Mid-Autumn Festival @ Cabramatta

In celebration for the mid-autumn festival for 2016 (aka Moon Festival), a few friends and I decided to check out the Cabramatta Moon Festival that was ongoing at the time.

I vaguely remember coming once or twice in my past with the family, but this was the first time I'd gone in a while (and with a camera).

Although the streets were crowded (awfully crowded) and there wasn't much to do (We were a bit old for the theme park rides. And let's just say that I'm not sure if my stomach would have handled it well), the best thing of the entire event was just laughing and enjoying the night with some friends.

It's often difficult to see each other; people are all over the place (some of us practically on the other side of the country) and different Universities. Timetables clash, we all have busy lives, and it's hard to meet up.

But, you make the trek and you set aside the time, because at the end of the day, that's what time is for!

Most of the time at the Festival was filled with eating on various foods.

Infamous jerky (which was actually quite nice!)

And just snooping around in the niche markets here and there. It was really reminiscent of a theme park, just with an Asian twist placed on it.

Wow. What more can I say?!
I caught the shopkeeper taking a photo of me taking a photo of the melon. I then promptly took a photo of her taking a photo of me.

And! Also discovered the wonder and beauty that is Dippin' Dots. Whoever invented this, thank you. I'm definitely buying these whenever I see them (too bad they're such a rarity to come across).

Fairy floss, watermelon, rainbow, and strawberry (starting from the left-most, in a clockwise direction)

The fireworks were... interesting. I say that because we located ourselves exactly smack-bang in the middle of the two firework shows, so we found our neck muscles being worked constantly as we tried to follow both shows (look over to the left-- oh wait right-- left-- no the right is real good-- oh but left).

And also a giant banner, tree, and pole happened to intercept our view.

But, they were still spectacular shows, of the 60% that we did manage to see! Good jokes and laughs were had, and that was probably what I loved most about the night.

The night itself was a bit of a let-down, though I appreciated the atmosphere and culture. The best part of the night was catching up with friends (we also sat down at Meet Fresh and had a meal together, as well as dinner at Pappa Rich before this entire adventure-- also where we had a massive discussion about 'two half boiled eggs'... Is that one hard-boiled egg cut in half?! Or two soft-boiled eggs?!). That was the highlight of the night, and it made memories that are irreplaceable.

Either way, before I finish off, life has been busy. It has been incredibly hectic and I can hardly find time to look left and right before I cross the road (Just kidding kids, always do that. And always stay hydrated!) Life has swept me away but I'm going with the flow. Posts will come, because there is much posting to do (and a lot more editing -- I have footage from December 2014 sitting on this computer collecting cyber-dust, not to mention also Kangaroo Island videos)... All in good time.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves! For those on mid-sem break, enjoy it whilst it lasts. Remember, we're at the final stretch! Almost at the end, so chins up and deep breath.

Take care.

Port Stephens Roadtrip Video

Officially the longest video I've ever produced, and it took me a good long sitting of many, many hours to complete (let's leave it at that, shall we) (Ahhh, my eyes!)

But, it brings back good memories and I know that I'll be grateful for Past-Manjekah efforts when I watch this in a few months', few years', or few decades' time.

Port Phtevens (Stevens)

In celebration for the end of exams (HM-B done and dusted!) some friends and I decided to go the hard yards and head up North to Port Stevens.

And let me just say, in hindsight, absolutely no regrets.

Well, perhaps, the only regret is that it took me so long to actually go on one.

So, with a handy group of 11 people and 3 cars, we braved the three hour drive up to Port Stephens.

Or, as we liked to call it, Port Phtephens.

From here

It hadn't even been one year since I last visited this place, but I missed it so much already. Port Stephens has always been an old-time favourite of mine, with many family holidays spent here. 

So, as per tradition, we stopped at Terrigal Beach after an hour and a bit to rest up and have a little picnic. Chips and dips all round, and plenty of smiles.

Taken by my friend, SW.

With looming clouds, we were slightly concerned that the weather would turn sour. The weather report claimed the Thursday would rain, so let's just say we were a bit uncertain.

With the clock striking 11am, we decided it'd be about time we headed up and continued our way to our final destination. Where to meet? My all time favourite beach: Little Beach.

But first, we ducked off to the Gan Gan Lookout to scope out the surroundings.

And, as a result, we were promptly late to meeting our friends at Little Beach. (But we weren't the last car to arrive, so that justifies things, right?!)

It is, as you would expect, quite a little beach.

Some good time was spent on the playground and relaxing. This was the break we needed after such an intense period of studying and worries. Sometimes it takes a road trip to remember that all you really need is a group of friends and a playground.

Whilst a group of us headed off to shop for groceries (of which a lot of money was spent), the remainder went to fish at the pier. But, to no avail. No biggie! The real catch was the laughter that was had.

