Food & Drink

11 Jun 2010

I’m baaaaaack. Unfortunately! Here’s my ‘best of’ list of Tropical North Queensland

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Posted in: Food & Drink, News, Things to do

Image of Lucy snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland Australia
Intrepid me snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, from the beach of Green Island

So I’m back. Back from the land Down Under. Returned from Australia fair. No longer chucking shrimps on the barbie and swimming in the stinger net. Sob sob.

First off – yes I realise it’s taken me a few days to write but there’s this thing called jet lag you know… not to mention the unpacking. Why oh why did we take so much stuff? I do know the answer to that actually and it’s called ‘children’ :)

So what did I love the most, what did I forget was fab, what did I wish I could do every day…? Let me tell you:

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23 Dec 2009

What to do on Christmas Day in Australia

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Posted in: Beaches, Cities, Food & Drink, News, Things to do

Image of Sydney's bridge climb
Sydney’s bridge climb is open on Christmas Day

I had a great question sent to me about what there is (and isn’t) ‘to do’ over the Christmas holidays in Australia.

Got me thinking (and googling) what you can and can’t do over Christmas if you’re visiting Australia. The question I was asked specifically related to Sydney, so here’s what I found out for there first…

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18 Oct 2008

Beautiful ‘wish you were here’ photos of Byron Bay, Australia

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Posted in: Beaches, Food & Drink, Places to stay, Things to do

While I like to think I take a good snap myself, I thought you might enjoy these lovely photos of Byron Bay that Conde Nast Traveller have just published on their web site.

Byron is one of my favourite places in Australia, as it has great (and I mean really great) beaches, a laid-back appeal, some beautiful surrounding hinterland and, of course (this is me, afterall!), some really good places to eat.

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29 Apr 2008

P.A.D. — Post Australia Depression

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Posted in: Cities, Food & Drink, Things to do, Wildlife

Image of Alex crawling along the boardwalk in the tropical conservatory in Adelaide's botanical gardens
Alex takes her time to negotiate the boardwalk through the tropical conservatory in Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens. It was dripping hot inside and roasting hot outside that day!

I have P.A.D.

I have self-diagnosed myself with Post Australia Depression.

This is the feeling of being back at home and almost forgetting that a few days ago you were all “no worries” and enjoying yourself in the land Down Under.

I am not sure it’s a recognised condition, but it’s my reason why I haven’t been attending to the blog. It’s all too depressing to think about now we’re back and I don’t know when our next trip to Australia is ;-(

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03 Nov 2007

A little taste of Melbourne…

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Posted in: Beaches, Cities, Food & Drink

Image of West Beach Restaurant, Bournemouth
Our little slice of Melbourne – WestBeach restaurant

“WestBeach is a simple, bright, airy room that looks as if it has been dropped in from Melbourne” AA Gill recently reported in the Sunday Times (read the review here).

As the sun was shining yet again yesterday, we decided to have lunch on the seafront, at our very own little slice of Melbourne here on the South Coast. I am guessing Mr Gill was thinking of somewhere like the Stokehouse in St.Kilda when he wrote this (although give me the Stokehouse any day!), but it’s about as antipodean as it gets round here, and a damn fine place for a spot of lunch, nonetheless www.west-beach.co.uk.

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