HAWAII TRAVEL DIARY

Can someone take me back?

Wattamolla

Mink Pink Dress / Bardot Long Sleeve Top / Topshop Backpack / First image taken by Nic

I came across this article last week on Concrete Playground - an awesome website that keeps you on your toes in relation to what's happening around Sydney. If you've read my previous posts, I'm a tad bit obsessed with finding hidden beaches, so when the words 'waterfalls' and 'near Sydney' were found in the article title - we just had to go exploring.

Wattamolla Beach is roughly 45 minutes to an hour's drive from the Sydney's eastern suburbs. Get there around 6:30pm and the whole place is yours. We unintentionally arrived just in time for sunset, which was a welcome array of pink and purple hues mirrored perfectly in the waters. Just enough time for a quick run and a dance in the waves. Unfortunately we only spotted this little waterfall behind us since we were scarce on time, but I think there was is a larger waterfall further along the lagoon. I'm definitely keeping tabs on this one, and will be back for some more exploring...

Maya Beach

I think I've been bitten pretty bad by the travel bug - Thailand got me good this time. These are some overdue pictures from our tour to Maya Beach in Phuket, where albeit swarmed with tourists, was filled with crystal clear waters and super soft white sand. On our ride to tour other islands, we got to jump straight into the water for a dip off the speedboat, as well as snorkel with the fishes for a bit. I feel like the only time Australian beaches are trumped are by beaches like this!!

สวัสดี

T-B: Arriving 45 minutes early to CentralWorld and having to kill time by playing with the SLR. (The security guards gave us funny looks) Thanks to Steph and Cristy for your posing/camera wisdom /  Spotting this Hello Kitty themed McDonald's on our way to the Skytrain / Our 21st floor view in Bangkok / The outside of CentralWorld, again / Thomas' photo of the skyscraper / Sunrise on our way to the floating markets / Just outside Maeklong Train Markets / Fresh bananas at the markets / Group photo thanks to our lovely tour guide, Na Na / Taking a speed boat to the floating markets / Best coconut pancakes ever!! / The floating markets from above

Currently typing as we wait for our ride to the airport. We've spent a very eventful four days in busy Bangkok - shopping our hearts out at Terminal 21, Central World and Siam Paragon/Center. It's been very much a culture shock to the four of us travelling together - we've had miscommunications with simple tasks such as ordering food, resulting in a handful of miming gestures and nervous laughs. But we've also slowly upped the ante on the act of bartering - which is both nerve-racking and exciting at the same time - but rewarding as we've stocked up on so many clothes, shoes, spices and trinkets!

Aside from wandering the streets of the city, we did spend one day visiting the train markets in Maeklong, which opened our eyes on how fresh and diverse the food at markets are in comparison to our grocery store lifestyle back in Sydney. We also visited the floating markets and had the best mango sticky rice, boat noodles and coconut pancakes. I feel like Thai restaurants back in Oz will never taste the same ever again...But anyway, onwards to our domestic flight to Phuket - where the real relaxation begins!

Edith

PHOTO DIARY / 1. The driveway and entrance gate to the house / 2. The rustic kitchen and gorgeous tree that stretched out behind the windows / 3. Little Nero after a swim and a play in the backyard / 4. Thursday morning paper out near the porch / 5. The lake and the towels from the swim / 6. Taking a breather on the couch / 7. The second porch and the BBQ that we never used / 8. The fire at night  

As far as growing up in Australia for the entirety of my life so far, 4 hours of driving to Edith was the first time I've ever set foot in the 'country' part of it. Consequentially, I sure did have my CGM moments (a.k.a 'City Girl Moments' - an acronym lovingly dubbed by Nic), which varied from the likes of seeing a flannel-clad farmer driving a tractor on the other side of the road and squealing with the delight of the accuracy of a stereotype, accidentally drifting on the dirt track to avoid some excited rabbits crossing a dirt road, seeing cows and sheep a close radius of the driveway for the first time outside of a zoo enclosure and finally, seeing the pitch black night sky be filled with what would seem like a bajillion stars.

We stayed in a beautiful little cottage in Edith that faced a lake at the front, and cows at the back. No phone reception, Instagram - nothing. We only got phone service when we drove 15 minutes to the nearby town of Oberon - which homed one of the best Chicken Caesar Wraps of all time (Monkey Bean Cafe, I'm looking at you), the cutest cattle dogs tied to the back of the ute waiting for their owners to finish shopping at the local IGA and major Gilmore Girls vibes from visiting a town where the locals knew each other and the outsiders stick out like a pin.

I once understood the hype of the holidays and visiting resorts/theme parks and what not, but it's a whole 'nother thing to take the opposite route and end up in the enjoying the comfort of friends and family, and to spend cheesy quality time with them. We watched the boys take an afternoon swim in the freezing, muddy lake with Nero the Golden Retriever, battled it out at Trivial Pursuit whist drinking a cold glass of Moscato and bantered around a fire underneath the blanket of stars and constellations. I would definitely recommend the city folks a chance to take themselves out of the drama of the city and into the peace and quiet of the country. Tranquil doesn't even begin to cover it.