The Sydney to Brisbane drive (Day 1)

When was the last time we had McD's brekkie? I think it was the last time we went camping and that was back in May. Wow, a good half a year!

And to think that the traffic on a Saturday would not be too bad, I was so wrong. Perhaps it did not occur to me that the school holidays would have begun the itinerary was put together. Yes, I had an itinerary complete with a very detailed checklist. I am paranoid with forgetting to brings things with me on a trip and would rather have a black and white version of my mental note.

So, from our humble abodes in Strathfield, we keyed into the GPS our first stopover: The Entrance.

Located on the New South Wales Central Coast, it is aptly named The Entrance as it is where the magnificent Tuggerah Lake meets the Pacific Ocean.

It was not difficult to tell who the local residents are:

We did not really explore town much, as we decided to continue towards Bungwahl. It took me ages to find the correct match in the GPS, which runs on a 2008 system. There were certain roads which did not exist back then which does today, adding to my confusion.

Well, we finally did find our stop for the night: Yarramin Park Farmstay.

I felt excited because we always drive past such gates with long driveways and lush green on both sides but have never drove through.

Cate welcomed us with the accompaniment of her two extremely friendly lovelies, Dollie and Lily (if I recall correctly).

Personally, it felt more like walking into somebody else's home. I guess that is what a farmstay literally is I suppose.

We were greeted by clean homeliness complete with a well-equipped kitchen, which uses tank water.

The living room had a sofa bed, which if required, would need prior notice.

Oh, and a whole chest of good reads and fun games!

The room was comfortable and cosy with a whole wall of spacious wardrobe space.

And what more to ask when you had grapevines for a view?

Stepping out of the side sliding door onto the verandah gave this view:

In the corner near the gate that connected our flat to the owners' home was a collection of pottery.

There was also a fence with fruits Audrey managed to deduce as passionfruit. (Haha, and I call myself an early childhood educator when I have never seen a fresh passionfruit!)

I opened the little gate under the leafy arch and walked out onto the green. At the bottom of the hill, I saw a wooden structure, which I assumed was a stable for horses.

And what do you know? A beautiful creature came out to say hello...

We both highly recommend this place if you are looking for a peaceful weekend getaway for two. And when I say peaceful, I mean peaceful, as I was lulled to dreamland by roosting cuckoos nearby.

Yarramin Park Farmstay
8 Racecourse Road, Bungwahl, NSW 2423
02 4997 6198 (Tel), 0416 202 938 (Mob)

Of course, to catch what was left of natural sunlight, we headed out to nearby Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse.

Established in 1875, it is located at Seal Rocks and is part of the Myall Lakes National Park.

There was a breath-taking gorge as we ascended the hill.

I can hear you ask, "Where is the stupid lighthouse?!" Well, I was asking that question myself when I hiked up this slope.

No, this obviously does not look like a lighthouse.

This is the lighthouse. And to get to it, we had a tremendously steep slope to climb. Great, first day and we gave ourselves physical exercise already.

But for this view, all worth it, no?

This lighthouse is one of only two lighthouses in Australia with an external stairway.

And with such steepness, it made sense to have this sign.

I wonder if I fit into the latter category...

Access to the lighthouse is from sunrise to sunset all year round. If you have extra cash to spare and would like to experience living in a lighthouse cottage, give Seal Rocks Accommodation at Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse a try and let us know how it went.

Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse
Lot 1 Kinka Road, Seal Rocks, NSW 2423

Forster was where we stopped for dinner at Beach Street Seafood.

We figured we wanted something simple and fast. And besides, not many other places were open. Needless to say, I had fish and chips with garden salad!

I have to admit that the fish was very fresh and would think that they have quite a patronage with a clean and brightly lit shop that is open every day of the week, as well as helpful waitstaff.

Beach Street Seafood
Beach Street, Forster, NSW 2428
02 6557 5300 (Tel)

With a cup of gelato in my hand, we walked along the waters to admire the crystal clear waters. We not only could see the sandbed but also every single fish that swam in there. Someone called out, "Look, stingray!" which gathered a small crowd. Was there really one?

Oh my goodness, yes! My first 'wild stingray' encounter. Forster, take a bow. Your stingray and magnificent sunset had my applause for a great first day.

Distance covered today: 419km

The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive

You did not see that wrong - yes, it is PEDIGREE.

Some of you, no, I'd reckon all of you must be thinking: Since when did this girl get a pet?

Well, she did not, but that does not mean that she would not blog about it, ey?

