Tag Archives: Australia

Around Canberra

Posted in RenunganVie by

Tahun 2009, before I came back to Indonesia after completed my study at Griffith University Queensland Australia, bersama Rinie dan Joy, bertiga kami sempat melakukan sebuah perjalanan. Rinie dan Joily adalah teman kuliah. Rinie berasal dari Aceh dan Joy asli Taiwan.

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Maka dimulailah petualangan tiga srikandi ini ke Sydney sekalian mengunjungi  Frida, anak Indonesia yang kuliah disana. Dalam kunjungan itu kami juga menyempatkan diri berkunjung ke Canberra, ibukota negara Australia.

Kala itu, kami sempat berkunjung ke New Parliament House, War Memorial Building, Kedutaan Besar Indonesia untuk Australia dan Canberra Art Gallery di Canberra.

Setelah kembali ke Indonesia, kali ini, saya berkesempatan lagi berkunjung ke Canberra, guna menghadiri undangan Mining workshop yang didahului dengan Indonesia Update 2015. Bertempat di Australia National University Canberra.

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Meskipun matahari bersinar, namun udara begitu dingin. Sangat berasa begitu saya naik pesawat Qantas melanjutkan perjalanan transit dari Melbourne ke Canberra. Sebelumnya aku menggunakan Garuda Indonesia dari Jakarta ke Melbourne.

Begitu tiba di Canberra, sungguh kejutan karena dijemput langsung oleh Professor Kathryn.. lalu kami menunggu kawan lain yang datang. Setelah komplete, kami lalu diantar ke pemondokan kami.

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Aku ditempatkan di ANU University House, which is very close to the workshop venue. Soo in love with this place. Especially with all the flowers surrounds.

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2 hari mengikuti Indonesia Update, 2 hari mengikuti Mining Workshop.. huffff luar biasa pengaruhnya. Ide-ide yang luar biasa, diskusi yang great, belajar dari pakar Antropologi dan sosiologi dan semua diskusi tentang Indonesia. Berharap kedepannya, akan semakin banyak mahasiswa Indonesia yang tertarik dengan penelitian tentang Indonesia.

Saya juga senang sekali bisa menikmati kehidupan sosial di Canberra, bertemu orang-orang baru dan luar biasa, bertemu dengan kakak kelas di SMP YPS yang baik dan cantik, Wanda Sumual Beby bersama suami dan anak perempuannya yang canti., Kak Wanda sudah menjadi warga negara Australia mengikuti suami.

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Saya juga berkesempatan bertemu mb Nikmah, setelah rencana pertemuan di Jakarta yang gagal hehehe. Mb Nik, paggilan kecilnya saya kenal ketika beliau masih di Amerika mengikuti suami, dan mengenalkan saya pada bisnis online dBCN Oriflame.

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Namun hal yang sangat luar biasa, dimana saya berkesempatan mengetahui sebuah fakta sejarah bahwa saya berteman dengan keturunan dari salah seorang yang sangat berharga di Canberra, dr. Michael Hohnen. Lewat facebook, dr. Mike, panggilannya, menyampaikan bahwa ANU adalah “my father’s baby” so I went to see the history of ANU dan saya diperlihatkan sebuah bukti sejarah bahwa ayah dr. Mike, Ross Hohnen adalah seorang Registrar di jamannya.

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Another thing that always amazed me of Australia is their respect to their history. They even named a room as Ross Honen’s room at Cancellery’s building of ANU. Mereka memiliki banyak memorial building dan mereka memberikannya nama orang-orang yang bersejarah. Hal ini bukan hanya di kota, tetapi sampai di desa-desa terpencil sekalipun.

Saya juga sempat berkeliling, mengunjungi Pameran bunga terbesar di Camberra, Flouride Festival, Canberra Museum, old Parliament House yang di depannya, berdiri tenda-tenda yang ”illegal but noticable’s” pondok as the Aboriginal’s embassy as a symbol of their protests for indiginious land that has been taken by the state.

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Sungguh pengalaman perjalanan yang luar biasa. Dan besok saya akan terbang ke Queensland. Sedikit bernostalgia sebelum saya kembali ke Indonesia bersama teman-teman yang saya kenal disana, berkunjung ke Griffith University, tempat saya kuliah Master in Business Event Management.

Huuuu the shows must over and it feels so short…. but I love to share and encourage people to see the other part of the world. Where the life could be so much different than our daily permanently life but I believe, as long as we are able to connect to the locals, we will enjoy the journey. Definitely!!!

la_vie

Weekend in Melbourne

Posted in Australia by

“Let’s just buy the ticket Vi, very cheap,” said Rinie.

Although we didn’t know whether we could use the ticket or not, both Rinie and I bought the return ticket to Melbourne.

That’s happened not just once when we want to travel with limited budget. Especially as a student, they even offer us some backpacker program for cheap travelling.

Close to the time, I contacted my friend whom living in Melbourne wondering if we could get a space in their place during our visit. This often happened to  reduce a spending on accomodation hehehehe.

When they agreed, we finally decided to take the journey. Both Rinie and I went to Melbourne by flight and continue taking the train from Melbourne airport to the city. Finally I met my fb friend.

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Welcome to Melbourne

It was windy and we took the bus for city sightseeing. We stopped at the Victoria’s market and it is recomended for exploring.

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Melbourne City Sightseeing

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Second day, we went to rent rent a car and take a trip to see the snow at Mount Buller. An easy three hour drive from Melbourne, Mt Buller is the most accessible major snow resort in Australia and a premier ski destination for snow enthusiasts from across the nation and around the world.

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I touch the snow ice at Mt. Buller, Victoria, Australia

It felt great, to see the real white snow and touch the ice for the first time. We didn’t have much time for skiing but still, we were playing on the ground. Besides we were told to leave the mountain before the snow fall because our car didn’t equipped with the tire chain and it will be slippery with the snow on the road.

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Snow play area for beginners

On the way back, we took a small trip to Souvereign Hill and former goldminee Ballarat. Sovereign Hill is just like stepping back in time to gold rush Ballarat during the 1850s. From the hustle and bustle of Main Street where costumed ladies and gents parade their new-found wealth, to the excitement of the Red Hill Gully Diggings where visitors pan for real gold and it’s ‘finders keepers’!

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Visiting the gold mining Ballarat

Visitors can see a $150,000 gold pour, ride in a horse-drawn carriage and watch street performers, including the Redcoat Soldiers who march and drill before firing their muskets. Along Main Street, there are shops selling 1850s-style goods, hotels and schools to visit, and a theatre with goldfields entertainment.

For the adventurous, there are underground mine tours with an inclined tramway ride. And those with a special interest in 19th century trades can chat with our skilled craftsmen at work in the blacksmith’s forge, the candle works, the wheelwright’s plant, the coachbuilder’s and the confectionery factory Sovereign Hill entry also includes entry to the Gold Museum which displays a beautiful exhibition of gold and Ballarat history.

It’s almost dark when we left Ballarat. It’s a valuable tour for me, gave me some idea that although the nickel mining company closed in Sorowako one day, it will not bring the death city in, if we could turn the factory into the tourism purposes.

In Ballarat, even the community services attracted tourists for taking a pictures with the gown, with the cooking equipment, even with the mining uniform.

A short visit but means a lot to me.

#Australia