Ballarat, the Gold field region

On Monday, we drive more than 100km north-west from Melbourne heading to The Goldfields Region. Why did we drove so far is because I mentioned before that I'm a theme park fan and in the whole entire region of Victoria, this is probably the only place that come closely to be regarded as theme park.

Because of the time issue, we only managed to go Ballarat. ‘Sovereign Hill’ located in Ballarat town, used to be a gold mining town has now become a Goldfield Theme-park that brings us back to 17th centuries.

Sovereign Hill is a recreated goldfields township set over 25 hectares on a site which forms part of the richest alluvial goldfields the world has ever seen. This place offers a wide range of activities carried out by costumed staff, many of whom portray some of the behaviours and prejudices of the 1850s!

There is so much to see at Sovereign Hill especially if you are easily amused and have good imagination skill that you can transport yourself back to 1800s. Among them ...

More than 50 horses, including Clydesdales & Percherons (I learnt this from Farmville of course);

Regular demonstrations and street theatre performances and shortly after you can take a picture with them;


1850s-style shopping, even the road are not tar and full of horses' droppings (OK, I don't enjoy this);


There is also a Chinese village in the gold-mining town, it’s called ‘Sen Kum San’ (translate: New Gold Hill). So I guess Chinese immigrant are already in Australia since 1800s;


A underground so-called 'adventure tour' of the Red Hill Mine which depicts the discovery of the 69kg Welcome Nugget, the second largest gold nugget ever found. OK, not the best adventure tour I've experienced but it is different;


Or pay a visit to the 1800s house of Mr J Taylor (whoever that is).


OK, overall it is not too bad. At least it is worth the trouble to travel here compared to the lousy penguin parade in Phillips Island. After we left Sovereign Hill, we catch a glimpse of a huge castle on the way down and we decided to check it out.


Kryal Castle is apparently another sort of themepark that transport you back to whatever time. But it was closed! So the only thing I can do is take a picture at the entrance.

Finally, this is our last sunset in Australia before heading home. This is from Mt. Warrenheip, 8km east of Ballarat.

There you go, my 8 days journey into Victoria in Australia.

Location : Victoria, Australia

Date of travel : May 2005

St. Kilda & Lygon Park

Oh, I didn’t mentioned, we checked out from Nepean Country Club on Friday and has been staying at Marjorie’s place in Glenwaverly. Marjorie is the university mate of Boon. She has since decided to settled down in Australia. The reason why we were bunking in at Marjorie's place is because the timeshare check-out is fixed on a specific day and besides it is a bit too far to drive to and fro from Melbourne. Rosebud is about 1 hour drive from Melbourne and if we do this twice a day on daily basis, it can be very tiring.

Anyway, in this picture is Sai Chuen and Jackie, house mate of Majorie. I hit it off instantly with Jackie as we both shared the common interest in hollywood gossip!

On Sunday morning, the whole gang went to St.Kilda for a brunch and stroll around. St. Kilda is a very very remarkable and beautiful place. It has a picturesque view of the bay and waterfront. Houses here are also very classy and lean towards the upper end market.

We were walking towards Luna Park.

Luna Park is like the most important landmark in St. Kilda. See the laughing face and you know you're in St. Kilda. This is like a good ol' fun fair place where you have stall games and simple roller coaster or ferris wheel. We didn't actually go in to the park. Just passing by towards Acland Street.

OK, we were in a Italian restaurant in St.Kilda. The food is good but price is towards the medium high. So after the St.Kilda, we head to Lygon Street.

This is Lygon Park

Lygon Street is also known as Little Italy in Melbourne. It has its origins in the early immigration of Italian migrants to Melbourne. It has rows and rows of Italian restaurants and most of them have tables outside for you to feel the cool breeze. But since we have already had our brunch, we try out the Gelatin instead.

Yummy, yummy

Location : Victoria, Australia
Next, Ballarat, the gold field region

All about Melbourne City

OK dude … enough of the “Beyond Melbourne’ tour. Let’s head to Melbourne for Shopping. For the next two days, all I did was shop, shop and shop somemore. For the next series of picture, I’m not anywhere to be found because I’m too busy SHOPPING!

This is Bridge St. at Richmond

If you are in for shopping in Melbourne, you must absolutely go to Bridge Street. This place is full of factory outlets. The problem is not what you cannot find, the problem is how much you can spend!

I love the UFO, Ultimate Factory Outlet ... how about that!

At night, we were in Melbourne town for dinner.

Melbourne city is truly a very beautiful and cultured city. The scenery is just absolutely gorgeous. But shopping in Melbourne City itself is just way too expensive for me.

This is one of the high end shopping mall in Melbourne City

Anyway, I did managed to captured some of the beautiful sights in Melbourne.

Flinders Station

Rialto Tower, the highest tower in Melbourne

On a Saturday night, I also managed to head to Southbank & Crown Entertainment Complex. The view there is fantastic and fireball in Crown’s is eye-opening, I must say.

From Southbank, looking across to Melbourne Aquarium

At Southbank looking at Melbourne City thru Yarra River

Fireball show at Crown's

Location : Victoria, Australia
Next, St.Kilda and Lygon Park

Clayton & Dandenong

On my third day in Victoria, we do what we had to do or rather what Boon had to do – that is visiting his university, Monash in Clayton. Spent half a day here.

Pix taken with Denise and Sie, his ex-colleagues during his political days

Yawnnnnnn ... next.

From Monash, the next nearest place to go will be Dandenong Ranges. Actually what I really wanted to do is to ride ‘Puffing Billy’. Puffing Billy is the oldest surviving steam railway ride that covers 25km into the forest and lake and lush fern-filled gullies. Unfortunately, we ended up LOST.


