Weekend at Roseburn Farm

We have just returned from a short break away at Roseburn, our friends' farm in the Mid North Coast of NSW.  It has been a while since we paid Jim and Georgie a visit, more than a year actually. With our busy schedules, it's always difficult to get away. We took advantage of the start of the autumn school holidays to visit them and to collect the lamb meat that we bought from them. Yes, we bought a whole lamb which J&G have been breeding. In total it costs us $120 including the slaughter and butchery. How cheap is that for organic hormone free lamb. Whilst there, we also visited J&G's neighbour to buy some beef. We came home with four eskies in the boot filled with lamb and beef to last us for a while.

We didn't do much on the weekend, except relax, enjoyed the clean fresh air, helped feed the animals, took walks around the property and drank many cups of tea and coffee. I took the time to sit and read, whilst catching up on J&G's news. Our girls didn't touch their tech gadgets all weekend except in the car on the trip there and back. Both of them spent most of their time outdoors, waking up early to feed the sheep, cows and chickens; playing with the four dogs (Kinta, Bella, Sophie and Lily) plus Red (the neighbour's dog who visited over the weekend). Cait was busy collecting the eggs as soon as the hens laid them. I think she was 'stressing' them out with her constant checking. J&G's hens are 'wild' as they don't lay their eggs in the chook pen, but everywhere around the property - in the garage, in the garden and in the pen. Hence, Cait had a great time checking all the various spots. On Saturday, Cait found eight eggs and she found four more on Sunday. The eggs were still warm when she brought them in.

On Saturday, J&G had organised for a local guy to come and crutch and shorn their five sheep - Lambert, Ella and I can't remember the other 3. Yes, they have names for all their animals including Misty and Amber, their two Dexter Steers.

The weather was beautiful, sunny bright blue sky and warm. The temperature was cooler at night but the night sky was so clear and it was amazing to sit out and just look up at the twinkling stars and the Milky Way. Cait and I had wonderful time identifying the different constellations.

Our trip was short but we enjoyed the break so much; just doing nothing.....

Home on George, Hobart

On our recent holidays to Hobart, Tasmania, I found our accommodation on www.stayz.com.au. I decided it was more comfortable for us to stay in a home rather than an apartment in the CBD. I found a 3 bedroom place in North Hobart, called Home on George



The place was homely and welcoming with spacious living areas and well equipped kitchen as well as laundry facilities without a dryer. It is located on a quiet, but narrow street with off-street parking for one car. There are two bathrooms both with rain shower heads, which was fantastic with good water pressure. I dislike shower heads that trickle, makes it difficult when washing hair. There is also an internal courtyard with a small pond filled with goldfish. The beds were comfortable and linen was provided as well. The room upstairs also had a balcony with a glimpse of the water. My two girls were excited about the exercise bike on the balcony and had a couple of tries. Hubby wasn't too please that the balcony door did not have any blinds, so he was woken up early by the rising sun.










Overall, I was satisfied with my choice. Location was excellent, not far from the waterfront. There is a Woolworths supermarket within walking distance as well as a bottle shop. Home on George is less than 10 minutes drive to the city. Nothing is too far around Hobart.

Jo, the owner is friendly and prompt when replying to emails. I would recommend this property to friends and family if they visit Hobart. If you don't have a car, there are buses too the city about 100m away.

Kywong, Orange

The photo below warms my heart. This is the fireplace at Kywong, a property we rented for a weekend with friends in Orange. The home is cosy, despite it's size, with two separate wings for parents and children. It is elegantly decorated in a country style - simple yet sophisticated.



My favourite part of the house is the well equipped gourmet kitchen including a Nespresso coffee machine. We really enjoyed our time at the home, we stayed in most of the time to enjoy the facilities. There is plenty of room for everyone without getting into each others' way.  A pool and tennis court on the grounds if anyone is keen on outdoor activities. The weather was cold on the weekend, perfect to curl up in front of the fire with a glass of wine, cheese platter and book.

It was a relaxing weekend for us with good friends. Great company, good food and beautiful wines. To quote my little one "This is the life!".

We would definitely return. 

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Easter Extra Long Weekend

I am looking forward to the extra long weekend for Easter starting tomorrow. It is also the start of the Term 1 school holidays for school children in NSW. Work has been extremely busy for the past three months with two projects going live the weekend after Easter. We have no plans to go away, just keeping things low-key except for church liturgies over the next few days.

