Australia (NSW) - Camel Riding at Port Stephens

Date of Exploration : 24 Jan 2015

"An untrained camel costs A$600 while a trained camel for riding costs A$7,000 or more," our guide from Oakfield Ranch told us as we were being led on a short ride to the beach at Anna Bay, Port Stephens. We all gasped at the tremendous difference in price. So I looked down at the camel I was on and smiled. I'm sitting on the mammalian equivalent of a Lamborghini.

Caught a camera... a camel kissing a horse's ass?! Whoopsie... In less risque context, the yellow humped sign marks the trailer that Oakfield Ranch operates out of on Anna Beach, Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia. Heh heh.

The camel ride on a desert-like landscape was the final activity on our 4-wheel drive exploration of New South Wales before making the 2-hour drive back to Sydney. I never knew we could experience the Sahara not too far away from the mega city!

Oakfield Ranch provides the camel rides at A$25 for a 20-minute guided trek to the waterfront and back. It's kind of bizarre actually, to transit from a barren, beige sandscape to the gem blue waves of the South Pacific Ocean in a matter of minutes.

Carmel (car and camel) parking. We ride cars here so that we can ride camels.

It's not so much about the ride but getting face time with these gentle beasts. There are two species of camels - single hump from Asia and double humps from Arabia.

And contrary to popular belief, the humps don't store water but fat. By concentrating their body fat into one region, camels can relief their bodies of heat in the desert as fat has a thermal function.

I've never gotten so close to a camel before. I find their big and calm eyes so mesmerising. Camels have a double row of thick eyelashes to filter out debris and sand.

You don't have to go to Africa or the Middle East to experience the desert. Here's a glimpse at the backyard of Sydney.

I can't get my hands off the thick, stubby yet fluffy ears of the camels. They are so comforting to touch. Camels have excellent hearing by the way.

The camel ride is rather slow which really gave us a feel of what travelling across the desert sand dunes must be like in the olden days. After what feels like 300m, the sandscape opened up to the beach. Our desert mirage was short-lived but at the right duration of time to store up memories of the ride.

I find this scene rather comical but can't think of a fitting caption. What would you say about this photo?

Our camel 'caravan'. The one me and Jacqueline are on is named Paulie and she's a race winner!

Pony rides by the beach are available at many places but a camel ride is less common. What's the difference? Well, not much actually except that the camels seem to be better behaved.

Showing some lovin' to the camels, also known as desert ships. Cover up if you don't want to get sunburnt during the ride.

For a out of desert experience of the desert, camel riding at Port Stephens is arriving at the Middle East while Down Under!

This post has been made possible by Destination New South Wales in partnership with CTC Travel.

Australia (NSW) - Sand Dune Adventures at Port Stephens

Date of Exploration : 23 Jan 2015

What : Desert quad biking with Sand Dune Adventures

Where : Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia

Driving a monster machine up and down waves of sand that could tower at a height of 40m with majestic swaths of desertscape all around, quad bike riding in Australia's largest sand dunes at Port Stephens can easily be an activity to love to death.

While I anticipated the excitement of free-rolling on the immaculate sandy terrain which also happens to be the biggest natural sand blown geological formation in the Southern Hemisphere, I wasn't prepared to face the seemingly impossible task of 'skiing' a heavy quad bike down a steep sand hill that was easily more than 3-storeys high. The thrill factor ranked exceptional exceeded only by the beauty of the remote landscape and a spectacular sunset that radiated over a frozen brown ocean. It felt like a dream I wanted to delay waking up from.

Sand Dune Adventures which offers the quad biking experience operates out of a container in the Nelson Bay vicinity of Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia. Biking duration of 1, 1.5 and 2 hours are available. Our 1-hour biking tour costs A$88.

Safety is paramount when quad biking not only because life is priceless but also because a bike costs around A$10,000 so any accident would be hefty. We were given an operational and safety briefing as well as practice ride before embarking on the actual route. Shower caps were given to be worn before putting on the helmet so you don't have to worry about suffocating from stinky headgears.

Straight out of the container box and we were headed for a gentle sandy downslope to accustom our driving skill and confidence.

After passing through a short section of greenery and shrubland, our trail opened up to a vast expanse of sandscape and dunes as far as the eyes can see. It's the Sahara in Australia!

I've seen photos of deserts but the awe of being here and surrounded by nothing but unending, undulating folds of sand was the uplifting kind of being overwhelmed. I couldn't believe this is Australia, just 2.5 hours drive from metropolitan Sydney.

