Calvin's Graduation in Melbourne on 17th December 2014

 

Every parents' dream is to see his or her offspring get ahead in Life. Coming from a meritocratic society like Singapore, graduation days are indeed milestones to remember fondly. What better way then, to kick off that important day with a street parade by graduands, cheered on by proud parents, siblings & well-wishers !

In Australia, RMIT University has a unique all-morning affair, where graduands of all faculties celebrate together by marching down Swanston Street, in the middle of the city, to Federation Square all dressed in their academic gowns, to hear keynote speeches. Heading the parade is a rousing Scotch College drum & bagpipe band which lends a carnival atmosphere to it all.

The very same night, 25,000 people filled the Etihad Stadium in the Docklands city-fringe, to witness the simultaneous presentation of degree & diploma scrolls to the graduands of all the various faculties involved. Everyone had his/her moment, as real-time video telecasts were projected onto huge screens for each faculty, complete with full name and degree overlay ! Amazingly, the whole ceremony, including commencement speeches, presentations and closing address all lasted a mere 3 hours.

It's a beautiful Australian summer day, don't let it get away.

After the celebrations in Melbourne, we headed off on another  road trip in the countryside, this time touring Mornington Peninsula and the Bellarine.
Happily this summer, we escaped the seasonal heatwave. It was cool & bright in the day with clear star-filled skies at night. There was the occasional passing shower in the afternoon, light enough to brave a quick stroll & simply refreshing for the foliage & birdlife.

Theresa planned one early morning to see the Ashcombe Lavender Gardens, which was conveniently close by to picturesque Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula. Looking back at our albums of colourful pictures, we realised that we had instinctively captured yet another beautiful day, filled with beautiful moments recorded forever on digital "film".

A convenient car ferry allowed us to explore the Bellarine Peninsula across the Bass Straits where the boys enjoyed exploring the lovely secluded beaches of Point Lonsdale and the touristy town of Queenscliff. Our home for 2 nights was a boutique hotel called "Lonsdale Views", set on 200 acres of farm & conservation land by the sea. It gave us the comfort of modern amenities (including a private indoor heated pool & jacuzzi, fed by its own underground thermal spring) in an idyllic countryside setting. Special thanks must go to Michael Hanley, the property manager who conceived & created this unique hotel feature.

Needless to say, this Australian equivalent of Japanese onsen baths was popular with everyone and the hotel's full-size billiards table also gave hours of competitive fun for the boys. Just 10 minutes' drive away, our hotel manageress Claire, had recommended "Bellarine Adventure Golf" for everyone to play. This proved to be another highlight of our trip as minigolf putting is our perennial favourite pastime & we found it cleverly crafted with ingenious sand & water traps and surprises at every hole.