A trip to Australia's Capital City

Disclaimer: I wrote this post back in March but never got around to posting it. As mentioned previously I have been competing my Psychology Honours degree this year and have been focusing on just that. Now that I have submitted my thesis (YAY!) I'll have more time for activities and hopefully will post more! So to break my silence here is my recount of my day trip to the ACT.



Last week my family and I drove out to Canberra for the day. Seeing as my uncle has a few weeks left in the country, we thought it would be a good idea for him to visit Australia's Capital Territory. We left as early as possible just so we would have plenty of time at the attractions without having to rush anything.

After the 3 hour drive our first stop was the Parliament House. I always loved the exteriors of the historic building. No matter what the season, the grass always looked so green and fresh. Before entering, we had to go through airport like security (so we should). We were greeted by tour guides who handed us maps and let us know of guided tours that were available. Since we wanted to take our time and take photos, we decided to venture the halls on our own. The pristine marble staircase that lead us to the many rooms is something that I've always wanted in my own house (a girl can dream). Every section had a story to tell, helping Australia become what it is today. From paintings to sculptures to even hand written letters by former prime ministers, I appreciated the attention to detail. Each of the clocks throughout the Parliament House are also in sync down the the second! Entry is free, so it's definitely a good stop to start with on your trip to Canberra.

Our next stop for the day was Cockington Green Gardens.  The gardens are filled with miniature sculptures of famous attractions from around the world. I remember loving going here as a little kid because it felt like I was in my own fairytale with the whimsical feel that was in the air. They've added a few more interactive features throughout the gardens which are fun for both children and adults. A playground is also provided for children to play in, while parents and caregivers can relax in the cute cottage cafe. To end the visit, why not ride the mini steam train back around the entire attraction, where you'll pass gnomes and other adorable characters, as well as plenty of bonsai trees. Entry fees and additional information about Cockington Green Gardens can be found here!

For those who are coming from overseas this may be a good place to start your Australian adventure, by seeing how this nation came together. Also, during the later part of the year, Canberra hosts a massive Floriade Festival which attracts people from all over the country. I recommend going, purely for the lovely photos you'll able to capture.



Until next time,

Julia xx

Wattamolla Adventures

2 weeks ago, Mona and her uni friends were kind enough to invite me on their trip to Wattamolla. Mona had previously gone on another occasion and her recount encouraged me to come along and experience it for myself.

Wattamolla is a lagoon located within Sydney's Royal National Park, because of this, the best travel option is carpool when planning a group visit. When entering the National Park there should be a post where an attendant will charge a fee (approx $11), but because our visit was during non-peak dates we managed to enter without paying.

Whether you want an adventurous or relaxing day, there's something for everyone. Since we had a larger group, we decided to do everything we could. We had a cute picnic for lunch, headed for a swim (including jumping off cliffs) and also bush walked while singing Beyonce and High School Musical tunes. It was a great day with the best company before we all head back to the reality of uni for another year.

TIP: Be prepared for everything! Bring your swimmers, spare clothes, joggers and lots of food!

Till next time,

Julia xx

Sydney Festival '14 - Sacrilege | Chinese Gardens

| Sydney Festival '14 - Sacrilege |

On one of the last few days of SydFest, my sister from another mister, Mona and I decided to visit the Sacrilege attraction. This part of the festival was situated throughout the entire Hyde Park. There were food stalls set up and various cute activities that you could participate in. The main reason for our visit was to have our turn on the jumping castle shaped as the legendary Stonehenge!

Seeing as SydFest was on its last few days, as well as it being a free attraction during the school holidays, a long line had already formed when we arrived. The wait to get on ended up being around one hour. At first we were disappointed to find out that we would have to wait so long for only a 10 min turn, but once we started jumping around we realised that 10 mins was long enough! Our age (and fitness levels) definitely showed as we were puffed out and sweaty 5 mins into jumping. Regardless of how unfit we are, it was still a fun experience!

Here's a video of our time on the bouncy Stonehenge:

  

| Chinese Gardens |

Last week my uncle flew in from Indonesia and is staying in Sydney for the next few months. Since it's his first trip to Australia, we of course decide to take him around to the usual Sydney tourist sites. Mum has given me the responsibility of being his personal photographer during his stay here. 

The past weekend Chinese New Year celebrations were spotted throughout the city. Showcases and parades were displayed exhibiting traditional Chinese dance and sharing stories of the importance of the symbolic Lion. My family decided to take my uncle to the Chinese Gardens as part of the celebrations. 

The Chinese Gardens is located in Darling Harbour. It is a secluded area which attempts to recreate the serenity of how traditional China really is. You are able to walk along the stone footpaths and explore many routes which feature Bonsai trees, waterfalls, and lakes filled with Koi carps. 

Since it was the weekend of Chinese New Year, visitors were able to hang red pockets and write messages to loved ones or inspirational quotes for good luck. 

Various artworks were also displayed, these ranged from paintings to sculptures.

This structure here is slightly nostalgic to me. As I've grown up and visited the Chinese Gardens over the years my parents have always made me take a photo in this very position. It always feels strange coming back, seeing as every time I seem to be in a different stage of life. The first time I came I must have been around 4 years old and my parents made me hire and wear the traditional Chinese gown to take photos in. One of the last times I was here I came with two of my high school friends, who are now travelling across the other side of the world. It seems fitting for me to be here once again just as I'm about to start my Honours/4th year at uni. 

The Chinese Gardens is a great place to visit when wanting to experience a different culture without actually flying overseas and spending ridiculous amounts of money. The entry fees into the gardens are actually quite reasonable;

Adults: $6

Children: $3 (under 12 years)

Famlily: $15 (2 x adults & 2 x children)

Concession: $3 (Australian pensioners and students only)

Opening hours are everyday between 9:30 and 5:00pm (5:30 during daylight savings), except for Good Friday and Christmas Day. 