The landscape is gorgeous but the drive down from the top of a high sand hill is a measure of the courageous. Being new to the whole quad bike riding experience and desert terrain, I gulped at having to drive the heavy machine down such a steep slope. But the guides were on hand to give instructions on how to tackle the challenge safely and as long as we followed the advice, rolling down was actually very easy and safe.

After this, I got the hang of going up and down hill and the real fun began!

When faced with such an amazing landscape and far-out activity, I was very kancheong to take photos but there's really no need to be over zealous about snapping pictures as stops were made at the best spots to capture pictorial mementos of the amazing ride and scenery.

Footprints of the wind meandering across a sandy shifting cloak, the spell-binding landscape is formidable yet so vulnerable. A single step would break harmony of this natural score.

Many attractions and vacay activities are a double thumbs up experience but this gets a double hands up liking from me :)

Other than quad bike riding, we also got to go sand surfing! One advice in gearing up for the Sand Dune Adventures is to cover up to avoid sunburn and don't stinge on sunblock. And when it comes to sand surfing, cover the mouth and eyes to prevent sand from causing a burn especially during a windy day.

While anytime during the day is a good time to quad bike here, the evening slots are prime for the added spectacle of the day's colour parade during sunset.

Sunsets over an oceanic horizon, forest meadow or cosmo-cityscape are familiar, but the golden disc retiring across a sandy plain is a sight not often encountered. This goes down as one of my most memorable travel experiences in a tour of New South Wales outside Sydney!

Sand Dune Adventures

Website : http://www.sandduneadventures.com.au
Email : sda@worimi.org.au

This post has been made possible by Destination New South Wales in partnership with CTC Travel.

Australia (NSW) - Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

Date of Accomodation : 19 - 20 September 2014

Our crib for the night at Blue Mountains was Fairmont Resort, a luxe pad by Accor under its upscale MGallery Collection. Perched by the edge of a mountain plateau of Leura Village's upper grounds, the resort's prime seat amongst nature's landscaping masterpiece is that kind of place that makes the heart sing.

Classic townhouse-type roofing of Fairmont Resort incite a restive note of country living in the mountains.

The touch of winter sculptured a picturesque silhouette out of the trees that lined the driveway to Fairmont Resort.

Checking in to warm, country bliss. The view at the lobby leads to a peek of the mountainous region beyond.

A night at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains range from S$230 to the upwards of S$400 depending on season, room type and breakfast inclusion.

Welcome to my room!

The first thing that struck me about my room is the s     p     a     c     e     .

There are many ways to chill in the room and aromatic bath aides made from pure essential oils are a perfect accompaniment to enjoy a sensory escapade high up in the mountains. Sleep came easily after a warm soak in the tub and when I woke up, this scene greeted me...

View from my room's window as the first light of dawn awakened the mountains.

Nature has the best way of saying "Good morning!"

5:44am... Golden hues before the Blue Mountains reclaim the colour of its namesake.

My room faced the mountains at the back of the resort while the actual sunrise is at the opposite side of the resort where the entrance is located. Best location to welcome the sky eye is by the pond next to the swimming pools.

Same sunrise shot with different devices. The photo above was snapped with a DSLR while this pic was taken with my mobile phone. Such differences how they 'see' the light'!

The pool waters were very tempting to dip in but the passing winter gripped this morning at 12 degrees, I donned jeans and warmers to explore the resort at daybreak so jumping into the blue in trunks was a no-no.

View of pool-facing units at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains where the sunrise can be seen.

The umbrellas turneth a hotel into a resort.

View of Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains' accommodation wing reflected on a pond within the resortel's premises. I think the pond is manmade.

Next to the pool is a gym and heated indoor swimming pool.

The pool's a good size for some serious laps with a heated jacuzzi at the end to bubble tension away.

I can't get enough of the wintry branches that weave photographic poetry.

A stamp-sized suburb lies within the neighbourhood of Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains and I was delighted by how well maintained and manicured the surrounding lodges and landscapes are.

A striking lorikeet I came across whilte wandering a nearby street of Fairmont Resort. To see this feathered beauty in Singapore, I would have to go to Jurong Bird Park but these birds are commonly spotted here.

Another abundant resident at the Blue Mountains is the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo. Saw a bunch of them grazing an open field at a residential enclave next to the resort.

The field where I saw the cockatoos while the sun turned it into its shadowy canvas.

After a walkabout of Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains and its surrounding, I settled in for a sumptuous breakfast with a delicious view of the tablelands behind me This is the place to feed the eyes and the appetite!

This post has been made possible by Destination New South Wales in partnership with CTC Travel.