Australian Adventure (Day 5 of 21) - Surfing on the Australian Waves

On the road to Manly Beach

          Boxing Day or the day after Christmas is considered a holiday in Australia.  It would actually be my first time to "celebrate" it since such holiday is not observed in the Philippines.  As it was looking to be a hot day, Tita A and Tito Bru thought it may be a good idea for us to go to Manly Beach. As far as I can remember, I haven't been to any of the beaches in Australia since it was nearing winter when I first traveled to this country.  So I was more than happy to have the chance to finally visit one.
         
           Manly Beach was around a 30-40 minute drive from my aunt's place.  However, if you would be coming from the city, you could opt to take a ferry, which takes around 30 minutes as well, or you can also travel by bus.  It's actually pretty accessible and popular to both locals and tourists.  Its name was said to come from the "confidence and 'manly behavior' displayed by a group of local aborigines" sited by Captain Arthur Phillip way back in 1788.  There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops in the area.    In case you would want to stay overnight, there are also hotels, guesthouses, and serviced apartments available. For sure, you wouldn't get bored staying in Manly Beach because there are a lot of activities to choose from.  You can go kayaking, biking, whale watching (only if in season which is from Mid-May to November), diving, sailing, and of course, surfing.

Australian Adventure (Day 1 of 21) - Hearty breakfast, seagulls and warm welcome

Better grab this one! With free discount coupons

       The Sydney Airport seemed to be jam-packed on that early Saturday morning of my arrival.  There were just so many people that even if our flight was earlier than expected, the long lines in the immigration counters still managed to cause delay.  Along the way, I spotted a Sydney travel guide, which I immediately took hold of. It was definitely useful as it even had coupons entitling you to discounts on Sydney's famous tourist spots.  So if you see them on your own travel, better grab one.  On a side note, I spotted two local celebrities - Ogie Alcacid and Regine Velasquez who were apparently on the same flight as I was.  They were travelling with their child and with no helper/bodyguard along since Ogie was the one retrieving their luggage.  I tried to snap a picture or two, but it was too blurry to keep.  

Surf, Sand and Sun - (1 of 3)

Surf's Up: Ready to be stoked

          Back in 2011, my college friends and I were looking for something new to try.  After all, as cliche as it may sound, life is indeed too short for us to waste the moments that we have been given.  With this in mind, one of my friends suggested that we go and try surfing.  All of us were pretty excited by the idea.  So, it was no surprise that coming up with a plan didn't take very long.  We were all looking forward to cross out surfing from our bucket list.

         Thanks to Suzee, who was very diligent in her research of finding the cheapest (only for Php3000 with 2 hours surfing lessons, accommodation, food and transportation) and most accessible surf tour in the Philippines (Istokewa Surf Tours), we found ourselves heading to Baler, Aurora.  The trip was such a success that I couldn't help but go back again and again.  Just this January 25 to 27, 2013, I was back for the fourth time to do what I have come to love.