A day at Kryal Castle

Was wondering what Kryal Castle was all about so we headed there one Saturday afternoon. Entry price for adults was $35 and $22 for kids but I got entry tickets of a discounted price from Groupon. The drive was about 1 hour and 30 mins from our house.

There was ample parking at the front of the place considering that it was Saturday.  The main entrance looked like a real castle with a moat and a drawbridge.

Kryal Castle is an indoor/outdoor venue. It is like a replica medieval castle.

The reception was quick to scan our mobile tickets and pointed us towards the Dragon's Labyrinth which eventually lead us inside the castle grounds.

The first thing that I saw was the Ancient Cemetery and the interesting tombstone writings it had.

Next to it was the Dungeons and Torture Museum. Depictions of how crime and punishment were done in the old times were written and illustrated here.

 I did not take a lot of photos during our visit but this makeshift jail good for one was in front of the museum.

They also had a small chapel and a banquet hall for events such as weddings or birthdays.

They had a room dedicated to the history of Kryal as well as lolly shops and gift shops.

The biggest part of the grounds was the Tournament Arena where we saw the Royal Joust. This is where the knights, wearing full steel amour and riding their amazing warhorse.

Lots of kids activities around such as giant inflatable slides, face painting, pony rides, archery range, potion making wizardry school and there was even a maze.

They also have a royal photographer to capture visitors in their finest. Kids and parents can be a court jester, king or queen or prince or princesses. Additional cost applies but prices already include costumes. 

The place entertains kids but honestly, did not do it for us. Nevertheless, happy to tick it off our list.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

TMAG 2019

Forgive me but I'm still reminiscing about my solo back pack trip to Hobart, Tasmania a month ago. On my third day and before I headed back to the airport, I went to TMAG or Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It was just across the street from the YHA hostel I was staying. I've read that it is one of the best places to go for a museum experience including natural history, art, social, heritage, Antartica and Tasmanian Aboriginal culture. Best of all, entrance was for free except for their featured display.

So, off I went early in the morning.

There were a lot of people waiting to get in as well. It opened at 10 am and since I had a big bag with me, the staff asked me to place it in the lockers available. I had to insert a $2 coin to use the locker but I can get my coin back when I get my bag back.

There were tons of displays and here are just a few that caught my attention.

This is the Thylacine or the Tasmanian Tiger because of its striped back. It is extinct and the last known live animal was captured in 1933 and died in 1936.

A huge chocolate pan.

Different types of chairs. I love how unique the styles are and I remember a famous personality in the Philippines also collected different styles of chairs.

Interesting displays of art.

I love this colorful painting of Australia as Treasure Island.

Interesting stories and details about Antarctica. 

I love visiting museums ever since, all the more when it is free! Perfect time to cap my Hobart trip. Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog.

Arthurs Seat 2019

For our first day trip in 2019, me and Joel decided to go to Arthurs Seat. As per history, the first British explorers entered Port Philip in 1802 and named the hill Arthurs Seat due to its resemblance to Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland.

We went down there last 5 January 2019 and left Melbourne at about 1 in the afternoon. The weather in Melbourne was cloudy and the forecast was cloudy at Arthurs Seat as well but will be sunny at around 5pm. We were in no rush and were also prepared to be disappointed because of the weather. The drive was about an hour and along the way, it was really rainy so we were in doubt if we made the right decision.

The clouds were already rolling away when we arrived at Arthurs Seat. We were happy to see this but because we got confused, we drove directly to the Summit Station. Parking was free in both base and summit station. As expected the roads were winding and there were a lot of lookouts along the way.

We were ready with our jumpers because the weather can get chilly in a split second. As with any other parks in Australia, helpful signs are along the way.

Arthurs Seat is the highest point of the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. I saw glimpses of the view when we were driving up but the best view can be from the gondolas. First we headed off to the  Eagle Cafe as we were both craving for hot drinks. This gave us time to decide what things to do while up there. 

 This was our view.

First we decided to head to  Arthurs Chair as well as the lookout.

