And the letter goes as follows:-
Dolphins are lovely and intelligent animals and in many countries they are protected from abuse. Dolphins are not fish but mammals which suckle and care for their young for years. Records show that at least 2,700 bottlenose dolphins have been taken into captivity and 53% who survived the violent capture died within 90 days and half of them died within their first two years of captivity.
Many countries have now stopped or at least try to regulate certain guidelines with regards to the abuse of captured dolphins. However, the The Dolphins and Sea Lion Show” which features two bottlenose dolphins named Rio and Karon and a pair of sea lions called Gendon and Brad shows that Malaysia is not sensitive to the issue of the mistreatment of animals. Brought into Malaysia by LD Sports Sdn, Bhd. Rio and Karon will be hauled around from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and Johore for the next three months. Imagine the ordeal the animals have to put up with during the transportation from one place to another.
Rio and Karon are forced to perform three shows a day on weekdays and five a day on weekends and public holidays. Even human beings feel ‘tired’ if forced to work extra hours doing work they’re not suppose too. These animals have feelings, and im sure they feel the strain performing for selfish humans non stop. Unfortunately, the fact is that the dolphins face muscles are fixed, whether tired, sad or ill, the smile will always stay no matter what they’re feeling. At least humans get paid, were not trapped and confined, these dolphins? They’re fed dead fish, which they hate. Dolphins eat fresh fish not dead ones! There is absolutely no educational input to the children who make up most of the audience and the whole thing is like a circus with loud music, dancing and ridiculous jokes by the emcee of the event. At the end of each show, what seems to me like an endless number of people paid an extra MR15 to touch, kiss and take photos with the dolphins which creates high levels of stress for the animals. This contrasts very strongly with the dolphin show in Australia at Sea World, where the pools are huge and only one selected person can pat the dolphins at the end of the show. The reason? They wanted to protect the dolphin from feeling stressed. Stress causes the dolphins intestine to crumble, as a result they will die.
Rio and Karon are kept in a small tank which is clearly inadequate and inappropriate. Dolphins in nature, dive up to 150 feet and travel massive distances in the ocean. How can they do that in the tiny tank? How would you feel being trapped in a small jail like that? According to the staff, the sea lions cage is even worse. Yes they’re kept in a cage! I feel that the mistreatment of these intelligent mammals shows that Malaysia has a long way to go to really achieve developed nation status. I was absolutely disgusted at the show and came away with a feeling of revulsion. Unfortunately the coverage in the print and electronic media failed to highlight the torment and abuse these animals are subjected
Rio and Karon were abducted from the Java Sea and the so called owners or trainers in my interpretation should rightfully be called criminals. Dolphins live in pods and have a very close-knit family relation, when a family member is captured, reports states that at least one other family member will die due to stress of the separation. Captive dolphins suffer severe mental and physical stress they lose one of their most remarkable gifts, that of eco-location. This is lost in a man made construction when there is no fish to catch and their environment is featureless and redundant, it also creates unbearable noise pollution when their sonar signals bounces back at them.
This horrible and inhumane treatment of these animals will continue unless decent and humane people reading this letter take action to put a stop to it and protect these animals. These are not disposable animals for a disposable society. They are not objects to entertain us human beings. Dolphins belong in the sea, in the wild with the family.
---------------------------------
In addition to this i would like to add a bloggers comment by Nick Josh Karean who shared two very interesting websites for everyone to watch
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/captive_marine/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/circuses_entertainment/
thank you very much Nick Josh Karean
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
More like a Dolphin abuse to me
Yesterday I accompanied my sister and her kids to a dolphin and sea lion show at sunway pyramid and i was very eager to see how a dolphin show would be hosted in Malaysia and compare it to the shows at sea world Australia...
much to my may amazement a tiny enclosure was used to house the dolphin for shows and for their long stay in this hot Malaysia till February. Every day the animals are required to perform 3 shows with each show lasting about an hour and 5 shows on weekends, think about us humans if we can ever work that hard every single day.
these dolphins were captured from the java sea and were trained to entertain us humans and for a group of people to gain millions of dollars from capturing these innocent animals... i felt so sorry for them thus we planned to take some action rather than just sit and do nothing thus my sister wrote a letter emailing it to various organizations so someone with power in this country will do something pertaining to this matter. but to no avail, the show is still a top destination for families during this school holidays. Remember if there is no demand there wont be supply.
The host was ridiculously dumb!! his attire was not presentable for kids , his jokes were dumb.. he talked nonsense and not a single educational information were delivered throughout the show.... some basic information about dolphins and sea lions would be very good for the kids.... this show was all about entertaining humans, making them laugh and none about delivering information so the kids would go back home and understand the animals and how we should love and care for them..... please.... to make a show interesting it doesn't have to have jokes 24/7 ...
just like the ridiculous kursus perkahwinan i had to attend ... completing the 2 day kursus i came back with no information that was intelligent enough for me to use for my marriage... they should cut the lame jokes short and focus about how the prophet treated his wives, with honour and respect..
much to my may amazement a tiny enclosure was used to house the dolphin for shows and for their long stay in this hot Malaysia till February. Every day the animals are required to perform 3 shows with each show lasting about an hour and 5 shows on weekends, think about us humans if we can ever work that hard every single day.
these dolphins were captured from the java sea and were trained to entertain us humans and for a group of people to gain millions of dollars from capturing these innocent animals... i felt so sorry for them thus we planned to take some action rather than just sit and do nothing thus my sister wrote a letter emailing it to various organizations so someone with power in this country will do something pertaining to this matter. but to no avail, the show is still a top destination for families during this school holidays. Remember if there is no demand there wont be supply.
The host was ridiculously dumb!! his attire was not presentable for kids , his jokes were dumb.. he talked nonsense and not a single educational information were delivered throughout the show.... some basic information about dolphins and sea lions would be very good for the kids.... this show was all about entertaining humans, making them laugh and none about delivering information so the kids would go back home and understand the animals and how we should love and care for them..... please.... to make a show interesting it doesn't have to have jokes 24/7 ...
just like the ridiculous kursus perkahwinan i had to attend ... completing the 2 day kursus i came back with no information that was intelligent enough for me to use for my marriage... they should cut the lame jokes short and focus about how the prophet treated his wives, with honour and respect..
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Canon G10 tutorial
I just came to know about this video posted on Youtube and i have to share it with EVERYONE, by everyone i mean everyone who has a G10 camera and is still wondering how to use all the functions.. this guy is pretty good.Just by watching part 1 I learned A LOT... enjoy!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)
Well I didn't really conquer Rome last month but hopefully I will on my next trip :). I managed to spend 2 whole days exploring Rome and the Vatican and since I arrived on an early Sunday morning, Vatican was my 1st destination.
Day one – Vatican city - Saint Peter’s square
To start off the day, i walked roughly 5 minutes to Eur Magliana train station from Sheraton hotel. Bought a 1 euro train pass that’s valid for 75minutes to travel on metro A and B, you can also opt for the 4 euro train pass which is valid all day through going in and out of the train station.
To reach the Vatican we took the train that was heading to Battistini, changed platform at termini and stop at Ottaviano (Vatican city). Walked for 5 minutes to reach the Vatican and toured around for 3 hours.
