Skip to main content

A Koala-ty Content from Sydney???

 

Mandatory photo with the iconic Sydney Opera House

Hey mate! What's up?

Months ago, I had my very first trip to Australia and it seemed to be the most courageous thing that I did this year after processing my visa. 

At first, I was having second thoughts because of fear , and I didn't even have relatives from that country, specifically in Sydney, New South Wales. The longest flight that I experienced was only 4hours (SG to KL and KL to Manila flight), and I was so sure that everything in Australia was expensive, but at the back of my mind I wanted to visit another continent and experience autumn season. Having granted with a multiple-entry tourist visa was already a blessing for me, so I took the courage to pack my things and face my fears even without a travel buddy.

After the 9-hour long flight, I felt relieved that we arrived safely and I was amazed with this place. Everything was so clean, organized, and I didn't even feel the traffic outside. To be honest, the vibe was different in my country because of the British colonial architecture. It was my first time to see such beautiful buildings, plus the falling of autumn leaves on the ground. I felt like I was in Europe, haha! XD

Of course, I have made a bucket list prior to the trip. I am the type of person who enjoys sight-seeing, food trips, and doesn't need a lot of extreme rides. I just wanted a relaxed itinerary as possible (like an old auntie LOL), and if you also share the same values as me then I recommend these spots to visit, based from my experience:

  1. Sydney Opera House- don't leave Sydney without a photo of the Opera house!
  2. Royal Botanic Garden- walking around here is absolutely free
  3. Hyde Park- this is the park beside St. Mary's Cathedral
  4. Anzac Memorial- visit if you're into history
  5. St. Mary's Cathedral- it is really beautiful if you see this in person!
  6. Gallery of New South Wales- this museum is Instagrammable, also entrance is free
  7. Taronga Zoo- entrance here is a bit pricey, but it's the largest zoo esp. if you want to see Koalas
  8. Centennial Park- where my boyfriend usually goes running
  9. Queen Victoria Building- very aesthetic shopping mall, where we did High tea session
  10. Town Hall- also aesthetic and can be found just along the QVB
  11. Australian Museum- just another museum enjoyed by kids
  12. Maroubra Beach- it's already far from the city, a very peaceful place where he grew up 
  13. Bare Island Fort, La Perouse- this is a filming location in the "Mission Impossible II" movie
  14. Hillsong Worship Church- he likes Hillsong so he brought me there
  15. The Rocks- lots of restaurants & shops here if you have more time
The beautiful Queen Victoria Building--my favorite!

Okay. Honestly speaking, my lowlight for that trip was my failed attempt to hug the Koala. Little did I know, that the state of New South Wales don't allow visitors anymore to hug or touch Koalas. I was so excited to carry and have a photo with it, but it didn't happen, sadly. :(

Some things that I highly recommend from my bucket list include:
  1. Ferry ride from Circular Quay (either to Bondi beach or Taronga zoo)
  2. Kangaroo/ Koala close encounter (note that the Koala close encounter is only in the morning)
  3. Vivid Sydney Festival -an annual event in June, recommended by his dad
  4. Light Rail around Sydney- their transport system is really good! Experience it.
  5. Fish and chips- a meal order that's very Aussie XD
  6. Traditional High Tea at QVB- also expensive, but good for long chit-chats
  7. drive to Sydney Harbour bridge- I don't know why this is famous, but I'm amazed with the tunnel
Autumn season was very cold though, do not forget to bring layers of clothes including thermal underwear. I underestimated the temperature in Sydney at night, so please do not repeat the same mistake that I did. When we went to Vivid Sydney Festival, I was freezing cold even after drinking, and had no choice but to hold hands. I even wore his jacket because I couldn't take it anymore LOL. I will bring thermal clothes next time!

a filming location in Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible 2"

Despite the unnecessary trip overseas, I didn't have any regrets because a lot of things were new to me that I did not see in Asian countries. Experience was always the purpose whenever I travel, not just to collect ref magnets and pictures. XD 

I would love to travel again next year with a buddy, and hopefully during winter or spring season. Maybe in a neighboring country again? Haha because I can't afford to go to other continents for now. I need to work harder. I don't have those first-world perks, you know...
I truly enjoyed this jam-packed, Aussie trip, thanks to my sponsor... XD

I hope this blog post somehow inspired you to visit the Land down under!
Have courage, they say.
Build first your travel fund, if that is a priority.
Get a visa, and travel alone. You can do it!

Labels:
Location: Sydney NSW, Australia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular

Pre-Mortem: Emergency "Go" Bag

And it's rainy season again! When I was in Uni, I remembered our college professor who shared the idea of preparing a "Go" Bag in case of emergencies. Initially, I did not bother to prepare such thing because the packing list overwhelmed the phlegmatic side in me. We live in a flood-free area and in my three decades of existence, I don't remember any major or life threatening disaster in our family. But life itself is full of uncertainties, and I realized that the best time for preparedness is NOW! (I prepared some ''Go" Bags for everyone in our household) Yes, it is important to be prepared for emergencies because disasters like floods, earthquakes, and fire are absolutely no joke. Just like the Emergency fund, an Emergency "Go" Bag serves as a cushioning tool for one's survival. But first, what do we mean by Pre-Mortem? And what is the significance of having Emergency bag in times of crisis? Pre Mortem , according to the Merriam-Webster d...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Portfolio

