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New Zealand: Postcards from Mt Cook

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 02 Jan 2016   Posted by Cheryl Tay


Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, standing at over 3,700 metres tall, sitting in the Southern Alps in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Its mountain range runs the length of the South Island, thus the drive from Queenstown to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park was filled with stunning scenery. The drive took about 3.5 hours, but it didn’t feel draggy because I was trying hard not to be distracted by the beauty. We kept stopping along the way to take pictures too!

The national park was started in 1953 and it has over 140 peaks and 72 glaciers, so you can imagine how pretty the entire place is. Mount Cook Village is where the population of 3,000 lives. It serves as a tourist centre, as well as a base camp for the mountain. There is only one hotel there, The Hermitage Hotel, and only one other cafe, The Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant, besides the hotel’s F&B offerings.

These are some of the views that I saw along the drive:

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What I did at Mt Cook:

1) 4WD & Argo Adventure

Ask for a map from the hotel reception and you will see the different routes you can walk or cycle within Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Another way is to go for the 4WD & Argo adventure, where the guide will pick you up in a 4WD from the hotel and take you to the Blue Lakes car park. Changing over to the Argo vehicle, he will then drive you down the Tasman Glacier Lake walk to a vantage point that overlooks the Tasman Glacier terminal lake.

The Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest and longest glacier, is 27 kilometres long and has ice as deep as 600 metres. The Tasman Glacier Lake was only formed in 1974 and you can even do commercial boat and kayak tours on it. The large terminal moraines mark the foot of the Tasman Glacier.

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Price: NZ$79 (adults); NZ$39.50 (child 4-14yo)
Website: www.mountcooktours.co.nz
Tip: Bring a wide angle lens to capture the view of the entire glacier.

2) Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail

The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is a 301-kilometre ride from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. There are nine sections altogether and the first section starts from Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Bicycles and helmets can be rented from the Mt Cook Backpackers at the Village. It’s downhill to the airport, so the first half of the ride is easy. Remember to look behind and admire the Southern Alps!

Once you get to the airport, the only way to continue on the cycleway is to take a short helicopter ride across the valley. Otherwise, you can just U-turn at the airport and head back. Total distance would be 10km. However, the ride back was quite painful because of the uphill and strong headwinds. Have fun!

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Price: Free (bike rental at NZ$15 for two hours)
Website: www.alps2ocean.com
Tip: The return is really quite tough, so take your time. Start out earlier and make sure you come back before the sun sets, or it will get too cold and dark.

3) Tasman Glacier helihike

This was the one thing I was looking forward to during my visit to Mount Cook Village! The Tasman Glacier helihike gives you the chance to explore New Zealand’s longest glacier, the Tasman, up close. Chief guide Charlie Hobbs, who has over 30 years of guiding experience and owns the Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant, takes two groups out a day – one at 930am and another at 130pm – during peak season.

Weather conditions have to be favourable, otherwise there is a chance of cancellation as it involves helicopter rides. Meeting at Old Mountaineers first, you settle your indemnity forms there and get dressed properly before setting off. They provide jackets, pants and shoes in case you don’t have the right ones. Heading to the little airport next, we fly out to the Tasman Glacier via helicopter and the views are amazing!

Once you are on the glacier, the guides will hook your shoes up with crampons and hand you ski poles so you can walk on the smooth white ice safely. This is where everything becomes surreal – it’s quiet, peaceful and you’re surrounded by nothing but the pretty white ice of the glacier and the magnificent surrounding mountains. Charlie then took us to this cave, where we got to crawl through a tunnel and witness the deep blue of the glacier water. In single file, we continue walking down to explore more of the glacier before the helicopter returns to pick us up. Total duration of the trip is approximately four hours.

There are full day private alpine trekking tours if you want more, but that requires more fitness.

