Location photographer. Getting behind the scenes. Showing off the secret, and not so secret, treasures of the world.
A night in Burleigh Heads...
I fell in love with Burleigh Heads within hours. That was about five years ago, and now I'm back. And super excited.
Only here for the night, I booked an Airbnb close so that I could walk to everything. However, of course, I didn't know there would be torrential rain the majority of the time I was there which didn't help with walking everywhere.
Having used AirBnB only a few times, with very mixed experience, I was not sure what to expect. Would it be clean? Would it be nice? Would I feel comfortable in a room of someones home, rather than hiring the whole place as I have done previously?
Arriving, I was shocked in a very positive way. Clare greeted me, showed me the room, then left me to settle. Naw, there is a little welcome sign with my name on it.
The room was not only clean but stylish and homely. There was a bar fridge stocked with wine, milk and yoghurt: a coffee machine, breakfast and snack supplies. In the bathroom, there were fluffy white towels, makeup face towels, and toiletries.
The location - quiet neighbourhood, yet only a 10-minute walk to the beach or cafes. Even in the rain.
Verdict? Absolutely would recommend!
https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/40657659?source_impression_id=p3_1584496411_j9RkXMD98y5rNDkP
Two hotels: a few nights in Brisbane...
Ok, so many travels are being put on hold, but we can start planning. I always am. Let's talk hotels...
I'm a sucker for a nice hotel room - but never splurge too much on them. I like bang for buck. ;)
And these two Brisbane hotels didn't disappoint.
Pros - funky, great restaurant downstairs, rooftop pool area, huge room and bathroom, basic kitchen in the room, big windows for natural light.
Not that I got to use the pool - it was raining and not enticing enough the entire time I was there. And as for the kitchen - no, I don't cook while away on my own. But if I had the kids, it would have been handy.
Cons - old, fridge made noises
It also would have been handy to have a minibar price list in the room - just in case I wanted a glass of wine or paint an art piece.
Pros - great location in CBD, beautiful old-world style hotel including lobby, halls, bathroom and bedroom, an excellent coffee shop in the lobby
Cons - weird smell in lobby, dark room facing onto pool courtyard
Again, I didn't use the pool. The water was cold, and it was raining - it has to be hot, hot, hot for me to get wet without a wetsuit.
I loved the grandness from another era of the lobby.
Check out the pics to see what I’m talking about…
CLIENT: Birdsville Adventure Tours
Things to do in Birdsville… LOTS.
Birdsville Adventure Tours runs private tours or group bookings - getting you about to see the best of Birdsville and the Outback. Think Harley Davidson motorbike rids, Big Red 4WDing and sunset tour, swagging under the stars, pub crawls, sunrise expeditions...
www.birdsvilleadventuretours.com.au
www.birdsvillehotel.com.au
CLIENT: Birdsville Hotel
A photo shoot at the iconic Birdsville Hotel in outback Queensland.
Built in 1884, the Birdsville Hotel is iconic. I've heard about it for years. It's a destination in its own right. And last year I got there! I flew up with Arid Air for a weekend photoshoot - I guess the 'cushy' way, but one day I'll do the track. I've heard it's an experience not to be missed. Perhaps for the Big Red Bash?
www.birdsvillehotel.com.au
www.aridair.com.au
www.theoutbackloop.com.au
ARID AIR: South Australia (and Queensland) from above
Flying Port Augusta (SA) to Birdsville (QLD) with Arid Air. Just wow.
I was not expecting it to get greener as we went further into the Outback. But it did.
Seeing the Outback from the air is a unique experience that leaves me speechless for most of the trip. The beauty of nature, her patterns and the varying colours. There's a lot to love.
The contrast. The graphic lines. The sand-dunes all lined up. The bareness. The hills. But the vibrant green was surreal.
And let's not forget Big Red. The subject of many stories - a place I've wanted to see for myself for years. It was even stuck on one of my journals as a 'vision board'.
Birdsville is over 20 hours from Port Augusta by 4WD or under 3 hours by plane. Perhaps I'll have to do the Birdsville Track next - to experience this amazing landscape 'from a different angle'.
Street life in detail.
Looking closer at street life.
Looking through some street photos I took while on my recent travels I noticed a theme emerging. I like photographing details, windows, reflections and snippets of life. More texture and pattern than an overview.
I can still see the personality of the place but don't get lost with what to look at.
TigerAir, Airbnb, Uber... where is Qantas, Hilton and the taxis?
Travelling with new options. Taxi V Uber. Hotel V Airbnb. My experience.
