Photo taken by Tam Tran
While we traveled along Great Ocean Road, we made a stop to visit The Otway Fly Tree Top Walk which is part of the Otway Ranges. I had visited a part of the Otway Ranges when I went to Great Ocean Road the first time and I remember the air was so fresh in the forest, it was almost like breathing oxygen straight out of a bottle.
The Tree Top Walk, reminded me of the FRIM canopy walk in Malaysia, just that it wasn't humid and there weren't any mosquitoes here. I guess the weather here is more comfortable for an activity like this, for me at least.
I knew I had a slight fear of heights but only in really tall concrete buildings. I remember going up to KL Tower and I freaked out. But on the other hand, when I went up to KLCC twin towers (the offices), I felt fine and based on my memory, FRIM wasn't too bad and this was pretty similar, according to the brochure. So I thought, what the heck. Let's just do this!
Guess what, this tower (in the photo) proved that I was indeed slightly afraid of heights. I felt light headed as a climbed up the stairs of this structure but the fear wasn't so bad that I couldn't do any of it at all. I made it all the way to the top and back down safely. There was also a part of the walk where the ramp was literally held up by two wires. It looked scary, but it was all a matter of the mind because it wasn't so bad when I got all the way out to the end of the ramp. I think it's a matter of having confidence that if it is all safe and nothing will happen to you, you'll be fine. So in the end, I looked my fear in the face and overcame it, although with that said, I'm not really sure I'd want to do the walk again. Haha!
P/S: In true Malaysia Boleh style, I tried to grab the link for the official FRIM website and as if it was a surprise, the website does not work. Classic.
Click HERE for Great Ocean Road Trip Day One
Click HERE for Great Ocean Road Trip Day Two
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
While we traveled along Great Ocean Road, we made a stop to visit The Otway Fly Tree Top Walk which is part of the Otway Ranges. I had visited a part of the Otway Ranges when I went to Great Ocean Road the first time and I remember the air was so fresh in the forest, it was almost like breathing oxygen straight out of a bottle.
The Tree Top Walk, reminded me of the FRIM canopy walk in Malaysia, just that it wasn't humid and there weren't any mosquitoes here. I guess the weather here is more comfortable for an activity like this, for me at least.
I knew I had a slight fear of heights but only in really tall concrete buildings. I remember going up to KL Tower and I freaked out. But on the other hand, when I went up to KLCC twin towers (the offices), I felt fine and based on my memory, FRIM wasn't too bad and this was pretty similar, according to the brochure. So I thought, what the heck. Let's just do this!
Guess what, this tower (in the photo) proved that I was indeed slightly afraid of heights. I felt light headed as a climbed up the stairs of this structure but the fear wasn't so bad that I couldn't do any of it at all. I made it all the way to the top and back down safely. There was also a part of the walk where the ramp was literally held up by two wires. It looked scary, but it was all a matter of the mind because it wasn't so bad when I got all the way out to the end of the ramp. I think it's a matter of having confidence that if it is all safe and nothing will happen to you, you'll be fine. So in the end, I looked my fear in the face and overcame it, although with that said, I'm not really sure I'd want to do the walk again. Haha!
P/S: In true Malaysia Boleh style, I tried to grab the link for the official FRIM website and as if it was a surprise, the website does not work. Classic.
Click HERE for Great Ocean Road Trip Day One
Click HERE for Great Ocean Road Trip Day Two
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Australia, Great Ocean Road, The Otway Fly Tree Top Walk
Hit The Ground Running
0 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Monday, June 28, 2010 at 1:46 PM.
I feel like I've been on an epic race since Saturday and things have been moving so quickly that I feel as though I haven't stopped since then. Today has been a whirlwind so far and I'm only half way through it. It's great though because I ticked off a few major things on the list and I must say, I'm pretty proud of it.
Now, the interesting part is when I was caught up in all the tasks, I felt fine and I was looking calm and composed. I still am, but now that the tasks have subsided a bit, I feel as if the life out of me has been drained out. It's not time to slow down just yet. This is merely the beginning of it.