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Price: NZ$480 per pax (no child rate; min. 8 yo)
Website: www.mtcook.com
Tip: Try the glacier skiing or glacier kayaking if you have time

4) Hooker Valley Walk

The Hooker Valley Walk is one of the most popular walks in the park, taking you up the Hooker valley towards Aoraki/Mount Cook. The route includes the Alpine Memorial (a great viewpoint), Freda’s Rock, the Mueller Glacier and then you come to the first swing bridge which will take you across the Hooker River to another swing bridge. You will see many old moraine ridges and humps along the way, until you get to a third swing bridge that will lead to the East Hooker. This track ends at the glacier lake, where you should spend some time soaking up the views of Aoraki/Mount Cook, Hooker Glacier and the Southern Alps.

I didn’t get to go for this walk because it was raining miserably in the afternoon, but here’s a photo by SoniaM Photography of an example of the views along this walk:

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5) Big Sky Stargazing

Mount Cook has some of the darkest skies in New Zealand, which is what you need for viewing the stars. You can go out after dark and shoot on your own, or you can join the Big Sky Stargazing tour at the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which is next to the Hermitage Hotel. The tour starts with an introduction and orientation in the Digital Dome Planetarium that explains stars and the galaxy, as well as highlights the features of the southern night sky you need to look out for. The astronomy guide will then take you out for a short drive to the outdoor stargazing site, where you will get to use telescopes, astronomy binoculars or your own eyes to try and identify different elements of the spectacular southern sky.

I was all equipped and ready to shoot stars, but alas, the weather was too cloudy during the nights I was there, so the outdoor part of the tour was cancelled. BOO! If the guides cancel the outside part of the tour, you can get a partial refund of the full tour fee paid. I was really upset that I didn’t get to shoot the stars. Here’s how it would look like on a clear sky day:

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Price: NZ$65 (adults); NZ$32.50 (child 4-14yo)
Website: http://www.hermitage.co.nz/en/the-sir-edmund-hillary-alpine-centre/big-sky-stargazing
Tip: Remember to bring a tripod and dress warmly!

Where I stayed at Mt Cook:

1) The Hermitage Hotel

There is only one hotel in Mount Cook Village – the Hermitage Hotel. There are a few accommodation types available – the main hotel complex I stayed in has 164 rooms and there are another 20 self-contained chalets located 200m away from the hotel. The hotel is comfortable and clean, with different types of rooms (Premium Plus, Premium, Superior or Standard) depending on your preferences. Wi-Fi connection isn’t the greatest but then again, you’re far out in the mountains. Views from the front-facing rooms are beautiful and I found myself sitting at the window just staring out at the mountains a couple of times, heh. If your budget is tight, you can consider the backpackers motel further down below the hotel.

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Price: From as low as NZ$179 during low season
Website: 
www.hermitage.co.nz

What I ate at Mt Cook:

1) The Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant

This Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant is an icon of Mount Cook Village. It is the only business within the Village that is officially opened by Sir Edmund Hillary. If you are tired of eating within the hotel or you just want to grab a cuppa, you can walk out to this cafe which serves food with organic options, beer, wine or simply coffee. The accompanying views of the mountains make for a relaxing meal.

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2) The Panorama Room

This fine dining restaurant within the hotel serves an international menu, a la carte or set dinner style.

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Read my other New Zealand posts:  Queenstown / Wanaka

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    First establishing herself in the world of cars and motorsports, Cheryl Tay is a sports and fitness blogger who advocates living an active and healthy lifestyle. Founder of body image movement Rock The Naked Truth, Cheryl overcame over a decade of eating disorders and is now passionate about helping people with similar struggles. She also has a running club ROCKrunners and a tri-enthusiast club ROCKtri.

    Rock The Naked Truth encourages others to be comfortable in their own skin and to learn that there is more to life than just being a slave to the numbers on your scale. Truly, life has more meaning than just forcing yourself to look good - it's most important to be happy and feel good about yourself!

