The Silk Road - Tashkent

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We reached Tashkent, and checked in the Hotel Markaziy after a five hour drive. Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, shows its roots as a Silk Road city even today. The 2,000 year-old-city whose name means “Stone Fortress” has the look of a modern metropolis.

Tashkent became a Muslim city in the 8th century AD, and was an important commercial centre during the middle Ages. Wars and natural calamities have swept most of the buildings dating back to the time of the ancient city.
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Despite its modern Soviet appearance, Tashkent lacks neither beauty nor culture; this city of three million has beautifully laid out parks and glistening fountains. The weather was wonderful as we strolled through the parks.
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It boasts an efficient Soviet era metro with unique breathtaking designs at its stations. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos. Soviet phobia... Up above, an electric tram system snakes across the city, complementing its public buses and taxis. The taxis are mostly new twenty five year old Lada models.
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We visited the Tashkent Islamic Institute. During the time when Caliph Uthman was the caliph of the Muslims, dispute arose about the reading of the Quran. To put the discord to an end, the Quran Uthmani was written down on buckskin in six copies and sent to different parts of the world. One of the six copies was brought to Samarkand and for many years caringly kept. After the tsarist Russia took over Samarkand, this Quran to St. Petersburg and placed into the Emperor's library.
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Since 1989 the sacred manuscript has been returned and kept, in the Tashkent Islamic Institute. The Muskhaf Khazrati (Quran) of Uthman is the rarest and priceless gem, which is loved and revered by every Muslim. In 2007, Tashkent was named the cultural capital of the Islamic world. Maybe because it has the Telyashayakh Mosque (Khast Imam Mosque) which contains one of the six sacred Quran Uthmani.
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We ended the last day of our Uzbek discovery with an authentic Uzbek dance. It is characterized by intricate arm and hand movements, a variety of spins and turns, backbends, shoulder isolations and animated facial expressions. Footwork is relatively simple. The solo dancing was supported by a ghijak, whose round body and sound resembles that of a violin. It is played being placed vertically on the knee and the sound is produced with the help of special bow kamon.
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Supporting the ghijak, is undoubtedly, the most favourite percussion instrument of the Uzbeks, the doira. One side of the wooden rim with a diameter up to fifty centimetres is covered with tight leather membrane, whereas sixty metal rings are fixed on the other side. With fingers of both hands a musician beats out a rhythm on the tightly stretched leather and at the same time he shakes the doira thus accompanying the rhythmic sound strikes with melodically chime of the rings. In the hands of a virtuoso doira player, the doira can produce tender sounds resembling rustling of the wind, or loud drumming, like a spring thunder.

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On the last day it was snowing heavily. While waiting for the bus and at the airport we walked hand in hand with snowflakes falling from the skies.....

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The Silk Road - Samarqand

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After a five hour drive, during which we saw the snow covered majestic mountain borders of Uzbekistan, we reached Samarkand. This hilly city is the second largest in Uzbekistan and is as old as Rome, Athens and Babylon. Situated on the Silk Road, ancient Arabs called it the “Gem of the East”, Europeans called it the “The Land of Scientists”. Ulugbhek built his observatory here and charted the stars even before astronomy was invented.


Samarkand is the city of legends. When Alexander the Great saw Samarkand, he exclaimed “I heard that the city was beautiful but never thought that it could be so beautiful and majestic”. It’s also a city of love akin to Shakespeare’s tragic Romeo and Juliet but with Samar and Qand miraculously brought back to life at the end.

One ancient poet wrote:
You can travel through the whole world, have a look at the pyramids and admire the smile of the Sphinx; You can listen to the soft singing of the wind at the Adriatic Sea and kneel down reverently at the ruins of the Acropolis, be dazzled by Rome with its Forum and Coliseum, be charmed by Notre Dame in Paris or by the old domes of Milan; But if you have seen buildings of Samarkanda, you will be enchanted by its magic forever....

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It is believed that parts of Nabi Danial remains, namely a hand, were conveyed to Samarkand by Timur. A mausoleum was constructed over the burial place of this remains. Quite near to the mausoleum there is a spring with water considered sacred. The locals say that everyone wishing to visit this mausoleum should have a drink of this water and wash the open parts of their body. This is a place of pilgrimage for both local residents and international guests. In 1996, the Patriarch of All Russia Alexey II visited this mausoleum and sanctified it. The locals say, after sanctifying the mausoleum, a pistachio tree in the courtyard thought dead, began to blossom again.

In this city too, is situated one of the world’s notable architectural ensemble of the Samarkand, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. It’s also called the Street Of the Dead. Thirty five steps up leads to the eleven mausoleums. The most ancient is the ensemble of Kusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of our revered prophet, Nabi Muhammad SAW. This ensemble is a monument of the warriors who charted world history. We ended the day at dusk at this beautiful ensemble to return to our hotel the Regal Palace.

