TRAVEL

Melbourne certainly serves up its share of culinary and cultural delights. We had a sampling when we did a walking tour called the Hidden Secrets Art and Design Tour (www.hiddensecretstours.com).

The two-hour walk, conducted by the founder Fiona Sweetman, gave a glimpse into how the city had given space for graffiti to flourish as a street art. Art gallery visits were also supposed to be in the itinerary but they were not open yet when we embarked on our early morning tour.

We also had a look at the coffee culture of the city’s denizens. The tour normally ends, with coffee but we had to rush off for lunch. A pity, because the cafés looked very enticing.

A short walk across to the Southbank along the Yarra River (which has some of the best views of the city skyline from ground level) saw us at our lunch spot, Left Bank (www.leftbankmelbourne.com.au), which is owned by the Emirates Group. It was a set meal, and one of the best lunches I’ve ever had. If you should ever find yourself in this city and have no need to stretch your Aussie dollars, then please try and get a reservation here. It’s worth the trouble.

For some reason, our organisers seemed to think that Malaysians overseas craved Malaysian and Asian food, so dinner that night was at a Thai restaurant called Sawasdee. Run by the Malaysian-born Francis Lim, the restaurant serves food tweaked more for Western taste-buds.

It was an early morning wake-up call the next day as we rushed off to a Melburnian institution, the Queen Victoria Market (www.qvm.com.au). It’s been operating since 1978 and serves the locals’ daily needs. It’s also the place to pick up souvenirs. The market operates from 6am to 3pm but is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays.

A tip, if you’re interested: Go around 8am because that’s when most of the vendors are already in and all set up.

Our next stop was Sovereign Hill (www.sovereignhill.com.au) in Ballarat, more than an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Meeting us there was the affable Ben, a Bluey (that’s an Aussie term for redheads). He shepherded us in our walkabout.

Sovereign Hill is a recreation of the settlement of Ballarat during its first 10 years following the discovery of gold in 1851, from the buildings (a few are original) to the costumes the staff wear. There’s much here to keep one occupied, like the pouring of gold, going down a mine, playing a game of bowling (a very different version, mind you), having your meals in an old diner and panning for gold.

Yes, there are remnants still to be found in the streams, and you can actually get some flecks. Just be careful you don’t get gold fever.

They also have theme tours and overnight stays where you dress up in period costumes. But the real fun is seeing people re-enact scenes from yesteryear and staying very much in character. There’s a treasure trove of acting talent to be mined here.

That night back in Melbourne, dinner was at Little Malaysia, and aptly enough, the keyword here is “little”.

Our next destination was Phillip Island. First we drove through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges and on to the beautiful Yarra Valley. Our first stop was the Warratina Lavender Farm (www.warratinalavender.com.au), a family business run by Annemarie and Peter Manders.

Annmarie herself took us through how she and her staff harvest the lavender to make products from food to cosmetics to household goods. Fascinating! They also have a tea room where they serve delightful lavender scones and honey. The best time to visit is from November to January before harvesting. That’s when you can see a vista of wonderful shades of purple with the lavenders in full bloom.

After that came the fruit feast at Rayners’ Stonefruit Orchard (www.raynerstonefruit.com.au). Normally, the fruit-tasting tour lasts an hour, but as we were running late yet again, we had to rush things. Owner Len Rayner took us on his multi-seater tractor, stopping here and there for us to taste the delectable variety of peach, nectarine, apricot and plums and all the hybrids found in his farm.

They, too, have cafés and loads of products on sale. The orchard is a highly recommended stop between November and April.

At Phillip Island, it was a quick pizza and pasta dinner at Isola Di Capri owned by the Fumagali family who has run the establishment for 35 years. I truly felt like a stuffed koala by the time dinner was done.

The next day proved memorable as we visited the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory (www.phillipislandchocolatefactory.com.au) run by the Malaysian-born L. Kondanapanny and his family. He prefers to be called Panny, the name he markets his chocolates under.

