Tag: australia

Sydney CBD Skyline

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

I am even more excited about my trip to Sydney, Australia after seeing this beautiful photos. Check out the other photo at lightslant.wordpress.com. Great stuff!

Zhang Wenjie's avatarA Certain Slant of Light Photography

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One of the best places to get a bird’s eye view over the Sydney CBD area is from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout, accessible via Cumberland Street. It’s an easy stroll from the Rocks to get to the pylon, and then another brisk 200 steps to the top. The viewing platform will give you a sweeping view over Circular Quay, Campbell’s Cove, the harbour, and of course, Sydney Harbour Bridge itself. Pity the lookout closes at 5pm – the sunset from here would have been gorgeous.

Edit: Freshly pressed! Welcome to all – I hope you enjoy your stay. And many thanks to the WordPress folks 🙂

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J – Jetlag Avoidance Plan

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle11 Comments

Jet lag is something that I am very familiar with.  And, in the best conditions, I am not a very sound sleeper.  In order for me to fall asleep, it must be pitch black, void of sound and about 65 degrees in my room.  Not an environment that I can easily replicate on an airplane.  Well, not until I get my own plane.  So, sleeping on the plane does not come easy for me.

That is why when I fly long distances, I employ my Jet Lag Avoidance Plan.

Step #1 – Get on the time zone you are going to as soon as you can.  I know if it is 10:00 am at home and 10:00 pm at your vacation destination, this step might not be realistic.  Unless you don’t have a job.  But, if you have a long flight in the morning, stay up the night before and then as soon as you get on the plane, go to sleep.
 
Step #2 – If you get to your destination at night, go right to bed.  (Ambien works great in this situation).  If you arrive in the morning, this is a little harder, but stay up.  Stay up as long as you can. 
 
Step #3 – You may be up at 3:00 or 4:00 am those first couple of nights.  Try not to do anything that is going to be to stimulating.   I take a hot bath and read until the rest of the world wakes up.  What ever you do, don’t get on the Internet.  You will never get back to sleep.  The idea is to drift back to sleep if even for an hour or two and then get up when you would normally get up. 
 
Step #4 – You are going to have that one day, usually the third or fourth day were you are going to be so tired it hurts.  I mean hurts like if you don’t go to bed, you are going to literally die.  It will hit you at about 4:00 or 5:00 pm.  If you can stay up, try, but if you can’t, go to sleep.  And sleep and sleep and sleep.  It will be the best, hardest most relaxing sleep of your life.  I look forward to those nights because I never sleep like that in my everyday life. 
 

Unfortunately, by the time you get acclimated to the new time zone, it will be time to come back home.  You can employ the same steps on your return trip, but why would you want to.  When you get back home, you can take your time getting back on your normal schedule.  Anybody ask why you are so tired, you just yawn and say, “Jet lag.”  But, trust me, you can only get away with this for about at week.

Unfortunately, my flight to Australia is an overnight 9-hour flight.  The issue is that Australia is only a 3-hour time difference from China.

The steps above don’t apply.  I just need to find some way to sleep on the plane.  Maybe I should get my ambien prescription filled before I go.

H – History of Australia (Criminals & Drunks)

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

Drawing courtesy of Victoria Punishment.

Aboriginal Australians arrived by boat 40,000 to 60,000 years ago.

In 1770, James Cook charted the East Coast of Australia for Britain.

Australia used to be a British penal colony.  It is where England would send all their murders and rapist and seasoned criminals. About 160,000 of Britain’s unwanted were shipped to Australia.

The first settles of Australia drank more alcohol per person than any other community in the history of mankind.

A former Prime Minister of Australia also holds a Guinness Record.  He sculled 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds.

Courtesy of the Outback Australia Travel Guide
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/fun-facts-about-australia.html
 
Map drawn by Bowen Emanuel 

I – Itinerary

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

I have a pretty intense itinerary for my trip.  I always create an itinerary in order to make sure that I do everything I need to do.  I am a list maker at heart.  My day isn’t finished until I have marked everything off of my list.

