Jacaranda at UQ Lakeside

Having a lake in the campus is one of the best thing in the world.

Before coming to UQ, I had no idea how the campus look like. I never google or ask anyone how big or beautiful it is. 

I only found out there's a lake when I reached here and it was few months after my arrival.

Jacaranda is a flowering plant with beautiful purple-blue flowers that bloom in Spring. 

Romantic sparks around Brisbane every year in late September and through the October. 

There's many Jacaranda planted around the UQ Lake. When people got off the UQ Lakeside bus stop, purple trees are all they can see. 

Here's some photo I've taken around the lake at different time in October,

Bench around the lake for you to take a meal, read a book, take a breath or just sit there and enjoy the view. 

You can also sit on the field and study.

There were few times when I was feeling low or don't feel happy, I went to UQ Lake with a book. Reading a book made me forget about what made me sad. Sometimes there are ducks or goose that walk by and even sit down around me. I listened to the birds, felt the breeze and enjoyed the mild sunny day. One or two hours later, I felt so different and great!

One of the birds (I have no idea what is it) 

Sun shine through the leaves & twigs.

Everyday there's people taking photo. Every time I visited the lakeside, there's a couple taking wedding photos. 

Feel so good to walk under it BUT the urban myth ruined alot of student's love for Jacaranda.

If the Jacaranda flower hit your head, you'll fail in the exam.
WHATTTTTT, NO WAY. Now everyone have to cover their head or avoid walking around it!
Funny guy Chong Hao covers his head and run every single time he had to walk under it.

Well, I heard that the myth is a hoax. I got hit 5 times. Let's see if I'll graduate.

Quack quack quack.

Me under the tree! *flower dropped and hit my head!*

Of Moo-moo, Broadbeach & Chia Ing's birthday.

Chia Ing's birthday kick-started my Spring break.

Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Birthday girl See Chia Ing!

How I wish all these are mine!

The gentlemen. I realize I don't have any nice photos of them in that restaurant. 

We're like sisters and gave ourselves a nickname 美若天仙.

Moomoo sauce container

This bun is soooo delicious! I can still remember how it taste and smell.
Not only it is fluffy, it also smell so good like it is freshly baked!

We also ordered some sides to go with it but I forgot what we had. Something potato? Delicious but can't recall.

Waitress cutting the 1kg Angus Rump Roast

Yum yum

I think it taste great, better than many steak houses out there. But not the best I've had.

Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill on Urbanspoon

It was a satisfying lunch, considered the price we paid is reasonable. We were happy and no complain.

Service wasn't exellent but the waitress were well-informed and friendly.

After that we went to Broadbeach and chilled by the beach.

After spreading the beach towel, the guys removed their clothes, secured the pants and went into the beach. The weather wasn't beautiful, as the dark clouds were pretty obvious from the other side of the beach. But it's a good news for girls, especially Chia Ing & I did not plan to get wet. We laid down on the beach towel, talked about random stuff while waiting for the guys.

About half an hour later it started to drizzle so the guys came on shore and changed into dry clothes. Just in time for a cup of coffee & cake!

after hanging around Broadbeach, we stopped by this cosy cafe for cakes&coffee. It started to rain right after we entered this cafe.

I love that the fresh flowers are all over the cafe!

Can you feel the glare of the small eyes?

Our coffees. Chong Hao did an analysis of how the colour of coffee cups & plates represent our characteristics. Surprisingly it all made sense.

That's all for the day! Weather isn't pretty, no where to go so we all headed back to Brisbane in the late afternoon.  

Looks like I was wrong about you and also my ability. Truth will be revealed soon.

Random

Add caption

I never know effect from sunglasses lens can be this cool.

Was lying on the bench at the Surfers Paradise and chilled.
My camera was on my right hand, sunglasses on my left hand so I started to put two things together. Surprisingly the effect is so lomo-ish!
Then I waited for 2 retard birds to stand in both lenses.
Unfortunately they never stand still. So I had to snap as fast as possible.
This is the best I can do. Photo composition failed.

Not many tourist on that day. Usually Surfers Paradise is packed with tourist and I can never find an empty bench. Maybe it was a weekday and winter? Chilly sea breeze blew by my face and at the same time I felt the heat from the sun. But then it got colder as the wind blew stronger so I left.