The communal pool in the first Airbnb property in Southbank, Brisbane. A great area with BBQs, pool, spa, sauna and gym
Today I saw a post on Facebook, it went along the lines of... 20 years ago we were saying 'don't talk to strangers', 10 years ago we were saying 'don't meet someone from online alone' and now we are saying 'go find some random online and pay them to take you somewhere in their private car'.
It made me think about my recent trip.
I took my Mum and kids away. We went to Brisbane and Moreton Island. And I completely blew my Mum away with the use of Uber and Air BnB. Even TigerAir. Being more of a road trip and caravan traveller, she'd never heard of them.
Going to sleep with this view from FV by Peppers in Fortitude Valley
It used to be travel agents, hotel bookings, Qantas and taxi services. How things have changed. Now we can stay in peoples homes - whether it is a full-time holiday rental or a room in their home, use our phone to book a ride with someone who is using their own car to make money and book flights without the frills of yummy aeroplane food (haha) to cut costs.
It was the first trip where I have relied on mostly Airbnb and Uber. How did it go?
Well...
Uber works great. All the drivers I rode with were helpful, drove safely and got us where we needed to go on time. I like seeing where they are (even though that in itself can prove frustrating when they show up just around the corner but still take 5 minutes or longer to get to me), I can see a photo and find out about the driver before they arrive and at the end of the trip I can say thank you, goodbye and get out. No need to wait around for credit card payments.
Airbnb. It's hit and miss. I've had some great experiences with them - staying in some very cool Melbourne pads on previous trips. On this trip, I booked two apartments. The first was great - very good communication prior, during and after the stay, neat and clean and a nice vibe. The second wasn't so good - a lovely apartment but too dirty to stay in. I contacted the owner but her response was not to come clean (it seriously looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a few weeks with dust, mould, food bits, sticky stuff on the floor, soap on the shower floor) but to say that with what we paid she could not present the home 'impeccably clean'.
FV by Peppers, Fortitude Valley
Air BnB was very helpful. They communicated between myself and her and ended up giving me a refund. So, although I ended up having to book another apartment for that night at a higher cost - we had clean beds to sleep in and felt comfortable.
Would I use Air BnB again? Yes, I would. But I'd check reviews and communicate my standards a bit better before arrival. Booking through a hotel gives me more assuredness of some sort of cleanliness standards.
TigerAir performed well for us too. On time, friendly and, unlike previous trips, I was prepped for the bag weight checks at the gate (no more frantically layering of clothes). If only I had realised before standing in the boarding lineup in Brisbane that I had to go get my bags weighed and stickered first. After waiting for about 5 minutes another passenger told me. Oh well, we are all going to arrive in Adelaide at the same time, it doesn't matter what order we board.
Do I like the new way of travel? Yes, I like the options it gives. More choice. More convenience. And with more cost options, it opens up travel for more people. Or for people to travel more.
And I do believe that travel is the worlds best classroom. For all ages.
A little note from the world that never goes astray
Summer holidays...
Summer holidays. Where I expect sun and warm weather, but get rain and grey skies. Moreton Island and Tangalooma Resort is still fun.
When I booked an island holiday in Queensland, I just presumed it would be sunny and warm. After all, it was going to be October. And coming from Adelaide, even mid-twenties would be a treat.
So, grey skies, rain and 18 degrees was a bit of a shock. So much for the summer holiday to Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island. Where are my relaxing afternoons lazing on the beach after touring around? Instead, we are scrambling around for umbrellas and ponchos and venturing about the resort when the rain subsides a little. We don't even get to see outside of the resort. Something that annoys me - I love to know where I am and go discovering when somewhere new.
But, we adapt. We grab the umbrellas and ponchos and wander. Ashton wades through puddles. Belle cartwheels across the lawn. They both build a fort with their umbrellas on the beach. They even get me in the pool once. Brr.
Reception has board games, we play a few games of pool, and visit the marine centre where we learn about marine life. I am shocked at how dolphins and sharks have been slaughtered. I never knew that sharks were caught for their fin and then chucked back in the sea to die.
I'd definitely like to re-visit with the sun and warm weather. Moreton Island looks magical, and the resort itself is a little haven of relaxation and chill.
Seaworld with two tired little kids
Taking kids to their first theme park… at what age is it worth it?
Theme Parks. It isn't top of our priority list of 'to do' activities on holiday, but we manage to get some free tickets to Seaworld while staying at Gold Coast. So we figure, why not? The kids are getting up with the sun which makes us one of the first at the gate. We are up and ready so early we have time to go to a shopping centre on the way there, and then still have a twenty-minute wait in line before the gates open.