I am not crazy about pets, or more specifically, dogs but I do not totally hate them, either. And hence, the whole point of this blog post: helping out our less fortunate furry four-legged friends.

The Pedigree Adoption Drive reminded me of Oreo, a small black and white puppy taken back from a kennel my cousins once looked after before a caring family adopted it:


Isn't she adorable? She used to stick her tongue out lots, tug onto your pants whenever you are sitting on the floor, and just follow you around the house quietly. I accidentally stepped on her a few times myself because I just didn't realise she was there!

I have never had a dog of my own. I have had guinea pigs, rabbits and now fish but never a dog. Perhaps, if I had one, I would be

more able to accept change (yes, I admit I am a stubborn person)

more likely to deal better with stress (yes, I admit I melt under pressure)

have less contact with my doctor (yes, I admit I am a taufu)

have lower cholesterol levels

lower blood pressure and

better psychological health than non-dog owners.

Unfortunately, despite having two flatmates who are crazy about getting a dog, we are not allowed to have pets in our first-floor unit. Therefore, an opportunity has arisen for those of you who have a large backyard for a mutt to dig holes in and kill your flowers!

1) Go to The Pedigree Adoption Drive website to search for and adopt a dog.

2) If you think you would like to help Pedigree but not by adopting a dog (because you are in the same situation as I am), make donations in support of PetRescue to help homeless dogs, and buy merchandise (100% of sales go to PetRescue).

3) If you already have a dog or dogs and do not think you can handle an extra one, fret not - you are still helping by buying Pedigree products.

4) If you are strapped for cash, no worries - you can still help out by 'liking' their Facebook page. By doing that, you are donating a bowl of dogfood to the little doggies. As simple as that!

If not, just think of it as doing me a little favour (as I am not allowed to have a pet AND I am strapped for cash)....... thanks, y'all!

A matter of loyalty

Source: http://www.traileraddict.com/content/inferno-distribution/hachiko.jpg

It is not hard to make a connection between the words 'loyalty' and 'dog'. From a young age, we are socialised in a manner whereby almost every other 'story with a moral value' included a 'loyal dog' for a pet. Even in the Chinese language, they have proverbs and adages that includes dogs watching over the house. In English, you'd have watchdogs. A watchcat would just sound plan weird. Cannot really imagine a cat doing that job, anyway.

Previously warned by friends that the movie would make me shed bucketloads of tears, I prepared a hanky. During a time I should be preparing for sleep, I instead opted to watch the whole movie under the warmth of my quilt on my lovely bed. Thank goodness I have enough pillows because for some reason, I need pillows when I cry - two to lean on, one to hug.

Perhaps I heeded a little too close to the warnings, I ended up feeling that okay, it was sad but it was not THAT sad. I was emotional during two scenes and yes, I had streams of tears flowing down my cheeks but otherwise, I was fine.

The story (and if you have watched the movie or Googled it, you would know) revolves around a dog named Hachiko. Hachiko, or 'The Eighth One', comes from a breed of Akita dogs and if you ask me, they have rather 'Asian' features. Hachiko was the pet of a professor, which routinely waited for his master at the train station every day. It was like a ritual, a special welcome home bonding time, which they both specially shared. The remarkable part of this true story is the part where Hachiko continued to wait for his master, not realising that his master who failed to return to the station had died in the university ten years before. So yes, Hachiko's patience, perseverance and I guess, loyalty, spanned ten years.

I was roped into thinking about this issue of loyalty again when a friend of mine became emotional over a love lost. Although it has been two years, he still feels the pain of losing her even with the slightest of provocations. He considers himself a loyal guy. But is that really loyalty when you put into the equation the part where you cannot stand the sight of her better dressed and seemingly leading a better life without you? Or is it simply just you not able to put down the past and move on with your own life?

On a different note, what about partners who relocate? Say your girlfriend accepted the offer to work for a leading airlines and would have to relocate to their country of operations. She would be there for five years and would come back to see you as often as possible. Both of you make the commitment to be with each other. So what are you to do when you find out that yes, she is still 'with' you but over there, she is also 'with' someone else? Did she break her promise? Or what if she is still with you but she is no longer in love with you?

Some would argue that loyalty is manifested in different forms. I agree. So maybe my form of loyalty may differ from yours but that does not mean that either of us are neither right nor wrong. Just different.

For me, it is simple. I stand by the people who have brought me thus far in life. I do not need to love them and agree to their engineering. I only need to be there for them, to provide them the support in the form they require.