EXHIBITED PAINTINGS IN ART SHOW PHILIPPINES   "Wish Me Luck" 2023 (Exhibited in Art Show Philippines) "Awesome Pawsome" 2021 (Exhibited in International Watercolorists Society) "Rice Terraces" (Philippine Guild of Watercolorists) "Bahay Kubo" (Philippine Guild of Watercolorists) "Flower Maiden" 2023 BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS   FOOD & BEVERAGE ILLUSTRATIONS DIGITAL PATTERNS:  WALLPAPERS, BLANKETS, & OTHER PASSION PROJECTS   STATIONERY PRODUCTS:  WATERPROOF VINYL STICKERS Open for commissions and collaboration. for business inquiries, kindly contact me at  micahrealist88@gmail.com
Post a Comment
Read more

Meet Micahrealist

       Hello, my real name is Mildred. I am currently based in Philippines as a hospital pharmacist. My 'roller coaster' journey in art started when I was little. An introverted kid like me didn't have a lot friends and outdoor activities because of illness, so watching anime in our living room and drawing them became my first hobby. People in school noticed my skill, which opened doors for me to participate in contests and made a lot of friends. My favorite style has always been realism, so I enjoy drawing beautiful characters and people in real life. However, the men-dominated community did some hurtful remarks in my realism and made me doubt my skill in portraits so i decided to be anonymous as an artist.      I stopped drawing to focus in my college life and switched to other hobbies because at that time, I wanted to become a different person. I ended up as a healthcare worker in my country. But in year 2020, a colleague remembered my skill and mad...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Experience in HOKA TRILOGY RUN ASIA 2024

  Hoka. Trilogy Run Asia National Finals at SM Moa Complex A few days ago, I finished my 10km run in the HOKA Trilogy Run Asia National Finals. The event was held in Manila, which served as the epic culmination after finishing the three (3) races conducted this year. It was my first experience to participate in TRA, and I'm glad that I did it despite having second thoughts. Flying to Manila just for a running event seemed to be a luxury for me as a non-athlete, obviously because I just did it for experience and not to become a podium runner. But at that moment, I wanted to see a new perspective outside my comfort zone so then I decided to join and feel the moment. And indeed, it is true that even if we don't need to spend a lot to become healthy, there is always a "race day magic" whenever we join annual events. For those who don't know, HOKA Trilogy Run Asia (formerly known as "Runrio Trilogy"), was a multi-destination running event founded by Rio dela ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Artist and Minimalist- is that even possible?

     With all the decluttering ideas and minimalist aesthetics, have you ever wondered how can an artist achieve clutter-free area without jeopardizing the creative mind?       For sure I am not the only one who is thinking about this. As someone who joins minimalism movement in online communities, I enjoy looking at people’s interiors and how they keep their space clean and organized. However, there is a part of me who wants freedom, and freedom itself is like a pleasure of not limiting yourself in a neutral palette, or not wearing office uniforms, or not following rules and doing whatever the hell you want, or not minding the opinions of others, or just enjoying life as if there is no tomorrow.   my art/ study desk while listening to Lavendaire :D      It took me long how to organize my little space, but one thing for sure, is that decluttering really helps. Unlike the old money aesthetics, the concept of minimalism helps me to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The FurParenting Minimalist

  (My beloved pet, Army!)      I never purchased any kind of pet, because of the responsibility that comes with it. But when Army came into my life, it gave me an opportunity to share some love and compassion towards animals, specially dogs. I was so thankful that my brother in law gave this sweet little one as a gift! In my 3 years of being a fur parent, I realized that somehow I have wasted some penny for unnecessary things. Therefore, I have listed some insights that helped me to be more mindful and organized when taking care of a fur baby.   (Fun Run event in Azuela Cove) She only has (1)one collar, (1)one leash, & no clothes. I noticed that she doesn’t like wearing them anyway. I bought her a fleece blanket to sleep well at night. Dogs need some warmth too when they sleep. I make sure to allocate budget for vaccinations, treats, and pet grooming. I do bath her once a week only. The rest of the week, I use deodorant spray to at least minimize odor and we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Just one of my 3 AM thoughts...

  𝘛𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯? 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 & 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 & 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 & 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘉𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 & 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴. "One of a Kind" (2023) Watercolor on Paper
Post a Comment
Read more

Sweet Escape at Nogie's

 I thought I would be able to join the Sante Barley TRA this year.... But lately, I got interested into something different, and that is baking. XD (Photo from Nogie's Lifestyle Skill Tutorials) I went to a workshop, to know about baking cakes for beginners. I know that there are a lot of free learning materials online. But because I don't have the equipment at home to start with, I decided to register for a hands-on experience.  As a newbie to baking, I never thought that most of us in the class were already bakers themselves. My seatmate was a self-taught baker, and she started her business since the pandemic. She used to be an employee, who learned baking through online videos and it amazed me how she slowly transitioned herself into a fulltime baker. I immediately followed her page, and truly her creations were really cute! She already made a lot of cakes just by starting from scratch. It makes me happy to hear that such possibilities could happen if there's a will and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Baguio, my Dream Place to Live

Strawberries! They don't exist in my hometown T_T      I believe that sometimes, people go on vacations  not just to have fun but also for mental therapy. I had a friend who is single and a breadwinner in their household. As the eldest child or first-born daughter in their family, she takes a lot of responsibilities and works hard to help all of her younger siblings which is very common in Filipino families .  So, whenever there is an opportunity, she would always go to beautiful beaches and wear nice outfits as if she’s creating the best version of herself and make good memories of it. She admit that she is doing it to make herself feel better, to enjoy life sometimes, despite all the problems that she is facing financially and emotionally.       I'm not a first-born daughter, but I can totally relate to this coping mechanism because I often feel lonely when away from loved ones. I don't see myself lucky when looking for a partner, because i...
Post a Comment
Read more