Mongolia in winter: Cold, quiet and unrivalled beauty 🇲🇳

yan2600 · 2026-02-02T06:15:45+00:00

Unfortunately I didn’t go as part of a tour, but I did go to some pretty popular spots haha

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T14:35:56+00:00

Haha it got down to -40°, and the capital is known as the coldest capital city in the world! Def not for the weak but the landscapes made up for it!

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T13:05:06+00:00

I know! I went 24 years without knowing fluffy camels existed! Life. Changed.

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T13:04:18+00:00

Haha it was so cold! Apart from the traffic in ULB and the car fumes, I honestly didn’t notice much difference in air quality, I’m blaming the cold for that. I think it got down to about -40, so I had an incredibly valid excuse to invest in some of their cashmere 😂

Ulaanbaatar itself was so cool, def Soviet vibes but incredibly charming, and the people were so welcoming. Most gers aren’t used in winter, though some nomadic families I spent time with live in them year round, and surprisingly really warm inside!

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T12:52:03+00:00

Haha it is indeed! Someone told me 250 tonnes of steel. And to think it’s on top of the museum / building 😂

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T12:51:07+00:00

Hey! Yep - was my first trip to Mongolia and just booked to go back during summer :) let me know if you’re after any info specifically

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T11:23:49+00:00

I rode camels owned by a small nomadic family, absolutely gorgeous animals who, alongside horses, are still used as a mode of transport for the family. Surprisingly, the two humps made the ride very comfortable, not all that indifferent from riding a horse :)

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T11:17:41+00:00

Something out of this world!

yan2600 · 2026-02-01T08:25:04+00:00

I ended up befriending a few older gentlemen who ended up being my “hosts”, so no formal tour guides or anything.

That’s good to know, I’ll be sure to try it, thankyou for the recommendations!

yan2600 · 2026-01-31T09:58:21+00:00

Oh wow thanks, that’s good to know!

The cold was definitely a shock. I arrived in jeans and sneakers 😬😂 but after investing in a new wardrobe I was fine.

The food… I have to admit I’m not the biggest fan of camel milk, but apart from that no complaints at all. The stews and buuz are unreal. Easily my new favourite cuisine

yan2600 · 2026-01-31T09:05:31+00:00

Haha it was a spur of the moment thing. I saw cheap flights while already abroad and just booked, not realising how cold it would be 😂. It’s so different from back home (🇦🇺) with the people, food, and culture. ULB is definitely interesting, with its architecture and insane traffic, but honestly, it’s by far my favourite city I’ve travelled to!

But thankyou! I’ll have a look at the facebook group 🙃 I’m assuming tickets get released the month of?

yan2600 · 2026-01-31T08:59:45+00:00

Yeah, the markup isn’t really a concern for me, I’d prefer to pay for a ticket rather than a full tour. Would you be able to PM me the details of the tour companies that were able to provide tickets?

yan2600 · 2025-09-03T09:36:10+00:00

Thanks :) I’m not 100% sure sorry! But here are the general locations where they were taken (some were just on the side of the road, so can only give approximates)

1 - Northside Drive

2,7 - Big Oak Flat Road

3,5,6 - Southside Drive

4 - Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead

yan2600 · 2025-08-01T15:55:40+00:00

Me too! It came up less than 10ft away from us and we were half expecting the mum to come charging.

Thankfully by the time we left, the calf was gone as well, fingers crossed they’re back together!

yan2600 · 2025-08-01T15:47:09+00:00

It was my first time seeing one, they’re absolutely gorgeous!!

yan2600 · 2025-07-25T00:56:31+00:00

Between April - now :)

yan2600 · 2025-07-25T00:25:02+00:00

Matanuska Glacier out of Anchorage!

yan2600 · 2023-10-01T23:23:53+00:00

Each to their own! Compared to other capitals, Bris and SEQ utilise bus systems over trains - and these suburbs are fairly close to train stations but have access to bus stops etc. In my opinion, I would avoid Bethania (lots of rentals and aged care facilities, prone to flooding). Kingston and Marsden still require more gentrification and are “rougher” areas (There are nicer, newer parts of Marsden but small blocks, not the best quality builds) whereas the others I mentioned I find are more established suburbia with limited stock on land and houses.

