Sydney Travel Diary || Day Two || Taronga Zoo

So where I left off in my previous post (which feels like ten thousand years ago) is the bunch of us catching a cable car up and into Taronga Zoo. Honestly this is probably the best start to anyone's visit to a zoo, especially with such a beautiful view right in front of us.

Actually I just a tiny bit bad because everyone was obediently standing in the queue to get onto a cable car - there was quite a fair bit of people there despite how early it was. Then there was the bunch of us just casually strolling by everyone and successfully cutting through the entire line to go right up to the front. And we had to walk pass everyone that just looked at us weirdly, they were probably thinking 'what the heck'.

But secretly I also felt quite smug about it. A small moment of pride right there - so worth all the nasty looks thrown our way for a split second. Gotta thank the super awesome best friend for such special VIP treatment throughout the entire trip in Sydney.

The cable car ride up was amazing. I cannot explain just how, you have to be there to experience it especially sitting facing the harbour like I was. Don't forget to look around you too!

We were right above the elephant's enclosure and saw them clearly. I don't know why but seeing them made my inner child go slightly crazy. And that wasn't all because the best was yet to come! Once we got off the cable car, the guide led us through some gates and walked straight out into the sun to...

Meet a very special lady.

We were given the opportunity to get super close to a kangaroo, feed and also pet her. On top of taking many photos at the same time. Let's just say it was a secret goal of mine to achieve at some point and that day, I did. This was something that I could happily tick off my bucket-list for sure.

Pic credit: Emily :)

Just the best friend and I, plus a kangaroo. Friendship goals achieved right there for sure. Can you tell from my expression that I was quite happy to be there in that moment? Even though I was wearing sport shoes which is such a non-ideal footwear outside of the gym - at least in my opinion.

It is so NIAAP....!

Super cute cause it had this blissfully happy face as it nibbled on the treats that we were given to feed her. Plus the kangaroo is super smart because apparently only the red flowers are yummy so she was just munching on those and ignored the leafy greens.

As you can imagine, I was pretty damn excited to finally be able to see the Quokkas. I'm sure you've seen all the pictures taken with these super smiley ball of fluff on the internet and dubbed the happiest animal on earth.

And I was all ready to take happy selfies with these ball of fluffs except.... They were sleeping and remained that way throughout our entire five minutes of staring at them. These Quokkas really just can't be bothered with us so that means no selfie for me. Why you so rude to me, I just wanted a picture of you being all cute and smiley next to me. ;-;

But at least I got a picture of this cute wallaby that was quite uninterested in the leaves because her kangaroo companion ate all the best parts which are the red flowers. Super smart right? Though she, if I remember the gender correctly, was very curious about us humans.

OH HALLO PORCUPINE.
YOU SHOULD GIVE SOMEONE I HATE KNOW A GOOD HUG. 

Then came the best part of our visit. We got to meet another staple Australian animal up-close and personal. Care to take a guess or is this too obvious already? :3

Yes, I got to pet a koala bear. That's another thing I can tick off my to-do list and/or bucket list.

This was another animal at the zoo that completely cannot be bothered with us humans as we continued pestering it. All it did throughout our visit was nibble on the leaves like we weren't there at all. So rude, please. We came all the way from Malaysia to see you (not really haha) but at least acknowledge us a bit.

Whatever. I still happily took a picture with the koala in the background, just doing what it normally would at all hours of the day. Apparently all they do is sleep for about 60% of the time and when they aren't asleep, they are eating.

That totally sounds like a pretty nice life goal in my opinion.

Then it was time to explore the rest of the zoo while enjoying the nice weather. Although the sun was shining quite brightly but the air was cool so it didn't feel hot at all. I can walk all day with this weather.

And we spotted a super chubs wallaby along the way.

Of course, we had to walk by the reptiles enclosure because.. Well snakes are creepily cool. The entire time inside the dark building, it was like we were all playing a game of 'spot the animal' since most of them are hiding in some corner.

But clearly the python was right out there for everyone to see and it was just flipping huge so there really isn't much areas for it to hide. Personally I don't think it gives a fuck. HEHE.

This was the sight that greeted us when we stepped out of the super dark and gloomy enclosure. Before, I cannot remember when cause I have the memory capacity of a goldfish, our tour guide told us that Taronga in the aboriginal language means 'a beautiful view'. Standing right here, I can totally see why, because right there is the city and the well known Sydney bridge.

