Gold Coast 2009 : Day 3 - 15 June 2009

3rd day started with excitement. Walaupun mula2 dah panik sbb celik jek dah terang benderang..padahal baru pkl 6am...subuh pkl 3am++

Everyone was up n about in jolly mood..the most anticipated agenda in our itinerary.

THEMEPARKSSSSS

Our strategies :
1. ONE themepark PER DAY coz we have kids in tow and we dont want to rush them. Tired kids will throw tantrums which will definitely make the parents showing their tantrums as well...in the end, where's the fun?

2. We bought ESCAPE PASS (2 parks in 3 days) for Movieworld and Seaworld, it's cheaper. We bought from kiosk over there as it is cheaper than buying online.

Themepark of the day : D R E A M W O R L D la la la.

Packed our bekal and hit the Pacific Motorway. The hard part (takde la susah sgt pon tp xleh label as smooth sailing la kan) was finding the hiway entrance coz there's a road closure & re-route went on. So we skipped the google direction & followed the actual roadsigns. Trust me, self-drive in GC is breezy..sbb bkn aku yg drive hahaha

From the hiway, you'll passthru Movieworld (MW) dulu on your left, Dreamworld (DW) is a lil bit further in Coomera, no worries, roadsigns are abundant, you won't miss it. Next to it is another wet park i.e. Whitewater, we recommend that you skip unless you wanna take a dip during summer.

Tip: Go as early as possible, it opens 10am - 5pm. Ambik gambar kat entrance seawal mungkin to capture the gojes clear blue sky especially during winter coz lights out around 5pm. See the difference ?

We saved 50% on the ticket using staff discount. Staff ?? hehe a company under Macquarie Group owns this themepark yippee yay yay. 50% is A LOT frenzz like AUD172 (rm450++). We had to request for a letter from Sydney & produced it at the counter together with staff ID. Mmm kalaulah they own all the themeparks kan ke best hehe. Jimat tuu...

Btw, bajet gi GC ni byk habis kat entrance fee about rm900++ per park for us (rate for all 3 that I went - AUD69 Adult AUD45 Kid), tu time rate quite low. But the money well spent I wud say...pueh hati la menyimpan selama ni :)

Masuk2 jek just nice ada Spongebob live show...i looike...tapi Hannah was so scared we had to stand at the back of of the mini theatre. Aciq & the kids joined the crowd singing and dancing to the songs...what a good start for the day

Pastu proceed to the kid's section for the rides, aku of coz la ambik rides yg 'paling mencabar' kan ?

Babah and Hanis get dizzy in these mini swing, just like one in Genting. Hannah endured it like 1 big girl unlike me who felt like puking the moment it started and I was not even on the swing hahaha.

This one is cool, put in AUD2 and start 'driving' the truck-head..zig zag zoom, roundabout and go find its container..the red truck should find the red container...I love this and Adan too was over excited, he jumped boing boing while holding the steering. He's a good driver coz he managed to avoid all other trucks that were trying to ram onto his...btw, you can only drive it on the light gray route, once your truck overshot to the dark gray area, u r stuck & goodbye AUD2...

Kat park ni klu nak catch shows ke apa2 kena alert & always refer to timetable, kami plan based on location sbb x mo rush sana sini.

Thai girl Tiger show pon ada :p Tempat ni pegi awal2 before show started and secure a spot kat depan pagar besi tu especially klu korang ada baby with stroller. Mcm aku dh terlambat ala2 gone case la weh..nmpk belakang mat salleh je la gayanya. Ambik gmbr pun main angkat2 snap jek..

Pastu sudah pastilah kau akan di paw kaw kaw kat dlm store jual brg2 yg super duper cute sampai aku pun naik mabuk. Klu anak2 korang hantu channel Nickelodeon siap la nak layan anak korang menggelupur kat sini haha, segala kwn Spongebob, Dora huhu. Sib baik bdk2 ni menggelupur kat mulut jek itupun dah terbang $$$$$ Hannah yg excited sbb byk brg yg ada nama dia. Botol air AUD15 erk pengsan sawan gulp !!

