Holiday in Melbourne

Quick Guide: Holiday in Melbourne/ Bercuti di Melbourne

Pre-Trip

1)Generic Requirement for Travelers  (passport validity, money changer, hotel booking and etc)
2)Visa: ETA is required for Malaysian to enter Australia. Traveler can decide to apply on their own or go through a travel agent https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp
3) Food: Dairy products are not allowed. Common food that is allowed (Maggi, Brahims’, biscuit, Chocolate)

Trip

Day 1 or 2

Airport-City (Hotel)

Mode of transportation: a) Skybus from Melbourne airport to any hotel in city /nearby. Skybus will bring the passenger to Southern Cross Station (Transportation Hub).From there; a complimentary shuttle is available to bring you to the hotel.

Cost: 17AUD/pax

b) Taxi: If there are 4 people in a group then the cheaper way is to use taxi.

Cost: 60-70AUD per taxi

Sightseeing in city

1)City Circle: Tourist can utilize this tram for free to reach most of the attractions in Melbourne city. Melbourne Museum, State Library, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Exhibition Building, and Town Hall are within walking distance from the Tram Stop

      Cost : Free

     2)Visitor/Tourist Shuttle: If you prefer less walking then the Shuttle Bus is the better option.                Ticket can be purchased at the Federation Square (landmark of the “meeting place” in the city).        The shuttle covers 13 Main Areas/Precinct around the city:

Stop 1 Arts precinct
Step off here for plays, pictures and performances.

• Arts Centre Melbourne
• NGV International
• Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)
• Malthouse Theatre
• Melbourne Recital Centre
• Southbank Theatre

Stop 2 Federation Square
Step off here for visitor services, culture and art.

• Melbourne Visitor Centre
• Federation Square
• Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
• Birrarung Marr and William Barrack Bridge
• Federation Bells
• Flinders Street Station
• St Paul's Cathedral
• Hosier Lane

Stop 3 Sports precinct
Step off here for stadiums, legends and gardens.

• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
• National Sports Museum (in the MCG)
• Melbourne, Olympic and AAMI parks
• Fitzroy Gardens, Cooks' Cottage, Fairies Tree, Model Tudor Village and historic Conservatory.  

Stop 4 Chinatown precinct
Step off here for shopping, theatre and a Chinese dragon.

• Her Majesty's, Princess, Regent, Athenaeum and Comedy theatres
• Chinatown
• Collins Street, Greek precinct
• State Library of Victoria, Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne's GPO, Melbourne Central, QV Melbourne

Stop 5 Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens
Step off here for culture, cinema and city gaol.

• Melbourne Museum
• IMAX Theatre
• Royal Exhibition Building
• Carlton Gardens
• Old Melbourne Gaol and City Watch House

Stop 6 Lygon Street precinct
Step off here for La Dolce Vita and La Mama.

• Lygon Street lifestyle
• La Mama and Carlton Courthouse theatres
• Piazza Italia
• Museo Italiano Cultural Centre

Stop 7 University of Melbourne
Step off here for museums, music and modern art.

• University of Melbourne
• Ian Potter Museum of Art
• Grainger Museum

Stop 8 Queen Victoria Market
Step off here for the market, museum and mint.

• Queen Victoria Market
• Melbourne Zoo
• Flemington Racecourse
• Arts House and Errol Street
• Hellenic Museum 

Stop 9 Harbour Town, Docklands
Step off here for shopping, skating and sailing.

• Harbour Town
• Medibank Icehouse
• NewQuay
• Tourism Lounge

Stop 10 Etihad Stadium and Victoria Harbour
Step off here for arts, parks and sporting events.

• Victoria Harbour
• Yarra's Edge
• Etihad Stadium
• Docklands Park
• Fox Classic Car Museum

Stop 11 William Street
Step off here for culture, courts and coastal wonders.

• Immigration Museum
• Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre
• Legal precinct
• ANZ Banking Museum
• Enterprise Wharf
• Melbourne Aquarium

Stop 12 Southbank and Yarra River
Step off here for the skydeck, shops and ships.

• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
• South Wharf Promenade
• Crown Entertainment Complex
• Southgate
• Eureka Skydeck 88
• Polly Woodside

Stop 13 The Shrine and Royal Botanic Gardens
Step off here for music, a memorial and meandering gardens.

• Shrine of Remembrance
• Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
• Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden
• Sidney Myer Music Bowl
• Government House
• La Trobe's Cottage

Day 2 or 3

Traveler can choose to shop in these places for the whole day:

• Queen Victoria Market (QVM)
• Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) South Wharf
• Harbour Town (Dockland)
  

Plan your shopping trip as QVM are not open every day (refer below). If you happen to be free on Friday, it is a good day for shopping as shop typically closes around 8/9 pm compared to 5/6 on other day.

