before i left for my trip, my table was really clean and empty. today when i came back, it was full of books!!! new books and all the extra copies of the exam papers!! i should have taken a pic of the before and after. heh. but anyways, i didnt let that affect me cos i was just happy to be back. kinda weird rite. but yeah, i was in high spirits. hehehe.

ok peepz, i finally have the time to blog abt my trip... ok here goes..

i expected myself to cry at the airport.. but i didnt. maybe cos i already cried the day before in the TRAIN when i was with pipi. so silly rite. hmpf. then i also cried loads when i was at home... a few hours before my flight.. didnt know why but i was really really really sad. felt silly again. so i guess, i kinda got tired of the tears.. i was so excited at the airport..

so many ppl sent us off. every one of us had our family there.. but of cos, Nad had like a whole troop i tell u.. like want to go haji like tt.. so cute.. oh pipi's family and his mum's bestfren sent me off too! touching kan.. haha.. it was the first time ever that his family met mine and its definitely what i have not imagined it to be. i mean.. yeah i know they would have to meet one day.. but at changi airport terminal two row 7?? haha.. so weird!! anyways, they seem to get along well.. so i am more than happy!

the flight was bad cos i felt sick on the plane.. wanted to puke and had a terrible headache. i didnt eat anything cos the airplane food kinda stink.

when i first touched down melbourne, it felt so surreal. i couldnt believe it was happening. but anyways, we flew to tasmania and got ourselves a toyota camry. damn nice!! felt so good driving it. heh.

tasmania is really beautiful. its really really really quiet there. apart from the very small towns, theres hardly anyone! haha. we practically drove around the whole of tasmania. from hobart to port arthur to freycinet to launceston to cradle mountain and back to hobart. for those who have been there, u'd be able to picture the route. the driving was intense.. every journey was at least 2.5 hours drive!! but it was all good cos the scenery was gorgoeus and we always entertained ourselves in the car. heh.

tasmania gave me a very unique feeling.. because of the barren-ness, it made me feel like the whole world is mine.. like me and my frens are the only living things on earth. seriously, as i drove, all around me was just land, hills, mountains or lakes.. even if theres houses, i couldnt see people. except at the 'city' area of cos.. but even so, for a city, its really just so quiet.. i loveeeeeeeee the peacefulness and the calmness of the place. the night sky was amazing.. the stars shone so brightly against the real dark sky. i can still remember how pretty the stars looked in the middle of the nite.. not to forget, it was very very cold in tasmania... its like winter in new zealand. sheesh.

in tasmania, we did a couple of trekking.. climbed up a mountain.. not tt high tho.. but tiring enuff!! haha.. but the view from the 'top' was worth it.. we went on a chairlift at the Cataract Gorge at Launceston.. overlooking the gorge and lake.. real nice.. visited the historical site at port arthur.. went for a ghost tour which didnt scare us. haha. we were so distracted by the coldness that we didnt catch the ghost stories. haha. we also went to the caves and waterfalls.. the caves was nine degrees cold and it was an underground cave. it was my first and it was really impressive. the moment i entered the cave, i felt like i just stepped into an enchanted place.. like one of the pages of the fairy tale story books.. the rock formation was really amazing.. long thin droplets of solidified calcium carbonate looked like the fireworks falling on u.. an experience i cant forget.. oh, we also walked around this lake called dove lake.. it is one BIG lake i tell u... we took about 2 hours to walk around it.. and guess what. the walk is called 'great SHORT walk'. RIGHT. haha. its great allright.. but its definitely not short.

oh i must not forget to mention this. i got a ticket for speeding in tasmania!! can u believe that!!! my first ticket!! the limit was 80 and i was only driving at 94.. and before i knew it, the police car was behind me.. i was shit scared ok.. but nad and fa were so amused that they actually snapped pics of the policecar!! anyway, the policeman was real nice.. he gave me a warning and allowed me to do an illegal u-turn on the highway cos we were gg the wrong way. phew.