It’s a famous brand here, and the chocolates are certainly some of the best I have ever tasted. A tour of the factory (you need to pay for this, though) to see how the chocolates are made is also part of the experience. It’s filled with interactive experiences and is as delightful as the chocolates.

There’s a café, and Panny went out of his way to prepare a nasi lemak lunch for us. It was heavenly!

The pièce de résistance came on our last night in Melbourne, when we had dinner in the famous Colonial Tramcar Restaurant (www.tramrestaurant.com.au). You dine in an old-style tram as it passes through some of Melbourne’s famous landmarks including the trendy St Kilda.

We had no complaints about the food and the bubbly. The star of the evening, though, was undoubtedly head waiter, Spanish John. He proved to be a rapier wit and was very adept at taking the mickey out of the diners — so much so that sometimes I failed to look out to appreciate the scenery.

By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN

Nature lovers looking for their outdoor adventure fix should head to Dalat, a town that is considered the jewel of Vietnam’s central highlands.

Are you kidding? You guys must be on crack!” exclaimed my dear cousin Sumi when we told her we had signed her up for an advanced canyoning adventure.

You see, it would require us to hike, abseil, jump off cliffs, swim and slide down rocks to get into the canyons.

A brochure from Phat Tire Ventures, our adventure operator in Vietnam, read, “The advanced route is for those in moderately good physical condition, looking for a more extreme challenge. The rappels are more technical and are wet drops as opposed to dry. This means you are in the waterfall and not next to it.”

That got me excited.

Our group of four was visiting Dalat, a town considered the jewel of Vietnam’s central highlands and home to many hill-tribe minority groups, when we decided to be adventurous. Renowned for its cool climate, scenic mountains and innumerable streams, Dalat is a favourite among adventure buffs and honeymooners. The canyoning here is highly recommended by most travel guidebooks.

“A bit of exercise won’t kill you,” I retorted, as our fellow buddies Kumaran and Megan nodded in agreement. Sumi, whose daily exercise consists of crossing a 25m pedestrian bridge to hail a cab to work, scowled. This was a suicide mission which she only grudgingly consented to.

Our affable guide Ro picked us up the next morning to begin our journey to Datanla Falls. When he saw Sumi’s troubled expression, he immediately put her at ease.

“It’s OK if you’re not that fit. I’ll help you along. It’s compulsory for all our guides to have good eyesight because of the dangers the activity poses, so don’t worry, I won’t lose sight of you. If need be, I’ll carry you on my back!” joked Ro.

All Phat Tire guides undergo an intensive 30-hour Wilderness First Aid course designed by the Wilderness Medicine Institute and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). They have to go through a refresher First Aid course each year, plus every one of them has abseiling qualifications from the Singapore Mountaineering Federation. We were in safe hands.

From the highway, you can see the 350m cascading falls. We walked on a path that first passed through a forest of pines and continued steeply down the hill into a rainforest, which was our beginning point. Here we met Ro’s colleague Khaan, and two other British tourists, John and Clarissa, who were joining us on the adventure.

Khaan showed us the ropes and explained the basics of knot tying, harness wearing and proper abseiling techniques while ensuring all of us had a trial run on the practice slope. He emphasised how to take big jumps to avoid the gaping holes and crevices on the hill, and, once he was satisfied we had it down, it was all systems go.

First up was a vertical 20m dry cliff, which looked menacing from the top.

“So which one of you is going to go first?” he asked, looking around for volunteers. “We have five rappels, three body slides and a free fall so everyone gets a chance to go first.”

Sumi darted to the back of the group. John, who had done numerous rock climbing and abseiling trips, put his hand up. Despite his experience, he froze for a few minutes at the starting point and struggled to take that first step.

Khaan coaxed him on.

“Release the rope bit by bit and position your foot on the edge. Then make the first jump. Ro will guide you from the bottom.”