Since the people at the zoo knows that many people will want to get a picture of this, they had made this so much easier by putting a mark on the ground where you'd get the best shot if you stand right there. I like that cause you won't have to spend ten minutes just getting a good picture with many other people around you. And we all know how some photographers are just completely hopeless at taking scenery photos with you in it.

It's quite embarrassing to go and stand in the middle of many people to get a photo. I mean unless you are super buaypaiseh or thick skinned then it's fine.

Thank for the picture Emily!

Clearly I was feeling more than a little buaypaiseh cause I went ahead and posed for a picture anyway. I mean, we were already there so it'll be so wasted to not get a good picture which I can. 

So, here's a damn poser shot of me with the million dollar view in the background. But just focus on me being pretentiously touristy. Thanks. ;)

You'll never guess but out of all the other animals in the zoo, the giraffes have the best view. What the crap. Not even the lion get it and they're supposed to be the King of the Jungle.

There was this little bit of information thing by the enclosure which I happily went and stood next to. I thought it was funny. And it was in a very pathetic kind of way as I laugh at my own stunted growth.

I mean.. Even a freaking newborn giraffe is much taller than I am. Which isn't quite surprising considering that many people are easily taller than me that's standing at no more than 156cm. But quite sad to have #shortpeopleproblems at times.

So we've explored most of the land animals, it is time to move on to the sea creatures which are my favourite. Cause I still dream of mermaids and sirens being real ohkay. Don't judge.

Since we were taking our time wandering around the zoo, we missed the Seal show. But we did see it just casually swimming about in it's tank that was surprisingly blue. It had it's eyes closed the entire five minutes we sat there watching it and kept going round & round in the same pace. You living the life there, buddy?

Just a happily floating sea lion. :3

ROMANCE CORNER!

So yeah, in my previous post I named this bit of the harbour the 'romance corner' because of what Dug told us.

Apparently there's a service where you can rent a boat/yacht (whatever you can afford. Maybe got sampan also if you poor hahah) for maybe two or three days. Then it will bring you about the coast line and then drop you off in the evening at some 'beach' area which is quite secluded where there's like a romantic dinner set up. Remember to special request tons of tealight candles & rose petals to be strewn around so its super feeling.

I was giggling to myself because it's always been sort of a secret fantasy dream to have a getaway with future boyfriend/lover/husband on a yacht. Actually there was a whole imaginary proposal that involved a dinner by the beach followed by eloping on a yacht. And then I hear that there is this service available which was a bit surprising but also good news to me so...

*hints strongly at future husband wherever in the world he is. Probably wrong dimension also. Eff mine and his life.*

This is actually the main entrance to the zoo if you didn't come from the harbour instead. Unfortunately there isn't a cable car ride waiting, though it's quite special since it's almost a 100 years old. Or maybe even more than if I remember properly. I might be wrong considering how terrible my memory has gotten recently.

There was actually a whole lot more to the zoo that we did not get to see. It is actually really big till we were honestly too lazy to continue exploring some more. Plus most of us were already super ready for lunch. *cough* Elizabeth *cough* And when your stomach is demanding for food, everything else doesn't matter anymore. Not even cute animals that are in cages and enclosures.

So we left this part of our adventure and went searching for food before continuing on the rest of our day. Which will be continued in the next post cause this alone took up a big chunk just with photos. And there's lots more to cover just for my second day in Sydney - imagine that.

Stay tuned for the other parts of my Sydney trip and trust me, there is a whole lot more to be shared. (; Until next time!

      

Sydney Travel Diary || Day Two || Part 1

HELLO EVERYBODY!~

This is the second day entry of my Sydney Travel Diary series. Which I will again split into two parts or maybe even three because I realized that there's far too many photos for just this day alone.

On the itinerary today is to first visit Taronga Zoo and we'll be getting there via a boat ride because taking a bus is clearly too mainstream. Then after that we'll have lunch, take a walk around and then go for an exciting adventure by climbing the Sydney bridge. No big deal. [Hint: Sarcasm present]

Good morning Darling Harbour. :) I can't get enough of this view honestly.

Since I had spare time after getting ready for the day ahead I did what every girl would do. Take lots of pictures of herself.

The lighting was perfect for selfies. And then I had an even more brilliant idea on what to do with the spare time I had before going down for breakfast.

Silhouette style.

Turned out better than I thought especially how you can still see the view outside the window. Plus I look super slim omg.