And of course, some magnificent pictures of the sunset.

Dinner was made (it took us a fair while to sort everything out) and the first day was over. A relaxing, 'settling-in' Day 1 that I think everyone appreciated. It was, after all, a feeling we had long forgotten with the buzz of medical school.

Oh wait, nope! No night-with-friends-away-from-home is complete without some form of desert.

With the lack of an oven, but yet a craving for cake, we went for Nutella mud-cake!

Which promptly exploded.

It tasted amazing though.

A long night after a long day.

But, of course, not a long sleep, for we rose up early the next morning to prepare for the day's activities. And to try fishing again (which was a second failure, but all in good fun).

The day's plan? Sand-dune surfing was a must. Off to Anna Bay it was, and with no trouble at all, we managed to get a fantastic deal with Port Stephens 4WD Tours and head off into the sand-dunes for a long time of fun. A teaser video of the many stumbles is on my Instagram.

If you look closely, the others are all standing at the top of the dune.

As per tradition, lunch was Fish 'n' Chips (a LOT of it), and we walked straight over to Anna Bay to spend a large portion of the arvo there.

Once again, one of my favourite beaches of all time.

Not sure if snow...

Before the sun set, we hustled our way back to Little Beach for the second sunset there.

We had planned the day before that we must take some jumping shots into the water at sunset, and consequently, I was determined.

But... the temperature had dropped and the water was cold. Very cold. It was a barrier to our plan.

Thankfully, my overwhelming determination (or, perhaps, stupidity and ignorance towards the cold) made me hop into the water regardless, and I can confirm that it wasn't that cold (though my friends' report otherwise).

"Do it for the shot"

Day 2 ended with a nice meal of spaghetti-pie (slightly modified carbonara), more mud-cake, and a bit of a fun night with a random podcast about eyebrows and babushkas. And nail painting.

Next morning, an 8am rise and two hours of intense cleaning, cooking, and packing-up for a 10am check-out (which, we did make in time!)

A meal of oysters was had at Holbert's Oyster Supplies, and the rest of the day spent snorkeling at Nelson Bay, and paddle-boarding at Shoal Bay. Another giant meal of Fish 'n' Chips later, we finally packed up and began our journey home. It had been a long three days, and we were exhausted (neck and arms aching!)

But, of course, no road trip could be complete without a Macca's run, and we seemed to have forgotten to do so thus far (incredible, I know.)

So, at 7PM, we rocked up at a McDonalds, feasted for dinner, said our final goodbyes ("See you in two days!" Incredibly saddening, I know), and drove the way home.

Arriving home, I emptied out the beach which had found itself in my bag and belongings, and tried to clear out all the sand that had seeped into all my body orifices (there's still some in my ears, I swear). And then I promptly collapsed on the bed and slept for a long, long time.

It was a good hustle. It was a good time. There's nothing else I can really say.

I loved every moment of it. I'd write more, but I'm exhausted, and you'll see more of the mischief we got up to when I post the video of the times we had.

Much love and treasured memories.

Kangaroo Island 4 // Beaches, rocks, & goodbyes

Although the final day had dawned on us, it didn't mean we were going to slow down our adventures. Up and away for an early morning, once more, tasting the last of the 'Organic Kangaroo Island' foods and goods for breakfast as we rushed out of the house and went to one of the final beaches we had planned to visit.

One perk about visiting a beach early in the morning is the fresh sand laid down just hours ago during the midnight high-tide. It's not a sight you see often, especially from the packed city beaches that Sydney is familiar with.

Not a single footprint to be seen. Except our own.

The rocks around the area made for some really nice photographs, and there were moments when I couldn't believe such things even existed. 

And, of course, where there are giant rocks, there's bound to be climbing.

Lots, and lots, of climbing.

There's something really satisfying about clambering to the top of a high rock (granted you're equip with the appropriate enclosed shoes and padded clothing; safety first, kids).

For once in my life I felt like I understood how Simba felt when he was standing there at the top of Pride Rock.

"Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

And of course the wonders don't end there. We realised that if you examined the rocks closely, they had mineral bits embedded everywhere within it. It was amazing to see, and unfortunately they were stuck dead-set into the rock, but hey, at least memories are free to take.

Quartz?

I decided to try and do justice to the amazing natural architecture of the place, so spent a deal of time taking some photos and experimenting with angles.

I'm still not a perfect landscape photographer (or a perfect photographer of anything, really), but seeing these images again take me back to that moment. I never thought rocks could be this enchanting, honestly.

Jagged rocks were plentiful, but so where the round, smooth rocks. I picked up a few and with nothing except my hand and these props, I found a photo-worthy opportunity.

I believe that's an metamorphic rock (left) and an igneous rock (right).
Or maybe sedimentary and igneous. I don't know.

