Australia Trips - Day 6

Let's go to Warner Bros' Movie World, Gold Coast.

Australia Trips - Day 5

Day 5. To save the girls' energy, on day 5 we just went around Southbank Parkland. The great part of this Parkland was that it was a FREE interesting place, where the children could play and swim in that man-made sandy beach.



This was our QUT, picture taken from Southbank. Actually, we planned to try the City Cat. But look at the river water; it's got muddy look with heavy current. Since we just got from floody area (our home), we didn't trust that water. That muddy brown colour water means that it was a result from any erosion of such along the way from anywhere the water was originated.


After having enough playing at Southbank, we decided to visit Toowong. Toowong has improved a lot, even compared to any other area in Brisbane. We took our afternoon coffee at the Coffee Club. Well, in the old days I used to just sit here, drank coffee, and tried to read any books for my exams.

Australia Trips - Day 4

On day4 we went to Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. We started off at around 10am, after having a very nice breakfast, went by train, and arrived there at 12am. We got off at Nerang. I've got to admit that the 2 hour journey was longer than I expected. I thought that we could visit 2 places in one day. In reality, one place was enough, since we also got to get back at 3 pm the latest.

Why? Because it was always raining in late afternoon. And it happened. During our train journey, it was raining heavily with storm along the way. Some places even got flooded :( And we saw one car got trapped in the middle of water current (but not a river ...) So tragic, to come that far from Jakarta only to meet another flood ;(





By the by, my girsl loved that Oak milk very much. They said that Oak milk tasted much like Cimory milk (what!!!) And much to their disappointment, it was difficult to find Oak in Queensland. Most stores only sold Breaka, Queensland's own dairy product.

Australia Trips - Day 3

This the 3rd day and the last day in Sydney; it was time to go to Brisbane. Surprise ... surprise ... it was not raining. So, we hurried to the Prymont Bridge, just across the hotel. It was a great bridge with beautiful view, which we could cross by walking, if not raining :) After that, we went to the airport and flied to Brisbane.

Our old Brisbane city. So much changes. It has become a metropolitan city, just like other cities. Now, there are Starbucks everywhere, David Jones everywhere, underpasses everywhere, and more tall buildings. We stayed at Novotel, just a short distance from Central Station.

That afternoon, and first day in Brisbane, we just walked to Queen Street Mall, sat for a while, and saw that it was more crowded than ever. In front of Hungry Jack's, there was an underpass now.

Australia Trips - Day 2

Day 2, we're still in Sydney. Since we got there, it was raining whole day. 2nd day, it was still raining. Initially we wanted to see the Taronga Zoo. But, to go there we needed to take the ferry, not to mention that a zoo was certainly an outdoor place.

Thus, we changed plan, and visit the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife, again, in Darling Harbour area. Lucky for us, right, that we've got everything of interest near our hotel! All we need was taking the monorail. The kids loved both places. The Aquarium was quite impressive. But the Wildlife was, in my opinion, not very good. How can an indoor zoo in the middle of the city be interesting? It was that there was no other alternative; the kids must see kangaroos and koalas while in Australia after all, right?

Australia Trips - Day 1

Finally, we arrived in Sydney! For us, including the girls, it was not a too long journey. After all, we'd spent longer time in our car, during our long journey to the airport :D

We stayed at Ibis Darling Harbour. The hotel was quite small, but it's got magnificent view of the famous Darling Harbour.

On that first day, which is Sunday, we just walked around Darling Harbour area, then caught the city sightseeing bus and rode around the city. We stopped by in The Rocks area, where we could also took pictures with Harbour Bridge and Opera House as the background.

At first, we wanted to visit the most famous restaurant in Sydney, Pancakes on The Rocks, in The Rocks area. Unfortunately the place was very ... very crowded with long queue. Since there was one branch of the pancake restaurant near hotel in Darling Harbour area, then we just went there. The place was not as impressive as the original one, but the food was just as impressive.