Early next morning, we set off to the most famous attraction in Samarkand is the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex which is located in Kharteng village, 12 kilometers from Samarkand. The complex includes mausoleums, mosques and administrative buildings.

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The Imam al-Bukhari mausoleum is located in the center of this complex. This cubical building is crowned with a seventeen-meter dome. The right side door leads downstairs to a do dakhma, a place of worship. On the right side, under the sagana decorated with light blue onyx, there is a grave of Imam Al-Bukhari covered with marble.

According to local historians, the present four side arched shaped building was constructed on top of the original grave of Imam Al Bukhari by the Uzbekistan government in 1997 while the Iranian government financed the project. Some lucky visitors had the opportunity to visit down to the actual grave. Unfortunately, we were not among those.

Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari popularly known as Imam Al Bukhari is best known for authoring the hadith collection of Sahih Bukhari, a collection which Sunni Muslims regard as the most authentic of all hadith compilations and the most authoritative book after the Qur'an. May God Bless the Imam. We thank God Almighty for giving us the opportunity to be here. Syukur Alhamdulillah.


On the left side of the inner yard there is a mosque that can accommodate 1500 people. The walls are decorated with light-green, blue and white glazed slabs, as well as with marble, onyx and granite; the floor with girikh. There is the Kiswah near the mihrab. This Ka’abah covering was presented to Uzbekistan by the king of Saudi Arabia.

About 1,000 visitors, including non-Muslims, from all over the world visit Imam Al-Bukhari's mausoleum every day.

Another magnificent landmark in this twenty five century old city, the Registan Square, a traditional centre of the city. The square is flanked on three sides by sparkling and turquoise tiled madrasahs, the Ulugbhek Madrasah, the Sherdor and the Tilla Qori. The interior and exterior facades of these buildings are decorated with ornaments of glazed brick, mosaic and carved marble. The Square is considered an architectural gem representing the finest in Islamic Art.

The Mausoleum of Tamerlane or Gur Emir is not far from the Registan. This famous blue ribbed cantaloupe dome of the mausoleum rises over the tin rooftops in central Samarkand. A massive slab of green jade, under which Tamerlane was laid is said to be the largest such stone in the world. Normally seen as black, it turns green when illuminated by the sun for lucky visitors. It was in its finest green during our visit.

There is the fifteen century Bibi-Khanum Mosque, standing next to a noisy and crowded oriental market full of colourful fruits, vegetables and fragrant spices. Amir Timur dedicated this Bibi-Khanum Mosque to his wife and his victorious Indian Delhi campaign. It is said that he used elephants to haul the construction material. We had a short shopping stop here.

Across the intersection from the market, the Hazrat-Hizr (Nabi Khidzir) Mosque occupies a hill on the fringes of Afrosiab. The eight century mosque that once stood here was burnt to the ground by Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century and was not rebuilt until 1854. In the 1990s it was lovingly restored by a wealthy Bukharan and today is Samarkand's most beautiful mosque, with a fine domed interior.

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The Silk Road - Buxoro

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After a seven hour overnight Uzbek Air flight plus a five hour local departure delay, we landed safely in Bukhara and checked in at the Grand Bukhara Hotel.



The city is locally known as Buxoro. A caravansary city rich in history and dramatic architecture. The city’s most famous landmark, the Kalyan Minaret is the greatest remnant of truly old Bukhara; Genghis Khan destroyed most of the city, but left the minaret standing, supposedly because he was struck by its beauty. Locals take wedding pictures with this minaret as a symbol of their undying love.

Part of the Kalyan Ensemble, the Mir-i Arab Madrasah was built across from the Kalyan Mosque in the 1530's, during the reign of Ubaydallah Khan, of the Shaybanid in Bukhara. It is still an active madrasah. Like the Kalyan Mosque, it exhibits traditional four courtyards. Over one hundred spacious student cells are located behind the double-height courtyard arcade. Each of the courtyard façades contains a central area that functions as a summer classroom. The tomb of the madrasah's founder, Mir-i Arab, occupies the largest classroom, located behind the main façade.

Bukhara, with its population of a quarter of a million, is a major attraction for travellers following the old Silk Road. Celebrating its 2,500th anniversary Bukhara’s mud-coloured buildings, the city’s subdued desert hues and centuries old buildings exude their own exotic air of ancient culture.

The tenth century Ismail Samani Mausoleum is one of Bukhara's oldest monuments. Built for the founder of the Samanid dynasty, its delicate terracotta brickwork disguises 2metre thick walls that have never needed repair in the 1100 years it has stood here. Ancient technology at its best.