The park is a lot smaller than I imagined, but still plenty to do. We know we will be on somewhat of a time limit, with Ashton already yawning, so make a list of priorities. On route to our first show, we stop off to watch the dolphins playing with some guests in the water. It's fascinating for me, but the kids nag to move on after only a few minutes. It might be a quick trip to Seaworld at this rate, sweeping through each attraction every few minutes!
Dolphins are beautiful creatures, but I do wonder how they feel about being kept in small pens. As a staff whistle blows for one dolphin to jump out of the water, I watch as a pod swim around and around the parameter of a pen.
One of my favourite attractions is the sea lion show. Entertainment for all ages. The kids (mainly) sit through the whole show, laughing and captivated by the story. I giggle away as the sea lion flaps and shuffles across the stage, down slides and through doors, in actor mode.
Dora is on our list, as is the kids carnival area, but surprisingly, the underwater viewing area is a big hit with the kids. An amazing walkway, which is a bit scary for Belle to walk down (I don't know why), takes us under the water to see turtles, sharks, fish and all sorts of marine life. We end up down here for nearly an hour. It's busy, but with so much glass, it's easy enough to find a spot to watch. The kids squeeze in between people when they spot something and have to see the creature 'now'.
Just on three hours after getting in the gate, we are leaving again. We have seen only a small section of the park, slurped down iceblocks, flew through the air on the kiddy airplane ride twice each, and pulled a screaming kid away from stuffed toys at the polar bear shop. Our dear Belle fell in love with a white polar bear with a blue rug - but I couldn't 'bear' another stuffed toy in our house. Daddy also got slapped by our very tired and overstimulated little boy - probably for not letting him have another ice cream. Home time!
But, of course, we have one final hurdle. The shop everyone has to walk through to exit Seaworld. The polar bears with blue blankets are back. Argh. Belle goes crazy, trying to look at everything while I try to be cunning with attention-grabbing her to outside. Ten minutes later, we are out.
5/10 experience. Not because of the park, but because of our tired kids.
Tips to remember for next time...
Perhaps best to do this at the start of the holiday - it's tiring stuff.
There are no swimming pools in the main area, so don't bother with taking bathers and towels. That is one less bag to lug around.
Get there early. Beat the heat, the crowds aren't as hectic, and the kids get tired easily.
Expect the souvenir shops, and prepare for them. Perhaps the kids can earn pocket money, and take that.
Don't take tired kids. It's no fun.
If theme parks are the reason for the trip, Seaworld Resort would be a good accommodation option.
Kids on the beach… without toys.
Simple beach fun while on holidays with kids...
My kids love the beach. Normally they trawl up and down the shoreline looking for shells and building sandcastles. The shells then decorate their sandcastles like jewels around a womans neck. Just recently, they have begun to get more adventurous - taking to the water on boogie boards and skim boards. Getting wet! Oh my.
Before our recent trip to the Gold Coast, I was imagining days spent on the beach, plonked in the sand, building sand castles. Forgetting the bucket and spade as we amble out front of our accommodation, I wonder what the kids would get up to. I needn't have worried. The multitude of jellyfish that were washed up on the beach give the kids a workout as they run up and down spotting bigger and bigger ones. The thunderstorms that dazzle every afternoon provide the stage backdrop for many a show put on by the kids. And watching the surfers paddle out and catch zippy waves keeps me entertained.
The Gold Coast is known for it's surf beaches, and Mermaid Beach, where we are staying, is no different while we are here. I'd asked people before arriving, if it was an ok beach for surfing, and the answer I kept getting was, only in the right conditions. Well, this must have been 'right conditions'. Every day there were surfers running to and from the surf, in search of their wave. I want to hire a board but from my vantage point, the waves look too big. And the speed some of the guys are getting, zipping along the face, was fast. I get scared. I lknow I will regret it after. I think I would have fun. Oh well.
So, here we are on the beach. Kids nearly nude. Running around like mad cows. Laughing. Spraying water at each other. And building volcanoes in sand. No toys. Definitely no plastic toys or electronics. Everyone loves it. The kids are screaming with laughter, Ben and I are beaming with satisfaction. It makes me want to live up here. I can imagine coming down the beach at night; running around in the warm, humid air. I can see the kids eventually taking to the water, joining a surf club. I can feel my surfing improve with the near daily practice. Ahh, makes my heart sing. But for now, our airplane waits, to take us back to Adelaide.