Beads of sweat trickled down John’s face as he hesitated. Eventually, he let go of the rope slowly and screamed triumphantly once he descended.

“It’s not that bad, folks!” he shouted. “It’s only the first step that’s nerve-racking!”

One by one, we abseiled — even Sumi managed all the jumps without scraping herself.

After that, the second rappel was a breeze. It was a 15m cliff which led to a stream. We crossed it and proceeded to the next equally easy rappel, before hiking a trail to the body slide portion. Ro removed his top and showed us how it was done. Slide down on your butt, drop into the lake and swim to the bank. There were two “slides” to explore and this was pure fun. Everyone was having a blast and had several attempts at it.

Ro then mentioned that it was time to “slide the other way”.

“Head down? No way! What if I hit my head on the rocks?” I protested.

Ro brushed my protests aside and proceeded to use me for demonstration. He held my legs while I shut my eyes tight. When my arms were positioned correctly, he let me go and I slid smoothly into the lake. The adrenaline rush felt great.

After all that activity, the Vietnamese boys made us yummy sandwiches, and a simple yet scrumptious lunch was served. We traded stories and John impressed us with his chilli eating skills. Yes, the Brit could bite into the green chillies and it seemed to have no effect on him.

Next up was the free fall, where we had to jump 6m off a cliff and into a pool. This was akin to bungee-jumping, except there was no elastic rope to pull you back up. On the count of three, you leapt off. Although a seemingly easy jump, some dawdled as fear crept in, so it took a while before this activity was completed.

We also had to wait for John who had the runs from his chilli binging.

We hiked further into the canyon where a breathtaking 26m waterfall greeted us. It was my turn to go first. It looked daunting from the top, and Khaan warned us the path was extremely slippery and there would be moments we might be gasping for air as the water trashed our faces.

I began my descent cautiously but slipped once, hitting my elbow against the rocks. I found my footing and continued, but about 5m before the bottom, the rope ran out! I was horrified that Khaan could have miscalculated the rope length.

Ro bellowed, “You’ve got to jump and swim towards me.”

And so, bleeding elbow and all, I dived in and swam. We had a few accidents on this rappel — Kumaran lost his spectacles, Megan hit her head on the rocks and Clarissa sustained cuts. Sumi was unscathed.

Finally, we came to our last rappel, known as the “washing machine”. The bottom of the cliff was not visible, and we had no idea what lurked beneath.

Khaan said, “This is probably the most challenging one although the distance to the bottom is only about 12m. Halfway through your descent, you will see a swirl of water between the boulders — like a washing machine. Make sure you go in between the boulders and let go of the rope once you’re down. You’ll be spinning for a few seconds but the current will eventually bring you out and drift you down where Ro will be waiting.”

This sounded scary, and because of the loud crashing of the water below, Khaan reminded us that we wouldn’t be able to hear anyone. Since Sumi hadn’t gone first, it was her turn.

“Ok, what’s the big deal? I conquered all the rest so this should be easy,” she chirped, putting her safety helmet on.

That’s the spirit, we chorused!

Khaan asked again, “You sure you’ve got my instructions down?”

She gave a thumbs-up and took a few steps off the cliff. Once the “washing machine” came into view, Sumi started to pale.

“I ca . . . caa . . . can’t do this. It’s too difficult. Please pull me up!” Sumi pleaded.

We all offered words of encouragement and Khaan persuaded her to go on.

“It’s not as scary as it looks and there’s no way to come up now,” Khaan continued, turning to wink at me.

“Do you want me to repeat the instructions one more time?”

“No, really, it’s too scary. I really cannot do this,” begged the poor girl, tears welling up. “I’m not even a good swimmer.”

Khaan yelled, “Come on Sumi, you can do it! Just take baby steps and everything will be fine.”

We all went silent. She followed the instructions and disappeared below. Seconds passed but no Sumi in sight. A minute passed and still no sign of her. We could see Ro’s eyes frantically scanning the area. I started to panic and my heart beat faster. I had put her through this. What if she couldn’t come out of the whirlpool? How would I tell my uncle and aunt?

