On Day Three of our Melbourne, Australia Self Drive Road Trip, we woke up later at around 8 am, had a nice relaxing breakfast on our apartment balcony watching the birds and the rabbits before we went out to visit Monash to give the kids a taste of what life at the university was like for their dad. After walking around at the halls of residences, lecture halls, nature walk etc, we had lunch at Monash university.
Then we proceeded to drive to Maru Koala and Animal Park. If the days before this was dedicated to nature, Day three is all about animals. The Maru park is rather small and may even seem disappointing at first but not after you get to feed the kangaroos. It is a good place for kids to get acquainted with all the animals from Australia including Koalas, Kangaroos and Wallabies, Dingoes, Wombats and more. You can get really close to the animals to pat and feed them.
After that, we drove to Phillip Island for lunch ahead of the tour groups. It was really nice and easy, no rush as we had pre booked online Penguin Plus tickets. Since it was still early, we walked around the shops before heading to The Nobbies. The Nobbies has splendid views you won't forget. After that we went on to wait for the sun to set to watch the Penguins Parade.
View from the Nobbies viewing platform
We got the front row seats on the platform. Next to that is the Underground Viewing. Picture is from the internet as we were not allowed to take photos.
We got superb front row seats for our Penguin Plus tickets to watch the Penguins waddle right pass us (close enough to touch) because we were early before the tour buses came. I think this is much better than the more expensive Underground Viewing tickets which can be stuffy and other than being able to see the penguins at eye level, the Underground Viewing ticket holders will miss seeing the Penguins come out from the sea. However, in Winter, you will probably feel nice and warm in there while the others freeze outdoors. It is very cold at night. Fortunately for us, the sun was out and the weather was good all day during the day time and it was not very windy. Even then, it was cold.
It was simply amazing and awesome to watch the penguins return to their home. They number by the thousands. Too bad we could not take any photos.
Campus Clayton Serviced Apartments picture from internet
After the Penguin Parade, we had to drive back to Campus Clayton Serviced Apartments. One and a half hours of night driving with roads that were mostly not lighted which can be challenging for tired tourists. We managed to grab a late McDonald's dinner along the route back before reaching the apartments around 11 pm.
We saw lots of beautiful scenery on Days 1 and 2 and animals on Day 3. What will we do on Day 4?
After a long day driving on Day 1, we woke up at 7 am on Day Two. That would be 4 am on our local time. After a simple and quick cup noodle breakfast, we started driving to the Balconies at Grampians National Park. We were still worried about the weather as the bad weather warning continued to be in the news.
The Balconies at Grampians, Australia
Similar to the first day, the drizzle came on and off in time for us to visit the planned attractions according to our itinerary. We got to visit the Balconies at the Grampians National Park and nearby Mackenzie falls. Climbing down the falls was not a problem but climbing up is a bit challenging for the unfit like yours truly.
Mackenzie Falls, Australia
We dropped by Halls Gap to have more fish and chips for lunch before driving to Ballarat.
At the Halls, Gap, The Fish and Chips Family pack was wrapped in a big package.
You can sit by the sidewalk or the park to eat it. It was welcome on a cold day.
On Day 2, we drove another 516 km approximately, another 6 1/2 hours of driving by estimate but it was probably another half hour to 45 minutes more because we came to a road closed sign with no clear directions for an alternate route. We had to drive on unpaved roads through farms to get back on the main road. Phew!
Road Closed Ahead!
Most of the roads inland was very straight with lots of farm animals grazing on both sides of the roads.
We wanted to visit the Sovereign Hill at Ballarat but of course, it was too late as it was near closing time by the time we got there around 3pm. So we visited the rest room instead before driving off to our booked accommodation at Campus Clayton Serviced Apartments. We picked this place because of its proximity to Monash University which we wanted to visit.
According to the website, the reception closes at 6.30 pm. We arrived at 6 pm to find a notice on the reception desk that read "We are closed at 5 pm today".
Fortunately we had our data roaming and was able to call for assistance. We were directed to key in a preset code at a box located just outside the reception area to retrieve our apartment key. What a relief! The apartment was very new, very clean and had all amenities including dishwasher, toaster, microwave, conventional oven and cooker with pots and pans and cutlery and plates, iron, clothes washing machine and dryer.
