From a Drying Dam to Wet Walhalla

October 13, 2009 • • disabled comments

On the final leg of our trip to Wilsons Prom (and beyond), we drove from the Mount Baw Baw ranges to the Thomson Dam, which is located just a short distance away from the alpine region. While the view of the dam was pretty awesome in terms of its sheer size, it was also a sad reminder of how severely dehydrated Australia is. The water levels were so low that the dam, which has a capacity of 1,068,000 megalitres, was only 16.7% full (178,783 megalitres).

A view of the Thomson River showing how far water levels have dropped over the years.

From the Sandy Sunsets to Snowy Mountains

October 11, 2009 • • disabled comments

On the morning of our third day at Wilsons Prom, we checked out of our comfortable cabin and drove to the Taralgon area (in the La Trobe valley) enroute to the alpine regions. The idea behind this was to see if we can experience the different environments of the lovely Gippsland area of Victoria – from the pristine forests and sandy beaches of Wilsons Prom, rolling hills of pastures and farmlands, to the snow-capped summits of Mount Baw Baw and the alpine regions. With a height of 1,567 metres, Mount Baw Baw is just 120 km east of Melbourne, making it the nearest skiing region to the capital city of Victoria.

Our first stop at Taralgon, where we got down for some rest, food and even retail therapy!

Whisked Away to Wilsons Prom – Part 4

October 10, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

After a monumental hike across the width of Wilsons Prom spanning almost 20 km and 6 hours of hard walking, we decided to up the ante – literally and figuratively – by climbing up the 558 metre tall Mount Oberon to catch the sunset. Fortunately, the trek up and down the mountain (or hill?) is broad and well-paved as it caters to vehicular traffic. As we were keen to catch the sunset that day, we wasted almost no time in tackling the relatively shorter 3.4 km route after a short rest at the Oberon Car Park.

Our vertical ascend began at the foot of Mount Oberon, with a sign showing the only path up and down.

Whisked Away to Wilsons Prom – Part 3

October 9, 2009 • Blog • disabled comments

On the second morning of our trip to Wilsons Promontory, we made two pretty long hikes covering a total combined distance of almost 27 km in a day. The first, which I would label as a “Journey to the East” as it brought us from the Western side of Wilsons Prom to the East, was monumental in many ways. It not only brought us through winding passages covering a multitude of forested and rocky terrains, but showed us the awesome beauty of God’s green Earth, enhanced by the endorphins elicited through endurance exercise! While this post will try to capture the essence of our extended walk, nothing beats experiencing the real thing.

Put on your hiking boots, fill up your water bottles, and go!

The first part of our journey was a fairly easy saunter through open bushlands like this.

Whisked Away to Wilsons Prom – Part 2

October 7, 2009 • • 2 comments

Courtesy of Wilkins Tourist Maps

On the first afternoon of our trip to Wilsons Promontory, we made a quick dash into the park, securing a car-pass for two days before driving to the coastal bays on the West side of the island to catch the afternoon and evening sun. Due to the limited daylight hours, we kept to the beaches near the Tidal River area, which included Oberon Bay, Norman Bay and Picnic Bay. You can see some details of these beach areas from the map of Wilsons Prom above. They are physically closer to the main driving route and hence more easily accessible by car without having to trek long distances.

Whisked Away to Wilsons Prom – Part 1

October 6, 2009 • Blog • disabled comments

On our last week of the mid-semester break, a couple of my friends from Graduate House and I decided to go for a short break to Wilsons Promontory located at the southern most tip of the Australian continent. Famed for its luscious combination of awe-inspiring mountains, luxuriant forests and breathtaking beaches, Wilsons Prom is located in the Gippsland region of Victoria, about 157 km Southeast of Melbourne city. Populated by indigenous wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies, emus, echidnas, wombats, numerous birds as well as venomous snakes, the park is a peaceful sanctuary for all manners of beasts – including the two-legged variety.

My telling of this tale will be spread over a few posts, beginning with our preparations here in Melbourne City.

This is the faithful Hyundai car which took us across hundreds of kilometres. It actually drives better than it looks.

Farewell to Kangaroo Island and South Australia

October 3, 2009 • Blog • disabled comments

On our last day on Kangaroo Island, we made a trip to the Island Pure Sheep Dairy located at Gum Creek Road which is off Cygnet River. It was one of the farms which we haven’t explored yet during our three days visit and we thought it would be good to see how a sheep farm compares to a goat farm (which we often visited in Singapore). We also spent some time in the Northcote area having our lunch and strolling around, before departing from the island later on and from Adelaide the day after.

From a distance, the sheep farm and diary looked a little blurry. Was it the whole dreamlike quality of the vacation or a special setting on my camera? Unfortunately no. What happened was that I accidentally put too much water into the camera lens while trying to clean it!

The 6 Principles of Nudge: a Noble-Prize Winning Idea

September 30, 2009 • Book Reviews • 3 comments

Courtesy of Management Pocketbooks

Congratulations to Richard Thaler for winning the Nobel Prize for Economics!

I’m glad that his ideas in behavioural insights have shaped how governments operate – including ours here in Singapore.

Borrowing Your Watch to Tell You the Time

September 29, 2009 • Business and Management • 1 comment

Jack Trout (courtesy of Trout & Partners)

I am not sure if I have shared this before, but my ultimate career goal is to be a consultant one day.

It is my wish to be an advisor to businesses, companies and individuals, assisting them to improve their odds in the finicky arena of the marketplace. Of course, that may be many years in the future or even a retirement job.

The Beautiful Birds and Beasts of Parndana

September 27, 2009 • • 2 comments

On our last day on Kangaroo Island, my family and I decided that we should maximise our remaining hours there by visiting the real stars of the island. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about the kangaroos that are indigenous to this bucolic paradise. Our craving for comfortable creatures brought us to the Parndana Wildlife Park, an award winning sanctuary for South Australia’s macropods (kangaroos, wallabies), cockatoos, koalas, and other beautiful beasts. The animal attraction was charming and unpretentious, allowing us to venture up close and personal with God’s wonderful creatures.

These tall and shady Eucalyptus trees provided a nice natural look to the park. However, they are also…