Here is my itinerary:
Monday:
  • Arrive and check into hotel
  • Ferry ride to Watson’s bay – Lunch fish and chips
  • Dinner – Lord Dudley’s Pub
Tuesday:
  • Breakfast at Pancakes on the Rocks (This place looks so good.)
  • Lunch and Golf at The Australian
  • Dinner w/Friends
Wednesday:
  • Harbor Bridge Climb
  • Dinner at Rock Poll Bar & Grill
Thursday:
  • Breakfast and Golf At St. Michaels
  • Golf At Camden Lakes
  • Dinner at Sydney Cafe
Friday:
  • All day tour of Hunter Valley Vineyards
Saturday:
  • Shopping & Spa
Sunday:
  • Leave for home

See, not to packed, right? All reservation have been made and all tickets have been purchased.

But, what if I just threw the itinerary out the window? What would happen if I went with no plan and no arrangements made?   Well, I have an idea what would happen.

Last October, with my family in town, we went to Beijing for a couple of days and once there, everyone suggested that we have to go to Xian to see the Terra Cotta soldiers.  So, I am thinking, great, absolutely.  Just catch the train and spend the day in Xian and come right back to Beijing that night.  Right?  Wrong.

It was a holiday in China that weekend and if I wanted to purchase a train ticket, I would have had to purchase it about 2 months prior.  Or, wait in this line for 4 days.  So, instead of spending the day in Xian, we spend the day in a our hotel in Beijing.  That is what happens when you fail to plan.

Creating an itinerary and following it makes for a exciting, laid back, and relaxing vacation to me.

What about you?  Do you plan your vacations or just go and see what happens?

G – Golf in Australia

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Australia is known for its beautiful golf courses and its mark on the world of golf in general.  I have been a part of the golf industry for over 6 years and in that time, I have seen and been exposed to just as much drama in this industry as there is on any day time television show.    Australian golf is right in the middle of it all.

Let me introduce you to Mr. Greg Norman.  Norman is the most successful Australian golfer.  His story book romance with tennis legend Chris Everett Lloyd is the stuff fairytales are made of.  If, your fairy tales involve adultery, betrayal, quickie marriage and an even quicker divorce.  Ah, romance.

Next I would like you to meet Mr. Adam Scott.  The most attractive man in professional golf.  He is a good player in his own right, but was involved in some controversy lately when he hired Tiger Wood’s former caddie.  Adam can also turn his upper torso 180 degrees.  Super flexible and oh so hot.

In China, we get a lot of golf tourist from Australia.  It is typical to see a new group of Australian men on their annual golf trip every week.  Why do they travel to China with all the beautiful courses in Australia?  Well, they come here for the golf and the amenities.  And, to have beautiful Chinese women fall all over them.  It may sound like a cliché but I have watched if for 5 years.  Chinese women are still trying to snag them a foreign husband.  It is a stereotype that just happens to be true.

On my Australian trip, my fantasy is that I meet a tall, gorgeous Australian who not only surfs, plays golfs, cooks, has beautiful tattoos and by the way, is a multi millionaire.  They are on every beach, right.  Well, if my memories serves me correct, the Australian men are how do I put this, ambitionally challenged.

I have had the opportunity to work with two Australians.  The guys were very sweet, but so different from American guys in every way.  They don’t lack confidence, that is for sure, but they are lazy and drink a lot of beer.   I had a great time partying with these guys, but they weren’t boyfriend or husband material.

Don’t get me wrong, I am open to any Aussie hottie who wants to try and change my mind.

Playing golf in Australia is going to be so much fun.  I usually play better while on vacation and when I haven’t played in awhile.  Last time I played golf was on December 25th, so I should be good to go by next week.  I have had a birdie in every country I have played golf in, so I hope to keep that streak alive.