Though to be fair, there was this pungent odour of fish draped all over the location. Some long-abandoned fish and seaweed lying all over the place meant that it wasn't the most pleasant on the senses, but it made for photographs.

It was time to head off. A flight in the early afternoon meant we had to get out of there soon.

Kangaroo Island had exceeded my expectations far more than I ever would have even imagined. To think that I was initially hesitant about coming on this family trip, and almost traded it out for three days at home studying and doing nothing else in particular.

There are lessons learned, of course, and emphasis on the importance of quiet, getaways, family time, and nature. I used to always see myself as a 'city-girl', but over the years and especially on this trip, I realised that anywhere can become 'home', and really, we need not be bounded by such narrow definitions sometimes. 

I loved this place, and I planned to return someday. That was all that mattered. Somehow, all my worries and concerns had been left back in Sydney, and I walked the silent dusty roads of Kangaroo Island with a clear head and mind.

Turning our backs on that beach and essentially accepting our fate of returning to the bustling Sydney city was hard. As much as I love Sydney, there's something quite captivating about escaping it all and heading out into the remote areas of Australia.

There's something quite satisfying about looking at your dirt-sprayed car and knowing you've been on a massive trek over hundreds of kilometres.

And there's definitely something quite bittersweet about flying away from a place that you never would have expected to be so beautiful.

Kangaroo Island 3 // Rainbows, Rocks, & Stars

With the last (free) morning dawning on us, I found the motivation deep within me to suppress my urges for sleep. Instead, an early morning for a little photoshoot around the place. It's not everyday that you have the opportunity to take self portraits in such a beautiful shoot location -- this was a place that I didn't anticipate I'd be able to visit very frequently.

So this happened.

Wandering around the place, you know what I was faced with? Another absolutely-gorgeous rainbow. One spanning the entire horizon, soaring across the sky (and even a hint of a double-rainbow).

The weather at Kangaroo Island (for some reason that I do not yet know) seems to produce an expansive rainbow every morning. And every morning it never ceased to amaze me.

Somewhere under the rainbow

Soon after my family arose from the slumber of the bed we drove out searching for a beach, and bumping into some empty endless roads.

It's not every day you have the opportunity to stand in the middle of a road with looming light-blue skies and meadows of vibrant green fields. Filled with wild kangaroos, of course.

Reaching the beach, we were faced with a splay of rounded boulders, stretching far out towards the ocean. "Woah! Look at how nice the rocks are!" we gasped, before turning left and coming face-to-face with a sight like this:

You could count the cumulative gasps emanating from our mouths as we all turned to face this sight. This amazing view that we had only seen in paintings and movies (granted, with special effects most of the time) was sitting right in front of our eyes. And it was only 8:30am in the morning.

We found a little pathway with a sign pointing to it ("Beach -->") leading through a rock-formed cavern. Naturally, with our curiosity, we headed into it.

And we emerged on the other side with a proper beach, stretching far into the distance. Pleasant and mindful waves made for a nice, relaxing view of the ocean.

And then, faced with a massive rock face and many tempting boulders, we decided to explore a bit. Of course we climbed them.

Involved in this photo: a bit of courage, reliable joggers, and a sneaky camera angle.

It was about time to head back so we could begin our Day 3 official activities. With more time to spare (really only about ten minutes), my brother and I rushed down to the dried pier to take a few sibling photos.

A great deal of time was spent trying to find a patch that wasn't covered in faecal matter.

A treehouse was always that childhood goal; that quaint get-a-way where you could escape the homework, the clutter, and the nagging parents. But, of course, it was never a reality because of suburban life and time-constraints and whatever other excuse you can think of.

But here, those obstacles are mostly gone. All you need is a goal, motivation, and hard-work.

And in a time-span of forty days, something like this was erected.

Let me just say, this is a two-story treehouse.

And look at the interior!

Granted, it was designed by professionals and decorated just as well.

Just as the rain hit, we sprinted the final few steps and huddled into the hide-away. It even had a small fireplace for those chilly winter nights.

I was standing inside the dream that I had never fulfilled as a child.

Next stop was to head up into the hills and 'check out the view'. That was all we were told. I wasn't quite sure how 'great' this infamous view would be, but nonetheless we hopped into the 4WD and braved the slopes.

I assure you, it was a struggle. There were times I thought the car would flip.

We arrived, and yes, the view was nice, but the weather made it a struggle. Cold winds, a light drizzle (not just any rain -- it was that annoying splatter of rain, as if someone's spitting in your face) really made it difficult to even see the view, let alone take photos.

But remember, this is Kangaroo Island, where the weather changes in a flash.

A patient wait of ten minutes revealed a much brighter day; more blues and hues. It was spectacular, and 100% worth the wait. All good things come to those who are patient?

There were moments when I felt I was the photographer taking that iconic Windows Wallpaper photograph.

I'd already had my breath taken away about three times. And it wasn't even 11am.