Campus Clayton Service Apartments photo from website
We had access key for the indoor car park but we were told we could park at the visitors bay which was convenient for us so we did just that. How good it was to do a load of dirty laundry. Washing powder for clothes and dishes and sponges for washing dishes with dish cloth were all provided. The apartment overlooked a field where we had breakfast of peanut butter toast and Milo for two days while watching the rabbits and birds in the field. Tranquil and quiet. Nice after all our rushing around.
Immediately upon checking in, we went out to visit a friend so that the kids could see how people in Melbourne lived. We went out for dinner with our friend, went to buy some grocery supplies before heading back to rest.
So, how do we get to the airport? Do we drive and go for long term parking at KLIA? Do we call a taxi? Or should we use Uber or Grab? So many options. We settled for Grab. As first time users, we could use a coupon code of RM20 from Grab for the first two rides. Unfortunately, I forgot the code during the ride back so I only got RM10 discount. Other than that we had no issues, accept that it was a long and hot wait for the ride back because of the airport traffic.
We took the MH149 from KUL to MEL. This interesting site called Flight Aware lets you track flights in real time. The flight to Melbourne is 7 hours 55 minutes. Melbourne is 3 hours ahead so you have to add that to your ETA. We took the 9.50 pm flight from KL which arrives at 8.45 am Melbourne time.
We got through airport security with no issues at both KL and Melbourne airports. At Melbourne airport, they let us through as a family.
Upon arrival, we turned on roaming for our mobile instead of getting the Australia phone plans or SIM cards. Then we headed to the AVIS counter to collect our rented car. We took some photos of the car before driving off to make sure we have records or pictures of the car BEFORE we drove it. It was cold and drizzling when we arrived.
After hopping into the car, we set the GPS and Google Map to direct us to Torquay. We had planned to drive from Melbourne Airport to Torquay, Lorne, Appolo Bay and stop the night at Port Campbell. Below is our planned driving route for Day 1 of our Self Drive Road Trip on The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia. 303 km of driving after a sleepness night on the plane. Very ambitious but then we had two drivers so it was not so bad.
The floods and landslips and heavy rain did not happen. Phew! It was just drizzling on and off and a bit cold but we managed to drive the Great Ocean road and made it to Lorne in time for a Fish and Chips lunch exactly as what we had planned.
Lorne Fish and Chips was welcome on a cold rainy day
We stopped at several lookouts along the way and each time there would be a few cars stopping and everyone ran out, took some photos in the cold and drizzle and ran back to the warmth of their cars. We didn't get to walk on the beach or stop at many attractions but it was very funny and a lot of fun that way. Running out and huddling together and taking silly pictures with crazy windblown hair. That was very fun and memorable.
We zoomed pass Apollo Bay. After Apollo Bay, the road turned inwards a little and we saw lots of cows and sheep grazing in vast lands. So many of them. Kids were thrilled. Finally we arrived at the famed Twelve Apostles and the beautiful Loch Ard Gorge.
It was worthwhile driving all the way to see the Twelve Appostles
Nearby Loch Ard Gorge was just as breathtaking
We arrived at Parkview Motel, Port Campbell at around after 6 pm. When booking at booking.com we had put in a message to request to wait for us in case of late check in. This was important because it was not a 24 hour motel and reception is closed at 6 pm. The owner, Paul was around to greet us and show us to our room. We got to park right in front of our room which was cool. The room was clean, had heaters and electric blankets which you don't think you would need in summer but it was just the start of a rainy summer and cold at the time so the heater was good.
Our room at Parkview Motel, Port Campbell. This photo is from booking.com as I forgot to take pictures.
According to Paul, Port Campbell is a very small town with just 200 people and everyone knows each other. After a short rest, we went to fill up the car petrol and looked for a place for dinner. Most places were closed and we ended up in a restaurant in front of the beach. I can't remember the name of the place. It looked like a nice place but the wait for the food was much, much too long and the food was expensive and lousy. We were disappointed on that poor first dinner out. After dinner, we went back to the room and zonked out. To be continued.....
A tram in Melbourne CBD all dressed up for Christmas
Every trip starts with a plan.