For kids yg funnya dkt Nickelodeon Central & Wiggles World. Suka betul dgn building and stuffs yang wanewani and very well-maintained, takdelah cat terkopek ke kaler kusam ke..

Ni kat dalam big red car, bapa ku pulang dari kota bapa ku belikan kereta..kereta kecil lalalala...best jek lepak dlm ni, sib baik 1 keter leh naik semua skali...sbb nak nunggu next car tu rasa mcm rugi masa jek queue

Inilah rupanya entrance ke Wiggles World, rupanya kami masuk dari belah belakang hehehe oopss..belakang2 sensitip aa skarang

Permainan yg paling aku benci sbb aku akan pening lalat sampai nak muntah tapi budak2 ni ligat je memusing

Boat kat belakang to boleh naik tau, tapi schedule dia mcm sgt lambat & nak perabih 1 circle tu lama la jugak, so kami pass jek, amek gambo je la..

Kan dah kata rasa macam genting hehe, cuma keter & org yang jaga dia sgt senang mata memandang..

By the way, we skipped all the scary rides...why ? Too scary...Tower of Terror, Giant Drop...nama pun dh cukup meng'scary'kan...kami duk je lah kat bwh dgr org terpekik terlolong...

Ada train rides klu agak2 penat dah jalan...naik dari stesen and zass tau2 sampai dkt ngan main entrance dah...letih ooo masa ni

Ada cowboy town yang rustic tapi cool, dalam ni ada lagi kedai souvenir yg best jugak la. Masa ni ramai plak org sbb mcm dah nak closing, since this place dah almost at the end sumer serbu baik punya..kat sini mmg konpem GC ni dh jadi mini malaysia, kiri kanan sumer org kita jek..masuk kedai belasah sembang mcm kat pasar la kekdahnya hehe

Dreammworld ni special dia adalah sbb dia combine dgn farm, so klu korang on tight schedule & tak sempat nak gi main2 ngan koala or kanggaroo kat mana2 park, maka silalah kemari.

Aku sangat yakin itu kanggaroo betina, tak pun pondan berdasarkan aksi penuh divanya itu. Along nyorok belakang pokok sbb dia baca buku kata kanggaroo leh libas org sampai mati dgn ekor dia !! I think I heard that warning too but mls to google to verify :p

Nak kata super fun rasa macam biasa aje, terasa mcm kat genting pun ada cuma dia punya grandiose-ness tu lebey berganda2 ah especially dgn crew yg sangatlah friendly & happy manjang.

Dalam tak best pun, we spent whole day in there 10am - 5pm !!

No worries, ada restaurant halal dalam ni, Billabong (tu kt bwh tu..). Masa kami pegi ada offer buffet combo meal AUD65++ for 2 adults & 2 kids. Mana2 ko pegi baik ticket, meal atau apa2 family package biasanya pakai saiz ni, agaknya ni std family size kat sana la kot.

Souvenir is definitely expensive but it's worth buying, so just set aside a budget. I didn't buy much here, mostly untuk diri sindrik. Masa ni lom dpt feel lagi ni..

Koala yg seakan-akan memanggil..belilah saya belilah saya...aku jawab..tidakk...tidak... hannah kata..ibu, nak, nak...ibu jawab lagi..tidakkk..tidak...karna..yg kenit di bawah itu pun suda AUD30 haha jadi aku beli yg kecik terlepek tepi dinding mcm monkey tu je..jadi la..

Dibelakang Adan itu adalah kedai coklat ye, sgt parent trap tempat itu...end-up aku beli gak M&M sbb container dia ada logo DW :) and few other things, ala dia mcm kiosk coklat klcc or pavilion tu jek, cuma aku mmg x kuat imah klu bab2 kedai cekelat nih..

Aksi2 penyudah sementara tunggu babah & aciq pi solat, dah fenat tapi fuas...hannah volunteer nak duduk stroller

Once masuk keter, tiba2 sumer kebulur & Hannah terus gone Zzzzz....ingatkan tak penat, seharian dia happy...

