Seaside Strolls

Sydney National Park

Sun Downers

Sydney Sunset from Watsons Bay Hotel 

The Boat House

Our 'Bucket List' for Australia is written on the back of a napkin after an over-excited dinner at Watsons Bay Hotel. But that napkin is precious and we are determined to tick off as many trips as we can, especially while the sun still shines in Sydney.

High on that list was Palm Beach, the set of that Aussie soap Home & Away. My friend and I piled into her car and opted to take the longer scenic drive from our homes in the Eastern Suburbs over the bridge towards the Northern Beaches. 

The drive itself was wonderful and we were treated to several amazing views of the Sydney coastline. We stopped off at Narrabeen briefly to dip our toes in the water and then continued up to our final destination. The drive took just over an hour and by the time we arrived, our tummies were grumbling to be filled with the delicious tastes of The Boat House's lunch. 

The Boat House is perfectly placed to enjoy panoramic views of the bay which is so tranquil, it's easy to forget you're not miles away from Sydney's CBD. Sailing boats floated leisurely passed as we enjoyed a combination of fresh salads and soaked up the scenery.

Palm Beach itself is nothing to particularly write home about (although I did anyway). I think I prefer the familiar sands of the Eastern Suburbs beaches but maybe that's because I've taken such a warming to the area.

However, as we made our way back from the beach to The Boat House for an afternoon cocktail, we realised the whole venue had been hired out for a wedding party.

And boy, what a day and a view for a wedding. 

Ice-Cream for Dinner

One definite highlight of summer evenings is being able to sit outside after work, watch the sun go down with a glass of wine and enjoy a film at the Open Air Cinema. I seem to be making a bit of a habit of it but it's such a nice way to wind down after work or prepare for the week ahead on a Sunday evening, that I'm happy to keep returning.

Just pray that you're not hit with an unexpected downpour which I'm rapidly learning does still happen in Australia. I was originally hoping to suss out the Ben & Jerry's Open Air Cinema at Bondi Beach to watch the second installment of The Hunger Games (a-mazing by the way) but it was rained off. Instead, I headed down on a sunny Sunday to enjoy the sequel to the legendary Anchorman and fill my belly with Ben & Jerry's special ice-cream 'Scotchy Scotch Scotch' for the occasion.

If you can make it down on a Sunday rather than during the week, DO IT. The Ben & Jerry's Sundae Sessions means live music while the sun goes down and (most importantly) free ice-cream. Unfortunately you can't quite see the beach or the sea from the venue but the sea breeze and buzzing atmosphere makes this a unique experience. 

Don't be fooled by how warm the weather is when you first arrive. I laughed at the people getting blankets before I realised too late that it gets chilly once the sun sets, by which point there were none left. The slight downside is that there are no toilets on site and so a quick dash to the Pavilion loos before the film starts is highly recommended. 

Check out the schedule on the website, prepare a picnic (no BYO alcohol though) and plonk yourself on a beanbag atop the hill while the Aussie summer storms on. 

A Dash of Colour

I don't like to exercise at weekends. Weekends are for lazy lie-ins, relaxing brunches and lying on beaches. But not last weekend. I've been intrigued by The Colour Run (technically 'Color' but I can't bring myself to spell it like that) since I saw a bunch of commuters covered in paint getting on my tube in London. So when the run arrived in Sydney, I had to get involved.

It's a 5k run, so nothing too taxing and we'd been forewarned that it's generally full to the brim of families and social walkers so not to expect anything serious, which was fine by us after a boozy BBQ the night before. The event guide stated we needed to collect our packs a few days before the event but we didn't have time, so we trekked to the Olympic Park super early to get our packs.

We were too keen. We were one of the first on site with several hours to go before the run and so ended up whiling away the time eating lunch on the grass and attempting (and failing) to apply our temporary tattoos.

Once the race kicked off, we were pumped after a warm-up zumba class and blaring chart music and keen to run. Running however, was pretty tricky. As predicted people were more set on walking and jogging and so we tried intervals of both interspersed with tunnels of colour where we were sprayed with various paints.

After 45 minutes we emerged at the finish line looking unrecognisable. I had well and truly embraced the theme of the day and was covered from head to toe in all shades of neon. 

We joined the crowds for the Festival of Colour finale and threw packets of powder into the air to create a cloud of rainbow shades above our heads. 

I spotted several girls who had covered their hair in cling film before the race began and mocked them for 'not getting into the spirit of it'. However, it's now almost a week later and my hair is still tinged pink. Maybe they had the right idea after all. 

