Day 6: September 5th, Monday
Today was our last full-day stay in Melbourne. We initially did not have anything planned for today but it turned out to be an activity-packed day. The night before, Mei yiyi suggested we go for the Puffing Billy train ride to Emerald Lake and have a picnic there. We thought that was a great idea and agreed.
This morning, right after breakfast at home, we took a 60-minute drive to Belgrave, where the Puffing Billy train station was situated.
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| At the entrance of Puffing Billy |
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| This is Puffing Billy, Australia's favourite steam-engine train... a train that REALLY goes chugga-chugga choo choo! |
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| Boarding the train from Belgrave to Emerald Lake... Mei yiyi did not take the train with us. She drove to Emerald Lake and met up with us there later |
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| Everyone sits like this on the Puffing Billy! However, when the train moved, I chickened out... yikes! |
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| Since everyone really sat like this (also encouraged by the conductor), daddy and mummy decided to try it too... it was FUN! :D |
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| I finally got the courage after watching how daddy and mummy enjoyed it... and decided to give it a try but not without daddy's hand near me for that added security. The train moved rather slowly so it was ok. |
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| The train travelling across the countryside |
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| Daddy and mummy also had a short chat with the conductor, who later plopped his hat on my head |
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| At the Emerald Lake station... the choo choo train ride took about 45 minutes. We were "reunited'" with Mei yiyi and Alyssa here. |
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| Doing the "stop, look and listen" action |
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| The picturesque Emerald Lake that greeted us |
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| Picnic time! Mei yiyi prepared some sandwiches and fruits from home. She also bought some muffins, doughnuts and spinach quiche from a town nearby |
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| While we were enjoying our picnic (lunch), guess who came to say hello? Ducks! Alyssa and I had fun feeding them with bread |
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| These two love birds (crimson rosella) were seen kissing and pecking each other on the tree right above our picnic table too! |
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| And then one flew over to politely "ask for food" from us... so we gave it a grape |
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| After lunch... more energy to chase ducks! |
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| Walking to the playground with Alyssa |
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| Can't get enough of playgrounds! |
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| More pics of the beautiful Emerald Lake park |
Mei yiyi also drove us to the Dandenong Ranges National Park which was nearby. Unfortunately, both Alyssa and I had fallen asleep in the car so daddy and mummy just got down for a quick walk...
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| Standing among these tall trees, daddy and mummy felt like elves ;) |
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| More trees! |
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| They also heard a loud and unsual sound and when they looked up, they spotted a kookaburra! |
On the way home, we dropped by Knox City Mall... our holiday is not complete without a mall trip haha!
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| While daddy and I spent some time wandering on our own, mummy went to the departmental stores and supermarket for more shopping! |
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| Kiddy rides! I'm still a baby at heart although I've already outgrown these rides physically. See, I wasn't able to squeeze my long legs into the ride anymore! |
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| Again, I had problem cramming myself into this teeny-weeny shopping cart buggy! |
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| Fruits galore! |
Later in the evening, we had our very last dinner at The Pancake Parlour. It was Koo-kong and Grandaunt Carol's treat again. We enjoyed their company very much and couldn't thank them enough for being such wonderful hosts.
Chuggington....Chugy!! Chugy!!LOL!! That was an awesome experience to be in the train while enjoying the sightseeing
ReplyDeleteI just love the photos of Emerald lake and the National Park. So nice and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteThe train ride is just so fun!
I like the lake pictures...The fruits there are not cheap rite?
ReplyDeleteAngeline
Angeline: Most of the fruits are quite reasonably priced. E.g. a box of 250g strawberries cost about AUD2.50 (RM8.25). Besides groceries, almost NOTHING is cheap over there after the currency conversion :p
ReplyDeletesyok....naik choo choo train
ReplyDeleteThe train ride looks awesome. Actually I think it's scary to sit like that..haha..I think Gwen would freak out.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the lake and park were breath-taking.
does the train has seat or it is a norm for everyone to sit like that? Gosh...it looks so scary wor...but its surely fun, hehe...
ReplyDeleteKnox City mall...awww...amazing that it still exists..aunty could remember how frequent I paid visit to this shopping mall ten years ago.
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely last day. the train ride looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteVery very nice experience for Chloe on the puffing billy! I wanted the kids to experience it too but we just couldn't slot it into our packed schedule. It's really really cute seing the kids line up in one row sitting by the window. It amused me a lot many many years ago. How memorable too to picnic at Emerald Lake:)
ReplyDeleteSteam engine train look interesting. Very nice experience for Chloe.
ReplyDeleteThat train looks very antique, lol! but well-maintained and it seems fun to ride 'sideway'.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your Australia trip posts. Your relatives in Australia are really a very wonderful host. You guys are blessed.
ReplyDeleteWow! Really love the view... Nice train ride!
ReplyDeleteThe train ride is so nice with the leg hanging in the air!
ReplyDeleteLoves the blue sky and colorful birds!
The Emerald Lake is so nice & peaceful surrounding! You guys seems had lotsa fun in the steam-train ride :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, my kids would like to take Puffing Billy for a ride, they super love steaming engine! I'm positive whn they see Puffing Billy, they will thought it's Percy!;D
ReplyDeleteGreat eye sight, can even spotted Kookaburra in the forest!^^
That's awesome!!!! She is expose to all the nature and transportation that she never would have explore in Malaysia and in such a nice weather!!!! That's what I call a perfect holiday!
ReplyDelete