South Island on Wheels: Oamaru

Click the link to see the summary of the trip!

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Oamaru is a beautiful old town with amazing architecture. It is also the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. The locally plentiful limestone (Oamaru stone) lent itself to carving and good designers, such as Thomas Forrester (1838-1907) and his son J.M. Forrester (1865–1965), and craftsmen utilized it. By the time of the depression of the 1880s Oamaru had become the "best built and most mortgaged town in Australasia"

Old building around Oamaru

If you look around Oamaru, you'd notice most, if not all, of its building are made from stone instead of  traditional wood as forests and trees were scarce and building with wood would cost more than taking the stones from the cliffs. Oamaru also used to be a port.

Oamaru Public Gardens

You'll feel the magic of Oamaru Public Gardens the moment you enter the classical main gates on Severn Street. Started in 1876, these gardens are a botanical expression of Oamaru's Victorian history. Spring is in the air, and you can smell it! Fresh flowers are blooming and different sections of the gardens boasts different themes. We did not wander far from the main gate because we were running out of time, but we visited a section named "Chinese Garden". They should rename it "Asian Garden" because there was a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Korean relics and flora. Perhaps the Botanists were confused and lump all Asian flowers and decor as "Chinese". It probably seemed all the same to them.

Nonetheless, I've never been able to catch Sakura in full bloom when I was in Japan or Korea, and I was in awe of the magnificent sight that stood before me. I've never seen so many pretty tulips and daisies and so many beautiful flowers all at once!

Singapore's weather is just too hot and humid to grow such flowers and the flowers we get from florists wilt within 2 days.

I love Spring!

Lunch: Fat Sally's

Address:  84 Thames St, Oamaru 9400
Tel: 03 434 8368
Website: http://www.fatsallys.co.nz/

We were buying small knick knacks from a cute little budget store selling souvenirs and Halloween decorations and we asked the kind lady where she'd recommend us for lunch.

Fat Sally's it was!

I ordered Fish & Chips and Gilbert ordered an open Steak Sandwich. No Regrets.The table next to us ordered some mains and we saw how large the portion was. We were actually discussing what we'd eat from the plate and how we'd pack the rest back.

My Fish & Chips came with 2 large slabs of crumbed fish, green salad with vinaigrette and tons of chips. Gilbert's sandwich came with a huge chunk of beef slab on soft and toasty bread, green salad and TONS of chips.

We obviously couldn't finish the chips. We packed the chips for later!

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

PENGUINS!

Address: Waterfront Rd, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-433 1195
Website:  www.penguins.co.nz/ 
Tour: $10 student rate for day-time behind the scenes tour

Our main intention of visiting Oamaru was for penguins! We stopped by Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony to try our luck to spot some. Apparently, it was still too early to see any. Penguins only come ashore during dusk, and they return out to sea at dawn. Think of penguins as human workers, they leave for work in the day and return home only at night.

We went on a day tour to see the penguins through a viewfinder. That was the only way to see any Blue Penguins during the day time. There were chicks and a female penguin sitting on an egg!

Yellow-eyed Penguin Colony

Yellow-eyed penguins

 Address: Bushy Beach Reserve
Fee: Free

Bushy Beach

Because we didn't see many Blue Penguins, we wanted to see more! Headed to Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve. Admission is free as you're not guaranteed to see any penguins. The outlook is perched up high on a cliff and you look down on the beach. At that time of the day, there were NO penguins and not even seals!

After about 15mins, we concluded that we were too early for their return and left. There were plenty of farms with sheep and cows to entertain us though!

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Read All About:

• Timaru
• Oamaru
• Hampden
• Dunedin
• Queenstown
• Lake Wanaka
• Fox Glacier
• Franz Josef
• Arthur's Pass

South Island on Wheels: Timaru

Click the link to see the summary of the trip!

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Spaceships Rental

Spaceship Beta 2S

Rental Dates:  13 October - 22 October 2014
Rental Rates: $64/day [Rent 10 days, pay only 8 days]
Insurance: All-inclusive $30/day
Add on: Table & Chairs ($50), Gas Canister ($12), GPS ($5/day) & Mains Plug ($40)
Website: http://www.spaceshipsrentals.co.nz/


We finally reached the Spaceship depot and met our companion, Banthas (named after the big elephant in Star Wars), for the next 10 days! All of Spaceship's vehicles are aptly named like Agent Smith for one.

