澳大利亚 Australia ஆஸ்திரேலியா

[chialc88]

澳大利亚 Australia ஆஸ்திரேலியா

after dinner, I walk back to my motel in blue mountain.

not very bright thou.

coming up in front of me is a empty space...

more like a empty carpark.

an amazing milky river spread out and engulfed me.

I'm mesmerised. 




但愿人长久...
Like this morning
5am
Orion ... high over my head.
stars, stars, stars...

west horizon, moon covered but still managed to give the cloud a silver lining...

30 mins later,
Orion ... still high over my head.
twinkle twinkle little stars, stars, stars

full moon brightly hanging in the air...

I couldn't felt more blessed than ever before.

Happy Mid Autumn festival.
中秋月圆人更圆.

[chialc88]

Good morning.
Wish every valuebuddies a fruitful and meaningful journey...
Believe in yourself...

[Image: 1.jpg]

I wake up early and immediately head for the buffet breakfast (Sheraton on the Park).
One thing unique (which I like) is the raw and dripping honey from racks.
Ok, not exactly unique, Conrad BKK also serve the same dripping honey.

I need to be early as today, I'm kick starting day 1 of my adventure.
Day 1 is a long 500km drive to Eden on Princess hwy along the Pacific Ocean.

---

I stop at the park entrance to Eden for an orientation.
The town looks quite big but a small population of 3000.

I drive to my homestay and saw a steep slope down to the garage,
and I hesitated.

A little girl pop up with balloons on her hand.
A elderly man follow behind her and signal that its ok to park below.

Should I go head first? or reverse down?

Within 2 seconds, I decided to go head first as it had been a long 8 hours drive.
Going head in will give me maximum visibility and control.

---

Uncle Ross invited me to visit his house, 
so after settled down my stuff, 
I play him a visit.

Sitting on his cozy couch, 
he told me about his visit to Singapore.
You know, beautiful country, flowers blooming everywhere, favourite hawker foods etc.

It turns out that he visited Singapore during the 70's.



He also give me his Singapore coins as a souvenir.

---

Next day, Uncle Ross bring us his home-cooked breakfast.
To keep the bacon warm, he served them in a hotplate.

Sitting next to an open window, looking out into the woods.
I could see a few green birds chirping, singing, dancing on the trees.

What a fantastic view.
Life is Great!

---

MMH
One problem about MMH is it's expensive valuation.
If you look at our vb.com thread on MMH, you'll noticed that many of our valuebuddies is keen in MMH but they wanted to wait for the price to drop before buying.
Unfortunately, with my promotion, MM doesn't seems to be dropping to a price that make sense for them to pick up.

In additional, we saw a few bloggers, presenting their various methods to estimate MM's target price.
Their conclusion is always the current price (what ever that may be) is a fair price.

In facts, my favourite blogger (B) sold his entire holding at his calculated fair price and cause a moment of anguish.
I really hate to see him taking profits so fast.
But, I respect his decision (and his investment strategies).

Micro Mechanics always has an expensive valuation but sound fundamentals.
It's P/B and current P/E are rather expensive as compared to the overall technology industry.
However, it's solid business fundamentals will gives a strong support for current valuation (stock price).
As more analyst and investor understand MMH metamorphosis theory, it's valuation will varies significantly.

Enjoy:



MM's active client - ASE (OSAT Outsourced semiconductor assembly and tests)

[chialc88]

Good morning valuebuddies.

"Today be thankful
and think how rich you are.
Your family is priceless.
Your health is wealth.
You time is gold." - Zig Ziglar.

The world is flush of money
and the steady increasing economy 
had propelled the market beyond bull.

This time is different?

Many don't think so.
They sold and go into hiding (hodges cash).

Is this the solution?
Waiting for the market to crash,
then scoop up all the bluechips cheaply.

You guess is as good as mine.

I'm fully vested after massive selling 1st half of this year.
While everyone is busy anticipating stock market crash,
I had been busy collecting shares (and dividends).

Micro-Mechanics (holdings) Ptd?
Not at the moment.
Morningstar says it's overvalued.
Selling pressure will slowly creep in when the news is out.

---

Uncle Ross told me about RCL.
He says that RCL provides reasonably good food and worth a visit.

But, I'm not into restaurant as I got them plenty in the city.
What about KFC for a change?
I stopped my car when I saw KFC logo along the main road.

Easy street side parking.
A short distance and I packed my KFC back to Uncle Ross homestay.

Cosy and relax evening in Australia.
and, yes, of course, you will need to pay for the chilli and tomato sauce.

 

Yes, that's how I perceived current market.
Too funky for me as I'm 100% vested.
What about you?
Still waiting for market crash?