We zoomed to town to get our dinner, nasi goreng. To recharge after few days without nasik. Order kat Maharan1 @AUD12/pack only to be given this pathetic-looking nasik goreng yang tak rata. Taste-wise..sorry aku pakai perencah lagi best. Coupled with what I said in previous entry. Aku t'paksa go against popularity votes by NOT RECOMMENDING this eating place. Klu baca blog lain, some even said this is a must-go. You may want to try...this is my personal view & experience

We oso bought our Escape Pass from nearby kiosk, the lady even gave us 3 fridge magnets FOC hehe TQ TQ

On our way back, I made a quick stop at another grocer, C0les to get another batch of groceries. The rest balik umah sbb dah flat gila2. Since I bought a lot of liquid (milk + water + juice) I brought the trolley home !! Sumer org pandang aku atas bawah, yg dok seberang jln pun tunjuk2 kat aku, ada yg bisik2 blkg aku masa kt junction 'Maybe she didnt know that she can't bring it back'. hehe mgr apartment aku dh cakap dia kata dia akan return, tu psl aku leh wat toya jek hangkut hahaha.

Seperti mlm2 sebelumnya, aku akan menghayati brg2 yg telah aku rembat sbg ubat tidor dan mula berpikir, ni nak bagi sapa, tu nak simpan kot hehe...

Day 3 ended with smiles. Dah terbayang Movieworld untuk esok hari...cepat la siang. Sebenarnya dlm hati teringin nak gi snap gambar sunrise kat main beach coz it's definitely breathtaking..apakan daya, aku x mampu bukak mata at 4am++, nak jln ke beach lagi..next time la ye...

Gold Coast 2009 : Day 2 - 14 June 2009

Long due post ...harap tak t'lambat utk dijadikan pedoman utk kengkawan yang nak gi sana. I'm trying my best. Here we go..

WARNING : LOADS OF PIX..might load 1/2way, pls refresh.

14 June 2009 - SUNDAY

We decided not to menyibuk with the locals in the themeparks during the weekend. Strategy sebenarnya to avoid contact with people coming from H1N1-affected-zone, ye la..we were there at the height of HINI outbreak down under. No touch touch eh..

Pagi2 lagi both of us went out to get our ride from Hertz's office at Trickett St. We pre-booked everything during MATTA Fair at PWTC, zero booking fee !! We HAVE TO book MPV coz there were SIX of us. Car is only allowed for max of 5 and we make sure we insisted to be given a new model. We booked an MPV for 7 days @ AUD550 (AUD1=RM2.7). Pickup at GC office and return at Brisbane Airport. The office is within walking distance from our place but we went up too further away, like 2, 3 blocks. Lucky it's winter so no sweating involved. We shown them the booking slip, opted for a full tank instead of petrol voucher so we just need to refill the tank before returning it, 1 booster seat, no GPS (bravo us !!). Swipe the card and it's ours !! We checked the condition of the car, Estima baru...hehe kat sana the call it Tarago (Hanis made a joke..kereta ni 'tara go' as in kenot go punya). Took a picture of all scratches & dents to save us from being charged unnecessarily. The moment we hit the road..tiba2 ku berangan...suamiku, sila beli Estima hahaha

Tip : Very easy & safe to drive there. Same as M'sia (right-side driver) but their enforcement is very very strict. Buckle-up, child on seats, no speeding and all. Unless korang kaya coz they will trace your down in KL and serve you the ticket !! Don't forget to bring your driving license. It's valid over there..yippee

Bila driver dah dpt feel bwk MPV, balik pickup the rest, had a breakfast yg aku dah siapkan awal2 (soup + mee goreng segera hehe). And zoom zoom to our 1st destination.

Where to ? Panaskan enjin shopping dulu la...went to 1 of the most popular morning market, Carrara Market somewhere in Carrara (obviously). Pasar minggu ni..klu kat Ganu panggil 'kedai sari' (originated from kedai sehari). Berpandukan direction dari Google Earth yg telah ku print dgn jayanya kami sampai ke sana walopon awal2 agak cuak sbb rasa mcm jauh.

Tip : Sapa biasa join treasure hunt & jadik navigator, map ni sgt useful sbb dia ala2 nk baca tulips else akan sedikit konpius. On the way ke sana we passed thru Pacific Fair shopping complex (we gave this place a pass) dan juga kasino C0nrad Jupiter yg agak glamer...lain2 ada jgk cuma x tersenarai sbg tempat must visit, so...pass.