Floor-to-ceiling windows are absolute love. Even better if you've got such a gorgeous view to look at while you're having your meal.

My breakfast platter.

The best thing I had that morning was the passionfruit yoghurt and also the latte. I don't know why but yoghurts in Australia are just flipping amazing. The yoghurt taste damn yums and is super thick, which is completely different than the watery kind that we'd get back home.

It was the same in Perth also when I bought a giant tub of berry mixed yoghurt for only 2 aud. Just getting a somewhat similar brand & size in KL is almost 25 bucks. Like what even.

Once breakfast was done, we were off to the nearby harbour where several boats were already docked there waiting for us. Actually not really, they have a schedule to follow and it was just for us to decide which one to hop onto after getting tickets. Coincidentally one was already docked there when we arrived.

Time to get on the Hop On, Hop Off boat. 

Imagine our bus or LRT kind of concept where you can just get off any station that you want. Except this is a million times nicer because its on water and not mainstream. HAHAH.

But first - a picture to commemorate this moment. And before you judge my choice of kicks, I had to wear that because of the amount of walking we'd be doing that day. Plus our second agenda for that day only allowed closed shoes and boots were not an option.

Photo credit: CST Productions

I don't know why I super love this picture. Seems like a perfect #squadgoals picture.

This is what it looks like inside. Rather usual and not interesting enough for us to stay inside for the entire journey which if I remember properly is supposed to take about 20 minutes.

Most of the other passengers sat outside. And I can totally see why because the view is just to die for - no, not literally because that will just be bonkers.

Seeing this made me understand why everyone on board decided to sit under the glaringly hot sun. Even I couldn't resist but to just stand out on the deck to admire the sights like a true tourist.

Where be my eyes... 

Couldn't resist taking a picture with the best friend. Honestly love her to death for bringing me along with her on this trip - not that I don't already. But just saying.

WE ARE CLIMBING THIS LATER! Looks less challenging from here and I didn't think that the structure was that huge initially.

Perfect lighting means its time to take another selfie with the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But my head is clearly too big so I blocked it and also Dug photobombing me. Just cause she is funny like that.

Our legs as we waited for the camera crew to join us.
And this is probably the only angle where you can't really tell that her legs are much longer than mine. (;

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Officially naming this the romance corner of the harbour because of what I found out from our guide. It literally matches the description of my dream proposal or something like that. But more on this later.

Once we arrived at the dock, we met up with a special guide from the zoo and she led us to the entrance. And this is the sight we had while we just casually walked towards the entrance. And you won't believe how our experience of the zoo started out.

Up, up and away!

Can you guess what we were doing yet?

If you did then you get a grand prize of nothing whatsoever! Don't worry if you still haven't got a clue on what's going on based on the picture. Just stay tuned for the next part where I'll reveal the epic answer (not really hahah) and also show you how flipping awesome Taronga Zoo is. 

See you in the next post! <3 p="">

Sydney Travel Diary || Day One || Part 2

Previously on my Sydney Travel Diary, Day One.....

And I don't know why I read that line in my head with Vincent Keller's voice. *heart eyes* This just proves that I've been binge watching Beauty & the Beast too often and also have repeated the series way too many times.

Anyway, we went to Bondi Beach where they were having the show of Sculptures by the Sea. Apparently this exhibit happens once every year where different artistes (from all over Australia and other countries as well) showcase their work. So happens we were there in time to catch it right on the very last day too.

While the best friend was getting some work done, I took the opportunity to take as many pictures as possible. After all I probably won't be getting the chance to do so anytime soon or ever. So I must make the most of it when I can.

Plus Fina was nice enough to take super nice photos for me so it was major win.

I could definitely get used to living with a view like this.

And the weather is absolute love which makes leather jackets a staple in your everyday wardrobe.

That's kind of ironic because it is supposed to be Summer when we arrived at Sydney and a friend that stays there told me to bring lots of shorts + light clothing since it'll be hot. Rumor has it that the heat wave in the land down under is far worst than any that we've had to endure in KL so I went prepared.

But.... WHAT HEAT WAVE?! -.- The weather was cold and chilly almost everyday although there's sun most of the time which isn't something I am complaining about. Just.. you know, putting it out there.

Decided to stray off the path cause there was way too many people - and dogs that gave the best friend a mini anxiety attack every time one would walk by. Plus the views were just a million times better farther out which we had to indiana-jones our way over.

