Budget Travel Sydney - day 4

I did not do much on my 3^rd day in Sydney. I just walked the whole day exploring the areas near the Harbour Bridge, The Rocks Weekend Market and Opera House. I was planning to visit the Blue Mountains on my 4^th day but I did not want to join the usual tours. I have read online that it can be done by yourself. Thankfully I found a roommate in the backpackers dorm who was interested to do this too. By the way, the cheapest group tour we can find was around $85 and was beyond our budget.

The next day, we went out to Sydney Central Railway Station and caught the 7:21 train to Blue Mountains. The station was huge and there was a lot of people for the morning rush, so we had to run to get to the platform and we caught it just in time.  The travel time was 2 hours but it did not really feel tedious because of the smooth train ride. We even fell asleep and finally arrived at Katoomba Station at 9:23.

Upon exiting Katoomba station, we found that there were booths selling the Blue Mountain Tours. We chose the Blue Mountain Explorer which was just across the street because it was cheaper. We each paid 30 AUD and was given our ticket and and guide book. We then waited in front of a hotel which was about a minute walk from the store. At 9:45, our bus came to pick us up. I was particularly awed with the trees that were turning red. It was autumn when I went and it was so lovely for me.

There were only 4 of us for the first bus ride so the driver took his time to talk while driving us through the stops. This was my first time ever to ride a hop on hop off bus but I knew about it from my friends. The driver would stop at bus stop points and we can get off, explore the place  and wait for the bus to come back which probably was an hour later. Bus drop off and pick up points were not hard to find and looked like this.

Here's my friend, Connie, on the first stop that we hopped off the bus. We only spent a few minutes on this lookout because we were worried that there'd be a lot of people on Echo Point by the time we get there.

We went down from the bus again at Echo Point. It has the panoramic views of the Jamison Valley and the iconic Three Sisters.

It was especially freezing that day but it did not stop us from enjoying the view of the Three Sisters. According to Aboriginal legend they were sisters who were turned to stone. It was a bit early during the day, possibly around 11am and that is why a shadow has quite hidden the magnificence of the stone. But either way, I am happy to be there and see it for myself. 

It was also majestic to just look around and take in the entire view of the valley. I liked that there is a map to inform which particular mountain you are looking at. 

The place has 2 viewing  platforms and tourists can go to the lower one easily. There is also a clear sign that says Prince Henry Cliff Walk. This details how to go to Katoomba Falls or to Scenic World. 

Just a few feet from the Visitor Center is an archway where we saw people were either heading in or out. 

It led us to a walkway with a lot of trees and views of the Jamison Valley. 

Then we saw a short set of stairs which were very steep and only 1-2 persons at a time can pass by. We were very careful not to fall and definitely going down was easier by just holding on the railings and looking at where your foot lands. I didn't expect to hike but maybe because I did not do much research before coming. Either way, I am happy to get a bit of exercise. 

The stairs was connected to Honeymoon Bridge which then allowed us to be up close with the first sister. 

We stayed for a few minutes to take in the view and retraced our steps back to Echo Point. Since our bus was not scheduled to come yet, we decided to walk to the next bus stop which was only a few meters ahead. The next stop was near the Blue Mountains Chocolate Company.

Lots of chocolate options, cake and a coffee were available there. It is a quaint place to relax and fill yourself up after the hike and freezing temperature outside. 

We weren't able to catch the bus so what we did was have a bit of an adventure. We studied and followed the map to Scenic World. We did not plan to ride any rides of the Scenic World because we did not budget for it. So we just walked and walked until we saw a part of the Katoomba Falls. 

We were satisfied of how our day went and finally decided to run to the next bus stop. We caught the bus just in time! Connie and I decided to end our gallivanting in Katoomba by filling up our tummy with Fish and Chips at a local shop. 