This was our bedroom, our car, our kitchen, our storage area, everything for 10 days. The only thing lacking was probably a shower.

beautiful sky

Our initial plan was to stay one night in Christchurch to catch up on sleep and jet lag and drive to Dunedin the next day. However, we were so excited, felt well rested and didn't want to drive for 4 hours the next day, so we drove to Timaru (1.5 hours) to break the journey.

That was a good idea because we could now spend more time in Oamaru and didn't have to race with sunset.

Glenmark Holiday Park Timaru

Address: 30 Beaconsfield Road, Rd 2, Timaru, NZ
Tel: (03) 684 3682
Website: www.timarumotorcamp.co.nz
Rate: $30 for 2 pax for power site

We finally arrived at the little habour town of Timaru. It was close to sunset and we were exhausted from the flight, the many pit stops along the way for coffee, photo taking and enjoying of the crisp cool air.

Road tripping! #NataBertinNZ #timaru #nofilter #newzealand

A photo posted by Natasha Lim (@natatatasha) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:48pm PDT

It has a clean kitchen, spacious camp ground, playground, clean shower facilities and TV lounge! The only thing that irked me was that there was a separate tap for hot and cold water at the sinks. Little did I know, this would be the start of many sinks with such taps to come! It was you either scald yourself or freeze your hand off.

After a nice shower, I still felt like the weather was still cool enough to wear shorts. I must either be stupid or trying to be a hero. I cooked dinner in shorts and I went to bed in just my shorts and t-shirt thinking the car would block out the wind and the comforter thick enough to keep me nice and warm.

I woke up in the middle of the night and woke Gilbert up with a trembling hand. He was smart to have worn his long pants and jacket. He suggested putting on my jeans and gloves and used a sheet which we just tossed a side to layer the blankets.

I just fell right back to sleep.

At that point, I regretted having the initial regret of bringing all my thermal wear.You have no idea how thankful I was for all my warm clothes.

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Read All About:

• Timaru
• Oamaru
• Hampden
• Dunedin
• Queenstown
• Lake Wanaka
• Fox Glacier
• Franz Josef
• Arthur's Pass

South Island on Wheels: Crisis

Click the link to see the summary of the trip!

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I booked our tickets on Sky scanner for S$1108. The flight was sold as a China Eastern Flight, but was coach shared and operated by Qantas for our flight from Singapore to Melbourne. Transiting in Melbourne, we took Air New Zealand to Christchurch.

Crisis #1
There was a lot of commotion at the airport when we were trying to check in for our flight. I understood that since I booked with an OTA for my flight, and that both Qantas and Air New Zealand were not part of an alliance group, I had a good chance that my luggage may very well have a problem reaching my final destination. That being said, it also meant that I may have to go through immigration at Melbourne, collect my luggages and recheck-in for my Air New Zealand flight. Which meant that I had to get a Visa for Australia.

Keep in mind that I have never experienced something like this before as I've also transited with the same airline company.

I didn't want to pay AUD$20 for a Visa that I wouldn't need. So, Gilbert and I got our dusty backpacks out from the store and decided to just hand carry all our stuff up the plane. No lost luggage, no Visa, no trouble.

Right?

Wrong!

Because I flew with difference airlines and that my itinerary was not a through itinerary to New Zealand, the system refused to allow the counter staff check us in, because in the system "eyes", our final destination is Melbourne and we didn't get Visas. We spent a while discussing with the Indian Qantas Gentleman Agent that our ultimate destination was New Zealand and if he could just combine our itineraries to reflect that. He refused and just asked us to purchase our Visas over the counter for S$70!! We stood there gaping at him while he threw our passports back at us.

I started a panic a little.

We moved to the side and another Qantas lady overheard our heated discussion and plight and advised us to just buy the Visa online on the Australia's Immigration Website for AUD $20. This kind angel even gave us the website to go and told us that being Singaporean, it's an auto approval, so not to worry us. While we were frantically trying to purchase our Visas on our mobile phones, her colleague and her were discussing how they could have added our itineraries together to reflect our ultimate destination (it can't be done in the end).

I really have to thank these 2 ladies who helped us out. Even though we purchased the bloody Visa in the end, they really tried their best to help us in every way they could think of. They could have just shrugged us aside like the Indian Gentleman, but they didn't. So, thank you. The world need more people like you two angels.

We eventually got on the flight on our way to Melbourne...

