Sydney

as we drove closer towards the city, excitement started building up within me - the prospect of seeing one of the world's most iconic cities with my very own eyes was slowly killing me. unfortunately for us, we didn't get to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House when we passed through the city via the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, but i knew we'd be back sooner or later. the night of our arrival, my cousin brought us to McMahon's Point where we were treated to such a gorgeous night view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. that was the only moment in the entire trip where i really wish i had a tripod with me.

the following day, we took the train into the city and then took a ferry ride to Taronga Zoo. getting around via ferry is a lot more interesting compared to taking the train or bus - it's a whole different perspective to experience. plus i get to step out for a bit to enjoy the cool sea breeze and snap a picture or two. or three. Sydney has a more 'serious business' feel to it, what with all the suits making their brisk marches through the streets and train stations with their cold blank stares. i find it hilarious how they're compared to zombies - patiently waiting for the green walking man to pop up and then quickly making their march across the street to the next block. i guess we're all zombies in way, making ends meet just to put the bread on the table and going on vacations like this, staring up at tall skyscrapers with our jaws gaped open in awe.

but i digress. our stay at Sydney was unfortunately too short for me to make any formal opinions about it. however, i did love all the walking around in Old Sydney, trying to get to Darling Harbour and chasing buses and trains back to our motel. i'm hoping to come back here again and explore the city on foot a little bit more. it's adventures like this in big cities where i feel invigorated and alive.

Canberra

Canberra reminds me a lot of Putrajaya with its layout, the non-descript admin and ministry buildings, and the overall air of suits and bureaucracy. although there was also the feel of a college town when you're at certain spots, like Dickson's Place. at least those spots give the city a little bit more a cultural feel. it only took us two short hours to see most of the place. but in the end, administrative cities like these don't have much going on when its core purpose is nothing but administration and bureaucracy.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Melbourne

ah, Melbourne. to put it bluntly, i fucking love this city. granted that i was there - as a tourist - for under a week, but the city left such a deep impression in me. this is a city with culture, character, a melting pot of everything from everywhere, and so much good food! i sincerely wish i had more time to prowl through the city and their adjacent neighborhoods (Fitzroy and St. Kilda comes to mind). perhaps i'll come back again next time and spend a little more time exploring. for now, all i have are recollections of that very windy day in the city where i swear the wind nearly blew my DSLR off of my hands.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Water

taken from various locations across South Australia and Victoria. i honestly cannot articulate or even begin to describe all the gorgeous and spectacular scenery i've seen throughout our interstate drive thru. it boggles my mind how the world is so beautiful and so... big. the word "big" doesn't even begin to describe the vastness of the Australian landscape. getting from one major city to another is such a long drive, and here i am complaining about how far it is for me to drive from my home in Puchong to PJ.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Glenelg

irregardless of whether it is spring or winter, the winds of Glenelg will always attempt not only to chill you down to the bone marrow, but also attempt to knock you off the pier. i've always liked windy places like these.

that was, until i got to Melbourne.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Hahndorf

what else can i say about Hahndorf? just thinking about this place brings back memories of one of the best meals i've ever had in my whole life. the Hahndorf Inn, specializing in awesome pork dishes served in staggering portions that would make a seasoned foodie gripe in shock and horror! who would've thought that a "platter for two" could feed a party of six? i sure as hell didn't, but i didn't care. i gorged myself into delicious, roasted, fatty goodness. and for one meal, i had completely forgotten that i was on a fucking diet.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Stirling and Mt. Lofty

there was this quaint bookstore in Stirling that sold used vintage books - the kinds i used to browse through in my high school library with complete disinterest. over the years since high school, i've gone through so many phases of appreciating vintage goods, to despising them, and back to finding a whole lot of charm in these old quirky books with their browning paper, intricate (and sometimes interesting) covers, and simply loving the smell of old books. to step into a vintage bookstore is such a joy for me. finding a bookstore (especially a second-hand bookstore) throughout my trip always excited me. and this first vintage bookstore in Stirling (also the first bookstore where i made a purchase - Dante's Paradiso) opened a whole world of appreciating books not only for their content, but for how damn well they age!

--

there was a group of Taiwanese college kids in Mt. Lofty and it appeared that they had either cycled or hiked up to the observation deck. it's always nice to see a group of friends traveling to foreign places and having a great time creating memories and inside roadtrip jokes. i always loved inside roadtrip jokes. they're what bond a group of people together - and these jokes will always stay with them, no matter how the years have chipped away on their respective lives.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Downtown Adelaide

downtown Adelaide still looks the same as i remembered it from back in 2006. walking down the Adelaide University campus and Rundle mall was a surge of nostalgia, and the cold air hitting my face is a pleasant feeling for me. walking never felt so good. i kept hoping that i would run into anybody that i knew from back in high school or college along the streets of downtown Adelaide. unfortunately i didn't, but that was fine, it was only the beginning of my journey. we had lunch in a food court in one of the malls and after converting Australian currency to Malaysian currency mentally, i told myself to lay it off otherwise i'd never buy anything.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160

Adelaide

i didn't get much - if not, any - sleep during the eight hour flight to Adelaide, but i didn't care if my body was demanding for sleep because i was too excited to be here back in Adelaide after six years!

and to be here again, this time for a huge interstate roadtrip is another thing to be really excited about. what lay in front of us for the next three weeks was something i couldn't possibly imagine in my wildest dreams. taking it one day at a time was the least i could do so that it all doesn't blend and mesh together like one haphazard half-forgotten dream. i'm being selfish here when i say i want to recall every single detail of my days spent enjoying delicious food, feeling the cool breeze slap my face and throw my hair into countless directions, and simply breathing in an entirely new atmosphere of being a foreigner in a new environment. ah, the spirit of traveling!

--

now that i have that out of my system, my only regret is not taking more pictures! while i relegated most of my pictures to the digital SLR, i really wish i had paid more attention to the TLR because at the end of the day, the film pictures seem all to familiar to the ones already taken with the digital SLR. nothing new, except that it's on film. i feel ashamed for not thinking this through. somehow, i still have a lot to learn in managing the two mediums and perhaps concentrating on my main priority - of not giving a shit and just taking some damn pictures.

Meopta Flexaret VII

Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160