5th of September

今天晚上就好像每个普通的晚上一样，一大伙嘻嘻哈哈，热热闹闹的吃了晚餐就各自去温习功课了。

去年的这个时候Nana就从此离开我们家了。

刚刚走出房间，看到Roney在勤劳温习功课，毛在吃不懂什么东西，有些人在楼上温习功课，我去厨房是要把准备好了的午餐放进冰厨。

跟毛拿了一块香饼，然后就问问他们记得去年的今天在做什么吗？全部人都不记得。

然后毛问，明年今日你会在做什么。

我说我不知道，可能在工作，可能在旅行，可能人类已经绝种了。

此时此刻，我爸爸刚打完羽球，我妈妈不知道在做什么，我的housemate都在温习功课，yowhsiang也在温习功课，我也是在读书。

最近这几天好想婆婆。可能回马来西亚了就会试着寻找她的物品，希望能把一些留下做回忆。

下午被大学一个坏消息吓倒了，我在最快的时间内做出补救，希望一切能够顺顺利利。

Today I sent 2 postcards and received one from x-er and shen. :)

Random Monday

My weekend was very relax yet pointless. I never step a foot out of my house. Maybe because I was sick for the past few days and it made me wanna stay at home and rest. Couple of minutes ago I was having my brunch and reading 'The Upright Piano Player'. Then I thought of my blog. I did not update it constantly.

I'm like alright, try something random, opened up my photo album, picked a photo randomly and write about it. So here I am.

 Feeling nostalgia when you see this barber shop? That signature red and white swirls that tell you where you can cut your hair.
It was a Wednesday routine I did with blacktickles. Miss her so much. I have no mood to go or explore anywhere after she left Brisbane.
This cute barber is located in New Farm and it's just beside Wrapture. Nothing much to talk about Wrapture except they sell spiced coffee and different wraps that has international names with it.
I was more attracted to this Michael's.
It was closed but I started to imagine stories with it. Walk-in customers that finds what they want in the shop, something high end salon cannot offer. A friendly old man greeting the customer with smile and cheer up everyone. The sound of razor slightly annoys the peaceful environment. The snipping sound of scissors every time he cuts of part. Not a bit of feeling uneasy. :)

mid august

Closest friends in Brisbane finally left. It's time to wrap up the holiday mood.

花色。

喜欢花。

喜欢颜色。

就算秋冬到了也穿着有春天气息的衣服出去。

也不忘披着我们马来西亚特产- batik到处跑。

mid june

喜欢我的蓝白拖跟蓝白天互相配合着。

六月中。

炎热的夏天已经过去了。

凉凉的秋天也到了尾声。

冷冷的冬天来了。

紧张的期末考也结束了。

没有穿短裤短袖到处走的机会。

一出门就是被冷风吹啊吹。

不穿多一件外套，就只有在冷风中发抖的份。

幸好这里的冬天不会下雪，不然怕冷的我不懂要怎么过。

考试结束，假期就跟着开始了 。

离别也近了。

亲爱的好朋友们要毕业了。

First official road trip in my life

Ee Loe, Julius, Melissa, Chong Hao & Liza

'Summer is the best time for making random road trips with friends.' That's what my friend told me.
And I did! Not randomly but a nicely planned with some random events.

Last November, a summer road trip to Fraser Island.
In short, it has magnificently beautiful ocean with brilliant shades of blues, calm ocean, clear refreshing fresh water lake with the clearest lake water I've ever seen, immense sand blows stretched to the infinity like desert.
Now you have some idea of how beautiful it is?

I'm lucky enough to have awesome trip buddies and unforgettable experience.

Trust me, I dont even know 2 of them before this trip. 

First time I met them is the day we departed from Brisbane. 

And the stories began.

Jaw-dropping and breath-taking views that we visited every single day. 

Of sea, lakes, sand dunes and sand island.

I'm not expressive but I really love that trip.

Another surprise on the way to Hervey Bay, drove pass Mary River and saw the sun is rising from the end!
So we stopped  the car aside and went back to the bridge to take photos!

Morning mist at Sydney Street. We were on our way to Hervey Bay.
Had to stop down because it's something I haven't seen before.

It was half a year ago (can't believe time past THAT fast!) so I barely remember what time we reached Hervey Bay. 

Fraser Island is a sand island where normal vehicle is not allowed to drive on it. 4WD will do the job. 

When we reached Hervey Bay, we rented a 4WD equipped with camping gear. Watched a 15 mins video of what to do and what NOT to do while we're driving and travelling on the island. My fear started to crept in a little bit when I was watching that video. 

