Chasing the Calm

Outfit 1: Paint It Red Top, Saba Pants, Windsor Smith Sandals, Lack of Colour Hat, Own Bag, PaperSea Quarterly Magazine
Outfit 2: O'Neill Bikini Top, Paint It Red Skirt, Lack of Colour Hat

Firstly, sorry not sorry for the picture heavy post! I had more than a thousand pictures to collate so you can imagine the struggle to keep it to a modest twenty. But you know how things get on a road trip and you have three cameras and two iPhones and an abundance of sunshine... shit gets cray and then it takes me months to find all the pictures that have since been scattered across multiple devices and hard drives and by then I've actually forgotten where they were taken. Cue: location services ;).

Michael and I spent nearly two weeks on the road- chasing pavements, chasing waves and most of all chasing the calm that is non-existent in city life. I constantly feel that the biggest thing missing from the majority my life is having the freedom to close my eyes and wander outside of any four walls. There's always people or the potential of people that you might bump into, or cars that might run you over. It's dangerous and not to mention strange to do such things in the city.

But step away from the noise and the hustle and strange just becomes different. There's not a handful of people to witness you spinning around in a precarious circle with your eyes closed in the middle of the beach, or scream whilst running after your hat when it blows away with the wind. And call it  childish but walking straight down the middle of the road like nobodies business is incredibly satisfying.

We free camped at Termeil on the first night which is an easy 3.5-4 hour drive south of Sydney. On our way we stopped at Kiama for lunch and a quick pit stop at Hyams Beach before arriving at Termeil around five in the evening. Upon claiming our patch of earth for the night we stopped to look out across the beach. Immediately, like some insanely good omen, right in front of us was a pod of dolphins jumping in and out of the waves. 

The next morning we broke up the camp and drove towards our airbnb stay in Malua Bay which is just 10 mins south of Batemans Bay. The one hour drive takes you through a series of state forests which makes for a peaceful greenery filled drive. We spent two nights exploring the area and absolutely fell in love with Tomakin. It's where Tomaga River meets the Pacific Ocean so it's flanked by two absolutely stunning beaches and a boat ramp at Mossy Point if you're more of a river activities person. And here's a confession for you- I immensely dislike rivers, swamps, lakes etc. because I think they're creepy AF. So you will never found me voluntarily near one but the river mouth at Tomakin had crystal clear waters as well as a quaint little cafe Rivermouth General Store. So if you're a weirdo like me, Tomakin is alright ;). 

I actually didn't want to leave the area but the fourth day saw us pile our bags back into the car and journey further south... but that will be another post. Stay tuned!

x

Vienna

Testing Silvers

If there's one thing that makes me a skeptic shopper it's buying jewellery. Especially when it comes to summer and I'm at the beach 98% of the weekend I don't really want to spend the remaining 2% of my time taking off various necklaces/bangles/earrings/rings when I could be eating instead.

So whenever I get new jewellery it has to pass my underwater test. A no brainer really, it basically involves me wearing a piece like it's a part of my body for a week. That means in the shower and at the beach and to bed. 24/7.

The past two weeks I've been lucky enough to be testing silvers for The Peach Box. And this bangle has been attached to my left wrist for a good couple of weeks and shows no signs that it's going to corrode/turn green/stain my hands. In fact I don't think it's even scratched.

If you want proof you can follow me on Instagram, PM me and I will send you a real time snap of the bangle on my wrist. Do it here and now before I take it off. ;-)

x
Vienna

Cyanotype

The Fifth Label Playsuit, The Peach Box Bangle, Windsor Smith Sandals

The long weekend last week undoubtably called for a road trip, staying along the ocean was paramount as we watched the temperature gauge rocket past 32 degrees. Towards Newcastle became our spur of the moment destination in search of lust-worthy cyanotype locations. 

35 degrees and counting, arrival at Stockton Beach heralded chip and gravy rolls by the water as the sun made quick work of our wintery white complexions. The expanse of Stockton Beach is phenomenal- North, its sand dune mountains stretching all the way along the coastline up to Anna Bay and South, across the water is Nobby's beach with its' iconic lighthouse. 

From Stockton, Nobby's Beach is approximately half an hour drive back to Newcastle and it is a popular spot with both locals and tourists. There's a new walkway so the walk from Nobbys /Newcastle Beach/Bar Beach is one to rival the the Bondi to Bronte walk (yup, I said it). 

So glad we made the most of the beautiful weather and long weekend. Hope everyone also went outside and enjoyed the sunshine! 

x 

Vienna

New Blue

At the start of the month Michael and I took a 4 day trip from Sydney down to the snow. We weren't sure whether it would be snowy or slushy because September marks the start of off-peak season but we sure had all our fingers and toes crossed.

