From Melbourne to Adelaide

We're in Adelaide now. The hubby and I undertook the long drive from Melbourne to Adelaide on the 29th of December and arrived the next day. It was about 11.30 am when we started out from Melbourne and we arrived safe and sound nearly 20 hours later at our first son's home in Adelaide (which was the next day). The journey through the Great Ocean Road is supposed to take about 10 hours, maybe plus a couple of hours since we wanted to take our own sweet time and since we weren't used to the terrain and so on.. Of course we have the Garmin GPS gadget so we wouldn't lose our way and ended up somewhere else. However, the hubby was keen on detouring, trusting in his maps; Google or otherwise, making the poor Garmin gadget lady kept 'recalculating' countless times..! Here are some pics, illustrating our journey from Melbourne to Adelaide:

Leaving Melbourne on the freeway (yes, you got that right, FREE, as in no tolls yey!)

No, that's not Durian Road..

Ok.. we'll try not to sleep in our car, thank you

Wow,  a traffic jam (at first we thought there might be an accident but it was only because too many people wanting to spend their holidays at the seaside towns that the road get jammed)

OK Malaysian drivers, notice how the emergency lane is not filled with cars overtaking you from the left..?

And notice also that the biker in front of us has not left his position to overtake either from the left or right..

The hubby studying his map..

Admiring the blue blue ocean; SubhanAllah!

Bee..youtiful!

Interesting structure taking advantage of the ocean view to the maximum

Another seaside home, all glass..view must be incredible!

Let's hope this one is not as unstable as it looks..

Entering the Great Ocean Road

Lovely beaches

Reasonable traffic

Packed camping sites..

Leaving seaside route..

Admiring the rolling hills and fields

Farms along the way

Picture taken at the Gibson Steps

At the Twelve Apostles (nothing to do with prophets, just effects of erosion)

Explanation of phenomenon..

Three of the 'apostles' in the background

Farmland again

Time to fill 'er up; only over here you fill first and pay later..

Warrnambool says it all

Future owner of vast farmland and thousands of cows (insyAllah!)

Dusk.. SubhanAllah

Performing the Magrib and Isyak at about 3 am at a petrol station (really desperate situation as petrol stations which are open at night - for the restrooms, aren't many in these areas)

At 3 something am Adelaide is still quite a distance but after prayers we were more relaxed

Yey Alhamdulillah arrived at the son's home around 4 am!

Breakfast outside in the backyard (grand-dad and Ammar)

Daughter-in-law cooked fried noodle

Seems to be the best time to teach the first grandson, Umayr to climb trees (way to go hubby - after whole-night driving!)

Melbourne City Outings

Now that the hubby's here (he arrived around midnight 26 December), we spent yesterday and today going around Melbourne city on trams and.. legwork. From Sydney Road, it takes about half an hour journey to the city centre on the paid tram. And once there we walked and took the free city circle tram to see the sights. It's pretty easy once you've understood the map (which I fortunately leave that to the hubby.. I just say, "Where are we going now, dear? OK, let's get on the tram. Are we there, yet?"..) Here are some pics of our trips to the city:

The hubby intent on studying the map while waiting for the tram

The modern, shiny, spacious tram - a popular means of transport in Melbourne

Flashy and colourful, too. This is the paid tram - $3.80 for a 2-hour ride or $7 something for a day ride

Now this ancient and somewhat battered looking tram is the (free) City Circle..

Here's a green City Circle..

At certain times and locations you would be packed like sardines..but hey, it's free! I even managed to have a quick power nap in one of these trips..

This is inside a paying tram - very comfortable and spacious..

We went to Harbour Town, one of the places where the City Circle took us.

It's like a big shopping complex where at this time of the year, it's End of Year Clearance Sale!

Shoe sale..the daughter would go totally wild in here!

Now, these would drive her crazy.. because..

..it's her favourite brand! Cotton-On!

Harbour town

Melbourne City - it's amazing how they don't have traffic jam like in KL. Must be the trams..

I don't know why I post this picture, must be the hideously green, cloudy thingy on top of the building..

Hubby in front of Flinders St. Station

In the Conservatory at Fitzroy Garden - lovely flowers

In front of Captain Cook's Cottage, Fitzroy Garden

Melbourne Central

Me trying out the state-of-the-art directory in Melbourne Central

At last, found the place to eat - with a Malaysian touch (this outlet sells only halal food and no alcohol)

Ordered 'Catch of the day' (free meal because the son works here as manager. Well..he's paying anyway haha)

Now, tomorrow, we're going on a long trip - driving the 10 hours or so to Adelaide to see our eldest son and his family. We hope to have a safe journey, InsyAllah..