Continued from


Finally we are nearing the end. There are 3 flights back. The 1st is on 3rd Dec and 2 more flights on 4th Dec. I am on the 1st flight, so I get to go on the 1-day-educational tour on the 2nd. The big ranking guys were mostly on the 2nd or 3rd flight as they have to attend a meeting on the 2nd. This means I get to sit on the Raffles class seat on the flight back. Wooooooooo!

The educational tour is only 1 day this time. 10 years ago, when I was here for Exercise Wallaroo, it's a 2 day tour. We get to take this cruise and there's snorkeling as well.

The picture above is me waiting for the bus. It was a long wait. If you think my hair is bad, it's because it's cut by an Australian who don't know anything about haircuts. I forgot to have a haircut when I came, and they deemed my hair too long, and sent me to the "barber". Sunny's hair was too long too, but he's getting married 2 weeks after we were back in Singapore, and they let him keep his hair. I was the 1st person to be sent to the barber. He's really terrible. I think he's just a regular person given the equipment. In the end, my hair is not really cut short, though certain areas were cut so short tat it looks like holes in my crown. We were supposed to pay A$5 to him. I told them I'll pay after I have a look at myself at the mirror. I was so much anguished by what I saw that I forgot to pay and left.

[IMAGE: On the bus]

No, this is not a picture of Raffles class seats. It's just me and Barry, my roommate, on the bus that will bring us back to civilization. The journey should take quite long, but I won't know. I was knocked out the moment the bus started moving and did not wake up until we reach our 1st stop.

[IMAGE: Boomerang]

The 1st stop is this cultural place. We were split into 2 groups. 1 group, the group I am in, went to play with the boomerangs while the other goes see some cultural dance performance. And then we switch. We were here 10 years ago as well. But there are no boomerangs that time. Instead, we see some aborigines performing some pipe instrument.

My boomerang throwing is terrible. Straight to the ground. Then when we switch, Kelvin, Barry and I decided to not go see the dance. Instead, we went to the cafeteria for some drinks and ice cream.

[IMAGE: Aussie lady]

The next place is this history center. Mr. Miyagi says that this place was set up just for us Singaporean Army guys to go to for our educational tour. We were again, split into groups, and each group will have 2 guides. They were both dressed in clothing of old times. Our guides are an elderly man and a lady. I thought the lady is there to just tag along as most of the talking is done by the elderly guy.

We were brought to take the horse drawn carriage 1st, but there's too many of us, and we have to go in batches. While waiting, we went to the blacksmith shop from across the look to take a look. We were shown how the blacksmith of olden times do their stuffs. Then I asked our lady guide if she mind taking a picture with me. Her reply was "Sure". I don't know if she meant "Sure, I mind" or "Sure, let's take a picture together". I assume it's the later and get Kelvin to take the picture for me. Real bad hair day for me.

[IMAGE: Horse drawn carriage]

Finally, it's our turn up the carriage. It's Kelvin and roommate Jeffrey, and me and Barry, and we traveled 1 round around the place.

[IMAGE: View from the carriage]

I saw this broken down, repainted, ancient tank on display by the side while in the carriage ride.

[IMAGE: View from the carriage]

What a nice place to live in.

[IMAGE: Bigger carriage]

This is another carriage. Bigger than the 1 that we took.

[IMAGE: Other guides]

These 2 are the guides for another group.

[IMAGE: Vintage cars]

After the carriage ride, we had a walk around and we found this shed with a number of vintage cars inside.

[IMAGE: Horse ridding]

Not the horse ridding for real. We get to sit on a horse and brought for a walk around the pen.

[IMAGE: Pony]

Don't know if it's a pony. It's a small horse.

[IMAGE: Another guide]

This is 1 of the guide from the earlier photo.

[IMAGE: Trunk sawing]

We were shown how they saw a trunk using the 2 man saw. I realized how fast u do it is not about how strong you are, but how well you can coordinate with your partner. We were also shown how they start a fire using stones and flints, and to play a game of throwing horse shoes.

After that we are supposed to drive a tractor and try to balance it on a giant see saw, but there's a long queue. So, we went to take a look at the different steam engines through the times. When we got back, it's still a long queue, and we gave up and went for a drink before lunch.

