Great Ocean Road Part One

It was a much anticipated trip since my last oversea trip was in year 2011. Hubby had few concerns, including the baby's ear pressure on board, the germs in the airplane ventilation system and the cold weather in Aussie, so we planned our trip in end October when Australia was in Spring and Phin Zhe was 23 months old.

Phin Zhe was too big for the baby bassinet!

Our flight landed in Melbourne International Airport at local time 9.20am(Malaysia time 4.20am), so Phin Zhe was still in his slumberland. We went through custom and immigration, picked up our rented car and headed directly to Geelong, the gateway to the dramatic coastline of the Great Ocean Road.

Our first stop was the Sprout and the Bean, a tiny little organic cafe in the heart of Geelong.

 

Hubby with a sleeping baby

 



very simple menu

seasonal dishes on the board

soup of the day with sourdough, toufu burger, chicken avacado foccacia with salads and a capuccino

 

There was an organic grocery store, Organic Larder next door. So while waiting for my lunch, I walked over for a quick grocery shopping.

funky wall at Cartel Roasters



Even though the cappucino at the Sprout and the Bean was very good, hubby still wanted to try out another cafe before we left Geelong. The coffee lover picked Cartel Roasters because of their good reviews.

Our next city was Anglesea, a quiet seaside town. It was not difficult to locate Anglesea Fruitz where I managed to grab some Otway Prime Beef for dinner.

Phin Zhe woke up when we arrived Anglesea's Holiday Park.

We booked a fully equipped spa cabin.

It had a main bed in the open concept studio room and a double decker bed in separated small room. Good choice for family with toddlers.

spacious bathroom with jacuzzi spa

We packed a bit of everything from lunch, so Phin Zhe could have his late lunch/tea break.

 

dinner preparation

After that, it was time to explore the surrounding while mummy had to prepare dinner. Luckily I decided to cook something simple, so I managed to join them half an hour later.

our cabin and rented car

playground

sand play with some toy vehicles

 

camp site

 

trampoline

I love this shot!

 

It was dinner time. Big boss and little boss gobbled down the food.

 

spotted a wild kangaroo visiting campervan site after dinner

 

And that was the end of our first day in Australia. Before I end this post, I am going to give you some reasons to stay in Angleasea Holiday Park(in no particular order):

1. It is cheaper to stay in Angleasea than Lorne.

2. Good facilities and child friendly. They do have heated pool but it was under renovation during our visit.

3. Kangaroo's gazing in the park permanently. Isn't it cool to spot a wild kangaroo then checking out a kangaroo in the zoo?

 

Redspot Car Rental

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The Sprout and the Bean

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Organic Larder

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Carter Roasters

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Big 4 Anglesea Holiday Park

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YTL Pangkor Laut: The Food

Lunch @ Red Ruby Restaurant, Ayer Tawar

We stopped by Red Ruby Restaurant,  Ayer Tawar for lunch.

the signature red wine chicken meesuah

 



sweet sour pork rice

cheeky boy in his good mood

Buffet breakfast @ Feast Village

Breakfast was buffet style, served at Feast Village. I still prefer made-to-oder breakfast in YTL Cameron Highlands Resort.  But to be fair,  the buffet breakfast at Pangkor Laut Resort was not bad. We found that the Indian corner served delicious food. On the first morning we had tosai and the second day we had roti jala. Both was awesome and we helped ourselves with second serving. For drink, I went to the juice station where I could pick my favourite fresh fruits. On the other hand, hubby had enjoyed his cup of freshly brewed cappuccino.

fruit juice station

buns and pastry

 



tosai with curry

 



omelette and sausage

 



cheese and cracker

 



roti jala and curry

 



squid balls and hash brown

 



seasoned fruits

 



cappuccino

 



Phin Zhe had his own breakfast

 



sweet and juicy

 

Lunch @ Chapman's Bar

On the second day morning, we went to Emerald Bay. When it was lunch time, we just walked to Chapman's bar. Located under the shade of spreading boughs right on the foreshore of Emerald Bay, Chapman's Bar was the perfect choice for a light lunch. Coupled with beachside setting under umbrellas, warm sand between toes and gentle breeze, the lunch experience was relaxing and unique. 
 





Satay

 



Morocon lamb wrap

 



Beef burger

 



Chocolate ice cream

 



Phin Zhe eating his pasta

 

Lunch @ Royal Bay Beach Club

Overlooking the infinity pool and sea villas, this was where we had our lunch before the return boat. We arranged to have lunch here because it was closer to the jetty.
 





portobella mushroom salad

 



Club burger

 



Royal Club sandwich

 



cheesecake

 

 

Dinner @ Uncle Lim's kitchen

For dinner, we were given a choice between Uncle Lim's kitchen and Feast Village. I had read many good reviews and stories about Uncle's Lim, so we decided to have Nyonya and Hock Chew Chinese cuisine for the 2 nights. Uncle Lim is Pangkor Laut Resort's first employee and even today, he is still the one supervising the kitchen. And we were glad we did that, it was a satisfying meal. The dishes came in generous portion and the taste was amazing. We also ordered a pot of Pu-Er tea to go with the dishes. Strongly recommended!
 



entrance of the beautiful restaurant

 



nice ambiance

 



camchore

 



fish maw soup

 



scallops and asparagus in XO sauce

 



Uncle Lim’s aromatic style fish

chicken calamansi

 



beef in spicy sauce

 



banana fritters

 



mango pudding

 

 

So, if you were to ask, will you go back to Pangkor Laut Resort again? My answer is Yes. I would love too because of the beautiful room, breathtaking Emerald Bay and Uncle Lim's kitchen. :)