travel bug

added a list of 'have-beens' and 'will-be' on the sidebar.

some of the places in my wishlist seems a bit typical and cliché, i agree.

(paris? london? duh.)

but these are the places i've been dreaming of visiting since i was in high school,

and even grown up they hold a certain attraction.

maybe once i've been there i'll get over it,

but seeing as i've never been so i want to go.

truth be told, on the inside i'm a city girl.

but i do enjoy escapades to the country.

i've only been to a few places,

but i'm grateful to say that i can add more to the list.

i've always thought that i would be too poor to travel:

i don't have trust funds and my dad isn't a Dato'.

flight tickets cost a bomb and i don't even like flying.

but i was in australia when i fully realized the magnitude of the words:

looking at a picture and reading about a place isn't the same as experiencing it,

not at all.

because how would i describe the taste of butter in australia?

or the smell of perfumes i caught in sydney?

or the colour of red cherries split open by my teeth?

or a refuge of cold wind and grey sky in byron bay 

after the searing heat of gold coast?

my wishlist might seem so naive, then

but once i'm over with a place i'll be craving another,

and before i knew it

i've travelled half the world.

:)

i guess i won't share my travel pictures on fb because i don't want to seem showy.

they'll be here, where they'll be found by the people who are looking for them.

you can always give excuses,

that's why people always say they want to travel the world

but only some really do it.

i have money issues, too.

but i guess i just have to save and save

and spend them when i start my journey.

wish me luck.

:)

aussie - extras

being the one holding the camera,

i don't get featured in too many pictures.

i've always preferred candid pictures,

they look more natural -

no 'peace' signs 

(i still do it just so i have something to do with my hands)

and no forced smiles

these are from another camera - a Sony point-and-shoot:

some 'extras'

:)

pros and cons of traveling with a motorhome

picking up the motorhome

we travelled from melbourne to gold coast in this baby. the journey took us 4 days, which is a short time to cover over 1500 km o.O

day 1 melbourne - albury
day 2 albury - canberra - shellharbour
day 3  shellharbour - sydney - port macquarie
day 4 port macquarie - gold coast

i recommend this itinerary only for those who can tolerate being in a motorhome for about 8 waking hours a day (i slept 70% of the time in that truck). if you've never been to cities like sydney or melbourne (like us), you need to extend this itinerary by at least 5 more days. spend 2 extra days in each city, please, for me T.T haha.

Britz 6-berth Frontier motorhome

back on the pros and cons, again, i'm just sharing a few thoughts of mine.

pros:

1. we're totally new to the whole caravan/motorhome thing, so this was quite an experience. you get to park at campsites and sometimes at totally cool places (i got to spend many mornings chasing sunrises at the beach, 'cause we parked right beside it). not something a hotel can offer.


2. communal living. we have a kitchen and toilet with us (but i didn't use the toilet AT ALL because it can get quite smelly). this is a pro if you're close with the people you're traveling with - you get to know them even closer! :P


3. the view you get when traveling over a distance with a car is much, much more exciting than a plane. after all it's the journey that matters, not the destination :P


4. if you don't have a strict itinerary, whenever you find a place that interests you, you can just park and go out! this was what we did on the way to canberra, we ended up in a nice coffee shop in the middle of nowhere lol. not something you'd find in a tourist guide book :)

the kind of views you get :)

botak hills, vast fields, and ponds

to the right is the kitchen (complete with fridge, microwave, heater, toaster, stove, sink)
at the back of that sofa is a toilet
i'm taking this picture from a double bed installed above the driver's area
the table can be dismantled and a makeshift double bed can be arranged
at the back of the motorhome is another double bed which can again, be arranged into a dining area
storage compartments are everywhere!

cons:

1. fuel prices. in australia the price differs from one station to another, and sometimes you just don't want to spend time comparing prices. 


2. those drives can be loooong. we spend about two-thirds of our day in the motorhome, getting from one place to another. we get up, get moving, spend around 4-5 hours sightseeing, and then get moving again. i wouldn't suggest driving from melbourne to gold coast ever again, especially not in such a short time. 


3. communal living. yeah.. this goes both ways. i didn't get any alone time except in showers, which was quite terrible because i'm a loner. cramped space is to be expected, but it doesn't feel that cramped to me.


4. make sure you have enough change of drivers that are comfortable with driving a vehicle the size of an ice truck. it gets tricky once you hit the big cities. the freeways are long and straight and with a speed limit of 90km/h, they can induce a yawn in 15 minutes, guaranteed.

filling up the tank

parking takes up two parking spots
a tip: once you get into the city, park the motorhome somewhere,
and explore the city using public transportation.
saves all that parking hassle.

i can't comment budget-wise, because my dad handled all that jyeahh :P

which one would be cheaper? basically you need to factor in the costs for motorhome rent, powered site rent, and fuel vs hotel room rates and transportation costs.

it probably gets cheaper if you have an itinerary like ours, since we cover major distances and camping site rents normally doesn't exceed AUD 150 (per night for 6 person!)

powered sites are important since you'll need power to run the electricity in the motorhome at night.. that's the time you get to charge all your gadgets you gadget-addicts! lol.

usually powered sites are located at camping sites, so you also get to use their amenities - laundry, swimming pool, toilets and showers, etc etc..

out of the car and into the beach..

we stayed in these parks:

1) albury all seasons tourist park

2) shellharbour beachside tourist park

3) edgewater holiday park, port macquarie

4) broadwater tourist park, gold coast

last but not least:
glossary! :P
caravan = is a home in itself. you drive a normal car and attach the caravan to the back of your car.
motorhome = you drive a home. easy peasy.

goodbye ice truck.
thanks for a wonderful one week :)