Mission Australia 2013 - Day 15

Gold Coast – Melbourne 

Great Ocean Road 

An early alarm was to go up when we sprung into action to catch the Flight. Neha was surprised when she saw our pickup bus waiting outside with a young astute female driver loading our luggage one-by-one with extreme ease.

Landing into Melbourne, I once again recalled how I had felt about Sydney but Melbourne was different. The boy at the Budget desk was very helpful with the directions, the GPS & the car selection. For a moment, I was unsure whether I really wanted to take the SUV upgrade – but Camry, here I load!

Neha was very headstrong about the shopping & so I conceded to take her to the DFO. It was so difficult taking out time for this vacation & here we were wasting time for shopping. Filled with angst, I literally pushed Neha through her shopping (quickly grabbing 2 sweatshirts for us) – the GOR weather was infamous & I had to reach the Port Campbell before dark. Remember we had no booking today.

Entering the Great Ocean Road

Twelve Apostles under the Cloud

Port Campbell
Extremely Chilled

Well, the drive was a mix of high & low because the weather played a spoilsport. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly up to the brink by even making videos while on the wheel. I was living my dream here driving through B-100. I made regular stops on the way at GOR startpoint, at Lorne, at Apollo Bay and true to the advise I had been given, I grew really tired of stopping. Soon, the Twelve Apostles cut appeared but they were not so profound due to the weather. I proceeded to Port Campbell & after meeting Sue, we finally settled down at the PC Hostel where the rude Greg had replaced the humble Tony who had helped me plan my Melbourne itinerary. We had a cozy supper with the soup & pizza nearby when I called up back home to share my feelings with them.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 14

Sea World 

Sea World was about exhibits & observation of animals rather than adrenaline. Actually, both I & Neha shared our relief that at least today we would not have to fight our fear of free fall or extreme speed. How untrue was the fact that we had those fears – because after having a relaxed tour around the park, we took 4 rides each of a small-yet-fearsome roller coaster at the far end of the Sea World.

Breaky at Maldives

David the Manager

Little Penguins

Stroller Parking

Stroller Parking

Sea Lions

Feeding the Sharks

Polar Bear

Carousel Truck

This scared Ayana so much she couldn't stop wailing

Neha, the Basketball Champ

Goodbye Sea World

Dedication to my Friends & Travel mates
from Rajasthan, Ladakh, US Trips

Through our day, we saw dolphins, polar bears, stingrays, penguins, sharks, eels, clownfish & even dinosaurs of which Ayana got afraid!

As our time with Gold Coast ended, I decided to take the early pickup and decided to spend some time at the Golden Beach nearby our resort. We took out Ayana’s beach toys & played it all with the naughty girl. The Pacific swallowed down the torching sun & we bid silent goodbyes to the Good Weather!

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 13

Wet n Wild Water World 

When our Shuttle dropped us at the Water World, the queue was larger today & seemed swelling still. Nonetheless, the sun was shining bright & it was time for me to set the mood for getting wet by shunning of extra clothing.

Waiting for the Bus

The Scariest Ride at Water World

Alighting from the Water to deposit the Tube back

Ayana asking "Didi" to hang like "this"

And sure yes, more kids are now hanging like "this"

Ayana took time to get wet but once in the mood, she made the best while the sun shone ride-after-ride. There was a plethora of adrenaline pumping water rides & since these rides didn’t have any props, they seemed even more dangerous & they were, too!

As decided, I & Neha followed a rhythm of doing every ride without wasting any second – but unlike yesterday – by lunch time, we were done just half of the rides. So we quickened up our Lunch & proceeded to the Extreme Zone to complete the day.

As we reminisce about the Water park, I feel that was even better than the Movie World. It used not only gravity but cold water also to give additional adrenaline pump.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 12

Warner Bros Movie World 

I was glad to finally meet David who first helped me with theme park 3-day consecutive pass & went on to appreciate my meticulousness of transfer arrangement with the shuttle. Upon entering the Movie World, our first reaction was of collective speechlessness. The grandeur of the place buttressed by the omnipresent music played out a different world altogether once inside the gate.

Batman - The scariest Ride at Movie World

Fairy Dale

Willy Wonka sizing me up & down while I do the same for him

As I tried to re-collect myself, I got the park map & decided to go first into the Superman ride. I motivated Neha to go next & soon after we got into a practice of going one by one. All the theme parks of Australia gave this facility of ‘Parent Swap’ wherein we had to meet the Queue Manager first declaring that we’d go one-by-one – so that we wouldn’t need to wait the entire queue again and he/she would call one of us in case the ride is meant for two.

With our huge enthusiasm & craziness, we were soon gulping the rides one-by-one as if we had a practice of this park. By lunch time, we had covered most of the rides and so found some time to explore the town area inside the park with the specialty of Willy Wonka Chocolate Store.

In another area, the Non-Stop Western Themes played out with the ambience in the background & a lesser scary ride taking us through the dangerous “Wild Wild West”.

Carousel for Toddlers

Ayana now looked like she had grown older

Wild Wild West Ride

Backdrop of a Wild West Scene

Hailstorm at Movie World just after we finished up the last ride!

Our Tan from Uluru has started showing up
Maybe even worsening with Gold Coast Tan

Ayana had developed a chore of crying whenever she didn’t see her Mom around. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the Parade after we completed the rides just in time before the place looked like havoc had come down bringing large hail stones. Ayana was wet & I was really concerned about her well-being so much that I made panic calls to the Shuttle asking for an early 4:30 PM pickup than my previously booked 5:30 PM pickup. When a few buses started coming, the place looked exactly like any normal Bus Stop in Delhi – desperate people competing to get inside. I pleaded & pleaded with the Bus drivers & finally got through one of them who was very kind to drop us at the doorstep of our resort.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 11

Sydney Ferry 

Sydney – Gold Coast 

We started quite late the next day & caught a train till Parramatta where using a taxi we hopped in the ferry which would take us to the Quay. We had taken a Sunday Funday Family Pass which allowed a family of 2+2 an unlimited travel by any of the public modes of transport across Sydney area. I knew, very well, that if we get out at any of the Airport stations, the last lap of the train journey would be fully charged. The ferry ride was eventless yet an experience for intra-city water transport for both of us.