Image source

Mount Ashby Estate

I love the Southern Highlands region in NSW. This was the place where I spent my first two years in Australia, so this region holds special memories for me.

In the last few years, there have been quite a few wineries that have been established in the region. At last count, there are over 60 wineries, but only 13 of them have cellar doors. On our last visit to the region, two Fridays ago, we decided to pop into one of the wineries for some tasting. Neither hubby nor I had any knowledge of wines from the area, so we randomly picked two - Mount Ashby Estate (because I liked the name) and Southern Highland Wines (it was on the way to our friends' property in Exeter).

a lovely spot for lunch

picture the fire roaring in winter

Mount Ashby turn out to be a good choice. The property is located off the main roads, with a lovely hill behind. The air was fresh and crisp when we got out of the car...deep breaths in of fresh unpolluted air. The winery is a family owned boutique operation and only opened from Thursdays to Sundays with lunches served on the weekends.  When we walked in, we were greeted by the wonderful smell of some meat roasting in the oven (turns out to be duck). The wine tasting and lunches are served in the same building (unfortunately, we didn't stay for lunch as we had other plans for friends). The vineyard is also opened for functions and events. Whilst we were there, a couple walked in to discuss their wedding plans with the owner, Chris (who was the only person there at that time). I love small operators like Chris who are happy to discuss their harvest, wines and production to give you an in-depth appreciation for the wine.

Due to the cooler climate in the Southern Highlands and the higher altitude, wines produced are a lighter and not as full-bodied unlike those produced in the Barossa or Hunter Valley. The wine industry is also relatively young in the region too. The lighter style suits my palate and I was happy (with the quality not as a result of drinking too much!).

We went home with a dozen bottles of Chardonnay and Merlot to stock up our cellar. We plan to visit again and try out their lunch menu at the next visit.

Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort, Kota Kinabalu

For our last two nights in KK, we moved from Magellan Sutera Harbour to another resort - Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort. We love the resort at Tanjung Aru. When we checked in, we were given a complimentary upgrade to a family suite and access to the Club Lounge. How cool was that! The family suite was much larger and had a separate living area which had a sofa bed for Ashleigh. Caitlin exclaimed 'Awesome' when she saw the room, this girl knows quality. She made a comment that this hotel was so much better than Magellan. I love the L'Occitane bathroom supplies - quality stuff. The mini bar was also stocked with complimentary tea leaves ranging from English Breakfast to

After settling in, we took a walk around the resort, checking out the recently added children's water play area which was a hit for our girls and Chris. There was also a Kids' Club for children aged from 4-12 with different fun activities scheduled every hour every day.

On our second day, we decided not to go island hopping but instead stayed at the resort to enjoy the facilities. We started the day filling our tummies with delicious local and international food from the buffet breakfast. Then we basically spent the rest of the day by the pool - swimming, riding the slides, getting dumped by the bucket, reading, sun-baking, playing with the iPad and more swimming. It was lovely and relaxing, stress-free. Girls were spending time bonding with their Dad at the water play area. One of the best things about Tanjung Aru is the free wi-fi that is available throughout the resort, even in the rooms.

The staff at Tanjung Aru are very friendly, from the porters to waiters to housekeeping staff. They were also attentive to the guests' needs. During our time by the pool, staff would come by every hour with icy cold water for their guests to keep them hydrated. I thought it was a nice offering especially in the hot weather. Due to its location by the sea, KK was not too humid.

I would recommend the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru as a great location for a family holiday. it's not too far from the airport (about 10 mins) and the KK city is also about 10 mins away. In fact, nothing is too far in KK.

Portview Seafood Village

For dinner on our 1st night in KK, we went to Portview Seafood Village in town. This restaurant was one recommended by fellow blogger, Dinah, who comes from KK.

The restaurant is quite large and a wall of live seafood in tanks greets you as you walk in. There were numerous varieties of seafood to choose from - lobster, prawns, oysters, abalone, fishes like coral trout, tilapia as well as shellfish like clams, and scallops. Chris' eyes lit up when he saw the variety and he was already selecting what he wanted.