Day 3 or 4

Typically traveler can start to cover areas outside the city as the 1^st or 2^nd day can be a learning curve to familiarize with Melbourne transportation system and major streets in the city.one of the areas that can be explored is St Kilda (closest beach to the city). There will be Penguin Viewing just after the sunset. The areas around St Kilda are packed with people from all walks of life during the weekend. If you manage to visit the place in the morning, there will also be Flea Market near the beach.

Travel :Holiday in Maldives.....Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya

Well..get a chance to visit Maldives during the CNY break. ..Simply search the ticket price and read a couple of reviews from travel blog and decided to just go with the flow....Just a bit of introduction for Maldives...till now it's not clear which continent the country belongs to..However,in terms of location it's situated in south west tip of India which is in ASIA...Believe it or not..it comprises of 1200++ island in which only 180++ of it has population...

From Malaysia generally there are 3 Airlines flying to Male Airport:

1)Malaysia Airlines direct flight 4hours

2)Sri Lankan Airlines transit in Colombo approx 7h30m

3)Code share (MAS/Srilankan with another airline)

4)Air Asia X (may have to transit,depends on the day)

Here are some basic info for travelers to Maldives from Malaysia:

1)Ticket Price : RM1000-2500 (MAS)...SriLankan can be a cheaper option but you will have to transit in Colombo.

2)Currency in use:US dollar (local currency is MVR)

if you have been to Australia/Europe then you'll regard Maldives cost of living as fairly reasonable or cheap.

3)Best time to visit : November - May (hot season)

4)Is the accommodation expensive?

a) I would say YES if what you're looking for is exactly shown to you in the TV,documentaries or journals....so there go your dream to have a vacation in Maldives...:) :)....Sometimes,this is the mindset that most normal travelers has in their mind..

b)If you make early booking and research,there are actually 3 types of accommodation available:

i)Local island guesthouse (40-120 USD per room/night) http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g2553632-Maafushi-Hotels.html

ii)Resort Standard/Mid range (200-500USD) http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g298335-South_Male_Atoll-Hotels.html

iii)Private resort with pool or water villa (above 700USD) http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g293953-Maldives-Hotels.html

See.....the choice is yours actually...dont jump into conclusion from hearsay,TVs, and others.Do your own research...you have tripadvisor forum,agoda,booking.com,skyscanner,and bloggers(like me...hehe)to count on...Anyway,be careful when you make a booking because all this places has several tax (bed tax,GST,service tax)..for me it's better to pay all the charges before you stay so that you already know how much cash you'll need to bring...on top of the taxes,some guesthouse may also charge 4% if you are paying by credit card..do the maths if your bill is 1000USD...be smart when you are booking!!!

Male Airport Jetty

One of the guesthouse

Local Island Beach

                                                                                            

Local Island Jetty

                                                               

Dreams or Dreaming

Mood of the day:Dreams+Dreaming


You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it. ~Neil Gaiman

Well,that if someone is daydreaming....what if your dream is shattered?When someone asked "what is your dream boy?"...The boy will then started thinking and asnwering...I want to have big house,fancy cars,expensive gadgets.....

Mine simply was I want to be able to share my dream with my loved ones....no matter what is my dream...be it an exceptional holiday trip,a simple meal together,stay at home and watch tv and etc....and walking down the line I simply believe in my "dream" as long as my loved ones are beside me...that was then...

Now,do I still want to dream?Yes,in this case I want to sleep and dream wishing everything will be back into place before my dream were shattered...Do u believe in second chance?I do..a lot..and I"m in need of one right now.....


“Turning back the pages of my sweet shattered dream, I wonder if she'll ever do the same; And the thing that I call living is just being satisfied With knowing I've got no one left to blame except myself”

Losing A Soul in Mate

He sends her roses and lines he composes
things a lady loves.
Well he's there to hold her
when she needs a shoulder
if life gets too rough
Oh now that she's left
I keep kicking myself whenever
I start thinking back
He says he needs her,
tells her he loves her,
why didn't i think of that?

When she gets down
Well he's always around her,
he makes her smile again.
He mends her heartaches,
remembers her birthday,
and tries to be a friend.
Now that she's gone
I know what I did wrong,
it's all so simple in fact.
Well he says he wants her,
can't live without her,
why didn't I think of that?