As novice travelers, we had to plan doubly hard. The kids had not been on a plane before so we decided to visit Australia. The airplane ride being a long haul one, would by itself be an experience by itself for them. We also planned to show them how their dad used to live as a student in Australia. Any amount of stories we had told them about this before would not match what they would see with their own eyes and experience by being there.
Since we were novice travelers, we decided to do everything in a step by step method.
Next, we needed Visas to travel to Australia.
It's very easy to get one online now, no need for queuing or waiting. You can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) online. An ETA provides authorization to travel to and enter Australia and is electronically linked to your passport. The fee is Aud $20. All you need to do is visit this site to read and follow the instructions carefully to apply for an ETA.
Next, we needed air tickets.
Image taken by kid No. 1 during the flight
We decided to fly MAS instead of Air Asia since its the kids first plane ride. As with most things these days, we booked online too. One quick note on this. There are several ways to check in a flight on MAS including counter check in, kiosk check in, web check in or mobile check in. We did a web check in and printed out our boarding passes 2 days before leaving. (Counter check in is not available to economy seat passengers). However, we could not do a web check in upon returning because we had no access to a printer. We also could not do a mobile app check in because it was not practical to do so on 4 different mobiles. There was no kiosk at Melbourne airport for kiosk check in so we went to the counter. Apparently, whichever method you choose to check in, currently, you still need to go to the counter to be sighted and to get your boarding passes.
In order to go through airport security as quickly as possible, we planned not to check in any baggage. We also made sure all the stuff we were carrying complied with airport security requirements including getting prescription for medication we were carrying on board, making sure liquids were in 100 ml or less and in plastic resealable bags and making sure our luggage was in the right dimensions and weight for hand carry. Planning these little details help make sure you have a smooth uneventful travel experience.
Next, we needed a rented car since we planned to do a self drive road trip in Melbourne, Australia.
Image taken by kid no. 2 when returning the rental car
We decided to rent a car online from Avis. When renting a car online, you need to specify the pick up and return locations, time and date, pick a car type and specify your add ons. We decided to add on GPS and a mobile WIFI because we wanted to stay connected. (However, the GPS was not a car feature, it was a mobile one which was good enough though misleading and the mobile WIFI which was stated as available online was not available when we got there). These are minor issues and we were generally happy with the car. In Melbourne, you can drive with your overseas driving license. We watched some YouTube videos to familiarize ourselves with driving around Australia. We were not too worried about the suburbs but driving with trams and doing the hook turn did leave us a bit nervous. We were a bit worried about tolls too but then we didn't have to because tolls are electronically charged as your car drives through and the car rental company will auto deduct your credit card for payment of tolls.
One other issue was staying in touch during the trip.
This is a good article on the best phone plans for travellers in Australia. However, we did not take up any of these plans. As soon as we arrived at Melbourne airport, we immediately received a text message to turn on roaming at a charge, which we did because it was so convenient. So no mobile WIFI in the car became a non-issue. In fact, with roaming and Google Maps app turned on, we didn't even need the GPS. Strangely, Google Maps was much better than Waze when we were there for some unknown reason. Tip: Did you know that you can save google maps routes offline? That is a useful feature to have if you do not have a data plan. However, data roaming was useful to us because we needed to be able to make local phone calls to land lines in Australia in case we couldn't check in on time which did eventually happen.
Finally, we needed to book our accomodation.
In order to book accomodation, you will need to have a detailed itinerary, especially if you are on a self-drive trip. The duration of our flight was 8 hours leaving KL at 9.50 pm and arriving at Melbourne airport at 8.45 am (3 hours ahead of KL). We planned to collect our rented car at the airport and immediately drive the Great Ocean Road passing Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay up to Port Campbell. 300 km driving and one night at Port Campbell booking was required. Next day, we planned to drive from Port Campbell to Grampians, then to Clayton bypassing Ballarat and Melbourne. Another 515 km driving and 2 nights at Clayton required. From Clayton we could drive to Phillip Island and back, another 250 km of driving. Finally we would drive from Clayton to Melbourne CBD (20 km), return the car and spend a night there before leaving Melbourne for KL. One night at Melbourne CBD required.