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Now, the interesting part is when I was caught up in all the tasks, I felt fine and I was looking calm and composed. I still am, but now that the tasks have subsided a bit, I feel as if the life out of me has been drained out. It's not time to slow down just yet. This is merely the beginning of it.
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Ghost At The Terminal
0 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 11:00 AM.
I saw this painted on a tram sometime at the beginning of this year and it wasn't till lately that I managed to transfer this photo from my mobile phone to the computer. This reminds me of the glow in the dark Lego ghost from the Legoland Castle System series.
Yes, I absolutely love old skool toys especially the ones that I actually played with during my childhood. I know it's uncanny how sentimental I am but I can't help draw the similarities between the two. It instantly zapped me back to my childhood as if it was yesterday. I just couldn't help it.
I had this particular set when I was a kid. It blows my mind that looking at this photo now, it doesn't seem dated at all. Lego was way ahead of its time in terms of production and quality! If only I kept my toys in mint condition.
Ages 6-12, it says on the box. Really? Then why am I still attracted to them even now? Why do I suddenly have the urge to look these toys up on ebay or amazon?
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
The weather forecast over the Easter long weekend was looking good and we decided to take full advantage of the sunshine so we headed out to Venus Bay to gather pippies. Pippies are saltwater clams and can be found usually in marinara mixes or Italian cooking, also know as vongole. To me, they are like over sized lala.
Jia Meei
Alda was in town for this too.
This was the first sighting of the Pipi. We knew we were getting close.
We got too excited and went digging in the sand for pippies that I didn't get a chance to take photos of the actual process of gathering these pippies. This was our catch. You'd need a fishing license to gather pippies and each person is allowed to gather 2 litres worth. We didn't go overboard. In fact, we respected the land and sea, and gathered less than our allocation.
We headed off to a public BBQ area to cook our fresh pippies. Yum!
Jia Meei cooking up a storm
Alda for sale. Any takers?
In Malaysia, we always tell people to "go and fly kite". Well, I sure did! Flying kites is one of the best feelings.
This photo looks like it fits a postcard. Welcome to Venus Bay, Victoria.
I wanted to jump into the sea all day but I didn't want to get all wet and ruin the rest of the day, so when the day was winding up, I jumped in. The water was freezing I could barely go any further.
Jia Meei
Alda was in town for this too.
This was the first sighting of the Pipi. We knew we were getting close.
We got too excited and went digging in the sand for pippies that I didn't get a chance to take photos of the actual process of gathering these pippies. This was our catch. You'd need a fishing license to gather pippies and each person is allowed to gather 2 litres worth. We didn't go overboard. In fact, we respected the land and sea, and gathered less than our allocation.
We headed off to a public BBQ area to cook our fresh pippies. Yum!
Jia Meei cooking up a storm
Alda for sale. Any takers?
In Malaysia, we always tell people to "go and fly kite". Well, I sure did! Flying kites is one of the best feelings.
This photo looks like it fits a postcard. Welcome to Venus Bay, Victoria.
I wanted to jump into the sea all day but I didn't want to get all wet and ruin the rest of the day, so when the day was winding up, I jumped in. The water was freezing I could barely go any further.
This was a few days before my birthday and the guys decided to celebrate my birthday and surprise me with a cake made of pippies and a hot cross bun. haha! I had heaps of fun and every trip tends to just keep topping the other. I thank God each day that I have amazing friends whom I regard as family.
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
John Mayer Drops Guitar
0 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Friday, June 25, 2010 at 11:12 AM.
While he blew us away at Rod Laver in Melbourne, Brisbane got a show of a different kind, with added extras!
I wonder what went through his mind when this happened. Did he think it was funny or did it hurt to drop his precious guitar? Whether it's funny or not, that incident definitely hurt the guys with in-ear monitors. Notice how the drummer pulled out his in-ears?
Watch the video till the end. It's worth the wait. Here to a light-hearted Friday!