Suddenly, we saw a body floating down the river. Ro deftly jumped in and pulled her to safety. Once she got her bearings, Sumi stood up and beat her chest like a crazy woman. Everyone cheered and I heaved a sigh of relief. Indeed, the last rappel wasn’t easy and anxiety kicked in. However, we successfully emerged from the “washing machine”.

“Congratulations! You all did it,” said Khaan. “Now, it’s time to navigate back to the top. It should take about 30 minutes.”

We began our ascent as Kumaran and Khaan took turns to push and pull Sumi along, promising her champagne and caviar at the hotel.

Canyoning here had been a hard day’s work but Dalat’s evergreen forests, lakes and waterfalls combined with the myriad butterflies, birds and squirrels made every moment worthwhile.

Getting there

From Ho Chi Minh City, the easiest way to reach Dalat (308km away) is via plane using Vietnam Airlines or tour buses. Though every bus company will tell you it takes only five hours, the actual journey takes around eight hours and costs RM20.

Canyoning knowledge

Canyoning is an adventure sport that became popular in the 90s. It involves exploring a canyon using a variety of techniques including walking, abseiling, swimming, hiking, scrambling and leaping.

Canyons can be very easy or extremely difficult, though emphasis in the sport is usually on aesthetics and fun, rather than pure difficulty.

However, don’t attempt to go into a canyon with just a buddy and no guide as it can pose a high risk. Pick guides who are intimately familiar with every pool slide and waterfall in a particular canyon.

In Vietnam, adventure travel company Phat Tire Ventures (www.phattireventures.com) comes highly recommended.

Run by Brian and Kim Vierra, the company emphasises safety and many of their guides have been mapping courses for programmes on Discovery channel.

By S. S. YOGA
Pictures by S. S. YOGA, EUREKA SKYDECK88, MELBOURNE AQUARIUM, TOURISM VICTORIA & A MAZE N THINGS

yoga@thestar.com.my

If you’re looking for a city from which you can enjoy urban, rustic and even wildlife experiences, then say hello to Melbourne.

It was the wee hours of a cold morning when we arrived in Melbourne — we being the Malaysian media group assembled by Tourism Australia for a familiarisation tour of the city and its surrounding areas to publicise the recently introduced Emirates Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne route.

There were just the six of us, plus Tourism Australia public relations manager Amanda Chong and Weber Shandwick consultant Adli Abdul Karim, but lo and behold, our hosts had booked a 50-seater bus to take us around on our four-day tour.

It must be true then what they say about the Aussies: “They think big”. And as I was soon to discover, Melbourne was indeed big on culture and arts, natural wonders, food, sports and thrills of many kinds.

It was still drizzling after we had checked into our hotel, which meant it was a bit chilly.

Many had warned us of Melbourne’s “bipolar” weather, with its Jekyll and Hyde personality which could go from freezing cold to freaking hot in a single day. We were just thankful that the thermometer was not in the 40s like it had been the previous summer.

What’s truly to be treasured is Australia’s unique wildlife, of which we saw quite a bit. After a special walking tour and lunch, we wound up at the Melbourne Aquarium (www.melbourneaquarium.com.au). Our group had split up, with one going off to check out the Muslim communities in the city. They were supposed to meet us here but were running considerably late, so we went ahead.

Just seeing the delightful and amusing Gentoo and King penguins justified the price of admission into the aquarium but there was considerably more within to thrill, entertain and educate one. There were the stingrays, sharks, jellyfishes and even the oddballs of the Neptunian world.

The aquarium also has some nice interactive displays and a huge 2.2-million-litre Oceanarium. Nothing beats having smiley stingrays swimming overhead. We too left with smiles on our faces thanks to the superb family-themed experience here.