Then we headed out to check the Enchanted Adventure Garden which was about 2-3 minutes walk from the cafe.  It features 3 hedge mazes, 5 giant tube slides and many more. It also features tree surfing wherein there are high ropes adventure with zip lines. General Admission is $30 per adult and $20 per child/senior. It would take about 2-3 hours to take utmost advantage of the place. We realized we had limited time and will be back to conquer it next time.

We then decided to go back to the base station and paid $24 for a return ticket per adult to ride the gondola. No long line to get into the gondola during that time and we had one to our own. We used their map to spot things from the gondola.

Back to the summit station.

We still had time so armed with our map, we went to check out other walking paths. The day was already nice and it was interesting to see different kinds of trees in their gardens. There were a lot of spots for picnics and relaxation.

Another lookout.

This is Flinders Cairn. It's a stone monument marking the site where Captain Matthew Flinders, the leader of the first circumnavigation of Australia and identified it as a continent, saw Port Philip. A stone cairn was used to mark a historical location at that time. At present, it has been enlarged.

We were satisfied with our time up there so we then headed to ride the gondola back to the base station. We were happy the day turned out not so bad. Another must visit place in Victoria conquered! Thank you and 'til next blog!

Penguin Parade Experience 2018

Last November 3, 2018, we originally planned to fly to Perth but due to airline issues, our flight was cancelled. Not wanting to waste the day, me and Joel thought of something else to do and finally decided to drive down to Philip Island. It is just 90 minutes away from Melbourne and is Victoria's wildlife island.

We arrived at Philip Island at about 4pm and had a bit of time to eat. We chose to eat at the Fat Seagull.

With this amazing view in front of us.

We knew from the website that penguins arrive at sunset every evening but we also checked their penguin arrival time calendar. Since it was November, they were projected to arrive starting at 8:15pm.  We went to the center at 7pm and we had time to look around. It was also suggested to arrive an hour early to explore the visitor center which contained information about different kinds of penguins and facts about them. It also had penguin merchandise being sold as well as refreshments.

We chose to pay for General Viewing, the rate for adult is $26.20. Other ticket options on their websites include Penguins Plus, Underground Viewing, Guided Ranger Tour, VIP Tour, Ultimate Adventure Tour and Little Wonders Family Tour. 

After going around the visitor center, we then started to walk towards the viewing platform. We chose our seats nearest from the shore. This is clearly one advantage of being early. We braved through the cold and sat there for about an hour waiting for the penguins to come back home. We were given the instructions not to take photos with flash to protect the penguins and that we can grab photos from their website instead.

Also, we were fortunate to get the seats on the side since the rangers/ park staffs said it is a good spot. At first, it was hard for our eyes to get used to the dark and see their beaks from afar. But it did not take long when our eyes can spot them.

They were in groups and sometimes can't make up their mind if they would like to go to the shore or return back to the water. Understandable as they don't want to be eaten by their preys for dinner. It was fun spotting them and in total we saw 4 groups of penguins parading to their homes.

photo taken from https://www.penguins.org.au/photo-gallery/

Then people started to go. We thought that was it but much to our surprise the penguins can be seen on the side of the walking platform. It was much fun to watch them closer this way. 

photo taken from https://www.penguins.org.au/photo-gallery/

They were so cute to see but its just that they smelled fishy! Well, if you're out in the ocean catching fish all day then that explains it haha! There were other things to do such as Antarctic Journey, Koala conservation and exploring Churchill Island but it was already late and maybe we'll come back for it soon.

We drove back to Melbourne feeling accomplished with what we have experienced.  I almost gave up on making that day productive because of the unfortunate thing that happened with our first plans but our day turned out still interesting. One more tick in my Melbourne things to do! Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Gunther Von Hagens' Body Worlds Vital in Melbourne

This excited me the first time I saw this exhibition being featured on the news. I find it interesting and at the same time educational especially that I work in the healthcare field. The exhibition is called Body Worlds Vital. It is an original exhibition of real human bodies by Gunther Von Hagens, the inventor of Plastination. Usual admission price for an adult is $30 which was a bit expensive for me. But then, they had a promotion for $50 for 2 people and so I dragged my cousin along last 25 October 2018.