As previously mentioned, you are able to hire the traditional Chinese gowns where you can wear wherever within the gardens and take your own photos. I'm not quite sure how much this costs, but judging from the admissions price I don't think it'll break your budget too much. Guided tours are also provided or you can venture off on your own with your complimentary map. 

OOTD:

Tied crop top: Valley Girl 

Skater skirt: Chicabooti

White platform boots: Lipstyk 

I love Sydney during this time of year! There is always some sort of new event or attraction where you can experience things slightly out of the ordinary. Sydney Festival this year was super interactive which allowed both kids and adults to have the same amount of fun. Even though it's February and everyone's getting back into school, uni and work, I hope we all still find time to just chill out and do the things we actually enjoy. Here's to sticking it out this year and I can't wait to see what next summer has planned for us! 

Till next time, 

Julia xx

Madame Tussauds | Sydney Festival '14 - Merchants Store

Whats happening everyone?!

Last week I decided to go to the famous wax museum Madame Tussauds with two of my very good friends Renee and Carina. I've previously been to the Madame Tussauds in New York back in 2010, as well as the Sydney location only in October last year. You may wonder why I would go back? Well, the Sydney Madame Tussauds is currently hosting the wax figures of One Direction only for the summer! I must admit, I'm only a newbie fan of the boys, but Renee and Carina on the other hand have been obsessed for quite some time. I secretly blame them for my new liking towards 1D (and Zayn's increasingly strong jaw structure).  

We started the day by jumping into a photobooth set up outside. It was a tight squeeze and the lighting wasn't so great, but we couldn't say no to a photo op. 

Certain attractions had professional photographers that would take your photos, though I would also sneak a shot with my own camera. The wax figures range from explorers, politicians, actors, musicians and so much more, including the Royal family (also being hosted for a limited time). 

One of my favourite photos from the day was this one taken on surf boards. The three of us attempted to reenact the surfing scene from 1D's "Kiss You" music video. I think we did better than the boys ;)

When we finally arrived at the music section, a good proportion of it was themed One Direction! Their songs were on repeat, there was a TV playing their music videos next to their wax hand molds AND  a One Direction souvenir store! 

Luckily for us, we had arrived just before a long line began to form to meet the boys' figures. As soon as it was our turn we all ran to our favourite band member and began taking selfies. Renee went straight for Liam, Carina to Harry and of course I rushed towards Zayn. 

Overall, the figures were quite true to how the boys looked. We even spotted Liam and Zayn's tattoos. In all the excitement I'm devastated that I forgot to get a selfie with Niall, but our group photo made up for it!

If you're planning on seeing the One Direction figures in Sydney, be sure to head to Madame Tussauds by 28th January, before they get shipped off to their next destination! Student concession prices are only $31.50 at the door. There are online saving deals, but for some reason we had troubles working the system. 

After Madame Tussauds we decided to walk to Darling Harbour and check out the Merchants Store. The Merchants Store is a free entry mirror attraction that is part of the Sydney Festival being held.  Part of a building is built and laid on the ground, while a mirror is hung above it. So if you sat on a ledge on the ground, it would look like you were hanging off it in the mirror.

The Sydney Festival have many other attractions that are worth visiting. I plan on checking out the Sacrilege attraction sometime this week and will blog about it next week. I definitely recommend taking a look at all the fun set ups around Sydney for the Sydney Festival, but do so quickly as the festival ends this Sunday 26th January! Some attractions end sooner than others. For more information visit the official Sydney Festival '14 site!

We ended the day by getting a ferry to Circular Quay and sitting under the Opera House catching up and of course raving over new 1D, Union J and Little Mix gossip. I'll be posting some of my favourite photos from the day on my tumblr (link in contacts), so make sure to check that out. 

TIP: If you're planning to see the entire Sydney Festival or other attractions around Sydney in one day, buy a MyMulti Day Pass. This allows you to get on unlimited amount of trains, public busses and government ferries for the entire day!

To end this post I just wanted to say how much I love hanging out with Renee and Carina! We've only known each other for just over a year, but I don't think we've ever been awkward around each other. Thanks for the laughs girls and I'm sure we'll have many Jayden derps to capture together in the future! Follow these girls on twitter: @FindRenee & @CarinaaaRoseee <3

Till next time,

Julia xx

Oh Hey 2014!

Happy New Year everyone! I know it was a couple of weeks ago now, but I hope you all had a fantastic NYE as well as new years day celebrating with family and friends. My NYE was quite tame in contrast to previous years, but that didn't bother me at all. There wasn't a set a plan, all I was really told was to meet and Bondi Junction station and we would head off from there. It was more of a 'follow the leader' type of NYE. Myself and a group of friends ended up at Christison Park, Vaucluse, which is around a 15 min taxi ride from Bondi. Though it started to rain as we arrived and the fireworks were a little too far in the distance, the park was a great place to celebrate. At the right spot you were able to witness the beautiful fireworks above the Harbour Bridge (my favourite always being the waterfall off the bridge). Also, there was plenty of room! This would not be expected on NYE in Sydney's CBD. A bonus, the portaloos weren't too disgusting and the line up wouldn't be more than 3 mins. We met some lovely people from all around the world; Italy, Ireleand, France and even received a German lesson from 2 German boys.

Overall it was a great NYE spent with friends, alcohol and great nacho dip!

NYE TIP: Bring a tent and a jacket, no matter what the weather forecast is, you'll be a lot more comfortable by the time midnight arrives!

Comment and let me know what you did for New Years and what tips have you learnt from past NYE experiences?

Till next time,

Julia xx