Blue Mountains

A trip to Australia (or anywhere for that matter) will never be complete without a little rockclimbing for JW. Last Saturday, we embarked on our journey to the Blue Mountains, Australia's rockclimbing mecca. We met up with JW's friend, Assad, at Boronia Point before our descent into the great abyss of mud, dirt, and trees.

Yes, before you get to climb, you first have to do some bushwalking, although this seemed more like jungle bashing to me (JW agreed with me on this one). I was not prepared for this despite my earlier adventures in Rodellar, Spain.

The terrain was tightly lined with bushes, thorns and trees, accompanied by countless wet puddles of mud and slosh thanks to the heaviest rainfall that Sydney has ever experienced, which took place just a couple of days before.

It didn't help that JW and I were both wearing our Keen shoes, which are essentially shoes that look like sandals.



Needless to say, our feet and shoes ended up soaking wet. Did I also mention that I brought my prada gauffre sling bag with me? I must have been out of my mind. It was a miracle that both my bag and I emerged unscathed.

There were also many slippery sandstone formations 2-3 times my height that stood erect at 90 degrees with hardly any footholds and I had to rely on the 2 strong men or the tree branches around me for support as I clambered over the rocks with much difficulty, one after another. I seriously have no idea how the climbers could WALK down the rocks with such incredible ease (akin to walking down stairs) when there are absolutely no gaps for you to place your shoes and one wrong step will send you, quite literally, to the abyss of no return.


Whenever I had no idea how to conquer these huge rocks, I sat myself down or simply went on all fours, like a dog. Haha! Don't ask me how I made it there and back. I refuse to think about it and I'm pretty sure that would be my first and last time there. Cross my heart!

I honestly think that no other tourist (other than rock-climbers) have experienced Blue Mountains the way I have. JW joked that I am probably the most well-traveled non-climber. LOL.

This is what normal tourists would go to Blue Mountains for - The Three Sisters."The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters (Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo') lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe). They fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe (the Nepean tribe), but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters. A major tribal battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. This legend is claimed to be an Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend." - Wikipedia

The three sisters certainly don't look very much like one another, except for the patch of vegetation perched atop each peak. Looks a little like hair doesn't it? :P

Bobbin Head

Bobbin Head is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, located 25km north of Sydney. My uncle brought us to this lovely place recently but it was pouring then. Hence, we made a mental note to return and that was just what we did!

The vast expanse of greenery serves as a beautiful backdrop for picnics and barbeques. You can also take a boat ride to explore the breathtaking vicinity at a leisurely pace.

For some strange reason, I actually prefer how Bobbin Head looks when it rains. When it rained the last time we were there, it was shrouded in a light blanket of mist, which exudes an air of mystery.

Pretty enchanting, isn't it? Rain or shine, this is one park that I'll be sure to revisit. The next time I head there, I am going to lie on the grass with outstretched arms and a picnic basket full of goodies. :)

Dress from Argyle Centre, Hong Kong
Bag from Forever New
Floral hairclip from Alannah Hill

My Favourite Asian food in Sydney

Today's post is dedicated to Asian food in Sydney. It's so hard not to turn into a glutton when good food is everywhere. Good things ought to be shared, so I thought I'll share some of my favourite restaurants for Asian food in Sydney!

1) Malabar

I never used to be a fan of South Indian food, but coming here changed everything. Malabar was mentioned in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012 and is famous for its spectacular dosai. The butter chicken and beef vindaloo curries are fantastic too!

-Malabar-

334 Pacific Highway

Crows Nest

NSW 2065

T: (02) 9906 7343

(02) 9438 4207 (Take away only)

F: (02) 9332 3745

2) Toraya

I've a soft spot for Japanese food and the sashimi here is one of the best I've tried. The teriyaki chicken set is another of my favourites. Grilled to perfection in delicious teriyaki sauce and just a hint of sesame, the crisp chicken skin tantalizes your taste buds and prepares you for the inviting, tender chicken flesh wrapped within. Superbly yummy.

