we made the trip at end of 1995, slightly more than 12 years ago. for the drive from sydney to melbourne, we had a 8-seater mitsubishi spacewagon which we rented for aus$224. the exchange rate then was aus$1 = s$1.059. today, the rate is aus$1 = s$1.31.
in 1995, ivy had just completed her primary school leaving education (psle) and awaiting her posting to a secondary school while ida had just completed her first year in pei chun public school. today, ivy is working at franskston hospital in melbourne while ida is completing her first year of study for a bachelor of commerce degree at monah university in melbourne.
those days, when we went to australia, we were usually booked on qantas or british airways. the airfare then was s$1079, inclusive of airport tax. as ida was considered a child, her airfare was s$823. today, with new fuel surcharge and airport tax, the airfare on sia is s$1720.
then, when we visited melbourne with the soons (boon eng & millie), we would stay with the gongs at kew, a choice suburbia in melbourne. dr gong, his wife, who is boon eng's sister, and two children lived in a 9-room 2-storey house. these days, when i go to melbourne, i will squeeze in with my two daughters at their rented 4-room townhouse in clayton.
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