    Previously...
    > Fitness columnist for Yahoo! Sports
    > Founder of ELITE (fitness competition)
    > Motoring writer for TODAY
    > Columnist for Rev / Run magazines
    > Official photographer for ONE Championship
    > Media manager for Formula Drift Asia
    > PR manager for PETRONAS Syntium Team
    > Business development for Kartright Speedway
    > F1 youth speaker for Singapore GP
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    LATE NIGHT OUT! Well, by my standards anyway since LATE NIGHT OUT! Well, by my standards anyway since I go to bed by 9pm haha.

We went to @gastrobeats.sg just to see our gurls @itshaneri and @rriley perform and it was AMAZING! I’ve missed live performances and they SLAYED IT.

It was so nice to just groove to their sick beats in the company of friends… and this stranger who danced really intensely and close to us, and then photobombed all our group photos. LOL!

Till the next performance…

Sorely missing @itshaneri in this photo.
    One month to Ironman 70.3 Desaru and three months One month to Ironman 70.3 Desaru and three months to Berlin Marathon!

The biggest challenge, I feel, is balancing training with the rest of my commitments and managing the fatigue from day to day.

But I like the structure and routine it gives me. I sleep by 9/10pm and wake up at 4/5am everyday, I start my day with training and there’s a rhythm going.

Best of all, I like the friends I make from this sport. Because it’s three sports in one, it means having friends from three disciplines.

I love getting to know the various communities and knowing that I’m not alone!

We are all in this together, committing time to the sports we love, signing up for races, knowing it's not easy yet we still do it.
    Happy to have directed, produced and starred in th Happy to have directed, produced and starred in this video, alongside these amazing people @preetitris @craigtoh @hellojaimeee @azfarhashim.jpg @zubnaz @thesquirmygremlins!

Cycling is a great way to explore a place and get fit at the same time. Singapore actually has pretty scenic cycling routes - how much of Singapore have you seen on two wheels?

The MOVE HAPPY EXPLORE SG RIDE is a virtual cycling initiative by @ltasg in partnership with @orange_room_asia to encourage people to get active and explore Singapore on their bicycles.

There are 10 curated routes involving the use of cycling paths, park connectors and footpaths to showcase path connectivity between town centres, transport nodes and parks. The more routes you complete, the more rewards you get!

Sign up at www.exploresg.lta.gov.sg.

🎥: Huang House Productions

#movehappyexploresg #cyclingfriends #cyclingsg #sgcycling #exploreonbike
    I don't know about you but I feel like as you grow I don't know about you but I feel like as you grow older, it's harder to make good friends because people are busier with their commitments and it's challenging to find the time to meet or have deep conversations.

When I was struggling with body image and my eating disorders, I was such an insecure person that I became a bad friend. I would project my insecurities onto others and as a result, I lost valuable friendships.

Now I'm working on being a good partner, friend, sister, daughter and colleague.

Grateful that I managed to spend some time with @itshaneri today at @trapezerecclub - one of the treasured friends I have who show up for me every single time. ♥️

#trapezerecclub #bebettereveryday #friendships
    Never too old to pick up new skills! I actually s Never too old to pick up new skills!

I actually started taking Class 2B lessons way back in 2010 but I gave up because I was struggling.

10 years later, I still struggled but this time I stuck it through and I'm now in the midst of getting my Class 2.

Riding a motorbike is not the difficult part, navigating the circuit and its various obstacles is. I remember being so stressed!

Just remember that age is just a number and you should go and do whatever you've always wanted to, even if it's something that mostly has young people. Who cares!

#motorbike #class2 #nevertooold
    Joined another beach cleanup this morning, organis Joined another beach cleanup this morning, organised by @rwsentosa! I’m always in for one!

We focused on ECP Area G this time and we spent a lot of time picking up the tiny pieces of plastic, cigarette butts, straws, broken styrofoam etc. I reckon we picked up about 100 cigarette butts at least. Paul said there were 336 by his count.

Grateful for the weather which wasn’t too bad and for new friends made. Thanks @paulfosterrr for the jio!