A Film With A View

I've been dyyyying to see The Wolf of Wall Street ever since I saw the trailer last year and it's safe to say my expectations were high. I'd read several articles, heard rumours that 'it's just not as good as the book', but all in all I was ready for an Oscar-worthy performance from Leo and a top-notch movie. 

Such a movie event deserves to be seen in an epic setting, and so my friends and I headed to the St George Open Air Cinema with magnificent views of Sydney Harbour. 

Just look.

We set ourselves up with a glass of champagne (naturally) and a selection of food and watched the sunset over the beautiful Harbour Bridge and Opera House before taking our seats to watch the film. The screen lay flat so as not to spoil the view and slowly rose vertically in time for the opening credits. 

Wolf of Wall Street did not disappoint. Leo was at his best and the film offered moments of comedy, sadness and several 'did he really do that?' moments. I'm such a lover of the cinema but this really was the epitome of movie experiences. The incredible scenery combined with champagne, great company and a truly great film is not to be beaten. 

Tuesday Evening I Was

...zen.

I've never been inspired to try my hands at yoga. I'm more of a get-the-heart-pumping-and-get-sweaty kind of girl when I exercise as I like to feel like I've really achieved something. Yoga always seemed too slow and controlled for my liking so I always dismissed giving it a go.

However, Lululemon hold a free yoga class on a Tuesday evening at Bronte Beach, and so when my friend suggested we give it a whirl, I couldn't really say no. Since moving to Australia, I've adopted more of a try-anything-once attitude and so this slotted in nicely. We drove down to Bronte Beach (in my friend's Audi Convertible, no less - pretty nice for a hot summer evening in Sydney) and found a spot with beautiful scenic views and within the grasps of the sea breeze. Considering I'm not a yoga-pro, I didn't have my own mat, and so quickly claimed one from the teacher. 

I'm suspecting that the moves were not particularly challenging considering the nature of the class, but I managed to twist and turn my body into various positions (notably the downward facing dog) and was forced to test my balance (not good...).

After an hour or so, I think I can now say that I know yoga isn't really for me. I can't quite get on board with all of the 'umms' and 'ahhs' and 'connect your body with the earth' lingo and I still felt the need to run home afterwards owing to the fact that I hadn't worked up a sweat. However, I could feel a tug in my right shoulder with each move - a pain that has been annoying me for several weeks now - and felt encouraged to finally do something about it (any excuse for a massage). 

The class was great for a little taste of the yoga culture and I wouldn't rule off going again. I did feel genuinely relaxed listening to the sound of the ocean as we stretched and I can now tick off another activity on my list. 

Australia Snapshot

This Month I've Been

...traveling.

I've touched down in Australia to begin the next year of my life traveling and living down under. I decided I needed a change from the capital (despite how much I love London) to try something new. I've been building up to this trip for three months to the point where it didn't feel real and I never fully believed I'd actually leave. And when push came to shove, my parents practically did have to coerce me on to that plane. There were plenty of tears (from Ma and I as my father took photos...) and I did wonder if I was making a mistake. It was just nerves though and as soon as I was on the plane, I was ready.

I landed in sunny Cairns at 8am and forced myself to make conversation with two guys in my taxi between the airport and the hostel. My main concern had been travelling alone and the need to meet people and make friends so I was relieved to have people to talk to so early on. As it turned out, they were great guys from Sheffield and as we were unable to check into our hostel so early on, we explored the close proximity of the city and grabbed some breakfast.

Cairns felt like a small city centred around a peaceful lagoon as, despite being on the coast, you're unable to swim in the sea. The lagoon has BBQ points for everyone to use and I was able to have my first taste of kangaroo (tasty). My time in Cairns was largely based on 1) sunbathing at the lagoon 2) horrific hangovers from force-feeding myself goon for the first time 3) dancing on tables at The Woolshed.

After 4 nights staying at party-central Gilligans, where the music pumps until 5am and Rihanna weaved her tunes into my dreams, I decided it was probably time to move on.

,

Life Has Been

...a beach.

Continuing down the east coast, it becomes apparent that all the backpackers have the same itinerary. There are certain hotspots that everybody wants to hit and it's easy to grab a hostel recommendation or hear about a great tour to join that you repeatedly bump into the same people. It's refreshing to see friendly and familiar faces when you arrive in a new destination and can instantly provide you with a new group of friends if the people you know have already settled.

