From Sydney With Love 2013

Once in a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Holla, the best city I like in the kangaroo continental is Sydney. From the first time, I felt in love with this city, where loves blooming here. I visited this crowded city for two days with different weather, sunny chilly wind then calm cold freezing. However, in this city my special ones, two super women gathered, met up, had chit chat till late night, and short hang out together, i couldn't be happier than this. Long time no see her, it's extremely short two days but 
it's more than enough than no meeting at all. Friendship from high school till now different continent separated by the oceans, we're still keep in touch, beib. Last year, you visited me, and this year, i visited you, let's travel together next year :p 
Thank you Sydney for the memories ever lasting... I gonna miss you and really hope can have another chance to visit you again. See you when I see you. :)

My Aussie trip continued to Sydney... 

Morning flight made me so sleepy but when I arrived at this crowded city, it warmed up my spirit. For the first place, here came Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, the best sightseeing point to capture Sydney city with its beautiful Opera House and Sydney Bridge in your mind and made you couldn't even forget this moment. I was so excited to this city, because she stayed here... Yeah, Ms. Widya, hahaha, my beib, actually I gonna met her here, but the schedule  hanged. So, we met at Opera House, a very short time to take photos, just got several photos, hooh, double excited we could take photos with the opera background, in Sydney ha, couldn't ever imagine our dream came true. The weather was quite sunny and the sky was so blue to get the beautiful photos. 

I had my lunch at Captain Cook's Cruises. The buffet wasn't so nice, the only thing that made me ate so much because they provided prawns, you know how i'm crazy with seafood. About 2 hours, the cruise took us seeing the view of Darling Harbour and Sydney city, the view was best, you could capture lots of good photos here. After that, the next place to visit was Bondi Beach. 

Mom walking at Bondi Beach

The most famous in Sydney I think, for me, who had gone to several beaches in my own country *proud of me* this beach was so so, hahaha... I ate macadamia ice cream in chilled wind while waiting the other tour members. Next one was The GAP. How I wished, I could get the beautiful view but when my bus stopped at the location, I saw those two giant stones from the bus' window, was so lazy to go down, once again, the view was standard *high standard of me* :p. Then, we went to Queen Victoria Building, the luxurious shopping center where my money not worth spending LoL. I met Widya again here and she brought me macarons with taste the best ever. We had our dinner at Darling Harbour, a seafood restaurant named Nick's. Once in my lifetime, there's a huge portion of seafood platter served in front of me and it's for two. Of course, the first target was the lobster. Me and my mom ate almost those seafood except the fried squids. We're like seafood hunters hahaha... Then, we were brought back to the Novotel. We stayed here for two nights.  

Macadamia ice cream

Widya and I, had a night walking through Sydney city. Those precious moments would never be forgotten, our walk ended in a Korean cafe which had the good taste of hot green tea latte. I forgot the name of that cafe. We had chit chat during the night and it felt like a dream, no line, no text, face to face, expressions, glad to have those moments with you beib.

Blue Mountain

The second day in Sydney, we visited Blue Mountain, about 3 hours from the city. Though, there wasn't snowy there but the wind was damn cold. Blue Mountain was a nice village and we had semi fine lunchie at Carrington Hotel which has the wonderful interior and their Australian beef steak was delicious. Back to Sydney, we visited Anz Stadium then had buffet dinner at Star Casino which served lots of food, desserts, drinks, salads, appetizers, you could eat till you drop. :)

Last night in Sydney, due to I felt not so well, I had myself bathtub-ing time and Widya visited me, so three of us talked together, my cool mom, her, and me LoL. Great night ended my visit in Sydney.

Syd, please pray for my another visit. See you when I see you :)

Queen Victoria Building

Queen Victoria Building

Darling Harbour at Night

Seafood Platter at Nick's

Good Quote right? Novotel

The nice room

Cute macarons

The best macarons ever

Hot Green Tea latte

The Carrington Hotel

The Carrington Hotel

Interior at the Carrington Hotel

Australian beef steak

ANZ Stadium

Sunset from the bus

Winter 2013 in Melbourne

Who cares what other people say, as long as you happy, just do it, because in life the only person can make you happy is yourself, dude!

Could you imagine, how happy I was when I got my visa approved from Australian Embassy. Exactly one week before my departure date, it's because I had another trip in end of June so I handed it late. As I'm not type of backpacker traveler, so this time I joined a travel agent from my hometown because of my mom's request so I paid extra money for flying back my hometown. Fyi, I spent my annual bonus and first year salary saving for this trip. But, who cares, as long as I could travel and also with the best person in my life. I got flight back to my hometown a day before.