and of cos, me and my gals almost missed our flight back to melbourne.. heh.. can u imagine.. the whole plane was waiting for us... and the staff even had to personally look for us at the airport.. found us and reported us to the security department over the walkie talkie.. and we had to run like mad to the plane!! sooooo embarassing!!!! so like fugitives!

ok, so we got back to melbourne.. really different from tasmania.. we were so used to being the only car on the road tt the traffic jams in melbourne city was overwhelming for us.

melbourne is a great place too.. definitely more ppl and buildings.. hehe.. less mountains but loads of things to see and do..

at melbourne, we went strawberry picking.. so syioks tau.. we had to pay only two bucks for entrance and we could pick as much as we want! just that we gotto weigh the strawberries before leaving and 1 kg costs 12 bucks.. but of cos.. we didnt quite do that. we plucked and ate! haha. i think everyone there did the same thing. it was super worth it. we ended up with 30 bucks worth of strawberries which lasted us three days.. we had them with chocolate dips for a couple of lunch! haha. really sweet tau.. yummy.. they looked so pretty that i didnt feel like eating them.. just wanted to stare and admire them.. haha. we also went horse riding!! one and a half hours on the horse.. we went through the forests and along the valleys and vineyards... soooooo fun!!! i had never been on a horse so it was a bit scary actually!! but it felt so good to be riding and appreciating the beautiful nature at the same time.. i felt like i was living in a story book.. AGAIN!! haha..

we also went to see the penguins at phillip island.. they are sooooooo cute... small little penguins coming from the sea.. took their on sweet time to walk to the land.. and they moved in groups sooo very slowly.. hehe.. so cute tau. they started walking in only at around 9 pm.. so we had to wait for them in the open.. by the sea.. very very very very cold!!!! too bad we were not allowed to snap pics.. at phillip island, we also went to the nobbies... wah.. so damn nice man.. huge waves splashing against big rocks.. and there were seals on the rocks.. wah..i love this place really really..didnt feel like going back..!!

and of cos, we drove along the great ocean road and went to the ever so popular twelve apostles.. we reached there in the evening when the sun was setting..oh man... i was just tooooo happy that my dreams came true.. i have always wanted to see the twelves apostles.. and i did.. and i felt sooo satisfied.. like a sense of achievement.. the moment i saw it.. i felt that all my hard work paid off... the apostles were amazing. it is such a beautiful sight.. the cliffs.. the waves.. the vast ocean.. the tranquility of it all.. i was so quiet when i was there.. cos i was seriously appreciating every second of it and enjoyed being mesmerized by its beauty.. i wanted to soak in the feeling.. heh.. u shd ask the girls how i 'tangkap feeling' ( aka be drowned by the atmosphere and surroundings) .. i love it so much that i asked the gurls to go again the next morning.. and this time, i had a morning view.. much more clearer and brighter.. i am glad i went again! thanks girls for letting me!!

besides all those nature stuffz, the city was pretty interesting..its a very busy and crowded city.. with trams and cars and horses all at the same time along the same road!! *slaps forehead* but i like it nevertheless.. shopping was fun.. especially for souveniers.. haha. i got myself a billabong handbag, a pair of sunglasses and a top.. got all my loved ones stg special and nougats for many ppl! hehe..

all in all, the trip was really really something that i can never forget. it was a great first experience and the best thing is, we didnt fight!! i am so proud of us girls.. that we made it..!! we cooked yummy dishes and we figured our ways out.. ( many many thanks to euni and reny for this) and we also spent within our estimated funds!!!

thanks girls for making it happened. we should do it again. next stop: europe or middle east. just that i hope the next time ard, the rest of the gang can make it!! it would be perfect.

seriously, theres much more to the trip that i would love to share.. but i think the entry is getting a bit too long.. shant bore u further with my grandmother stories.. let me just show u the pics cos a pic paints a thousand words...but yet nothing beats the eye!!