Close by is another mausoleum with a conical cupola. It is said that Nabi Ayub struck the ground with his staff and hit upon a life giving spring of water during a drought when crops, animals and people perished. This mausoleum was erected over that spring.

Ancient souks with shops named “Ali Baba and the Forty Robberies” sells traditional carpets, ceramics and modern wares. Age old hamams (turkish baths) can be found all over the city. In winter, the blowing winds relentlessly reminds visitors of the hardship endured by its inhabitants. Fur hats and warm gear are sold everywhere by street vendors to ward off the cold.

Twenty minutes from Bukhara lies the Sufi shrine complex of Bahauddin Nakshabandi. It’s a large complex with a main mosque. There is a large petrified tree supposedly blessed. Pilgrims walk around it and under its branches and tie knots onto the tree saying silent prayers. People come here from all over Uzbekistan as it is considered by some as an adequate substitution for the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca.

We had typical Uzbek food which consists of bread and a variety of salad, a soup/stew followed by the main meat course. Green or oolong tea flowed copiously during each meal. Our search for the well known Nasi Bokhara led to the discovery that there are more than a dozen varieties of Pilaf Rice throughout Uzbekistan. And Pilaf Rice in Bukhara would be Nasi Bukhara, in Samarkand it would be Nasi Samarkand and Nasi Tashkent in Tashkent. Anyone found Mee Bandung in Bandung? All in all, we enjoyed the food varieties.

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Beijing - 2009

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19 October 2009

Day -1

Arrived at Beijing Capital Airport early dawn and was greeted by Selena, our guide for the whole week. We checked in the Sheng Hao Hotel and took a short nap before exploring Beijing city.

Summer Palace

After lunch at one Muslim restaurant, we visited the Summer Palace or Yiheyuan in the western outskirts of Haidian District about 15km from Beijing. Designated as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China it is the archetypal Chinese garden, and in 1998, it became one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.The Palace was constructed in the Jin Dynasty and during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors, it was extended continuously. Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public.

Due to strong winds the day before, we could not enjoy the leisure boat ride across the Kunming Lake which made up almost 60 percent of the Palace area. But we did take in the wonderful vistas of the Palace and the visitors.

Pearl House

We stopped at the Freesky Pearl House specialising in freshwater pearls. Each bred oyster normally produces up to 30 small pearls each. We bought a couple of souvenir pearl bracelets for the ladies in the family.

Tea House

We ventured into Dr. Tea’s teahouse to experience tea tasting. With the aid of a pee-pee doll to check water temperature for perfect tea making, we went through the rituals of proper tea making, cup holding and tasting.

We had dinner at one of the numerous muslim restaurants available in Beijing. After a good dinner, we headed back to hotel for a good nites rest.

20 October 2009
Day-2

Tiananmen Square

After breakfast we headed to Tiananmen Square. It is the geographical centre of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world and is able to accommodate 10,000,000 people at one time! The square is flanked by 56 pillars depicting the various ethnic groups in China. It has two gigantic TV screens showcasing the Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening grandeur.

With the towering Monument to the People's Heroes at the centre, Tiananmen Square has the magnificent Tiananmen Tower in the north, the solemn Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in the south, the National Museum of China in the east and the Great Hall of the People in the west. Surrounded by these lofty buildings, the Square looks majestic and attracts thousands of tourists daily. Tour guides with flags held high to keep their group together were in abundance.

We snaked our way through the jostling crowd to enter the underpass to get to the Forbidden City.

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is situated in the heart of the Beijing and was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In ancient times, the emperors claimed to be the sons of the heaven and their supreme power conferred upon them from the heavens. Their residence on the earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where the God lived in the Heaven. Such a divine place, forbidden for the ordinary people was called the Forbidden City. However, nowadays, visitors can get a glimpse of these residences and their surrounding abodes.

The Forbidden City houses treasures of Chinese cultural and historical relics, and is recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world (the other four are the Palace of Versailles in France, the Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US and the Kremlin in Russia). The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of the traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. In 1987, it was nominated as Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. It is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world.

We travelled back through time as we walked through the City.

Reflexology herbal Medicine

Before proceeding on with the tour, we stopped at the old Olympic Stadium for a foot massage. The massage was not as good as the ones we frequent in Malaysia. We thought that we’d get a good reflexology session. We were disappointed.

Royal Silk House

We stopped at a silk house and watched the ladies work the silkworm all the way to the finished products. The place was full with tourists and after a look see look see, we left for more interesting sights.

Hutong Rickshaw ride

A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane with quadrangle courtyard residences typical in Beijing. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The centre of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City.

One kind of hutongs, usually referred to as the regular hutong, was near the palace to the east and west and arranged in orderly fashion along the streets. Most of the residents of these hutongs were imperial kinsmen and aristocrats. Another kind, the simple and crude hutong, was mostly located far to the north and south of the palace. The residents were merchants and other ordinary people.