Who wants to join me for more?

#beachcleanup
    It's gonna hurt, you're gonna suffer, there's defi It's gonna hurt, you're gonna suffer, there's definitely gonna be pain (physically, mentally, emotionally). Yet I still do it, you still do it, we all do it.

Why do we do it? Because it gives us structure, purpose and lots of opportunities for growth and self-development.

As we grow older, we have less goals in life to work towards. Most of the time we are busy working to pay the bills and to lead the lifestyle we want, and our goals tend to be more material, eg. you want to get a new car, you want to upgrade to a bigger house.

For me, signing up for endurance races gives me something to work towards, non-material goals that help me see improvements in my strength, my mind, my body. It's also refreshing and you can see the results, ie. your timings get faster. Scoring a personal best in sports is very satisfying!

What about you? Why do you like signing up for races?

P.S. Not sure if you can see but I'm sticking my tongue out here haha!

📷: @ks.runner

#RoadToBerlinMarathon
    Sometimes, we need to slow down, take stock of our Sometimes, we need to slow down, take stock of our lives and spend a moment in gratitude. A simple reset of the mind and body can do so much for your well-being.

I started my weekend a little differently, with morning yoga beside the water and the grand @royalalbatross in the backdrop, with @fearlessfi guiding us through the poses. This was much-needed and I headed onboard next for a breakfast sail around the south of Singapore.

The sea breeze felt so good on the face and there is something therapeutic about going out to sea, taking in its vastness. Find time to get out and absorb some Vitamin Sea - you need it more than you realise!

This Yoga Breakfast Sail with Royal Albatross is one of their wellness activities for @wellnessfestsg and I think it was a great pairing of yoga and breakfast at sea. I felt refreshed and relaxed after!

Singapore may be a tiny island on the global map, but we do have various types of wellness activities and initiatives to revitalise and recharge yourself. Whether it's a walk in nature, a fitness class or a sound healing session, find what works for you and constantly practise self-care. Then share that love around ❤️!

#WFS2022 #VisitSingapore @wellnessfestsg @visitsingapore @stb_sg @royalalbatross @lululemonsg
    I feel a close affinity to the sea, probably becau I feel a close affinity to the sea, probably because of my sport of triathlon where the first leg is a swim in the open water. I don't really want to swim in dirty water! Lol that's not the main point.

The point is, marine litter is becoming a greater issue. Worse, marine litter is a transboundary issue because it can be carried by wind and tides.

On our part, other than doing beach cleanups as a remedy, start by taking your litter with you. Is it really that hard? Go to the beach, have a good time, and then take your rubbish with you.

We are very very lucky that we have a lot of dustbins and surely it doesn't take a mammoth effort to bin your trash when you're leaving?

Organised this beach cleanup with BMW Group Asia and I will be doing more on my own too - just reach out if you would like to join me or do it yourself!

Thank you to those who showed up on a wet and gloomy morning to do this with me. I'm so grateful!

#beachcleanup #marinelitter
    #wakeuppretty and why I like eyelash extensions! #wakeuppretty and why I like eyelash extensions!

This is bare-faced me, which is 95% of the time, as I only do makeup when I have a shoot or some kind of special event.

The only thing I have here are eyelash extensions and they have been a lifesaver for me since 2015, along with my eyebrow embroidery and eyeliner tattoo.

There are 2 main kinds of lashes you can attach to your eyes - the temporary falsies that you use glue / magnetic eyeliner to stick onto your lashes, or these ones that last about a month but take 2 hours to be manually stuck onto your own lashes, one by one. You can choose the length and volume for these lash extensions, so you can have 3 lashes stuck to 1 lash of yours for example for more volume.