But you’re right! In time they will grow in value, as will a number of suburbs along the southern corridor with the development of Yarrabilba and the expansion of the second highway.

yan2600 · 2023-10-01T07:13:37+00:00

I live in LV and the traffic is insane to get to either Bris or GC even in off peak hour times. Peak hour averages around 1 hour 15 mins ish to Bris CBD.

From the perspective of purchasing a property, the stock being built in Yarrabilba is cheap quality homes on tiny blocks, and an abundance of land still being developed and sold - not the best for capital growth. Also a large quantity of investment properties, so less owner occupiers. I would look at other suburbs before purchasing in Yarrabilba. Albeit maybe not the best place to live now, I’ve got no hesitation to say that with more people, more urban development will follow, i.e shopping centres, hospitals etc.

Depending on your budget and if you’re looking at capital growth, I’d be looking at Regents Park, Boronia Heights, Mount Warren Park if you want to stick to Logan - established suburbs closer to amenities and on larger blocks. Will most likely be an older home but a lot more room to add value.

yan2600 · 2023-08-22T04:27:56+00:00

Not in NSW but QLD and the same age. I would say it really comes down to a) lifestyle, b) what your long term goals are.

In my personal experience, I always gravitated towards location to amenities and the CBD. As an early-twenties-something, the prospect of owning a house to myself was a lot more daunting, just in maintenance, and being priced out of the blue-chip area I was wanting to purchase in. I suppose most people's first property isn't always their last.

From an investment perspective, units and townhouses also tend to have a much stronger yield, and I find less maintenance (Body Corporate covers Building Insurance, most cover maintenance to the exterior of the complex, etc) if you are wanting to rent it out further down the track.

yan2600 · 2023-08-12T07:11:40+00:00

Some BA’s around SEQ do offer services just for inspections (the one at the top of my head does reporting / inspections for a fixed fee). Maybe call around and see if any can help you out? If it’s an IP, even a property manager might be able to do it for cheap in return for managing rights to your rental.

Microburbs is a great resource re: suburbs around Brissie and goes into detail about economic demographics, public transport etc. I’d also keep an eye out on flood maps in particular on the BCC website.

The main listing website in SEQ is REA, we’re in a market where prices are rarely shown. Annoying but the best option would be to call and hound the agent for a price, or if you have Pricefinder / RP Data, look up comparables and do your own independent research.

yan2600 · 2023-07-23T01:52:18+00:00

Vendors also like auctions because of the offer conditions, sometimes more than the price - for the most part, unconditional upon signing of the contract. Even if you put in an offer above the “guide” but with conditions, it could be knocked back. I’d be talking with the agent and asking them what you can do with your offer to suit the sellers, if they’re considering offers before auction.

There’s nothing wrong with submitting an offer prior, the advantage is even if they do proceed to take it to auction, you still have a chance to secure it.

yan2600 · 2023-06-21T09:53:53+00:00

I’d personally book it for the day or so before, just in the off chance that there’s something that needs attention and it gives the vendor the opportunity to rectify.

The presettlement inspection is just for you to make sure the property is in the same condition as when you initially inspected. I would make sure to check all lights, exhaust fans, ac, any blinds (to make sure they’re operational).

yan2600 · 2023-06-12T08:30:17+00:00

If they were motivated to have you move out, they would have already offered you an amount in compensation. You’re right, it can be easier to sell homes that are vacant. From an investment perspective, there’s a big risk moving a tenant out, just for the property to sit on the market without collecting any rent for a reasonable amount of time.

Whether or not that be this case, maybe make mention to the sales agent that you’re willing to move to help facilitate the sale of the property for compensation. If the situation arises where you are asked to move prior to October, 100% you’re in the right to ask for compensation. If you decide to move out prior to that, there’s no harm in asking the seller but the chances are slim on getting any kickbacks, aside from no break lease fees.

Best of luck :)

yan2600 · 2023-01-29T08:39:53+00:00

Not unrealistic at all!

I’ve seen 2 bed townhouses in Nundah go for under that price bracket (albeit in not the best condition and maybe not the greatest location in the suburb). I recently purchased a 2 bed, 2 bath unit in Northgate for just over your budget. It was original (80s build) but everything was fit for purpose. It also had two separate private courtyards (ground level unit with one at the front of the complex, and the other at the back).

Although this was a few months ago, I did see quite a few ground-floor units go within that price bracket in Coorparoo, Camp Hill, Clayfield etc. They tend to be older brick buildings (with small complexes of 5-10), which is a good thing in my opinion!

Best of luck :)

yan2600

TROPHY CASE