We took a rickshaw ride through a hutong filled with small criss crossing alleys. The ride wasn’t smooth due to major earthworks being done. The hutong we were in had been designated as protected heritage areas and conservation work was being done. It gave us a glimpse of the locals in their natural surroundings.

Acrobatic Troupe Show

After the trishaw ride, we relaxed at the Children’s Park. While waiting for the show, we saw men and women alike exercising in the park. It seems that exercising in various forms is a way of life for the Chinese here. Taichi, lion dancing and traditional dancing is a common street sight.

The show itself covered a large variety of acrobatics ending with more than 15 youths on a bicycle circling on stage. But the highlight was the face changing (Bianlian in Chinese) Bianlian was the fascinating part of the show. This is where two performers changed through half a dozen or more fearsome and brightly-coloured face masks seemingly by magic!

21 October 2009
Day-3

Great Wall of China

After about a 2hr drive north and two shopping stops at a jade and crystal factory, we had lunch at a Chinese Cloissone enamel factory. We watched them produce the enamelware. Cloisonne enamel is high-grade artwork. During the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, it became popular. Handicraftsmen used the dark-blue enamel that gave the cloisonné the blue colour, hence it is called Jingtai blue, and is still used today.


The making of cloisonné integrates bronze and porcelain-working skills, traditional painting and etching. It is the pinnacle of traditional Chinese handicraft. Cloisonne is also known as "inlaid enamel", which refers to the unique technique of the combination of porcelain and bronze. Lunch was good but the portions were huge. Fellow Malaysian travellers who crossed our paths agreed that while the food was good, the portions were impossible to finish. Our guide said that the Chinese ate large portions yet remained slim. Slimming Chinese tea must be their secret :)

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 5,600 km from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

We walked, climbed, crawled and made it up the peak at the Badaling Great Wall situated in Yanqing County, over 70 km north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty. This section has an average altitude of over 1,000m and is the outpost of the Juyongguan Pass. The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are tortuous. These features made it a military stronghold. The Badaling Great Wall is like a strong dragon winding its way along the mountain ranges. And we scaled this dragon :)

Masjids

We had the opportunity to visit the Nan Dou Ya Qing Zhen Si Mosque, serving the Hui community in the area.

Like most of the mosques in Beijing, Nan Dou Ya mosque is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art, with a series of pavilions and courtyard buildings and the Arabian characters and touches.

At the courtyard, we were surrounded by the courtyard chambers comprising the main prayer hall. It’s like being back in time!

After performing our prayers, we bought some sweet bepang like snacks outside the masjid. Our guide said that the snack was sold by the muslim chinese outside mosques only.

Wangfujing Street

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Wangfujing. It is now considered the central heart of the city. It is close to the Forbidden City. Wangfujing is a long shopping street! A walk from end to end would take about 30 minutes, and that's without looking at any shops. A major portion of Wangfujing consists of a pedestrian mall. It is comparable to most pedestrian malls worldwide. The street was full with local and international tourists. It reminded us of Vienna’s Stephenplatz. '
We had dinner and met with a couple of Malaysian visitors at another muslim restaurant before heading back to the hotel to rest after a full tiring day.

22 October 2009
Day-4

Yashow Market

As today has been designated a shopping day, we went to Yashow Market. Yashow is a paradise for bargain hunters in Beijing, a big draw for the tourist with some money to spend and some serious shopping to do too. It is located in the northeast of Beijing. Yashow is surrounded by the bars, restaurants and cafes of the Sanlitun area, the hottest eating and drinking area for tourists in the city.It's a 4 story building with shopping inside. The general quality of the goods here is not bad. The Yashow Market itself provides various articles of clothing a well as a lot of cashmere garments, down jackets, leather goods, shoes, hats, watches and some handicrafts and trinkets. It also has custom-fitted suits available. Good bargaining skills is a must to survive here. Our guide advised us to start at 30% from what was offered!

We people watched more than shopping :) We had a good seat across a shop selling wigs and hair stuff. Wigs must be cheap here because many western tourists were trying and buying them. Redheads became blondes instantaneously. One lady walked off buying a blue haired wig. Wonder when will she get to use it?

After a filling dinner which was largely unfinished, we headed back to the hotel.

Bird’s Nest

As a last stop before returning home, we visited the Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadium. The spectacular Bird's Nest stadium, hailed as the finest arena in the world and the centrepiece of the most expensive Olympics in history, is full of hidden symbolism.

In Chinese mythology, the sun is represented by a circle and the moon by a square, reflected by the shape of the bird's nest and the Water Cube aquatic centre opposite, reinforced when the venues are lit at night, red for the Bird's Nest and blue for the Water Cube.