Pix was taken on our way back, that's why it's on the right side. Kalau tak it wud be on our left from Surfers right after the junction.

Sampai sana terus round & beli apa yang patut. Jgn beli souviner kanggaru/koala clip kecik2 disana. AUD5/pack when you can get it at AUD2 from elsewhere...tipah tertipo disini, sib baik beli 2 pack jek (AUD10 dapek DUA JEK !! instead of FIVE ) hoho lesson learned, sila percaya pada tips internet.

We bought stuff that we felt we wont find it elsewhere. Sarung bantal ala carpet kanggaro dikirim oleh seseorg, the cute sleeping sock for the kids and souvenir t-shirts yg tulis 'Someone who loves me went to GC bla bla..some fridge magnets oso worth buying...pre-loved books were cheap...some boomerang designs you won't find anywhere else...so just follow your heart & no regret.

Another lesson learned...everywhere you gooo, people want to knoww, who we are... sila bawa botol mineral & wetwipes. Aku b'jaya 'cebok' si Hannah dgn 1 large pack of wipes sbb diorg xde water tap kat dlm toilet. DRY TOILET ye puan2. Dah abis 1 pack, aku kuar & Q balik sbb aku nak isi air dlm bekas tisu tu, make sure anak aku cebok ngan air, minah2 saleh mcm heran apsal la minah ni susah payah...wakakaka geliiiii. Other places shud be alright as long as ada parent's room. Kan aku dh kata tpt ni kan ala2 pasar minggu gitu..

Udah selesai acara pasar minggu kami buka map lagi & zoom to Harbour Town for ultimate shopping. Sampai2 carik kebab dulu, laparrr...Ispa kebab adalah yummylicious @AUD9/piece. Bagak weh. btw, BILA MAKAN SILA JANGAN CONVERT !! Sure korang rasa nak jilat wrapper sumer.

Lokasi kedai kebab Ispa ini sgt strategik sbb dekat ngan fountain ni , kira meeting point la klu korang pi ramai2 & split.

Pastu pi ambik Tourist Card kat Tourist Centre, discount applicable for the day only, lain hari kena gi ambik lagi. But to tell u the truth, we hardly use it coz the T&C byk songeh. Hubby & SIL solat dulu at the centre. Aku rasmi acara dulu, we split karna selera & tekak yg berbeza dlm bidang shopping. Man memborong dkt Canterbury yg super cheap, aku plak duk pening2 kat Pumpkin Patch + Crabtree & Evelyn. Baru nak mabuk tiba2 baru prasan weekend kedai tutup awal, 5pm (3pm klu kat KL tgh hyper kan ?). Arrghhh...capai apa yg patut & register dlm kapla apa yg nak serbu klu sempat dtg lagi. Nike & Adidas adalah tidak best mengikut skala kitorg, so Adan sambar cap ManU jek sebijik. Sekian.

Kat sini, bilik baby adalah superb dan senang sbb ada special room yg ada the bowl & sink. So korang boleh la masuk situ & settle anak2 korang dlm tu jek without susah payah nak isi air dlm botol 4,5 round. The room even provided with microwave & TV with kids programme on !! I wish we have the same here. Kat atas tu aku buat aksi hena sbb mcm x sempat nk grab minah tu gi baby room, kedai nak tutup dah tu...Hannah sdg dipakaikan seluar baru sbb dia tlh kebocoran & stok seluar abis :P

Stop kat Woolworths (Woolies for local) to buy some groceries before heading home, dia tutup lambat sket, by this time kedai2 lain sumer dh close. Beli segala beras, telur, gula milo, roti, buah and sempat sambar fresh cherries... btw, beli brg ni nak selamat just head to vegetarian / kosher or asian aisle. Ada 1 brand ni kat KL pun melambak, so leh la beli dgn konfidennya. Aku lopa lagi namanya..huhu masterfood kot

Saja snap sbb nak riak Pyrex baru, purposely beli kat sana utk masak haha. Cheap weh menatang Pyrex kat sana. Aku beli kt supermarket je nih, bukan outlet pon. Cover dia aku guna utk goreng2.