Waiting at Liverpool Train Station

Train to Parramatta

Ferry from Parramatta to Circular Quay

Harbour Bridge & Opera House from Circular Quay

For the first time, at the Quay, both I & Neha wished we reach the Airport sooner. We shared our mutual feeling that all the Airports were so comfortable & warm that they actually had become our second home – and hence, definitely preferable to the cold-windy-rainy Sydney outdoors.

We took the train bound for Airport when I thought of getting down at Mascot to save on the ticket costs. I remembered that the free ticket would be charged fully if we travelled into the Airport Stations with it. We bought new tickets for Airport – a station away.

Our flight into Coolangatta Airport was on time & as we pulled into the Luggage Carousel, Ayana poured down a little of her sickness onto the Floor. We informed the Airport staff to which they responded promptly with a smile & thanks. As planned, I purchased the GC Tourist Shuttle Freedom Pass (which included theme park transfer for 3 days and airport transfer for 5 days). At the resort, I enquired about the nearest supplies store & found a 24-7 just around the corner where I got myself some bread-butter-sauce-milk-yogurt for the next week or so.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 10

Bondi Beach 

Awake well after 7, we thought it would be wise to catch the bus earliest from Central so that we can visit some more places downtown after Bondi Beach. Again served a fine Indian breakfast of poha, we left wearing borrowed clothes to Bondi. Due to the weather, the ambience at the Beach was nothing compared to what I had expected. Rarely could I spot skimpy clothing, for even the adventurers were seen heading to the waters wearing diver wet suits with their surfboards.

Aboard the Red Bus again

Approaching Bondi

Bondi Pavillion

My favorite Bollywood Pose

Piggy-Back

Idling there for some time, catching up with the events back home on phone; we started strolling away from Bondi to catch the red bus again when Neha suddenly (yet expectedly) expressed her desire to visit one of the Direct Factory Outlets (D.F.O.s). We had been told earlier that there is one in Homebush, not far from Strathfield and could alight from the train at a station very close to the DFO. As usual, we found it quite far against the “walkable” directions that we had been advised – it took us nearly 30 minutes to reach.

Neha went on a window-shopping spree – her favorite pastime whereas I loitered around here & there trying to take care of Ayana. One thing I could never understand in AUS that why the shopping centers closed down at 5 PM because I was used to our Indian system (& even US) that major shopping happened after office hours. Nonetheless, Neha was again left purchase-less (which she was bound to regret later) & I made a call to our Uncle for directions to his home.

He had to re-arrange for the baby seat to pick us up. Back at home, we were again treated to a sumptuous evening supper on which we gorged hungrily & later due to the heavy downpour, Mrs & Mr Gupta both decided to give us a hitchhike till Liverpool. The day ended with chit-chat with Sanjeevji about the next day’s planning.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 09

Sydney City 

Liverpool was a nice suburb with placid surroundings which included a river. A narrow-nice walk further, we reached the Liverpool station to board a train till Sydney Central. We had been advised to not travel privately but to take a simple option of the Red Bus (Hop-on-Hop-off). Sydney Central felt no different than Grand Central at New York. We had some difficulty finding our way to the Red Bus pickup point.

Waiting for the Red Bus outside Sydney Central

Aboard the Rooftop of the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus

With my Professor at Sydney IMAX

Once aboard the bus, we first learnt how to properly park the baby stroller from the Conductor. We also purchased a subsidized entry to 2 attractions of Sydney City – Madame Tussaud’s & Sydney Tower Eye. I felt other attractions could be missed because part had been seen at Perth & others were probably better at Gold Coast. At the King’s Wharf, right outside the IMAX, the sight of a familiar face astounded me. It was one of my professors from Delhi. We chit-chatted a little while, clicked pictures & bid goodbyes to each other. I realized once again, how small is this world.

I replaced Barack

And She replaced Elizabeth II

As usual, I played the Lead though unusually Neha took on the Drums

Ives Steps besides the Harbour Bridge

Harbour Bridge from the Sydney Tower Eye

Dining by the Opera House

Romance at the Opera House

Despite my doubts, I felt very glad when we completed the entire city route & reached Opera House (our last destination for the day) by 5:30. One hour of photography & romance later, we caught our last bus for the day for Central from where we had to take the train to Strathfield to meet my cousin paternal uncle. He picked us up from the station & his home – once we reached – was a big comfort to our bones rattling with the cold weather outside. I & Neha wondered to each other – “Is this Aussie summer? Really”

Our aunt had known about our arrival & had prepared a very very nice dinner for us. We chit-chatted late through the night – so late that when I recalled where I had to sleep – it was already way beyond 12 and they insisted that we stay with them for the night. I was really in a complete 50-50 dilemma – but then such remarkable & incorrigible comfort mixed with finest wine & delicious food was un-refutable.

As we changed into the clothes lent by our hosts, we laid our tired bodies on the bed reminiscing about touring through the city where many a Bollywood movies had been shot with action, romance, drama & comedy. We hoped that we had lived some of that. I commented “Neha, you have not just seen Sydney today. New York, London, Paris, Singapore & even Tokyo are not that different. I said this reminding myself that I had seen just NY myself albeit most of others through my family’s eyes.”