My Trip To Australia: Melbourne

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My search for a home in Wellington ended this morning when i went to view this AWESOME townhouse on The Terrace!
It's spacious, clean & well maintained!
Furthermore, the rent includes furnishing!
HOW AWESOME IS THAT???!!!

I went straight to the Real Estate Agency to sign up for the place!
Now waiting for my application to be approved...
Do support me in ur prayers....
Im gonna call them every day & ask if i got it!
=)

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koko' In Melbourne
I arrived alone in Melbourne to find this city as warm as the previous Australian cities i was in...
but there was a twist... Melbourne was more windy & breezy that the others...
The wind had some resemblance to those in Wellington but gentler & more refreshing; complimenting the warm weather...

beautiful, isnt it?
There are no theme parks... ntg to pump ur blood...
but there is architecture of beauty & creativity...
for the gentle soothing of thy soul...
 
Melbourne is one of the few cities in the world with an extencive network of trams linking the city!
 
Melbourne Central...
where the central train station is & where i watched "The Persuit of Happiness"
An "award winning" film that has moments of refreshing humour...
3 out of 5
 
Ur either completely blind or deaf to miss Federation Square!
Its unique architecture & colours attract stares...
while its loud music & occasional performances attract more attention!
A must see in Melbourne!
 
New Quay... pronounced Niu kee...
not to be confused with Ngiu Kee Sdn Bhd (Sarawak).
A tremendously beautiful & newly built restaurant lined waterfront overlooking the docks & Bolte bridge.
 
Give a shout for the architecturally superior Melbourne museum & exhibition hall!
 
I also got to check out the local casino Crown & the hourly fire display!
It was a blast of heat & pretty exciting!
=)
 
 Here are somemore interesting places...
From Top:
National Gallery of Victoria (Victoria is the state that the city of Melbourne is in..)
One of the many unimpressive Chinatown gates
The breathtaking St Patricks Cathedral Presbytery
The handsome Melbourne Library
 
Melbourne is home to many wonderful parks & gardens!

The very first two fotos were taken at Docklands Park which is designed by Swinburne students.
(Ohhh... I can still see the proud grin on your face, Dewinta!!)

Also you will notice that much of the green is all yellow & dry!
Melbourne, as well as most of Australia, is currently going through a very bad dry season!
Let's remember them in our prayers...
Ask God to forgive them & heal their land!

The last photo of a "Selamat Pagi" brick was taken at a circular brick floor tiling surrounding a fountain in Fitzroy Gardens.
The dates on some of the bricks suggest that production was in the 1960s!!

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Food
Much like most of Australia, Melbourne has good food in great prices!


In the top left picture, the Gorgeous Dewinta,
my private tour guide for the whole of my visit to Melbourne city.
She's such a wonderfully humble & kind young lady!
Oh, how i adore her so!
=)

In the bottom two pictures, you see a gargantuan bowl of Vietnamese rice noodles in soup...
Dew said i couldnt finish it... Not even her dad could...
As you can see... I proved to her i was more of a man... & she had to pick up the bill!
=D

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Melbourne: the Place for Shopping!!!
When I talk to people about Melbourne, many will speak of it as a capitol of shopping!
Now i know why!


All over Melbourne city, there are many boutiques & shops offering all sorts of clothings & brands!
WONDERFUL!!!
At the time of my arrival, many of them were having clearance sales...
So you can gues wad i'v been doing with much of my time...

The photos above are from two of Melbourne's more popular shopping destinations...
Chadstone factory outlet & Chapel St...

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Sports in Melbourne
Melbourne is said to be the centre for sporting events & performances...
I couldnt agree more...
The design of the city & the large numbers of stadiums support this.


From Top:
First, the Telstra Dome, where football & rugby is played.
Then, where tennis is played.
(I forgot the complicated name, its fur-sumtin-sumtin, Dew help!)

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RMIT & Swinburne University
A personal must see in Melbourne is the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where my dad studied accounting/marketing!


Upon arrival, i was confused at which campus he studied at...
So i decided to visit all the campuses in the city...
i found that the facilities needed maintenance & upgrading...
but i ges it is still one of the better universities in Australia...

Dew insisted on taking me to all the Swinburne campuses in the city...
I was reluctant but the perosnal tour was very pleasurable!
=)
& i found that Swinburne has modern & very good looking campus grounds...
much better than RMIT!
well... all u Malaysian Swinburne ppl can start looking at the prospect of twinning!

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My Personal Firsts In MelbourneMy stay in Melbourne was an amazing one thanks to the sacrificial sweat & blood of Dewinta...
Among the many things i did, some of them are firsts...


It was my first time staying at such a run down place...
Victoria Hall.
However, the rent was cheap, the bed was very clean & comfortable plus the staff is friendly.
So a 3 out of 5
 
Before & After...
My first time having make-up on in public!
Dew is quite the talented artist!
 
Planetshakers City Church
The church that visits Malaysia for conferences every year
& brought to the world songs like "This Is How We Overcome" & "Open Up The Gates".

My first time at this church & im loving it!
Wad an honest & spontaneous church!
If i stay in Melbourne, i'd go to Planetshakers!
 
My Relatives: The Gan Family
My very first meeting with this family!

the older man here is the cousin of my mother...
very shy & gentle man but wad a charismatic wife!
=D
A very accomodating & loving family...
Cooked me really nice curry for dinner!
They also took me for a drive around the city before dropping me home
& invited me to their friendly Pentecoastal church!
What a blessing they have been!

Our good Lord has seen wad you hav done...
may He bless you ten-fold for wad you hav blessed me with!

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All The Best, Australia...
I had to leave after my 5 day trip...
When the sun was high on Monday, 16 Jan, i made my way to Tullamarine Airport wif a heavy heart...
I left behind a friend that i hav gotten close to & wish i cud have spent a little more time with..


On my way to Wellington, i had to switch planes in Brisbane.
In Brisbane, I had to leave the domestic airport,
grab a free train ticket to the International Airport
& wait to board my plane to Wellington...
Before I knew it, i was out of Australia & Home Sweet Wellington...

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Glad to have gotten to know you better, Dew!

From our time together, I was able to see your heart...
Your a gentle as a dove & as generous as the sun...
What a wonderful person you are...

Thank you and... sorry...

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