Our next stop was Mission Beach, renowned for wallabies, cassowarys and sky diving. We did go wallaby spotting (they hang out in the neighbour's garden like cats and dogs) but skipped the skydive as I'm saving that bad boy for my trip to New Zealand. The hostel was a home away from home complete with lounge room and DVD hire (we were missing sofas and films by this point!) and just a short walk to the beach. We spent an evening on the beach sipping red wine and watching the embers of a bonfire while we gazed at shooting stars with a group of people staying at the hostel but before long, we were on the road again. Destination: Magnetic Island.

Maggy Island (as it is affectionately known amongst locals and backpackers alike) was quiet to say the least. We stayed at Base backpackers which was situated on a cliff overlooking the beach and consisted of individual beach huts on stilts raised above the sea. Base also plays host to thousands of people once a month for full moon parties but it seems that outside of this, there weren't many people around. One evening was spent trekking the long walk to the harbour to see what the yacht week celebrations consisted of, and we enjoyed wine and live music from the Godfathers of Funk with the more senior inhabitants of the island.

The ferry to and from Magnetic Island jets off from Townsville, a more typical Australian town, with beige hotels and taverns scattered throughout. We only had a brief wander through Townsville in search of some lunch but it did seem slightly more lively than the island.

Whilst Maggy Island may not have provided substantial memories, we did enjoy the company of new friends who we have continued to spend time with further down the coast.

Whilst Sailing We Got

...wet.

Sailing the Whitsunday Islands is a must of the east coast. I was told to go by every traveler friend I had before I set foot outside of England and had been hugely looking forward to the whole experience. We chose catamaran Avatar for our maiden voyage and spent one night in Airlie Beach before departing for the islands. Airlie was very liveable-lots of bars and clubs on the strip, cafes and amenities as well as a lagoon (not quite on a par with Cairns but still beautiful).

On the morning of our sailing trip, my heart sank when I saw the drizzly weather. It had not even crossed my mind that it might rain on this trip and my visions of the days to come consisted solely of lounging on a boat soaking up the sun. Unfortunately we had our fair share of bad weather - rough seas meant lots of splashback on the boat and torrential rain hit us several time meaning I began to forget what it was like to be dry. However, we certainly enjoyed moments of sunshine and lapped them up. After stepping on to Whitehaven Beach, expecting to enjoy (officially) the most beautiful beach in the world, we were hit with another batch of torrential rain which inevitably sent us into fits of giggles. We still managed to capture the inevitable group pyramid shot and a couple of jumping photos in moments of sunshine and the white soft sand made of silica was unforgettable.

What really topped off the experience was the company. Despite often only having a short amount of time to spend with new people, occasionally you meet people who you feel have been your best friend all along. It's uplifting but always disappointing when you realise you're heading in opposite directions along the coast and that soon you will part ways.

The weather may not have been on our side but it could not dampen our spirits. We cuddled kettles to keep warm, danced on the deck to Vengaboys, gazed at whales and dolphins playing alongside our boat and rode the roller coaster waves for three days and two nights before clambering back ashore for our after party (and free Domino's pizza).

Unforgettable.

This Autumn Has Been

...winter.

As I'm now halfway across the world, my usual August Autumn is Winter. And what a Winter the North of Australia has! A 'chilly' 27-30 degrees has kept us in the sunshine and sweating in our shorts and camis.

After Port Douglas myself and my newly acquainted pal ventured back to Cairns to enjoy the annual festival. A parade down the esplanade featured floats from the makeshift to the wierd and whacky and included contributions from local businesses, schools and groups in the city. We enjoyed the sights whilst savouring Golden Gaytimes (surely the world's best ice-cream) and lapped up the atmosphere. The evening finished with a spectacular firework display over the lagoon and the beach.

We were starting to feel pretty lazy spending our days lying in the sun (It's a hard life) and decided we ought to get out and see some of the wonders Australia has to offer. My friend and I jumped on the opportunity for free bike hire provided by the travel agent and cycled through the lagoon to the Cairns Botanical Gardens. Despite having a few issues with a bike chain which provided some laughs along the way, we cycled through the wilder gardens and lakes before pausing at a cafe to enjoy milkshakes and some stolen potato wedges (don't ask...).

We also opted to join Uncle Brian's rainforest tour - a definite highlight. We journeyed through the rainforest to tropical pools, waterfalls and natural rock water slides. The group was small and intimate and our leader 'Cousin Matty' forced us to revert back to our childhood and throw away any inhibitions through silly games and jokes.

A great bunch of people and a truly memorable day.