Epilogue

Andrew

Andrew's memorable quote:

The trip was totally awesome and comes with it a great sense of achievement and accomplishment. It started with bits of jittery with the driving around in an unknown territory (especially after coming to know Melbourne has this strange concept of turning right on left lane) and it sure doesn’t help that I have the worse sense of direction when reading maps for me is as good as reading a foreign novel. But soon, kudos to good navigation skills of everyone except me, we were able to zip through the city and attest to why Melbourne is such a popular spot attracting visitors from all over the world. Our burning enthusiasm rage was never once dimmed by the chilly temperature. Instead, we bravely confronted the climate (by wearing 4 layers of clothing) and truly enjoyed ourselves be it the street strolling or the magnificent walk through the Crown casino. This Aussie road trip with the guys sure is addictive enough to start planning for another overseas venture. Thanks guys for the wonderful experience. =) ~ Andrew

Andrew's memorable shot:

Little Penguins marching across the beach during sunset

One of the highlight of the trip is to look at penguins. It was with great disappointment that no shots are allowed. I did somehow managed to get a shot of the penguins (I swear I did not break the rule) and with their back facing the camera amidst the last light, one can’t help but feel this sense of calmness and tranquility.

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Daniel

Daniel's memorable quote:

Being the first overseas trip with a group of friends other than family, the trip was truly amazing. Melbourne was furthest from my mind when we started planning for the short getaway (think Bintan, Bangkok, Bali etc). Yet when we let our mind drift, we ended up at a far flung Melbourne. The tickets are expensive but it's well worth it.

Being the only one in the group who had been to Melbourne before, the trip is still enjoyable. It was planned as a road trip, and it turned out to be a road trip indeed. Much time was spent on the roads to carry us further away to Greater Melbourne regions, where we explored the chilly winds along Great Ocean Road, freezing breeze by the shore of Penguin Island, rustic woody charm along Dandenong drive, as well as the chaotic Melbourne city traffic. Hats off to the three excellent drivers -- I would definitely remember the steady rush to Queenscliff ferry, the top speed drive at 100km/h along winding roads along Great Ocean Road, as well as the Initial D night drive along Great Ocean Road as well. You definitely enjoy the front seat view when you have that privilege throughout the entire drive. It would have been perfect if I were given the chance to drive. Nevertheless it's still as enjoyable as the Chief Navigator (who else would have get the front seat all the way?). Plus, Australia maps are a pleasure to read!

I can testify to it that it's the group that make the trip so enjoyable. In fact, the trip was addictive that I look forward to more OZRT in years to come! ~ Daniel

Daniel's memorable shot:

Autumn tree in Yarrawood Estate

I especially like the hue and composition of the photo. The barren tree sits in the winery, breaking the the monotonous flat terrain otherwise occupied by rows and rows of yellowed grape vines. It lined the path of entrance of the winery. With its menacing barren branches that looked like evil witches, it seems to ward off intruders. A guardian of the grapevines.

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John

John's memorable quote:

Notwithstanding my first overseas trip with purely testesterone-driven specimens of the male species (not counting army training trips), I must say that I enjoyed the trip thoroughly! From the initial shock of the cold Melbourne chill which reaches into the inner folds of your thighs to the puke-inducing binging of pizzas, everything went well during the trip despite none of us having any prior OZ driving experience nor having bunked out together before!

I must add that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process, from the planning stage of conducting regular meetings to checking out maps in the National Library and Kinokuniya, from surfing online non-stop to borrowing tons of reading material from the NLB and assigning books to different members. The guys were gamely and we had the right mix from the start who were willing to help each other out and determined to enjoy the trip (though a bout of flu threatened to spoil it). Kudos!

Perhaps the only pity that I felt was that we didn't have sufficient time to finish the rude magazine explore the University of Melbourne campus which is reputed for its architecture and buildings. Also, though Andrew and Daniel tried to wrangle push me into one of the many strip joints, I am glad to say that it is not one of the things I will miss from Melbourne. Also, the feeling of prowling the streets at night looking out left and right for street thugs sure was definitely exciting and adrenaline-pumping stuff but looking back, it was certainly no trivial matter. Indeed though the trip was short, we had the privilege of exploring the underbelly of Melbourne; beneath the beautiful scenery and Victorian buildings lurks a dark side one usually would not experience.

Nonetheless it has been a real fun trip and I look forward to doing it again with the guys again (no alternative lifestyle pun intended). I look forward to planning and embarking on another foray into OZ with the guys again sometime soon (Sam, how?)! What's next, guys? :) ~ John

John's memorable shot:

Queen Victoria Market fruit stalls

I like the wide range of colours in this photo and it brings out the freshness of the fruits which had attracted a small queue. The picture tells a story of the weighing scale, the stall owner keeping the money carefully, the satisfied customer about to move away with the fruits in a bag and the next guy about to pounce on a couple of oranges. Add in the usual hustle and bustle of a wet market and the picture would be complete. Had only the lens been a wide one, more of the scene could have be captured (this problem will be eradicated by my recent capture of the Tamron 18-250mm lens).

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Paul

Paul's memorable quotes:

The trip was phenomenal. It was fun, enjoyable and with the company of you guys, it has certainly added some spice to our trip. The experience of driving in and around Melbourne city was especially memorable; not only because of the many wonderful scenes that emerge around us during the journey, but we are young and dangerous. Coupled with the excellent topography skills of our vehicle commander, we had fearlessly lived up to the challenge of overcoming the many kinds of obstacles (weather, time, road bends, traffic etc….) along the way. Taking a night stroll in chilling atmosphere in central Melbourne was truly satisfying. Melbourne city is gorgeous when night falls with all the dazzling orange lights that brighten up the city. Not only do Melbourne possess such sexiness in their city lights and buildings, but it is also a cosmopolitan city with people from diverse background around the world. In fact, we realised that Asians make up the majority of the population in Melbourne and ahemm…… and oh gosh, they are “beautiful” too.:) By the way, I have to give credit to Qantas of giving me the best apple that I have ever eaten on our return flight back home.. one bite and it totally blew my mind!

Oh yes, I would very much look forward to our next conquer. Good job guys! ~ Paul

Paul's memorable shot:

Traffic sign: Right turn from left only

My personal favourite photo has to be the traffic advisory signage. Not the best quality shot taken, but it really make us think out of the box and do the unthinkable. We then realised that the rationale for right turning cars to keep left at the junction is to give way to straight bound vehicles on your right lane. If you think driving in Melbourne is a breeze, think again. Uniquely Australia indeed.