Here’s what I like about lash extensions:

- You wake up pretty and not too sleepy
- You don’t have to spend time doing much makeup or any makeup
- You pretty much look quite made up

What I don’t quite like:

- Your own lashes will get weaker so I try to rest them and not do them all the time
- The individual lashes start dropping and because can’t decide what drops first so you get ‘holes’ and it can look messy
- You have to return to the salon to get them removed or you can wait till they eventually all drop. Sometimes you get like one weird lash sticking out in the middle of your own lashes haha
- You need to sit there for 2 hours to get these done
- You can't wash your face properly because you need to be delicate and wash around the eyes carefully
- You can't rub your eyes when they are itchy

Well I used to be addicted to this and would feel weird/empty/naked if I didn’t have them but now I try to go for months without them just so I can rest my own lashes and apply serum to strengthen them.

They can be quite expensive but waking up pretty does outweigh the inconveniences, so if I have a lot of shoots or events or occasions where I wanna look pretty with minimal effort, lash extensions are my go-to.

**This set is the Kim K lashes, 6D volume, C curl, that I do at @hlashessg which is home based and I love her skills! Tell her I recommended her and you might get a discount 😉

#eyelashextensions #shotoniPhone #iPhone13Pro
    As I’m always running around, I sometimes forget As I’m always running around, I sometimes forget to eat or don’t have time to prepare a meal properly. And now that I’m training up for races, I want to make sure that I’m eating properly so my body gets the nutrients it needs to function optimally.

I’m so grateful that @yolofoodsg has stepped in to help me on my #roadtoBerlinMarathon. I don’t have to worry as they send me lunch and dinner, fresh, daily on weekdays, complete with a snack and coconut water.

You can choose the type of meal plan you want, eg. the portion size, and you can give them your preferences such as no lamb, non spicy etc.

I like the element of surprise, as different things come everyday and you get a variety of meals so it’s not boring.

Most importantly, the food is tasty and yummy! I like their healthy version of their Nasi Lemak (swipe to second video) and their snacks and desserts are not bad too.

They also have frozen meals and extra protein from their mart which you can keep for the weekends or for extra meals.

Use 'CHERYLTAY15' for 15% off!

#healthyeating #mealplan #freshdaily #shotoniPhone
#iPhone13Pro
    I really hope people will learn to take care of ou I really hope people will learn to take care of our beaches. Have a good time at the beach yes, but please make the effort to take your rubbish with you. It's not even that big of an effort because we are very lucky to have many dustbins around us and cleaners who regularly clear the trash.

I organised this beach cleanup for last Saturday morning with BMW Group Asia, some friends and family, and the rain was disruptive, but everyone soldiered on and continued to pick up litter.

It was low tide and gosh, there was so much rubbish embedded in the sea floor, for goodness knows how long. Some of the plastic even started to disintegrate as we tried to pick them up.

We only managed to clear about 12 full sized rice sacks (reused these instead of buying bags) from 50 of us, because we spent a lot of time trying to pull out the rubbish stuck in the sludge.

I went back to the beach yesterday, to the same spot, and saw there was rubbish strewn everywhere across the sand again. Like hello, we just cleaned it!! 🤦‍♀️

So people, enjoy the beach, have your fun, but please take your rubbish with you ok!

#BMWxCherylTay #BMWGroupAsia #beachcleanup #sustainability #marinelitter #takeyourrubbish
    This was how I chilled over the weekend, literally This was how I chilled over the weekend, literally chilling out LOL. This was me doing the Cold Immersion Therapy at @trapezerecclub because I am not a fan of the cold, but I know this ice bath brings great benefits (like increased blood circulation and reduced inflammation of muscles to boost recovery) so I was game!

Honestly, the first 30 seconds were the hardest and then the body adapts and you just have to focus on your breathing and relax. After that I was actually quite comfortably enjoying myself - the body never fails to amaze!

I also did their Movement & Mobility class before this and that was a real struggle because I am so stiff from always being in repetitive motions for extended periods of time for my sport of triathlon. The deep stretches hurt a little but I felt good after.

