Monthly Archives: December 2015

Tasmania Day 4 & Day 5: Tasmanian Devils, Cradle Mountain, Ratho Farm

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We had quite a long drive from St Helens to Cradle Mountain on Day 4 and also stopped to buy more groceries for our meals in the camper van. By the time we got to Cradle Mountain, we had just about enough time to go to the visitor centre to familiarise ourselves with the route we were going to take the next day.

We spotted a wombat wandering around outside the visitor centre and some wallabies and echidnas here and there. We also managed to see some Tasmanian Devils and quolls being fed at Devils@Cradle before getting our own dinner.

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It was really cold the next morning and even started to snow while we were walking the Dove Lake Circuit. We didn’t bring the tripod with us so I was very thankful that we managed to get a nice photo taken of the two of us by some random stranger. The Cradle Mountain area is simply gorgeous and a must-visit in Tasmania.

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We were initially planning to stay at Cradle Mountain for two nights but decided that we were too cold so Adrian randomly booked accommodation somewhere in between Cradle Mountain and our next campsite.

Ratho Farm in Bothwell is home to the oldest golf course in Australia and is a charming property with luxurious rooms. I loved the heated floor tiles in the bathroom. Definitely the most comfortable we had been the entire trip!

When we arrived, they asked if we knew about the special event for the evening and it turned out that Matthew Evans (author and presenter of TV show Gourmet Farmer) was cooking dinner there that day and also filming an episode of the show. That was truly an interesting experience for us!

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Tasmania Day 3 – Freycinet National Park, Bay of Fires

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We packed quite a bit of sightseeing and driving into Day 3. After breakfast (cooked by the husband using the grill on the side of our camper van), we walked up to see the breathtaking view of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. There are several walks of varying difficulties that can be attempted and ours was probably the easiest one.

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We popped by Cape Tourville Lighthouse before driving to Bicheno for some lunch. I was starving and hoping to sit down to a proper seafood meal, but since we arrived after 2pm, most of the restaurants were no longer serving lunch so we got some fish & chips to go.

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Finally, we made our way to St. Helens to explore the Bay of Fires which is famous for the dramatic orange-hued granite rocks.

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Tasmania Day 2 – Port Arthur

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On our second day in Tasmania, we headed to Jackman and McRoss for breakfast before driving by Cascade Brewery just to check out their impressive facade. We also made a quick stop at Sullivan’s Cove for some whisky-tasting. One of their French Oak casks was voted the World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the 2014 World Whisky Awards.

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After that, it was back to the airport to return our rental car and pick up our Maui camper van. We were going to stay in a not-so-little van for most of our time in Tasmania. To be honest, I was quite concerned about having to use the toilet in our campervan! We headed to Port Arthur and then drove to our first campsite.

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Port Arthur is an amazing place to visit and there’s so much to see and explore there. It is one of 11 Australian convict sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tasmania Day 1 – MONA

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For our 10th Anniversary this year, we decided on a trip to Tasmania. I was really looking forward to the trip after such a busy time at work and with the kids.

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We landed in Hobart, collected our rental, then headed straight for MONA. MONA is utterly provocative, somewhat disturbing, and completely fascinating. Definitely a must visit in Tasmania.

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We took some photos outside MONA because it was such a gloriously beautiful day. And so lovely and cool too.

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After MONA, we drove to Hadley’s Orient Hotel where we were going to stay for one night before collecting our camper van the next day. We walked down to Franklin Wharf for some dinner before heading back to the hotel for some well-deserved rest!

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Family Photos 2015

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It’s our fourth year getting our family photos with Steph Tan. We usually get our photos done during her Pass It On photo marathon but Adrian was away for work on the day of the shoot so the kids took some photos with their grandparents instead.

We rescheduled to another day and had to postpone because of the dreaded haze. Eventually, we decided to take our family photos in our condo so that we could get the kids back upstairs quickly.

Here are some of the photos from our shoot. As you can see, Adrian had to do quite a bit of heavy lifting!

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Danish Brand JYSK at Courts

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We are huge fans of IKEA and love to browse the furniture and other knick knacks there while feasting on some Swedish meatballs along the way. But location-wise, it’s not the most convenient for us and the queues for the carpark and cashiers can be quite a nightmare in the evenings and on weekends.

So we were delighted that Danish furnishing brand JYSK was going to be launched at Courts Bukit Timah. JYSK is Denmark’s biggest furniture retailer and a trusted supplier of the royal Danish Court. The JYSK range at Courts offers shoppers nearly 1,000 high quality and affordably priced products.

At Courts Bukit Timah, you can find bestsellers such as the Box Elevation Bed, the Wellpur memory foam pillows and Kronborg duvets. There are furniture items such as sofas and coffee tables. I liked their range of home accessories such as vases, decorative signs, towels and rugs. And there’s stuff for the little ones too! The kids were happy to see big and small stuffed toys, sand and water toys, as well as pop-up tents and tunnels for crawling around in. We eventually left with towels, an exercise mat, a first-aid kit and a collapsible picnic basket.

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JYSK at Courts

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unicorn and other stuffed animals

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grills, water bottles, pegs, exercise mats, toys, bins, etc.

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bathrobes, towels, pillows

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rugs and carpets

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bed sheets, quilts, pillow cases

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decorative lamps and containers

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crockery and cutlery

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sofas and other furniture

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outdoor furniture

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mattresses

JYSK at Courts Bukit Timah is a convenient one-stop shop with all your basic homeware and furnishing needs and is definitely worth checking out!

Courts Bukit Timah
191 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 588181
11.00am to 10.00pm
*Free 2 hours parking by redemption

Disclaimer: We received store credit for JYSK products at Courts Bukit Timah. All opinions are my own.