-Toraya Japanese Restaurant-

Shop 212/214, Level 2,
Mandarin Shopping Centre
65 Albert Ave., Chatswood NSW 2067

TEL: (02) 9884 9620

3) My Selection Cafe - Vietnamese

I was wowed by the authenticity and affordability of the Vietnamese dishes at My Selection Cafe. The soup base is absolutely to die for and the beef is succulent and tender. Plus, it's located in the heart of the city and is just a stone's throw from Wynyard station. ;)

-My Selection Cafe-

Hunter Connection
Basement, Shop 8, 7-13 Hunter Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 0439 998 276

4) Sailors Thai

I went to the branch at The Rocks on Valentine's Day. The Pad Thai and Green Curry Chicken are sumptuous!

-Sailors Thai-

106 George Street, The Rocks
Bookings: 02 9251 2466

5) ZenQ

ZenQ hails from Taiwan and offers a wide variety of Taiwanese desserts. I especially love the Snow Ice because it melts in your mouth instantly. My favourites are the green tea and mango ones. :)

-ZenQ Desserts-

Shop 223, Chatswood Westfield (entrance via Victoria Ave)
Chatswood Sydney
Tel - 02 9411 6882

Of Autumn Colours and Advertorials

Here's a typical outfit that I put on when the weather is slightly chilly. I love autumn colours like mustard and teal, but just as autumn is around the corner, I'm about to return to sunny Singapore in a couple of days. I'm so going to miss my hubby, aunts, uncles and not forgetting the glorious food here. I'm immensely grateful to my aunts and uncles for taking us around and helping us to settle in. Through them, we were also introduced to the various types of cuisine in Oz and everything has been so finger-licking good, it is no wonder that our appetites have increased along with our waistlines.

The ingredients here are so fresh and even vegetables like baby bak choy taste divine without any condiments. I know, I know, I sound so incredibly domesticated and "auntie" after staying in here for barely a month! 

I'll be back in Singapore for the next 2 months, so if you're interested in advertorials (especially if you would like the photos to be taken in Australia) do drop me a note at regina.chow@gmail.com. 

Mustard knit top and Teal pinafore from Dip Drops

Brown over the knee socks from Topshop

Black wedges from Clementi Mall

Beaded hairpin from Alannah Hill

Featured: Trendencias belleza

Just found out that one of my outfits taken in Prague was featured in Trendencias belleza, alongside popular Lookbook nu bloggers such as Elle Ribera and Zoe S. Many thanks to Carolina L. for the feature!

The article is entirely in Spanish, which is beyond me, but I do know that the post is about bloggers' hair accessories, thanks to Google translator. 

In the short excerpt above, it was stated that my style resembles that of a baby doll and I usually use collars or hair accessories to accentuate my outfits. It ended with a question on whether I had too many bows in this particular outfit. (Not sure if the translation is accurate because the bulk of the translated text was in broken English, but this is the best I can do.)

What do you think? Whatever it is, I love my bows way too much! :P

Touch of Glamour with Club Couture

 

Dress from Club Couture

Necklace from F21

Beaded Hairclip from Alannah Hill

Club Couture never fails to impress with its collection of cocktail/evening dresses. The katy one shoulder dress for instance, comes in a subtle shade of shimmery gold which instantly adds a touch of glamour.

Stylish in every sense of the word, this dress is such a head-turner it's almost impossible to ignore.

  

You can either keep it simple or glam it up further with accessories. I personally like to use statement jewellery to accentuate a bare neckline. I also had on a beaded hairclip just to complete the look.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Manly Beach

We prayed for good weather the night before we planned our Manly beach outing, and thank goodness lady luck was shining on us! I can't begin to tell you how much I love the beaches in Australia. The sand is silky soft, the skies are such a gorgeous shade of turquoise blue and the waters here are just so sparkling clear. 

Don't even get me started on the bikini babes and surfer dudes. With eye candies sprinkled in  every corner of the beach, one really can't ask for more!

We chilled out at the beach for a while before heading indoors for some light bites. The baked scallops and bruschetta were divine. I mean seriously, I haven't tasted anything that isn't divine in Sydney. That only means I've been putting on weight, but I'm absolutely loving the whole experience!