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
I wonder what went through his mind when this happened. Did he think it was funny or did it hurt to drop his precious guitar? Whether it's funny or not, that incident definitely hurt the guys with in-ear monitors. Notice how the drummer pulled out his in-ears?
Watch the video till the end. It's worth the wait. Here to a light-hearted Friday!
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: John Mayer
I need to interrupt the road trip entries to tell this story. Click here for original Deville story.
I was in the mood to experiment with my new amp today to refine my tone further, so I got right into it, tweaking quite drastically to hear the drastic changes. However, all this while, I've been running my effects into the clean channel without really exploring the drive and more drive channels on the amp yet.
In my mind, most musos would buy an amp specifically for the overdrive/distortion sounds so I thought I'd give it a bash and see what I can come up with. After tweaking it a bit, I realised a few things.
1. It would have been nice if I had independent EQs for each channel, unlike the current where both channels share the EQ section. I thought about this before I bought the amp, and at the time, it didn't really bothered me.
2. I didn't really like the overdrive sounds when I set all the EQs to the 12 o'clock position. I tweaked it a bit more and found an okay sound. So I decided to turn the master volume up to get some tube saturation happening and all of a sudden, it started feeding back. So I rolled the master back down and gave it a few more tries but it was still feeding back. So, I started trouble shooting and tried different combinations. At last, I unplugged the input jack and footswitch to figure out whether the amp was feeding back by it self. It turns out, it was!
I jumped online and checked out the Fender forums and apparently this often happens to Fender Devilles. So I brought it down to the store and got a new one.
Now, getting a new one may seem like a cool idea but just by playing it for ten minutes, I already realised that it sounds different from the previous one I had. There were subtle differences, but obvious enough for me to detect them. Some reckon it's because Fender puts different tubes randomly into their amps depending on when they were produced. I guess I'll just have to keep playing it a bit more and bring it out on the road to be able to fully test it out.
I was in the mood to experiment with my new amp today to refine my tone further, so I got right into it, tweaking quite drastically to hear the drastic changes. However, all this while, I've been running my effects into the clean channel without really exploring the drive and more drive channels on the amp yet.
In my mind, most musos would buy an amp specifically for the overdrive/distortion sounds so I thought I'd give it a bash and see what I can come up with. After tweaking it a bit, I realised a few things.
1. It would have been nice if I had independent EQs for each channel, unlike the current where both channels share the EQ section. I thought about this before I bought the amp, and at the time, it didn't really bothered me.
2. I didn't really like the overdrive sounds when I set all the EQs to the 12 o'clock position. I tweaked it a bit more and found an okay sound. So I decided to turn the master volume up to get some tube saturation happening and all of a sudden, it started feeding back. So I rolled the master back down and gave it a few more tries but it was still feeding back. So, I started trouble shooting and tried different combinations. At last, I unplugged the input jack and footswitch to figure out whether the amp was feeding back by it self. It turns out, it was!
I jumped online and checked out the Fender forums and apparently this often happens to Fender Devilles. So I brought it down to the store and got a new one.
Now, getting a new one may seem like a cool idea but just by playing it for ten minutes, I already realised that it sounds different from the previous one I had. There were subtle differences, but obvious enough for me to detect them. Some reckon it's because Fender puts different tubes randomly into their amps depending on when they were produced. I guess I'll just have to keep playing it a bit more and bring it out on the road to be able to fully test it out.
To all my muso friends, I guess this is part and parcel of this journey isn't it?
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Fender Deville
Great Ocean Road: Day Two
0 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 11:22 AM.
This was day two of our two day Great Ocean Road trip.
The view from the holiday home we hired. I didn't even realise the sea was so near because we arrived late and it was dark the night before.
I can understand why some people would say that these are just a bunch of rocks and seem disinterested. After all, they are just a bunch of rocks. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Too much of something may not always be good. But to me, I marvel at how they form over time as the elements carve them individually so unique.
Don't you think that rock formation in the middle looks a little bit like a face with the nose pointing out?
The vast green. Welcome to my backyard!
