Category Archives: Australia

Exploring Sydney’s South Coast

Posted on May 23, 2024 | Leave a comment

Hello everyone,

I’ve had the absolute pleasure of hosting my cousins visiting from the USA and Nepal. It’s been an exciting whirlwind, catching up after more than a decade, especially since we all live in different continents.

Watching my kids connect with my cousins was heartwarming. No matter how much you talk about family, it’s not until they meet in person that they truly realise they have relatives scattered all over the globe. As we get older, especially when living far from home, the value of family, culture, and community becomes even more precious.

One of the highlights of their visit was our road trip down the beautiful Sydney South Coast. Let me take you through our adventure!

Helensburg Temple

We kicked off our journey at the peaceful Helensburg Temple. I’ve written about this place before, and it never disappoints.

We entered this magnificent temple adorned with numerous Hindu idols. As we wandered through its sacred halls, we took time to pray and immerse ourselves in its tranquil atmosphere. The serenity you feel inside, with the soft murmur of prayers and the gentle waft of incense smoke, is truly on another level. The peaceful ambiance, enhanced by the rhythmic chanting and the soft glow of lamps, creates a profound sense of calm and spirituality that lingers long after you leave.

The vegetarian meals at their canteen are an absolute treat, and my cousins were equally impressed. We all left with full bellies and happy hearts, ready for the next leg of our trip.

Stanwell Tops

Our next stop was the stunning Stanwell Tops. This place is a real gem with its beautiful coastal, escarpment, and cliff views. The natural hills rising sharply from the coast to the escarpment, coupled with strong air currents, make Stanwell Tops a prime spot for hang gliding and paragliding. We snapped some fantastic photos and soaked in the panoramic views of the ocean, the escarpment, and the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge.

Grand Pacific Drive

After having some ice cream at Stanwell Tops, we hit the Grand Pacific Drive. This scenic route takes you through coastal rainforests and quaint seaside villages, and traverses along the iconic 665-metre Sea Cliff Bridge. The bridge itself is a marvel, snaking majestically over the Pacific waters. With the sun shining and the sky a brilliant blue, we couldn’t have asked for a better day to cruise along this stunning coastline.

Nan Tien Temple

Our final stop was the tranquil Nan Tien Temple in Berkeley, just 10 minutes south of Wollongong. This Buddhist temple complex is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and offers a wonderfully calm atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to unwind and reflect after a day of exploration.

The architecture of the temples is stunning, but there are also beautiful gardens and a museum to explore. The museum houses a 1,000-year-old wood carving that is so intricately carved, it’s hard to believe anyone had the patience to create it.

The ornate decorations inside the temple are breathtaking. The gardens are lovely. The gratitude bell by the Buddha on top of the hill is wonderful and offers a stunning view of the pagoda.

A Day to Remember

Overall, we had a fantastic day filled with laughter, great conversations, and some much-needed family bonding.

If you ever find yourself in Sydney, I highly recommend taking a day trip to the South Coast. It’s a brilliant way to experience the natural beauty and cultural richness of the region.

 And if you’ve visited any of these spots, I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Until next time, cheers!

M from Nepaliaustralian

XOXO

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Posted in Australia

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Glow Sydney 2024

Posted on May 21, 2024 | 2 comments

Having two little ones means that I’m always on the lookout for ways to keep them entertained, especially during winter when it’s cold and the days are as short. Luckily, we stumbled upon something spectacular last weekend – Glow at Sydney Zoo!

We’ve been eyeing this event for a few years now, but it always sells out quick. This year, we were smart cookies and snagged our tickets early during the pre-sale.

Glow at Sydney Zoo is a dazzling light show featuring a light walk, Ferris wheel, Glowy Golf, Vortex Tunnel, and heaps more. Even though the evening was a bit wet, it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit.

Our adventure began at the GLOW Zone in the car park, where the kids had an absolute blast playing the free Glow Golf. Next up, the mind-bending Vortex Tunnel – fun and a bit scary, we even went through twice because the kids couldn’t get enough! Then, it was time for some bump car madness, which had us all in stitches.

We snapped some pics at the Glow sign and wings, then took a well-deserved break with some coffee and scrumptious donuts.

From there, we headed into the Glow Light Walk. We were mesmerised by the giant fiery centrepiece, Ignite, and immersed ourselves in the symphony of dancing lights with the captivating Water Walk.

Of course, we had to snap a pic with the iconic Glow sign.

Next, we dove into the enchanting depths of the Aquarium After-Dark experience and explored the world’s largest Reptile & Nocturnal House, encountering hundreds of fascinating critters.
Seeing the zoo after dark was a whole different experience.

Our grand finale was the light-up see-saw area, where the kids had so much fun they didn’t want to leave.


All in all, we had an absolute blast of a time at Glow and I highly recommend it, especially for families with young kids.

Glow Details
Event Dates: 10 May – 1 June 2024
Location: 700 Great Western Highway, Eastern Creek
FREE parking

Cheers,

M from Nepaliaustralian

XOXO

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Posted in Australia, General

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Konichiwa Japan

Posted on September 26, 2018 | 2 comments

We booked our trip to Japan and Korea last year, more than 6 months in advance. I was really excited because I had always wanted to go to Japan and going to Korea was a bonus.

We did some research about Japan before booking the hotels. We quickly realised that hotels are quite expensive and small in Japan but we were still very excited to go.