[IMAGE: Another guide]

Saw this lady guide in green at the doorway on our way to the lunch place and I asked to take a picture with her. This time I did not ask if she minds. I just ask if we can take a picture together. And this time there's no confusion when she says yes.

The dinner place is really set up for us Singaporean Army guys. Even the owner is a Chinese. Judy Wong, if I remember correctly. The food is decent. Cookhouse settings, but better. This Ms Wong runs a souvenir shop in the eating place. She claims that her macadamia nuts and nougats is the cheapest that we'll find as she got hers straight from the factory. I don't exactly know how true it is, but it certainly is the cheapest we saw on the trip. In fact, it's the only macadamia nuts and nougats I saw. I bought a packet each.

After lunch, we went to a supermarket. I remember this place from 10 years ago as well. Back then, it's called the Big W. Big W is still there, but now it's just 1 of supermarkets there. From 1 gigantic supermarket, it becomes 4 small 1s and alotta other shops. I had a haircut there. Cost me A$19. I wonder if I should have bear through it and have the haircut at home where it's cheaper.

When I got back to the bus, they told me I was late and that Kelvin and Jeffrey had gone looking for me. So I sit down and wait for them. Maybe we should send someone to go look for them too. :P

[IMAGE: Hotel view]

Next is to the hotel for check in. We have an hour break before dinner, where we laze in the hotel and took a bath. Kelvin, Jeffrey, Barry and I decided to skip the SAF provided dinner and go find ourselves a nice steak restaurant.

[IMAGE: Steak dinner]

Rockhampton is supposed to be the Australia capital for steak. The restaurant in the Centuron hotel is supposed to be 1 of the better restaurants in Rockhampton, so we go there for dinner. It was pretty decent. Not what I would expect from a top few restaurants in Australia's capital of steak, but compared on what the others had, it's heavenly. We heard so many complaints from the guys about lousy food when we saw them later. Haha!

There's only 1 night entertainment place in Rockhampton. And it's called Strip Tease. And that's where we are headed after dinner. 10 years back, it's another called JJ. It has since closed. I did not go JJ the last time, all my kakis preferred to stay in the hotel. And I watched Tank Girl on TV to pass my time. According to those who went, the ladies in there are aunties. Maybe that's why they are closed.

Inside Strip Tease, there are 5 ladies taking turns to dance in front of us. The guys inside are mostly our people. And there's a bunch of them sitting at the catwalk. They were generously tipping the girls and most of the dance is dance to them. 1 of the girls winked at me during 1 of the dance, and that’s the only personal experience I've got.

I've heard that you can get the girls to do a private lap dance to you for a fee of A$70. That’s very expensive I think. Money could be put to better use. Anyway, after awhile it gets boring, especially when we have seen all 5 girls dance and they rotated back. The lady at the bar is pretty chio though, too bad the bar is far from the catwalk. Anyway, Kelvin and I left at about 10pm to go back hotel sleep. Jeff and Barry had gone back straight after dinner.

[IMAGE: Breakfast]

We had a good night sleep that night and wake up early next morning for breakfast. It's at the cook house of a University. Food is decent.

[IMAGE: Next batch]

We saw the next batch of guys for Wallabye 2005 at the airport. Good luck!

[IMAGE: At the airport]

So this is it. Finally, we get to go home!

[IMAGE: Air ticket]

My Raffles class air ticket. First time I held such things in my hands. Haha! This is not the 1st time I had a Raffles class seat though. Few years back, ING Barrings had an outing to watch the Sepang F1 race. They gave 2 tickets to my company. And I was 1 of those who went. We took a flight to KL in the morning and back in the evening. On the flight there, I realize it's free seating, so I make sure I was at the front of the queue on the flight back. :D

[IMAGE: Raffles class]

Anyway, that flight was only 45 minutes and it's a smaller plane. This time it's a 6 hour flight. It's so much better than the flight to Australia, where I was in the Economy seats. Haha! Even the movies also more varieties. I did not sleep in the flight at all and I watched so many movies.

This is quite a good end to Wallabye 2005 for me. Enjoyed myself totally. :)