As a kid, Treasure Island was one of my favourite stories and I guess I loved the sense of adventure so when I saw this, I couldn't help but imagine the pirate ships docking out in the sea while they row in to the beach with small boats. Arr!
Tam, making a temporary sand tripod. A few moments after taking his shots, the waves actually came in and swept the tripod away. Good thing he was done with his shots and have removed his camera.
I felt like taking a picture here to remind me of the kid inside.
..and for lunch I had one of the best steak sandwiches ever! If I go out that way again, I wanna have this!
The famous ice cream from Timboon Fin Ice Cream. The dude inside wasn't the friendliest, but hey, I wasn't gonna let him spoil my trip.
What used to be London Bridge.
The view from the holiday home we hired. I didn't even realise the sea was so near because we arrived late and it was dark the night before.
I can understand why some people would say that these are just a bunch of rocks and seem disinterested. After all, they are just a bunch of rocks. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Too much of something may not always be good. But to me, I marvel at how they form over time as the elements carve them individually so unique.
Don't you think that rock formation in the middle looks a little bit like a face with the nose pointing out?
The vast green. Welcome to my backyard!
As a kid, Treasure Island was one of my favourite stories and I guess I loved the sense of adventure so when I saw this, I couldn't help but imagine the pirate ships docking out in the sea while they row in to the beach with small boats. Arr!
Tam, making a temporary sand tripod. A few moments after taking his shots, the waves actually came in and swept the tripod away. Good thing he was done with his shots and have removed his camera.
I felt like taking a picture here to remind me of the kid inside.
..and for lunch I had one of the best steak sandwiches ever! If I go out that way again, I wanna have this!
The famous ice cream from Timboon Fin Ice Cream. The dude inside wasn't the friendliest, but hey, I wasn't gonna let him spoil my trip.
What used to be London Bridge.
The boys. One for the road!
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Australia, Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road: Day One
0 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 2:02 PM.
The first time I went out to Great Ocean Road in 2005, it was miserably cold and half way through the sightseeing tour, it rained buckets. This time round, although it was a little cold and cloudy at the start, the sun came out to greet us towards the middle of the day. Thank God for awesome weather!
The first pit stop. Toilet break at the unmissable public toilet painted with aboriginal art. I can't believe that I actually took a picture of a public toilet and actually talking about it here, but it does look pretty iconic, no?
Looking out into the open sea. The view was inconceivably beautiful, serene and ultimately surreal. I was blown away by God's awesome creation, right before my eyes. I mean, it wasn't just the scenery captivating my eye, but there's just emotions swirling all around that I can't seem to contain. It was the most peaceful feeling. If only I could describe more accurately what was going on in my mind as I stood there looking out into the vast sea.
This lighthouse along the way really stood out. It stands majestic and it felt pretty iconic to me. I asked myself, how in the world did they manage to paint the roof red? Getting all the way up there to paint must be pretty daunting. Daunting would be an understatement actually.
Great Ocean Road would probably be one of the most touristy destinations in Victoria and if you take a drive down this way, you have to take photos at this arch. I feel that this is another Great Ocean Road icon.
...and how can you not have the classic fish and chips on a seaside road trip? The last few times we had fish and chips, we overdosed on chips, so this time around, we went with just fish and prawns! Perfect!
I think I don't have to say much here. The photos will do the talking for themselves.
I just can't help but to be in awe of God's awesome splendor. It was so cool to watch the orange explode into the blue and then finally drop into the sea.
Dogs seem to be attracted to me on road trips. I can't complain. I get to play with really cool dogs but I don't need to take care of em! Last but not least, after a whole day of soaking up the breathtaking scenery and sun, it was time for a feast, classic road trip style!
At the end of the day, although the sights were amazing, it was the company that made this trip memorable.
Click HERE for day two of the trip.
The first pit stop. Toilet break at the unmissable public toilet painted with aboriginal art. I can't believe that I actually took a picture of a public toilet and actually talking about it here, but it does look pretty iconic, no?