Upon arrival we went straight in the queue to enter the Basilica of St Peter which offers an amazingly beautiful interior, no matter where your head turns this place is just astoundingly beautiful.
After exploring the Basilica, we went below the Basilica that houses the Vatican crypts which contains a collection of numerous tombs of Popes.
Then, we entered the Cupola which had a long queue despite having to pay 5 euro per entrance and climb 551 steps or pay 7euro and take the elevator halfway after which you would have to climb 321 steps to reach the top of Saint Peter’s Basilica. We took the 5euro option and had a great morning workout : ) and not to mention the view from the cupola was just wonderful.
View half way through
View from the top
Our grumbled tummies lead us over to a nearby kebab stall where we grab a vegetarian pizza for 5 euro.
We head back to the train station and decided to spend the rest of the day just walking around Rome city .
Day 2 – Tour Rome city
We started our day early and took the bus from our hotel to Rome city to start our colosseum tour at 9am.
The ticket price to enter the Coloseum is 12euro and 10 euro if you would like to hire a guide. It is advisable to get a guide, not knowing the history would make you think that the colosseum is just one boring building. Anyway, audiphones are also for rent for 5 euro.
We arrived at the Colosseum and a lady approached us offering 22euro for entrance fee for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which a tour guide. The benefits are that you will get direct entrance meaning you don’t have to queue and this ticket is valid for 2 days. Tour for the colosseum is at 12pm and to choose between 12pm or 3 pm for the tour to the Roman forum and Palatine Hill.
It’s best if you could find out other offers that would probably be better than what we experienced, nevertheless my guide did an excellent job giving us insights to this historical place. Before I forget, please find out about Roma pass its 23 euro, 10 euro for the guide and you get free transportation for 3 days as well as free entrance to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hillt and colessum. I came to know about this because someone in my group had it.
thats a photo of one of the many displays at the exhibition, try nit to miss this free exhibition on the Colosseum to get a little bit more idea on this ancient structure and what it was used for.
At 12pm we had our Palatine hill and Roman forum tour. The Palatine hill at its time is the Hollywood of today, it’s where many famous personalities of the time built their houses on this hill.
In this photo is the large stadium built by Domitian, which is know as the Dominican private stadium, it was used for horse racing decorated with marble statues and later used as a garden.
From the Palatine hill we descended to enter The Roman Forum where we walked to the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, mind you that the door is the original door of that time.
We then found a great spot to perform our prayer
and later exited the Roman Forum and head to the Victor Emanuel Monument which was dedicated to the memory of Italy’s first king Victor Emanuel II.
Next we went on a time machine which brought us 2750 years ago covering the history of Rome which the time elevator. my opinion on this is that it was okay, not remarkable but ok.. if you have that extra cash and need a little more information on Rome than this will do.. it basically gives a movie like view on Roman history and if you are interested check the show time before you decide to go.
And the back of the time elevator ticket is a 5Euro discount on tour Vatican museums and Sistine chapel Or Tour colosseum, Roman forum and the palatine hill Or walking tours of the city.
Price:- 12 Euro
Location:- via dei ss.Apostpli, 20-00187 Roma
www.time-elevator.it
Opening hours:- everyday 10.30 am – 7.30pm
Each shows lasts 45 minutes
Next we walked to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. When it got dark, we walked over to Termini station and found a Halal shop..… so there we go, our meal for the night.
that was 6euro
and mine was 4euro (I like to reveal the prices of what i had done and what i had eaten so if you guys plan to go to this particular place you can roughly estimate how much you would have to spend)
After our big dinner we headed back to the hotel by bus and got ready for our departure to Malaysia the next morning. I do hope ill say hello to Rome for the second time in the future!
Accommodation
Sheraton Roma Hotel & conference
Viale del pattinaggio, 100-00144 Roma, Italia
Sheraton Roma provides bus service from the hotel to the city but Departures from the hotel wold require you to make a reservation and the bill will be charged to your hotel bill
But Departures from the city center back to the hotel is free
Day one – Vatican city - Saint Peter’s square
To start off the day, i walked roughly 5 minutes to Eur Magliana train station from Sheraton hotel. Bought a 1 euro train pass that’s valid for 75minutes to travel on metro A and B, you can also opt for the 4 euro train pass which is valid all day through going in and out of the train station.
To reach the Vatican we took the train that was heading to Battistini, changed platform at termini and stop at Ottaviano (Vatican city). Walked for 5 minutes to reach the Vatican and toured around for 3 hours.
Upon arrival we went straight in the queue to enter the Basilica of St Peter which offers an amazingly beautiful interior, no matter where your head turns this place is just astoundingly beautiful.
After exploring the Basilica, we went below the Basilica that houses the Vatican crypts which contains a collection of numerous tombs of Popes.
Then, we entered the Cupola which had a long queue despite having to pay 5 euro per entrance and climb 551 steps or pay 7euro and take the elevator halfway after which you would have to climb 321 steps to reach the top of Saint Peter’s Basilica. We took the 5euro option and had a great morning workout : ) and not to mention the view from the cupola was just wonderful.
View half way through
View from the top
Our grumbled tummies lead us over to a nearby kebab stall where we grab a vegetarian pizza for 5 euro.
We head back to the train station and decided to spend the rest of the day just walking around Rome city .
Day 2 – Tour Rome city
We started our day early and took the bus from our hotel to Rome city to start our colosseum tour at 9am.
The ticket price to enter the Coloseum is 12euro and 10 euro if you would like to hire a guide. It is advisable to get a guide, not knowing the history would make you think that the colosseum is just one boring building. Anyway, audiphones are also for rent for 5 euro.
We arrived at the Colosseum and a lady approached us offering 22euro for entrance fee for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which a tour guide. The benefits are that you will get direct entrance meaning you don’t have to queue and this ticket is valid for 2 days. Tour for the colosseum is at 12pm and to choose between 12pm or 3 pm for the tour to the Roman forum and Palatine Hill.
It’s best if you could find out other offers that would probably be better than what we experienced, nevertheless my guide did an excellent job giving us insights to this historical place. Before I forget, please find out about Roma pass its 23 euro, 10 euro for the guide and you get free transportation for 3 days as well as free entrance to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hillt and colessum. I came to know about this because someone in my group had it.
thats a photo of one of the many displays at the exhibition, try nit to miss this free exhibition on the Colosseum to get a little bit more idea on this ancient structure and what it was used for.
At 12pm we had our Palatine hill and Roman forum tour. The Palatine hill at its time is the Hollywood of today, it’s where many famous personalities of the time built their houses on this hill.
In this photo is the large stadium built by Domitian, which is know as the Dominican private stadium, it was used for horse racing decorated with marble statues and later used as a garden.
From the Palatine hill we descended to enter The Roman Forum where we walked to the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, mind you that the door is the original door of that time.
We then found a great spot to perform our prayer
and later exited the Roman Forum and head to the Victor Emanuel Monument which was dedicated to the memory of Italy’s first king Victor Emanuel II.
Next we went on a time machine which brought us 2750 years ago covering the history of Rome which the time elevator. my opinion on this is that it was okay, not remarkable but ok.. if you have that extra cash and need a little more information on Rome than this will do.. it basically gives a movie like view on Roman history and if you are interested check the show time before you decide to go.
And the back of the time elevator ticket is a 5Euro discount on tour Vatican museums and Sistine chapel Or Tour colosseum, Roman forum and the palatine hill Or walking tours of the city.
