Exploring Australia, Sydneyporean style
When she was 11, Audra Morrice travelled Down Under for the first time to visit her aunt.
Now 47, the second runner-up of the fourth season of reality TV cooking series MasterChef Australia, has made Sydney her home for the past two decades.
Since then, the professional chef has come full circle.
She was a judge on the inaugural season of MasterChef Asia in 2015, stars in her own cooking TV series Tasty Conversations, which is broadcast in Australia and Asia, and is the creative food consultant for Laguna Phuket Resorts and Hotels.
She is currently featured in Meet The Sydneyporeans, a three-part video mini-series campaign jointly organised by Australian airline Qantas and Destination New South Wales.
Currently available on Qantas' YouTube channel, it shows off the sights, sounds and flavours of New South Wales through the eyes of Singaporeans living in Sydney.
Morrice, a Singapore citizen and Australian permanent resident, shuttles between the two countries three to five times a year for her catering business and cooking classes.
She feels neither more Singaporean nor Sydneysider, calling herself a "Sydneyporean".
The mother of two told The New Paper: "I think I know what excites Singaporeans, as far as food is concerned, so it's nice to be able to share some of my favourite places to eat and some of the things you can do with your family (there)."
She recommends the coastal areas of Kiama and Gerringong, about two hours out of Sydney.
The whole New South Wales coastline stretches over 1,590km, with 990km of beautiful beaches.
Apart from the spectacular view and ragged coastlines, the farms that dot Kiama offer a wide range of experiences unavailable in Singapore, such as having gelato made from milk almost straight from the cow and harvesting chestnuts.
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west, is also on her must-see list.
The Singapore Tourism Board ambassador said: "It's quite artsy, creative and a little bit hippie, but they have really great cafes and murals that people have painted on the walls."
One of them, the I Have A Dream mural on King Street, was featured in the music video for British rock band Coldplay's A Sky Full Of Stars in 2014.
Morrice said: "Sydney is constantly changing, so you can come back in six months or 12 months and do exactly the same thing and still have a totally different experience."
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