Looking out into the open sea. The view was inconceivably beautiful, serene and ultimately surreal. I was blown away by God's awesome creation, right before my eyes. I mean, it wasn't just the scenery captivating my eye, but there's just emotions swirling all around that I can't seem to contain. It was the most peaceful feeling. If only I could describe more accurately what was going on in my mind as I stood there looking out into the vast sea.
This lighthouse along the way really stood out. It stands majestic and it felt pretty iconic to me. I asked myself, how in the world did they manage to paint the roof red? Getting all the way up there to paint must be pretty daunting. Daunting would be an understatement actually.
Great Ocean Road would probably be one of the most touristy destinations in Victoria and if you take a drive down this way, you have to take photos at this arch. I feel that this is another Great Ocean Road icon.
...and how can you not have the classic fish and chips on a seaside road trip? The last few times we had fish and chips, we overdosed on chips, so this time around, we went with just fish and prawns! Perfect!
I think I don't have to say much here. The photos will do the talking for themselves.
I just can't help but to be in awe of God's awesome splendor. It was so cool to watch the orange explode into the blue and then finally drop into the sea.
Dogs seem to be attracted to me on road trips. I can't complain. I get to play with really cool dogs but I don't need to take care of em! Last but not least, after a whole day of soaking up the breathtaking scenery and sun, it was time for a feast, classic road trip style!
At the end of the day, although the sights were amazing, it was the company that made this trip memorable.
Click HERE for day two of the trip.
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Australia, Great Ocean Road
Lunch at Vines Restaurant @ Helen's Hill, Yarra Valley. The food, wine and service at Vines were amazing and I am looking forward to visiting again for another meal. The best part about this lunch was the company I had, eating, drinking and laughing away while we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery.
Vines Yarra Valley Platter for starters
Zucchini Flowers and Hapuka Fish. I've been wanting to try stuffed Zucchini flowers every since I saw them appear on Masterchef and I must say, I love em!
The platter close up. The platter was out of the ordinary. It's definitely a must. I was expecting some antipasto-like platter but this came as a pleasant surprise and a great start to the meal.
Oven Roasted Chicken
I had the Wagyu Steak. It was really tasty, but I would have preferred it a little more rare. I asked for a medium rare but what was laid in front of me was more medium than medium rare.
Chocolate Pudding. I'm definitely having this the next time I go back there.
I can't remember what this dessert was called. It might have been an apple tart. I've got a pretty sweet tooth, but this was a little too sweet for my liking.
The vines
The view from the restaurant. I really liked how green the grass was. It rained a bit in the morning so I guess the water helped bring out the colour.
If I had a dog, it'll be this one (the one I am patting in the photo). Absolutely lovable. There were two of them, both of them equally cool!
Vines Yarra Valley Platter for starters
Zucchini Flowers and Hapuka Fish. I've been wanting to try stuffed Zucchini flowers every since I saw them appear on Masterchef and I must say, I love em!
The platter close up. The platter was out of the ordinary. It's definitely a must. I was expecting some antipasto-like platter but this came as a pleasant surprise and a great start to the meal.
Oven Roasted Chicken
I had the Wagyu Steak. It was really tasty, but I would have preferred it a little more rare. I asked for a medium rare but what was laid in front of me was more medium than medium rare.
Chocolate Pudding. I'm definitely having this the next time I go back there.
I can't remember what this dessert was called. It might have been an apple tart. I've got a pretty sweet tooth, but this was a little too sweet for my liking.
The vines
The view from the restaurant. I really liked how green the grass was. It rained a bit in the morning so I guess the water helped bring out the colour.
If I had a dog, it'll be this one (the one I am patting in the photo). Absolutely lovable. There were two of them, both of them equally cool!
One for the road. Till the next visit to Vines!
*All photos taken by Tam Tran. Thanks for the awesome photos Tam!
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
*All photos taken by Tam Tran. Thanks for the awesome photos Tam!
______________________________________________________
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Australia, Eastern Adventures, Vines Restaurant, Yarra Valley