View from our room at Holiday Inn Flinders, Melbourne
Tip: When booking accommodation in a new and unfamiliar place, it helps to do a little research by using Google Maps Satellite view. We were going to stay at Holiday Inn on Flinders, Melbourne. Google Maps showed that one side of the hotel was facing a car park and another the back yard. In fact, we were about to be assigned those rooms but we requested for these side rooms with a much better view (after our research with Google Maps) and was rewarded with this view instead. Looking down, you can see the trams and people rushing to work which was fun.
It took many hours of reading and research to come up with that plan. With that plan, we booked online for a Motel at Port Campbell, a serviced apartment at Clayton and a hotel at Melbourne CBD. We also booked online for our Phillip Island tickets to skip any queues. All we had to do was print out our own tickets and that was it.
Checking the weather and what to pack.
Everything was planned in detail but then the week before we left, we read about the airport closures and saw the flight paths which appear to be longer possibly because of the Mount Agung eruptions. That was worrying.
Unpredictability of Melbourne weather from an internet meme. Origin unknown
Melbourne weather can be kind of crazy with 4 seasons in 1 day. We had planned to pack summer clothes because we read about it being very hot just before the start of summer but then a couple of days before our departure, we read that the BoM (Bureau of Meteorology) had issued an unprecedented severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for the entire state of Victoria where an entire month's of rainfall was expected in 3 days (when we were expected to be there), “It is an event that poses a threat to life, there will be a massive amount of lightning, there will be roads cut, flood waters.......most significant rain event for many years .....This is a very, very big weather event, we are in uncharted territory,.......I think this event will turn farms into lakes."
This post was brought to you by the British Council Malaysia. Read on to for tips on how to help your child develop creative and collaborative skills.
As competition for university places and jobs rises, universities and employers are putting increased emphasis on the importance of creativity and collaboration. This is why, at the British Council, we also emphasize these skills in our English classes.
Although we often associate creativity with people who work in the arts, our rapidly changing culture means all areas of life require creativity. Having a creative team means that problems are solved in unique and efficient ways.
It is also essential to collaborate effectively. It is now normal for us to be able to communicate immediately with people around the world, and because of this we may work and study with people with very diverse backgrounds.
Luckily, it’s not a matter of being born with or without these skills. It is possible to nurture and teach creativity and the ability to collaborate effectively, and that’s what the British Council does.
The benefits of having 21st Century Skills of Creativity And Collaboration
A person who is creative tends to have more enthusiasm and be more energized. Increased creativity can also lower stress and anxiety, vital when students are going through exams.
Working with others makes people happier, improves their reflection and opens their eyes to new skills. Being an effective collaborator means not only being able to work with others, but also being able to learn from, share with, and express oneself to them.
Most importantly, an openness to collaboration and sharing creative ideas means that children communicate with each other more in class. This gives them more opportunity to practice their English in a communicative way, which is how they will need to use it in the real world.
Tips for helping your child develop their creative and collaborative skills
To foster creativity,
Encourage curiosity about new things, especially learning about other cultures. Being exposed to how others view the world allows a child to make more mental links and spark new ideas.
Positively acknowledge creative ideas that children have developed themselves and reward their effort when they spend time on creative pursuits.
To encourage collaboration,
Get children to help a sibling with their English homework or set up a study group with students of a similar age. Children can learn to collaborate by negotiating with a friend about whose turn it is to play with a toy, or discussing household chores to complete.
Help children to see the benefit of group diversity, by welcoming diversity of genders, ethnicity, mother tongues and academic proficiency. This also develops their empathy, which leads to more successful collaboration.
And finally, lead by example. The best way that parents can support their child’s development is by being creative and collaborative too. Don’t just tell them to do it, show them! You could put aside a weekend afternoon for an art session with your child, or spend time working as a family on a project.
How the British Council can help
At the British Council, creativity and collaboration are encouraged within all our English courses. In our Primary courses, students work towards completing creative tasks throughout the year, using their own ideas. These creative tasks help students to remain motivated, and allow the teacher to encourage a range of language skills.
In our Secondary courses, students often work on a project linked to their classwork for a whole term. This could be designing a computer game, writing an adventure story, or editing a newspaper. These tasks challenge students to use English in a situation requiring creativity and input from others.
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