Price:- 12 Euro
Location:- via dei ss.Apostpli, 20-00187 Roma
www.time-elevator.it
Opening hours:- everyday 10.30 am – 7.30pm
Each shows lasts 45 minutes
Next we walked to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. When it got dark, we walked over to Termini station and found a Halal shop..… so there we go, our meal for the night.
that was 6euro
and mine was 4euro (I like to reveal the prices of what i had done and what i had eaten so if you guys plan to go to this particular place you can roughly estimate how much you would have to spend)
After our big dinner we headed back to the hotel by bus and got ready for our departure to Malaysia the next morning. I do hope ill say hello to Rome for the second time in the future!
Accommodation
Sheraton Roma Hotel & conference
Viale del pattinaggio, 100-00144 Roma, Italia
Sheraton Roma provides bus service from the hotel to the city but Departures from the hotel wold require you to make a reservation and the bill will be charged to your hotel bill
But Departures from the city center back to the hotel is free
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Getting older and wiser
And so it is! Today is my Birthday....Well, never really celebrated Birthdays but at least I get the chance to blog about something. So on this day what is special?? I do as a woman have moments where I reflect on how many many years back my dear ummi without epidural with all her might delivered me to this world and had her fair share of sleepless nights. So why am I just celebrating myself when I should celebrate my mom as well. So my dear Ummi this day is for you too but You are still in the land down under while im here in Malaysia : ).
I guess I should also reflect on what I have done since the last 31st of October till this very day and like every normal human being I should reflect on my goals. Have I achieved any?? Have I become a better person?? What have I done this whole year? Well questions can keep coming and coming. As for now the 1st of November is my very own New Year, not the 1st of January like everyone else.
With my new life, new goals have been written down and we shall see what the next 31st of October brings : D …. A better person always hopefully.
Anyhow, with birthdays come cakes, presents and warm wishes…. Thank you for your warm wishes , presents and cake Mr Husband, family and friends.
today tak bawak camera so tak ada lah gambar birthday cake and also the whole birthday scenario of me going out to Putrajaya with my family makan all you can eat dim sum... around RM50 per adult all you can eat sounds like a good bargain... anyhow another year and another day has passed... looking back now...gosh how time flies!
I guess I should also reflect on what I have done since the last 31st of October till this very day and like every normal human being I should reflect on my goals. Have I achieved any?? Have I become a better person?? What have I done this whole year? Well questions can keep coming and coming. As for now the 1st of November is my very own New Year, not the 1st of January like everyone else.
With my new life, new goals have been written down and we shall see what the next 31st of October brings : D …. A better person always hopefully.
Anyhow, with birthdays come cakes, presents and warm wishes…. Thank you for your warm wishes , presents and cake Mr Husband, family and friends.
today tak bawak camera so tak ada lah gambar birthday cake and also the whole birthday scenario of me going out to Putrajaya with my family makan all you can eat dim sum... around RM50 per adult all you can eat sounds like a good bargain... anyhow another year and another day has passed... looking back now...gosh how time flies!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Early delivery
After over a month of silence, I have decided to write a little something
Almost two weeks ago I was 9 weeks pregnant.... at 8 weeks pregnant I went for my usual checkup and after the usual scan I was informed that the fetus has no heartbeat thus to be absolutely certain that my baby is in other words not alive , my Doctor made another appointment to see him the following week.
After a crucial week of waiting and being pregnant for 9 weeks, the scan still showed a fetus without a heartbeat, plus to be absolutely sure that this fetus is dead the scan also showed that the fetus has not grown over my last visit. With that result I had to set a date to do a D&C.
Since none in my family members have undergone such ordeal, I wasn't sure if I should do a D&C or wait for my body to experience a natural miscarriage. Given 2 days to think, I went on the internet to look for information and did some consultation with other Doctors on to why this happen and if I should proceed with D&C.
From what I found out on why this happen, the Doctor said its common to miscarry for the first time , but if you miscarry twice in a row than a thorough checkup on your body will be done to detect any problem. In addition, it is advisable that pregnant woman to not go near cats or cat feces as a disease called toxoplasmosis which is transferred mainly from cats and is very dangerous to pregnant woman.
On if I should have a natural miscarriage or to do a D&C
1) Natural miscarriage
As told by the Doctor, If I would like to have a natural miscarriage I would face 2 consequences, either I would get an infection first then a miscarriage or I will have a miscarriage first and if my body does not pass out everything or what they might call a partial miscarriage, I will end up having to do a D&C anyway and sometimes because the fetus is in your body for a long period of time you are susceptible to infection.
2) To do a D&C (Dilation and Curettage)
Basically this operation will take 10 - 15 minutes not including the time you will wake up after given anesthetic. The gynecologist emptied my uterus before which I was given a general anesthetic by an anesthetist and woke up some 40 minutes after the operation knowing everything was done. Before going in the operating room I was very scared not knowing what to expect but after everything was done Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks to Allah) everything was ok. After such operation the doctor will explain to you the Do's and Don’ts for the following week.
It is also important to know that there are some possible risks when choosing to do the D&C. It can damage the cervix during dilation or it might give a scar to your uterus during procedure. If whenever you get a scar on your hand and it ends up getting puffed up or really bad than the Doctor said its better not to go on with D&C.
It is important that you find out everything you can about natural miscarriage and D&C if you have to. I do prefer to have a natural miscarriage but because I have waited a certain period of time and it still hasn’t happened, I decided to go on with D&C.
I do feel sad, frightened and worried that this might happen again but there is nothing much I can do. Everything happens for a reason, and there are just things that you do the best that you can, pray for the best, hope for the best and let everything else in the hands of God.
Im happy knowing im blessed with a great husband who has given me support throughout this marriage and this misfortune…. I Love you so much and I pray and hope our happiness will last ... My family, his family and my friends giving me encouragement and helping me to go through this few weeks of what I can call an early confinement for me. Thank you all!!
Almost two weeks ago I was 9 weeks pregnant.... at 8 weeks pregnant I went for my usual checkup and after the usual scan I was informed that the fetus has no heartbeat thus to be absolutely certain that my baby is in other words not alive , my Doctor made another appointment to see him the following week.
After a crucial week of waiting and being pregnant for 9 weeks, the scan still showed a fetus without a heartbeat, plus to be absolutely sure that this fetus is dead the scan also showed that the fetus has not grown over my last visit. With that result I had to set a date to do a D&C.
Since none in my family members have undergone such ordeal, I wasn't sure if I should do a D&C or wait for my body to experience a natural miscarriage. Given 2 days to think, I went on the internet to look for information and did some consultation with other Doctors on to why this happen and if I should proceed with D&C.
From what I found out on why this happen, the Doctor said its common to miscarry for the first time , but if you miscarry twice in a row than a thorough checkup on your body will be done to detect any problem. In addition, it is advisable that pregnant woman to not go near cats or cat feces as a disease called toxoplasmosis which is transferred mainly from cats and is very dangerous to pregnant woman.
On if I should have a natural miscarriage or to do a D&C
1) Natural miscarriage
As told by the Doctor, If I would like to have a natural miscarriage I would face 2 consequences, either I would get an infection first then a miscarriage or I will have a miscarriage first and if my body does not pass out everything or what they might call a partial miscarriage, I will end up having to do a D&C anyway and sometimes because the fetus is in your body for a long period of time you are susceptible to infection.