We had a funny moment, before dinner started. I had asked to be seated inside in air-conditioned comfort because I knew Caitlin had difficulty adjusting to the heat and humidity. At the same time, another tour group from Taiwan had booked the tables inside for a dinner and karaoke. The speakers were blaring Taiwanese music quite loudly but tolerable. I asked my family if they wanted to move outside, but they were settled in the cool environment. The next minute, they turn up the volume and the music was now unbearable.. You could not even hear yourself think! We quickly jumped out of our chairs and went to look for table outside, deciding that it was easier to take the heat and humidity then the awful sound coming from the speakers.

Back to food...the prices were really cheap e.g. 2 small fresh abalones steamed for RM16 (less than AUD6). It was easy to get carried away, but we were only a small group, so we had tiger prawns steamed with garlic; stir-fry scallops with ginger and shallots; steamed coral trout with ginger and shallots; steamed abalone with garlic and two non seafood dishes - chicken and fried noodles. I forgot to take a photo of the steamed abalone (too busy eating!)

Scallops

Coral Trout

Chicken with Onion Rings

Steamed Prawns with Garlic

Service was attentive and quick. The food arrived promptly at our table, despite the restaurant being so busy. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, even Ash and Cait. I found the food was well seasoned and not too salty. As we ate, we were also entertained by various cultural dances which our two girls enjoyed.

All in all, a satisfying meal at RM321 (AUD 115), which is really cheap when you compare to an equivalent in Sydney will set us back about AUD 400.

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Location:Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

The Magellan, Sutera Harbour Resort

Our long waited family holiday to KK finally arrived. During our stay in KK, we stayed in two different resorts. The first five nights we spent at the Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort. This was where Jolene and Andrew held their wedding dinner.

The resort is huge, spacious and lovely, with a large open lobby area decorated in dark teak furniture and beautiful tropical orchids. Check-in was a little slow due to some confusion. From that experience, we realised that time moves slower in KK. It took us a while to adjust and slow down our pace, as we were use to rushing from one place to another or one task to another.

We had a room with a beautiful sea view at the Marina Wing. The room was a reasonable size with a large bathroom with bathtub and separate shower area. On closer inspection, the rooms seem dated and in need of refurbishment. There were some stains on the carpet which should have been changed or cleaned up. The TV set was also the CRT version where most hotels have LCDs or other flat screens. The good thing about that it deterred the family from watching too much tv.

The resort had lovely grounds and were separated into three main areas - Magellan, Marina and Country Club plus the third section The Pacific Sutera. There were also four pools for guests to choose from including a 25m lap pool at the Country Club. The Marina Wing is situated closer to the Marina and Country Club, so we usually spent the mornings at the Marina pool with slides and the afternoons at the Magellan pool (tough life!). Staff were friendly, but slow (see there is a trend here). There is a small beach at the Magellan, the sand is quite pebbly and rough. The amazing thing about the beach is the number of fishes that you can see as you wade into knee-deep water. The fishes seem friendly and oblivious to humans. The staff gave my girls some bread to feed the fishes, and it was fun to see the fishes 'jump' to eat the bread.

Our days at the resort started with a scrumptious breakfast buffet at the Five Sails Cafe. There was a wide selection of food to choose from Western to local dishes like nasi lemak, roti canai, fried beehoon and rice porridge. Then it was on to the Marina pool for half the day before heading back to the room for a rest from the hot afternoon sun. After a siesta, it was back to the pool again to cool down and chill out before dinner. The resort had free wi-fi access in the lobby area and sometimes by the pools. I spend much of my time, reading books that I had download onto my Kindle before our travels. Pure bliss..raising the flag sometimes to order cocktails at happy hour. Girls had an awesome time swimming, riding the slides and mucking around in the water. Chris spent most of his time getting a tan. In the evenings, we would spend at the lobby lounge enjoying the music and sea breeze. It was a tough life, I tell you.

There is also a Little Magellan Kids Club, which we did not have time to check out. Girls were happy to be with us all the time. The resort is a family-friendly place for a relaxing holiday. It would be even better once the rooms have been refurbished.

Location:Kota Kinabalu

Malaysia through Caitlin's eyes

Our recent holidays to Kota Kinabalu was Caitlin's 2nd trip to Malaysia. Being older this time, Caitlin was more observant and aware of her surroundings.

Not wearing seatbelts
In her first taxi ride from KK airport to the hotel, Cait asked the driver if she had to wear the seatbelt. When the driver said it was not necessary, she was worried about not wearing a seat belt whilst sitting in the back seat. The driver was travelling at a fast speed and she commented that he needed to slow down else an accident could occur.