The shapes also echo the Chinese symbols for male and female, and are built either side of the north-south axis road which runs in a perfect straight line for three miles through Beijing, centered on the Forbidden City.

Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the stadium has a revolutionary design, comprising an outer skeleton of 42,000 tons of steel, and an inner 'skin' of double-layered plastic which keeps out wind and rain and filters out UV light. It is designed to last for 100 years and withstand a force eight magnitude earthquake.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by hundreds of local and foreign tourists gathered between the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. It was the official opening ceremony of the Beijing International Tourism Festival. There were brightly colored floats with hundreds of colorful participants. Since we have a plane to catch, we couldn’t enjoy the whole event. We had lunch on the way to the airport.

The flight home was on time and we reached home just past midnight. It had been a perfect week break. What would be the next greatest wonder of the world to visit eh? Somewhere in the Middle East or South America kut?

Till then....

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Brisbane - 2009

Attractions and botanical parks
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We further retraced our past path and visited the Sea World, Dream World, Movie World, Wet & Wild and White Water parks. We didn’t have much time to spend, but contented just to have some photo shots to remind us of our visits to the attractions some 10 years ago.

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We then drove towards Brisbane and planned to visit a few museums but couldn’t find suitable car parks to accommodate the height of our caravan.

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We then drove to the Botanical Park which is situated at the outskirts of Brisbane and whiled away our time in the park before we got some lunch at McD and refueled.
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We returned the caravan, and after the vehicle checks, paper work and a cup of hot coffee, we took a cab to Brisbane International Airport. We were early to check-in and bought a couple of Merino sweaters and more souvenirs at the duty-free shops before boarding the 2320 flight back to KL..'
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It was a good exciting holiday and we plan to come back soon to venture further in the land down under...

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G’day Mate…
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Green Mountain - 2009

The tin man of Mt. Tamborine
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It was a sombre start for the day with news of a fallen angel, Farrah Fawcet, who passed away after a long bout with cancer. No sooner had the news ended, the demise of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was announced. The creator of the ‘moon walk’ was a favorite in our family. Our late son Ja liked to imitate his dance movements. Most of his songs were played in the radio throughout the day as tribute to his achievements.
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The drive to O’Reilly’s was an uphill winding road with one lane stretches. There was a winery and an Alpaca farm along the way. We had light lunch and a chance to feed the birds and got some lorikeets resting on our heads and shoulders.
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We drove to Mt. Tamborine to revisit the path that we took 10 years ago. The quaint and picturesque towns are still standing though some of the establishments had changed.

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The German Cuckoo Nest is still there. Ten years ago we had coffee and scones at a small café with a tin man as the café’s maître de. We decided to look him up and were surprised to see him relegated. Once a commanding figure in front of the café, he’s now the head of the scrap yard.

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Guess life’s like that, one time we’re important and respected but over time, we’ll get sent to the scrap yard…
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Sunshine Coast - 2009

Home of the Crocodile Hunter
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This morning we woke up later than usual and had scrambled eggs for breakfast. Today we decided to drive towards Brisbane and maybe visit one of Australia's many nature parks.
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We drove north towards Noosa Heads passing the Sunshine Coast and decided to visit the Australia Zoo at Beerwah. The Australia Zoo was reborn in 1992 when the crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin and wife, Terri took over the management of the zoo.
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Formerly known as the Beerwah Reptile Park, it was opened in 1970 by Steve’s parents Bob and Lyn. It was a place where rogue crocodiles were rescued and rehabilitated wildlife called home. It has now grown to become a global attraction.
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The zoo cares for over 1000 animals. As the zoo does not receive government funding, it relies on sponsorships and donations to provide care for the wildlife. Steve always believed in conservation through an exciting education. Crikey!
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On the way back to our campsite, we drove through Noosa Great Sandy National Park, one of Southern Queenland's best kept secrets with the top end of the Noosa River and Everglades give a view into ancient lowlands and waterways. They have not changed for thousands of years and are unspoiled by the human race...
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Gold Coast – 2009

Surfers Paradise, Whale watching
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After a Subway breakfast of seafood and egg sandwiches, we checked out of the Montego Mermaid Beach Motel and drove towards Broadwater to seek out the caravan park. The park is a premium park due to its close proximity to Surfers Paradise and is consistently fully occupied throughout the year. Once we had confirmed our site for the night, we decided to explore the attractions in Surfers Paradise.
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There is a Wax Museum here that houses one of the three original wax figures of Madame Tussaud. We posed for photos with the eighty over celebrities and prominent personalities of our time. It was déjà vu, since we were here ten years ago. The waxwork figures have not aged. Even Michael Jackson looked black! Though she’s white now.
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Humpback whales migrate through the Australian coast for breeding before turning south towards the Antarctica to mature before returning to propagate once again. This being the season, we took a whale watching cruise to see these magnificent creatures just off the Australian coast.
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After a few hours offshore, we were rewarded with distant spouts of air blown by the whales. As we ventured closer, we could see these whales playfully swimming, breaching the water and splashing the water with their tails. One had to be quick with the camera to capture these moments.
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It was almost dusk when we returned to shore. It was a worthwhile cruise. Maybe once in a lifetime opportunity even.
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After a filling meal of nan, aloo gobi and lamb curry at a halal Indian restaurant, we retired for the night at the Broadwater Park.
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Mermaid Beach – 2009