Slurp slurp..lazat lazat, ni la kebab yg kami duk beli siang malam. Lamb ye...Adan duk ingat sampai la ni. Ni 2nd round for the day, beli utk dinner plak before balik dr Harbour..

Cantik view malam2 from balkoni, ada funfair kat belakang apartment, very the colorful and skali2 dgr org jerit sbb ada rides yg agak ngeri gak la utk tarap funfair...tak main ah merry go round sumer tuh

Perut dah kenyang, mandi (org kg katakan, tetap mandi air sejuk walau winter haha), tukar baju tebal sket and drag our sore feet to the heart of Gold Coast, Cavill Ave ..again we're lucky to rent an apartment there coz it's so convenient. Not to forget that it's stroller-friendly everywhere..i looike...x sia2 aku bwk 2 bijik. Click HERE to view the location of our apartment from the heart of GC.

Acara survey & beli sikit2 bermula. Hard Rock, DONE. The best gift shop here goes to one shop owned by Sarawakian. Aku leh lupa nak snap gambar & hafal nama kedai. Tak silap aku nama dia ada royal, gift sumthing tapi yang pasti dia kat Surfers P'dise Blvd, area2 yg dipenuhi kedai kepunyaan manusia yg berasal dr M'sia. Go in and you'll feel at home hehe, best bukan sbb price aje tapi varieties & their friendly manner. Kami borong byk gakla souvenir kat sini...t-shirt, coaster, the AUD2 roos clip and....nougat !! original price dh murah, lepas lambak kat kaunter, another round of discount given...waaaaaa...suker suker..

Checked the most famous Malay restaurant but was put off by their way of wooing customers. Saya tidak respek tektik itu Pak Haji ! Siriyes weh..GC ni mcm dh invaded by Malaysian tau...baik tokei kedai & tourist..ckp kuat sikit sure ada yg tanya, malaysian eh hehe

Kedai kat sini tutup lambat sikit, tapi sbb kami dh lembik lutut, jalan pelan2 balik. That's our GC place at night. Tapi elok sampai rumah sumer terbuntang mata, mana taknya, KL bru pkl 7pm. Aku masak la apa2 yg patut, sejuk2 ni..makan megi tomyam pun best, kan ? Slurrp..Hannah pun bantai sampai merah2 mulut. Hehe our rule : you can eat anything during holiday, Adan can do any type of icecream & lollies, kids can do jajan. Not healthy ? Yes, but it's a holiday peeps hehehe. Aku? Lps kasik depa mkn, aku bz mengexcitedkan diri dgn hasil borongan dlm bilik.

Adan can't sleep till past midnight Oz time, so he kept me company in the kitchen. Me preparing another batch of soup & garlic bread for breakfast plus half-cooked noodles for bekal.

The day after this was a long day..@ Dream World.....nite nite everyone

The End of Day 2 (baru Day 2 ?..mati la korang tunggu haha)

Nota kaki kembang :Some / same pix loaded up in my FB oredi, cuma story jek yang x kuar2

Jalan-jalan Langkawi 2010...again ?

Mana :: Langkawi, Kedah

Bila :: 29 Jan - 2 Feb 2010

Siapa :: 5 of us + parents + grandma + 1 Avanza

Aku mcm malas nak citer sbb ni bukan tempat asing kan ? hehe

Apapun aku happy sebab berjaya bawak nenek aku gi Langkawi merealisasikan impian dia dari dulu iaitu membeli kain batik jawa di Langkawi. Haaa kellas gitu nenek gue, apa aku kesah segala yg lain yang penting kain batik jugerr.. She has never been there before.

Aku sebenarnya dah lupa sbb aku booked dlm sistem before raya lagi...aku dah siap war2 kan adik aku soh adjust cuti tapi x dapat. So mcm x semangat sgt la nak pegi sbb x meriah.

Bila dpt email notification baru aku kelam-kabut plan balik, sib baik takde deadline.

