Travel Tips: My Favourite Top 10 Things to do in Australia

,I'm looking back at my photo albums tonight and I really miss the Land Down Under (Australia). Hence, I decide to share my list of the Top 10 Things to do in Australia. These are the things I missed the most and I will definitely go back for it. 

#1 Hot Chocolate Drink 

I miss Max Brenner! It is a must try because till now, I still hardly find hot chocolate that satisfy my taste buds. Drinking hot chocolate in the middle of the night is so sinful, but I did that! Cold weather and hot chocolate -- such a perfect match! =)

#2 Drink alcohol

There are so many types of alcohol here and how could you not try them? I even tried drinking alcohol in the afternoon XD

#3 Have a Fish & Chips by the sea
Pack your fish and chips and have it at a beach or somewhere near the sea. The feel is there. But beware of your food because the birds will attack! 

#4 Explore the small lanes and you will find nice graffiti
Artistic people love to express themselves and they turn small lanes into beautiful graffiti lanes. There are people who come and take wedding photos at these lanes. As a tourist/backpacker, how can you miss this place?

#5 Oysters

Have some fresh oysters when you're in Aussie! You can get them real fresh at Sydney Fish Market/Queens Victoria Market/etc etc.... And... The price is quite reasonable! Don't miss the chance!

 #6 Visit "typical" tourist spots
Definitely cannot miss them because they are so beautiful. Visiting them everyday wouldn't bored me. Nice architecture.

OPERA HOUSE

TWELVE APOSTLES 

#7 Enjoy the scenery
I enjoy the blue sky a lot. Not to say that sky in other countries look nicer, but it may be because of weather there. Cold weather make me feel more keen to enjoy looking at the blue sky. 

 #8 Visit their historical sites/small town
They have nice architecture and it is possible to know more about Australia's history and culture. May have chance to meet aborigines too! 

 #9 Explore cities nearby
I've the chance to explore Tasmania and it was a really great experience. Small town with beautiful views. Totally worth a road trip there. If I have a chance, I would like to go back and explore more places. Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs, etc etc.... Australia is not just about Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast XD

#10 MUST EXPLORE Coles or Woolworths
I love shopping at Coles/Woolworths because they have great offers to surprise me. Cheap Tim Tams. Cheap Coffee. They sell a lot of things that we can't find in hypermarkets in Malaysia (if it exists, it will cost a bomb!). If you are in Australia, don't miss your chance to pack your luggage with your favourite snacks/coffee/whatever. Oh! Just a tip.. Coles sells nice muffins! =)

There are actually more things that you can and you should do while in Australia. I'm just listing my favorite things here. What else? You should definitely enjoy their coffee culture. You should at least see a kangaroo and koala bear once. You should go to the parks because they have a lot (especially in Melbourne). What are your top 10 list? Mind to share?

I miss Australia

This is a pre-celebration post for my 4 monthsary at work! #throwbackpostaboutmylifeinmelbourne.

Spent almost 4 months working in Kedah and I learnt to appreciate the time I get to enjoy life. Awww..... I miss my life in Melbourne, when the only thing I have to worry is "WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT".

I miss Australia. I miss traveling. I miss Australia. Let me tell you why.

1) When I was in Melbourne, planning trip is my routine work. Where should I fly next. If price seems alright, I'll just book the flight and go. I miss my flying marathon (Melbourne - Gold Coast - Melbourne - Tasmania - Melbourne - Sydney - Melbourne - Malaysia)

2) In Melbourne, I was surrounded by good coffee places, and also good chocolate place too! A cuppa Max Brenner Hot Chocolate in a cold winter night. Body totally melted away with the awesomeness of the chocolate. 

3) How to resist when the famous gelato shop is just behind your house? Il Dolce Freddo @ Lygon Street is just few steps away from my rented place. Durian + Ferrero Rocher Gelato ==> Super awesome combo! When can I have that again? 

4) There are nice macaroons and gigantic one too! 

5) Shopping time over the weekend with the roommate. We explore different shopping places and of course we will not forget to enjoy the scenery. I miss the time when I can wear as over-dressed as I want, without worrying that people will comment on my attire. 

6) I miss the time where I have energy to go here and there everyday. Missing the time I spent at Mt Dandenong with my group of friends. Blue Sky, Green Grass, Great People. 

7) Being a tourist, I challenged my fear (animalphobia) a lot. I fed horse. I fed wallaby. Have to smile at the camera with tachycardia. =P

8) Everyone gets so excited about tulip festival, and of course we won't miss the chance to visit. Chilly weather with a little sunshine. What a great weather. =) Oh, and not to forget there's a wine tasting session at the carnival. Wine in the afternoon =D

9) There's chance to be a hipster in Melbourne too! Street art back in Melbourne is different from Malaysia. Melbourne's street art is more hippy and Malaysia's is more ka-wa-i. XD

10) Theme park is just too fun and exciting! (@ Gold Coast)

11) Road trip was fun back in Tasmania. We just stopped by a random beach and had fun. No one else on the beach, except us. As I remember, the beach was nice, hence I decided to leave my name on it. XD

12) Sleeping late and wake up super early just to make sure we get to visit most places as planned. (Road Trip @ Tasmania)

Tasmania: Launceston Cataract Gorge

Hey all! I'm going to start my first post with a beautiful picture of Cataract Gorge in Launceston that I took in 2011. I went there for a road/backpacking trip with a group of friends. Cataract Gorge was our first stop after reaching Tasmania. 

A brief description of Cataract Gorge quoted from their website: 

Cataract Gorge Reserve, or ""The Gorge"" as the locals call it, is a unique natural formation within a two-minute drive of central Launceston - a rare natural phenomenon in any city.
In 15 minutes you can walk from the city centre along the banks of the Tamar River into "The Gorge".
From here you follow a pathway along the cliff face, originally built in the 1890s, looking down onto the South Esk River. The Kings Bridge over "The Gorge" was floated into place in 1867. 
The First Basin, on the southern side, features a swimming pool and an open area surrounded by bushland. 
In contrast, the shady northern side, named the Cliff Grounds, is a Victorian garden where wilderness is created with ferns and exotic plants - nature is enhanced by art. There's a Restaurant and kiosk, rolling lawns and a rotunda, a pub with a view, a footbridge and chairlift across the river, peacocks in the trees, wallabies at dusk. This may be the nation's most alluring urban reserve. 
Further upstream is the historic Duck Reach Power Station, now an Interpretation Centre. The Launceston City Council originally commissioned the Power Station in 1893, making it the largest hydro-electric scheme of its day. By 1895 it was lighting the city.

Looking at the beautiful scenary, I am sure you won't regret paying a visit here. Back then, I'm like a little girl, holding my camera, keep snapping photos and "wow"-ing all the way. 

Of course, to get better scenery, you need to put some effort in. Follow the walking trail and you will find nicer scenery along the way. I enjoyed the walk and it wasn't a tiring experience for me because I went during end of Spring (the weather is just perfect! Note: Tasmania is normally colder compared to cities like Melbourne and Sydney). 

This is a photo taken by my friend half-way through the walking trail. The lighting is heavenly pretty isn't it. =) 

 (On the left) A photo of cliffground - there's many peacocks around that area. Get your chance to take good photos with them. They're really cute! Some even appear in the restaurant while we were having our lunch.
(On the right) The blogger on the kings bridge with amazing scenery around. 

If you wish to find out more about Cataract Gorge, you can go to their official website and have a look. It is definitely worth a trip. I miss Tasmania again after writing this post. haha!

Stay tuned for next post! Thanks for reading. =) Cheers