A day at the Australia Zoo

I grew up watching Steve Irwin and all his Crocodile Hunter adventures on TV. I remember when he died in that tragic accident, I couldn't believe it and was so heartbroken. Anyway, it's always been a dream of mine to visit the Australia Zoo which is owned by the Irwin family. We weren't able to visit the first time we went to Brisbane, but luckily we were able to come back a year later and this time I made sure not to miss it!

Kuranda Scenic Railway (Australia)

After exploring Kuranda Village, we would then ride the the Kuranda Scenic Railway back to Cairns. This train ride is a spectacular journey comprising unsurpassed views of dense rainforest, steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls.

Kuranda, the Village in the Rainforest (Australia)

Another day trip we took when we were in Australia was to Kuranda. Known as the Village in the Rainforest, this picturesque mountain retreat is just 25km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland and is surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest.

Meeting the World's Largest Crocodile! (Green Island, Australia)

Do you remember Lolong? He was captured back in 2012 in Mindanao and was declared the largest crocodile in captivity. The Guinness record was previously held by Cassius, a 5.48-meter crocodile being cared for at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, off the coast of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. Well, after Lolong died in 2013, the record reverted back to Cassius. And we were able to meet him!

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of those places I'd just dream about visiting and never did I think I'd actually get to go here. But when hubby had to go to Cairns Australia for work, we jumped at the chance to go with him since Cairns is basically the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Exploring Cairns City, Australia

Last summer, we were fortunate enough to visit Australia twice. The first time we went to Brisbane. The second time was in Cairns.

To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Cairns (pronounced ‘CANS’) before finding out we were going there. It's basically known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Cape Tribulation in Tropical North Queensland Australia.

Our Movie World Vacation Video

I just hate flu season! I've pretty much been sick for like a week already and have just basically been in bed all day. It started with my youngest getting a fever, then my other son, then me. Then of course we all got cough and sipon too. Now that me and the kids are starting to get better, poor hubby has gotten a sore throat and has also taken a sick leave. Haaaay when will this end??

We always seem to get sick this time of year, probably since it's the start of school and of course the kids get exposed to all kinds of viruses. So many of their classmates have also been absent as well. The only good thing about this is I've lost weight lol! I haven't had the appetite to eat much lately since I can't taste my food. Oh and I've been binge watching and catching up on some shows like 13 Reasons Why and Grey's Anatomy.

I've also been quite uninspired to blog since I've been feeling so crappy. So in the meantime, I'll just share the video I made from our visit to Warner Bros. Movie World Theme Park. This is the very first video I made from our vacations and effort and pag edit haha. I just used the software the came with my camera so everything's pretty basic. I really have so much to learn pa, especially since I want to make family videos of our trips from now on. And the kids love watching it over and over too! Anyway, hope you enjoy this video! :)

Our koala & kangaroo encounters at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

I'm a big fan of Steve Irwin and it's definitely a dream of mine to go to the Australia Zoo. However, upon checking the location, Australia Zoo is quite far from Brisbane City where our hotel was. Actually, it's like the same distance that Gold Coast was, which was about an hour away.

Another alternative was to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was nearer and cheaper. Only 12km from Brisbane City, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary with more than over a hundred koalas. Here you can hold a koala anytime, hand feed kangaroos, and meet a large variety of Australian wildlife in beautiful, natural settings.

Gold Coast: Surfer's Paradise & The Island Hotel

I feel so blessed to have been able to travel to different cities in Australia this summer. I've already been to Sydney a few years before, and last month we were able to visit Brisbane and Gold Coast. We also just arrived from Cairns last week, so it was definitely an adventure filled summer for us.

I'd have to say though that out of all the places we visited, the kids loved Gold Coast the most. The Gold Coast is renowned for its white sand beaches as well as its famous theme parks, like Movie World and Sea World which we were able to visit.

7 Things To Do in Brisbane, Australia

 Our flight in and out of Australia was through Brisbane. However based on research and recommendations, there seemed to be more family friendly activies in Gold Coast which was just an hour's drive away. Gold Coast is home to a lot of theme parks and we actually went to Movie World and Sea World during our stay there.

