My Coffee Journal

Disclaimer: This post is based on my own recent experience renewing my Indonesian passport in Australia. It's my first time doing it here, so while I’ve done my best to capture the details accurately, do cross-check as things may change over time. As you may know, renewing an Indonesian passport must be done in person—either at the Embassy or one of the Consulates of the Republic of Indonesia. These are located in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Darwin. For me, living in the Gold Coast, the closest is Sydney. So that’s where I made my appointment. It helped that our family also wanted a short holiday there—road trip style! (I’ll share that adventure in another post.) Remote Passport Services? The good news: the consulate occasionally runs remote passport services, including in the Gold Coast. However, these are only announced about a month in advance, with limited quota. Not ideal if you need your passport renewed within a specific timeframe. If you're not in a hurry though,...

Last year, I wrote about rewards and loyalty points that you can actually feel (Read here: Reward and Loyalty Points You Can Feel ). After spending a year trying to maximize the benefits from these programs, I’ve realized that many of them are much harder to earn from once the initial sign-up bonuses and promos wear off. Take Woolies Everyday Rewards , for example. Despite our family shopping regularly at Woolies for household needs, we haven’t even hit the points needed to redeem a $10 reward after several months. Sure, they offer “boosts” to earn more points, but the catch? You often have to buy specific items that we wouldn’t normally get—too much effort for too little return. So, what loyalty programs are still worth keeping? 1. Costco: Still a No-Brainer Even if you don’t bulk-buy, the fuel savings alone justify the membership cost. I wrote about our decision to commit to Costco here: Why We Finally Committed to Costco . No gimmicks, no hoops to jump through—just solid savi...

Disclaimer: I’m not a wine connoisseur, just someone who enjoys a good glass of wine with a meal. My approach to wine is straightforward: it either falls into the category of “will drink again” or “will not.” In 2024, I embarked on a quest to find my favorite wines under $10. Surprisingly, it hasn’t been easy. While there are plenty of decent options in this price range, most have left no lasting impression. A Taste of Perspective I’ve been fortunate to try some very expensive wines, thanks to the generosity of my social circle. While I could taste the difference in quality, it’s hard for someone like me to justify the price versus the taste. That’s why I set my sights on finding hidden gems for under $10. My Top Pick of 2024 So far, my favorite find has been Dan Murphy’s Cleanskin No 49 Soft Merlot , priced at $7.99. For those unfamiliar, Dan’s cleanskin wines are unbranded but surprisingly good value. This Merlot has hit the sweet spot for me—it’s smooth, enjoyable, and pairs well w...

Disclaimer: This post isn’t about promoting Costco or bulk-buying culture. It’s simply my family’s take on why we decided to sign up for a $65/year Costco membership, despite not being fans of buying in bulk or freezing multiple portions of the same food item (we don’t have much storage space anyway). Here’s why we think the membership is worth it—especially if you live near a Costco (in our case, the Coomera warehouse). 1. Petrol Savings Costco’s petrol prices are a game-changer. While other servos can be competitive, there are swing-up days when prices spike unpredictably. Costco typically doesn’t do that. I’ve saved as much as 20–30 cents per litre—those savings add up quickly and make a big difference. 2. Affordable Eggs We’re big fans of eggs in our household. At Costco, a tray of 30 cage-free eggs costs around $10–$11. By comparison, a tray of 12 at Woolies or Coles goes for about $6. That’s amazing savings for a staple we regularly use. 3. Unexpected Finds Costco has a knack fo...

Disclaimer: This post is not about comparing or recommending restaurants or eateries. I am using this post to note down establishments that I have patronized and personally loved. I am sure there are many, many great Bánh mì that I have yet to try, and I hope someone will leave a recommendation or two in the comments. :) Bánh mì – I knew and enjoyed Bánh mì even before moving to Australia, but it was just one of the delicious offerings in Vietnamese eateries. However, Bánh mì seems to be an institution in Australia – people search high and low for the best Bánh mì around the country. Case in point – check out this FB group, I had a chuckle upon discovering this: Vietnamese Banh Mi Appreciation Society I will update this post as I encounter more delicious Bánh mì. Pickle n Pinch Cafe Address: 6/8 Grice Ave, Paradise Point QLD 4216 ( Google Maps ) This might seem like an unlikely place for a Bánh mì, but this cafe serves limited yet authentic Vietnamese delicacies alongside the typi...

If you’re an aviation enthusiast, this event is not to be missed. Without much planning, my wife and I decided to attend the airshow today (Friday, 16th August 2024). It turned out to be one of our best decisions! We originally intended to visit tomorrow or Sunday, but we had other events to attend to. Since we didn’t have tickets, we decided to park at Main Beach and walk along the beach to find the best spot for viewing the acrobatics and flybys. Official website:  https://pacificairshowaus.com/ Where to view? For free viewing, we found that the sweet spot was right in front of Meriton Suites Surfers Paradise, which is perfect as it’s just outside the fenced paid area. Where to park? Parking along Main Beach is recommended; it's free, with either 2P or 3P limits. However, you need to arrive early as many others might have the same idea. We walked about 700 meters from our car to the viewing spot, but if you’re lucky, you may find parking closer. Since the first event starts aroun...