But we had no time to stop and regain our breath, for there were many more places to visit before lunch. Today was the jam-packed day we had been waiting for, and it took all our energy and speed to get through it all.

A wildlife park, of course! No trip out away from the city is complete without that, especially on such a suitably-named place like 'Kangaroo Island'.

Made a few good mates here and there.

I'm going to take the opportunity and say that koalas are a lot softer than you think they are. Their fur is just like stroking clouds.

No, we didn't get to hold these guys.

The entire wildlife park itself was amazing; so many different animals, and much GoPro action happened. With the rain starting to fall again, we hustled our way back to the entrance and hopped into the car.

It was lunchtime and we were starving.

But, as we know, this is Kangaroo Island, so there are really only a few places for lunch. And by that I mean there are two restaurants.

So we drove the hour to the other side of Kangaroo Island to try these infamous burgers. They were great, and a nice filler-upperer after such an exhausting morning already.

By the time we had finished up, it was approaching 2:30pm and we knew we had to get a move on if we wanted to fit in the last two places on our agenda.

More driving! Along the seemingly endless roads.

Getting out of the car at the next stop, we were told to 'Pack on all your clothes. Get the winter gear out'. It was going to be cold.

In fact, that's soft-serving it. It wasn't just cold, it was freezing, hypothermic, glacial, numbing... it was damn fucking cold. I kid you not. The photos seem to suggest otherwise.

In saying so, I was so engrossed by the sites that I neglected my bitten extremities.

One of the best solutions to the cold? Going for a jog. I found myself running along this wooden construct just to warm myself up, but it also meant I had run ahead and it allowed for some shots.

The only way to brave this was to huddle -- minimise surface area in any way possible. Point proven in Exhibit A.

Exhibit A.

But the waves! The rocks! The sunlight licking the surface of the ocean, creating an eminent glow. It was worth the cold, and those are strong words coming from someone who loves summer.

But let's get to the actual point of where we were! We were at the south-most part of the island, where the New Zealand Fur Seal Breeding Sites were located.

They were adorable! Like little mammalian slugs of blubber jiggling around.

Zzzzzzz...

And let's not forget to give due mention to the sites.

A natural formation of stalactites, forming such a picture-perfect view of the ocean. My jaw dropped as I emerged to face this.

Natural framing. Beautiful views. Sea breeze spraying. Sunlight filter.

In that moment, Mother Nature had become a professional photographer.

A good while spent here in awe of the view was justifiably interrupted for we had many more places to reach before the sun set.

It was a fast walk back towards the car (mostly because we were starting to shiver).

The last location; with the race against the setting sun, we arrived at the Remarkable Rocks.

"Wow, these rocks are so remarkable!"

But the real Remarkable Rocks were only just approaching around the corner.

Who would have known that the natural forces of weathering and erosion could create something so wonderful??

"This stunning work of nature has been shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray and rain over some 500 million years" -- [x]

As the sun began to set in the distance, looking out into the distance revealed a spectacular view.

And of course, much fun was had with the ingenious rock shapes. Natural framing devices, everywhere!

With the sun shining right behind us, I saw the calling. The calling for silhouette photographs.

And, I'm not going to lie, the best silhouette photos I've ever taken.

Bro, pick up your jumping game

As the sun blanketed the Earth with a thin mist of yellow, we headed back home after a long and severely exhausting day. 

But first, let me take a panorama.

But as tiring as it was, we were still bursting with energy and ready to keep going. The night was still young, and there was still some unfinished business I had to take care of.

The stars eluded me the last two nights.

I had been amazed by the stars already, and it was finally time to try and capture that for memory's sake. This was the sole, entire reason I had brought my tripod. I knew this would be the last opportunity for a while, and I wanted to make it count.

It was also cold as cold could be (not really), and so braving that was another obstacle that took a warm heart to face.

But it was worth it. Completely. The view was incredible.

I still don't believe I did it justice. I think it's very difficult to do reality justice in a photograph -- these sights are so much more incredible and mesmorising when seen with the eyes, but I did my best.

Let me tell you, I could have laid right on the floor and fallen asleep under the stars, if it weren't for the cold temperatures and slightly-concerning rustling coming from the bushes (I swear I'm not making this up).

It was such a perfect moment -- a way to end the day that I had never thought would be possible. The skies made me wonder, they reassured me that in the end, I am just a speck in the Universe and that's okay, because the Universe is brilliant.

The beautiful sky with its diamonds covering the entire field of view. My eyes felt as if they couldn't take in enough of it.

Reluctantly, it was time to leave and I had to turn my eyes away from the night sky. It was the last night on Kangaroo Island, and I had wished so hard that I could have stayed longer. But reality calls.

But one thing's for certain -- although I may have left that sight behind in Kangaroo Island, that sight will never leave me.