Australia Working Trip (part 5)

From Gold Coast, we move up to Eumundi Sunshine Coast for a quick stop at Eumundi Brewery before heading to Noosa, where we stayed in the luxury 5 star Peppers Noosa Resort & Villas.. We all got a villa room! It was an amazing property just uphill of the Noosa main beach and I tell you, there's a great gelato stall at the corner, AUD8 for a scoop but it's well worth it..

Entrance to Eumundi Brewery

Fermentation tanks

Boiling tanks

The finished product

We were treated to different types of beer that Eumundi brews, along with a great great sumptuous lunch at the hotel..

Next is Peppers Noosa Resort and Villas!

Reception

Living room

Bedroom

Kitchen

Everything you need is right here!

Bathroom with DOUBLE shower heads, one on each wall!

Washer and dryer

Balcony overlooking into the forests

Courtyard

A bottle of wine, and some fresh fruits and cookies, complimentary of the hotel..

Our dinner was at Noosa Boathouse.. not many pictures since its more like a normal floating restaurant.. but the food is amazing...We arrive at the restaurant on on a Noosa Ferry cruise from Noosa Marina at Tewantin, the heritage heart of Noosa..

Dinner was sponsored and hosted by Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism Noosa, Queensland Australia.

Australia Working Trip (part 4)

After Corroboree Asia 2018 event, we were broken up into smaller groups, 26 groups, to tour around Australia.. I was grouped with the Singapore group and we left for Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay, up north from Brisbane..

It's a luxury route and a 5-star treatment all the way.. We stayed in some of the finest hotels along the route and was fed with great food, and VIP access into some places..

First stop was TopGolf.. It is a driving range located beside MovieWorld and owned by the same company.. We were treated to a round of golf lesson, and a buffet lunch spread.. It was my first time trying my hands at actual golf..

We were on the top level (of 3 stories) at one corner

Driving range

Different clubs for different distance

Now only I know there is difference in the club size and whether it's made of wood or metal handle, for men and for women, as there's difference to each one of it..

The ball will come out automatically when we hover the club over the sensor, and ready to take a shot here

And act macam... 

Ok la.. not bad score for a first timer trying my hand at golf... scoring mostly 80 metres hole..

After playing golf, we were treated to some fun time next door at MovieWorld.. each of us were presented with a cape.. and I chose Superman.. as we didn't have much time here (it's okay because I've been here before also on a free ticket), we left after about an hour and enough time to go on the Superman ride, totally recommended it..

Superman!

In the evening, we were treated to a 55 minutes ride sponsored by Paradise Jet Boating and each time the boat turns we would swing our arms out.. really, we expected to get a lot more wet but all we got were just mini splashes...

Paradise Jet Boating

At night, we headed out to NightQuarter for dinner.. it's an open area with hundreds of container stalls under large tents, with many kinds of food, performance, souvenirs etc.

Ticket costs AUD3 per adult and you'll be subjected to body and bag security checks upon entering with metal detactors.. Cameras are not allowed and must be deposited at the counter..

NightQuarter is the Gold Coast’s creative playground. Located in Helensvale, the market is divided into unique precincts featuring micro-restaurants, emerging fashion and unique live music spaces. Experience the intersection of food, community, and culture, with well-curated and diverse concepts from over 120 entrepreneurs, artisans and performers. 

Discover a moveable feast of mix-and-match eats from oysters to souvlaki, bao to the Australian meat pie. Queensland’s best purveyors have been hand-selected, with a curated mix of handmade crafts, emerging fashion, desserts and vintage collectables. With six distinctive bars, find cocktails, craft beers and local Queensland wine. 

NightQuarter has also re-invented The Backyard, with a custom wood-fired barbecue that uses only sustainable hinterland timber, capturing the quintessential smoky flavour of the Australian bush in grass fed steaks and Tasmanian salmon. Every weekend, find a line-up of the Gold Coast’s best emerging artists, travelling musicians and the country’s biggest touring acts. 

Open every Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, on Town Centre Drive in Helensvale (opposite the Helensvale train station). It is easy to access by road, train and Uber.

Australia Trip (Part 3)

So the main reason why I was in Gold Coast was actually for Corroboree Asia 2018.. It is an event organised and hosted by Tourism Australia, Singapore Airlines and Tourism and Events Queensland. About a hundred suppliers and operators from Queensland and Australia come together under one roof and paid good money to be there to meet with 296 Aussie Specialist agents from Asia..

CA18 was held in Gold Coast this year for 3 days, and in between that, 1 pre-day of Gold Coast familiarisation tour, and followed by a week of travelling around Australia where 296 people were split into about 20 groups..

I was put together with the Singapore group and we toured central Queensland, from Gold Coast to the north towards Hervey Bay before making our way back to Brisbane at the end of the tour..

This is probably the one trip I have been waiting all my 6 years plus working here.. Like I said, chances was always passed by me and I did not get the chance to go to any trips of this kind, if not for someone who had to give up their seat that I can get to go..

I have worked all my years here in Holiday Tours for trips like this.. now that I have had this opportunity, I made good use to it..

This is a mandatory shot at the entrance of Gold Coast Exhibition Centre

Some of the Malaysian delegation during coffee break

Malaysian delegation, one for the album

Malaysian delegation

Malaysian delegation

Models add to the atmosphere

With other Malaysians

I just had to have a picture with her, the marketing manager of Village Theme Parks who
coincidently sponsored my themepark tickets back in 2014 on my personal holiday

I like meerkats now hahaha

Dessert served during lunch

We binge drink whenever there's chance and time, even DURING the expo

One of the best people I work with, the marketing manager of Bunyip Tours Melbourne.
She sponsored some tours for me back in 2014 on my personal holiday, and 4 years later, we met for the first time in
Gold Coast and how lovely it is to meet after all these years doing business and forging the relationship.

I can say, it's personal relationship like this, that I can get things done with Australian operators that had it been other people, I really doubt if it would be so easy as I would have it.. Just one phone call to Australia it's all it takes..

My advise is: forge personal relationships with people you deal with, so that one day you need help, they will remember you for who you are as a person, not for the job you have..

At one of the nights, we were treated to dinner in Miami Marketta, it's an open concept street food serving a wide range of international servings..

Closing ceremony at Southport Yatch Club, and here me and my Malaysian and Indonesian friends..

The best people I hang out with in Gold Coast.. 

POSER!!!

It's not E*********** haha just a random yatch..

We celebrated National Day in Gold Coast over some drinks at at 12am Gold Coast time, we posed for this picture and send it back to Malaysia (10pm).. Just to make a statement that wherever we go, we are proud to be Malaysians and will fly our flag proud, we are Anak Malaysia!

The highest point in Gold Coast which is the Skypoint Observation Deck.
This stretch of the beach is.. SURFERS PARADISE

The other side of Surfers Paradise looking far end at Burleigh Heads.

I will cherish trips like this.. and the friendships I've made during the trip..