Crisis #2

After two awesome meals and several movies on board Qantas QF36, we finally reached Melbourne! Being a first world English speaking country, we'd expect transiting in Melbourne International Airport to be a breeze.

After disembarking, we followed the signs of "International Transit" to this quiet corridor and the walls were made of sturdy cardboard. Similar to temporary walls you'd find here on the streets of Singapore when there's construction/renovation taking place. I'm not kidding.

At the end of the corridor, there was a bag scanner and out we came into the departure lounge. At this point, we have not received our tickets for our Air New Zealand flight and were combing the whole departure lounge with 10kg on our backs for a transfer desk. We couldn't find one. We started looking then for an information desk. We also couldn't find one.

We were so tired and frustrated that after all we've been through in Singapore, we just wanted to relax and just wait for our next flight. We eventually saw an open gate with Airport staff and Gilbert went to ask them for assistance. They told us that we could just check in at our gate and receive a boarding pass there.

Come on, first world country with no transfer information desk? Seriously?

Or it might be the fact that we're so spoilt with Singapore Changi Airport's world class infrastructure and every 10 mins you'd see a help desk. We're not #1 for nothing!

Crisis #3

Finally we're in Christchurch, New Zealand! It was about 3pm and we wanted to collect our car, put everything down and start our epic journey.

Stepping past immigration, I felt a sense of freedom. I was looking forward to all the open fields, beautiful mountains and millions of sheep! I was leaving behind all the stress of everyday operation of work and the false appearance I have to put up to all the guests everyday. I was truly free! For the next 10 days at least.

We did not plan anything at all for this trip. We just booked our flights and our car and decided which cities/towns/village we wanted to visit. We never expected nor plan to do all the activities we eventually did, nor did we expect ourselves to be so spontaneous as well. It was so refreshing!

Well, I knew the Spaceship (the rental company we rented with) depot  was close to the airport, but not close enough to walk. Plus, the weather was HOT HOT HOT. At that point, I regretted bringing all my inner-wear and heatec clothes. (I eventually regretted having that thought)

We decided to just take a taxi to the depot, I mean how much could it cost right? Well, the depot was so near that that taxi drivers refused to send us! We eventually asked the elderly lady at the help desk (Hallelujah!) for help. She told us to call the depot for assistance because she wasn't very familiar with Spaceship rentals.

Payphones at the airport costs $0.50 per minute/call.

After several tries, Lisa from the depot told us to catch Super Shuttles (basically a van with a cargo wagon attached to it) from another exit. They would pay for that transfer.

Finally, we're on our way!

-------------------------------

Read All About:

• Timaru
• Oamaru
• Hampden
• Dunedin
• Queenstown
• Lake Wanaka
• Fox Glacier
• Franz Josef
• Arthur's Pass

To my best travel buddy

You're outdoorsy. I'm a city gal.

You climb mountains. I take the lift. 

You built tents. I cook the food.

You make friends easily. I'm so shy. 

What will I do without you? I'd get lost, I'll be cold, I'll most probably get eaten.

You're my best travel buddy and thanks to you, I've climb my first mountain (although to you it's just a very small one), I went diving, I went on a helicopter, I went Bungy jumping, I went skydiving, and the list goes on. 

You encouraged me, held my hand and wiped my tears when I was afraid I'd get swept away by the river. Then you gave me a cookie and told me I was the bravest girl you ever knew. 

I know I'm not that brave. It took me many attempts to jump of the ledge. 

But.. 

What will you do without me? You'd forget things, you'll have crisis after crisis because you won't think about it until it happens or you'll burn all your food. 

We complement each other, and I'm so thankful for you each and every day. So this post to dedicated to you, my favourite travel buddy. 

Here is to you, more laughter and adventures to come.  

Happy birthday my love. Hope you had a blast in New Zealand. 

10 Ways to have a wallet-friendly vacation

Summer is here! It's time to travel, see the world and learn so much about this Earth and yourself! So many places to go, so little money though! Let's be real, we're not Paris Hilton and do not have an international hotel chain our dear Grandpops owns and stay at anytime we want. Here's how you can travel and still be kind to your wallet.

1. RESEARCH

It is always important to do your research properly. Do not book the first airline you come across or the first hotel you like. Compare prices across all online platforms and even with the airline/hotel directly because sometimes hotels offer a lower rate as compared to an Online Travel Agent (OTA) and are also flexible with your reservation (i.e. You need to cancel or postpone your trip due to unforeseen circumstances).

