Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

April 29, 2013

Highlights from Sydney

I have been a bit lapse with my Sydney posts, so I'll condense the highlights for you into one post of places that a worth a visit or things that are worth seeing.

Day One

Bondi is a beautiful area, famous for its beach and sexy TV lifeguards. We did keep our eyes pealed for them on the Friday morning but alas didn't see any. We did however visit an amazing breakfast place called Lamrock Cafe, which is well worth the visit. Meals are very reasonably priced and the food is delicious. I ordered the big breakfast and my plate came inundated with beautiful, buttery mushrooms. My only suggestion would be to sit inside because it gets very windy outside.


The rest of day one was taken up by my friend's wedding and beautiful view from L'Aqua Restaurant of Darling Harbour.

Day Two

As you can see day two was very wet but a girlfriend of mine was thankfully very keen to hit up the shops with me. Our first port of call was Topshop. I had always loved the store in the UK, so I was very keen to visit but a little underwhelmed with my experience there. It's not quite what I remember it being in the UK.

A trip to Sydney is never complete for me without visiting the decadent Queen Victoria Building. I love this place! It has such beautiful design inside, not to mention Haigs and my mother's favourite kitchen discounter, 'Victoria's Basement'.


I also have to admire the shop windows outside the Queen Victoria Building. This was just one from Camper. The colours seemed quite appropriate seeing as Anzac Day was the following week.


My next stop was The Strand Building, also across the road from the Queen Victoria Building. It houses my favourite bookshop in Australia, the Kinokuniya Bookstore. It seems to contain large sections of every possible genre, including Manga. The building also seemed to house a vending machine for Havaianas. I feel Brisbane is somewhat missing out here. Where is our Havaianas vending machine? What if my heels accidentally break while out? I actually got to see someone using the machine just before I took a picture.


Manly was the meeting point for the afternoon and quite pleasant once the rain cleared up. The only unpleasant thing about it was the ferry ride over and back, which was quite choppy. The ferry was almost perpendicular at one point - it's never a good thing when you can only see water in front of the boat and no boat!

I was quite happy with my Manly find for the afternoon, which turned out to be a patisserie owned by Adriano Zumbo. It was almost a hidey-hole in the wall and you wouldn't know it was there if you didn't see the tiny sign above the cut out wall. Hubby and I took our macarons home on the plane and devoured them. The flavours are quite unusual but still work really well together. One example is salted butter popcorn.

Whilst I was happy with my macaron find, my first experience of Max Brenner made Manly all the more sweeter (literally). The queue was still huge (nothing unlike Brisbane) but the white hot chocolate purchased for the ferry ride back was well worth it.

Day Three

Our hotel was right used to Paddy's markets, which is now known as Market City. Hubby and I ventured out of our hotel to find breakfast there but were sadly disappointed. The markets were nothing like to ones here at Kelvin Grove, where you can purchase fresh baked goods. Instead we stumbled upon a backpackers breakfast spot, right near our hotel and were quite surprised by the quality of the food and the price. The place was called the Wake Up Bar. Here's a photo of my banana, cinnamon and maple syrup pancake breakfast - yum!

I think I'm noticing a trend in the things I'm eating, hmm. Can you tell this pregnant lady has a sweet tooth at the moment?




April 21, 2013

A Wedding in Sydney

A friend I've known for a long time got married over the weekend in Sydney and a couple of us made the trek down from Brisbane for the beautiful ceremony and reception. As the wedding was on a Friday, we also decided to make a long weekend of it and see a bit of the city and its surroundings. A few of my posts this week will therefore be about Sydney.

The wedding ceremony took place in a beautiful Uniting Church in the middle of the city, whilst the reception was at the decadent L'Aqau Restaurant in Darling Harbour. It was a spectacular view to take in at night and a great reception, themed around racing tracks. This theme came about because the couple met when both working for a well known car manufacturer.

Whirlwind is the word I would use to describe their courtship (just over a year from their first date to being wed) but as the back of our name places said, 'when you know, you know'. This was certainly the case for me and I don't doubt it was for them too.

A Race Track Theme

Our Table

 The Cake

 Amazing Dessert Number One
Amazing Dessert Number Two

October 9, 2012

A Rainy Weekend Away

Hubby has been stuck working in Melbourne for the past 4 weeks, which has been very draining on both our lives. He's been working long days down there and I have too up here, which also means our poor little dog has suffered. She's used to a regular routine and has unfortunately been acting out due to the change, to the point that we've had to get her a bark collar to train her not to bark (for the sake of complaining neighbours). It seems to be working but I feel so cruel putting it on her.

I luckily have a wonderful friend, who agreed to doggie-sit for me over the weekend, so I could see hubby. A big thanks to Qantas for a great flight down there and back. I can't believe it only took an hour and a half back! Melbourne was rainy and miserable but we still managed to enjoy our time together. I finally got my zoo date and I didn't even have to suggest it!!! Here's a few piccies of the short trip away.

 Dame Edna Elephant - one of many painted elephants
 Zebras and Giraffes
 Sleepy Koalas
 We were allowed to walk through an Emu enclosure
(a little freaky)
 The Kangaroos didn't want to play

The Boatbuilders Yard for breakfast Sunday morning
 Boatbuilders Yard breakfast at World Trade Centre Wharf
 Lunch at Richmond Hill on Bridge Road
 View from Crown Plaza of Crown's flame show
                              La Belle Miette - still the best Macaroons around on Hardware St.
                                              
  I love how they covered up the scaffolding

April 30, 2012

Magical Melbourne

It's not too often that I get the chance to travel outside my own state these days, so I must admit I am very thankful to my husband for giving me the heads up to visit Melbourne this weekend and go bridesmaid shopping with my sister (for her wedding). I am also secretly relishing the opportunity to explore the state.

  Photo courtesty of Wikipaedia

Melbourne has always been a sister city to Brisbane for me and I know if I were ever to move away from Brisbane, it would be to live and work in Melbourne. There's just something I like about its culture, arts and the people. Hubby was a Victorian too, maybe there's something in that. It reminds me a lot of London, where I have lived previously. You must admit their tourism ads are also quite intriguing and catchy, do you remember 'Run, Rabbit Run' or this ad....  



Places I intend to visit for the first time this trip:
- Brighton (always wanted to see the famous changing sheds)
- Some of the Yarra wineries e.g. Domaine Chandon, De Bartolini and The Yering
- A Dandenong garden or two e.g. Cloudehill and the National Rhododendron Garden
- The Prahan and Brunswick Markets (I've heard great things)
- Zara (yay for it coming to Melbourne)

My Favourite Haunts:
- Brunetti's in Croydon
- Chapel Street in South Yarra
- Docklands
- Southbank
- Acland Street in St. Kilda

Other possible places to visit:
- The Berlin Bar
- Laneways with graffiti art (always love the great photos they make)
- The Croft Institute
- Chadstone Shopping Centre
- Cheltenham DFO

Melbournites, do you have anymore suggestions? Is there anything in or around Melbourne that I should see this weekend?
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