It was a fun short time that we had in Katoomba. I found out that there is a local bus 686 that stops at Echo Point and other sites in Katoomba. Fares are paid thru Opal cards just like the one used to ride the train from the city. Nevertheless, me and Connie were happy with what we chose and did. 

It's been more than a month since I've been there. I've been pretty lazy at home and just found the strength to finish all this so that my friend, Mel, whose planning to come to Blue Mountains can get an idea of what I did there :)

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

Sunday Roadtrip

Last Sunday, 16 July, I was woken up early to an unexpected road trip with my aunt and cousins. I happily got up from bed and prepared myself. I was not given enough details on where we are going so I considered it as a surprise.

Halfway to our destination, we stopped by at a servo to do something and I saw these beautiful cars parked near McDonalds. I've only seen these in movies before! I just had to take a quick photo and I ran back inside our car because it was freezing.

Finally arrived in our destination. This is the Sunday Market in Daylesford. Much like the markets in Thailand, there were a lot of things for sale here. Some are second hand things, fresh produce or winter essentials. There were also food stalls around. I chose to eat some hotdog in a bun and the wife of the stall owner was a Filipina who happily chatted with us. Sadly, I didn't really feel satisfied with the hotdog I bought. Anyway, we also went around to buy some apples, oranges and avocados which were way cheaper than those sold at the department stores.

We then went to another store called The Amazing Mill Markets. It was a huge and wide building full of vintage items ranging from clothes, home decoratives, glass, coins, jewelry and books to name a few. My aunt really loved it. It was fun going around the different stalls and looking at interesting items. I found this sign which amused me.

It was already way over lunch time when we went out of the market. We were not very hungry but can still take in food. Me and my cousins didn't know where we were heading next. With my aunt behind the wheel, we were all surprised to be taken in the Chocolate Mill. It was in an out of the way road and pretty hidden from the highway except for a sign. The parking lot had quite a number of cars and walking towards the little cottage restaurant, there are signs like this.

Coming inside, it did not surprise me that there were a lot of people in a line towards the counter. The scent of hot chocolate filled the place. The line was long but people were happy to wait. Who would be grumpy if you have these chocolate options to choose from?

Each of us chose our chocolate bars and they were placed in a cute carton box like this. No, they were not weighed. I actually am confused why this is a clock instead of a weighing scale. 

Aside from the chocolates, we went into the cafe to sit down and have hot chocolates and cakes. We were full and had to take some cakes home. To burn off those calories, we drove a few kilometers to the Hanging Rock Reserve to have a bit of a hike.

It was freezing cold and we were going to an elevated place so it was coldER. My aunt and cousin is used to hiking because they do it most of the weekends. I wasn't but I won't complain because it has been a while since I went out to hike. Its also my first time in the place and it made me curious. The walkway was paved so there wasn't so much difficulty walking. I can see rocks beyond those trees and wondered how it was called hanging rock.

Halfway up, there is an option for people to choose from. We chose the stairs to see what the hanging rock was about.

These were the rocks up close and before we walked into the stairs.

I forgot to count the number of steps but finally, we arrived! This is the Hanging Rock. It's basically being suspended on both sides by other rocks which made it appear as hanging. 

It was only a short walk to the summit wherein there were more rocks and this view. 

It's a nice feeling to be out and about especially on weekends. I am grateful for the chance to be with my relatives and explore places in countryside Victoria. I feel very cold from the weather but warm inside because of this experience. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Short Geraldton Holiday

A month ago, 29 April 2017, my friend whisked me away for a quick visit to Geraldton, Western Australia. It's a coastal city located north of Perth. We started the drive early because it was an estimated 5-6 hours trip. On the way, we did a couple of breaks, saw some dead animals on the road which probably were run over by big cars and trucks and also saw this Leaning Tree.

Before this, I saw a lot of trees that are leaning. My friends said that this is because Geraldton is a very windy city. But this tree stands out of all the leaning ones. 