Read reviews on Tripadvisor and get feedback from friends who have visited the destination/hotel. The website may look lovely and really posh for the price you're paying, but in actual fact it's all Photoshoped.

2. CREATE A SPECIFIC BUDGET PLAN

I created this budget plan for my own personal use about two years ago when I wanted to keep track of my travel expenses. Being a poor student, every single cent counts. Give yourself a cushion of 10% to fall back on in times of emergency.

3. PLAN EARLY

Planning, NOT booking, in advance is always good. Give it room to be flexible and change. If you intend to embark on a big/expensive trip, plan from 4 months to a year in advance. This gives you enough time to find the right deal, the right destination and also to save for the trip.

4. SAVING

Once you've budgeted the rough estimate of your trip, start saving! I never liked the idea of dipping into your savings account (meant for education/rent/retirement), and created a new bank account solely for my travels.

Once I've settled on an amount, I will take a look at the time frame I have to save and divide it equally by the number of months I have to save.

For example, I will be travelling to New Zealand in October for a 10 day trip. My budget is $2,500 and I started planning (or rather, thinking about it) in January. Thus, I need to save $250 each month for my trip.

Next, ask yourself if the monthly amount is comfortable for you? If it's not, are you able to lower the budget (doing lesser activities or having a shorter trip) or are you able to move the trip to the following months to give you more time to save.

5. BOOKING AT THE RIGHT TIME

There is always a right time for everything. According to travel gurus:

• Book between 6 to 8 weeks in advance to get the best deal on international travel
• Book between 9-12 months in advance if you plan to visit a tourist hotspot during a “peak” holiday period (prime example: New York during Christmas/New Year’s Day)
• Book on a Tuesday or Wednesday at 1am due to airlines reloading their booking systems with the latest low-cost fares

Also be flexible with your travel dates. Try not to travel on the weekends because that’s when tickets can really jump in price.The difference a day or two make can equate to hundreds of dollars.

6. PACKING

Packing light allows you to hand carry your luggages and save money on buying check-in luggage. Budget airlines tend to charge check-in baggage separately. Toiletries tend to be the heaviest in the luggage and I will usually just buy it once I've landed at my destination at the nearest convenience store.

Wear your heaviest clothes to the plane like jackets, shoes and hats that would just weigh down your backpack.Checking in your luggages also increases the chance of your luggage getting delayed or missing too!

7. TRAVEL DURING OFF SEASONS

I always like to travel during off seasons if I can. There's lesser tourists and everything is just cheaper! Of course, there's a reason for it being off seasons. Is the weather rainy? Is it cold? All those factors actually play a big part, and if you're ok with that, you're set to go!

We visited Pulau Redang in March this year. Pulau Redang is usually closed (yes, the entire island) from October to February due to the Monsoon Season and will generally open from March onward. Peak Season is between May - July. When Redang opens once again in March, the island's experiencing the tail end of the rainy Monsoon Season and prices for accommodations are generally low. About 20-30% cheaper, and the accommodation prices usually includes full board meals! We were thankful that it didn't rain at all during our weekend there.

8. STAYING WITH FRIENDS/FAMILY (or you can couch surf)

Why not? It's free!

Always ask for permission before hand and it is always better if you are able to find someone that you're once close to, but have drifted apart. Use this opportunity to catch up and you will even have a local guide in that destination.

Of course you may not have a relative in every country you visit. You can try couch surfing or even hostels. You are able to meet plenty of people from all walks of life, gain new friends and experiences and even share an itinerary together!

9. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Need I say more? Trains and buses are always cheaper than renting a car. You get to immerse in the local sights, sounds and culture and get to travel the way they do! Unless you're in Jeju and renting a car is already very cheap and there are hardly any buses around.

10.SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS

I know in Singapore, we have this Personal Data Protection Act in which consumers love, but I don't. I love signing up for newsletters and receiving junk mail. Of course, I have a separate email account set up specifically for this. Numerous times I've saved 10-20% off accommodation because the newsletters comes with discount codes. In May, our air tickets to Hong Kong was half price because it was 1 for 1! I wouldn't have known if I didn't register for the newsletter!

At the heart of everything.

Dorsett Mongkok Hotel, Hong Kong Review!