2) To do a D&C (Dilation and Curettage)
Basically this operation will take 10 - 15 minutes not including the time you will wake up after given anesthetic. The gynecologist emptied my uterus before which I was given a general anesthetic by an anesthetist and woke up some 40 minutes after the operation knowing everything was done. Before going in the operating room I was very scared not knowing what to expect but after everything was done Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks to Allah) everything was ok. After such operation the doctor will explain to you the Do's and Don’ts for the following week.
It is also important to know that there are some possible risks when choosing to do the D&C. It can damage the cervix during dilation or it might give a scar to your uterus during procedure. If whenever you get a scar on your hand and it ends up getting puffed up or really bad than the Doctor said its better not to go on with D&C.
It is important that you find out everything you can about natural miscarriage and D&C if you have to. I do prefer to have a natural miscarriage but because I have waited a certain period of time and it still hasn’t happened, I decided to go on with D&C.
I do feel sad, frightened and worried that this might happen again but there is nothing much I can do. Everything happens for a reason, and there are just things that you do the best that you can, pray for the best, hope for the best and let everything else in the hands of God.
Im happy knowing im blessed with a great husband who has given me support throughout this marriage and this misfortune…. I Love you so much and I pray and hope our happiness will last ... My family, his family and my friends giving me encouragement and helping me to go through this few weeks of what I can call an early confinement for me. Thank you all!!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Brisbane’s Secrets revealed
1) Fuel price and fuel discounts
Fuel price in Brisbane fluctuates on a daily basis. What’s important is that generally fuel price tends to be cheaper on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. In addition, by purchasing AUD30 or more in a single receipt you will get a ‘Fuel discount docket’ that can be used through out the week including on Wednesday. With the docket, you are entitled to receive a discount of 4 cents per liter on fuel which is better than no discount at all.
Buying at Woolworth – Discounted docket is for Caltex petrol Station
Buying at Coles – Discounted docket is for shell petrol station
2) Receipts
At the back of your receipt you might get food discounts, bowling discounts, theme park discounts etc. So when you purchase something get your receipt, flip it and have a look if the discount is anything that you need. Sometimes the bus ticket has discounts for white water world and dream world
3) Mega sale
June is a great time to visit Brisbane if you like shopping... every store is on sale everywhere you go especially towards the end of June... you wont regret : ).
Fuel price in Brisbane fluctuates on a daily basis. What’s important is that generally fuel price tends to be cheaper on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. In addition, by purchasing AUD30 or more in a single receipt you will get a ‘Fuel discount docket’ that can be used through out the week including on Wednesday. With the docket, you are entitled to receive a discount of 4 cents per liter on fuel which is better than no discount at all.
Buying at Woolworth – Discounted docket is for Caltex petrol Station
Buying at Coles – Discounted docket is for shell petrol station
2) Receipts
At the back of your receipt you might get food discounts, bowling discounts, theme park discounts etc. So when you purchase something get your receipt, flip it and have a look if the discount is anything that you need. Sometimes the bus ticket has discounts for white water world and dream world
3) Mega sale
June is a great time to visit Brisbane if you like shopping... every store is on sale everywhere you go especially towards the end of June... you wont regret : ).
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sometimes
sometimes you just need to think of yourself because when you keep thinking of doing things for someone else you tend to suffer
sometimes you get stressed out when things are not going your way
sometimes you need to spend quality time with the person close to you
sometimes you need to find someone else that understands you better
sometimes you feel like telling the whole world your problems so that they can help
sometimes you are just not ready to deal with changes in your life, you are not ready to be a different person
sometimes you think you are doing everything right and everyone else is doing it wrong
sometimes you cant think for yourself and you cant make wise decisions
sometimes you think you have made the worst decision ever in your life and you wonder if that mistake can actually end up being a great experience in the future
sometimes you just need to get away and calm yourself
sometimes everything just doesn't seem right and writing this releases half the burden. ahhhhhhh that feels much better : ).
sometimes you get stressed out when things are not going your way
sometimes you need to spend quality time with the person close to you
sometimes you need to find someone else that understands you better
sometimes you feel like telling the whole world your problems so that they can help
sometimes you are just not ready to deal with changes in your life, you are not ready to be a different person
sometimes you think you are doing everything right and everyone else is doing it wrong
sometimes you cant think for yourself and you cant make wise decisions
sometimes you think you have made the worst decision ever in your life and you wonder if that mistake can actually end up being a great experience in the future
sometimes you just need to get away and calm yourself
sometimes everything just doesn't seem right and writing this releases half the burden. ahhhhhhh that feels much better : ).
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Perak - Malaysia
KUL – GUA TEMPURUNG – TELUK BATIK - KUL
I went to Perak recently with friends and my husband where we stayed for 2 days. Truthfully the first day was great but the second day was what I would call a mini disaster.
First day :- Gua Tempurung
The idea to visit perak was a last minute decision made by all of us with the idea of doing a small adventure trip. Anyway, our quest to conquer Gua Tempurung started with a mini search on what Gua Tempurung has to offer… thus I visited this website http://www.guatempurung.com/ which provided a thorough explanation on what to do, what to bring and a contact number to make reservations.
After browsing the website we uniformly agreed to take tour number 4 (The grand tour) which took us at 3 1/2 – 4 hours of adventure in the cave. For adventure crazy people I would suggest you go for this tour because it encompasses everything, the first stage is climb some steps where the guide will show you some rock formations, second as I vaguely can remember is a trail which has water up to your knee, thirdly you need to duck, then you need to crawl, you will also need to slide and finally enter a small hole which will soak you up to your chest.
We went there on a weekend and the crowd is somewhat appealing thus at some stops we had to wait a little longer for another group to clear till we can move over. Nevertheless I think the whole experience was splendid.
Anyway, back to the start, we woke up at 6am, got our bags packed the night before including our tents and sleeping back for the night, did a final check and started our 2 hours journey to destination. Had a morning stop and had Nasi lemak at R&R Tapah. The idea was to let our tummy digest the food for fear that any of us might need to go to the toilet before entering the cave … there is no toilet in the cave
You have to arrive latest by 9.30am at Gua Tempurung for registration purposes and a brief introduction. Use a plastic bag to wrap your valuables (car keys, camera) and it would be best to bring a water bottle to quench your thirst and PLEASE don’t leave your empty bottles in the cave like what some irresponsible and immature people did.
Anyway, what made the caving exciting was to take it easy, you don’t have to rush in and be the first person inline trying to reach every stop first because at every stop the guide will wait for the last person. So, we were among the last person in the group and because of that we had the chance to take as many pictures as we want along the way….
After our 4 hours of darkness we finally found civilization and came out wet up to our chests. Of course our first destination had to be the cafeteria. Had our shower right after, paid RM1.00 per entry to shower or RM0.40 cents to use the toilet. We brought our own soap and but soap can also be purchased at the toilet for RM0.50 cents. Well, there’s no such thing as free lunch here in Malaysia.
