The Snacks of My Life

An official opening of my new travel + pictures blog, pls leave comments and advice.
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The Snacks of My Life

BIG PLAN and a Great success!!! :)

Here is the whole plan and SOME New CHanges we had for the whole South Island Tour for 10 ppl.....
I am still amazed on the plan done by Nooi Hoay and I, without it....Noone can imagine how hard/complicated to organise a tour for 10 ppl in the quickest and cheapest way.

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New Zealand
South Island Tour

Date: 15 June 2009 (Mon) – 24 June 2009 (Wed)
Season: Winter
Average temperature: ≈ -5˚C – 8˚C
Time Zone: GMT +12 (2 hours ahead of Melbourne time)

15 June 2009 (Mon)
Departure: 5.50 p.m. Melbourne – Tullamarine Airport
Christchurch
Arrival time: 23:05

Accommodation: Christchurch - Admiral Motel NZ$25.50 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.admiralmotel.co.nz/accommodation.html

16 June 2009 (Tue)
Hang Gliding arrangement: Call 0800 PARAGLIDE (0800 727245)!!
Bungy call 0800 286 495!!!
Travel to GREYMOUTH
Christchurch – Hanmer Springs – Punaikaki- GreyMouth
133km(1:46) – 261km(3:17)- 45km(0:37)
Hanmer Spring
Adult Single Entry
NZ$15 each ( NZ$ 12 concession with 10adults)
More information: http://www.hanmersprings.co.nz/thermal/pricing/

Optional route
via highway 73 to Arthur Pass visiting the Cave Stream scenic reserve.

Punakaiki (Westcoast)
Pancake rocks and Blowholes
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/paparoa/

Accommodation: Greymouth - Noah's Ark Backpackers NZ$23 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.noahs.co.nz/

17 June 2009 (Wed)
Travel from Greymouth to Fox Glacier - 196 km – about 2 hours 40 mins
Glacier walk
Half-day walk
NZ$89 each
Duration: 4 hours (45 minutes well-graded uphill)
Available time: 8.35 a.m. and 1.35 p.m. [CONFIRMED- PAID]

More information: http://www.foxguides.co.nz/halfdaywalk.asp


Glow Worm Forest Walk
More information:
1. Fox Glacier
http://www.weblognz.com/20030422003448621.htm

Accommodation: Fox Glacier - Rainforest Motel NZ$34 [CONFIRMED]

18 June 2009 (thu)
Sunrise at Mirror Lake (Lake Matheson)
Travel from Fox Glacier to Queenstown - 625 km – about 6+ hours

On the way:
Sight seeing
Fox Glacier to Haast – Bruce Bay, Salmon Farm Café, Knights Point Lookout
Haast to Wanaka- Thunder Falls, Haast pass, Makaroa river, Lake Hawea

Accommodation: Queenstown - Earnslaw Lodge NZ$40 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.earnslawlodge.co.nz/accommodation/

19 June 2009 (Fri)
Queenstown
Gondola & Luge
More information: http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/gondola/

Bungy jumping (30 minutes drive OR 2.5 hours if using AJ Hackett Bungy transport)
Kawarau Bridge Bungy
NZ$165 each (including T-shirt & transport)
43 metres high
Water touch option
More information: http://www.bungy.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/189

OR

Hang gliding (tandem)
3800 ft
NZ$195 each (early bird NZ$185)
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
OR
5400 ft (WINTER only)
NZ$235 each (early bird NZ$215)
Duration: 2 hours
More information: http://www.extremeair.co.nz/Main/hang_gliding_tandems.htm


20 June 2009 (Sat)

Sight-seeing at Skifield! http://www.nzski.com/
Sightseeing (9am - 4pm, one return ride, no skis or boards) Conditions Permitting
Pass Type Coronet Peak The Remarkables Mt Hutt
Adult $15 $15 $15
Starter pack at Coronet peak= 128 + 18 (jackets & pants) + 4 (equipment insurance) + 6 (gloves) + 10 (transport) = NZ$166
Queenstown Snow Centre
Ground Level The Station Building
Cnr Camp and Shotover Streets (across from the Sofitel)
Queenstown
P: +64 3 442 4640

Accommodation: Queenstown - Earnslaw Lodge NZ$40 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.earnslawlodge.co.nz/accommodation/

21 June 2009 (Sun)
Deer Park Safari ( NZD20 per car)
(Lord of the rings, Lake Wanaka, view of Mt Remarkable)


Accommodation: Queenstown - Earnslaw Lodge NZ$40 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.earnslawlodge.co.nz/accommodation/

Travel from Queenstown to Te Anau - 171 km – about 2hr 15 min

Accommodation: Te Anau - Te Anau Backpackers NZ$28 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.teanaubackpackers.co.nz/backpackers/TeAnauLakefrontBackPackers

22 June 2009 (Mon)
Travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound - 117 km – about 1 hour 25 mins
Guide on driving to milford: http://www.transit.govt.nz/content_files/news/Milford-Sound-Brochure.pdf
Fiordland National Park
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/scenic-highlights/national-parks-marine-reserves/scenic-highlight-details.cfm/businessid/69836/highlightcategoryid/9/startrow/18/endrow/0/seed/111108.html

Nature cruise + Underwater observation deck
NZ$87.00 + NZ$ 28 (x7) each (depends on time) [CONFIRMED - PAID]
Duration: 2 hours
Available time: 12.55 p.m.
More information: http://www.realjourneys.co.nz/Main/MilfordSound/

Accommodation: Te Anau - Te Anau Backpackers NZ$28 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.teanaubackpackers.co.nz/backpackers/TeAnauLakefrontBackPackers