We didn't leave our house until about 11am on the Saturday and ambled steadily out of Sydney via the western suburbs on the Hume Motorway (M31). Just after Goulburn is a left merge onto the Federal Highway (A23) which always has me paranoid because the turnoff is more like a subtle left lane merge with one signage that doesn't leave for much reaction time. (I've never actually missed the turn off so it's not as dramatic as it sounds but I always think I have. Every. Single. Time.)

So we arrived in Canberra at 2pm for lunch, swapped drivers and made our way south out of the ACT via the B23 Monaro Highway all the way to Cooma. It got quite dark around 4 in the evening so when we finally arrived in Cooma 1.5 hours later it was pitch black outside and freezing. And so, like your everyday unsuspecting tourists we paid $20 each for weird tasting pad see ew and checked into our motel for the night.

6:30am wake ups meant that we were driving out of Cooma at 7:30 the next morning just so we could make the most out of our lift passes. The drive from Cooma to Jindabyne takes approximately 45 minutes on a highly patrolled road so please take extra care if you're driving. Once you get into Jindabyne you can get to Thredbo in around half an hour depending on the weather. 

We were lucky enough to stay in a little cabin overlooking Lake Jindabyne and I would have loved a little more time enjoying the view with a mug of tea but instead we decided to subject ourselves to an activity known as "collect lots of bruises on your ass" (snowboarding). Here's a step by step guide to how you can do it too. 

1. Turn left on Alpine Way and enter Kosciuszko National Park (fee at entrance).

2. Enter Thredbo Village in 32 kilometres, park your car and remember where you parked it.

3. Buy/pick up your lift passes.* 

The closest place to the public car parks to do this is right in front of Friday Flat. 

4. Pick up your snow gear rentals at Thredbo Sports either at Friday Flat or Valley Terminal.

5.  Approach snow based activities without fear.

6. Watch little kids shred you on the slopes.

*You save quite a bit of money if you buy your Thredbo Lift Passes online at least a week in advance 

There was a storm on the second day and we were worried about driving into the national park that morning because it had started raining quite heavily. But as we got closer to the mountains the temperature had dropped so much that by the time we stepped out of the car the rain had turned into a million little white crystals falling from the sky. I was later told that it was not really snow but "frozen rain" but until I see otherwise that was one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.

And snowboarding ended up being so much fun. Despite all the falling over and leg muscles screaming fatigue there were plenty of hi5s and laughs. Especially when we started chasing each other down the mountain with snowballs to the face I miraculously learnt how to snowboard really well. This was probably also contributed to the fact that Michael was such a good snowboard teacher that he didn't try to stuff snow down my shirt until after I could stand up on my own. I was laughing so much for a moment there I felt like a child again. 

At the start of the trip I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this frozen version of nature that I'm normally used to. But this new blue play land already has me dreaming of New Zealand/Japan/Canada.

x

Vienna

Every Time Nostalgia

We drove up the coast last weekend to visit Michael's mum who was waiting with surprise Christmas presents. She definitely had the surprise element down pat considering its mid-September and we've only just brushed the snow off our beanies (literally). So with that being a highlight of the day we were also blessed with a beautiful day, so much so that it felt stupidly good to be back in the warmth as the weather picks up for Spring. 

The 1.5 hour drive was familiar in every sense. The entrance onto the Pacific Motorway (M1), the music playing via the AUX and the all too familiar tingle of sun across our bare limbs as the traffic gradually thinned out and the high rises that we've grown accustomed to gave away to lower lying lots. 

Seed Heritage Top, Zara Shorts, ASOS Boots, QUAY Sunnies

We spent pretty much our entire summer '14 up on the Central Coast so the closer we got the more we couldn't help but reminisce with "Remember when" sentences. This particular spot is Soldiers, one of the beaches we frequented over the summer. Just south of Norah Head Lighthouse the headlands are always a good spot to watch surfers and picnic on the grass. The stretch of beach is never overly congested with people which is always a welcomed change of pace from Sydney's beaches. Especially down the south end, tucked away from the headlands there is always a quiet spot that is perfect for yoga.  

I miss those days when we would jog down the beach and do sun salutations towards the blue horizon with only the sound of waves filling our ears. And I think I tend to get sad/nostalgic when I realise those moments have already passed and to try and relive them would only ever beget dissatisfaction. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way? 

So I'm blessed that my other half is the yin to my yang on this one. He seems to be content/nostalgic, happy to wade in the memories and connect the events as ones that has lead us to where we are now. 

And I think that's a much better way to look at it. So every time nostalgia comes around I think I'll remind myself how lucky I am to have them. 

x

Vienna