Gua Tempurung – Perak – Malaysia
RM 22 for adults
About 2 hours drive from KL
http://www.guatempurung.com/
Day 2 :- Teluk Batik
All ready for our next adventure, we then continued our journey to Teluk Batik which was about an hour drive from Gua Tempurung, beautiful beach but sad to say its not properly maintained…. How do you expect to attract visitors when rubbish can be seen everywhere, toilets are not properly maintained and empty shop lots are now turned into an unofficial dump site. Oh Malaysians, a simple act of throwing your rubbish in the bin makes a huge different to your surroundings. If only you knew!
Coming back to what happened. We figured to camp at the beach but were perturbed by the whole atmosphere of a big dump site and spotted a fenced camping site where we could bring our car in and make our tent right next to the car… Paid RM8 per head, per night, sounds good but the camping site was a little dirty nevertheless we managed to find a not so bad spot to camp.
It’s a shame that this place is not properly maintained as I see great potential in it. Anyway, We parked our car, found a spot and we build our tent. Everything went lovely till I had to use the toilet… urghhhhhh why didn’t I check on that earlier!! Shower was dirty, one of the toilet had leftover human waste as i can call it since the pump was not working but luckily we found a shower and a toilet that was usable.
When it came for dinner, we brought out our cooker, canister, sardine in the tin, and bread. Although we actually had a choice to buy food at a food stall nearby, we suggested to have a real camping experience… thus our meal was a little dull and my husband’s friend who lived in Perak came and saved our day. He brought in fresh fish, his mom cooked some rice, made some sauce for the fish and because of that the whole toilet incident didn’t bother me until the time came where we had to sleep.
A nearby food stall had a karaoke competition (as it seems) till 1am and right after, there were this group of man noisily accelerating their motorbikes as what we Malaysians call them ‘Mat Rempit’… well that wasn’t all, 3 dogs were spotted on the other side of the fence where one managed to enter through a whole in the fence. I told my husband I do not want to do this kind of stuff at any beach in Malaysia anymore.
Somehow I managed to get my sleep and we woke up in the early morning to perform our Morning prayers. The wind was very strong and not long after it started to rain. My friend and I went in the tent thinking that we were safe from the rain but puddle started to form in the tent so we ran and seek shelter in the car where we actually managed to sleep. Amazingly the guys in the other tent had no problem whatsoever.
After the rain subsided, we packed our stuff, got ready, I vowed not to camp there no more and we headed back to KL with some fruits we bought along the way.
I went to Perak recently with friends and my husband where we stayed for 2 days. Truthfully the first day was great but the second day was what I would call a mini disaster.
First day :- Gua Tempurung
The idea to visit perak was a last minute decision made by all of us with the idea of doing a small adventure trip. Anyway, our quest to conquer Gua Tempurung started with a mini search on what Gua Tempurung has to offer… thus I visited this website http://www.guatempurung.com/ which provided a thorough explanation on what to do, what to bring and a contact number to make reservations.
After browsing the website we uniformly agreed to take tour number 4 (The grand tour) which took us at 3 1/2 – 4 hours of adventure in the cave. For adventure crazy people I would suggest you go for this tour because it encompasses everything, the first stage is climb some steps where the guide will show you some rock formations, second as I vaguely can remember is a trail which has water up to your knee, thirdly you need to duck, then you need to crawl, you will also need to slide and finally enter a small hole which will soak you up to your chest.
We went there on a weekend and the crowd is somewhat appealing thus at some stops we had to wait a little longer for another group to clear till we can move over. Nevertheless I think the whole experience was splendid.
Anyway, back to the start, we woke up at 6am, got our bags packed the night before including our tents and sleeping back for the night, did a final check and started our 2 hours journey to destination. Had a morning stop and had Nasi lemak at R&R Tapah. The idea was to let our tummy digest the food for fear that any of us might need to go to the toilet before entering the cave … there is no toilet in the cave
You have to arrive latest by 9.30am at Gua Tempurung for registration purposes and a brief introduction. Use a plastic bag to wrap your valuables (car keys, camera) and it would be best to bring a water bottle to quench your thirst and PLEASE don’t leave your empty bottles in the cave like what some irresponsible and immature people did.
Anyway, what made the caving exciting was to take it easy, you don’t have to rush in and be the first person inline trying to reach every stop first because at every stop the guide will wait for the last person. So, we were among the last person in the group and because of that we had the chance to take as many pictures as we want along the way….
After our 4 hours of darkness we finally found civilization and came out wet up to our chests. Of course our first destination had to be the cafeteria. Had our shower right after, paid RM1.00 per entry to shower or RM0.40 cents to use the toilet. We brought our own soap and but soap can also be purchased at the toilet for RM0.50 cents. Well, there’s no such thing as free lunch here in Malaysia.
Gua Tempurung – Perak – Malaysia
RM 22 for adults
About 2 hours drive from KL
http://www.guatempurung.com/
Day 2 :- Teluk Batik
All ready for our next adventure, we then continued our journey to Teluk Batik which was about an hour drive from Gua Tempurung, beautiful beach but sad to say its not properly maintained…. How do you expect to attract visitors when rubbish can be seen everywhere, toilets are not properly maintained and empty shop lots are now turned into an unofficial dump site. Oh Malaysians, a simple act of throwing your rubbish in the bin makes a huge different to your surroundings. If only you knew!
Coming back to what happened. We figured to camp at the beach but were perturbed by the whole atmosphere of a big dump site and spotted a fenced camping site where we could bring our car in and make our tent right next to the car… Paid RM8 per head, per night, sounds good but the camping site was a little dirty nevertheless we managed to find a not so bad spot to camp.
It’s a shame that this place is not properly maintained as I see great potential in it. Anyway, We parked our car, found a spot and we build our tent. Everything went lovely till I had to use the toilet… urghhhhhh why didn’t I check on that earlier!! Shower was dirty, one of the toilet had leftover human waste as i can call it since the pump was not working but luckily we found a shower and a toilet that was usable.
When it came for dinner, we brought out our cooker, canister, sardine in the tin, and bread. Although we actually had a choice to buy food at a food stall nearby, we suggested to have a real camping experience… thus our meal was a little dull and my husband’s friend who lived in Perak came and saved our day. He brought in fresh fish, his mom cooked some rice, made some sauce for the fish and because of that the whole toilet incident didn’t bother me until the time came where we had to sleep.
A nearby food stall had a karaoke competition (as it seems) till 1am and right after, there were this group of man noisily accelerating their motorbikes as what we Malaysians call them ‘Mat Rempit’… well that wasn’t all, 3 dogs were spotted on the other side of the fence where one managed to enter through a whole in the fence. I told my husband I do not want to do this kind of stuff at any beach in Malaysia anymore.
Somehow I managed to get my sleep and we woke up in the early morning to perform our Morning prayers. The wind was very strong and not long after it started to rain. My friend and I went in the tent thinking that we were safe from the rain but puddle started to form in the tent so we ran and seek shelter in the car where we actually managed to sleep. Amazingly the guys in the other tent had no problem whatsoever.