There are still a lot of things to see and do in Brisbane though. Brisbane is actually a very modern, vibrant city and what I really appreciated was how nice and friendly the people were. From the Uber drivers who kept offering us candy and water, to random people on the street who would insist to take our family photos. :)

Anyway, here are 7 fun things you can do in Brisbane, Australia:

Sea World in Gold Coast, Australia

When I saw that there was a Sea World in Gold Coast, it was definitely on the top of my list for the theme parks I wanted to visit in Australia. I love seeing marine life and I got even more excited when I saw that this Sea World had a Nickeolodeon Land which my kids would surely enjoy.

Warner Bros. Movie World in Gold Coast, Australia

This summer, we went on a trip to Australia. I've already been to Sydney before but this time we headed to Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Anyway, our point of entry was in Brisbane and at first I didn't know that Gold Coast was just a one hour drive away. Based on research and recommendations, Gold Coast seemed more family friendly with all the theme parks like Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild, WhiteWater World, and more.

From there, it was just basically deciding which parks we wanted to go to. The entrance fees aren't cheap so we figured we'll just go to 2. I originally wanted to go to Dreamworld and Sea World. But when you check the tickets online, the prices are bundled for certain theme parks. Like the parks included in the Sea World deal were Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, and Paradise Country. The Dreamworld package was bundled with WhiteWater World and SkyPoint Observation Deck. So in the end, we just decided to go to Sea World and Movie World.

Travel tips to Australia (visa & customs)

If you're following me on Instagram, then you've probably been seeing photos of our family vacation to Brisbane and Gold Coast in Australia. Before I post about the places we visited and things we did, here are just some info on how I applied for our tourist visa here in the Philippines and what you can bring into Australia.

Day Trips around Sydney

Finally, here's the last set of photos from my Sydney travel series. These consist of the day trips we took, which were about 2-3 hours away from the city.

BLUE MOUNTAINS
We chose to go to Blue Mountains, inscribed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO, on our own rather than book a tour which would have set us back about $100 per person. Here we saw the Three Sisters, which are sandstone rock formations that are one of the best-known attractions in the region.

We just took a 2-hour train to Katoomba and then walked all the way to Echo Point, which is the lookout area. The walk is quite far though, about 45 minutes (some areas with steep slopes!). But you can take a taxi from the train station if you don't feel like walking.

Once we got to the lookout though, we were greeted by spectacular views. I swear, the pictures don't do justice to the actual beauty of the mountains.

ROYAL NATIONAL PARK
This was actually not part of our original itinerary. But when my friend took a day-off from work, we wanted to go somewhere she hadn't been to before. Good thing we came across this place online and decided to go for it. This was probably my favorite part of our entire trip!

Again, we just relied on public transportation. We took a 1-hour train to Cronulla, then a 30-minute ferry to Bundeena, which is where Royal National Park is. We were completely lost when we arrived there though, we had no idea where to go! I guess its not really a popular tourist destination since there weren't even signs leading the way. We ended up walking through this subdivision (with really big houses) and we just kept asking random people along the way where was the coastal walk.

After walking and walking, and wanting to give up already, we finally reached our destination. And it was TOTALLY WORTH IT! Look at these views! What was amazing is we had the whole place to ourselves. And what was funny is we were so unprepared for this trek that we didn't even have any water with us haha! We should have also worn rubber shoes! But I'm just so thankful we were able to see and experience this place. It really makes you appreciate the beauty of nature. =)

HUNTER VALLEY
This was the only tour we booked since it would be impossible to go around here without a car. We booked   Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tours at $100 per person (lunch not included in the package, we just bought our own food at the restaurant). We were picked up at a hotel near our place at 7:30am then it was about a 2.5 hour drive to get to Hunter Valley. We were a total of 10 people in a Mercedes Benz van.