Here, I am at Emerald Town. OK, OK, can we at least go to the Park? What is so special about the park in Emerald Town? OK, let's see ...

the pond is greener and fresher

the leaves, that's fern leaves you cannot find in our country

even the ducks seems cuter

And guess what? We saw like the best sunset ever just by stopping by the roadside on our way downhill from the Dandenong.

Who says Bali has the best sunset?

And finally to end the day, we head to Springvale. Must go must go, that's why he says. So anyway, Springvale is basically a Vietnam-town. You thought you have landed in Vietnam or something like that.

Even the ATM signage has to adapt, ‘Ngan Hong’ (wonder what it means? Come on).

Location : Victoria, Australia

Next, All about Melbourne City

Cape Schanck, Red Hill & Arthur's Seat

What I am about to experience this day almost took my life … hehehe! Ok, a little bit exaggeration but not altogether untrue. We are at Cape Schanck.

The Cape Schanck lighthouse is supposedly a very important piece of history in Victoria. It was built and serves as a lighthouse since 1859. It is one of the oldest light house in Australia.

OK, anyway we brace ourselves to walk around the shoreline of Cape Schanck as it does gives a hint of very beautiful view from the entrance. In order to reach the shoreline ...

it started with what they called a bush walking

The bush walking then became board walking. Look closely at the picture to see where the board leads to ... OK, basically all the way down. But most importantly you need to understand there isn't any shelter around.

Posing for a picture with the beautiful scenery behind me, still smiling enthusiastically

And then suddenly while we're in the middle of the board walk, the rain began … the temperature falls … the wind is howling … I’m frozen … I’m blown to one side of the board walk … I don’t want to die in Australiaaaaa … 

I'm leaving. You can stay all you want

Because of my near-death experience, my hubby later brought me to have a nice romantic lunch at a winery in Red Hill. It’s called ‘Tuck’s Ridge’. Best Italian food and best wine. Mmmmm!

Redhill is the wine region in Mornington Peninsula. We went into 3 wineries in Red Hill which I couldn't remember all the names but Tuck's Ridge is by far the most beautiful one. So, after our wine & dine, we walk to the wineries to take some pix.

Just look how beautiful it is

This is like a post card photo, eh?

After refreshing our head a little due to all the wine tasting, we drive to highland in Mornington Peninsula. Arthur's Seat located in Mornington Peninsula is popular for its maze park and the view of its summit at about 314 metres above sea level.

I only have the guts to point to the chairlift and no guts to take a ride.
It's freezing cold up here.

Got to pay to use this thing? Damn!

OK, doesn't matter, just go to Murray Lookout. Gorgeous view of Port Phillip Bay.

Location : Victoria, Australia

Next, Clayton and Dandenong

Rosebud, Sorrento, Port Sea & Philip Island

Well, this is the journal of my second trip to Australia. The first time around, I went to Queensland where Brisbane and Gold Coast is. This time around, I opted for Victoria.

We landed in Melbourne airport at about 8pm. As usual, we grab our rented car and head to our resort in Rosebud located in Mornington Peninsula. Of course on the way, we passed through Melbourne town and I was a bit excited when I saw the … ehem …

Melbourne Tram! OK, this is like the icon of Melbourne city.

Weather was considerably cold in the month of May, somewhere around 15 degrees. OK, this is like really cold for somebody who live in tropical country where the average weather is like 30 degrees. The resort we are checking in courtesy of my timeshare membership is Nepean Country Club. It is a double storey suite with what I called the “Fish Tank” bathroom.

Great Show! ... if you know what I mean.

First thing the next morning, we stroll along Rosebud village. This village is really beautiful with little cafes along the main street and very accessible to the beach. The resort where we stayed are very popular among locals for a short trip away from the city.

Little bookshop just the way I like it

Although I'm at the beach, I wouldn't dare land even my feet anywhere near the water. As seen, the wind was just so DAMN strong and so DAMN cold.

So the very next thing, I got myself my first Beanie. Apart from the reason that my hair will not be all over my face, this is a good excuse to blend in with the culture.

From Rosebud, we head to Sorrento. This village is a little bit different from Rosebud. It is filled with limestone buildings and a pier that's the hub of activities and the departure point for ferries to Queenscliff, fishing trips, seal and dolphin watching excursions, sight-seeing cruises, yacht charters and diving trips.

Beautiful scenery in Sorrento's Port

Behind me is the ferry which we are supposed to catch to go to Queenscliff for the Great Ocean Road Trip. Since that doesn’t work out, it seems like a picture with it is all I can have.

From Sorrento, we head to the third village - Port Sea. Located at the tip of Mornington Peninsula, this area is famous for its luxury Cliff-top residences, bathing boxes and hotel with expansive beach-side lawn. It's the closest village to Point Nepean and its magnificent walks. Anyway, this is where everybody that is ‘somebody’ will have their vacation home. Something like Hampton’s for the New Yorkers, Port Sea’s for the Melbournians!

Beautiful beach front villas behind me

At about 3pm, we head to Phillip Island to see the ‘apparently’ must see Penguin Parade at sunset. I just think it is a major disappointment.

Why? Because we are not allow to sit on the beach where the penguins will parade in front of you like it being portrayed in the promotional video. We have to sit in a bloody platform where you watch the penguins from hundreds of feet away. For that 2 hours drives and AUD16 per head … let’s just say if anyone ask me about it, I’ll say DON'T GO!


Location : Victoria, Australia.

Next, Cape Schanck, Red Hill & Arthur's Seat