No vacancy at all caravan parks
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We decided to skip breakfast as we were out of cooking gas. We had a peek at the One Mile Beach of Nelson Bay and stopped at the site office to get our gas tank refilled before we drove off to Port Stephens. Port Stephens is not a city but rather a region spread around and beyond the magnificent waterway. It is a major coastal recreation and holiday centre, rightly known as ‘Blue Water Paradise’. Port Stephens is a mecca for experienced divers, underwater photographers for its colourful garden of soft corals. Port Stephens is official dolphin capital of Australia and well known for its resident population of over 150 bottlenose dolphins. Whales pass very close to shore and are easily accessible by whale watching cruises. The blue waters of Port Stephens are known to produce high quality rock oysters desired for their taste and freshness.
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At Port Stephens, we stopped at McD to have breakfast but the restaurant was closed as there was no electricity. We were informed that the power cut is affecting the whole region and all the petrol pumps could not function without electricity. And our fuel was running very dangerously close to empty.
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We braved ourselves and drove on the M1, the Pacific Motorway hoping that the petrol will last us to the next petrol station. We were banking on that their pumps would be on a different power grid and working. We were very lucky to reach the rest area, known as the Rock and filled up the caravan and our empty stomachs.
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Both caravan and travelers fueled, we headed north and decided to stop for the night at Ballina but the campsite was full. Ballina campsite is a 10 minutes drive from Ballina Central between the Pacific Ocean and the broad water of Richmond River. It is a secluded spot for a relaxing stay for there is no traffic noise. Ballina is surrounded by white sandy beaches and endless waterways. A blend of tranquility seaside hideaway ad vibrant holiday resort, Bellina is the commercial and entertainment hub of the shire. The historic thoroughfares of the town centre are lined with shopping arcades, stylish cafés and classic country pubs. We tried another campsite but Ballina seems to be a popular resort city and all campsites were fully occupied. We travelled on gravel and even a flooded road to Byron Bay but were greeted with no vacancy signs at every campsite.
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We went further north till Surfers Paradise and had the choice of parking at the highway rest areas and spending the night in the caravan without electrical heating, or in a cozy bed of a motel and we decided on the latter. We selected one with outdoor parking available and rested the night in a warm motel bed.
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Port Stephens - 2009

Hop-on, Hop-off Sydney Sightseeing

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After breakfast, we parked the caravan and boarded a City Rail from the Thornleigh train station to Sydney. The train stopped at every station and it took a sleepy hour to get to Sydney’s Central, its main train terminal.

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The weather was cool and sunny and it was a great day for sightseeing. To ensure we could cover most of Sydney’s top attractions, we decided to take the topless bright red Sightseeing bus. It’s quite similar to the ones we see in London, Istanbul and even Singapore. Our KL Hop On Hop Off is related to another franchise and not that popular. We sat at the top and had the cool Sydney wind blowing in our faces.
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The bus wound through the Sydney streets to showcase their Sydney Harbor Bridge (The Coathanger), the Darling Harbor and of course, the Opera House, to name a few. We even managed to stop and walk at the world famous surf beach, the Bondi Beach.
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Sydney is a bustling cosmopolitan city with many nationalities and languages. Aussies and English seemed to be the odd ones out. Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese, Indonesian, Turkish and Spanish were among the nationalities and languages we could pick out in the few hours of our sightseeing.
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At the end of the day, we got back into our caravan at Thornleigh and proceeded north towards Brisbane. We made it to the secluded Port Stephens for the night. At the campsite, we discovered that our cooking gas is finished. We have to resupply soon or else we won’t be able to cook our meals!
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Sydney Hills – 2009