23 June 2009 (Tue)
Travel from Te Anau to Dunedin - 290 km – about 3 hours 54 mins
Visit Cadbury Chocolate Factory 12pm- booking required NZD16 (student price)
More information: http://www.cadburyworld.co.nz/visit.html

Visit the steepest street in the world Baldwin Street. Located in Dunedin's North East Valley suburb. According to the Guinness Book of Records it is the steepest street in the world.
More information: http://wikitravel.org/en/Dunedin

Otago Peninsula: Penguins, Seals, albatross

Accommodation:
Oamaru - Chillawhile Backpackers & Art Gallery NZ$25 X 5 [CONFIRMED]
http://www.chillawhile.co.nz/index.htm

Air New Zealand (KX3L5H) NZ$112.50
Departure: 7.00 p.m.
Arrival: 7.55 p.m.
Accommodation:
Christchurch - Admiral Motel NZ$33.00
http://www.admiralmotel.co.nz/accommodation.html

24 June 2009 (Wed)
Drive back from Oamaru to Christchurch - 242 km – about 3 hours 28 mins
http://www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz/penguins/distribution.html
http://www.bugpacific.com/destinations/oamaru.html
Flight Departure: 15.25 p.m.

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Copyright reserved.

Post-NZ trip syndrome

I am back from New Zealand South Island after a 10 days trip...and I am suffering from POST-NZ TRIP SYNDROME...

Definition: Mental depression after the trip to NZ south island when the 'heart' is still in NZ after the trip

Symptoms:
1. Vital exhaustion
2. Daytime sleepiness
3. Loss of Motivation to do anything
4. Spending all the time refreshing back to the trip
5. Looking at the pictures again and again
6. Dreaming of NZ in the sleep

Investigations:
1. History
2. Mini Mental State survey
3. Examination

Managements:
1. Rule-out RED-flags
2. Keep in for observation
3. If symptoms persists/worsen...PLEASE sponsor to visit NZ again!!!


Here is one of the best photos...

Happy Holidayssss

Finally it’s holiday!!! A much-anticipated holiday after an 18 week semester, I really felt that it's been really long and draggy....Cant imagine that we have no mid-sem break in the next semester,have to go through the whole 18week again!!!

Anyway, holiday time!!! These 4 weeks are the much-needed respite, as my friends and I will be on a 10 day trip to New Zealand, or should I say it’s a 9 day trip--minus half of today for flying!!! After a tedious planning with NH, now it’s the time to enjoy!!! I have ady gotten all my memory cards for a photography shooting madness. I wonder how many pictures will we take with at least 6 cameras among 10 of us! STOP daydreaming about NZ, I should get ready soon, cook lunch and finish the perishables in the fridge...and do my final packing!!



Hopefully this trip will be a very memorable one provided that
1. Swine flu swine flu GO AWAY!!! (since it’s sooo rampant in Melbourne right now!)

2. Everyone enjoy this trip...if not, maybe next time there won’t be a BIG group trip anymore :)


Everyone!!
For those who are still studying for exams, Good LUCK and All the BEST!!
For those having birthdays from tmr to 24 June (Yi Theng, YiJia, Matthew Gibney, YI CHin, Jenn Wei, Hash, Hui Chai, Zi Xiang/Daryl , Wei Yoke, Tian Xin and Han Yuen)----- Happy Birthday and hope all your dreams come true!!

Michael Wong!! U did it again...love this song so much..

Autumn iN Yarra Valley

Autumn is the best time to visit Yarra Valley for the golden autumn scenery.
Here are the photos : (click on the photo to view the full size.






more photos on : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109812&id=503833486&l=d1e042dd6e

what a day...

It’s Friday, it’s a relief that the weekend was near, every one of us might be thinking of getting an early off.

While I was staying in the hospital around with the Med B team in the morning for the ward round, suddenly a patient of ours had a Med Call as the oxygen Sat was just 50% under RA and unresponsive!!! The patient was a morbidly obese, and the resuscitation was taking quite a big effort especially in getting the iv line into the veins for the ABG, blood testing and also iv infusion of medication. The patient Sat return to 100% with the manual hand mask, what a dramatic recovery!! And the Sat maintained at around 95% under 3L oxygen. The differential diagnosis of the low Sat was probably due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnoea), that caused the obstruction of the airways, and eventually lower the saturation of the oxygen in the blood. In the progress, the ICU doctors were actually around to assist. It’s the first time I witness an ABG procedure done. Yeah, another great learning chance, although it’s not the first Med calls I witnessed, it’s just the first one I got more involved in as I knew the patient as well!

I went out a while to bring my dear gf to see GP for her neck stiffness and pain. Yeah, finally we found a good GP in Dandenong area with the cover of the health insurance!! The GP was so caring and kind, in addition the GP clinic was just 5 min drive away from my house!! Next time I guess I won’t be visiting another GP in Dandenong West, who seems like didn’t know much..LOL…


pictures taken from abc.net.au

In the afternoon, due to the business of the team, they’re still having a never-ending ward round. And that’s time I got the opportunity to admit a patient from ED!! It’s so cool, to have the chance to take history and examine the patient in ED! The patient came in with shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhoea for a month. The patient had a friend who was originated from Singapore in ED. It’s another great experience for me to understand the procedure of the hospital care, and also the responsibility of the medical team. While I was talking to the nurse about the patient, suddenly I heard the camera shuttle sound! The patient actually took a photo of mine with the friend without my consent and taking it while I didn’t realise!!! ……. I was speechless, should I stop them, or just felt proud that the patient wanted my photo?!?!

What a day…
I really enjoy hospital life :)