Capping off my wellness weekend was an Introspective Forest Night Walk at Sentosa's Imbiah Trail with @untamed_paths. I love walking in nature but I've never walked at night because it's dark and can be creepy. However, this was an interesting experience and I learnt a lot. We got to see amphibians and nocturnal invertebrates and the air was cool from the rain prior.

There are so many ways for us to work on our personal wellness and I had a really engaging weekend with different types of activities as part of @wellnessfestsg. There are still a lot of things happening till 12 June so check out www.wellnessfest.sg - there are free and paid events you can sign up for.

Wellness should not just be for this period though and hopefully you get valuable takeaways from these experiences to carry them into your lifestyle!

#WFS2022 #VisitSingapore #shotoniPhone
#iPhone13Pro
    Are you tired or lazy? I think this is an importan Are you tired or lazy? I think this is an important differentiation we need to learn how to make.

When it comes to your fitness regime and you have a routine in place, it’s normal to have days where you don’t feel like it. Or many days when you don’t feel like it haha.

But do you know if you’re really exhausted and fatigued or you’re just making excuses? Learn to listen to your body cues. Does it need sleep? Have you been eating well? How stressed have you been?

Don’t push yourself if you really need a break. Work and life can really overwhelm us and we are only human.

But if you’re just lazy and always making excuses to get out of your workout, then please have a conversation with yourself and realign your objectives. What do you want to work out for? And how can you stay committed?

For me, I’m training for a race so my goals are different and I do have a bigger obligation to put in the work. But if you’re just trying to keep an active lifestyle, keep yourself motivated, remember the purpose and learn to tell if you’re tired or just lazy!

Seen here wearing my new @asicssg GEL-KINSEI BLAST LE shoes - took them for an 18km run and I’m liking them! Share a photo of you working out, tag @asicssg and #AsicsForSAMH and they will donate $5 towards mental health support.

#workout #asicssg #getupandmove #tiredorlazy #activeliving #shotoniPhone #iPhone13Pro
    Traded my tri bike in for a different type of bicy Traded my tri bike in for a different type of bicycle at the Spin Orchestra, one of six experiential zones of The Wellness Sensorium! As you cycle here, you trigger interactive lights and music - very pretty at night especially. 

The Wellness Sensorium runs until 12 June and is open daily, for free, at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay. Ticket booking is required though, through www.wellnessfest.sg.

The other zones are interesting too, including the Stone Ritual where you can engage in a stone stacking ritual and The Monument of Good Vibes where you can write a quote to inspire and be inspired.

There's also a Masterclass Studio which has different types of activities going on, from fitness classes to stitch meditation, nutrition and mental health talks. I signed up for Sunset Cardio, which was a Boxing HIIT session by sista @victoriacheng.

These are all part of the Wellness Festival Singapore which has a wide range of activities running across the island. I attended the Finding Your Inner Balance day workshop by @bluesky.escapes, which had Qi Gong/Tai Chi, a gut health talk, a healing sound bath, raw chocolate making session and a wholesome plant-based meal at @livingcafesg. Definitely learnt a lot to help improve my health!

Head on over to www.wellnessfest.sg to check out all the different activities and see what might pique your interest!

#WFS2022 #VisitSingapore @wellnessfestsg @visitsingapore @stb_sg
    I still can fit into my trisuit! LOL I dug this @t I still can fit into my trisuit! LOL I dug this @teampurpose custom trisuit from the depths of my cupboard after not touching it for over 2 years. Forgot to give it a wash before wearing it and I kept smelling this musty scent oops.

Queen Bitch is out too, off the trainer and back on the road. Less than 2 months to Ironman 70.3 Desaru (my slot was carried over from 2020) and all I want is for my legs to hold me up to the end hahahahahaha.

My key race is still the BMW Berlin Marathon in September, but I’ll still do my best for this!

#cheryltayworksout #triathlon #ironman703desaru #racingisback #specializedsg #specializedshiv #queenbitch #cycling #swimbikerun
    Reasons why we run - @thehuangergames made me writ Reasons why we run - @thehuangergames made me write this, LOL. Hence my face!