Grand Pacific Drive
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We had an early McD breakfast this morning and drove out of Batemans Bay towards the Grand Pacific Drive starting from Nowra to Audley. The Grand Pacific Drive is the award winning coastal drive encompassing 140km of some of the most spectacular scenery and coastline in New South Wales.
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The route traversed through dramatic coastal scenery, quaint villages, and through the bustling city of Wollongong. We stopped for some photo shots at Seven Mile Beach, Kiama Blowholes and passed over the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge. We stopped at the magnificent Bald Hill lookout for a sweeping panoramic coastal view.
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Along the way, some roads in the low lying areas prone to flooding had water lapping at the road sides. During the rainy season, these roads would be inaccessible.
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We continued along the Royal National Park and exited at Audley and headed north towards Sydney passing through the Coat Hanger with a glimpse of the Opera House. The roads were full with holiday makers returning to the city after the weekend break.
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We stayed the night at the Sydney Hills Holiday Park. We have travelled over 3,500 km so far and we still have another week to go!
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Batemans Bay – 2009

Lakes, valleys and parks
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It was cold and frosty when we drove out of the Traralgon Park Lane Tourist Park. We headed towards the Lakes Entrance passing through Sale and Bairnsdale. It was foggy when we passed Snowy River National Park but the weather was sunny and bright when we stopped at the Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club to watch fishing and boating activities. Some pelicans and seagulls were seen anxiously waiting for food opportunities when those fishes caught were being cleaned.
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Lakes Entrance is the largest tourist town east of Melbourne. It is a family holiday haven ideally located where Tuggerah Lake meets the sea. It is interesting to watch the comical resident pelicans that congregate on the waters edge and wait to be fed.

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We drove along the memorable coastal route of Princes Highway, stopped at Merimbula for a McD lunch. From the restaurant, we had a stunning panoramic ocean view of the South Coast. We continued our journey and stopped for some photo shots of the breathtaking Bega Valley.
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We stopped for the night at Batemans Bay Pleasurelea Tourist Park and slept with the sounds of the ocean waves lapping the shore.
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Traralgon - 2009

A glimpse of Melbourne
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We packed and drove out of Port Campbell at 0845 and stopped at the Twelve Apostles again for some more photo shots. With full sunshine, hopefully the pictures are better than yesterday's.
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We headed towards Apollo Bay but stopped at the Cape Otway Lightstation. We saw our first koala bear on the way to Cape Otway! Cape Otway is in natural bush setting, with an abundance of birds and wildlife, excellent walks and close to secluded beaches. There is easy access to hundreds of waterfalls, the natural beauty of the Great Ocean Road and the Great Ocean Walk.
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The lighthouse, which has been in operations since 1848, is perched on towering sea cliffs 80 m above where the Bass Straits and the Southern Ocean collide.

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For thousands of immigrants, Cape Otway was their first sight of land after leaving Europe or North America and after many months at sea. There is even a meticulously restored Telegraph Station, and a World War II radar bunker.

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We had lunch at one of the stunning beaches along the route. After refueling, we headed towards Melbourne passing Geelong. As Melbourne is the Australian epicenter of the swine flue, we decided to bypass the town completely. However, we managed to get a fleeting glimpse of Melbourne skyline before we entered the 3.4 km Burnley Tunnel which is one of the longest urban three-lane tunnels in the world.

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We stopped for the night at Traralgon Parklane Tourist Park.

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Port Campbell - 2009

The Twelve Apostles
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We drove from Benalla early morning and headed on the Hume Motorway towards the Great Ocean Road bypassing both Melbourne and Geelong. Taking the new inland motorway to Colac, we ventured through the Great Otway National Park winding road down to Apollo Bay.
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The Great Ocean Road later transformed into a mountain drive, winding through the tall timber of the Otway Range jutting over the Southern Ocean, before descending to the eroded cliffs that served as a grandstand for the Twelve Apostles, previously known as The Sow And The Piglets.
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Further up the road, some visitors descended Gibson Steps onto Gibson Beach to take a closer look at the iconic Lord Ard Gorge limestone stacks. We decided to watch the sunset over these steep limestone cliffs.
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We parked at Port Campbell Holiday Park for the night.
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Benalla - 2009

Passing through the outback
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This morning it was still raining quite heavily. We decided to pack and continue our journey towards the Great Ocean Road. If we have time, we’ll visit Sydney later during our return journey.
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It took us 2 hours to get out of Sydney. We were caught in the morning jam as well as constantly rerouting our direction to avoid the M7 Motorway which required the use of either the E-tag or e-pass. No cash was accepted. We finally decided to use the motorway anyway and paid the toll using our visa card. We did it through one phone call. It was a great customer service experience!
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From the M7 Motorway we changed into Hume Highway which led us through the towns of Goulburn, passed Canberra to Yass and Albury. Along the way, we stopped to refuel in Gunning, a small town with a population of 531 and had our lunch at the Yass Rest Center.
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The journey was uninteresting as there were a lot of road-works which required us to slow down to a crawling pace. However, there were numerous farms along the way. There was even one Arabian horse farm. There were also many family owned wineries along the highway. On one stretch of the highway we saw huge windmills that reminded us of Spain.
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The scenery that greeted us in Victoria was pleasantly green as compared to the harsh browns of New South Wales. Unfortunately we didn’t see any skippies but only a few scattered koala remains which had the misfortune of venturing too close to the highway.
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We reached our campsite at Benalla around dusk and had time to do the laundry before having a hearty dinner. Ever notice how we tend to eat more when the weather is cold :)
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Forster - 2009