After the rain subsided, we packed our stuff, got ready, I vowed not to camp there no more and we headed back to KL with some fruits we bought along the way.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Get a 'REAL' job
A few days ago my sister's house in Taman Tun got broken into at 10a.m , this crazy people does the job in the morning too. Yeah nothing could be done now, The so called Malaysian CSI team came to the house about 6 hours after the crime has been committed and the silly thing was, you have to make a police report first before the police can come to your house and investigate and the problem with that is, in the police report you have to state your losses and how could that be done unless you contaminate the crime scene aiyoooo
moving on, they eventually arrive WITHOUT a plastic bag to store in evidence that can be brought to the lab for further investigation hmmm that wasnt enough! the best thing is yet to come.... so they came, looked through some stuff but they were not wearing gloves. hmmmmm i guess i got to carried away from watching CSI on TV and I have expected something similar in Malaysia : )....
So now, you can't turn back time but what can you learn from it??
Lesson 1 :- Inform your neighbors that you are leaving town
Lesson 2 :- You should use a timer for lights - (My sister left the porch light on without a timer so when someone passes the house in the morning they know no one is in the house because the porch light is still on)
Lesson 3 :- Lock your bin from the inside ( They entered through the bin door)
Lesson 4 :- Lock all your room doors ( They might get in eventually but at least that buys time
Lesson 5 :- Store your valuables at a secure place - give it to a family member or hide it where you wont expect them to find
The good news is that Rafa's favorite toy Mr snail being the only witness to this crime is still smiling and alive
moving on, they eventually arrive WITHOUT a plastic bag to store in evidence that can be brought to the lab for further investigation hmmm that wasnt enough! the best thing is yet to come.... so they came, looked through some stuff but they were not wearing gloves. hmmmmm i guess i got to carried away from watching CSI on TV and I have expected something similar in Malaysia : )....
So now, you can't turn back time but what can you learn from it??
Lesson 1 :- Inform your neighbors that you are leaving town
Lesson 2 :- You should use a timer for lights - (My sister left the porch light on without a timer so when someone passes the house in the morning they know no one is in the house because the porch light is still on)
Lesson 3 :- Lock your bin from the inside ( They entered through the bin door)
Lesson 4 :- Lock all your room doors ( They might get in eventually but at least that buys time
Lesson 5 :- Store your valuables at a secure place - give it to a family member or hide it where you wont expect them to find
The good news is that Rafa's favorite toy Mr snail being the only witness to this crime is still smiling and alive
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sabah - Kota Kinabalu
7 enjoyable April days in Sabah from the 21st - 28th.
1st day (21st April)
My husband and I Arrived at 8 in the morning at the KK airport and had my friend picked us up at the airport (thanks Tamimi and She). we then went straight to cik lin's house where we stayed for 2 nights... as im writing this i keep on remembering cik lin's sambal terung and masak lemak udang... the best i have ever tasted... cik lin nak makan sambal terung lagi : )..
moving on, we went for a walk at warisan square to do some last minute shopping for any additional items we might need for our climb the next day.
our second destination was to Dataran Merdeka to make a taxi booking to bring us to Mt Kinabalu. The Driver will pick us up from home at 6am and drive us for 2 hours to Mt Kinabalu for RM150 one way.
2nd and 3rd day (22nd – 23rd)
We arrived, we Climbed and we conquered Mt Kinabalu!!!! YEAYYYYY!!! undeterred by light showers and strong wind in the early morning, we continued on with the climb and we reached the peak! alhamdulillah (all praises and thanks to Allah)
4th day (24th)
Regardless of certain parts of our body that were aching we still planned a short trip to Pulau Manukan. welll what can i say but that i was not amazed by this beach. the journey began with us using cik lin's car ( my friends aunties' car), parked at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and our starting point was at jeselton ferry terminal in search for a boat ride to bring us to the island. The boat ride cost RM25 per person return and an additional RM3 for locals and around RM10 for foreigners to be paid upon arriving at the jetty.
I did plan to go snorkeling but I didn't bring my own snorkel gear and the thought of using a snorkel that has been used by some random strangers is not for me. anyhow, the boat man charged RM10 for a snorkeling mask and an additional RM10 for flippers... BUT when we arrived at the Island, he offered the mask AND the flippers for RM10.... don't fall for their tricks.
after the beach escape, we went to have dinner opposite Le marridien hotel at those stalls i cant remember the name. and this was what we had... the ever so popular sabah's chicken wings
On the 4th day, we checked in a room at Le marridien in KK primarily because the 'famous' shops (Filipino Market and Warisan Square) were just a walking distance away. Filipino market to me was kinda boring because the souvenirs does not show the true sabah identity and instead, I can still find it in KL with around the same price.
My Husband and I ended up looking for stuff at warisan square and found this souvenir shop where we bought a handful of stuff and the sales person gave us a 10% discount on all of he items we purchased.
5th day (25th)
On the 5th day it was rest and relax for us, need to give our body a rest. so we walked over to warisan square and decided to try a foot massage RM40 for 60minutes.
6th, 7th and 8th day (26th – 28th)
Enough wondering around the city we packed our bags and headed to nexus karambunai. styed there for 2 nights and thinking about it now, we should have stayed at nexus from the start since nexus provides loads of activities that will keep you occupied furthermore, it provides a shuttle bus to warisan square if you wish to visit warisan square from there.
below are some activities that the resort offers:-
We had a swim at the beach, spend some time relaxing by the pool and tried batik painting. that was actually a short 2 days at nexus and without realizing it, it was time for us to depart back to KL...
Had our flight very early in the morning and the resort gave us a takeaway breakfast in a box which consists of a sandwich and some fruits.
TOP TIPS:- ... to plan your trip i wouldn't suggest you make the same mistake as what we did, we planned an early flight, so our transport from home on the taxi costs us RM 100 instead of the usual RM75 to the airport. the same thing happened from nexus to KK airport, we had to pay RM112 instead of RM 75 after 6am.
Packing essentials- sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
1st day (21st April)
My husband and I Arrived at 8 in the morning at the KK airport and had my friend picked us up at the airport (thanks Tamimi and She). we then went straight to cik lin's house where we stayed for 2 nights... as im writing this i keep on remembering cik lin's sambal terung and masak lemak udang... the best i have ever tasted... cik lin nak makan sambal terung lagi : )..
moving on, we went for a walk at warisan square to do some last minute shopping for any additional items we might need for our climb the next day.
our second destination was to Dataran Merdeka to make a taxi booking to bring us to Mt Kinabalu. The Driver will pick us up from home at 6am and drive us for 2 hours to Mt Kinabalu for RM150 one way.
2nd and 3rd day (22nd – 23rd)
We arrived, we Climbed and we conquered Mt Kinabalu!!!! YEAYYYYY!!! undeterred by light showers and strong wind in the early morning, we continued on with the climb and we reached the peak! alhamdulillah (all praises and thanks to Allah)
4th day (24th)
Regardless of certain parts of our body that were aching we still planned a short trip to Pulau Manukan. welll what can i say but that i was not amazed by this beach. the journey began with us using cik lin's car ( my friends aunties' car), parked at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and our starting point was at jeselton ferry terminal in search for a boat ride to bring us to the island. The boat ride cost RM25 per person return and an additional RM3 for locals and around RM10 for foreigners to be paid upon arriving at the jetty.