We started telling Chhori about our holiday a few months in advance so she was so excited about it too. She would tell people and even her friends in Childcare that she will be going to Japan and Korea in such a cute voice.

Anyway finally the day came and we all packed and headed to the airport.

We flew Qantas and it was one of the best flights we have had. The service and food were both amazing and I am definitely going to fly with them more often.

We first flew from Sydney to Melbourne where we had a 3 hour stopover then 9 hours to Tokyo.

Chhori was amazing in the flight with no dramas. She ate her food and was busy watching Peppa pig on her tablet. She napped for a few hours and was fresh again before we landed.

It was evening when we landed in Tokyo and it was quite nice as we went from cold winter to nice warm summer.

After we collected our luggage, we went and got a sim card and tickets to the bus. The hotel was a bit away from the city so it was cheaper to catch a bus from the airport and then a cab the rest of the way.

The hotel was great location with a metro station just next to it but the room was a bit small as we had known.

The bathroom was just enough to fit a bathtub, toilet and wash basin.

The toilet fascinated us with so many buttons. If you don’t know what I am talking about, just imagine a toilet with auto lid and seat where you can adjust the seat temperature. The toilet where you can use water to clean but it is all automatic with adjustable water temperature and multiple water outlet to spray your bottom. The toiles also had features like self-sterilizing nozzles, air deodorizer, adjustable water pressure, noise/music player, warm air dry, night light etc. to name some.

The toilets definitely kept us amused and it was fun to discover the different features while were in the loo.

That day we were too tired to do anything so we just ate dinner and went to bed.

We had an amazing time in Tokyo and I will post about all our experience in the coming post.

Till then take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO 

 

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Posted in Holidays, Japan, Travel

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Double Father’s Day Celebration

Posted on September 23, 2018 | 2 comments

As we celebrate both Nepali Father’s Day and Australian Father’s Day, we had a great time with both the celebrations.

For the Australian one, Chhori and I baked a cake and surprised AS with breakfast in bed.

Chhori helped me with cooking and baking and was over the moon with her cupcake.

With Nepali Father’s day, I prepared Sagun and Chhori followed the ritual with AS.

I am so proud to say that she is such a good girl that we don’t have to worry at all. All I have to do is instruct and she will do the process and enjoy the whole thing too.

Please click the link if you are interested in knowing more about the Nepali father’s day.

Hope all the fathers had a great time celebrating Father’s Day.

Happy Weekend everyone 🙂

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

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Posted in Australia, Celebrations, Nepali Culture, Nepali Festivals, Nepali food, Our daughter

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Saptapari in Sydney

Posted on September 21, 2018 | Leave a comment

Few Saturday ago, we went to watch the Saptapari with my girlfriends.

Saptapri means Seven angles and seven stars from Nepal had been invited for the show. The show was advertised as empowerment for woman and that is what attracted us to the show.

The seven angles were

  1. Shristi K.C – a motivational speaker who lost her vision while she was studying in grade 8.
  2. Nikita Chandak – Miss Nepal World 2017
  3. Alisha Rai – actor, model and dancer
  4. Bimisha Hamal – a radio jockey, model and actress
  5. Barsha Raut – actress and model
  6. Swastima Khadka – actress and a model.
  7. Rajina Rimal – a singer

They had Nepali Fashion designer Muku’s items on show as well.

The show started really well with a speech from Nepali ambassador to Australia Lucky Sherpa. I loved what she said.

Then it went to the scheduled program.

The first was dance but it was an Indian dance. We all looked at each other and went what the hell. The performer was good but that was not the point.

Anyway, the second act was a Nepali group dance and it was great. We didn’t understand why the organiser found the need to have an Indian dance as the start of the program is beyond my understanding. I’d have preferred to have the Nepali dance as the first act.

Then there was the first round of fashion show. It started with the local models and continued with the artists from Nepal. The first went for too long but I have to mention Shritst K.C who also walked the ramp which out assistance. It takes lots of courage to make sure you can do it without sight.

It was followed by a speech by Nikita Chandak. I will say it was ok but not as exceptional as I was hoping it would be. I really admire her but her speech was not as I hoped for.

It was followed by a dance by Alisha Rai, Binisha Hamal, Swastima Khadka and Barsha Raut.

They were all good but I applauded the energy we can feel when Barsha Raut was dancing.

Up next was Rajina Rimal. I didn’t know her as a singer but I have heard her songs. I loved her voice and I became a fan after the show. She was so good with the crowd and I loved the way she performed.

Definitely the highlight of the show was Shristi K.C, her inspirational speech and her amazing dance.

The program ended with another too long fashion show.

Overall, we loved the idea of a show with woman empowerment but I think the show didn’t go as per the title. There was not much about women’s empowerment apart from few speeches.

It would have been great if all the Saptapari from Nepal had spoken about how they are progressing in their life. Really, we were there to listen from inspirational women, not only to see them dance or sing. It could be any other show if it was only for dancing and singing.

Definitely, the fashion show could have been shortened as not only us, everyone around us were bored seeing the same models walking up and down the ramp so many times.

We would have also liked a good introduction of the Fashion designer, Muku and a speech from her.

Anyway we had an OK night and went to have hotpot dinner afterward.

Take care ,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO 

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Posted in Australia

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