I stayed in the city for about 3 days. It was a small town  which I liked very much. I stayed in a friend's couch which was not that bad because I had Netflix all to myself. He also had a cat who kept me company while he was working. Most of all, there was good dinner every night at his friend's houses.

I never really went out to the foreshore nor visited other places in Geraldton. The morning when I was about to go back to Perth City, he took me to the HMAS Memorial which is located at the Summit of Mount Scott. This represents the loss of the light cruiser in November 1941 with none of its crews surviving. It was a nice place to be in the early morning where sunlight is not that harsh and you can see people and their cars beginning to start the work day. 

This is the dome of souls. It is made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls and represents the souls of the lost sailors. 

We only stayed for 15 minutes in the area as I had to catch the bus back. The bus ticket was 66 AUD which was expensive but for the 6 hour drive it was reasonable. I long to be back to Geraldton to explore more of its beauty and possibly work if there are opportunities. 

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

My Fremantle Doing Time Prison Tour

I really wanted to visit Fremantle Prison in Fremantle, Western Australia. Me and my friends decided to go together but there was just not a common time for us. Therefore, I braved to go by myself. It was easy to get to Fremantle. I just hopped on the train on the Fremantle line and sat for almost 30 minute travel. From the Fremantle Train station, one can either ride a bus or enjoy walking thru the streets of the city towards the prison which is situated at 1 The Terrace, Fremantle.

Even with GPS, I still managed to get lost in locating the establishment but thankfully there was a utility man who pointed to where the entrance was (bless his kind soul). 

According to www.visitfremantle.com. au, Fremantle Prison is the largest and most intact convict built prison in Australia and is Western Australia's only World Heritage Listed Building. For almost 140 years, the place was used for incarceration and was only decommisisoned as a maximum security gaol in 1991. 

It was 15 minutes before the next tour started and the guard was kind to lead me to the gift shop where I can buy tour ticket and look at the merchandises. While waiting other guests can go to the Convict Cafe, the Prison Gallery and the Interactive Visitor Center. The gift shop sold key chains fashioned from old prison keys, shirts, prisoner dolls and other souvenirs.

There are 5 kinds of tours that can be availed. I chose the Doing Time tour and was glad that I was able to get the concession ticket since I was still a student. Normal fee for this tour is 20 AUD and it will run for 1 hour and minutes.

The bell rang and we all filed in 2 lines to have our tickets checked and be admitted into an old looking room. The guide introduced himself to us and we were told that this was the first room prisoners would enter, have their photos taken, be checked if they are hiding illegal things and given out uniforms before going into the jail itself.

Then we were led outside to see the vastness of the prison. It was first known as the Convict Establishment and was built by convicts between 1852 to 1859. 

We stood in the middle of this hall where we can see a metal net hanging above us. It was placed there to protect guards from things that may harm them which could be deliberately dropped by prisoners on the upper floors.

We were also able to see open spaces like these.

There was a huge space for the kitchen with big pots like these. There was a room where the knives were kept and if prisoner workers would borrow a knife, he will leave his identification hanged from where the knife was.

Walking along the corridors. It was not so creepy as it was around 4 in the afternoon when I went. 

They have their own chapel,too.

We were able to peek inside the prisoner's rooms and how it evolved from being a very tiny space to a bigger space like this that can accommodate at least 2 people.

Our fellow tourists were game to reenact, with instructions from our guide, on how the prisoners were flogged. Usually this was done in the presence of other prisoners so that they will know what they'd get should they break rules. There is a doctor on standby while this is being done to monitor the status of the inmate. We were also lead into the room wherein prisoners are hanged. 

We also saw isolation cells wherein no light could enter. It was also somehow sound proof that if prisoners shouted, they cannot be heard from the outside.

The one hour and fifteen minutes tour passed quickly. I was amazed at how the building was preserved and taken cared of for the next generation. It was very educational and I bet the other tours are exciting as well. If time permits, I wish to come back with friends and try another tour - possibly the Tunnels or Torchlight Tour.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!