This is part of the Puma Run XX Nitro experience at Bugis+ Level 2 atrium, where you can play their activities and complete for a 30% discount off their running collection in store.

Swipe to have a look at what we did and head down before this Sunday!

#pumarunxxnitro #pumasg
    ⚡️GIVEAWAY⚡️ I love how convenient and us ⚡️GIVEAWAY⚡️

I love how convenient and useful the Taizjo’s NOIR Phone sling case, especially at events, because I don't have to carry a bag just for my phone and I can be hands free without worrying where my phone is all the time.

I’ve teamed up with @Taizjo to giveaway 1 x NOIR Modular Crossbody Phone Sling Case with Detachable Black Lanyard Strap (worth $64.90)!

All you gotta do is:

👍🏻 Like this post & follow me (@cheryltaysg) and @taizjo
💬 Tag 2 friends who would love this giveaway as well ✨

💓 Bonus: Repost this to your IGS and tag @cheryltaysg and @taizjo 

This giveaway ends on 6 June 2022, 2359h.

Winner will be notified via Instagram DM! 
For those of you who can’t wait, use CHERYLTAY for 10% off.

#takeitanywhere #taizjofam

*please check www.taizjo.com for phone model availability 🙏🏻
    'Twas a hot weekend! 🥵🥵🥵 Desaru was indee 'Twas a hot weekend! 🥵🥵🥵 Desaru was indeed hot and humid, totally what I was expecting, so be prepared for a sufferfest if you're doing the Ironman 70.3 Desaru.

My race entry was brought over from 2020 so I guess I'm doing it lol. My focus is still on the Berlin Marathon though!

Headed down to the race site over the weekend to check it out and here are my observations:

Swim - The water is clear and you could see the sand bottom till quite far out. When I was there, the conditions were calm and it was nice to swim in.

Bike - A couple of roundabouts and mostly long straight roads that stretch far ahead, lined with trees, with rolling hills similar to the profile of Mandai. But be prepared for a few tough slopes! Not super tough that you have to get down and push your bike la don't worry.

Run - I couldn't check out the actual run course because the golf course is closed to public, but I heard it's shaded in some parts, some rolling hills as well, and it's 3 rounds around the golf course.

Hotel - If you're staying at the official race hotel, Westin Desaru, the rooms are big so lots of space for all your race gear. Balcony is big, shower stall has a ledge to sit on when you're too tired to stand and shower, lift is big and can fit a few bicycles.

But the service in the main restaurant Seasonal Tastes is slow. You can drive out to the coffee shops further out away from the coast as an alternative or bring your own food haha.

OK I hope this comes in helpful for those of you going up for the race in July! I drove in with my own car so if you need tips just DM me ok.

📷: @jacqtours

#ironman703desaru #desarucoast
    A quick weekend to Desaru with my mum! First time A quick weekend to Desaru with my mum! First time I’m driving into Malaysia post-COVID and also first overseas trip with my mum post-COVID.

I really love travelling with my mum because she’s so easy to travel with and she’s perpetually in a good mood. I’m so glad that my relationship with my parents are alright now. They still have not accepted Grace and prefer not to talk about her and change topics when I bring her up. But it’s ok, one step at a time, at least they are not ignoring me anymore.

Those who are planning to drive into Malaysia, borrow a Touch ‘n’ Go card from someone who has money in it. Remember that if you don't use your TAG card for a year, it will be invalid even if the card has not expired yet. And then, buy a TAG card from Singapore (selected petrol kiosks) and top it up in Malaysia.

When I drove into Malaysia, I went to so many petrol stations and toll offices and they all said they didn't have any TAG cards to sell! Thank goodness I bought from Singapore, so I could top it up there and not have to borrow from a friend the next time I go in.

#desaru #westindesaru #roadtrip #travelwithmum #malaysiaboleh #desarubeach #desarucoast
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