Again, dapat the whole banglo with 5 rooms, same unit like our previous visit in 2008. Dukacita karna seperti yang dijangkakan aku harus membasuh baju di unit lain. Apa la...dah tau resort ni slalunya big family yg rent, apalah salahnya install washing machine baru kat situ, tak yah yang canggih2 kang rosak mcm yg dulu tu. Too canggih sampai org x reti pakai..main picit sukati kan dah rosak...pls pls..(mcm la xleh hantar dobi...)

Dah namanya bawak org jenjalan so kena la buat siaran ulangan gi tempat2 wajib saperti Cable Car, Makam Mahsuri, Beras Terbakar, Idaman Suri hahaha masuk agenda gak tu...

Gambar-gambaran suda upload dlm FB, kalau blom tgk bleh la kelik-kelik disini ye cik kiah. Kat velog tempek mana yg blom ada, kekonon exclusive huntok horang2 yg vace velog hini...tapi bila tgk balik...sumo yg elok2 dh tempek sano, apo2lah..asal x kosong entry haku ni hehe

Next visit (bila tu ? who wanna join ?) aku nak leisure and lepak bermalas2an kat resort ni. Nothing can entice me out from that gojes place except food at Wan Thai...

I must be desperate...

Nak gi holiday...

sampaikan...

tertinggal my compact digicam and

ALL my memory cards

in the office !!

Apalah gunanya ada 3 kamera kalau semua tidak ber'memori' hahaha

Maka haruslah membeli kad ingatan yang baru di sana dan pakai kamera bateri AA hadiah beli TV dulu hehe

Apa-apa pun rezeki aku dpt resort opis buat kali yang kedua thru balloting system. I'm renting the whole unit again. Hrp2 mesin basuhnya sudah dibaiki...else aku harus jadi ala2 dayang membawa bakul kain kotor ke sungai unit sebelah.

We'll hit the road in 1.5hrs, normal routine..drebar tido aku packing & setup the car. Once on the road, aku pun Zzzz at least for 1hr then I'm fit to be a co-pilot yg tidak drive.

Enjoy the long weekend to KLians !!

Take a deep breath...

exhaaaaaaaleeeeeeeeeee

Na, you can start living your life now...

Na, you can be yourself again...

Yes, I know that and I want that

Berjaya Akhirnya..

Tak tau naper tapi gambar ni x mo lekat bila upload..malu gamaknya anak2 aku ni.

Percubaan ke-ntah-brapa-kali since Nov !! Akhirnya....saja jek..Karikatur masa hari kantin.

Just to say 'I am alive & kicking bebeh..'

Aku sedar dan aku tau belog ku tidak berupdate berbulan lamanya...

Aku masih mengejar kehidupan baru ku..dah 2 bulan x abih bab catch-up lagi...

Azam aku tak nak bawak balik dokumen & laptop ke rumah lagi...klu bwk balik pun sbb nak godek gambar2 (maklumla software canggih2 dlm lappy opis hehe). Akan tetapi sudah 2 minggu aku duk mengheret laptop berat ku ini..

Aku jua berazam menjadikan 'filing mcm bdk operation' sbg cara hidup di opis karna aku masik terbwk2 tektik filing zmn auditor yg hanya berlaku slps habis audit dan kadang2 langsung tidak b'laku. Tau2 melambak nk kena shred time nak tfr dept..

Masa intervew kan main 'jual diri'..sampai la ni..klu org tanya section 27 of Takaful Act pun aku leh nganga lagiks hahaha hampres..apatah lagi menghapal akta 1 donia, dari UK, ke ostolia dan kini nak menangis tgk akta bahasa german, Google Translate member baikku...

I'm giving myself another 1 week to RECOVER from the 'catching-up fever'...ok 1 week...cukup ke ? OK kot..2 weeks pon boley..

Dikesempatan ini aku nak ucap belated and advance wishes, mana tau aku x recover sampai sudah wakakaka...Selamat Tahun Baru, Selamat Hari Wilayah, Selamat Tahun Baru Cina, Selamat Hari Jadi mana2 yg besday Dec, Jan, Feb etc.

Kepada yang merindui aku...silalah layan gambar ala2 paspot ku ini. Ni gambar waktu bertugas sbg krew majlis kawin adik ipaq aku. Jenuh tau nak tahan dagu..nanti klu sempat aku airbrush wakakaka