[chialc88]

Good morning, valuebuddies.

Ok lar, I'm not exactly 100% vested.
I am also waiting for the stock market to crash too.

I am also very grateful to vb.com for hosting me here.

I guess, I need to have a lot of patient,
continue waiting for the eventual big crash.

Meanwhile, I hope to have the courage to take actions.

Gratitude... to all our valuebuddies for your sharing.

Thank you.

---

I woke up happily to the cool and stiff air.
Laze a little bit before I get up.

Nice.
5 mins of toilet and glooming and I'm out into the wood.

Bright, sunshine, haze, misty
and a loud laughing...laughter..... Ha ha ha ha.....ah ah

What? who? where?
Well, it's quite scary as the laughter is very very loud in the wood.

Yes, of course, in Blue Mountain.


Kookaburra



Evening in Blue Mountain was lighted with a orangey hue.
Everything is carpeted in warm and lovely orange.

I stared at the grass patch and noticed puffy puffy round balls sticking out from the floor.
Dandelion.

I squat down and pick up one.
Inhale and blow at the flower.
Watching the seeds drifting away.
Carried by the gentle wind.

I can only say that I'm blessed.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything,
they just make the best out of everything comes along their way.

So are you... I wish.

[chialc88]

Good morning, valuebuddies.
Life has many great options,
but you don't have to pick what seems to be the best.
Just pick what makes you happy and it will be the best...

Thank you very much for your sharing.
Thank you. 

I stayed at a motel in Port Arthur.
Very relaxing drive from restaurant back to my motel.
Surf and turf combo is really nice and filling.

Then, I decided to drive into the wood for some adventures.
Just 100 meters inside and I saw a pairs of eyes staring straight into me.

It's a wallaby.
It just stand in the middle of the road and stare right into me.

I jammed my break and U-turn back to safety.

Driving a car is like driving a running bullet!

---

For those valuebuddies going to NLB next Monday at 2pm.
You'll likely going to hear a lot of Q&A.
I guess much more interesting than last year.

As a comparison, this was last year meeting minutes:
link

From AR 2017, there are only 1002 shareholders.
16 of them holds more than 1 million shares.
You are expected to meet 
- Yeo Seng Chong (1,050,000) 
- Karl Zurfluh   (1,001,500)

Attention:

[chialc88]

Good morning, valuebuddies.
It's your attitude,
not your aptitude,
that determines your altitude - Zig Zaglar

From the bottom of my heart
really appreciate everyone who had helped me along the fun journey.

Thank you.

Hope you having as much fun as I am.

---

Of course.
By now, 
you know that I just drive around places.

This time, its north-eastern Tasmania.

Its really rugged.

Mt William National Park, 
Musselroe Bay,
Cape Portland and
Cameron Region Reserve...

We like to eat Abalone.
You can find a lot of them along the coastal area.
Ok, lar....
not the live Abalone,
just their shelves,
lying, piling, scattering around BBQ/fire place.

I don't think you can pick them as they are within reserved area.

---

Parked my car and I read on a sign board...
about how the last Aborigine was confined in a opposite island.
Sad.

I push on and saw a walking trail uphill.

Walking, walking, walking...
following the trail which snakes deeper and deeper inside.

The trail is franked by tall *lalang* leaves (ok, lar, tall grass) on both sides.

Then, a small clearing and I noticed some small animal walking in front.

Like a big mouse or cat or Raccoon?

I step up and then it just vanished in front of the board day light.

I stopped and scanned the ground.

Ops... it's there, curved into a ball.


Later, then I realised that this is called Echidna.
It's a mammal that lay eggs.

Don't want to disturb the little fellow,
continue with the trail and reached the Primary forest.

Now, scrubs replaced by tall trees...
Wait a minutes, 
isn't these looks like Pinnacles in Perth?

Yes, and there are a lot of them, too.

Without the trail, I need to decide which way to go.

Naturally, I headed for the tall ground.

Trying, trying and trying...
guess what?
I reached a bare top.

Rocks, rocks and bigger rocks.
Ops, lizards.
Yes, just like the one in our house (slightly bigger by 2 cm) 
suntan?

These lizards are not afraid of people (me lar.)
They just stay still and enjoy the sun.

I check the temperature.
Yes, its definitely cool for me (and for them too).

I think they will not be hungry as there are a lots of flies too.

---

Without any problem, I found my car
(randomly parked at a bare patch below the hill).

Happily and satisfied, I drive back to my motel.

A very long and straight road,
I can see the entire flat field spread in front of me.

Clear weather with high visibility.

Then, I saw 3 red dots moving on the right hand side of my wind screen.

Strange.

I continue driving at high speed.

Then, I noticed that the red dots are hopping.

