Check Out This Classic Toyota in Tokyo

This is a throwback post to June 2017 when I visited Tokyo, Japan.

My friend and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi to look for its signature bottle opener and t-shirts. While she was busy choosing t-shirts, I went gallivanting to the car park at the back.

In one of the parking lot was this cool looking Toyota:

The car was gleaming black and well maintained. I wonder which year was the car made in.

I suppose the owner must have invested much effort to preserve the car. He surely must be a car lover.

Such a beauty indeed!

3 Reasons Why You Must Visit Wilsons Promontory

This is a throwback post to September 2015 when I visited Wilsons Promontory National Park in the state of Victoria in Australia.

Introduction 
Wilsons Promontory National Park or 'The Prom' as it is affectionately known is an area of 50,460 hectares comprising beaches, rainforests, mountain peaks and rugged offshore islands.

The Prom is located in the state of Victoria, specifically at the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland.

Here are the 3 reasons why you must visit The Prom:

1) Wildlife in the Wild

Soon as we drove into Wilsons Promontory, we saw a large field where emus, kangaroos and wombats were grazing.

We stopped the car to take a closer look at the animals. I was getting excited.

Soon a kangaroo approached our car and poked his head in, presumably looking for food. But we didn't give it any because I had been informed before not to feed wild animals as our human food may be harmful to them.

The kangaroo had a collar on and its ears were tagged, so I think it's used to humans.

We couldn't go near the animals because they would run away. So we just shot these pics from afar:

It was already lunch time when we reached Tidal River Visitor Centre which is the park headquarters, so we looked for a picnic table to enjoy the prepacked sandwiches prepared by my aunt. 

Soon a group of colourful birds appeared out of nowhere and swooped down on our sandwiches. The birds were bold indeed and we had to chase them away.

Here's one of the birds that took a liking to my sister's backpack:

 Such a colourful birdie.

Here are two more photos of birds in Wilsons Promontory:

After lunch we took a stroll around the park office while waiting for our cabin to be ready, and stumbled upon this wombat:

We saw many more wombats throughout our stay at Wilsons Promontory. Here's a photo of a wombat struttling along like a boss:

If I had my way I would have brought a wombat home to Malaysia. It's so adorable.

The Australian wildlife in Wilsons Promontory was one of the highlights of my trip to Australia, and that's why I rank it as the top reason why you must visit The Prom.

2) Bushwalking a.k.a. Hiking

Australians call in 'bushwalking, the rest of the English speaking world call it 'hiking'.

There are many bushwalking trails in Wilsons Promontory and here are two popular short walks that I personally completed:

Lilly Pilly Nature Walk
(2.6 km one way, easy)

It was an easy walk because most of it was flat:

Part of the walk is on a boardwalk which is suitable for almost anyone:

Mount Oberon Summit Walk 
(Elevation: 558 meters only)
(3.4 km one way, moderate to hard)

The trail begins at Telegraph Saddle car park.

Start of the trail:

Part of the trail:

360 degree view from the peak of Mount Oberon:

It was so windy up there I could have been blown away.

Look for this at the peak to proof that you did climb to the peak of Mount Oberon:

Clue: It's on the ground.

Apart from the Lilly Pilly Nature Walk and Mount Oberon Summit Walk, there are also other walks and trails like Pillar Point, Loo Ern Track and the 2.2 km Mount Bishop walk.

The trail leading to the peak of Mount Bishop:

3) Beaches

Wilson's Promontory has beaches such as Norman Beach, Picnic Bay and Whisky Bay.

Here's a photo of Squeaky Beach:

Can you spot the bird that photobombed my photo?

We didn't swim in any of the beaches because it was too cold and windy. Moreover the waves were too large.

Nevertheless it was good fun walking along the beach trying not to freeze in the strong winds.

More about Wilsons Promontory

Getting there - The Proms is a 2-hour drive from Melbourne. The park is more than 50,000 hectares in size, so having your own transport is important and practical to get to lookout points and to the start of the various trails.

Accommodation - There's a range of accommodation for rent at Tidal River park headquarters like cabins, lodges and even camping sites.

Here are two photos of the cabin that we stayed in:

Front of the cabin.

The four of us could fit comfortably in this cabin which is equipped like a small apartment. 

More information - If you wish to know more about Wilsons Promontory or to make reservations for accommodation, click here.

I hope you will knock yourself out at The Proms and enjoy the wonders of nature that it's blessed with.

My New Travel Bag - Eminent Trolley Backpack

I bought an Eminent trolley backpack recently.

The Travel Store in KL Gateway Mall was closing down and they were offering additional discounts to clear stock, so I got the bag for RM419.50.

I had been looking for a trolley backpack for the longest time and here are the reasons why I bought the bag:

Size - Its 50 x 27 x 34cm dimension fits the maximum hand carry luggage size on most airlines and therefore I don't need to purchase additional luggage weight.

Weight - The bag only weighs 2.29kg which gives me an allowance of  4.71kg for clothes and other stuff in order not to exceed the 7kg hand carry limit on airlines like AirAsia. Airlines like Easyjet don't have a weight limit on hand carry luggage. How wonderful is that.

Space - Its 44L capacity is large enough for at least 1 week of clothing.

Best of both worlds - It must be a trolley backpack so that I can have the best of both worlds depending on where I am. For example if I'm walking on an uneven road looking for a hostel, then I'll strap the bag to my back. But if I'm at the airport then for sure I'll switch to trolley.

In December 2008 I wrote about my Deuter backpack. However after using it in different countries and for different types of adventure, I realise it's more suited for trekking or perhaps some other adventure trips. 

You can't keep much stuff in a backpack and it's not suitable for travelling in cities because sometimes I wanna roll the bag on pavements and give my back a rest (signs of aging). 

I also dislike that whenever I place the backpack on the floor it tends to fall over. I need a bag with structure.

I'll be using the Eminent bag for the first time in Europe this September. Looking forward to it.