So this isn't a picture of a sculpture or anything artistic....

But I found it funny that these two guys climbed up to that little alcove to chill and one of them was happily playing a ukelele too. And he some more can smile when I took their picture. So cute.

Standing right in front of the Pacific Ocean. 

For this view and picture, it was worth the trek even in my shoes that was not at all designed for adventures like these. Aesthetic-wise it is perfect. Kinda like the wind in my hair... #Narcissism :3

While we were all just doing our own thing and me taking lots of selfies, I saw a something run past me out of the corner of my eye which made me jump. But when I turned around I didn't see anything except maybe the best friend panicking just a little bit and there was me laughing. (Sorry beb, love you long time tho) 

Turns out that the culprit was this golden retriever. It just bolted from behind us and headed straight down to the cool waters where it stayed there happily waddling about just enjoying its day.

That moment when a dog's life seems better than mine.

And then another pretty fairer Retriever joined the tanned on. At first I couldn't understand where they come from or where their owner was but then he appeared, walking along the rocks also.

When he got a little further he called for the dogs and they took a while before going after the owner. Especially the lighter blonde one that just continued sitting in the water stubbornly. Flip me it was so cute. I don't know why but most of the dogs I've seen are super well behaved whether they were on a leash or not. Most of the pooches walk without it.

After getting enough video contents and pictures, we ventured on to actually see and learn about some sculptures.

Which brings us to this little hilltop where there were plenty of..... Humans. Many of them walking about as they take pictures of the many different kinds of art. We are doing the same thing except the best friend is extra special, so we have a full camera crew with us and two guides.

We met up with a guide who explained what the entire event is about, which artist did what and the story behind each piece. Truth be told I kind of zoned out after a little while and just enjoyed the nice sea breeze plus the scenery.

The whole art thing is probably quite fascinating to a lot of people. But I'm just not one of those and do not find anything too interesting about it all, maybe because I don't quite understand most of it so my mind just wandered.

Except when it came to THIS. The art that the best friend is pointing at is possibly one of the creepiest thing I have ever seen up close.

Basically this is what's left of a tree bark that had burned from the inside out. Apparently this is quite normal during summer because it is so hot there then came along this artist that decides to take advantage of the dead tree.

Faces. Lots and lots of faces.

This looks like something right out of a horror movie. No jokes, I think this is what nightmares are made of and coming from a person like me, this shit is legit scary.

Finally we were all hungry and ready for something good to eat so Duglass led us to the restaurant which we'll be dining at which will be somewhere along Bondi beach. Also known as surfer paradise. (;

Usually I'd be internally screaming at the thought of walking more than two feet especially outdoors. But this time I didn't mind and the reasons are pretty obvious, pretty view & also amazing weather.

I mean look at this. Even though the sky was a little bit gloomy, I think it's perfect and couldn't take enough pictures to keep for myself.

Photography skills win. Actually not really. This is mostly nature and maybe little bit of photoshopping as well. :3

So the restaurant that we will be dining at is somewhere at the beach which you can't even see in this picture. Just imagine how far we walked that afternoon. Though, I actually didn't even notice until now. I was too busy taking pictures & enjoying the super nice weather.

Awkward hands to keep the hair from our face. When the wind is working against you instead. 

Another picture with the best friend as we made it up to the top of another hill and are a little over halfway closer to restaurant. I'm pretty sure at this point I was near starving but still took a moment to have a picture with Bo cause we don't have that many together.

Which is kinda weird thinking about it since I spend quite a lot of time with her hahah.

Then we found this little gem. It's kind of like a clubhouse where you can go, pay a small fee and use their facilities.

Look at that swimming pool that's right by the ocean. Just watching the waves crash against the structure was super therapeutic and makes me want to jump into the pool, stay there for the entire day just staring out at the clear blue waters. I don't even care if its too cold for that - fuck the cold.

WHY DO I NOT LIVE HERE. ;-;

The famous Bondi Beach.

And finally after walking for what felt like almost an eternity (big exaggeration right here), we reached the restaurant which we'll be dining at. At least there's a freaking gorgeous view or else I'd be grumpy the entire way.

North Bondi Fish; where seafood is their expertise and you get to dine next to an amazing view of the beach. What's not to like about that?

I quite like the interior of the restaurant. There's nothing overly fancy but yet pretty enough for me to imagine the Sex & the City girls dining there for their usual get together.