People carrying umbrellas as sun protection
Cait was curious why there were many ladies carrying an umbrella whilst walking along the esplanade at the hotel. She mentioned that it was not raining and they didn't need the umbrella.

Buffet breakfasts
Cait loved the buffet breakfast at the two resorts. She thought it was wonderful that the buffet offered such a wide variety of food that one self-serves.

Squat toilets
Cait was appalled to see the squat hole in the ground toilets in Malaysia. She was worried about falling into the hole and therefore refused to use the toilets.

Humidity
The humidity was difficult for Cait. She didn't like the sweat and stickiness on her skin. Cait's favourite time was spent in the pool.




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Sabah - The Land Below the Wind

Another week to go before we depart for our holiday to "The Land Below the Wind". Can't wait...

Mt Kinabalu watches over the City Of Kota Kinabalu (source: http://www.downbelow.co.uk/)

Whale Watching in Sydney

Another activity that we did during the winter school holidays was whale watching. From mid-May to November, the Southern Humpback whales migrate from the cold southern waters to the warmer waters in the north to give birth and mate. We chose a perfect winter's day for the cruise with Whale Watching Cruises. The cloudless sky was a brilliant blue and the temperature hovered around 17-18C degrees. The swells were about 2-3m which was a big difference to the day before where swells were 6m high. Despite the excellent conditions, we still took some medication to avoid getting sea sick. As we cruise out of Sydney Harbour, I managed to take photos of the two famous Sydney icons.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

We saw 4 humpback whales about 2 miles away from Sydney. The pod of whales were racing each other, and moving at a fast pace about 5 knots. A wonderful experience for all. It was amazing to be able to get so close to these large mammals. By law, the boats have to keep 100m away from the whales, but that doesn't stop the whales from swimming close to the boats.

The whales surface every 4-5 minutes for air, spouting air was they reach the surface. We were hoping for whales to breach (leap out of the air), but they didn't do any breaching. Instead, we saw many tail slaps, fluke up dives and spouting.

Whale footprint

Kiama NSW

I just realised it's been a month since my last post.

It's nearly the end of the winter break for my girls. I have been quiet on the blog front due to the holidays and also my sis and her family who were visiting from the USA. We had a great time with my sis, BIL and nephew. The first weekend, we flew down to Melbourne for a family reunion with our cousins and aunt there. Our cousin, Jenn, her son - Jayden and our 2nd aunt joined us in Melbourne from Malaysia. The four children had a fantastic time bonding. We were blessed with fab weather, which was good to be outdoors exploring. We took trams around town, feasting on Malaysian food in Melbourne. I think we did more eating and walking as well as catching up with everyone. We're planning another reunion, maybe Perth next year but definitely in Malaysia in 2012 for our grandma's 90th birthday.

One of the places we visited whilst they were here was a coastal town in the South Coast of NSW called Kiama. Kiama is located about 90 minutes south from Sydney. It was a beautiful clear blue sky and windy day when we started our journey south. Our first stop was Bald Head Hill Lookout close to Wollongong, where bikies congregate on the headland. You can also hang-glide off the cliff and land on a beach somewhere in the Gong. It was so so windy that I literally had to hang on to my girls as soon as we got out from the car. We met Kevin at Bald Head  lookout. It was a quick introductions and photo op before we hopped back into the car for a drive south on the 665m Seacliff Bridge along the Grand Pacific Drive for our next stop, AustiBeach Cafe at Austinmer Beach.

View from Bald Head Lookout. Photo from July 09

Here Kevin joined us for brunch. We warmed up with hot chocolates, flat whites, cappucinos, vienna coffee and babycinos as well as hot breakfasts for all.

Austinmer Beach

 Then it was onward to Kiama and the famous blowhole. The name Kiama is from the aboriginal word Kiaram-a, to which some sources give the meaning "Where the sea makes a noise" as reference to the famous Kiama Blowhole. Here are some photos of Kiama.

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Location:Sydney, Australia

Cake Decorating @ Easter Show 2011

My favourite part of the Easter Show is the Cake Decorating section. I love to see the displays and admire the craft of the talented and creative people who make them. Some of the cakes are absolutely mind-blowing and stunning. Here are a few of my favourites.

iPho

Noah's Ark