Address: 88 Tai Kok Tsui Rd, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3987 2288
Website: http://www.mongkok.dorsetthotels.com
Email: info.mongkok@dorsetthotels.com

Dates of Stay: 16 - 18 May
Category: Superior Room - 1 King Bed
Description: Measuring 210 square feet, this city-view guestroom offers 1 queen bed or 2 single beds with 300-thread-count linens. The room has high ceilings and a large window. The 26-inch flat-screen TV comes with cable/satellite channels. Wireless and wired Internet access is available (surcharge). Other conveniences include a coffee/tea maker, minibar, complimentary bottled water, and an in-room safe. Slippers are provided, too. The mosaic-tiled bathroom is outfitted with a refreshing rainfall showerhead. All rooms are nonsmoking.
Cost: HK$1,973.40 for 2 nights.

I know this is WAAAAAY over due, but because I have been so lazy busy, and I've had several trip since Hong Kong, and I'm finally down to writing this! >.<

We visited in May, in the sweltering heat of Hong Kong's Summer (heard from my friends who are working there that it just got hotter and even more humid). We stayed at Dorsett Mongkong which is centrally located (in my opinion). I've stayed there in the past when it was named Cosmo Hotel Mongkong during a school trip in University.

Although the hotel may not be located right next to the MTR station, nor near any major shopping malls, it was the best I could find along that particular MTR line and within my budget. Besides, the hotel provided shuttles buses to and from major places of interest like Ladies Market and Mongkok MTR Station.

I wanted to stay on the Tung Chung Line because we were arriving from Macau and will be transferring at Hong Kong Station, and subsequently, headed towards Disneyland where we stayed at Auberge Discovery Bay Hotel.

Before checking in, I emailed the hotel to request for a nice view and a high floor if possible. They complied and the view from the room is fantastic! We stayed on the 18th floor and despite the room being rather small, there's a full length window allowing natural light to enter the room. There's also a ledge in front of the window to allow you to place your luggage, or in our case, just sit there and enjoy the view.

Washroom

As I've mentioned before, the room is really really small, and fitting in a luxurious bathroom is definitely not as option. I remember watching a drama on television when I was younger, and Lydia Sum, a famous paunchy Hong Kong actress, saying that the houses/rooms in Hong Kong were so small, she has to remove her clothes before going into the toilet to shower. That phrase was stuck in my head when I entered the washroom. I'm not complaining though, I know all washrooms in the city are about this size. At least the washroom was cosy and clean and I had enough space to place all my toiletries in and have a shower.

The fridge/minibar is located just outside the washroom, and I must stay that all the empty spaces around the room. is actually allocated a necessary item or furniture.

Bedroom

 There's a comfy double bed located right smack in the middle of the room. I also love how the natural light is able to enter and fill up the room. You also have the option of bringing the blinds down should the sun be too bright or if you want some privacy. Personally, our room was almost to the top most level of the building and there's no other tall buildings around us to invade our privacy, we just left the blinds up and bask in the warmth. It would be a waste not to.

Yes, you guessed it, that's the measly wardrobe. Not like we're hanging up anything though. Besides, there were pull out drawers with enough space to put all your stuff.

The writing desk is just located next to the window, allowing natural light to enter the room and giving you enough light to do your work. I believe this hotel, after all is a business hotel.

Placed on the writing desk is this Handy device which is very similar to an iTouch. It is a handhelf device which you can bring out and it comes with internet connection! Thus, you don't need to pay for WiFi in the room because you can use the Handy as a Wireless Hotspot and just connect your mobile phone to it.

It is also loaded with information of all the attractions around Hong Kong, it has Google Maps and thus we never got lost, and we're even able to make FREE calls to Singapore. This was probably the best thing that came with the room.

Overall

The staff were friendly and helped us whenever possible, and like I mentioned before, we were located on a really high level. At times, there were so much human traffic going up and down the lifts, it just took forever for us to get in the lift, or for the lift to come to our floor.

Otherwise, the location is good, the room is clean though small, and the bed is comfy. There are a plethora of Cha Chan Tings and convenience stores located around the hotel, so you'll never be hungry in the middle of the night. I had so much to eat I even got a bad stomach ache on the 2nd night, G just went down to 7-11 to buy stomach ache pills for me.

40 Tourist Scams to Avoid This Summer

We all love to travel, and it sucks when you've been cheated, robbed or scammed. You are unable to enjoy your holiday, you're stressed out, and all you think about is the lost wallet. So here are some scams that are infamous around tourist attractions all around the world. 

This post was originally taken from Imgur. Thought I should share it with the world!