As most of you know, I was in Sydney, Australia for holidays cum attending my brother’s graduation. I’ll breakdown my itenarary as it is easier for you guys to read and for my to blog.

THIS IS A GRAPHIC HEAVY POST. BE PREPARED!

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16th October 2007
I worked half day as my flight is at 8.15pm. I have to be at the airport 2 hours before departure and I need about 1 hour to go to the airport. So I left the house at 4.45pm and everything was according to plan. Checked in our bags and glad that there weren’t excess baggage. 1KG of excess baggage is about RM120. The Indonesian family at the other lane was charged about RM500-RM900!

We were travelling on JetStar, Qantas’ low cost, no frills airlines. The ticket was cheaper than Malaysian Airlines. We included the flight meals and our ticket prices are less than RM2000 per person.

Since it’s a low cost airline, everything in-flight would be expensive. So we bought ourselves a small bottle of mineral water each, only to find out that we can’t bring the bottles into the plane and they have a bottle for everyone on board! We had to gulp down 500ml in less than 5 mintues, and the water wasn’t cheap, RM5 per bottle!

The plane took off at about 9pm, about 45 minutes delay.

17th October 2007
Reached at about 6.30am, went through customs and immigration, everything was fine. My brother was there to meet us, took a taxi to the apartment we rented. The fare from the airport to the apartment was A$90++. We had the bigger cab as there were 6 of us and some baggages. To make things worst, the driver could find the apartment, that’s why the fare was so expensive! Anyway, some pictures of the apartment, which is very nice. We rented it for 1 week at slightly less than A$2000. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, balconies and a fully equipped laundry area. It worked out to be about RM300 per room, per day, which is not that bad considering hotels charge the same amount like this as well.

The smallest room

The living area, my brother and my dad

Backyard

Kitchen

Laundry Area

One of the bathrooms

We rested until about 1pm then we went out for lunch at China Town. After we went to the city and walk around Queen Victoria Building while my brother and my dad went to buy a jacket for his graduation.

We had dinner at the Star City Casino (where I won A$50 on roulette, then lost it all plus A$35 at three cards poker). After dinner, my cousin offered to bring us to Darling Harbour and walked around, admiring the city’s night view.

18 October 2007
Woke up at about 9am, went for breakfast nearby our apartment. We walked to the Royal Botanical Garden and took some pictures on the way.

Mamak in Sydney!

Look at the prices!

Sydney sky and nice bulidings

Rose at the Royal Botanical Garden

There were so many bats at the Royal Botanical Garden. All of them were hanging upside down during day time. Bats roam at night, remember? There were at least 2000 bats I think.

Bats hanging out

Flying bat

By the time we got out of the Royal Botanical Garden, it was lunch time. There were so many people jogging at the garden and it was a work day! My dad told me that these people couldn’t find time to exercise as they work during weekends as well, so they utilize their lunch hour to workout. Busy people indeed.

Jogging

After a while, we reached the Opera House. Now this is an icon to Australia. You’ve never been to Australia without visiting the Opera House!

Opera House

We went up to the other side of Opera House and the Harbour Bridge was there, another icon of Australia.

Harbour Bridge

After taking some photos, we walked to the wharfs and took a ferry to Sydney Wildlife. On the ferry, I took some pictures as well.

Better picture of Opera House

Opera House and Harbour Bridge

The main purpose of going to Sydney Wildlife is to look at the koala bears and Kangaroos. Taronga Zoo was too far and we have enough of elephants and giraffes in Malaysia, so no point going all the way to Taronga Zoo to look at koalas and Kangaroos. Unfortunately, the Sydney Wildlife didn’t have any kangaroos, only wallabies, the smaller kangaroos, which is good enough for me.

These koalas are lazy animals. If you see one awake, you’re lucky. I saw one awake, the rest slept like pigs.

The only koala that was awake

They can sleep in any position!

3 koalas, 2 sleeping!

After a full day of walking around sight seeing, we went back to the apartment to rest a bit, then headed for dinner.

19 October 2007
This day was the main purpose we went to Sydney, my brother’s graduation! Today will be the first time my mum meets my brother’s girlfriend. I think I met her before during my last visit. Not too sure.

We woke up early and went for breakfast. My brother had breakfast with us and went to his university to prepare for his big day. After breakfast, we went back the the apartment and rested a while, then we changed to our best clothes and took a taxi to my brother’s university.

He graduated from University of Sydney, one of the best universities in Australia. He is now a Commerce graduate. Congrats bro!

My brother receiving his scroll from the chancellor

Everyone attended!
From left, my eldest uncle, my brother’s girlfriend, my brother, my mum, my third uncle, my dad, me and Eileen

Louise and my brother with the bouquet my mum brought all the way from Malaysia

Eileen, Louise and my mum

Proud mum with his son

Proud mum, my brother, proud dad and proud brother

Brothers

My brother alone

Another family picture

My uncle, wearing my brother’s gown and mortar board, with his degree!

A proud mother with her two sons

The happiest moment of all, my brother and Loiuse

This time with their friends

And again…

Outside Sydney University’s clock tower

After the graduation, we went for coffee nearby and went back to the apartment to rest. Had dinner with my brother and my uncles colleagues at China Town.

20 October 2007
This day is the second reason we went to Sydney, my brother’s birthday. We took the day slow as we were tired of all the traveling and sightseeing. Went to The Rocks in the morning and bought some stuff there. After that, we took a taxi to the fish market and had super fresh fish for lunch. My cousin joined in later.

My parents and my uncle went back to the apartment as they were tired, so my cousin drove my brother, Louise, me and Eileen to Bondi Beach. It was congested all the way because it was a weekend.

The beach was so clean, the water was clear and the sand was so fine! The sun was shiny that day but the water was cool. It was really nice weather. We walked along the beach for a while, dipped our feet into the water and took some pictures.

Nice weather

Went back to the apartment after that and rested until dinner.

21st October 2007
Woke up early this day as we are departing Sydney to go home. Had breakfast, did some last minute packing and took a taxi to the airport. My dad and my uncle will only be coming back at the end of the month as they are going to Papua New Guinea as well.

At the airport, there was a duty free shop selling electronic gadgets, I went in and saw the iPod Touch selling for A$499, about RM1500. I went to the internet kiosk and check the price of it in Malaysia, RM1739. I wasted no time and took A$300 (that’s what I have left) and Eileen gave me A$200 (that’s what she had left as well) and I bought the iPod Touch! My brother wanted to buy one as well but he just got an iPod Nano from his girlfriend on his birthday. After thinking long and hard, taking the box in and out of the counter a few times and taking his A$500 in and out of his wallet a few times, he didn’t buy it. It’s lucky that he didn’t buy it because since it was tax free, the iPod Touch could only be collected after the immigration and customs, an area where my brother could not go without a valid boarding pass.

So that wraps up my trip to Sydney. I was having difficulties walking around during the trip as it involved walking long distance but the trip was nice. It was nice to meet Louise, celebrate my brother’s birthday and attending his graduation ceremony.

Anyway, I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS to my brother and his girlfriend, Louise, for graduating.

By the way, I’ll be reviewing my iPod Touch over at myMacBUZZ soon. I’ll post the link here when it’s done.