But of course we decided to sit outside where we can enjoy the nice view plus the cool weather. It isn't often we would get to say that we had an amazing dinner by Bondi Beach and plus, I know that I'd never choose to sit outside back in KL. So when in Sydney........ :)

Just a simple and straightforward menu with produce from sea and also land. Took everybody a while to decide on what to order but

We decided to order some cider to sip on while we wait for our food. This Cloudy Lobo Cider was pretty good cause it was more fruity than the other ciders I've tasted before. Plus I like the bottle and label.

This is my pretty best friend with the view as we buy time & wait for our food to arrive. Taking pictures helps to distract ourselves from our starvation.

Here's my make-believe candid shot which bo took quite a few of before getting the right one. And therein lies the elements of irony. No 'candid' shots are truly as we think but I guess the end results makes it worth it.

And then there's this when I was trying to fix my hair for another picture. Or at least that was the idea until our starters arrived and immediately my stomach took control.

Picture stolen from the best friend. :3

This was the lobster roll which the best friend ordered which comes with a side of chips. As in literal potato chips and not fries which we associate 'chips' to be. THIS LOOKS SO GOOD, but I didn't try it other than stealing a chip or two.

And then there was my freaking awesome slider with my face next to it cause why not. Am I at a blogger's level of vanity yet?

I got the Alaskan King Crab slider as a starter and hell it was amazing. The patty was deep fried to perfection and the meat inside was surprisingly still juicy. Both buns toasted with butter, hen topped with some aioli and a crunchy piece of lettuce.

This, I miss. The burger patty wasn't damn yums cause inside, the meat of the king crab was in chunks and damn juicy. I want ten more of this right now. ;-;

For my main dish, I got something from the land portion of the menu - lamb cutlets with chimichurri sauce. As expected this was also very yummy.

Then because I'm a carb-oholic on a holiday, french fries with aioli is a must and these were really damn good. Trust me when I say that eating fresh-out-of-the-fryer fries on a cold day by a picturesque beach is amazing beyond words.

We also got two different kinds of salad - there was an asparagus mix & another is I cannot remember what. Proves that I wasn't very interested in them because fries & lamb are the perfect combination. :3

Picture may or may not have been from the best friend. :3

This was linguine with bugmeat. That sounds quite weird but it's just a kind of prawn that the Aussies are quite used to eating & the best friend really wanted to try so this was her main. I tried some and liked how it tasted cause it's kinda lemony. Refreshing.

For our first dinner in Sydney it was amazing and then came time to make our way back to the hotel. Except Emily started talking about getting some ice cream which brings us to.... Dessert! 

As if it wasn't already cold that evening, we all went to get some Ben & Jerry's ice cream because why not.

While we only have Haagen Daaz & Baskin Robbins outlet stores, they one-up us by having the famed duo which I hear a lot about when watching US movies/tv shows. And the flavour that rings in my mind the moment B&J (*childish giggles* GEDDIT GEDDIT?) is mentioned is the popular chocolate chip & cookie dough.

Lo and behold, they had sooooooooo many other kinds of flavours there. All the nutty kinds or odd combinations for you to try until you find the one that you like the most. At first I was too full for dessert though I was actually really into the whole cookie dough ice cream idea, but I didn't get that.

Instead I got a single scoop of Berry Sorbet. And yes, that giant lump is ONE scoop which looks more like a double of what we'd get back in KL. In my head, this is 'healthier' cause its basically just fruits rather than cream and the sorbet is actually nice cause it's sour. 

I actually really like the sorbet but then it made me feel even colder than I already was. Plus it's way more than what I wanted since I was already quite full from our dinner and also hella sleepy. So I didn't finish it.

Bye bye Bondi Beach. 

And then proceeded to fall asleep like the fatty I am. I honestly was so tired after a sleepless night on the way to Sydney and then spending a whole day out. Usually I never sleep in car rides whether its a long or short on. But Bo and I zonked out completely. 

Actually it was quite funny cause she was still holding onto her sorbet when she fell asleep and accidentally spilled some on herself & my bag, then proceeded to freak out that lead to me waking up. Which made me panic also. But after all of that, it was back to our rooms to just sleep which took me like two seconds to knock out when it would usually taken me few hundred years to. No Atarax needed. 

And that was the end to my first day in Sydney. It was pretty eventful but there's even more in the next few days which will seriously surprise you since it certainly did surprise me. Bye!