The Great Lakes lonely pelican
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This morning we had cereal for breakfast. Lanis Great Lake campsite is located within peaceful natural surroundings where you get sunset and serenity absolutely free. As it was a working day, the campsite was quite empty except for long term tenants who stayed a week or more to enjoy the serene ambience and wildlife of the Great Lakes.
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The Great Lakes is only a 3 hour drive from Sydney but it seems a world away. The magnificent eastern dividing range forms a backdrop to one of the most dazzling stretches of coast. There are many things to do in the Great Lakes; there are amazing program of events including visiting stunning natural attractions and National Parks. If you are seeking relaxation or craving adrenalin fuelled adventure - the Great Lakes is the perfect holiday destination to visit all year round, even in winter!
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We circled the Great Lakes and headed towards Seal Rocks Camping Reserve, passing Booti Booti National Park and a few small beach towns with wide range of accommodations for visitors. Along the way we saw a few kangaroos merrily crossing our path.
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Seal Rocks is a fishing village and is accessible by a pleasant drive through Myall Lakes National Park. With great scuba diving, fabulous surf and beach fishing and clear turquoise water, Seal Rocks is an uncrowded natural paradise. One can stroll to the lighthouse and be rewarded with a panoramic view of the coastline. We expected to find a light house at end of the road at Seal Rocks but there was none in sight, most probably we need to access through another road. The spectacular sandy beach is beautifully surrounded by black rocks with stunning blowholes. The site is also famous for its dive with the sharks program and the 1992 whale rescue.
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We drove on and stopped at Hexham for lunch. It was raining dogs and cats during the rest of the drive and the road was slippery. We saw an accident that caused a massive 24km traffic jam. Our next stop for the night was the Sydney Hills Holiday Park situated at Dural, a suburb of Sydney.
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Coffs Harbour - 2009

The Big Banana
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From Moonee Beach Camp site we drove to Coffs Harbor Yacht Club to walk along the beautiful beach and have some photo shots. Coffs Harbour is the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid North Coast and is the major resort of the NSW North Coast. Coffs Harbour is popular with retirees and tourists.

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It is also famous for its banana plantations, celebrated by 'The Big Banana' tourist destination. Apart from banana growing fishing is important here. The Jetty area of the city includes a marina, a large harbour with an accessible jetty, shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as the Muttonbird Island reserve, famous for its muttonbird population.

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Coffs Harbour is a vibrant coastal city brimming with holiday fun. Between June to November, whale watching is Coff’s prime activity. We refueled and bought some provisions at the petrol station outside town. Lunch was fillet-o-fish at McD.
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We headed towards Sydney and stopped at Forsters Great Lake campsite for the night.
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Moone Beach - 2009

The Ocean Tide
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After a hearty breakfast, with Annie’s help, we managed to contact Apollo, a well-known campervan company, and booked us a caravan. With the campervan we can enjoy the freedom of a self drive escape that can take us anywhere. And there'll be a special offer of 10% discount if we stay at any of the Top Tourist Campsites. It cost us AUD 1,889 for 2 full weeks complete with comprehensive insurance coverage and GPS navigator. We headed for Coffs Harbor and stopped for provisions at an Asian Groceries Market.
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We drove along the coast using the Pacific Highway, via Kemsey, Port Macquarie, Taree, passed a historical bridge crossing Clarence River. We saw our first kangaroo along the hi-way. A few kilometers ahead, we saw another one on its back with 4 legs pointing to the skies. Must have played too near the road and got knocked down by vehicles that passed by. We witnessed 2 accidents along the way too.
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We reached Moonee Beach Camp site late and got into difficulties to get the caravan to power up and ended sleeping without a heater. Luckily the night was not that cold and we kept each other warm…
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Brisbane - 2009

Australia - The starting point
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Our flight to Sydney departed 0900 and transited Sydney for 11/2 hours. It took another 2 hours to reach Brisbane. We arrived Brisbane International Airport at 2200. We booked a double room at Annie Shandon's Inn from the airport list and took a bus direct to the inn’s door step. It was a modest B&B hostel room with communal facilities, good enough for us to clean ourselves and had a good night rest. The weather was cool around 11C.

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A love story
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An eternal love story,
so magical
Against the blue sky,
white marble sparkles
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The reflecting pool,
so mesmerizing
A symbol of love,
forever endearing…
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musmun
(Taj Mahal, 31 Dec 2008)
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