Travel, life, loves and laughs.
I wanted to visit Santai Retreat. Jason wanted to go to Spice Den, a restaurant that had been recommended to him. Thankfully it turned out to be one and the same! Spice Den at Santai Retreat near Kingscliff spruiks itself as ‘modern Thai fusion’ food. … Read the rest
It feels like we’re living life in high definition as we make our way to Manly to catch up with friends visiting from England. The day couldn’t be more perfect and the colour of the sand and the sky are intense as we make our way down to the beach. … Read the rest
I remember visiting Sydney when I was little and especially Taronga Zoo. It was a special event to go to Sydney, the ‘big city’ from the capital, Canberra, which was sleepy in comparison. … Read the rest
Bribie Island is the northernmost and most populated of the three sand islands that form Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. Being accessible to the mainland by road, Bribie Island is also the easiest to get to by far.
On a good day, you can be here in 45 minutes (from Brisbane), although those that commute know that’s not realistic at 8am on a Monday morning, or perhaps more importantly, 5pm on a Friday afternoon.… Read the rest
A day out today at the beautiful rainforest of Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve just outside Malaney. We pack up early and meet the neighbours out the front at a pre-arranged time – not too early for a Sunday morning but not so late that the kids won’t last the day – a fine balance that mothers are aptly attuned to but that can still go terribly wrong without warning.… Read the rest
Truly a pinnacle of Australian tourism, the Pinnacles Desert is a sight to behold. Located on the coast of Western Australia, 200km north of Perth, it is not a place that is within easy reach of Australia’s estimated 7.5 million tourists per year, many of whom would stick to the Eastern sea board and never make it to WA at all. … Read the rest
Not a trip for the unyielding traveler, finding your way from Xi’an city to the Terracotta Warriors is an exercise in patience and luck.
We set out from our hotel with views of catching the very reasonably priced local bus out to the site of the Warriors, around an hours’ drive away.… Read the rest
The only word that comes close to describing the enormity of the Forbidden City is “vast” and even this doesn’t seem to do it justice. It’s hard to comprehend that the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) was built in the Ming Dynasty (around 1420) and served as the primary imperial residence until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. … Read the rest
Together the Drum and Bell Towers, which stand opposite each other at the end of Drum & Bell Square, were used as the city’s official time keepers (right up until 1924!), the drums were beaten and the bells were rung to mark the time of day.… Read the rest
The Temple of Heaven Park is a vast green space in the heart of Beijing with the not-so-green Temple of Heaven structure as its centerpiece. By no means is the Temple the only structure though and the buildings and surrounds are as vast as the park that they are set in.… Read the rest