Midlife traveller
I’ve just read that today marks eight years since Jamala Wildlife Lodge opened at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, which has become wildly popular in that time (boom boom) and grown from strength to strength. That seems like an excellent time then to republish here a story I wrote for Escape Travel a …
An architectural landmark in Newcastle has been reincarnated as a vibrant hotel with a big personality and remarkable views. In the heart of Newcastle not far from the harbour, a swank new hotel has reinvigorated one of the city’s most iconic pieces of architecture. The circular concrete bastion that once served as the council’s administration …
It’s 20 years today since the utterly extraordinary day when a firestorm swept into Canberra suburbs on 18 January 2003 and swathes of the ACT were on fire, when four people lost their lives and over five hundred homes were destroyed in a matter of hours. It started as an ordinary Saturday but by the …
For a dedicated foodie (even one that’s pretty lazy in the kitchen like me), the chance to take a masterclass with celebrity chef and author, Peter Kuruvita, in his freshly created cooking school in Noosa seemed pretty irresistible. After nearly two decades of wowing crowds at the Noosa Beach House restaurant on Hastings Street, Kuruvita …
Don’t panic. This isn’t a political post. While I may be a little saturated with political stories in the media and constant updates on election results (some still ongoing) and you probably are too, that doesn’t mean I’ve lost respect for the remarkable building that houses our government in Canberra. I’m a little besotted with …
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Sydney. There was that whole plague thing going on and it seemed like a pretty good idea to avoid big, crowded cities. And yes, I know that plague is still with us but now it seems we’re just stepping around it these days, oft warily. If …
I’ve been to Tasmania five or six times over the years but no matter how many times I go or how long I stay, there’s still a huge list of other things I’d like to see or do at the end of the trip. (That sounded dangerously like the Qantas song there for a second …
This one is actually a no brainer and you’re probably doing it already, but it deserves saying anyway. A keep cup in your car or bag is a super handy thing. Have you got yours in place? Did you know we humans chuck out 16 billion disposable takeaway coffee cups a year? Each year. It’s …
Yesterday I did something I’ve been aspiring to do for quite some time. I flew over my lovely home town in a hot air balloon – and I have to tell you, it’s a pretty spectacular city to look down upon from way up there. Of course, it’s an early morning start with a 5.30am …
More on notebooks Yes, more on notebooks. Well, given my obsession with them, I couldn’t just leave it at one tip. For years I used to write on both sides of a notebook and turn it back on itself, which is quite awkward when you’re in a hurry. Now I write on one side only …