They showed how the car crashed into pieces when they didn't drive carefully on soft and wet sand, how dangerous it is if we drive during high tide, fatal accident if we didn't follow the instruction and also how the Dingoes will attack us if we didn't do proper precautions!

It all depends on how the driver drives the car, awww, Chong Hao must be super stress! 

This is the barge that welcomes all the travelers to Fraser Island for their coming exciting trip!
As you can see, the 4WD will board one by one and parked closely side by side.

This is our lao 4WD! heehee!
I like that it look like this, vintage and adventurous.

As the world's largest sand island, Fraser island is very well controlled with lots of restrictions. They made extensive effort to preserve it's ecological purity and authenticity especially on dingoes and shorebirds. So all the visitors are educated before, during and even after we reached the island. Directive signboards are everywhere so there's no reason that you dont know where to throw your rubbish, how to drive your car and protect yourself from dingo attack!

This trip is kinda adventurous because we are totally isolated from the mainland as there's no signal on phone or electricity. No cemented or nicely built motel for you to sleep, no proper tar road for you to drive, general stores are available every few kms and that's all.
We spent 3 days and 2 nights over there.
First night we set up our camp at some random camp site by a lake. My god that night was scary! It's a small fenced compound and we're the only human being there. That night I couldn't sleep well. I'm so scared of the dingo may come and attack us. Any small noise woke us up. I had to pick a long thick stick and hold it when I was sleeping. Just in case the dingo come, it can be a pretty good defense 'weapon'. Thank god nothing happened except for the crow came and stole our chips. Fell asleep under the starry starry night and woke up with the buzz of the disturbing sandflies. Later I'll show you a photo of how it looks like.

2nd night is better. Pre-booked a camp site at Dundubarra and surprisingly there's alot of people there! Some even came with big caravans and they looked super chillax. It has nicely built toilet, basin for you to wash all your cookery, and even an electrical BBQ stove! However, I saw monitor lizards creeping around our camp and the fact that I'm really afraid of it made me feel scared to sleep because there's chance that it'll come into our camp.

panorama shoot of Lake McKenzie 

Our cook preparing our food!

Maheno Wreck, honestly I don't remember the history about it. Probably about how the island is discovered?

The girls in the trip, look how tanned am I!

Drove along the west coast and visited some tourist attraction.
Indian Heads is one of the unforgettable place.

Everyone gasped in surprise when the pristine turqoise ocean that stretched to few km came into our view.
It was beyond wonderful and I can't believe what I was seeing.
The air turned serene and I hope that moment stop forever. I wish I can wake up everyday to this scene.
We totally forgot how blazing hot the sun was, this breathtaking view took all our attention.

My foot & Liza's with the sea with beautiful transition of blue.

Taken on Dolphin's Cove. I say it has the most beautiful view on Fraser Island.

Can't believe how tanned I'll be without the hat and shades!

Beautiful sea. Spot our vintage white 4WD? 

On the way up to Dolphin Cove

Hello Liza!!!

Love this photo! Filled with the happiness of summer island trip! :)

Wungul Sandblow
Followed a pathway from Dundubarra camp site where we set up our camp on the second night.
Never expect to see this! 

Jump shot!

Our palm print on the untouched piece of sand!

Liza's artwork

Enjoying the soft and fine sands while the fella wearing hat is digging, hoping to find water source.

Ahhhhhh, looks like there's no limit. Blue sky and cotton clouds. Nice...

THIS IS THE ANNOYING SAND FLY!!!!
It ruined our mood and attacked us like they never seen a human before.
Crazy monster that looks like a hybrid of bee, mosquito, fly and beetle.
Once it penetrates through your skin, it feels like an instant electrical shock through your body.
And it is EVERYWHERE. From camp site to lakes.
We weren't warned about this before the trip. If I've known earlier, I'll pack myself with super effective insect repellent.
There's only one thing I appreciate about is the flies rest with the sun. Somehow it all disappeared with then sun set but when the sun rise, I hear the annoying buzz outside the tent and sighed.  

Liza & I in the beautiful Lake Mckenzie.
Water is so clear and reflecting the brilliant blue of sky.

The last day everyone's camera & phone batter ran out so no pictures are taken until we went back to the mainland. Spent another night at Hervey Bay at Backpackers street.

That station is named as Backpackers. How cute.

Steve Irwin & his kid's statue at Mooloolaba facing the big ocean.

Best Pizza!

5 of us!

To conclude this trip, feel free to click on the video I made!
Hope you'll enjoy the video and feel it!
:)


Fraser Island 4D4N from EeLoe on Vimeo.