The world’s most liveable city through the eyes of a Singaporean migrant
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Melbourne is frequently celebrated for its vibrant laneways, world-class coffee, and sports calendar, but its true magic often lies in its green spaces. Those of
Let’s talk about markets today! You can take the Singaporean out of Singapore, but even after 2 decades in Melbourne, you can’t take away our
“Learn Aussie English? No problem!”, we thought. Growing up Singapore, we were taught the formal version of English in Singapore, which is known as Standard
Needing a break one summer, we took off for a holiday to Taiwan, then hopped onto some local day tours. Here are some of the
The travel bug hit us again, so we booked ourselves on TripADeal’s Grand South Korea tour. It was an amazing trip! Here’s a brief summary
Thinking of leaving for an overseas holiday? Other than looking at the itinerary, here are 7 practical tips that would help you to have a
Having stayed at home the past few weeks, we were quite ready to explore the regional towns once again. I always wanted to visit Echuca
During Chemistry lessons decades ago in secondary school, I learnt about some metals acting as sacrificial sources to protect another metal against rusting. This nugget
“Little Italy: Where Melbourne’s Soul Meets La Dolce Vita” says the subheader on Lygon Street’s website, followed by “Little Italy – that magical stretch of
In the early days of moving to Melbourne, we were, like most Singaporeans, concerned about home security. We were one of those that installed a
For someone who has had his own personal transport since 19 years of age, it was a strange realisation when it finally hit home that
You know that feeling …. It’s coming to the end of the month and to no surprise, the food budget is almost depleted. Sigh …..
Having lived in Melbourne for nearly 2 decades, we have done most of the tourist attractions and the lesser known family attractions within a short
Fancy seeing kangaroos in the wild? There are quite a few places that one may visit, according to Google. However, we chose to go to
Now that winter is here, we can complain about the cold or we can choose to embrace it by way of a day trip to
We absolutely love Vietnamese food. So we thought it would be an excellent idea to visit Vietnam where we can experience their culture and more
An old world experience not far from the Melbourne CBD Following our previous visit to Studley Park Boathouse, we decided to explore Fairfield Boathouse on
We recently came across a Tiktok about a “African Safari” themed zoo in Queensland and instantly we chirped “In Victoria, we have the Werribee Open
Growing up in Singapore, the closest I ever got to classical music was to listen to it on the radio every now and then. Not
A Surreal Bushwalk Close to the City! Wanting a different experience to our usual walks along the Yarra River next to the CBD, we decided
Featured Posts
3 Beautiful Gardens Near Melbourne CBD
Melbourne is frequently celebrated for its vibrant laneways, world-class coffee, and sports calendar, but its true magic often lies in its green spaces. Those of
Best 3 Inner City Markets in Melbourne
Let’s talk about markets today! You can take the Singaporean out of Singapore, but even after 2 decades in Melbourne, you can’t take away our
Overseas Travel
Flying out of Melbourne is a breeze thanks to Tullamarine Airport being located only 22 km away from the city, well-serviced by SkyBus, PTV buses, relatively inexpensive ride-share services and of course, if you don’t mind paying heaps for airport parking, you can drive there too. So every now and then, we make a trip out of Melbourne to explore a different place overseas!
Needing a break one summer, we took off for a holiday to Taiwan, then hopped onto some local day tours. Here are some of the
The travel bug hit us again, so we booked ourselves on TripADeal’s Grand South Korea tour. It was an amazing trip! Here’s a brief summary
Thinking of leaving for an overseas holiday? Other than looking at the itinerary, here are 7 practical tips that would help you to have a
We absolutely love Vietnamese food. So we thought it would be an excellent idea to visit Vietnam where we can experience their culture and more
Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum Seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an has always been our bucket list. So we chose to escape the winter chill
Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand Having seen amazing photos of lupins in the New Zealand countryside, we decided to book ourselves a free-and-easy
On a free and easy holiday in Tokyo, where my activities consisted mainly of feasting, shopping and simply relaxing the day away, a tour brochure
Places To Visit In & Around Melbourne
When it comes to places to visit from Melbourne, there are just so many diverse locations to explore! From city lights to nature walks, strawberry picking to unique experiences, there is really something for every season and occasion. (Which is good, because the weather changes so often you usually need options!)
Melbourne is frequently celebrated for its vibrant laneways, world-class coffee, and sports calendar, but its true magic often lies in its green spaces. Those of
Let’s talk about markets today! You can take the Singaporean out of Singapore, but even after 2 decades in Melbourne, you can’t take away our
Having stayed at home the past few weeks, we were quite ready to explore the regional towns once again. I always wanted to visit Echuca
“Little Italy: Where Melbourne’s Soul Meets La Dolce Vita” says the subheader on Lygon Street’s website, followed by “Little Italy – that magical stretch of
Having lived in Melbourne for nearly 2 decades, we have done most of the tourist attractions and the lesser known family attractions within a short
Fancy seeing kangaroos in the wild? There are quite a few places that one may visit, according to Google. However, we chose to go to
Now that winter is here, we can complain about the cold or we can choose to embrace it by way of a day trip to
An old world experience not far from the Melbourne CBD Following our previous visit to Studley Park Boathouse, we decided to explore Fairfield Boathouse on
We recently came across a Tiktok about a “African Safari” themed zoo in Queensland and instantly we chirped “In Victoria, we have the Werribee Open
Growing up in Singapore, the closest I ever got to classical music was to listen to it on the radio every now and then. Not
A Surreal Bushwalk Close to the City! Wanting a different experience to our usual walks along the Yarra River next to the CBD, we decided
Although we had a spa bath in our own home for many years, there is something about the hot natural spring waters which soothes the
The Blue Lotus Water Garden is one of Australia’s most spectacular seasonal gardens open to the public from end December to mid April of each
One of our annual routines is to visit Crown Casino for their Lunar New Year displays and lion dance performances. In the midst of celebrations
At the spur of the moment one weekend, we decided to take a pretty long drive to visit the Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. Having been
With the recent completion of the new St Kilda Pier and with free public transport travel on Christmas Day, we thought it would be a
What if we told you that there is a place within 30 minutes from Melbourne that looks and feels like a quaint European village of
Now that summer is finally here and hot days are the norm, it would make good sense to continue our exploration of Melbourne, but indoors!