Rendezvous Hotel

Bathroom

Room

Flinders Railway Station

3rd August, 2013, my Aussie trip started, transit through Singapore to meet my lovely one there for several hours and introduced him to my mom also. Then, I reached Melbourne tomorrow morning. I saw sunrise from the airplane's window, couldn't be more excited than this. Unfortunately, it's a bad habit when I was traveling with air was catching a cold. When I reached Melbourne on 4th August, it's chilled morning, but I felt well after washing my face. Melbourne was a calm city with lots of gardens there, it's green everywhere. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

First visit was parliament house and a beautiful church named St. Patrick's Cathedral. 

Shrine of Remembrance

Botanical Garden

James Cook's Ancient House

Then, moved to Botanical Garden and James Cook's ancient home, then Shrine of Remembrance, finally had lunch at Alice Thai restaurant. this Thai cuisine was delicious, especially tom yum soup, the perfect lunch in winter. After the lunch, we spent shopping time in Queen Victoria Market, lots of cheap souvenirs there, made in China for sure, there's nothing cheap in Aussie LoLs. 

Tom yum soup @ Alice Thai

I bought few souvenirs there, should left my money for next days. 

Then, we were brought to a souvenir shop owned by Indonesian. I bought nothing there, I was not type of shopping traveler. Next shopping destination was DFO, I bought coat there because I thought my coat couldn't handle the weather in Mt Buller tomorrow. I got black coat from Giordano for only AUD40 which around IDR 400.000, it's quite cheap right? Then, we had dinner in an Indonesian restaurant named Bali Bagus, quite delicious, but the lunch was better. Then, the bus sent us back to hotel, we stayed Rendezvous Hotel for two nights, it's near Flinders Railway Station, the first station, the old building was beautiful. 

Nightr View in Melbourne

For the free time, I walked about 10 minutes to Crowne Plaza Hotel, there was a casino, shopping mall, cafes and resto, which high cost for sure. If you were with your spouse, it's wonderful time having romantic dinner, especially had special night in Eureka Tower, sightseeing night cityview of Melbourne. Because I was with my mom, and we thought we gonna got to see Goldcoast view then, so we didn't visit Eureka Tower. The casino was so so, Macau is the best for casinos :)

On the way to Mt. Buller

Second day visited Mount Buller, after about 5 hours riding, reached the only snowy place in 

Melbourne, first snow experience, extremely excited. The weather was about 0 celcius and snowy rain there during my visit. I felt like blood in my body was frozen. 

Uncle's Pat Resto

Had lunch with my mom in a pizza resto called Uncle Pat, the price was reasonable, 6 pieces pizza cost around AUD 25 and a hot cafe latte cost AUD 4. 

Mount Buller

I didn't play ski, or anything, because of short time and I though I better enjoyed the snow experience then felt painful when my fat body hit the snowy ground. :) Last night in Melbourne, we had Chinese dinner cuisine at Shark Fin Inn Restaurant, ate till you drop. 

That's all for winter in Melbourne, actually Melb was a nice city, silent, calm, and peaceful, but I thought if I stayed here for months, kinda boring. :)

Overall, winter in Melbourne was a great experience. Thank you Mrs. Melb :)

3 Months in 23rd

Pardon me dear... I'm so sorry dear for the late sharing... You miss me, don't you?

These 3 months I'm extremely busy... Let me share with you, it won't be details one.. But I do really try to share the significant things to you...

Let's begin with the first month...

After, my surprised audit task finally I got my holiday. I called it the best memorable month till the moment i'm writing this. Why? It's because I could travel to the other continental and had a transit via Singapore so I could met him :p. Yeah i was extremely excited, that kangaroo country gave me lots of precious memories. I felt in love from the first time my feet reached Sydney and had a short quality time with both special persons in my life, what could be better than those moments. 

Both special women in my life... Holla, Opera House!

Yeah, one of my besties stay in Sydney. She loves that country, so do I. I gonna back there when I've traveled others. :p After the Aussie trip, I had the next trip with my colleague to Singapore. The trip was on my 2nd month in 23rd. Short weekend getaway trip to that city and I met him too there...  About my trip I gonna tell you on my next posts. 

After that tired weekend getaway, I god my audit task again, this time I got my hometown, if felt so unpleasant, how it felt dear, you were back to your hometown, and you even had less than 24 hours at home. Even though, I felt happy having quality time with parent for dinner and lunch dating with my mom. Another weekend after the audit trip, the 3rd month in 23rd, I got guest coming, she's Ms. Sydney, yeah, she came to Jakarta for her bestfriend's wedding, so we had quality time together again for 2 nights. And this month, there's broken month, yeah everything's mess up, and I tried to move on but in the end, we're not broken, just bend, so we can learn to love again. After those arguments and explanations, another chance given for something better, and I do hope he appreciate that chance because I'm not type of person easy giving another chance. Then after that broken weekend, I got another audit task to Borneo island, this time the South one, since my task always be the East one :) Am so much tired these recently months. But, most of all, just enjoy those busy parts, because I'm a busy type of person. Cheers and welcome the 4th month :)