Our final stop for the day was at the fantastic Eureka Skydeck88 (www.eurekaskydeck.com.au). It’s at the 88th level of a fully-residential building and is the highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere. One gets an amazing bird’s eye view from the 360° observation deck with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

An additional thrill here is The Edge — a glass-cube extension that projects 3m out of the building and leaves you with the unnerving sensation of being suspended 300m above ground. If you have only time to do one thing in Melbourne, make sure it is this.

As we were running late, the only proper allocated time for shopping on this tour was shelved, and we rushed straight to dinner. It being a Friday, most shops were open till 9pm. On other days, everything basically shuts down by 6pm.

On the second day, we visited the Ballarat Wildlife Park (www.wildlifepark.com.au). It was truly a magical experience to be able to feed the friendly kangaroos and to watch the infamous Tasmanian devils being fed. And the snacking continued with the emus. What was memorable, though, was getting up close with the adorable sleepy koalas.

We checked out of our hotel the next day as we were going to spend the night at the world-famous Phillip Island, 90 minutes by car from the city. But first we made two stops — once at a lavender farm and another at a stonefruit farm (see: Delights galore), followed by lunch. Fully stuffed, we bused off to Phillip Island.

On arrival, we immediately hopped on a cruise (www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au) to Seal Rocks. The seas can be quite choppy, so those prone to having motion sickness (like moi) should take the pills half an hour before the trip. That evening the sea was rougher than usual so the boat couldn’t get up close to the rocks where 15,000 fur seals frolicked.

That’s right: 15,000! And they certainly made themselves heard and, urm, smelt. Eau de phew, anyone? But it was worth the queasiness to catch this natural spectacle of so many lumbering bodies packed into a relatively tight space.

The true gem of Victoria and Australia, though, is really the Penguin Parade at the Phillip Island Nature Park (www.penguins.org.au). People come here to watch the Little Penguins, who are principally monogamous, return for the night after a whole day out trawling for food. Before that happens, they can get a run-through of this aquatic bird’s life at an interactive display set up nearby.

Interestingly enough, some of the displays allow you to peek into the actual burrows of the penguins. Some of them were still there as it was moulting season and they couldn’t go out to fish. The island is dotted all over with their burrows.

Vehicle owners are warned to check that no penguins have crawled underneath their vehicles before starting their engine. (We unfortunately came across a dead penguin on the road when we drove back to our apartments.)

We were lucky to be given spots at the Penguin Plus viewing platform. Penguin landing was only expected at 6.45pm, but the birds had other plans, and a slew of them arrived early. There’s nothing quite like seeing these little creatures waddling their way at varying speeds up to their burrows.

We decided to walk by the side of the fenced-up pathways to get an even closer look at the creatures. We spotted some baby penguins mewing (yes, they mew like kittens) for their parents who had not arrived. And even more heartwarming was the spectacle of a family of penguins reunited.

It’s pretty certain you will go “Aww!” at this sight.

The next day, we took a break from nature so as to be amazed by the ingenuity of mankind. At A Maze N Things (www.amazenthings.com.au), clever optical illusions and other neat tricks, many of them interactive, made for a magical experience. But there was no magic or trickery involved in the 6.5m Look Out! Slide, which entails a hairy free-fall and a steep slide.

All of us had a go at it, and it was so thrilling, that oops, I did it again,!

After that, it was back to visiting the wildlife — this time, the koalas, right opposite at the Koala Conservation Centre (run by the same non-profit organisation that oversees the penguin centre). We saw the sleepy-heads (they are nocturnal creatures) resting in the treetops. It’s good to see them being protected as there are only about 40 koalas left on Phillip Island.

As our trip came to an end and we sat in the cosy Emirates Lounge to await our flight back, I concluded that this had been among my most memorable trips.

Given the time and opportunity, I would love to visit again; this time maybe to sit at a splendid Melburnian café sipping coffee. Or to make the most of some of the best shopping in Australia. Or to check out the numerous other attractions on offer.

Yes, with so much to do here, it all boils down to how much time you have.