Where does one go to escape the hustle and bustle of the modern city that is Melbourne? One place would be the Royal Botanic Gardens!
Melbourne is well served by modern highways, buses, trams and trains. However, did you know you can also choose to float amongst the clouds to
Melbourne Property
When thinking about moving to a new place, one of the first things you usually look at is the property market. In our Melbourne property posts, we share everything from where and how to find a house, to tips on building and landscaping.
Once you have finally decided on a floor plan for your new house with your preferred builder, a contract signing appointment will be organised by
Once you have finally decided on a floor plan for your new house with your preferred builder, a contract signing appointment will be organised by
Suffice to say, the property market in Australia is very different from the property market in Singapore. In Singapore, it’s relatively simple. Having a condominium
When you finally get to the completion of construction and the new house is handed over to you, it may or may not include concreting
A common comment by Singaporean visitors to my home is that I have drainage holes installed in the floor of my bathrooms and kitchen. This
In the early days of moving to Melbourne, we were, like most Singaporeans, concerned about home security. We were one of those that installed a
During Chemistry lessons decades ago in secondary school, I learnt about some metals acting as sacrificial sources to protect another metal against rusting. This nugget
When we had our first house completed more than a decade ago, ours was the first house in the street. It was heady days as
We were happy when the landscapers said the entire job of landscaping the front, sides and back of the house should take about 7 working
Landscaping the front nature strip with tuscan toppings was completed within a work day. Through judicious use of machinery and the right tools, the landscapers
With the garden beds sorted out, the landscaper returned another day (2 weeks later) to lay the lawn on the back yard. Some common species
The first step in building your own home is finding a suitable block of land. In Australia, we do not refer to them as ‘pieces’
This is probably the most fun part about the construction project. If you liked visiting show flats in Singapore, then visiting display home will be
The process from deciding on your house plan to actually signing on the dotted line is a process that could take weeks. To kick start
For some of us, this is an exciting phase. Not because it’s actually interesting or there’s much to look at, but because it signals the
The next most exciting stage of construction is the frame stage. This is where it starts to feel real. Once the timber frame has been
If you thought the most exciting stage of construction was the frame stage, well this stage gets even better. The house starts to take shape.
If you have gotten this far, you are almost at the home stretch! It won’t be long before handover and you get to move into
This is the stage where you would be busy checking and re-checking stuff, while trades people fit off little items and your site supervisor organises
So you finally decided on a floor plan for your new house. If your builder is flexible and allows for minor changes to the plans,
Everything Else
I can still remember my very first haircut in Melbourne. As a newly arrived migrant, I was wondering how best to save money on haircuts.
Compared to many Asian countries, the normal way of grocery shopping in Australia is mainly via the major supermarket chains such as Coles, Woolies, Aldi
While owning a vehicle in Australia is relatively cheaper compared to Singapore, fuel prices are also cheaper too. This is a much welcomed relief as
Australian taxes can be confusing even for Australians. The Australian taxation system is one of the most complex in the world. Coming from Singapore where
The first things about buying a car in Australia is that cars are so much cheaper compared to Singapore. If you don’t live in an
When migrating over to any country, the first instinct might be to try to ship all of one’s possessions over to the new location. Until,
This is a common question asked by Singaporean migrants as you may have heard stories of a friend’s friend being audited by ATO after transferring
Growing up in Singapore in the sixties, durian season came only twice a year. I remember my uncles buying kampong durians by the basket and
You know that feeling …. It’s coming to the end of the month and to no surprise, the food budget is almost depleted. Sigh …..
You’ve probably heard it from time to time that you can get a tax refund from an investment property. But what does this really mean?
In the early days of moving to Melbourne, we were, like most Singaporeans, concerned about home security. We were one of those that installed a
Melbourne is well served by modern highways, buses, trams and trains. However, did you know you can also choose to float amongst the clouds to
To dress for the 4 seasons is not something that is on the average person’s mind, unless you’re a Melburnian. Coming from Singapore where the
During Chemistry lessons decades ago in secondary school, I learnt about some metals acting as sacrificial sources to protect another metal against rusting. This nugget
Here’s another major financial matter that you need to tackle when you have more or less settled in Australia – INSURANCE. You would already have
“Learn Aussie English? No problem!”, we thought. Growing up Singapore, we were taught the formal version of English in Singapore, which is known as Standard
Despite being voted as the “World’s Most Liveable City” many times in the past, Melbourne is a wonderful city but it can be an expensive
Medical care in Australia is really top notch and we are grateful that Medicare benefits are made available for migrants on permanent resident visas. When
Let’s face it. Migration or an overseas move requires money. Lots of it. In the initial days, you will need funds for a car, furniture
Singaporeans are notorious for being ‘gancheong’. But opening an Australian bank account before you arrive in Australia is one aspect that is important if you