We visited 5 wineries and we were all pretty buzzed before lunch! We tasted and drank so much wine, the $100 was really sulit haha! The time we went wasn't the best season to visit Hunter Valley since it was winter, so none of those lush vineyards I was picturing from that Keanu Reeves movie "A Walk in the Clouds". But it was still very beautiful and picturesque.

We also visited the popular Smelly Cheese Shop for some cheese tasting, which smelled and tasted really, really good!

Last part of the trip was chocolate tasting and some shopping. Then we headed home and was back in the city by 6:00 pm.

All in all, my trip to Sydney will probably be one of my most unforgettable since I got to spend it with Vins and my good friends. Definitely, I cannot wait to go back with the kids and also visit other cities like Melbourne and Gold Coast so we can all experience it together. =)

Taronga Zoo

I wasn't really planning on going to the zoo when we were in Australia because of the hefty entrance fees, plus I figured it would just be like the other zoos I had already visited. But Vins changed my mind since he is such an animal lover (his dream when he was a kid was to become a marine biologist). Good thing there was a 15% discount coupon in one of the Sydney Guides I picked up at the airport. So from $44, the entrance fee came down to $37.40.

We went to Taronga Zoo via ferry from Circular Quay, which took about 15 minutes. The zoo was beautiful, clean, sprawling and probably one of the best zoos I have ever been to.

First animal we saw was the koala! I read online that it was better to go to Featherdale Zoo (although farther and smaller) since you can really touch and interact with the animals, unlike in Taronga where you have to pay extra for an encounter with them. But since all I wanted to see during this trip was a koala and a kangaroo, I was already thrilled just watching them from afar. =)

Here are just some of the fascinating creatures we saw in the reptile section...

Plus other animals which you don't normally see like a komodo dragon, tasmanian devil, tapir, and a big gorilla. It was extra exciting seeing these creatures, some for the first time!

Then we saw some kangaroos! The big ones were sleeping though (check out that batugan pose on the upper left). There was a part where you can walk inside this area with the smaller kangaroos but I was afraid to go near them hehe! We also saw some red tailed kangaroos (bottom right).

It was also fun and educational watching the seal show and the bird show which showed spectacular views of Sydney in the background...

The zoo was so clean I don't even recall any animal smell. And each enclosure for every animal was huge! Check out the elephant and chimpanzee enclosures below. If you remember my post about our trip to Manila Zoo, the lone elephant there was in a space (or more appropriately cage) way, waaaaay smaller than this. And he didn't even have any water. In Taronga Zoo, they really emphasize the conservation of animals and they are given ample space to live, romp and play comfortably. I just wish our zoo here in Manila could even be half as good as the ones abroad. Then you would actually appreciate and enjoy the animals rather than feel sorry for them.

So in the end, I'm so happy we went although it was bitterweet since we were missing the kids the entire time! :( We definitely have to bring the kids back here when they are a bit older. I can't wait for them to see and enjoy these animals for themselves. =)

Sun, Sea, Sand in Sydney

We also checked out the famous beaches and coasts around the city. The views and scenery in these places were so beautiful and breathtaking, I had to pinch myself sometimes to check if I was really there.

BONDI BEACH
We went to the famous Bondi Beach on a Sunday afternoon. There were many people just lounging around, playing beach volleyball, and even sunbathing - in the freezing cold mind you! I guess they're just used to the weather there. The whole walkway on one side was filled with cool graffiti on the walls, which provided an excellent backdrop for photo taking.

We tried to do the Tamarama Walk, wherein you walk to 3 different beaches starting from Bondi. FAIL! I don't think we even got past Bondi beach haha! After an hour or more (mostly this was due to stopping at every point to take pictures) we figured we'd probably just see the same view but from different angles. But they were SPECTACULAR views! And we already had so many good shots hehe. So we just headed back for happy hour. =)

MANLY BEACH
We took the ferry from Circular Quay to get to Manly. What I enjoyed here were the stores along the famous Corso, which is the street heading to the beach. They had shops like Cotton On, Rip Curl, Billabong, Sportsgirl, and many more.

