The weather was cool and gloomy when we set off, with light drizzles along the way. It was a nice day to snuggle inside the car and just watch the trees go by. We stopped a few times along the way, for lunch, snacks, toilets and the last time, by the NSW Police, for a speeding ticket. $197 and 6 demerit points. Ouch.
We arrived safely at the F1 motel in Canberra around 6pm, totally law-abiding, and went looking for dinner in the city center. Back in our motel room, the children were enthused by the double decked bed and quickly made themselves comfortable watching television from there. KK was impressed with the motel, calling it the "coolest" ever. He was especially excited about the shower/toilet, which was a tiny compartment about 1m x 1m. However we didn't like the shower too much. It made the whole compartment wet and if you didn't close the door, your room as well. No wonder they had a sign on the door that says "Keep the door closed when using the shower".There was another reason for the sign apparently. The next morning, we heard the fire alarm go off and soon an announcement came to remind the culprit to please shut the door when he's in the shower. Next the fire engines arrived. It turned out that the fire alarms can also be activated by steam. The man who triggered the alarm wasn't too happy at having invited the firemen and perhaps some charges for resetting the alarm. He claimed he did close the door but he would have to open it to get out, wouldn't he?
Anyway, it was a lesson for us as well. We had thought that only smoke will activate the fire alarms but apparently some of the newer ones can be trigged by steam as well. So take note to close the bathroom door and don't take such long steamy showers in hotels or you'll find the firemen waiting outside when you come out of your bath.
Before we left Canberra, we spent about half a day visiting the Parliament House and the Royal Australian Mint. It was a wet and cloudy day but despite that, the daylight enabled us to see the beautiful maple trees lining the roads and streets which we couldn't see the night before. The green leaves had begun to turn yellow and red and they looked absolutely enchanting from a distance. Some trees had started to shed its leaves as well, so there are piles of leaves under the tree and everywhere on the wet streets. This is so Autumn. I wish I can have one of these trees in my garden next time.
We arrived in Sydney after dark. Despite being a Saturday night, the road was full of cars and traffic junctions. By the time we checked in, the fatigue of driving has started to set in and we ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant. One thing about western fine dining which we haven't got used to is the speed at which they serve you food. They take their own sweet time. Most of the western diners don't seem to mind waiting 30 - 45 mins for their food. They usually have a bottle of wine opened and seem to enjoy just drinking and chatting. For me, I don't like to drink alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach. When I come to the restaurant, I just want food. And how much more can we talk, we have spent every minute of our last 48 hours together. The children spoke to each other via their Nintendo DS and Hubby tried to read newspapers under the dim lighting. I sit there regretting not bringing along my diary to write. Morale of the story - don't do fine dining when you're very hungry.
Sunday was our only full day in Sydney and we spent the whole day in the city. Walking out from our World Square carpark, we saw "Ding Tai Fung", the famous "xiao long bao" and Shanghainese noodles restaurant. It was one of KK's favourite restaurants in Singapore but they don't have a branch in Melbourne. We knew we had to have that for lunch to satisfy KK's cravings.
It was also the Anzac Day celebrations that day and all over Australia, there were Anzac day marches taking place. We happened to see the one in Sydney when we walked down George Street and stopped to salute the service of the war veterans and admire the pipe bands. It was pretty emotional for me, seeing the old men, with their badges of honour pinned on their chest, walking in the respective contingents they had served during various war missions some 40-50 years ago. There was some respect and empathy, thinking what they had gone through during the war and to have survived. Of course, there were many of their comrades that didn't, lest we forget.
The rest of the day consisted of walking down George St. towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge. With 2 active children on a rainy day, it was a long march before we finally reached Circular Quay and sighted the magnificent bridge and the elegant Sydney Opera House. The weather had cleared up too and the view was beautiful. My last sighting of these 2 landmarks had been about 10 years ago, when I had night stopped in Sydney as a cabin crew. On my first ever trip to Sydney, I endured fatigue and endured sleepyness to admire the Sydney Opera House up close. Then on another trip, I had the privilege of a hotel room overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And as it was New Year's Day, I was woken up by the magnificent fireworks outside my window! It was magical and I'd long wanted to revisit this place together with my family. KK and Papa got hooked to take a jet boat thrill ride of the harbour almost immediately. They offered a good price as they were leaving soon. As XX was too short to get on, I stayed on shore with him. He cried miserably that he couldn't go. Luckily there was a street entertainer nearby and we passed time watching her contort her body to fit inside a 1x1x1m box. KK came back almost 30 mins later, hair and face all wet. It was an exciting ride and they got a decent tour of the coastline and the harbour at the same time.
As KK and Papa enjoyed some hot chocolate and coffee at the Guylian Cafe at The Rocks, I managed to take a fast walk through the last 10 mins of The Rocks Market. Although it was only 5 pm, the merry making at the pubs had already began. Loads of people were standing outside the pubs, bounded by metal railings, next to the road, with plastic cups of alcohol in their hands. At first we thought that these people were waiting to get inside the pubs, but they were in fact already AT the pub. Hubby and I couldn't understand, what's so cool about standing out in the cold, next to the road, leaning on metal railings and holding a plastic cup? But there's no denying the exhilarating effects of alcohol plus music. Everyone was in a cheerful mood. Many of the party goers are in military uniforms, probably participants of the earlier Anzac march. Bouncers were all around, watching out for the trouble makers. This explains the plastic cups, I supposed. We left the area as soon as we finished our dinner. It's not a place for kids after dark.
We headed back to Melbourne on Monday and enroute took a short detour to see Fiztroy Falls at the Morton National Park. Similar to on the way north, we broke our journey mid way, this time in a town called Wagga Wagga. Nothing very spectacular there and we left to have lunch at the border town of Albury.
About 335 km later, we finally reached home. What a trip. I think we've driven more than 2000km over the last 5 days. Credit goes to Hubby, the main driver, for delivering us safe and sound all the way. The 2 boys did very well in the car too. We did not have any DVD players in the car and we didn't allow them to read or play their Nintendo DS when the car is moving. They had only a few Transformers toys and a Silly Songs With Larry CD to entertain themselves with during the journey. And of course, each other. During the rides, they ate, sang, slept, played, talked, squabbled and had pillow fights. The duration of the journey can make sitting down in a confined space abit unbearable at times but they made no trouble for us. Well done, boys!
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