Australian Open 2011

Will Rafa be able to complete Rafa's Slam?We'll know it in 2 weeks time.I personally think he will.Only injuries and maybe this few guys can stop him(Djokovic,Murray,Soderling).Roger?His record against Rafa in Grand Slam stands at 2-6.That pretty much speaks about Roger chances of winning against Nadal.

Location:Melbourne Park,Melbourne, Australia.

Date:17-30 January 2011

Defending Champions
Men's Single : Roger Federer
Women's Single : Serena Williams (she's not competing due to injury)

Official Website :http://www.australianopen.com

INTERLOK : Pariah

Lets read what the author has to say about this issue.Why is it a national issue??
Interlok is used as a literature textbook for Form Five students, beginning this year.


Datuk Abdullah Hussain said the word “pariah” in the novel Interlok was not intended to offend or belittle the Indian community.He was disappointed that people misunderstood his work and accused him of being racist.

He said the novel was written to describe the unity between the natives of the peninsula, who were Malays, and the Chinese who came to work in the tin mines and Indians brought in by the English as labourers.

“We have to understand that the term ‘pariah’ exists in India, but not in Malaysia.

“That’s the difference between India and Malaysia.

“Furthermore, the word exists in the dictionary, but Indians here want to forget about the caste system and the term pariah,” he told Mingguan MStar, the weekly Malay news magazine of The Star.

Abdullah said the contents of Interlok only became an issue because some quarters did not understand the true essence of the novel.

“If you read until the end, you will see the actual meaning. I pictured the respective roles of the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

“The unity between the three races shaped our nation and the Malaysian race,” said the National Laureate.

Malaysia:A Model Nation

Malaysians,be proud of our own country!!!

UNITED States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is impressed with Malaysia's developmental efforts, wants to make Malaysia a model nation for developing countries. Three factors that impress her are the country's democracy, effective government and continuous economic growth.

Clinton said this to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the US State Department here on Friday.

This was a follow-up to the meeting they had when Clinton was in Kuala Lumpur last year.

More...

Nuclear 2021:A Reality Bites in Between Vision 2020 and World Cup 2022

Quote of The Day:“If We Fail to Plan,We Plan To Fail”

What is so significant about 2021 to Malaysia?It is a year in between the magical number of vision 2020 and the World Cup 2022.I guess some of us might be too ignorant to know or simply there isnt enough coverage or highlights regarding this milestone in 2021.Come on,lets cut is short(but still read the whole post ok?).Everyone,2021 is the targeted year where our beloved Malaysia’s first nuclear power plant is expected to be up and running.That is just one decade away or simply 9 years from now(is already October by the way).

On 7 June 2010,Energy, Green Technology, and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin told Parliament that the government would be conducting road shows to educate the public.Four months down the road,there has yet anything to be seen regarding the road show(I know there is plenty of road show in our country,one even named JOM HEBOH,that doesn’t count obviously).Fast Forward,NOW 2021,(Did Malaysia fulfil the 2020 vision?tell me if you guys know).What are the possible situation or impact if Malaysia do not have nuclear power plant in 2021?Lets ZOOM IN……..


Impact 1-Demand of electricity would not be able to be met

Between now and 2030, global primary energy consumption is expected to rise by 1.6% per annum or 45% in total in the next 21 years. Here in Malaysia, electricity demand is forecasted to reach 18,947 megawatts (MW) in 2020 and 23,092 megawatts (MW) in 2030. This is an increase of almost 35% from the 14,007 megawatts (MW) figure in 2008.In a recent interview with TNB CEO,during his hari raya open house,Datuk Seri Che Kalib said that the the demand for electricity had increased at a consistent rate of 6% to 8% each year and there was a demand for a new power plant to accommodate the increment.From his statement,it is clear that looking at the current increasing demand of electricity,TNB would not be able to meet the demand post 2021 if they are still using current solutions such as gas and coal.



Some may argue that TNB can actually adopt a change where they can cap the electricity usage by increasing the electricity tariffs.The rule of thumb would be that the consumer would learn to be “green” by reducing electricity usage at home and some company would even go to the extent of distributing brochure to educate or encourage their workers to save electricity(and save tax too).Nevertheless,this is a temporary solution.Being a normal human being,when we are in trouble we would conform to the norm.Would 28 millions of Malaysian continue to save electricity for the rest of their lives?Look around now(yes,while you are reading this),is your tv/radio on?is switch for the water heater on?We are in the hall yet the fan or aircond in our room is on…..That’s the REAL truth.