24 Hours to the Airport

Do you believe that it took us 24 hours to go to Cengkareng airport?

We were planning to go on 1 February 2008, for our Austalia trips. And that was on the unfortunate date, when it was raining for days, and the tollway to the airport got closed due to flood.

On that day, Friday, we went straight to the bandara after picking up Kayla from school in Condet at around 13.oo. Although the Grogol tollway seemed full, we took it anyway, since there was no other alternative. The flight was scheduled on 20.45, so we thought that we started early enough. As it happened, no time was early enough to go to the airport that day. The Grogol tollway was bad, the Sedyatmo tollway was even worse. At 20.00 we were still at the Kapuk gate. We even could get out of the car and had some fresh air ... well, the traffic just stopped, couldn't move even 1 m. Every once in a while, the cars could move ... for just about 10m.

Finally, at 22.00 we got to the Sedyatmo gate :), without being able to go further. It was said that at km 24-27 the flood was around 1.5m to 2m. Well, when those big buses and trucks couldn't go pass that flood, what was our car to get through it? Alhamdulillah, my girls didn't complain even a single word. They just got through with it, and excepted the situation. Imagine, 7 and 5 year old girls got trapped in the car in the middle of traffic for more then 15 hours. Admirable, right?

At 4.00 in the morning we decided to just go back, forget about the trips, and stay instead at Mercure Ancol for compensation. And then the good news came when we were having a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel. It was said that the flight was to be delayed for 24 hours, and rescheduled to fly on the following night, the same time. Our hope raised again!

Then, at 10.00 in the morning, we started off to the airport. This time we chose the alternative way, Tangerang. Alhamdulillah, we finally got to the airport at around 13.00. I had never been that happy seeing Sukarno Hatta airport.

Well, that is 24 hour journey to go to Sukarno Hatta Cengkareng airport. Who can beat that?

Ancol - Early in the Morning

It's been several years since we found out that Nana's got an asthma. But only until recently we found out that Kayla also has got an asthma. Kayla's asthma is much much lighter compared to Nana's. However, we realised that we need to be more careful in the future. We need to do something to minimise their repeat attacks. Especially Nana, which had a quite severe attack once or twice in the past. At least we need to ease them, so that each attack will not be as severe as the previous ones. And we really don't want to just depend on that inhaler and capsules to avoid those attacks.

Swimming is the best exercise for them, since it will give more strength to their lung. We determined to get them to swimming lessons as soon as possible. It is also said that sea air early in the morning is good for their lung. So, last weekend we went to Ancol. We got off from home at 6 am. I think that it's supposed to be earlier, but ... hey ... it's weekend anyway. Everybody, including the girls, has the right to get up a little bit later than usual. At Ancol, we hired a boat; it seems that the air out in the sea is much better, much cleaner, with less rubish.

Hopefully we will be able to get on to them as routines, weeks after weeks, months after months. Those are the best therapies for them. Wish us luck!

Alhamdulillah, Allah Creates the Jungle

Australia Trips Cancelled - Kayla & Shayna Got Chicken Pox

Last December 2007 - January 2008 was 4 weeks school holidays, so they were supposed to have a great holiday trip to Australia. Unfortunately, on day 1 of the holidays my younger daughter, Shayna, got a fever, followed by several spots appeared on her backs. HHhhh ... she was certainly got herself chicken pox. I was to have Kayla Varicella vacinated, so that we would not get the virus.

I tried to postpone the trip. But unfortunately, when all of Shayna's spots healed; that is 2 weeks after the day 1, my older one got a fever. At first Kayla didn't show any spots on her body. But the following day she's had them in a lot of places on her body. And it took another 2 weeks to heal. Thus, the trip was cancelled, waiting for another school holidays. And the kids, including me as their nurse, stayed at home all the time during school holidays. What a luck! However, the good thing is that it makes us stick together more tightly.