Suddenly, I saw 3 gigantic red kangaroo dashed across the road,
right in front of me.

Crazy Kangaroo.

I wonder, why are they still surviving.

(BTW, I did kill a bird in Australia, Perth, un-intentionally.
  I mean, I found a dead bird in front of my car grill, sad).

Ok, I know why the Kangaroo is still alive.
There are simply too few people visiting north-eastern Tasmania.

A road less travel...which I don't mind.

Do you?

[specuvestor]

nice Tasmania is a place that I would like to go. Is November the best time to visit?

[chialc88]

Dear Specuvestor,
Yes, Nov is definitely the best time to travel to Tasmania.
The other months also not bad will be Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Dec too.

Not pulling your leg lar.
Just that travelling in general is good.

If you want snow, then Tasmania Dec, Jan will not get snow.
Jun, Jul then got snow.

Spend some time in nature.
You must go on adventures to find out where you truly belong.
  - Sue Fitzmaurice

---

In general, Australia and NZ are suitable for family with young kids.

Every makan place, there are slides and swings around.
Some sort of playground.
Kids enjoy these places better than forest, beach or shopping centre.

In particular, if your family had not visited ANZ, 
then I would like to suggest going to Perth.

Especially if you intend to drive, 
then Perth will be the best place to enjoy a *western* holiday.

First trip, go Perth.
Second trip, plan for the biggy - Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.
         (add GoldCoast, Cairns and Adelaide in the sequence if plan for > 14 days trip)
Third trip, then you can go to NZ.
  If you're a rush rush type person, then go North then follow by South Island.
  If you're the relax type, then trip 3a) go North Island.  trip 3b) South Island
What about Tasmania?
  Erh, Trip 4.

My experience in Tasmania is quite boring.
I actually pay $50 to cut short my holiday in Tasmania 
and en-route to Melbourne for the last 3 days.

What if you have family with big kids (eg. all above 12),
then skip ANZ and go to Europe.
(not ready to go Europe? then try Perth for this trip.
  but, next trip must go Europe ok?)

---

Paradise to Cradle Mountain


You're looking at Cradle Mountain.

Once you reached the foot hill,
just park your car and you can walk around a small lake.

Of course, you'll expects wild animals to also sharing the same track as you.

Paradise is real.

I recalled a rather dangerous climb up a small road.
I was counting myself lucky as there was no traffics
- zero cars in front (opposite direction) from me.

The road is not marked aka just one road for both directions.
No white line to mark the to-and-fo traffic.

Yes, I know, very uncommon but it exist.

A small and narrow road.

Got one part, the curve and gradient almost make me fainted.

The amazing part?
After climbing all the way up, 
I saw a signboard
"Paradise"

[BlueKelah]

If got kids should be first trip go to gold coast Australia with big surf beaches and theme parks, especially if over 12 y.o ;D
Seaworld is a must see. http://seaworld.com.au/adventures/animal...nture.aspx

Nothing much in Brisbane but drive up north from gold coast 2 hours is sunshine coast, even nicer beaches and attraction like strawberry picking farm and activity like "gold" digging. The Australia Zoo is also in that area, run by that crocodile hunter fellow's family now, superb zoo. PAT a KOALA and feed the Kangaroo/Wallaby is a MUST DO, especially for kids. http://www.australiazoo.com.au/

And further north there is whale watching, swimming with dolphins at the beach and even a rare turtle nesting beach at a place called Mon Repos(4.5hrs from Brisbane) where you can take part in the night time turtle encounter..
https://findapark.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/...1509843175

And nowadays theres a lot of AirBnb everywhere , just rent a car which will come with child seats from the airport and just drive everywhere.

For New Zealand, highly recommend to rent a big a$$ campervan/RV and drive around both islands, there is a big ferry can carry the RV in between both island. If teenage kids then definitely must do North island Rotorua town there's action pack whitewater rafting, bungee jumping off bridge, flying hangglider, jump off a plane and parachute, and hot springs,etc....

South Island there is a town called dunedin nearby there is Royal Albatross Centre. http://www.albatross.org.nz/
and of course famous Milford Sound. https://www.newzealand.com/au/milford-sound/
you can do the track here but best to booking a year in advance. https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2015/03/19/milf...s-to-know/

Of course best time is summertime to go Aus or NZ during end of year from Nov-March. No need worry about bringing heavy clothing. In gold coast summer is exactly like our local weather. If you want snow, NZ still has quite a few snowy mountians in the south island even in summertime still there is snow and ice.

Only been to ENgland and France so cant comment much on Europe.

[specuvestor]

Thanks guys for the tip, will be going Melbourne next year. Thought Tasmania would be interesting