Before going in, we were given these tokens. The staff informed us that at the end of this exhibition, we could choose which change we would like to do with our lifestyle.

We also chose to rent an audio for AUD 5 to hear more information about the displays. All we had to do was press the corresponding number and place the speaker near our ears.

At the start of the exhibit, I saw this on the wall. All the exhibits here are from an ethically reviewed Donor Program managed by the Institute of Plastination in Germany. Also, all anatomical specimens on display here are authentic.

The exhibit was divided into bodily systems. The first system discussed was about the muscular system. It showed how the muscles looked like to achieve our bodily movements. 

It also featured about the skeletal system. From my anatomy class before, I've learned that the smallest bones in the body are found in the ear. These are the hammer, anvil and stirrup. But I didn't really realize how tiny they are until I saw it in this exhibit.

photo courtesy of Paolo Ungab

I was particularly impressed on how the nervous system looks like in the entire human body. It is an amazing sight. And just amazing how the messages are sent to the brain in less than a second for the brain to interpret.

Another striking thing I saw was the obvious difference between a normal lung and the black tarry lung of a smoker.

The exhibit also featured video presentations like this which is about cells behaving badly and becoming tumours and cancer. Also, I saw a very interesting and educational video presentation about dementia and how it affects the human brain.

These are the small blood vessels running underneath the skin in our face. No wonder we blush quite easily!

The man behind this exhibition.

At the end of this exhibition and after seeing all the lifestyle changes that we can do to make sure our bodies are kept healthy and strong, we were then asked to drop our token in one of these choices. The choices were sleep more, exercise more, less alcohol, less sugar, stress less, work less, stop smoking and switch off.

There was also a gift shop wherein more educational books and toys where on sale. 

All in all, it was an afternoon well spent and I felt happy I got to see it while they are here in Melbourne. I do hope that they get to visit more cities and spread these awareness to adult and kids.

P.S. Before I released this blog, I was watching a James Bond movie called Casino Royale and just realized that it was featured in the film!Proud to say I've seen the display in real life :)

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2018

When I was a kid, my mum had a garden of anthuriums. They were nice but I just could not get why my mum liked them a lot. Now that I am older, I understand. There is something about flowers that make people appreciate them. Speaking about flowers, when I saw on Facebook about a Tulip festival and it interested me. My aunt originally planned for us to go but since plans have changed, I asked my friends to come with me instead. They agreed and off we went last October 14, 2018.

The town where the festival was at was Silvan. It is 40 km east of Melbourne and about an hour's drive from where we lived (avoiding tolls, of course!) We didn't buy the tickets online as I am not happy to pay for online surcharge. When we arrived, there were ample parking spaces and the queue for the ticket entrance was fast and efficient. Entrance fee was $28 per person. Separating the parking lot from the field of tulips was this green wall which commands a photo opportunity :P

When we came in, there were already hundreds of people inside appreciating the blooms. Fields of tulips were there in different colours. It was really a wonderful sight and the weather did not disappoint. 

This was certainly my first time to be in a tulip festival and it felt exciting. I particularly love the deep purple colored tulips as well as this sunset orange colored tulips. Just beautiful!

Of course, there were signs all around to remind visitors not to pick the tulips. There were staff who were quick to call out guests who cross the lines towards the flowers. I guess the patrons just needed to get a good photo as near as they could to these gorgeous blooms.

Aside from the flowers, the place also showcased sculptures from local artists. One of the many that caught our attention were these metallic flowers. It is for sale for $320 for a set of 3 flowers!

A scultpture that looked like an eggplant to me :)

As with any crowded place, people had to make sure that no photobombers are in their photo. This is especially true with me and my friends. To achieve this, we had to do creative poses like lying on the ground :P

There were food booths, a souvenir shop, lots of tables and chairs and a pick your own tulip in the venue. I did buy 2 tulips for $1.50 each to put into our dining table.

The experience was great and that day off was well spent! They posted that an upcoming flower festival would be happening on April 2019 and we might just be back! For now, I have ticked this off my bucket list. Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog :)