What an opportunity!
BLUES IN MALAYSIA: Gallery
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Wednesday was a later start for most of the group with more time to enjoy the wonderful breakfast at the resort. The chocolate fountain was impressive, along with the donuts and pastries – all of which were off limits to us of course. While the players were able to enjoy a quick breakfast, we had to earn it as we had a weight session at 7:00am. We met on the beach near the resort at 8:30am and boarded some boats to travel to Monkey Beach for a morning of water sports. This was great fun with the boys enjoying jet skiing, riding the donuts behind the speed boat and the best of all was the ‘banana’ towed behind the boat with about 8 of us enjoying the ride and the many spills. The best spill went to ‘Simmo’ (Kade Simpson) who we reckon flew about 3 metres in the air when he came off at one stage. By Wednesday night it was more like 8 metres!
Back to the resort for a lovely BBQ lunch in the grounds (where we had enjoyed dinner the night before) and then a very enjoyable foot reflexology session from the staff at Chi, the spa at the resort. This was another great experience with everyone getting involved, even Mick Molloy, Mike Sheahan and Kelli Underwood who were part of the media group with us.
The afternoon was free for some tennis, golf, looking around the resort and a rest for many, including watching the tennis from Melbourne Park. It was also a good time to chat with the media representatives for the various stories they were doing on the visit to Malaysia.
Dinner was at a restaurant in the main street just down from the resort. The highlight at the dinner was the singing of the Carlton theme song, much to the amusement of a number of diners. Richard Pratt led the way after saying a few words on the trip and also on the year ahead. What we really liked was seeing Mick Molloy (a Richmond supporter) get up and leave the restaurant in mock disgust, his personal protest at having to sit through the Carlton theme song. Let’s hope he has to sit through it again at the end of the round one match against the Tigers in late March.
Around 9:30 most of the boys left the restaurant to visit the night markets again and a visit to the Fish Spa for those who had not been previously. Back to the room and once again the thongs were laid out beside the bed, a very nice touch indeed.
An early start on Thursday for the group fortunate to be on “Pratt Air” with a 6:00am meeting in the resort lobby for the bus trip to Penang Airport. At the airport we went through customs etc. and then boarded the bus again, inside the airport this time, to be driven to the private jet at the end of the tarmac. The only way to travel! Then it was the flight home to Melbourne. We actually arrived back in Melbourne late Thursday afternoon and spoke to those back in Malaysia who were on the bus heading to Penang Airport before the commercial flight home via Kuala Lumpur. While it was good to be home we were a little jealous hearing that the group still at the resort had enjoyed a leisurely day, late breakfast, golf, tennis, massage, foot reflexology, swim and a relaxing time around the pool. However they still had the flights to come, including a three-hour stopover in Kuala Lumpur and the overnight flight to Melbourne, arriving at 8:15am on Friday. And the temperature was 45 degrees in Melbourne, what a hot welcome home!
It was an incredible experience for all of us and we certainly appreciate how fortunate we are to have been on the trip. Likewise we appreciate the support of the Carlton Football Club by Tourism Malaysia and if part of the purpose of the visit was to show off Malaysia and have us become ambassadors for the country, it worked.
Malaysia is on the agenda for a return visit for all the Carlton players, coaches and officials who were on the trip and for many who have heard about how good it is since we arrived home. Not just the place but the people who are so friendly and while you expect this at such a wonderful resort, it was also the case everywhere we went, very friendly locals.
As I said earlier in my report, I am fortunate to drive a Hyundai, and now I can’t wait to get back to Malaysia for another visit. We are lucky to have a relationship with two great joint major sponsors.
To take a line out of that old advertising my dad told me about: “Do yourself a favour – visit Malaysia” - you will not be disappointed.
Marc Murphy
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For more information on Malaysia visit the Tourism Malaysia website at
http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my