I did plan to go snorkeling but I didn't bring my own snorkel gear and the thought of using a snorkel that has been used by some random strangers is not for me. anyhow, the boat man charged RM10 for a snorkeling mask and an additional RM10 for flippers... BUT when we arrived at the Island, he offered the mask AND the flippers for RM10.... don't fall for their tricks.
after the beach escape, we went to have dinner opposite Le marridien hotel at those stalls i cant remember the name. and this was what we had... the ever so popular sabah's chicken wings
On the 4th day, we checked in a room at Le marridien in KK primarily because the 'famous' shops (Filipino Market and Warisan Square) were just a walking distance away. Filipino market to me was kinda boring because the souvenirs does not show the true sabah identity and instead, I can still find it in KL with around the same price.
My Husband and I ended up looking for stuff at warisan square and found this souvenir shop where we bought a handful of stuff and the sales person gave us a 10% discount on all of he items we purchased.
5th day (25th)
On the 5th day it was rest and relax for us, need to give our body a rest. so we walked over to warisan square and decided to try a foot massage RM40 for 60minutes.
6th, 7th and 8th day (26th – 28th)
Enough wondering around the city we packed our bags and headed to nexus karambunai. styed there for 2 nights and thinking about it now, we should have stayed at nexus from the start since nexus provides loads of activities that will keep you occupied furthermore, it provides a shuttle bus to warisan square if you wish to visit warisan square from there.
below are some activities that the resort offers:-
We had a swim at the beach, spend some time relaxing by the pool and tried batik painting. that was actually a short 2 days at nexus and without realizing it, it was time for us to depart back to KL...
Had our flight very early in the morning and the resort gave us a takeaway breakfast in a box which consists of a sandwich and some fruits.
TOP TIPS:- ... to plan your trip i wouldn't suggest you make the same mistake as what we did, we planned an early flight, so our transport from home on the taxi costs us RM 100 instead of the usual RM75 to the airport. the same thing happened from nexus to KK airport, we had to pay RM112 instead of RM 75 after 6am.
Packing essentials- sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
Saturday, August 1, 2009
New Zealand - North Island (Part 4 of 4)
22nd nov – 11th dec 08
AUCKLAND – ROTORUA – TAUPO – ROTORUA - AUCKLAND
I should continue writing on the things I did in New Zealand from my last visit last November.
Transportation
For transportation, the cheapest at that time for 5 of us was to rent a car at Hertz, go online to see cheap bargains and be careful of the hidden cost you have to know that as well.
Accommodation
We Pre booked our accommodation online at ‘x base’ Rotorua for NZ26pp a night. The rooms were great since they just made a major renovation so everything there is somewhat new. We checked in a room with 3 double Decker beds complete with a toilet and a shower in the room.
Enough cooking utensils in the kitchen, fridge and oven is provided. Of course you have to clean your own plates and cooking pots after you have used it with the provided liquid detergent.
Below is our tasty backpacker meal made in this spacious kitchen
ROTORUA
Once in Rotorua our first stop was the I-center (Information Centre), The Information center provides adventure packages that you could purchase and we bought all our activity packages from there.
1) Our discounted ‘Zorb’ activity costs us NZD 44 (5 dollar discount)
2) 2 ‘luge rides’, ‘return gondola ride’ and ‘sky swing ride’ for NZD45 for all three
3) ‘Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland’ and ‘Waimangu’ package for NZD55 for both
4) Sky Dive and Bungee package for NZD423 ( This is in Taupo)
5) Huka falls (Free)
1) Zorb ride
My Zorb experience was great which left me wanting for more. The NZD44 is for one ride which is one roll down the hill inside a giant inflatable ball. There are 2 options for you to choose from:-
a) The Zorbit is a dry roll down the hill in a zig-zag manner where you will be securely strapped to the ball which provides a slightly longer route than Zydro. But because you are strapped you will end up having a mild headache at the end of the ride because of the ongoing tumble down the hill. ( based on a friend’s experience)
b) Unlike Zorbit, Zydro just by its name gives you the idea of water and so it is. I find this more exciting as around 10 liters of water will be added in your ball, you won’t be strapped so you have the luxury of slipping and doing somersaults down the hill and above all that you can choose have 2 of your friends to join in the experience with you.
My brother and I tried our best to keep on standing but as you can see it was a complete failure : ).
Zorb Location: - located next to the Agrodome, western road, rotorua
Phone: - 07 357 5100
Freecall:- 0800 22 74 74
Min age :- 6 years old
Website:- This website is so cute and sure has all your questions answered
www.zorb.co.nz/
2) Gondola + 2 Luge rides + sky swing
For our second adventure package, we arrived at the gondola ride about 30minutes after it has opened, Rode on the gondolo which was the only way to get on the top and from there we choose to go on the luge first. Because we there were 2 tracks to choose from and we were allowed 2 rides so we tried each one.
The scenic track has a longer route and from its name it is obvious that it provides attractive view as you go down the hill on your luge, a few pit stops along the way for you to get down and take pictures. We went very early and we could stop on the track to take pictures. Of course we wouldn’t have done it if there were others on the track as that would spell chaos.
The adventure track on the other hand,was shorter in distance and the track are bumpier as compared to the first. Nevertheless it was a great ride for all of us as we tried to race one another down the track. after each luge ride, this hanging swing will take use back up
Website:- http://www.skylineskyrides.co.nz/
after the awesome luge adventure we proceeded to tryout the sky swing. You will be seated in a ball like seat with two others, they will first pull you up and with the count to three, they will give you a signal to pull a string and with that you get to swing and swing. It was a scary ride for me and i kept holding the hand rail through out the ride.
3) Wai-O-Tapu + Waimangu
a) Our first visit was to Wai-O-Tapu because we had to see the eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser which erupts once a day at 10.15am. If you are late, say good bye and come another day. After listening to an introduction and watching the eruption we went inside wai-o-tapu
Here you will have the chance to see a colorful volcanic environment which is absolutely amazing. the color formation, the different volcanic environment is just something you dont see everyday. Bring your own drinking water for your own convenience as you will walk around the area at your own pace . Read more or what Wai-O-Taou can offer from the website.
Website:- http://www.geyserland.co.nz/
Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 5:00pm Daily (last admission 3:45 pm)
b) Next on the same day as our wai-o-tapu visit, we visited Waimangu Volcanic Valley. which is another beautiful tourist destination that new Zealand has to offer. To experience this you can walk on the tracks provided which can take 45 minutes on the walkway and if you get exhausted along the way you can catch the bus which will bring you to lake Rotomahana., Here you have an option to get on the boat cruise which wasn't my option because we were so tired after all that walking, and the weather didn't help.
So i would suggest visit those places during winter NOT summer because the intense heat from the sun and the additional heat from the formations was dreadful. We tried walking at first and ended up hailing the bus and back to the counter. I DO think it’s a good idea to visit both Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu during winter.
Waimangu Location:- 587 Waimangu Road
Rotorua 3043
Website:- http://www.waimangu.co.nz/
TAUPO
We had a daily visit to taupo to perform our 4th activity – Sky dive and bungee. We arrived 30 minutes earlier than our supposedly arrival tome the reason being so we get the feel and be prepared to perform this 15000 feet dive. It actually was a good idea because upon arrival we had to fill in forms, get into our uniform and had some extra time to take some photos while gearing up.
The dive was incredible and the view of the earth as you head down was astonishingly stunning. The package comes with a free exit photo and a video of you getting ready and going on the plane and safely landed. Anyone who wish to have a personal video and pictures taken of themselves as they are gliding in the sky will incure additional costs.