WATSON'S BAY
Again, we took the ferry to Watson's Bay. The main attraction here is The Gap, which shows these amazing cliffs. Apparently, a lot of people commit suicide here. We also went all the way to the top which showed a great view of Watson's Bay and even the city.

For lunch, we ate at the famous Doyles. There are actually 2 Doyles in Watson's Bay. One a sit down restaurant and one for takeaway. Good thing our friend warned us about this since the same fish and chips costs $40 in the sit down resto and just $14 at the takeaway! Of course, we just ate in the park, but with such beautiful surroundings, who's complaining? =)

More from my trip in the coming posts! =)

Sydney Sights

Whew, finally I can post some pictures from my recent trip to Sydney, Australia. I just had to finish uploading the photos in my Facebook page haha! I swear, I have so many shots of every place (from every angle!), it was so hard choosing which ones to share. ;p

Anyway, I just have to say that I am so in love with Sydney. The city is so beautiful and clean, plus it is so easy to get around using public transportation. But it is VERY EXPENSIVE! Take note that it is one of the most expensive places to live in the world. It just so happens that my high school kabarkada moved there with her husband so we were able to stay in their apartment which was right in the middle of the CBD. If we didn't have a place to crash, this trip probably wouldn't have happened hehe! Well, it still might have since this was sort of my 30th birthday gift to myself. =)

Here are some of the popular tourist spots and amazing places we saw around the city:

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
I was so excited when I first saw the Opera House! I mean, this is probably the most iconic landmark of Australia. I loved watching it from afar whenever we rode the ferry. Of course, we also had to go inside (parang CCP lang naman ang peg).

CIRCULAR QUAY
This is where we'd catch all the ferries going to different points like Manly Beach, Taronga Zoo, etc. A lot of street artists perform here for tips. It also offers a really nice view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

THE ROCKS
We didn't really spend a lot of time here, but it is a popular tourist spot which has a lot of historical buildings as well as souvenir shops and pubs.

DARLING HARBOUR
This is where the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World is, as well as Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (we didn't go inside anymore, probably next time when the kids are with us). Lots of restaurants especially along Cockle Bay and King Street Wharf, but we loved eating in Hurricane's Grill inside the Harbourside Shopping Centre. They have the best ribs. A must try!

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS
Its hard to believe that a garden so huge and sprawling is just within the city. The Royal Botanic Garden is just beside the Opera House and is a nice place to just relax and admire the beauty of nature. We saw a lot of people jogging and exercising here (even though it was freezing cold!). We walked all the way to Mrs. Macquarie's Point, a popular lookout position, which shows an excellent view of the harbour with both the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

GEORGE ST. & MARTIN PLACE
I loved walking along George St. with all the beautiful stone buildings and architecture. This is where we'd ride the train from Wynyard Station or get off the bus going home. From my friend's place, we could just walk to George St. then walk the length of it to get to The Rocks or Circular Quay.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
I'm not much of a museum person, but I figured I'll go to this one since they were having a free exhibit as part of the 18th Biennale of Sydney, an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years. It was interesting but after going around, I came to the conclusion that I am still not a museum person. ;p

ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL
The largest church in Australia. We weren't able to go to mass here since we missed the time, but we still went inside to pray. No photography allowed inside, but it was really beautiful. Just across the street is Hyde Park.

Before we got to Sydney, I was planning our itinerary with my friend. She kept saying that there were so many things to do and see that it would be hard to fit everything we wanted to do. And she was right! This doesn't even include the day trips we took around the city which I'll post in the coming days. =)

Sydney sneak peek

I just came back from my trip to Sydney, Australia and I had the best time! We went towards the end of winter and the start of spring, but it was still so cold! I should have brought heavier jackets since I was freezing most of the time even though it was sunny. =)

I have so many photos that I think I need about a week to sort them out. We went to so many beautiful places and saw such amazing sights and scenery. But first, here are some shots from the most famous and recognizable landmarks in Sydney. I probably have a photo from every angle of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge haha!

Stay tuned for more posts about my trip in the coming days! =)