Down (Under) Memory Lane

It was eight years ago when I first landed my feet onto the Land of Kangaroos. I was very privileged to be able to complete my studies there. I have to say it was a great experience for me over the 2 years. I’ve experience staying away from my family, learnt to be more independent – from banking, getting an apartment to live in, groceries shopping to purchasing a computer, registering for phone line with Telstra and so forth.

Let me see what I can still recall during my stay in Sydney.

I didn’t have a posh address. I lived at level 27, unit 03, Victoria Towers, Castlereigh Street. It was across the street from Hyde Park (a very big park), St Mary’s Cathedral and Woolsworth (the famous Carrfour-like- groceries supermarket). Where I stayed was also quite near to the shopping heaven – Pitt Street and Queen Victoria Building (QVB).

I used to walk along George Street (the so called main road) to Uni. The walk is normally around 15-20 minutes – it depends on whether you stop by to do some window shopping or whether there was someone walking close behind you, and you’ve decided to take a short marathon jog.

The street down from my apartment has this great sushi bar – Makoto Sushi Bar at Liverpool St. I used to dine there quite a lot. The sashimi there are really fresh and the portion is reasonable too (when we take it dollar to dollar comparison). One setback about the place is as it is not a very big restaurant by the corner of the street, one will turn into a “tempura” when he or she leaves the restaurant. The oily smell is just too pungent for the limited air ventilation there.

Besides studying and ensuring that I pass all of my papers, I had a fair share of enjoyment there.
I love visiting the Sunday markets in Sydney. My housemates and I would take the bus to Paddington and The Rocks for their Sunday market to look-see. We also participated in those fairs in the parks, where there were so many stalls of food and activities (eg. Massages). I remember clearly that I went for 2 fairs – Malaysian and Thai fair. During the Thai fair, there were 2 super pretty "AQUA" dressed in extraordinarily thin cloth wrapped around their body. It was so transparent that we could see their G-strings (bear in mind that they are men).

The Rocks

Where did I visit frequently when I was there? Hmm….I loved walking to Darling Harbour during the evenings. (Where I lived was quite strategic) It was really a pleasant place to hang out. Sitting by the bay and admiring the sunset – just awesome!

I loved going to Bondi Beach as well. Being a beach lover, how can I not make a trip there? I prefer Bondi Beach anytime more than Manly Beach; not because there are more nude people to see; but just that the ambience and environment of both beaches are different.

The scenery there is just breathtaking. Ahhh….

There was once when we were making our way to Bondi Beach, we came across this Yellow Lotus parked by the side of the slop. I quickly had a snapshot of it!

See!

Hmm….if you are there at Bondi Beach, remember to try out the Pork Ribs ! You will never regret it.

I didn’t come back during my winter holidays. Mum visited me and we went on some local tours together; exploring Sydney together (I also explored Sydney during the weekends with my friends). I didn’t really get to travel too far during the holidays, but I managed to still visit some of the wonderful places of Sydney/ Australia. I’ve been to Wollongong to see the famous Nan Tin Temple, Kiama Blow Hole and the beach. Also, I’ve also been to Blue Mountains, The Casino, and Sydney’s Aquarium and Canberra.

Mum and I at QVB

Mum and I went to Hunter Valley. We had wine tasting and it was fun alright. There were so many types of wine – from a fruity one to a flowery one. Oooooo….what an eye opener to me!

One of the tours was to some animal farm. I can’t recall the name of it. There were so many animals – cute ones! I got a chance to feed Joey (baby kangaroo), sheeps and etc…..

Eating from my bag

We were also out to the sea to catch a glimpse of the friendly-smiling-mammals = dolphins at Port Stephens. The sea was quite choppy and the wind was chilly! Don’t think I managed to see a lot of them.


We’ve made umpteen visits to Sydney’s Fish Market during our stay there. The seafood there were really cheap. Eat till you drop!! I had so many half-ed lobster with melted cheese for AUD$ 5.00 per piece. Oysters were really cheap too…..my goodness…what a food haven it is in Sydney!

Thank god my cholesterol level was ok

Speaking of food, here are some recommendations from me: (note that it has been so many years, I am not sure if the restaurants are still in business)

1. Chicken Limone in “Elbahsa” in King St, Newtown. It is Lebanese food.
2. Gelatissimo at King St.
3. Mamma’s Kitchen for budget Italian food at Liverpool Street.
4. Anna’s Thai at Oxford Street (yes, the gay street)
5. Pancakes on The Rocks – this you must try their Chicken Mushroom Crepe.


Back in my younger days, I was also quite daring and hence I went for the Sydney Bridge climb. I was all geared up with the outfit, safety strings stuck on to me, and a head lamp on my head. I opted for the night climb as I wanted to see the night scene and the weather is cooler too. The climb was through a railway tracks (by the side) till we reach the connecting part to the top of the bridge. The climb was only half of the Sydney Bridge, so don’t be overwhelmed about it. Don’t freak out, ok. When I was up there, the awesome backdrop was the Sydney Opera House.

Isn’t it a beauty? (Not me, but the view of Sydney Opera House =p )

Hmmm….where else did I visit? Oh yeah, I made a trip to Fox Studio with my friends too. There were so many TV/Movies sets in this big open air land. Check out some of them:

Before I left Sydney for good, I made a trip to the Chinese Garden and rented this costume for fun. Nice? Hahahaha……Wanted to have a feel of being a Chinese princess.

Also, I went cherry picking at the cherry farm. The rule was you may pick any cherry (you can stand on the chair or climb up the tree – note that the trees are not to tall too) but you have to pay for the amount you picked. It was summer when I went for it. Phew, the heat of the sun was still bearable (since I am a Malaysian) but the sun was very glaring. I just couldn’t do anything without my ‘hak chiu’ (sunglasses).

My stay in Sydney was not too bad. I asked myself before (when I was going to graduate) if I would want to apply for a PR and stay in Sydney for good. My answer was NO. I love Sydney very much but I would never turn somewhere I like to be my home. It will always just be a good vacation destination for me to enjoy and relax.

I will go back for a vacation someday!

Good’ Day, Mate!