Save this to Pinterest for those tricky moments! You get to the end of a busy day of leaping around with the kids and think… bugger, what will we eat for dinner? Yes, yes, usually I do meal plan and shop ahead. But sometimes I get all washed away in the surf of family life […]
Blacksmiths Beach – or Blackies as the locals call it – is located at the southern end of Nine Mile Beach in the Lake Macquarie region, between Swansea and Belmont…. I wish that Speers Point Park was closer! It ticks all the boxes. It really is a magnificent park with an amazing play space. Driving […]
Here’s a gem of a playground on Sydney’s North Shore, adored by the locals in Willoughby and Chatswood. Bales Park playground is terrific for toddlers and preschoolers, and is justly beloved by mothers’ groups. Lovely looking playground! Stanley Street , Chatswood 2067 Website: Click here for council website, more pix, but not a child in […]
The kids and I had such a great trip out to the outer Great Barrier Reef last year. I’m still feeling proud of myself for finding a trip that suited Teen17, Teen15 and the 8 year old twins.. and me… and it felt like a real adventure too. I love sailing yachts so the overnight […]
I’m reporting in from Body and Soul, Four Colors in Four Days, a health and wellness retreat here in beautiful Club Med Bali. Look, it’s a tough job but somebody had to do it. This event aims to boost the health and wellbeing of the visitors to Club Med through activities and extra-healthy foods, all […]
How lucky was I? Not only did I get to turn 50… some of my dearest friends would have loved to have had that chance…. but my birthday was spent at one of the most beautiful places in the world: Tasmania’s Bay of Fires. Sorry it’s taken me a while to sort and post these […]
Waiting for the Big Little Swim 1km swimmers to come in, Palm Beach last Sunday The Big Swim isn’t called the Big Swim for nothing. It’s big. Last Sunday, I parked the car at the playing fields near Whale Beach and jumped on the shuttle bus down to Palm Beach. I got there at 9am […]
If you’re planning a family visit to Australia then you need to learn all about sun safety for kids. Australia has many dangers, and you might think the worst are sharks in the sea or spiders in your shoes. Far more dangerous to your health is our ferocious summer sunshine. Below you can read how […]
So I guess I am the only person in Sydney who’d LOVE to see an oil rig drilling just off the coast. Come on, one or two off Palm Beach or Dee Why, what would it matter? We could all go and fill up our cars at a refinery at Manly, if only someone would […]
This photo courtesy of Quamby Welcome to a wee tour of a magnificent hotel that Paul and I stayed in the night before we joined the Bay of Fires Lodge Walk. Come along as we step back in time, to the convict era of the 1830s, early in Tasmania’s colonial history. Quamby, which means ‘a […]
Easy, easy, easy. Why didn’t I know this before? It is so simple to make ricotta cheese. And home made ricotta tastes unbelievably fresh. Just delicious. I was taught this method when I did the soft cheese making course recently. Now, to be very strict, this is a recipe for curds and whey, the traditional […]
The rejuvenated tidal pool at Forty Baskets beach. Photo credit: Northern Beaches Council News!! The harbour pool at Forty Baskets Beach has been re-opened and is looking very lovely. Here’s what Council says about the upgrades: Replace timber piles with more durable materials Replace timber rails framing the pool with suitable materials that maintain the […]
Two macaws – don’t they look wise If your children love wildlife then the Sunshine Coast has a couple of great options. There’s Australia Zoo, the best known, plus there’s also Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. You (and I) may know that birds would be happiest when free to […]
Have you heard of play therapy? Play therapy is the most powerful tool to help traumatised children heal. And there’s just not enough of it in Australia. Be Centre in… Terrey Hills BMX Track by Carolyn Darragh of Desire Empire Address: JJ Melbourne Hills Memorial Reserve, Thompson Drive, Terrey Hills (see map at end of […]
