up to the summit of the highest peak of the island.
Posing for the camera atop Prospect Hill.
The view from the top. It was worth the climb.
Next stop, Clifford's Honey Farm. The lack of large-scale development on the island meant that small industry has floushished. Kangaroo Island's apiarists harvest honey from the pure strain Ligurian bees, which is unique and was introduced to the island in 1885.
Oliver acting silly.
This is Jenny's famous honey ice-cream sold at the farm. Dave and Jenny started out a couple of hives as a hobby in 1973. During the 1980s when the wool prices dropped, Dave and Jenny diversified by expanding their fledgling honey industry. They opened the shop in 1993 and it has been a buzzing success ever since. Heidi is anticipating...
We always just buy one cup or cone of ice-cream and make them share.
After the farm, afternoon nap beckoned. Both of them slept in identical way.
When we reached our next destination, we were greeted by a few big turkeys.
More ice-cream sharing at the Kangaroo Island Lavender Farm. The lavender ice-cream falls short of expectation (if you compare to those in Hokkaido).
The lavender farm was established in 1998 and is home to an array of birdlife. Over 60 varities of lavender are harvested and distilled annually and used in extensive range of products at the farm shop.
We then headed to Kingscote, in time to catch the pelican feeding at 5pm at the Fisherman's Jetty, near to the place that we would stay for the next 2 nights.
The pelicans were waiting for their dinner and were really skilful at fighting for their share. The fisherman feeding the pelican was quite entertaining and informative. Somehow he reminded me of Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea... for no particular reason.
Our last adventure of the day was to tour the Kingscote's little penguin colony. This is the Penguin Centre near the jetty, which is an interactive and information centre that houses various sea creatures found in the bay of Kingscote.
We started the penguin tour at half past eight with a guide introducing and feeding some of the sea creatures in the saltwater aquariums.
Most fearsome looking was this squid that looks like Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars. It swallowed up the live crab in the blink of an eye. Moving outside, we are led by a guide on a torch-lit walk along the foreshore through the penguin colony. The penguins live in burrows and we could catch a few glimpses of the penguins in the natural habitat.

Adelaide Day 1 - McLaren Vale

Our first stop after collecting our car from Hertz at Adelaide Airport was McLaren Vale, 35km or so away from Adelaide city. It is a wine region that is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. It also has an abundance of cafes and restaurants that happily showcase local produce.
Oliver and Heidi quickly settled into the black Ford Focus. Heidi is showing the 3 fingers.
On the way to McLaren Vale Motel, they felt asleep, and me and Sophia also felt into a deep sleep after checking into the room. The flight really made us very tired.
When we awoke, it was mid-afternoon. Time to fill our stomach and head to one of the more famous eating places, Blessed Cheese, which is a unique combination of cheese shop, cafe and provedore specialising in artisan cheeses.
This salad and the figs in it is really delicious. The fig looks like a lime from the outside, with pulp like grapefruit. But the taste is entirely different. How come they don't use figs in salad sold in Singapore?
Along the walkway outside Blessed Cheese, Oliver does his now signature pose.
Heidi loves the cappuccino. Which made her looks like Joker.
Why so serious?
Next stop was the Jubilee Park Adventure Playground. This is a very impressive fort-like construction made mainly of wood into mazes, towers and bridges. Even the floor is covered with wood shavings so that it cushions any fall.
Oliver loves speed. And he is game to go ever higher.
The community came together to build this playground with voluntary labour, and it has won numerous award with its design and innovativeness.
Just before we called it a day and head back to the motel, we stopped by this place atop one of the beautiful beaches in the region.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Australia Again

As usual, my mum and sis sent us to the airport for our 2225 flight. This is the 3rd medium trips we are doing within 11 months, and we are making up for lost time. We didn't travel for 4 years prior to Hokkaido in May 2010.

This time round we headed to Adelaide, after the planned trip to Central Japan was aborted. And Sophia did all the research prior to the trip, often till the wee hours, so that we have an itinerary that is similar to Follow Me Japan's standard.

Oliver didn't sleep on the flight till about 2am. Captivated by the inflight entertainment.

Monday, April 11, 2011

The earthquakes and tsunami in Japan took many lives and wreaked havoc in many towns. Oliver replayed the images which he saw on TV, and probably through his conversation with his friends in school, while playing his cars.

We also had to change our travel plans.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Emo and too much of it

I remember many years back, my colleague and friend Karen Ho even told me that I am very 'emo'. As much as I did not admit to it back then, I know indeed, I am very much a 'feeler' rather than a thinker especially these days. Since young, my grandma labelled me as crybaby. I never like that labelling, as I feel like a weakling. I always wonder why, was my mum an emo queen (unfortunately I never have a chance to find out), certainly my dad does not appear to be like one. That curiousity actually had me examining my tear ducts closely at the mirror, and my conclusion after looking at those ducts, they are quite huge. Thats two huge assets I have owned so far - big mouth and big tear ducts. God is somehow not very fair, isn't it? My consolation is that somehow when all my face features come together, they make quite a friendly face whom people find it easy to talk to. Well, if that still apply these days, with my ever sunking cheeks.

Until these days, that crybaby in me never quite go away. Recently, I became very affected by the earthquake followed by Tsunami that struck Japan. We were planning to tour Japan in April, and I was looking forward to it, and wanted very badly to get out of my work. Almost every other nights, I had to work till 1 am after the kids dozed off at 10pm. Some nights, I had to just work and Boon Heng looked after the kids. It is very frustrating as I treasure every moments spent with my kids. Being around at home, but not around with them. Last Friday, Yvonne smsed me the bad news when we were out catching a movie. We didn't know it was that devastating. Still, I glued myself to the TV trying to catch every news clips. It was horrifying watching the news, and I could not control my tears. Gosh. Japan is such a beautiful country and I could not imagine living if the people I know were all gone. Somehow, I had the compelling need to share my sadness with Oliver. At bedtime, I explained to Oliver why I was sad.

Me - Oliver, I feel very sad.
Oliver - Why?
Me - We cannot go Japan, because there is tsunami and many people died.
Oliver - Is it died like Snow White?
Me - No, Snow White fainted. She did not die.
Oliver - What is died?
Me - When someone dies, they go to another place and never come back.
Oliver - Where is the place?
Me - I don't know where is the place, because I have not been to that place.
Oliver - Is the place 'Japan'?
Me - speechless... (oh dear, I should certainly take stock of my emo and not confuse Oliver).

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011



Saw this video at a friend's blog. We hardly get any good ads like this from local TV.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

My favourite brunch place is...






Riders Cafe... winning hands down.