After the dive, took our free video ( came together with our package), we got a little dizzy so we went to get something to munch, had some rest, calm ourselves and went for our next activity – The bungee jump. Taupo is a great place to do bungee simply because it has this beautiful view that you can see once you are up there waiting to jump and the beautiful sparkling water down under. I would not do bungee if it was concrete , im just worried the rope might extend too much : )...
Bungee jump was scarier than sky dive to me because you are on your own. Sky dive you are attached to instructor and you have a parachute, bungee on the other hand is you doing it yourselves jumping from a certain height with a rope tied to your ankle. We got a free video which came with our bungee package and we had our friend to snap some photos.
Sky dive location-
Freefall Skydive
Anzac Memorial Drive
Taupo Airport
Taupo
Website:- http://www.freefall.net.nz/
Website:- http://www.taupobungy.co.nz/
5) after all the adventure in a day, we eased our mind listening to the water falls and have a great look at the crystal clear water of the falls.
AUCKLAND – ROTORUA – TAUPO – ROTORUA - AUCKLAND
I should continue writing on the things I did in New Zealand from my last visit last November.
Transportation
For transportation, the cheapest at that time for 5 of us was to rent a car at Hertz, go online to see cheap bargains and be careful of the hidden cost you have to know that as well.
Accommodation
We Pre booked our accommodation online at ‘x base’ Rotorua for NZ26pp a night. The rooms were great since they just made a major renovation so everything there is somewhat new. We checked in a room with 3 double Decker beds complete with a toilet and a shower in the room.
Enough cooking utensils in the kitchen, fridge and oven is provided. Of course you have to clean your own plates and cooking pots after you have used it with the provided liquid detergent.
Below is our tasty backpacker meal made in this spacious kitchen
ROTORUA
Once in Rotorua our first stop was the I-center (Information Centre), The Information center provides adventure packages that you could purchase and we bought all our activity packages from there.
1) Our discounted ‘Zorb’ activity costs us NZD 44 (5 dollar discount)
2) 2 ‘luge rides’, ‘return gondola ride’ and ‘sky swing ride’ for NZD45 for all three
3) ‘Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland’ and ‘Waimangu’ package for NZD55 for both
4) Sky Dive and Bungee package for NZD423 ( This is in Taupo)
5) Huka falls (Free)
1) Zorb ride
My Zorb experience was great which left me wanting for more. The NZD44 is for one ride which is one roll down the hill inside a giant inflatable ball. There are 2 options for you to choose from:-
a) The Zorbit is a dry roll down the hill in a zig-zag manner where you will be securely strapped to the ball which provides a slightly longer route than Zydro. But because you are strapped you will end up having a mild headache at the end of the ride because of the ongoing tumble down the hill. ( based on a friend’s experience)
b) Unlike Zorbit, Zydro just by its name gives you the idea of water and so it is. I find this more exciting as around 10 liters of water will be added in your ball, you won’t be strapped so you have the luxury of slipping and doing somersaults down the hill and above all that you can choose have 2 of your friends to join in the experience with you.
My brother and I tried our best to keep on standing but as you can see it was a complete failure : ).
Zorb Location: - located next to the Agrodome, western road, rotorua
Phone: - 07 357 5100
Freecall:- 0800 22 74 74
Min age :- 6 years old
Website:- This website is so cute and sure has all your questions answered
www.zorb.co.nz/
2) Gondola + 2 Luge rides + sky swing
For our second adventure package, we arrived at the gondola ride about 30minutes after it has opened, Rode on the gondolo which was the only way to get on the top and from there we choose to go on the luge first. Because we there were 2 tracks to choose from and we were allowed 2 rides so we tried each one.
The scenic track has a longer route and from its name it is obvious that it provides attractive view as you go down the hill on your luge, a few pit stops along the way for you to get down and take pictures. We went very early and we could stop on the track to take pictures. Of course we wouldn’t have done it if there were others on the track as that would spell chaos.
The adventure track on the other hand,was shorter in distance and the track are bumpier as compared to the first. Nevertheless it was a great ride for all of us as we tried to race one another down the track. after each luge ride, this hanging swing will take use back up
Website:- http://www.skylineskyrides.co.nz/
after the awesome luge adventure we proceeded to tryout the sky swing. You will be seated in a ball like seat with two others, they will first pull you up and with the count to three, they will give you a signal to pull a string and with that you get to swing and swing. It was a scary ride for me and i kept holding the hand rail through out the ride.
3) Wai-O-Tapu + Waimangu
a) Our first visit was to Wai-O-Tapu because we had to see the eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser which erupts once a day at 10.15am. If you are late, say good bye and come another day. After listening to an introduction and watching the eruption we went inside wai-o-tapu
Here you will have the chance to see a colorful volcanic environment which is absolutely amazing. the color formation, the different volcanic environment is just something you dont see everyday. Bring your own drinking water for your own convenience as you will walk around the area at your own pace . Read more or what Wai-O-Taou can offer from the website.
Website:- http://www.geyserland.co.nz/
Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 5:00pm Daily (last admission 3:45 pm)
b) Next on the same day as our wai-o-tapu visit, we visited Waimangu Volcanic Valley. which is another beautiful tourist destination that new Zealand has to offer. To experience this you can walk on the tracks provided which can take 45 minutes on the walkway and if you get exhausted along the way you can catch the bus which will bring you to lake Rotomahana., Here you have an option to get on the boat cruise which wasn't my option because we were so tired after all that walking, and the weather didn't help.
So i would suggest visit those places during winter NOT summer because the intense heat from the sun and the additional heat from the formations was dreadful. We tried walking at first and ended up hailing the bus and back to the counter. I DO think it’s a good idea to visit both Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu during winter.
Waimangu Location:- 587 Waimangu Road
Rotorua 3043
Website:- http://www.waimangu.co.nz/
TAUPO
We had a daily visit to taupo to perform our 4th activity – Sky dive and bungee. We arrived 30 minutes earlier than our supposedly arrival tome the reason being so we get the feel and be prepared to perform this 15000 feet dive. It actually was a good idea because upon arrival we had to fill in forms, get into our uniform and had some extra time to take some photos while gearing up.
The dive was incredible and the view of the earth as you head down was astonishingly stunning. The package comes with a free exit photo and a video of you getting ready and going on the plane and safely landed. Anyone who wish to have a personal video and pictures taken of themselves as they are gliding in the sky will incure additional costs.
After the dive, took our free video ( came together with our package), we got a little dizzy so we went to get something to munch, had some rest, calm ourselves and went for our next activity – The bungee jump. Taupo is a great place to do bungee simply because it has this beautiful view that you can see once you are up there waiting to jump and the beautiful sparkling water down under. I would not do bungee if it was concrete , im just worried the rope might extend too much : )...
Bungee jump was scarier than sky dive to me because you are on your own. Sky dive you are attached to instructor and you have a parachute, bungee on the other hand is you doing it yourselves jumping from a certain height with a rope tied to your ankle. We got a free video which came with our bungee package and we had our friend to snap some photos.
Sky dive location-
Freefall Skydive
Anzac Memorial Drive
Taupo Airport
Taupo
Website:- http://www.freefall.net.nz/
Website:- http://www.taupobungy.co.nz/
5) after all the adventure in a day, we eased our mind listening to the water falls and have a great look at the crystal clear water of the falls.
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