Impact 2-A step back from being a Green Nation

The main drawback regarding continuing generating electricity using coal is that it pollutes the air through carbon emission. Across the globe, there has been much talk about the need to adopt and embrace sustainable development and green technology best practices.As most nation are adopting green policy it is vital for Malaysia to prove to the world that we are indeed fully committed to the policy by reducing our carbon emission to the minimum level as recognized by the green policy.Recall back that on 24th of July 2009,Our Prime Minister,Dato’ Seri Najib launched Malaysia’s Green Technology policy.The launching marks an important milestone for Malaysia’s journey to the future as we take cognizance of the need for better and more efficient use of technology which will also be less harmful to the environment.

There is no question that our government is very serious in adopting the policy as among their first effort is to reform Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication and create the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water(currently held by Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui).This plan might end up in smoke if Malaysia do not have nuclear power plant by 2021. Malaysia, being a country that appreciates greatly its natural diversity of flora and fauna, finds it particularly important that significant strides are made towards that end(green nation). The Government has earmarked Green Technology as a new driver for economic growth of the country as it offers enormous opportunities and immense potential in economic regeneration, innovation and wealth creation.Nuclear power plant can create a revolutionary impact on our lives and reduce Malaysia’s carbon footprint while enhancing environmental sustainability.

Impact 3-Deny opportunity for job employment

A lot of people don’t like the idea of having nuclear as source of electrical energy such as protestors from.Nevertheless,our creator create the world in such a balance that there is another group of people who are excited about the prospect of nuclear plant and the possibilities they could bring with them.If Malaysia were to have nuclear power plant by 2021,there will be thousand of job opportunities as there are a lot of process involved in building the plant.As there are several stages involved(pre policy,pre project,construction n etc),people from all walks of life will get a chance to contribute as well as benefit from nuclear development programme.By not having a nuclear power plant in 2021 is certainly denying a lot of people to gain job employment.



As a prove,just by having 2 nuclear plants in Midland,America, more than 3,000 skilled craftworkers are needed to build those plants over the next ten years.Furthermore, In fact, Midlands Tech is designing new programs specifically intended to prepare students for these nuclear jobs and could be eligible to start working in less than a year with a basic salary of $35,000 per annum.Another case in United Kingdom in 2008 when UK government is aggressively adopting nuclear power,the then Business and Enterprise Minister, John Hutton while Speaking at a conference of Unite, the largest manufacturing union in the UK, mentioned that by having a new generation of nuclear power plants it could position UK as the gateway to a new nuclear renaissance across Europe.” He added, “The potential scale and complexity of each investment is breathtaking.”

Summary

The role electricity plays in our lives by enhancing our productivity, comfort, safety, health, and economy is obvious. We live with the benefits of electricity everyday. So much so that we take it for granted that whenever we plug our gadgets into the wall socket, the power will be there. While most people give little thought to where electricity comes from, there are many different ways to generate electricity, including coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric, nuclear, and solar. Each option inherits certain advantages that merit consideration whenever there is a need for a new power plant. Nuclear generated electricity is unique in that it inherently addresses many of the short-comings of the other means for power generation. The use of nuclear power provides answers for many problems in the areas of the environment, safety, economics, reliability, sustainability, and even waste.What are your thoughts Malaysian???Do raise your opinion or comment or even critism.

Sources

http://anilnetto.com/accountability/nuclear-energy-in-2021-but-no-decision/

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2010/9/23/nation/7082641

http://www.pmo.gov.my/?menu=speech&news_id=153&page=1676&speech_cat=2

http://www.nucleartourist.com/basics/why.htm

http://www.aboutnuclear.org/view.cgi?fC=Electricity,Benefits_%5E_Effects

http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=9660732

http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/comparison-of-energy-technologies-on.html

Raya@Eid@Syawal 2010

"What very mysterious things days were. Sometimes they fly by, and other times they seem to last forever, yet they are all exactly twenty-four hours. There's quite a lot we don't know about them."

This raya certainly relates very close to the phrase above by Melanie Benjamin,author of In Alice I Have Been.Indeed,time flies so fast, that the day is finally here. It felt weird but special nonethelss considering what happened last time around.Some children whom have been forced to wake up for "sahur(early breakfast during Ramadhan)" and rushing to go back to sleep are certainly happy waking up as early as 6am just to celebrate this victory day.Hearing the takbir since the previous night is an awesome feeling for every Muslim.

For me,syawal this year has been nothing short of a memorable experience.Hosted a moderate "open house" for relatives and friends is a lot of fun.It's not the delicious food that matters,it's the feeling of seeing a lot of people that are so close to you happy chatting that counts.

Moments to be cherished