Three Quarters- Almost There But Not Quite..

I am here in Sydney- not so much for leisure but to do some serious science. I'm staying with Lara-Mings, in her fantastically located unit on Victoria Street, a block away from Oxfrord Street, Sydney's gay central. And where gay people are, fun and festivities usually follow. Other reasons why this place rocks my socks: 1. The street is popping full with restaurants and cafes. Thai restaurants pretty much dominate, with the occasional mod-aus restaurant. Right opposite is Tigerbakers, a stylish cafe that just invites one to sit and read the paper while sipping your skinny lattes. 2. It's 15 minutes walk into CBD. 3. Takes me less than 30 minutes to get to Uni. 4. Best of all: It's right next to a firestation (insert grin). But really, aside from all these, what do I really think of Sydney? This time around it's slightly different since I'm not here as a tourist..I get to see the underside of Sydney- the ones that are not listed in the guide books or the tourist...

Last December saw me heading up to Fraser Island, on the eastern coast of tropical(ish) Queensland. This trip was for a conference, which required a fair bit of effort and even more stress, getting to. Conference was very good, I achieved what I went to do and saw just a little bit more of Australia. Here's a summary of points of interest about the trip (apart from the science which I won't go into): 1. The journey there took 12 hours: beginning with a bus ride at 5.20 am, 1 flight, 2 train trips, another bus ride and a ferry trip. 2. The journey back took less effort but more pain since I was severely dehydrated, hung over, hungry, and at one point, busting to pee. 3. Went birdwatching. Now developed a better appreciation and a keener sense for our winged friends. 4. Since Fraser Island is a sand island, I had my first experience of 4WD-ing over sand. And appreciating how difficult it is seeing all the inexperienced backpackers getting bogged in sand. There's something to ...

I've blogged all our major trips, and now I'm just going to post some of my favourite pictures from Mrs. Wong's trip around Melbourne. Williamstown: a old seaport village that has now flourished into a fashionable, yuppie/tourist frequented little town just 20 minutes drive from Melbourne CBD. Pretty port with lots of yachts and boats decorating the view. In the horizon, you can see Melbourne's skyline, enveloped by a layer of shell-pink haze. It probably is indicative of the level of pollution but it sure does make a pretty skyline. Happy 2008 everyone! 2008 will be 200GREAT!